I saved every bit that I could, and literally counted the pennies in my change jar (the change jar that was formerly a "tattoo savings" fund) to make sure I'd have money to make it there and back. Alas, I didn't have money for a VIP ticket, but I was still excited to have the opportunity to meet some of the "celebrities" in the natural parenting world and spend the day with some of my good friends and their babies.
I was also excited to wear BabyA in our Beco Soleil. Without launching into a huge soliloquy on how much I adore that carrier, let me just say that I was incredibly surprised at how long I was able to wear BabyA comfortably, despite my already sore back, hips, and pelvis. It's wonderful and I highly recommend it.
The trip to Los Angeles is a tricky one. Typically, barring too much traffic, it can be made in about 2 hours. However, I've been in situations where it has taken well over 4. We had an SUV full of 2 toddlers, 1 infant, and 3 mommies. One of the toddlers decided that she hated her carseat before we even left the driveway, and the other decided she was going to be angry at her friend for crying so much. Thankfully, they both eventually fell asleep, and we had a relatively uneventful trip down.
I appreciated the kid-friendly set up of the event. On the rare occasions that BabyA did want down, I didn't have to worry about her running too far since the entire event was contained in one large room, and there were security personnel posted at the open doors. However, having the vendors in the same room as the speakers posed several problems for those of us trying to hear the speakers.
My biggest complaint about the entire day is that there was no specified "break" in the agenda. Because of the pregnancy and gestational diabetes, I try to stay on a decent schedule with regards to meals, and the food options inside the convention center were expensive and not ideal. Because we didn't want to miss any of the speakers, our small group made a mad dash for the food court area (leaving before The Leaky Boob was finished speaking and getting back well after Birth Without Fear had started). For an event that caters to mothers, I was slightly irritated with the apparent disorganization and lack of time to enjoy the speakers while tending to my needs and the needs of my child.
Frankly, I expected a little less chaos and more organization from an event that has been running for nearly a year and has held conferences in several locations across the country. There was a lot of non and miscommunication with regard to the Babywearing World Record and many of us were very confused at what actually took place.
The major highlights of my day were meeting some of the people whose work has inspired me. Jessica The Leaky Boob and January of Birth Without Fear are two big inspirations of mine, and I was thrilled to finally meet them in person. They are both really as sweet and awesome as they seem online. I am really hoping the BWF Conference does so well in Texas this year that they start holding it in different locations (preferably somewhere in Southern California!).
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| A few of my favorite mommies and babies (plus BabyA and me) posing with January from Birth Without Fear |
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