It’s Here! The Onya Baby Outback Carrier!

03/18/2014 R.C. Liley 6 Comments

Christmas in Jul....March! — Christmas in Jul….March!

Baby wearing is a daily occurrence for Avery and me, and I don’t know how I’d be “Going” anywhere but crazy without it. Since Avery was 2 weeks old, I’ve only used the Baby Bjorn carrier to wear her everywhere. Long walks, store trips, and chores around the house have all been in the Baby Bjorn…..until now!

The very kind Diana from Onya Baby agreed to send us their Onya Baby Outback carrier to use and review on this blog! I first gave news that we’d be getting this carrier for active parents in this post. The Outback was provided to me free of charge, but all thoughts and opinions will be completely my own.

I can’t explain how excited I was when I first spoke with Diana and she agreed to send one. Now that we have the Outback, I’m anxious to go everywhere with Avery while wearing our new “ride”!

I wanted to capture the "Active Parents" part. — I wanted to capture the “Active Parents” part.

Here is a description and list of features on the Outback directly from Onya Baby:

Whether you’re out with your child wandering the urban jungle or hiking with them in the hills, the Onya Baby Outback offers a new approach to the soft-structured carrier. A durable, water-resistant, rip-stop nylon exterior and air-mesh lining makes it perfect for hot weather or hiking the trails. Parent and child will stay cooler with the air-mesh lining, which wicks away moisture leaving you both comfortable. It can be worn as a front-pack or backpack, and comes with an integrated seat that will fit almost any chair – for when you’ve decided to take a break for lunch and the restaurant doesn’t have a seat for your little one.

• Rip-stop nylon body and air mesh lining
• Patent-pending integrated chair harness with safety strap
• Tuck-away sleeping hood
• Low-profile shoulder straps
• Contoured low-profile, supportive waist belt
• Sternum strap for adjustable comfort
• Double-entry, side-zippered koala pouch and patch pocket
• Seat darts for child’s comfort
• Leg padding for baby
• Toy loop on each shoulder strap
• D-ring for attaching key clip (key clip not included)
• Safety-tested to 75 pounds
• Machine washable
• Instruction manual

Since she’s still pretty young, Avery has a bit of growing to do before it has a better fit. But until then, Diana generously provided a “Baby Booster” for smaller babies. I already tried Avery both with and without the booster and can tell it helps to have it in right now. Avery appreciates the extra boost too!

Although a review is the main thing I will write after using the Onya Outback for a while, I will be posting frequent updates along the way. Since part of our daily routine is going for long walks, I plan on providing daily or weekly time/miles spent in the Onya Outback along with any notes.

Also, be on the lookout for posts about exercise routines using the Onya and possibly doing different types of home maintenance inside and out. What I am really looking forward to is taking Avery on a nice trail hike. The Onya Outback is made for hot weather and hiking and I’ll be sure to make use of its features often!

Today, after putting Avery in the Outback for the first time, she was a little fussy, but eventually calmed down. She calmed down so much, she fell asleep for 40 minutes! When Kelley got home, we took it for a test run walk for about a mile and so far I’m impressed! The initial setup was a little difficult, but it’s easy to get used to quickly.

I’m saying goodbye to the annoying weight the Baby Bjorn put on my shoulders and hello to the comfort of the Onya! Make sure to check back frequently for current updates on where I’ve gone with Avery in the Onya and my thoughts.

I want to thank Diana and everyone at Onya Baby for being so gracious and giving me this opportunity to review their premium baby carrier!

Are you a fan of baby wearing?

What’s your favorite carrier and what do you look for in one?

Parenting

Weekend Recap: Breaking Bad, She Rolled Over, 4 Month Shots Delayed, and Teething

03/18/2014 R.C. Liley 8 Comments

Hey there! Wonder why I’m posting a weekend recap on Tuesday? Well, because Kelley took off Monday to spend time with Avery and me and to go with us to her 4 month wellness check. So it was just a three day weekend for us. Even as a stay-at-home parent, I still love these!

Avery and Mommy with our fat cat photo bombing

After getting Avery to sleep on Friday night, we kicked off the weekend by watching 3 of the 6 episodes of “Breaking Bad” we had left. Geez, it was hard to not keep going, but hey, we’re responsible parents and knew we should rest instead.

Speaking of responsible, we finished the last of the episodes while having Avery with us during the day on Saturday. That’s not wrong, right? She was very demanding of attention, but luckily she accepted being pushed in front of the T.V. and playing peek-a-boo with daddy. And wow, what a great ending for “Breaking Bad!”

Crying or laughing? Couldn't figure it out.... — Crying or laughing? Couldn’t figure it out….

We also made Avery suffer through watching Mom and Dad do a workout video together just like last weekend.

On the food front, I was able to roast a big batch of Brussels sprouts and garlic. I added nothing, just put them on a baking sheet and popped them in the oven at 365 degrees for 50 minutes. I love these things!

Then I cooked several servings of egg whites and turkey patties to last me through most of the week. I didn’t add anything to them while cooking, but always go herb and spice overboard when preparing a meal with them. Tip: adding salsa and/or brown mustard is a great way to quickly add nutritious flavor that won’t weigh you down. Also, try using salsa as salad dressing instead of those rich, creamy dressings loaded with oil.

On Sunday our little girl had one of many “firsts” by rolling over during Tummy Time! Being the new parents that we are, we acted as if she just busted out break dancing! That’s a fun visual……

Anyway, apparently Avery already talked about her first rolling over experience, so this may be nothing new to you. This whole weekend she’s really increased verbally too, and is making the cutest gurgle-like coos ever. Man we love our daughter!

Monday meant it was time for Avery’s 4 month wellness check, so we headed off to the doctor’s office. Once there, they couldn’t find us scheduled and it turned out that when Kelley made the appointment back in early February, they accidently entered February 17^th instead of March 17^th. Oops! So Avery got to skip her shots…..for a few days. We rescheduled for this Thursday which ended up being better since our doctor will be back in town anyway.

Kelley was a little bummed since she can’t take off again, but since we are doing the revised vaccination schedule as recommended by Dr. Sears, she’ll have more chances to join us!

The revised vaccination schedule just spreads the vaccines out so your baby isn’t overwhelmed with so many chemicals in the body at once. The end result is the same, just more doctor visits to get there. Considering my stay-at-home status, this won’t be an issue and we hope Avery benefits from our decision.

Starting just this weekend, Avery has been having completely random bouts of screaming and crying for quite a while and then she’ll go back to smiling eventually. We get she’s a baby and will do completely random things, but that’s just, well……random.

During one of her screaming spells, I sat there holding her while looking in her mouth and I’m pretty sure I see two little teeth working their way out on the top and one on the bottom. She’s been chewing, drooling, and coughing for a few weeks now, but with teeth poking through her gums, she is not happy!

We’ve been keeping her Baltic Amber necklace on all the time now, and I am hopeful it’s keeping her from being in even more pain. I’ll keep a close eye on those teeth and update you soon!

We ended our Sunday with another round of Tummy Time. This time, she had her cloth diaper on which made it more challenging, but after a struggle, she made the roll! Then we put her back on her stomach for another try and this really ticked her off, but she did it once more!

We are so proud of Avery and I enjoyed this long weekend with my girls. Now we only have 4 days until Kelley can join us once more! Plus we have some fun things to try with Avery that I’ll let you know about soon!

Are you a “Breaking Bad” fan?

Have you heard of/followed the Alternative Vaccine Schedule?

Parenting

What Parents Really Want When They Put You on Your Stomach

03/17/2014 R.C. Liley 4 Comments

Hello my baby buddies! Avery here, and I want to let you in on my most recent discovery about parents.

You know that really annoying time when your parents lay you on your stomach and give words of encouragement? I used to lay there screaming at the top of my lungs while they just sat there with expectant smiles on their faces and taking pictures.

What they were expecting, I had no clue………….. until now!

So, get this, they put you on your stomach to….stick with me here…..have you roll on your back! Yeah, seriously! Ummm, hello, mom and dad, if you want me on my back, just put me on my back! It doesn’t take a diaper scientist to figure that one out!

Since parents like to be so difficult, I say we make them work for it before finally giving in and rolling on your back. You see, my parents have been putting me on my stomach calling it “Tummy Time” since I was 2 weeks old. Like I don’t have enough on my mind just trying to figure out why I’m not in a nice, warm sauna anymore! If you want to keep them at your mercy, you have to play your blocks right.

For the first few occurrences, give them nothing. Nope, just go limp and look as if you were staring into deep space.

After a while, to give them a shimmer of hope, lift your head and turn it some, but make sure you cry a lot! Also, don’t lift your head too long, they’ll just make you lay there longer and take a lot of pictures.

As you get older, you’ll have to throw your parents a rattle and do a little something more. For me, I suggest kinda rocking on your side while lifting your butt and moving your legs as if you can’t get traction. Do this for a while making sure you are still bawling like a baby. Never mind the fact that you ARE a baby…..

At this point, you’re probably several months old (4 for me), and have been laid on your tummy over a dozen times. I started hitting mommy and daddy at this point, just acting as if I didn’t know what my arms were doing. Try it, you’ll feel better. But, now’s the time to give them what they want since they do feed you after all!

Like you were doing previously, you need to start turning on to one side, doesn’t matter which, and hang there for a few seconds.

It’s just fun to do for dramatic effect and to watch your silly parents’ faces beaming in anticipation.

To really make them suffer, try going back on your stomach as if it just isn’t happing…

Then, once you’re ready, using the arm and leg you aren’t laying on, push yourself enough to roll over on your back!

Give a little look of surprise as if you didn’t know what just happened. This will help to keep you from blowing your ignorant baby cover.

That’s it, this whole time they’ve been putting you on your stomach all just to get you on your back. I don’t know….

If you need it, here’s a quick how-to video on rolling over. Note the fake crying to make them think you don’t know anything.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQfCaurLCmE?rel=0]
Chances are, your parents are going to put you right back on your stomach just to watch you do this about 5 or 6 more times. Then, just be prepared for the same thing every day after that until the excitement wears off.

Sure, parents can be annoying and oblivious, but they do love us, so try and give them what they want like pooping, eating, and rolling on your back. Trust me, it’s worth it to see the look on their faces!