Riding Piggy Back in the Ergo

Some of my favorite moments hiking in Mt. Rainier National Park two years ago were nodding hello to fellow hikers on the trail, passing them and then hearing a surprised squeal of, "Look, a baby!"  When approaching me from the front, unless passersby notice baby dangling by my hips, they assumed the shoulder and chest straps attached to a backpack, not an Ergo carrying a baby.  At barely 11 months old and months away from walking, Oliver saw most of the park while riding piggy back on Mom and Dad's backs.  He gazed at the scenery and took his afternoon naps while we hiked up the mountainside, trekked across fields of snow and very, very carefully traversed a mountain stream. 

The last time I may have carried Oliver in the Ergo was on a hike in New Mexico when I was 12 weeks pregnant.  The trail was too narrow and steep to let him try to walk it on his own, so Chris and I took turns carrying him through the thin New Mexico air.  By the time of that trip, Oliver had become adept at walking (and running) and I was becoming too pregnant, so after we returned home, the Ergo hung on our coat rack up until we had a new baby. 

I loved having Soren snuggled up against my chest, his warm cheek resting against my bare skin and his peach fuzz hair nuzzling my chin.  I would wrap my arms around him in a protective embrace and sway or bounce gently as I tried to lull him to sleep.  He provided me just as much a sense of security as I did him, because I knew he was safe and happy. 

Sadly Soren is too heavy to comfortably carry on my front anymore, and he'd rather be able to see the world around him, anyhow.  I wasn't sure how Soren would like riding in the Ergo on my back the first time I tested the new carrying position out, but just like Oliver he knew to hold on and stay still as I slid him onto my back and hoisted the pouch of the Ergo up and around his body to secure him.  Unfortunately, when you're carrying someone on your back, you can't see how he's doing, but Chris assured me he was perfectly content, so off we went with Soren gently bouncing along on my back.

I still enjoy the comments of surprise when people notice I'm carrying a baby on my back.  Soren provided the entertainment for a long line full of people as we waited to check out of a very crowded store last weekend.  He has started cocking his head to the side when he looks at people, and although I couldn't see him, I knew he had managed to command everyone's attention, because when I craned my neck to see what was going on, I noticed a bunch of people looking our way with their heads bent sideways.