Snapshot: Favorites of a Four Year Old

A few weeks ago, Natalie turned four years old ... insert disbelief and sniffles here! Today while we enjoyed a relaxing morning at home (no appointments or classes to rush off to) and played blocks on the family room floor, I asked her about her Favorite things and kept a piece of paper handy to record her answers.  I did this last year, too, and must thank Chitown Momma for reminding me to do it again!

1. Color: "PINK" no hesitation.  no pause to think about.  most definitely ... PINK!
2. Cartoon Character: "Buddy!  He's a very silly dinosaur."
3. Book: "Critter and Rapunzel" - that anthology of Little Critter stories has remained a favorite through the years.  She also loves to read princess books, especially a Tangled chapter book.
4. Letters: "M and T ... because moon starts with M and tiger starts with T, and I really like the moon and tigers."  Seems like a rational explanation to me :)
   
5. Number: "Four.  Because I am four years old!"
   
6. Treasure: "Dress-up clothes and Balloons!"  The first answer I was expecting, but I was surprised to hear mention of balloons.
   
7. Snack(s): "Veggie Booty, apples & cinnamon, and cheese crackers from Trader Joes."
8. Movie: "The Little Mermaid" Grammy introduced Natalie to Ariel just before her third birthday last year, and it has been her favorite since then.  Interestingly, she doesn't ask to watch it very often anymore but still considers it her favorite.
9. Princess: "Ariel because her dress is pink and her hair is red."
10. Place to Go: KidsQuest (our indoor kids' museum), Cougar Mountain Zoo (fantastic local zoo), and Cee-Cee's House (her best friend)
11. Store: "Target and Ikea" - Target we frequent, Ikea we've been to maybe three times!
12. Restaurant: "Old McDonald's and Chipotle!"  Natalie is such a sucker for those darn Happy Meals, and loves the cheese quesadillas at Chipotle.
13. Song to Sing: "A-B-C-D, Down by the Station, and All You Funky Monkeys"
14. Song to Listen to: "Caspar Babypants!" Once again!   We also love the Glee versions of Baby! Baby!, Forget You, Ice Ice Baby, and I Want to be a Billionaire!
15. Thing to do at the park: "Make mulch cakes and meet new friends."
16. Thing about Charlotte: "Playing blocks with her and making her laugh."
17. Thing about Mommy: "Her pretty eyes." I did not bribe her in anyway!
18. Thing about Daddy: "His Grumpy shirt."  Which just so happens to be the gift she picked out for him for his birthday!  They both think it's hilarious!

Something I've Never Done Before

I made apple cobbler today. Not a single ingredient came from a box. And the results are delicious. How about that? Before I give you the recipe and a funny story, allow me to explain WHY I made an apple cobbler today. You should know up-front that this story involves Costco.

This story begins ... many years ago, I had to revoke my husband's Costco membership. I didn't have a choice. The man came home with a case of canned green beans! We don't even eat canned vegetables. And we were living in a tiny little apartment at the time. Seriously, our pantry space consisted of like three super narrow shelves. I should also mention, this was the "last straw" of several other cases of bad judgement when it came to Costco purchases. And, so that was it. I took his card. He was no longer allowed to shop at Costco.

Last week, I went to Costco while hungry. I know, I know. My mistake; I completely admit that. I bought more fresh fruit than we will ever be able to eat ... including a pound of blueberries and 18 apples. Upon seeing my purchases, my darling hubby quickly reminded me of the "green bean incident." I was appalled that he would even think to compare the two! And I swore to make sure every last one of those apples ... and blueberries ... would be eaten. I did manage to eat a lot of "raw" apples, but eventually had to resort to baking. Not something that I enjoy. Not something that I am good at. But desperate times call for desperate measures ...

A quick Google search later, and I found a recipe with few ingredients and simple measurements from http://www.applerecipes.us/. Who knew there was an entire website dedicated to apple recipes?

Ingredients:
3 large granny smith apples, peeled and sliced
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 large egg
1/2 cup butter, melted

Directions:
Put apples in the bottom of a lightly greased 8x8 inch baking dish.Mix flour, sugar, cinnamon and egg until it looks like coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over the apples.Pour melted butter over the entire dish. Bake 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce.

Here's that funny story, I mentioned.
The only cooking mishap to report ... I EXPLODED that 1/2 cup of butter in the microwave. Tossed the stick in the bowl. Popped it in the micro. Pushed the "Ez-On" button - my personal favorite - twice. Walked away to mix other ingredients. Heard this obnoxious POP and knew that couldn't be a good thing. Ugh! What a ridiculously slimy, greasy mess. But the microwave did get a much-needed cleaning :)

Now, I am off to find a recipe for a whole lot of blueberries ... muffins perhaps? Oh, I am feeling so Betty Crocker :)

Animals on Parade

The craftiness continues here in the NW. Obviously inspired by my own craft success, CPV bought a book about making wooden toys and set out to make this adorable set of wooden animals. There's a Hippo, Giraffe, Bear, Elephant, Lion, and Camel; NHV can name them all. Each painted a different color, my contribution to the project - Natalie can name all those, too. Each with wooden wheels and tiny hooks, so they can be pushed or pulled individually or connected in a little parade. My favorite is the Elephant. But, honestly, I love them all because they were made with love :)

P.S. Yes, I know these would make wonderful gifts, but I can't make any promises; CPV is very talented but not exactly speedy :)

Nothing but ... Bs Flattened

Okay here's totally random ... as advertised ... you know what you're getting on this blog after reading the tag line under that fabulous title up there ... so no whining ... head shakes, grins, and belly laughs welcome :)

Nothing but ... Bananas Flattened
It seems like I think about food ... a lot ... lately. And my brain is not usually preoccupied for the sake of my own nourishment. No, I am constantly thinking about what to feed Natalie, especially when we leave the house for an extended period of time. There's nothing worse than a hungry baby melting down in public! Even if she isn't particularly hungry, it seems like food can slay the fussy monster before it rears it's terribly ugly little head. And before we leave the house, I arm myself with an easy-to-transport snack. Something like Gerber's Puffs; I like to pack a variety in the little container that once held three bottles worth of formula. Isn't that a clever re-purposing? I thought so, too. It has three sections and a little spout for pouring those puffs out in small "doses."

Ummm ... what does that have to do with Bananas Flattened? I'm not entirely sure ... but hey consider that an unexpected tip from me to you :) Anyway, back to the NBBF, a fantastic treat for on-the-go ... hiking, errands, trips to the park, ... you name it. And you can get your Bananas Flattened at Trader Joe's for about $1.29. It's a flat package that weighs just ounces, but the contents provide a plethora of nutrition and entertainment. The ingredient list is: Bananas. No crazy chemicals or coloring agents or crap you and your baby don't need. Just bananas. It is completely mind-boggling to me how they manage to process, flatten, and package those bananas in such a way to make them delicious and long-lasting (without chemicals) - the package I just bought doesn't expire until June 2009! How do they get those delicious bananas flattened and fresh for so long?! If you know, please tell me :) But the answer or lack of answer isn't going to keep me from buying and enjoying this delightful treat. You just peel off a slice and chew, chew, chew ... it is somewhat reminiscent of Fruit Roll-Ups from back in the day ... only it doesn't stick to the roof of your mouth or turn your tongue/teeth weird colors. I can't remember what else I wanted to tell you about the Flattened Bananas ... mainly because part two of this post has been floating around my brain ...

Nothing but ... Bs Flattened
Along those same lines, but definitely not edible ... Natalie has been completely weaned for six weeks now, and boy, did the girls pay the price for that little 11-month work load. When I look down - where my once perky size C rack formerly resided - all I see are Bs Flattened! I mean the flattened part is bad enough, terrible actually. But how the heck did I lose a cup size? Something about that just isn't right! But is does explain why so many of my mommy friends with babies the same age as Natalie are thinking about and even trying to have a second child ... they all want their voluptuous ta-tas back. And I can't blame them. I may even join them! Definitely something to consider ...

Crepes: One of the Many Reasons I love CPV

What an awesome morning! First of all, I got to sleep in! My sweet Chad Patrick got up with Natalie at 7:00 am, fed her breakfast, and played all his fun daddy games. They woke me up just after 8:00 with a good snuggle in bed, my favorite way to greet the day. I left the two of them playing while I walked to Starbucks with my neighbor, friend, and new mommy, Jessica. We had a wonderful conversation while I sipped my chai tea latte. I returned home to find Natalie down for her morning nap, and Chad heating up the pan to make a batch of his now highly requested CREPES! Seriously, does it get any better than this?

Crepes are a new treat around here. Just this summer CPV expanded his culinary repertoire to include this decadent breakfast option. Crepes were an occasional childhood treat for him, but my tastebuds were crepe virgins ... I've had plenty of pancakes, waffles, and french toast in my day, but never a crepe ... and after three samplings, I am totally hooked! Anyway, a co-worker recently reminded him of their deliciousness during one of many non-work related conversations and gave him a recipe to try.

Crepe Batter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons water
1/2 cup milk
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 teaspoon salt


Combine all ingredients in large bowl. Use hand mixer to blend until liquid consistency. Let the batter stand, covered, for 1 hour. (The batter may be made up to 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled.)


To Make Crepes:

1. Start with a heated a 9 inch skillet. Chad sprays the pan - just one - with cooking spray.
2. Once the pan is hot (but not smoking), remove it from the heat.
3. Stir the batter, fill a 1/4 cup measuring scoop with batter.
4. Pour the batter into the pan. Tilt and rotate that pan quickly to cover the bottom with a thin layer of batter and then return the pan to the heat.
5. Loosen the edge of the crepe until the underside is browned lightly.
6. Flip the crepe - you can even get fancy about it - and brown the other side.
7. Transfer the crepe to a plate.
8. Serve with strawberries and whip cream, berries and powdered sugar, just powdered sugar, or maple syrup - these are the toppings we've tried thus far :)

This was most certainly the kind of breakfast you "write home about" ... or at least post on my blog. I somehow managed to eat 3 crepes ... all filled with strawberries and a sprinkling of powdered sugar.

My husband is the best, and I love him for his crepes :)

Favorite Thing: Teething Tablets, Mum-Mums, & Veggie Booty

So this month's favorite things may - at first glance - seem unrelated, however I assure you that this is not one of my many moments of randomness. No, I had three favorite things to share, and they are all things to put in your baby's mouth ... or let her put it in her mouth, if you'd rather :)

Hyland's Homeopathic Teething Tablets
I am not sure I completely agree with their advertising slogan, "A safe solution to every problem," but I think these teething tablets do take the edge off when Natalie's gums are wrestling a new tooth. Of course, she only has two teeth at this point, but so far these tablets have seemed to help :)
Here's a little description I found online:
"This is a great natural pain reliever for your little ones. These unique tablets dissolve instantly, and treat teething pain and discomfort with a homeopathic blend of natural substances. no side effects, 100% natural."


Baby Mum-Mum Rice Rusks

Natalie has been eating these things for a few months now, and she continues to chant "mum-mum-mum" each time one appears. She especially enjoys the Vegetable variety - it contains the "powder" of spinach and other delectable veggies. Yum!

I love Mum-Mums because they ...

• quickly dissolve in the moist mouth of a little one
• are easy to transport (aka they can be tossed in the diaper bag)
• make almost no mess - I can even get away with forgetting a bib!

Oh, and Baby Mum-Mums are made in Australia - Good day, Mate - but no I do not order and have them shipped from another continent! When I sent the link to my friend Laurie, she gave me too much credit and thought I was having Natalie's snacks shipped from down under :) Fellow mommies, I get my Mum-Mum supply from the local grocery store, which reminds me, I need to add these to my current shopping list.

Veggie Booty
Don't you just love the name? And the pirate-play-on-words? Well, you know I do, but I am admittedly easy to please! Aaaargh! Bottomline: This booty is delicious!

Being honest ... I am not sure how "nutritional" this snack really is for my NHV, but I do know that she loves it! Again, its ingredient list boasts a variety of vegetables (broccoli, kale, carrot, spinach) in powdered form.

I like to eat it, too, and I figure it must be better than throwing a handful of Cheetos on her tray :)

Shiver Me Letters, A Pirate ABC

Occasionally I've highlighted "A few of my favorite things" here in my little blog world, and I just realized that the past two were actually books, and well, I have quite a few more books I feel are blogworthy ... so perhaps I need a new category. Any suggestions? How about "Books I don't mind reading like a bazillion times ..."

While you ponder that, let me tell you about one of many new books Natalie has received in the past month. It's a book that Chad bought for her ... all by himself. He came home from work the other day carrying a bag with two children's books inside, and my first reaction was, "Did you find those somewhere?" Or "Who gave you those?" He had just for no reason at all bought two new books for our NHV ... not that she needs more books ... it was such a sweet, simple gesture!

Both books are fantastic, but I want to tell you about "Shiver Me Letters" by June Sobel. Who can resist a good pirate story? It is especially cute when Chad reads it in his pirate accent. And I am a complete sucker of a clever ABC book, so pretty much this book "had me at hello" if you know what I'm saying!

The story is about a captain and his crew searching for booty, in this case the letters of the alphabet other than R ... you see, the captain already has "R" 'cause that's what a pirate says, "aaaargh" ... get it? Here's an excerpt from the first pages: "R," roared the captain. "R's not enough. We need other letters to help make us tough." Each letter is found in some pirate-themed way, and the illustrations are humorous and colorful.

There isn't any deep message in this book - if that's what you're looking for, I am guessing that you don't do much of your reading to a one year old. And, hey, if I am going to read a book like a bazillion times, which mommies often do, I might as well read a book that is this much fun and so very clever!

Do I really have to share?

I've shared a lot with my baby girl. Ummm, my uterus for starters! And let's not forget the 11 months of breastfeeding - sharing Rita and Louise on demand all day long. Those are obviously the biggies (no pun intended) ... but what else? On occasion I've been willing to share my bed. (Although I must admit, I do enjoy an afternoon nap/snuggle with my NHV.) There have been countless other sacrifices along the way ... you get the idea ...

Well, now I am drawing the line. Now, that greedy little girl wants my most favorite and coveted treat from Starbucks ... the blueberry muffin. You know the one with the sinful crumble yumminess on top? Yeah, well, Natalie insisted on helping me to eat mine this morning. I've discovered I am not all that fond of sharing my darn-near-$2 muffin with my newly-one-year-old. It totally threw off my chai tea latte to muffin ratio! But I could hardly let the mmmmms and hand clapping that is her sign for "more" go unnoticed ... at least not while sitting in the middle of my neighborhood Starbucks. Everyone there seemed to think it was just adorable, and I wanted to say, "If you think it's so cute, why don't you share your muffin?" But no, instead I gave in and handed over tiny bites ... after peeling back the paper to uncover the muffin bottom ... no way she was getting her pincher grasp and one tooth on my muffin top!

On the walk home - sipping what was left of my chai sans muffin - it occurred to me that perhaps I am partly to blame for Natalie's blueberry muffin fixation. I practically lived on those things for the entire second trimester of my pregnancy, so perhaps she's predisposed.

Regardless next time I am craving a Starbucks blueberry muffin, Natalie is staying home with daddy! Somethings I am just not willing to share :)

Another of my Favorite Things: Baby Says Peekaboo

So I'm going to try to add a little structure to the chaos that is my blog ... and the first bit of "organization," if you will ... is to give you A Few of My Favorite Things at the beginning of each month. Hope you enjoy ... and hope I remember next month :)

Baby Says PeekaBoo

I would not be exaggerating in the least to say that NHV loves this book. And, well, for that reason, I love it, too! Her faces absolutely lights up at just the sight of it. Once the pages are turned and the flaps are lifted ... to reveal some very cute babies ... Natalie just grins and squeals, a combination I can't live a single day without! She started being able to lift the flaps herself more than a month ago, which just added to the excitement. The book asks, "Where's the baby? Is she behind the beach ball?" When you lift the flap you find the adorable baby featured on the cover of the book ... the hat tipped to the side and the lips puckered. Natalie's favorite is the baby boy hiding behind the washcloth. He as curly blond hair, a toothy grin, and a rubber ducky in his hand; a combination that my daughter simply can't resist. The photographed babies make this book so charming and fun. There are tons of other books in this series. We also own Bedtime Peekaboo, but the Baby version continues to be our favorite.

I will try to get a little video clip of Natalie "reading" this book ...

Happy July 1st :)

A Few of My Favorite Things: Belly Button Book

I just put NHV down for her morning nap - wondering how much longer she'll continue to give me that little slice of 60 minute heaven? Before heading off to Snoozeville, we snuggled in the glider and read the Belly Button Book, one of our favorites!

Given to us by someone who knows my almost obsessive love of the button, my friend, Natalie's auntie, Missy, this book - one of Sandra Boynton's many delightful tales - has provided hours of entertainment! It features a tiny, oh-so-cute hippopotamus, refers to belly buttons as "belly b's," and includes several illustrations of hippos -baring their belly buttons - in bikinis ... seriously, what's not to love?

And it's inspired me to move beyond the "Where is your nose?" game and give "Where's your belly button?" a try :) I can just picture Natalie lifting up her shirt, exposing her tiny tummy, sticking her finger right in her belly button, and smiling with accomplishment ...

Someday

It's 2:02 am, and I am awake. Not been-out-clubbing-just-got-home awake (ha, ha). No, this is the my-sweet-NHV-just-called-out-to-me-through-the-monitor kind of wake. That darn monitor that permanently resides on my nightstand. You know the one that Chad somehow isn't able to hear ... because of his "bad ear" and the fact that he's male. The same monitor that functions as a secondary alert system because I usually sense Natalie's calls before she even makes them. Yes, I am awake because I am a mommy.

So NHV called out to me at 1:37 am, and I let her attempt self-soothing for a grand total of 5 minutes. She wasn't even crying very hard, more like fuss, fuss, fuss ... long pause. I probably should've let her work it out, but it's hard for me to imagine her alone in her dark nursery, awake for some reason ... perhaps a bad dream or a need to practice a new skill or sore gums ... I run through a long list for those entire 5 minutes, and then I just have to go to her. I go because I know I can make it better and that is a powerful feeling.

I found her up on her knees kind of rocking back and forth, which immediately made me think of the stair-climbing practice we did earlier today. I can't even begin to imagine what her little brain and muscles must be going through; how much she learns everyday is staggering. In my mommy brain, I assume she's woken up because of this overload. I scoop her up out of her newly lowered crib, which is no easy feat, and begin whispering sweet nothings in her ear. She immediate calmed down and melting into my arms, and despite being awake at this ridiculous hour, I feel like I am exactly where I want to be.

Wanting to savor that feeling for just a few more minutes, I sat down in my glider and put my favorite - super soft - blanket over us. And I just rocked and enjoyed the weight of her in my lap and the smell of her hair and the rhythm of her breathing. And I let my mind wonder.

My first thoughts were of my little sister who gave birth to her third child earlier today. I wonder what she is doing right now. Is she awake, too? Is she feeding or changing or soothing her precious Greyson Daniel? Oh, those early days are such a blur; an emotional, sleep-deprived whirlwind of cries, feedings, and uncertainty. And then my thoughts wander to the fact that soon - very, very soon, sooner than I would like - Natalie will turn one year old. It just doesn't seem possible, and I can't believe how different life is. And in that moment, I have a hard time remembering my life before her.

From there my thoughts fall upon a book given to me for Mother's Day by my dear friend in TX. It's titled Someday, and it is a book I absolutely cherish - because it came from Laurie and because it's just beautiful. The mostly white pages are wonderfully illustrated, each one listing a milestone and then wishes the mother has for her daughter's life. For me it serves as a poignant reminder to enjoy where and when we are right now. Natalie will never be this same baby girl again. A thought that is beyond bittersweet. Someday is everyday.

Daddy Idol

Talkative is a word often used to describe me ... my husband, yeah, not so much. He's a man of few words and what little he does say is riddled with a very dry sense of humor. I'll mention again that Chad cracks me up ... pretty much on a daily basis. Moments of silence are often interrupted by a very random - sometimes deep - thought. For example, "Do you think Natalie knows she's a baby?" What does that mean?!

So words are few, but animal noises, whistling, and silly, made-up songs are plentiful. When Chad first took over Natalie's bathtime routine, I would have to remind him to "use his words." Honestly, an entire 10 minutes would pass without a single English word being uttered; plenty of other sounds but NO actual words ... that can't be good for Natalie's language acquisition, right? :)

Here's a small selection of Chad's recent made-up songs:

In response to Natalie's lack of afternoon nap, Chad sang ...
You're not gonna make it, no you ain't gonna make it
You're not gonna make it 'til 7 o'clock.
(to the tune of Twisted Sister, "We're Not Gonna Take It")

As he carried Natalie upstairs for bath tonight, he sang ...
Girl you know it's true, you've got stinky poo
And we're going to go bathe you ... oooh, oooh, ooh
I love you!
(to the tune of Milli Vanilli's "Girl You know It's True")

And an all-time favorite that made a recent comeback ...
You're so gross, you're so gross
You spit and you drool and you poop all day
You spit and you drool and you poop all day
You're so gross, you're so gross
(to the tune of the children's classic "Three Blind Mice")

I love that man! And clearly he loves our little NHV!

A Few of My Favorite Things: Nuby Sippy Cup

Breastfeeding has been a joy. No, seriously, for the most part, I have truly enjoyed being able to provide nourishment for my little NHV sans bottles and formula and what-not. It's a decision that I am happy I made. I've been able to provide a "two-course meal" on demand for the past 9.5 months (and counting). But I do have dreams and aspirations of getting "the girls" back at some point in the near future. It seems kind of silly to reinforce a bottle at this point - Natalie is not overly fond of it - and so we began serious sippy cup training about a month ago.

We started with the Avent sippy cup because that's the brand of bottles I registered for (but used only a handful of times) and someone was kind enough to purchase the sippy cups in addition to the bottles. Anyway, the Avent cup is orange with a weird looking white spout - kind of long and flat - and an inner flap-thing that prevents the liquid from spilling out ... or coming out at all, apparently. Natalie had absolutely no luck with this cup; unless I removed the flap-thing, in which case she ended up drenched and sputtering from the deluge. Sippy cup shower anyone? Needless to say, frustration and amusement ensued.

Thankfully, I have a dear friend in TX with a baby boy almost the same age as Natalie. We shared our pregnancies, and now, a few times each week, we celebrate, commiserate, and trade tips ... which led me out of sippy cup frustration and to the Nuby! The lack of handles caused me to hesitate, but not Natalie, she grabbed on, tipped it up, and happily drank ... like a college kid on spring break :)

And so, at this point, if - in the next three months or so - the booby milk gets replaced by some Similac and the Nuby ... I guess I'm okay with that.

A Few of Our Favorite Things: Balls!

Hee, hee, hee! I said, “Balls!” or at least I typed it. A word that evokes giggles in most crowds - at least the crowds I tend to frequent. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that I’ve taught 5th grade, and 10 year olds find the word “balls” hilarious. Anyway, I totally - and somewhat immaturely - digress.

Balls are all the rage here in baby world. At every play date we attend, all the babies want to play with the balls … amongst all the other brightly colored, oddly shaped toys, the babies go for the simple sphere. As soon as I topple over a toy bin, Natalie reaches for whatever ball happens to roll out … we have four balls in our collection now, so she‘s pretty much guaranteed a ball every time! We even received a ball - adored with Disney Princesses - as a first birthday party favor.

Our most favorite ball … and no, all balls are not created equal … is the O-Ball. I purchased mine - I mean, Natalie’s - on a recent shopping spree at White Horse Toys in Gilman Village, this great old-fashioned toy shop. I also bought what is known as a "sensory ball" - picture the porcupine of all balls, but the spikes are quite baby-friendly.

Bottomline: Babies love balls! And really, what’s not to love? Roll it, toss it, pass it, bounce it, ... endless possibilities for FUN! But don't take our word for it, go out and get yourself some balls!

A Few of My Favorite Things: Ergo Carrier

As far as this new mom is concerned, a carrier is a "must have" item. Whether you have a colicky baby or need to get a little housework done or want a travel option sans wheels, if you have a baby, you should also have a carrier! However, I am not a huge fan of the Baby Bjorn, but I didn't know any better when I registered ... so that's what I got. Now that I've been hanging out in the mommy community, I see so many other and better options. My personal favorite is the Ergo Baby Carrier (http://www.ergobabycarriers.com/). Although I don’t yet own one, I have worn a friend’s Ergo and heard the testimonials of countless Ergo-owners … therefore, I feel adequately knowledgeable to share my two cents.

With the Ergo, you can carry your baby on your front or back - the Bjorn doesn't do that. It also provides a much more natural sitting position for the baby - the Bjorn tends to cut into the crotch/thigh area. And it’s designed to let the baby’s weight rest on your hips - where it should; I end up with a terrible backache from the Bjorn. Oh, and it includes this fabulous hood-thingy that supports the baby's head when/if she falls asleep in the carrier ... a result I always hope for when I strap NHV to my chest :)

Anyway, this is just my opinion about carriers ... skip the Bjorn, the Ergo is a much better option! Now, I've got to head on over to check Craig's List and Ebay ... I'm on a mission to find a "gently used" and "reasonably priced" Ergo ... wish me luck!