How about a little flashback today? A revisit to the Mei Tai I made - originally posted two years ago - before Adelaide was born (my boys look sooo little!). I did use the mei tai quite a bit when she was first born - it was super snuggly to hold her right to my chest in (I'm getting teary just thinking about it now - I can still smell that newborn hair. Two years, really?). Somewhere along the way, I fell back into my old comfort standby slings - the New Native Carrier, and well, the Maya Wrap, and then the Moby Wrap (did you know I'm a bit of a sling junkie? I am) - while the Mei Tai sat in waiting. This summer it's seen a bit of a resurgence as my little babe has discovered both her love for the rabbits on the fabric as much as her love for the back carry that this one is so good for.
The carrier has held up surprisingly well for the two years it's been in semi-frequent use, particularly considering there was no pattern but a lot of guesswork involved in making it. Meg of Montessori by Hand now has a Mei Tai pattern available, which would have made making one much easier - I seem to remember some serious brain stretching in figuring out how to put it together.
She loves being in this - "Back! Sling!" she demands, and who can resist, really? It's such a convenient way to carry her - with arms free to carry all the other things I need to carry (um, a lot), I've been schlepping her to the beach in this, or going for walks with it, picking berries, or just getting things done around the house while she snuggles in, and sometimes falls asleep. Her new preference for the back-carry has led to this book being read daily once again - A Ride on Mother's Back - one I can nearly read from memory now, -it's been such a family favorite since Calvin was a little sling baby himself.
Papa carries her in this one too - and truth be told, it's her preferred napping place. On Papa's back - It's a pretty good spot right there. As she gets older, her time in the sling is less and less, so I'm grateful and try to savor all the little moments she asks for a sling snuggle. They're some of my favorite Mama moments.
