Essay contest and raffles winners for Week 1 and Week 2!

Ok, sorry I didn't post this last week for the week one winners, but I was out of town and forgot when I got home.

So the random drawing winner for week one was: Carolina!!! Congrats mama!

The essay contest winner from week one: Lauren

Ode to the Wrapstar

Oh Sweet Wrapstar how I dream about you

You come in so many different colors, so many options to choose

Shall I convert my favorite wrap, Gira #27

Add an elephant applique, the result would be heaven

A sleep hood for my baby, maybe a padded waist

So wonderful in my dreams, could never leave me with distaste

I'd spend my days with baby, wearing our conversion all around

We'd skip about so happy, our feet barely making a sound

Or do I create a mei tai, with the prettiest fabric I can find

maybe even a reversible, with the two prettiest combined

And if it's rather chilly, the minkee lining will suffice

I would laugh in the face of snow, wind, rain and ice

And how could I forget, the most interesting it's true

A wrap to pod conversion, that's most definitely something I could do

So many different ways to satisfy my carrying needs

then I see pictures of completed wraps and from reality I recede

I think about it all day long, my very own Wrapstar

And pray the day one comes to me, won't be very far

So I stalk poor Erin, on her Etsy, Blog, and Wrapstar group page

And sit and wait for a custom slot, feeling like a tiger in a cage!

Suddenly it's in my cart, I must check out as fast as I can

But oh you stinkin Etsy, making me choose my address AGAIN

No longer is it sitting there, waiting just for me

Tears well up in my eyes, I ask the keyboard "how can it be?"

So close so close, yet so far away

Please hurry up Thursday, I need you to be today

Tonight I will be dreaming of my very own fluffy mail

A Wrapstar Wrap Conversion, a babywearer's Holy Grail.

And here are the results from week 2:

Random Drawing winner Week 2: Melissa! Congrats!

Essay Contest Winner Week 2: Ashleigh!

So I've stalked all the custom slots and never was my finger fast enough to click and get it into my cart, and then pay for it before it became "sold out". So here I am attempting my best at writing (which I will let you know, my english teacher in college said I was absolutely horrible at, but I figure as a medical student, I can get by with mediocre writing as long as I can add and subtract correctly!).

Babywearing. Leyna is my first, and my pride and joy. She has turned into my life. And honestly, I don't see too big of a change in myself and in general. I attribute this in part to Babywearing.

I'm not "tied at home" like other people seem to believe your kids will do to you. I go out, I'm sure to have a wrap in the car, or even the Ergo. I'm able to get out, do my shopping in comfort and ease instead of worrying if my baby is going to slip out of the "seat" on the shopping buggy, or that my car seat (because I refused to clip it where the "seat" is) is going to take up all the room my groceries would need. Besides, Leyna loves to be on her mommy's back, and I can generally keep her "safer" up there from countless hands of strangers that seem to offer up their fingers as chew toys.

Even in restaurants my wraps find their uses as a back cushion in those disgusting wooden high chairs that are a one size fit all. My little girl is quite petite, and with a wrap folded behind her, she fits just fine and is able to join in our meals with us, instead of just sitting in her "bucket" at some odd corner of the table out of the way. She is a part of the family.

Wraps also find their way into my life as uses for baby blankets, spread out on the ground for nap times when we were at a crawfish festival visiting family. My husband spread it out on the ground, laid his sleeping daughter on it, and covered her back with a blanket. You can ask my husband and he will tell you than even when he is trying to rock Lena to sleep and give me a slight break, he has gotten into the habit of picking up a wrap and laying it across his lap and over and arm for Lena to snuggle into as she falls asleep.

Wraps have saved my life. Now I just need a wrap conversion to hide in my stash and hopefully have the husband love as much as I know I will.