Editor’s note: Written from the point of view of the Ergobaby Original Carrier – Black/Green, a retired color:
Hi there. I know this is not your typical blog post, but I heard that Ergobaby wanted to hear some great travel stories…and boy, have I got a ton to tell you! You see, I’ve been around the block a few times after being given to a wonderful family. I’m an Ergobaby Original Carrier – Black/Green. They don’t even make my color anymore, that’s how long I’ve been around. Before I met my family, I sat in a warehouse with all of the other Ergobaby Carriers wondering what type of family I’d be going to – and I was thrilled to be pulled off the shelf one day and my journey started in a nice brown cardboard box.
When I arrived at my final destination, central Maryland, I was shocked to find out that my family hadn’t even originally wanted me! The mom was pregnant and had a big ol’ belly, and the dad was into all sorts of outdoor things. I found out that, at first, they had put a DIFFERENT baby carrier on their baby registry! One of those crotch dangling ones! The horror! Luckily, goodness prevailed and one of mommy’s friends (who was already an experienced mom) had asked if she could get mommy and Ergo instead (telling her how much better it was than the crotch danglers!). Luckily, mom thought that would be a great idea! And that’s when I got sent to her! That was my first great adventure!
Once I arrived in Maryland, I sat patiently until the big day arrived! On a spectacular day, my baby came home!! He was the most beautiful baby I had ever seen! Yeah, well, then he started crying…and crying…and crying. But this is where I stepped in. My baby spent hours snuggled up in my against his mommy and daddy’s chest inside the house. I cuddled my baby as mommy cooked dinner. I gave my baby gentle hugs as daddy typed away on the computer. And all the while when I was snuggling with my baby…he was HAPPY!
As my baby grew bigger, the big adventures started! We went everywhere together!
When my baby was 3 months old, we had fun exploring Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina, where mommy and daddy participated in a photography workshop (that could contribute to how I have so many amazing portraits in the family album).
At 6 months old, I held my baby while he looked at his first castle! It was Raglan Castle in Wales!
Many other castles would follow in the next year or so, including Powis Castle (Wales), Harlech Castle (Wales), St. Michel’s Mount (England), Urquhart Castle (Scotland), Dunrobin Castle (Scotland), Oxburgh Hall (England), and Sudeley Castle (England).
When my baby was 11 months old, we went on a five-hour plane ride together. We left a dismal winter in England and had arrived in Cairo, Egypt on lovely, warm, January day. While in Egpyt, mommy and daddy wore me and my baby everywhere they went! We even rode a camel in the Sarah Desert and visited the Great Pyramids in Giza! Everywhere we went, people loved to ask my mommy and daddy questions about me. They thought I did such an amazing job at keeping my baby happy and safe. I even let my mommy nurse my baby in the Egyptian Museum in total privacy as she and daddy marveled at many of the world’s ancient wonders.
Just after my baby’s first birthday, we headed out to Germany for a week. Mommy and Daddy had fun on several snowy hikes while I kept my baby warm and contented on Daddy’s back. Even though it was cold out, mommy and my baby even got to share an ice cream cone in the little German town of Bad Kreuznach.
Well, then something strange happened. Mommy was getting bigger and bigger and suddenly I realized she was pregnant. I panicked! What if she stopped wearing me? What if after the new baby arrived, I’d stop carrying MY baby. Luckily, mommy was able to wear me most of the way through her pregnancy! And, to my absolute delight, one day in the mail, a NEW Ergobaby Carrier showed up!! A cranberry one! And when the new baby came (I’ll call him Cranberry’s baby), Cranberry and I took turns carrying both of our babies!
One of our first outings together as a family of six (4 humans and 2 of us Ergobaby Carriers), was to a place called Puzzlewood in the Forest of Dean. Daddy wore me with my baby and mommy wore Cranberry and his baby. She got the smaller baby because Cranberry’s baby had been a c-section and carrying the lighter load was easier. Plus, she could nurse Cranberry’s baby while we explored the lush woodland.
Then in the fall and winter, and into the spring, we all had great adventures together. I was a little sad though. My baby was getting bigger and bigger and sometimes he preferred to walk instead of riding in me.
There were times when I was left at home, which made me upset. But Cranberry told me of the things they did together – my baby even got to visit some baby lambs and Cranberry snuggled with his baby while mommy bottle-fed some orphan lambs.
As time passed, Cranberry and I became interchangeable. Sometimes I carried my baby and sometimes I carried Cranberry’s baby. My favorite times where when all six of us were out together.
Another fun time was when mommy and daddy met up with some friends for a walk through some beautiful English countryside and country villages! I got to hold my baby (he was getting so big!) on daddy’s back while daddy’s friends carried their babies on their backs too! Three amazing daddies, three amazing babies (well, I guess they were toddlers at this point – though they’ll always be our babies!!), and three amazing Ergobaby Carriers. What could be better?
When my baby was 3 years old, and Cranberry’s baby was 1 year old, mommy and daddy took us all to France with some friends! None of the mommies or daddies wanted to bother with a stroller in France because they thought they would just use the Metro to get around and lugging a stroller up and down the Metro stairs and folding it up and down over and over again would not be fun. Baby carriers it was! Mommy and daddy brought Cranberry and me and their friends had some other nice supportive carriers for their two babies. We had an amazing time exploring the Paris area!
The next trip surprised us all. Mommy and daddy were taking our babies to go visit the United States and they had the bags all packed. Cranberry and I were snuggly packed away in a carry on bag waiting for the taxi to come get us to bring us to the airport. When the taxi arrived and started packing the bags, the bag I was in was forgotten. Mommy and daddy didn’t realize it until they were at the airport two hours away! Mommy freaked out! She said she couldn’t handle a vacation without Cranberry and I. There was no way for her to get us though! We were staying in the UK, while the babies and mommy and daddy headed to the USA! I was so sad.
While in the USA, my mom’s first stop was by a consignment store where she bought Brownie, an Ergobaby Organic Carrier – Dark Chocolate. I would have to wait two more weeks before I met Brownie when he came back to the UK with my family.
With three Ergobaby Carriers in the family and only two babies, one of us was always left out…and more often than not, it was me. The oldest and tattiest one. I became quite depressed to tell you the truth. Then something amazing happened. Mommy and daddy invited some friends over to dinner. They had a 3 year old that played with my baby and they had a 6-month-old baby girl. I was intrigued. I had only carried little boys before and here was a darling baby girl. This little girl was a little fussy…she looked like she needed a nice snuggle. I could give her that! I could help her be happy! Luckily, mommy noticed too. She asked baby girl’s mom if she wanted to borrow me for dinner to keep baby girl happy and comfy. I slid so easily over baby girl’s moms shoulders and in no time, I was all snug and fitted. Baby girl was so easy to love. She was so soft, so happy, so contented. And I was so happy. And baby girl’s mom was so happy.
I didn’t know it, but the whole time during dinner, mommy was having an internal debate with herself. She saw how happy baby girl was snuggled in me. She knew that three Ergo Carriers, for only two kids in the family, was a little excessive, when here was a family who would benefit so much from me. When it came time for our friends to leave, mommy asked if baby girl’s mom wanted to keep me. I was old, and well loved and used, but I still have years left in me. I was not going to get that much use at home anymore with Cranberry and Brownie around. This was my chance. Even though I loved my baby so so so much, he was growing up. This was my chance to have another baby. A sweet baby girl to love and cuddle for years and years. Baby girl’s mom graciously accepted me as a gift and I left with my new family.
I know I’ll see my baby boy again since the families are friends – and I’m so very excited about all of the new adventures I’ll have with my new family.
Christina is a mama, conservationist, DIY’er, vintage fanatic, dog lover and the Ergobaby director of community.
She is passionate about babies, babywearing, birth, yoga, natural living, and healthy eats. When not online reading and writing about all of the above, she can be found spending time with her daughter, creating their family story in Los Angeles.
