Tell us about your family (significant other, children, fur children, other pets, etc)

I am married to a wonderful guy, Jacob. We were high school sweethearts and got married right out of college. We have a beautiful daughter together who is 2. We have one doggo, Libby, who was actually born on our wedding day.

When you were pregnant, did you plan on wearing your baby?

I got to wear my nephew when he was born so I knew that I wanted Babywearing in my life.

What do you love about babywearing?

The closeness and freedom it gives me as a parent. Now that I have a toddler who's constantly on the go I love that BW gives us a chance to be close.

Which one of your carriers do you use the most and what do you love about it?

I've always loved ring slings. For me they were always quick and easy.

Tell us about your main role within the CBW Leadership Team?

I currently staff the Saturday Meet Ups.

What additional role(s) do you have within the CBW Leadership Team?

I am on the Fundraising and Lending Library committees.

What drew you to become a leader for our community?

I wanted more info on Babywearing and wanted an opportunity to pass along my passion for it. So far I've gotten to do both!

What activity are you most likely to rely on babywearing to get done?
Travel. Don't ever try to do a toddler and an airport without Babywearing. It's not fun.

What skill do you hope to master over the next year? (does not have to be babywearing specific but it *can* be)
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Teaching back carries.

When you were pregnant, did you plan on wearing your baby?

My sister in law told me about CBW when I was pregnant and I quickly became excited about wearing my baby.

What do you love about babywearing?

I love the snuggles and am looking forward to bonding with a newborn again. I also really appreciate the convenience of babywearing when my toddler is tired or needs to be contained.

Which one of your carriers do you use the most and what do you love about it?

I am generally most comfortable using soft-structured carriers, but during pregnancy I’ve preferred a meh dai.

Tell us about your main role within the CBW Leadership Team?

I co-lead the Monday Skills Workshop meeting and really enjoy teaching.

What additional role(s) do you have within the CBW Leadership Team?

I am part of the Lending Library and MELT (Education) committees.

What drew you to become a leader for our community?

I loved learning about all different kinds of carriers and thought it would be fun to teach others.

What activity are you most likely to rely on babywearing to get done?

Going to the zoo. I never go without a carrier!

What skill do you hope to master over the next year? (does not have to be babywearing specific but it *can* be)

​I’d like to learn more wrap carries with a *hopefully* cooperative new baby.

Tell us about your family (significant other, children, fur children, other pets, etc)

My husband, Andrew, and I have been married for 14 years. I have a 6 year old daughter who is in 1st grade. I have a son who will be two at the end of January. We have two cats.

When you were pregnant, did you plan on wearing your baby?

While pregnant, I became interested in the idea of attachment parenting. Through my focus on this parenting style, I realized how important babywearing would be for us.

What do you love about babywearing?

I love the snuggles best. Whether baby is a little bitty newborn, or a sleepy and fussy toddler, the closeness that babywearing provides is good for me and my babies :)

Which one of your carriers do you use the most and what do you love about it?

I tend to use my SSC the most right now because my toddler wants up and down so much! It is quick and comfortable for us both. I do have a true love for my meh dai as well. I like a high back carry that I can get with this carrier that I cannot get with the SSC.

Tell us about your main role within the CBW Leadership Team?

I am a Sunday/Saturday lead and teacher, providing education on various carrier types at CBW Skills Workshops.

What additional role(s) do you have within the CBW Leadership Team?

I also work with the Outreach committee to spread the word of babywearing beyond our group.

What drew you to become a leader for our community?

I love babywearing so much and came to appreciate the community of caregivers that were involved in this group. As I became more involved in the group, I decided that I wanted to be part of the leadership team so that I could share this love with others who are new to babywearing.

What activity are you most likely to rely on babywearing to get done?

Currently, cooking and cleaning! Since I am a working mama, my little dude wants lots of attention and closeness when I get home. This also happens to be the time when lots of other things need done.

What skill do you hope to master over the next year? (does not have to be babywearing specific but it *can* be)

​I always love to learn and practice new woven wrap carries. My little dude doesn't cooperate much any more, but I still like to learn!

What does a day in your life look like with your job/pursuits?
I work full time for a local finance company and LOVE my job. :)
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Tell us about your family (significant other, children, fur children, other pets, etc)
I've been married to my husband Caleb for almost ten years! We have three children -- an angel baby, a five year old - Savannah, and an almost two year old James. We also have the world's meanest cat, Sprinkles and a very excitable pup named Minerva (aka Minnie). They keep me busy and I love every moment of it!

When you were pregnant, did you plan on wearing your baby?
Yes -- moreso with my second than my first though. I discovered CBW prior to even being pregnant with my second and was in AWE of how beautiful and comfy wrapping looked (shoutout to my babywearing role model - Ashley Williams). I *knew* I wanted to be a wrapper with #2!

What do you love about babywearing?
I love how it keeps us close and connected even when we are on the move. My little dude is almost two but we usually wear at least once a day!

Which one of your carriers do you use the most and what do you love about it?
Wrapping will always be my first love but my wearee doesn't have as much patience for it anymore. Our most used is probably either an onbuhimo or ring sling for quick ups but we also love our toddler Kinderpack!

Tell us about your main role within the CBW Leadership Team?
My main role is educator! I love getting to teach new skills to our meeting attendees. I'm also the Fundraising Chair -- a lot of my blood, sweat and tears went into this year's Spring Fling!

What additional role(s) do you have within the CBW Leadership Team?
I served as Grove City meeting lead as we trialed the new Saturday workshop. I've also served on several committees and was a key figure in getting CBW set up on MyTurn!

What drew you to become a leader for our community?
CBW helped me learn to wear! I wanted to help others learn the same skills that were so essential for me as parent. What keeps me in leadership is all of the small baby snuggles and the AMAZING group of leaders -- we have a very strong, supportive network and I'm very appreciative of it!

What activity are you most likely to rely on babywearing to get done?
Grocery shopping! I don't have time to chase a two year old when I just want to get in and out so up he goes!

What skill do you hope to master over the next year? (does not have to be babywearing specific but it *can* be)
I'm setting a goal to run my first 1/2 marathon in 2019!

What does a day in your life look like with your job/pursuits?
Since my third was born, I stay home with my kids in addition to managing our yoga studio, running a non-profit I started with my husband to provide yoga to those who are struggling with addiction, and volunteering for CBW. I enjoy hitting up the local parks and libraries with the kids, and getting outside. 

Tell us about your family (significant other, children, fur children, other pets, etc)
My husband and I have been together for twelve years and have three beautiful children (Makayla 8, Isaiah 4, and Xavier 1). We also have a Frenchie named Sati and a Betta named Veda.

When you were pregnant, did you plan on wearing your baby?
I found babywearing with my second and wore him since birth starting with a stretchy then using wraps and SSCs.

What do you love about babywearing?
I love the freedom it allows me to go anywhere as well as the closeness and bonding it brings with my little ones.

Which one of your carriers do you use the most and what do you love about it?
With my second, I used woven wraps mostly but find myself gravitating toward SSC's more with my third. I love the versatility of wraps, and the quickness and ease of use with SSCs. 

Tell us about your main role within the CBW Leadership Team?
I serve as the Secretary for the group as well as the meeting lead for the Monday Skills Workshops.

What drew you to become a leader for our community?
When I starting staying home with my kids, I was looking for an outlet to give back to the community and engage with other caregivers with children similar in age to my little ones. Helping others learn how to safely wear their little ones seemed like a natural fit.

What activity are you most likely to rely on babywearing to get done?
Everything from travel to daily errands to hiking!

What skill do you hope to master over the next year?
​I would like to learn something crafty like sewing. I am embarrassed to admit that I still ask my mom and grandma to sew things for me. :)

The Boba X is a new, fully adjustable soft structured carrier (SSC) made by veteran babywearing company Boba. It is made of super soft 100% cotton twill fabric as opposed to canvas, which most SSCs are made from. It is suitable from birth through toddlerhood and beyond.
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The carrier adjusts width-wise at the base of the panel with a piece of wide webbing inside the waistband. It secures with velcro as opposed to snaps, which makes the waist and bottom of the panel as bit more supportive than other carriers that adjust in this way. The height of the panel is also adjustable via webbing attached to a dual direction ladder lock attached at the strap which also gives the carrier generous perfect fit adjusters (PFAs) to allow it to fit caregivers of all sizes. Both the waistband and the shoulder straps have dual adjust buckles to allow for an excellent fit, with easy adjustment whether you're wearing baby on your front or back. The webbing is slightly thicker than other brands, so a brand new carrier is slightly more difficult to adjust. But after some wearing, it slides more easily.

I had the pleasure of trying out the Boba X with an infant, a toddler, and a preschooler. The infant in question was about 8 weeks and the carrier easily cinched down small enough for him with only a couple adjustments and could still have cinched even smaller to fit a tiny, curled up newborn safely and comfortably. I was able to try the carrier on my 11 year old daughter with the infant. She wears an xs in women's clothing and the Boba X did NOT disappoint when it came to fitting her body correctly. Even with a tiny baby, it fit them both well and I can definitely recommend this as a carrier that will fit petite caregivers.

When it came time to try it out with my toddler, I was able to adjust the carrier up to fit him with only a couple, quick webbing adjustments. It took me seconds to adjust properly, so if you're needing something to quickly and easily switch between children, this would be an excellent option. The carrier offered excellent support for my larger toddler. The waistband in particular was extremely comfortable and supportive. It also doesn't seem to fold under the weight of a larger child like some other carriers with the internal waistband adjustment style. The panel height, fully extended, seemed to fit my son (wearing 2T clothing) perfectly. He was able to snuggle with his arms inside the carrier but could easily get them out when he wanted to point or hold his big sister's hand. The dual adjust buckles under the arms are a little different than other dual adjust buckles that I have tried. So it took a moment of thinking when I switched from front carrying to back carrying. But it was still a smooth and easy transition.

Wearing the carrier with my 4 year old was less comfortable than I hoped it would be. The toddler panel extensions zip onto the sides of the panel on each side and snap onto the waistband to anchor themselves. It took a moment to figure out which one went on which side, but we managed it after a couple attempts. I only tried it out on my back with my big girl, because she's so tall it's difficult to front wear her. The zip on extensions did help her feel more supported, but she was really a bit too big to feel very comfortable. Since the panel height was fully extended with the 18 month old, it definitely wasn't tall enough for my 4 year old to snuggle in the way she likes.

Overall, I thought this was an excellent carrier and could tell that Boba put a lot of thought into designing something that would fit not only growing children, but caregivers of all sizes. It was easy to adjust down for smaller babies and then up for larger babies and toddlers. I can confidently recommend this as a carrier that will comfortably carry your child from the newborn stage through toddlerhood and beyond. It is definitely suitable for all real life parenting situations, from dropping the kids off at school, to neighborhood walks, to hours of wearing in the July-in-Ohio heat and humidity at a fireworks display. This could truly be a one and done carrier.

Tell us about your family (significant other, children, fur children, other pets, etc)
I’ve been married to my husband Hatim for 7 years and we have 2 sons, Laith 2 and Noor is 8mo old. We have 2 cats Bugga and KitKat and 8 chickens in our backyard.

When you were pregnant, did you plan on wearing your baby?
My sister gave me her Moby when I was pregnant with my first and from there I got introduced to CBW through another friend. After having him at 28wks I tried using the NooRoo shirt but didn’t find it comfortable. I then purchased a Ktan which I really enjoyed while he was little. So in short I never thought Babywearing would be a big part of my life but it has helped me so much with my first and second baby.

What do you love about babywearing?
I love the snuggles and convenience that babywearing offers. I don’t use it all the time in every situation but it is a great tool to have as a caregiver.

Which one of your carriers do you use the most and what do you love about it?
I am a buckle carrier and ring sling girl! My favorite buckle carrier is Kinderpack and I am awaiting my custom wrap conversion carriers to be completed shortly (so excited!!). Ring slings are great for quick up and downs, multiple stop trips and around the house use.

Tell us about your main role within the CBW Leadership Team?
Currently, I am the Treasurer for CBW. I also staff the Saturday meet up, am on the Lending Library committee, and help out in any other way I am available to.

What drew you to become a leader for our community?
I really liked the environment that the leaders of CBW created. They have a fun and welcoming vibe that made me feel comfortable and want to join them. I also love being able to help caregivers get the hang of babywearing so they have this tool available to them.

What activity are you most likely to rely on babywearing to get done?
Grocery shopping, doctor visits, play dates, parks and the list to could on and on but those are top on my list!

What skill do you hope to master over the next year? (does not have to be babywearing specific but it *can* be)
I would say toddler whisperer but I don’t want to set my self up to fail LOL!! I would like to learn more carries to better help people at Saturday meet ups.