West County Grand Opening Schedule Of Events

Our grand opening celebration for our West St. Louis County Cotton Babies store is tomorrow, Saturday, January 22 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Special in-store only sales will be available all day in both St. Louis area stores, South County and West County.

Here is the official schedule of events so you can make your plans to attend:

10 a.m. - Store Opens

10:30 to 11 a.m. - Animal themed story time

11:15 a.m. - Kicky Pants and Babysoy kids clothing raffle*

11:45 a.m. - So Easy Baby Food and Better Life raffle*

Noon to 12:30 p.m. - Dr. Eller class previews: "How Mama Got Her Groove Back: Post-partum recovery" and "Home Remedies: Treating Common Ailments Naturally and at Home".

12:45 p.m. - New mama raffle* including items from Medela, Go Gaga, Earth Mama Angel Baby and Lamby.

1 to 1:30 p.m. - Swaddling demonstration with Aden & Anais.

1:45 p.m. - Baby wearing raffle* including items from TogetherBe, Moby and Ergo.

2 to 2:30 p.m. - Cloth diapering 101 class

2:30 p.m. - Cloth diaper packages raffle* including items from Thirsties, Bummis, Sustainablebabyish, Flip, bumGenius, Planet Detergent and Allens Detergent.

3 p.m. - Britax b-Nimble raffle*

3:30 to 4 p.m. - Winter themed story time

4:30 to 5 p.m. - Kids crafts

*Must be present to win raffles.

Baby Wearing: Should we offer safety checks?

We noticed comments on the Cotton Babies Facebook page this weekend about a picture posted of a mama wearing an older baby on her back using a stretchy wrap. She was shopping our Cloth Diaper Garage Sale this weekend and clearly enjoying her day... Understandably, a few people were very concerned about the way she was wearing her baby. Don't go look, to protect her privacy we deleted the photo. However, this raised a pretty hairy topic this morning that I thought we should discuss with you.

The way the baby was being worn isn't recommended by the manufacturer. It also isn't recommended by Cotton Babies. When worn on the back using a tie-style carrier made of a stretch material (like jersey), the baby can easily fall out of the carrier and get hurt. Nobody wants their baby to get hurt.

So, we know this.

Some of you know this.

Clearly, not everyone knows this.

If I had been there on Saturday, I probably would have politely mentioned to the mom that Moby Wrap was now recommending against carrying babies on your back due to the risk of falling. However, I would have thought about my wording very carefully for quite a while before saying anything to her. Put yourself in her shoes. If one of our staff members told you that you were wearing your baby incorrectly, you might feel embarrassed or defensive. Maybe it's something you do *all the time* and you're not worried. Or worse, imagine yourself having that encounter at your most hormonal, vulnerable moment... We don't want to embarrass you. We also don't want to send you into an emotional tailspin. However, we want your baby to be safe.

I really try to pick my battles. As we've worked through the major issues over the years, I've realized that most of the things that I would have taken a stand on with my first child are issues that I now know aren't issues worth loosing relationships over. We work very hard at Cotton Babies to respect every mom where she is at. You're going to parent your child better if you don't leave our store feeling like you are an inadequate mom.

Baby carrier safety is something that we've never chosen to address... I've seen some crazy things in my store and usually, the most unsafe situations are moms who are NOT new to baby wearing and should know better.

So, what do you think we should do? There's a definite line to walk between respecting the mom (who may be understandably defensive) and protecting the child (who we don't want to get hurt).

How would you feel about having a Cotton Babies staff member let you know if your baby was being worn in an unsafe manner (knowing that they could help you resolve the safety issue)? How would you want us to say this to you? Would you prefer to ask for advice rather than to have a staff member offer it? Or is it none of our business?

I'd like to hear from people who consider themselves activists on this issue... but I'd also like to hear from everyday moms who are just slugging through life with a baby (or two or three or four). In your comment, please tell me who you are, why I should listen to what you say and what gives you credibility.

Sound off... tell me what you think. I'm listening.

Some of my favorite baby shower gifts...

I am not a mom, but I am a very proud "aunt" many, many times over. As such, I find myself constantly going to baby showers - all the time lately. I love going and celebrating the life that is coming into the world. It is so important and significant to me to honor the women in my life and watch, love and support them as they have cared for the life growing inside them before they even met them...face to face that is.

Now, every time I am invited to a shower, I want to take something really great, but also something practical. So, I thought I'd share some of my favorite baby shower gifts with you all.

First and foremost, I must introduce you to Sophie the Giraffe. Sure, she looks like your average squeaky toy, but let me tell you, Sophie is far from average. I have never met a child that doesn't fall head over heels in love with her. She is made from 100% natural rubber and food paint - so she is totally safe for your baby - she squeaks, she is chewable, she is easy to hold...she is just about perfect!

I have given Sophie as a gift more times than I can count...and each time the mom says thank you politely at the shower and puts Sophie with the rest of the gifts. About 3 months after their baby arrives, I get a phone call from my friend, it always goes something like this: "Thank you SOOOOOOOOOO much for Sophie, I don't know what I would do without her. I just ordered 2 more because if this giraffe gets lost, I am going to be in trouble!"

My next "go to" baby shower gift is a baby carrier of some sort. More often than not, I go for the Moby Wrap. Why? Well, I constantly hear such great things about this wrap from my friends...and I have used it myself with their babies. It is so much easier to use than you think. I promise! They come in fantastic colors, and they are really affordable. The design of this wrap makes carrying baby so easy, and truly comfortable. And the baby looks so snug as a bug, while mom can have 2 free hands!

Another favorite is the Peekaru. I think this is just one of the coolest baby items ever...and if you are looking for a gift that will the "ooohs" and "ahhhs" - this is it. This vest is used in combo with any baby carrier, and goes over mom & baby to keep everyone warm in cold weather - with a hole for the baby's head to poke through...keeping everything covered and warm against the cold winter weather. If I am going shopping with a girlfriend and their baby and I know they are going to be wearing their Peekaru, we ALWAYS schedule an extra hour because so many people stop and ask about it - and everyone loves what an amazing invention the Peekaru is!

Finally, if you are looking for clothes to give, let me introduce you to Kicky Pants Coveralls. I want them to be made in an adult size because they are seriously the softest clothes ever! I love giving them - they are so cute and come in fantastic colors. Kicky Pants are a great "go to" outfit.



So these are just a few of my favorite baby shower gifts...what do you like to give?

Yo-yo Baby

You might have noticed that I have not been around to post much lately.

I place the entire blame on my now- eight month old who is going through a few new developmental stages that make using a computer fairly difficult. And even now she is trying her best to climb all over my laptop.

A couple of weeks ago she hit what we call around here the Yo-yo Stage. She had mastered crawling and sitting and was enjoying playing with toys much more. She was a much happier baby now that she could choose what to do and where to go, so you would think that it would be easier now to get something done. But you would be wrong.

I have heard it out of the mouths of many mothers: "My baby is perfectly happy playing and is completely ignoring me, so I try to go and do something and he freaks out."

This is the Yo-yo Stage. The independence of mobility combines with the start of separation anxiety. Baby will seem to be perfectly content playing on the floor, oblivious that you are around, but if you try and go do something baby lets you know that you are expected to stay right where you were.

Try this experiment. Sit on the floor while your baby plays with toys. After baby is happily playing, move about three feet further away but stay on the floor. Baby will probably come over to you for a moment or two, then go back to the toys, then come back to you and then back to the toys. He may alternate every few moments. This is where we get the yo-yo idea. Back and forth, back and forth, as he gets older he may wander farther and stay away a little longer, gradually building his independence from you and security that you will still be around when he needs reassurance.

That is all well and good for baby's development, but I still have other work to get done. There are dishes to wash, laundry to do, and I am sure you can name a dozen other things you need to get done on top of that. So how is a parent or caregiver supposed to get through this stage when baby is alternately ignoring and desperate for mommy?

A couple of things make this time easier for me. First, I place a small batch of toys in places I need to work through the house. There is a little pile in the laundry room, a little pile in my bedroom, and a little pile in the kitchen and I move the baby with me where ever I go. Second, I break out every carrier I own and make heavy use of them.

I use my baby carriers a lot when baby is tiny, but then they are mostly used for outings for a few months. All of the sudden though, they are invaluable again. I have always been a ring sling devotee. I love my Maya Wrap and it will probably always be my favorite because it is so fast and easy to get on and off. I can do it one handed while holding a baby, which makes it great for use on the run. The Moby Wrap is wonderful for new babies, but even now it is great for needing to carry her when she really needs a nap. She is snuggled in so close that she just conks right out even now at 8 months. But the one that is coming in really handy right now is my Mei Tai. (There are several options for this kind of carrier - Ellaroo Mei Tai and Maya Tie are just a few) This one holds Lily a little more securely on my front than a ring sling, but is nearly as easy to put on, although I do have to put the baby down to get it started. There are also more structured carriers that use clips instead of ties but are similar in make-up to the Mei Tai style. These include the Beco and the Ergo carrier. These and the Mei Tai can also be used as a back carrier, which I am also loving right now. I would never get to do anything but sit on the floor if it weren't for having a couple different baby carriers right now!