Baby Carriers

There have always been moments when I don't have enough hands, but now that I have more boys than hands, it's truer than ever. Which is why I've been on the hunt for a good hands-free baby carrier. It's like buying a new stroller and (gasp) costs as much. So, I'm going to share my findings in hopes I save someone else from hours of research and fittings.

Here were my priorities in order of their importance to me:

1. Ergonomic - If it makes my back hurt, I won't use it.
2. Self-donning - If I can't put it on alone, then I can't use it when I need it most.
3. Local - I really wanted to try something on before buying (to ensure #1 and #2).
4. Cool - It's August. I'm hot. He's hot. We don't need to contain all our heat.
5. Washable - I give birth to spitters.
6. Scalable - If I'm gonna pay big bucks, I want it to last beyond his 3-month birthday.
7. Front or Back-Facing - Allows the baby to face me when sleeping but out when awake.
8. Cheap

I scoured Amazon for reviews and CraigsList for used carriers. I considered:

-- Beco Baby Carrier Gemini, but it wasn't self-donning, local, or washable.
-- BabyBjorn Air, but it wasn't ergonomic or scalable.
-- Slings (like this Moby), but I can never get the baby positioned right, plus I don't find them ergonomic or scalable.
-- Ergo Original, but it wasn't as cool or washable as the...

Ergo Performance, which is what I ultimately bought. It fit #1-6 so I gave up #7-8. I've wasted $20 on cheap knock-offs before, so I went for the most popular carrier. And judging from CraigsList, I should be able to sell it someday and recoup some of the cost (much like the Bob joggers).

In the meantime, Josh finished his 18-month odyssey of looking for another kind of baby carrier: a new car. In fact, you should ask him about it. He has always loved car talk, but now that he has a new "baby" to carry his new baby, he could use a few more listening ears to absorb all his enthusiasm. Tonight, he even asked what errands he could run, just so he could drive it. And that grin. My big boy. So cute.