Slings and Carriers and Backpacks Oh My

Today the baby sling I've been wanting arrived and it's flippin' cool! For serious!

Originally I was going to go with a BabyBjorn Baby Carrier, but after reading the reviews on various sites, as well as checking out some of the baby boards I'm on, I decided against it. The carrier seems really good for babies over 2 months of age, which is fine, except I wanted one that would go from newborn to older than newborn (i.e. something I could use for longer than 2 months).

The one brand that seemed to go over really well with other mom's was a carrier made by Beco. If every mom who has ever had a Beco just LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the carrier, then I was sold. Except now I had my next challenge -- to pick out a pattern that was befitting for a mom and a dad. Yeah, tough one right?

At first, I had picked out the Joshua Butterfly Beco Carrier.

Cute ... I mean strong (and cute), right? Deep purples, bold colors, owls (hubby's favorite animal). Perfect! He could wear it and not feel too gay. And I can think it cute. Well, a week later I go to purchase it and what do you know... It's out of stock. Figures. So back to the selection page I go to view the other patterns when this one pops out at me:

It's the Jack Butterfly Beco Carrier. I immediately ran over to the hubby to see if it met his approval. Before I finished speaking I hear a "Helz Yea!" and knew we found our carrier. And for a whopping $6 less than the other one. I loves me a savings!

Oh, yes. You would be correct on the pattern. They are skulls & crossbones and crowns. A bit goth perhaps, but that's what we like about it. Oh, did I mention that I have a dress with the same pattern. Talk about coordination!

Aside from the visual design, what makes the carrier uber-cool is that it's structured just like a camping backpack. **here is where I turn this post into an advertisement** There's enough give on the straps so the carrier can adjust to both hubby and me: it has a waist belt, thick shoulder straps and enough support for baby to be comfy--as well as the parents. It also comes with a hood so I can shade baby's face from the sun, wind and rain. And.. AND the baby can be carried on your front or back. AWESOME! It's also designed so I can breastfeed her while she's sitting in the carrier and the carrier is long enough to support her floppy head during those first few months.

Oh. So. Cool.

With all of the purchases we've made, this carrier is by far my favorite. I think that's because we get to use it too. I love new toys. Let's just hope she finds the carrier as nifty as we do.