Hellobee

I am going to tell you my best tips and tricks for getting outside in cold weather with a baby. I feel qualified to do this because we have spent oodles of time in the great outdoors in temperatures ranging from a balmy 20 degrees F to slightly below zero, and no one ended up with frostbite. I would say pretty much anyone who lived in Minnesota this year is qualified. Like, certifiably. If for no other reason than they had that long to practice.

I mentioned this topic to Mr. T, and he said, “What a shame it’s too late for people to use any of these tips this year.” “Hah,” I said, gesturing to the great outdoors. “That’s exactly where you’re totally wrong. Now is exactly when these people need these tips.” Because, folks, if you are like me and you live where it looks like a holiday postcard and it’s friggin’ April, you need to get yourself outside. Stat.

This was taken in April. April, people.

With winter coming, I had two major concerns; warmth, and baby-wearing. I wanted Lorelei snug. I wanted her safe. I wanted her to look like the stay-puff marshmallow man or that poor kid from “A Christmas Story.” I could figure out how to keep Lorelei snug. Just dud her up in all her winter gear, and wrap as-per-usual. But that left my jacket hanging open. I did some research online, but most of what I saw seemed a little complicated. There were expensive jackets that had openings for baby’s head in strategically placed locations. Seemed like it would work, but I was leery of the price. Then there were coverings made to be worn over your own jacket and over baby. I ultimately ended up choosing one of this style; the Kowalli. I need idiot-proof. This was idiot-proof.

Since the Kowalli was the first and only thing I tried (and it did the trick admirably), I can’t tell you the pros and cons of other styles of baby-wearing-friendly winter gear. What I can tell you is that we love our Kowalli. As you can see, you wear it over yourself and baby. The best part for me was that it offered yet another layer for Lorelei. It easily covered her feet and could be snugged up to her chin. Mostly I wore it over her feet but under her arms. Being near my own body heat, she had no problems staying warm enough. After all, I wanted her warm, not well-done.

As for the rest of the gear we use, I am a huge fan of snowsuits with built in mittens. This is a carry-over from my days working at a daycare with the one-year-olds. Mittens and gloves seem to be magnetically attracted to the ground. Or really anywhere but baby’s hands. Having built-in mittens solves the problem admirably. No baby can escape those puppies.

I like this Obermeyer snowsuit enough that we have bought two this winter (Thanks, growth-spurt. Sorry, wallet.). There are many out there with this feature because, fortunately, I am not the only one who is a student of advanced mitten theory. The Polarn O. Pyret balaclava is also really nice. Mr. T’s head is small enough that he can swap hats with Ellie, and Lorelei definitely got her noggin from dad. We had some trouble finding brands that had hats small enough to fit snugly, but this did the trick.

Our routine for going out goes a little something like this: I put on my snow pants and boots. Then I get Lorelei dressed. She wears two layers of wool socks, a wool balaclava (hat that covers her head and neck), her snowsuit, and a pair of soft over-boots. Once she’s dressed, I wrap her however I want her to be. Most of this winter that was on my front, but as she got bigger and winter got longer (and longer, and longer, and longer) I started putting her on my hip most of the time. That way we can see the world together and visit about all the awesome stuff that goes on when it’s cold out. Then I put on my own jacket (unzipped). Then on goes the Kowalli, and my hat and mittens, and we are ready to have some fun in the snow (or just cold). The below photo is one from April, so you’ll notice the Kowalli is missing and my jacket is zipped. This is because I am going to live like it is spring, darn it!

Just ignore Lorelei’s face. She is happy. I promise!

Warm babies are (mostly) happy babies, but there is no guarantee that your baby will love the cold and snow for a long time. That’s why my other best piece of advice for enjoying cold weather with a little one is to always have some sort of contingency plan. Because we live on some acreage, we typically stick close to home unless we are going out to our sledding hill. That means that when Lorelei has had enough, it’s very easy to come back inside to warm up. No matter how snug you think your baby is, it is important to monitor them when you’re outside to make sure that they keep warm enough. Making sure you have access to a place where you can warm up is crucial, but it doesn’t have to be fancy. When we go sledding, we can use the minivan when and if we need to to take a break. When we’re sticking closer to home, we never venture too far away so the house is always handy when we need it.

Lorelei has had great fun this winter experiencing the great outdoors. I love being able to share the change of the seasons with my children. It really helps me (and them, I think) to feel connected to nature and to the world around them. I’ve taught Ellie to identify many common kinds of animal tracks and she delights in noticing where deer and raccoon and pheasants have been in our yard. Lorelei has watched deer browsing for corn under the snow, seen pheasants flush from our grove (and shrieks with delight every single time), and witnessed the gentle wonder of a soft snowfall. I love that I can still enjoy an active lifestyle that includes plenty of fresh air, and Ellie and Lorelei seem to like it, too.

Taking sister for a ride.

I won’t lie; there are some times when the thought of getting all that gear on leaves me feeling a little clammy. We don’t get outside every day. But we have spent a good deal of time outside this winter. I think it is a completely do-able and mostly fun experience to share winter with an infant. So just in case the snow sticks around and those poor polar bears start moving down this way, we’re ready. I might have to buy Lorelei her third snowsuit of the season, but we’re ready.

The gear. On Lorelei:

1) Polarn O. Pyret balaclava

2) 2 pairs of Smartwool socks, layered

3) Kamik Infant Boots

4) Kowalli

5) Obermeyer snowsuit

6) For the baby-wearer: Wrapsody Bali Stretch Wrap in Aphrodite plus your regular winter wear.