October 13th is the birthday of our second daughter Michelle, who was born at home on a sunny Thanksgiving morning, twenty-four years ago. I also consider October to be the birth month for the idea of the babyTrekker, though I didn't actually begin the design work for a couple more months. But like the baby that had grown inside me from a tiny egg, so it was with the Trekker. Coping with my fussy little baby and parenting my three year old daughter, Hilary, I remember praying desperately for SOMETHING. Some thing that would help me take good care of this little one who, with every cry, told me of her need for constant closeness. I remember wondering why the Creator hadn't given women more arms.
The first carrier I attempted looked much like a traditional mei tei. It had a rectangle body, with small indentations for legs. I'd heavily padded it and made wide shoulder straps and waist band, so that it was comfortable. But by the time Michelle was four months old, she was showing a definite preference for facing outward. I added safety straps that could narrow the area between her legs, just slightly, so she could sit comfortably, supported by the seat and the foam padding around the leg area.
I added a pocket, but it was initially a short one. My husband suggested making it longer, so that it could hold the Trekker when not in use. He also thought up the chest strap for securing the backpack position, though it was my sister Joni who first figured out that position and then taught it to me. Wearing the babyTrekker backpack style was a life saver with my next daughter, when I was busier than ever with three children and a thriving home business.
I don't think I've ever had better life lessons than when I was parenting my children. They taught me that there was always a way through hard times. That I was a problem solver, and a fairly creative thinker. Michelle introduced me to the virtue of patience, with which I hadn't had much previous experience.
Children sculpt us from the inside out. They're never really finished with us, (or so my mother says,) but the chipping away can leave us both stronger and more invaluable to all the people we love. If we're paying attention as the years go by, we might find that the only thing we've lost through the process is a narrow point of view. Each child invites us to look through their eyes at ourselves and the whole wide world around us. Thank you, my daughters,for that gift of clarity.
And Happy Birthday to my wonderful, twenty-four year old baby girl, AND the babyTrekker that you inspired.
