We’re still around!

I know this blog is horribly outdated, but we continue to meet every 3rd Tuesday, 10am at the Catlin Community Center on Catlin Drive (NOT Camp Catlin Road), right off Nimitz Hwy.  We’re usually there until about noon-ish.  We’ve been doing this for the past five years with no reason to stop. 😉

If you’re on Facebook, look us up as Na Kamalei.  I update there a little more often just because I’m not a techie, and it’s so much easier to do!

Happy wearing!

Kristin

Change of Venue

Just wanted to make sure you know that after a good five years at our current location, we’re going to try a new venue.  We’ll still be in the same area, and meet at the same time.  

From Nimitz Hwy, turn mauka onto Catlin Drive.  Pass the Youth Center and turn into the next driveway.  That’s were we are.  If you come to the four-way stop, you’ve gone a touch too far, but we’re still right there.  See you next week!

Email CarrytheChildren@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Happy wearing!

Kristin

Welcome Expo Friends!

We’d like to say hello and thank you to all the New Baby Expo visitors for stopping by our booth!  We enjoyed talking with you and explaining our mission…no sales, just getting moms and dads to love their carriers.  Many apologies for this blog not being very updated, it’s a work in progress.  😉

I’ve added all the meeting dates for this year (third Tuesdays at 10am), so I hope we’ll have a chance to see you again.  Sign up, too!  It doesn’t cost anything, and you’ll get reminders for meetings.

Happy Wearing!

Kristin

Bag Slings Not the Best Idea

Usually any carrier is a good carrier (save those that are poorly manufactured), but sometimes there is such a thing as a carrier that’s not such a good idea.  Bag slings are simply a flawed design that isn’t particularly safe for baby.  Read here for an awesome description of why:  http://www.babyslingsafety.blogspot.com/

Happy Wearing!

Kristin

International Babywearing Week Nov 12-18

Mark your calendars–this is the inaugural year of International Babywearing Week!  And it really is international.  Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, Poland, UK, Scotland, Israel and the US all have groups coming together to celebrate.  How cool is that?

And, what’s going on in Hawai’i, you ask?  Well, pencil in Tuesday, November 18th, 10am-noon for a Babywearing Extravaganza!  We’ll be meeting at our usual location (Moanalua Terrace Community, 2500 Radford Drive) for a fun-filled morning.

We’ll have on-going demonstrations highlighting the main carrier types (with samples for you to try!); tricks and tips to get your carrier working perfectly; lessons in babywearing body mechanics; door prizes and more!  Come on over, invite your friends–it’s going to be a blast! 

Prizes donated by:  Windwardskies Photography, Summer Faria, Moby Inc., JACO Rehab, Baby aWEARness and more!

How Does a Pouch Work?

One of the most basic carriers available is a pouch. It’s a loop of fabric sewn together with a curved seam. That curved seam creates a pocket for baby to sit in. There are no leg holes. So exactly how does it work? Let’s take a look…

Here’s what a pouch looks like off the wearer, folded in half for wearing:

And here it is unfolded. See the way the seam is curved?

And being used with baby in a modified kangaroo carry

So, how did that baby get in there? Stay tuned…gotta make a video to show you! In the meantime, get hold of a Tummy2Tummy DVD. It is the best instructional video on the market (covers all the basic carrier styles, too!).

If have a pouch video, email it to me! As long as the instructions are clear and the technique is good, I’ll use it here. 🙂

Baby aWEARness Offers Free Wearing Class

Baby aWEARness in Manoa is offering a free babywearing class at their store this Saturday at 9am. Call Baby aWEARness at 988-0010 for more information.

Come to September’s Meeting!

September’s meeting is creeping up quickly! Join us on September 16th at 10am. Bring the carriers you’re having difficulty with, or see some other styles. As always, meetings are free and there is no membership required.

Friendly faces await!

Looking forward to seeing you!

Happy Wearing!
Kristin

Practice Makes Perfect

I’m learning how to knit, and it’s frustrating.  Figuring out how to hold the needle, hold the yard, make the stitches.  It feels totally awkward.  I wonder if I’ll ever knit with the skills I see in my knitting friends.  Then I remember how it was when I first started babywearing.  

In the beginning, it was incredibly awkward.  Holding the baby, wrapping straps, fumbling with buckles. Trying to get that darned thing on required the patience of a saint, and the limbs of a contortionist.  Or so I thought.  Watching a seasoned babywearer put her child in a carrier with fluidity and grace was awe inspiring. Would I ever be able to do it?

So, I practiced.  And practiced.  I would stand in front of the closet mirrors with wrap and baby trying to do a back carry.  Beads of perspiration would form over my furrowed brow, and I would mutter obscenities under my breath.  Curse babywearing!  Will I ever get this?  I kept practicing because I needed to.  Two kids required babywearing!  And I got better.  Heck, I got good enough to teach.

So, I knit, never dreaming of teaching, but settled in knowing that I’ll get better with practice.

Happy wearing,                                                                                                                                                   Kristin

Come join us to the May 20th Meeting

We can’t wait to see you there. Bring your carrier(s) if you need need help. We have many experienced mamas. Contact us by leaving a comment here or email us for any questions you may have.

Here is a collage of photos from our February meetings. Look at all those sweet babies! Thanks to Joelle for the beautiful photographs.