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Meet Kelsie: a mama who loves to spread the babywearing love!
Let's start simple; your name, children's names and ages?
Kelsie Giles. My babies are Athena, age 16 months and Evangeline (Evie), age 3 months
How long have you been wearing?
I have been wearing since Athena's birth, but I didn't wear very often at all until she was about 3 months and we got our first Ergo. We started wrapping with a woven when Athena was about 9 months old.
What led you
to babywearing and how has it changed your parenting?
I was interested in babywearing after seeing a few people wearing their babies around town. I decided to start wearing because babies don't like to be put down and sometimes things still need to get done! I think the biggest thing that it has changed since I have been wearing often, is that my babies are constantly a part of what I am doing. If I'm cleaning, they are cleaning right along with me, if I'm cooking one of them is watching over my shoulder. It eliminates the crying baby in the corner in the swing while I hurry to get things done and then go get my baby. For me, it just makes things a lot less stressful because being a Mommy is stressful enough (even though I love it).
Have you had an interesting babywearing experience you'd like to share?
Because I started learning with a woven while I was pregnant with Evie, I had to skip front carries (belly in the way!) and go straight to hip and back carries. That was so challenging. I look back at my first babywearing pictures (specifically of back carries) and I'm afraid for Athena and I laugh at how terrible my wrap job was! I was so proud of those pictures at the time and posted them everywhere. I'm sure in a year or two I will look back on my current pictures in the same way. But it's definitely a journey!
What is your favorite carrier and why do you prefer it?
I love a size 6 woven. I can comfortably do a front or back carry with both of my girls in that size (not at the same time) And I just like the length because it's fun to snuggle with. ;)
Do you feel like you have support from family and friends on wearing your baby?
Definitely! I get a lot of questions about how to babywear from my friends who are mamas and I enjoy sharing the babywearing love. My Mom wears one of my daughters almost every time we go somewhere together and I wear the other one. I have had friends (who don't have their own babies yet) ask to wear my babies too and I have helped them wrap them while we have been hanging out. They always love it and hope to wear their own children someday.
What do you like to spend time doing aside from babywearing and spending time with your kiddos?
Of course I love spending time with my husband! He is my best friend and we always have a great time with or without the babies. I am a huge crochet addict. Even though I don't currently have a lot of time for that, it is one of my passions. I have 2 furry babies (Westies) that I love. And of course shopping for wraps and churning the ones I have has become a big hobby lately.
What is your favorite thing about living in
Knoxville?
We actually live in Pigeon Forge. :) But I love the community in Knoxville. I have met so many friends through this group and through other local Facebook groups. I just love the atmosphere and the love/mama support available here.
What's your favorite cartoon from childhood?
I wasn't huge into TV as a child. But I'm sure I watched Lion King about once a week.
Gotta have some juicy in every interview right?
Tell us one guilty pleasure of yours? I don't want to sound redundant, but it's probably buying wraps. I have way too many and I still want more! :) :)
What do you like best about BWI?
The meetings provide a great learning environment as well as a great place to meet other mamas with similar goals (such as snuggling with babies in wraps)
What
would you like to see in the future with BWI?
I think that everything going on right now is great! I wouldn't really change anything about the group. I'd love to be able to attend more meetings (I've never made it to a night meeting) and I'd love to make it to one of the Mom's night out dinners. My girls pretty much hate riding in the car, so I'm very lucky to even make it to the day meetings once a month.
What's the cutest habit of your kiddos you feel the need to share with the world?
Athena talks non-stop and I am very proud of her ability to speak in full sentences. I love taking videos of her talking, although she usually stops talking when I'm recording or when we are around other people, of course! And Evie smiles/coos a lot. She hasn't figured out the phone yet, so I've been able to capture quite a few cute videos.
Let's be open ended and vague to close: anything else you just want to tell us about yourself?
My husband and I hope to start hiking this spring, so hopefully by then he can become a better back wrapper and we can have endless babywearing family hikes and adventures! (a mama can dream, right?)
I have been wearing since Athena's birth, but I didn't wear very often at all until she was about 3 months and we got our first Ergo. We started wrapping with a woven when Athena was about 9 months old.
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| Carrying two! |
I was interested in babywearing after seeing a few people wearing their babies around town. I decided to start wearing because babies don't like to be put down and sometimes things still need to get done! I think the biggest thing that it has changed since I have been wearing often, is that my babies are constantly a part of what I am doing. If I'm cleaning, they are cleaning right along with me, if I'm cooking one of them is watching over my shoulder. It eliminates the crying baby in the corner in the swing while I hurry to get things done and then go get my baby. For me, it just makes things a lot less stressful because being a Mommy is stressful enough (even though I love it).
Have you had an interesting babywearing experience you'd like to share?
Because I started learning with a woven while I was pregnant with Evie, I had to skip front carries (belly in the way!) and go straight to hip and back carries. That was so challenging. I look back at my first babywearing pictures (specifically of back carries) and I'm afraid for Athena and I laugh at how terrible my wrap job was! I was so proud of those pictures at the time and posted them everywhere. I'm sure in a year or two I will look back on my current pictures in the same way. But it's definitely a journey!
What is your favorite carrier and why do you prefer it?
I love a size 6 woven. I can comfortably do a front or back carry with both of my girls in that size (not at the same time) And I just like the length because it's fun to snuggle with. ;)
Do you feel like you have support from family and friends on wearing your baby?
Definitely! I get a lot of questions about how to babywear from my friends who are mamas and I enjoy sharing the babywearing love. My Mom wears one of my daughters almost every time we go somewhere together and I wear the other one. I have had friends (who don't have their own babies yet) ask to wear my babies too and I have helped them wrap them while we have been hanging out. They always love it and hope to wear their own children someday.
What do you like to spend time doing aside from babywearing and spending time with your kiddos?
Of course I love spending time with my husband! He is my best friend and we always have a great time with or without the babies. I am a huge crochet addict. Even though I don't currently have a lot of time for that, it is one of my passions. I have 2 furry babies (Westies) that I love. And of course shopping for wraps and churning the ones I have has become a big hobby lately.
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| Sometimes both babies need a good ride |
We actually live in Pigeon Forge. :) But I love the community in Knoxville. I have met so many friends through this group and through other local Facebook groups. I just love the atmosphere and the love/mama support available here.
What's your favorite cartoon from childhood?
I wasn't huge into TV as a child. But I'm sure I watched Lion King about once a week.
Gotta have some juicy in every interview right?
Tell us one guilty pleasure of yours? I don't want to sound redundant, but it's probably buying wraps. I have way too many and I still want more! :) :)
What do you like best about BWI?
The meetings provide a great learning environment as well as a great place to meet other mamas with similar goals (such as snuggling with babies in wraps)
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| Toddler time! |
I think that everything going on right now is great! I wouldn't really change anything about the group. I'd love to be able to attend more meetings (I've never made it to a night meeting) and I'd love to make it to one of the Mom's night out dinners. My girls pretty much hate riding in the car, so I'm very lucky to even make it to the day meetings once a month.
What's the cutest habit of your kiddos you feel the need to share with the world?
Athena talks non-stop and I am very proud of her ability to speak in full sentences. I love taking videos of her talking, although she usually stops talking when I'm recording or when we are around other people, of course! And Evie smiles/coos a lot. She hasn't figured out the phone yet, so I've been able to capture quite a few cute videos.
Let's be open ended and vague to close: anything else you just want to tell us about yourself?
My husband and I hope to start hiking this spring, so hopefully by then he can become a better back wrapper and we can have endless babywearing family hikes and adventures! (a mama can dream, right?)
