yes, i only have ONE baby.

well, technically, i have two, but i can't strap the teen to my person.

i don't really do product reviews, but i've been asked by several different ladies in the past for my opinion on baby carriers. and we all know how much i love those damn things - i've already got 4 different kinds, and i just suckered myself into another one on my newest addiction, mamabargains.com. yup. you know me - i'm a baby gear marketer's wet dream. anyway, here goes. i put them in the order of when i bought them:

peanut shell: a sling that comes in several different sizes so that there are no rings or buckles or ties to adjust. this one comes with a pocket that's big enough for a cell phone and maybe a small wallet, plus a little plastic hook for keys or a toy. this one is actually my least favorite carrier, because the bean just looked really uncomfortable in it, regardless of which position i tried out. plus, carrying her on one side always made me really sore and i never could last very long before i had to take her out. i still have it for using around the house now and then, and i use the "kangaroo carry," where she's facing out with her legs crossed in front of her. the sling itself is really cute and they offer a lot of cool designs, but it just wasn't my favorite.

moby wrap: this is simply an 18-foot piece of stretchy material that you wind around your body in such a way that you can place the baby to carry her either on your front or back, using different "holds." i loved this one, as the bean would be snuggled really closely and it was like carrying her, but not. i could pull the material over her legs to keep them warm, or over her head to keep it close while she slept - and she would literally sleep for hours in this thing. it looks complicated as hell, but i promise that it's not - i was able to do it quickly and easily after following the wrapping instructions just once. the biggest downside to it is that it's not terribly portable - i didn't want to have to put it on in public because the material would dangle and brush the floor as i worked with it. sometimes i'd just put it on before leaving the house and then put her in it when we got to wherever we were going. plus, it's pretty warm! this worked well for us on our trip to nyc.

belle baby carrier: i liked this one, too. it let the bean snuggle up against me like in the moby, only much less complicated. and it was a lot more portable, bonus! you just fasten it around your waist, put the baby in, and then cross the straps in back and buckle on each side. you could also carry her so that she faces front, which she liked. no real "cons" with this one.

ergo baby: my current favorite. it's comfortable, has really cushy shoulder straps, easily adjustable, and simple to put on. baby faces you in this one. it has a cool attached hood that you can pull over the baby's head when she falls asleep or if you want to nurse in it. while they all say you can discreetly nurse with the baby inside, this is the only one i feel comfortable enough doing it in - you just loosen the straps so that the baby is low in the carrier, pull the hood over, and you're good. there's a nice, big pocket on the front (actually two, one of them is for storing the hood) with a zipper, and it's big enough for me to put my phone, camera, a small wallet, and keys - with room to spare. the downside to this one is that it's bulky as hell, and the hub likes to make fun of me with it because he says it looks like a fat suit, or an astronaut outfit. ha!

i don't have the new one yet, but it's here. it's supposed to be kind of a cross between the moby and ergo, i think - it's a variation of an old asian baby carrier called a "mei tai." the one i bought isn't listed on the site anymore, but it's this one ----------------->

yeah, that means i'll have five different types of carriers. with ONE little baby. i'm the fucking queen of babywearing 'round here. but i'm not as much of a fanatic as some ladies on the the boards at thebabywearer.com. those women have piles and piles of them!

yay for baby carriers!