You say potato, I say...NO WAY!

Potato sack... Potentially fun if you are in a race with one on, or are one of the Brady Bunch, but not so fun if you are trying to pass off clothing that is too big and you look like one.

When Emma was diagnosed with hip dysplasia she spent nearly 90% of the time looking like a potato sack. I tried, (I really did!), to find clothing appropriate for her. It wasn't summer, so dresses weren't a real good climate choice, so I resorted to buying oversized stretchy pants and oversized shirts to fit over her harness.



Witness Exhibit A.
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At the time I couldn't believe that there wasn't a company catering to these children's needs. So, I started BabyHipWear back in March of '08. Though the clothing wasn't officially for sale until July 4th, 2008 (a conscious decision to launch on that date to demonstrate the 'freedom' these children would one day have from their binding therapies), it took a while to get the clothing just right. I don't settle for anything in life, let alone settling for ill fitting clothes for my child. Dysplasia is hard enough on the people who love the child, why not put them in clothing that actually fits?



Witness Exhibit B.
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I take no greater joy than seeing children in BabyHipWear so please feel free to email me pictures of your child in his/her finest 'hip' attire and I will post it on my blog!

Continued healing...

Bathing in harness/spica cast

When Emma was first fitted for her harness at 3.5 months, I turned to the ortho in horror when she said she would need to be in it 24/7 and have a sponge bath ONLY. Spongebath ONLY?? For the three months she was guaranteed to be in the harness?? That was going to stink... in more ways than one.

I found that the 'bath' chairs (see above right) were the perfect solution as to where to place her for this 'oh so cheap' version of scrub -a-dub-dubbing she would have to go through the next few months. I wanted her to feel like she was in the 'tub' so I put the little bath chair in the tub and sponged away! That was all fine and good for washing her body, but her hair? Well that was a different ordeal, um , I mean story.

I would pick Emma up and hang her head over the side of the tub, trying to cover the harness straps with my one hand that was also holding her football style, and then pour water over her head with the cup in the other hand. Needless to say, I think I managed to keep the top of her straps dry about, hmmm....0% of the time.

What I didn't have, and hence later invented for BabyHipWear, was the HipCape. Think about when you go and get your hair cut. They put that huge cape over you. I took that concept and added some terry cloth (for extra absorbancy) at the neck and shoulders, some strategically placed velcro and voila! It's great for harness and spica to help protect the cast from getting wet.

Now you can REALLY wash that dirt right outta' their hair...

'Hip' kid in the making...

Every day I get emails and posts on the support group I started from people (mostly moms) who are just beginning their 'hip' journey with their child. They all have that underlying tone of fear of the unknown and usually, disbelief.

Hip dysplasia takes a lot of people by surprise. It even took us by surprise and I was diagnosed with bilateral hip dysplasia at 1 year of age. Emma, my daughter (and BabyHipWear inspiration) was a prime candidate for hip dysplasia and for reasons I have now had to come to peace with, went undiagnosed until 3.5 months. If I was truly shocked, I can only imagine the feelings of parents who have never even HEARD of this affliction.

One of the goals of BabyHipWear is to educate and bring awareness to hip dysplasia. Yes, we provide a basic need for your child, clothing, but at the end of the day, by us all becoming more aware, and sharing our stories, we can help early detection in other children by spreading the word anyway we can. Be it blogs, word of mouth, or just sharing your experience with a neighbor, education will come if you are a champion for it.

Feel free to comment and share your story anytime on this blog or at the support groups linked to this blog. Continued healing...

IT'S ALLIIVVVEEEE!!!!! (or it's 'LIVE' is more like it)

After a brutal three weeks of Bobbie (The Nifty Studio) and I changing and rearranging, we are DONE with the BabyHipWear redesign! *APPLAUSE*

'Hip' per and better than ever, the new site conveys the exact message I want to send to everyone that has a 'hip' kid in their life- shopping can still be fun for your hipster! No need for baggy shapeless clothes when there is BabyHipWear. I hope you love the site as much as I do... and now... I need a nap.

The ever changing face of BabyHipWear...

As we prepare to ditch the old and usher in the new website, I wanted to take some new shots of Emma in the latest BabyHipWear fashions. Once again, it was sheer torture for the both of us. She is at the age where she doesn't understand "Stay still" at all... trying to get her to smile, well that is even more impossible... and when she does smile she is bouncing up and down so fast, she becomes a blur. Regardless, I did get some keepers... I love the shot to the right... caught in mid dance...

I love this shot. Struggle of

mom verse daughter...

Loving our new prints...

So thrilled to have replenished BabyHipWear's inventory this past week... some super cute prints are now kickin' it on the website. Monkey Around, Keep On Truckin', Ms. Ladybug, Madame Butterfly, have made their debut this past week. All are designed to make shopping for the 'hip' kids fun. That is what it is all about. Being a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle etc. of a 'hip' kid is stressful enough so we always look to lighten the load just a little bit.

On another note, I am eagerly (translation-anxiously) awaiting a mockup for the new BabyHipWear site. "Bobbie can you hear me?" I have a March 10th deadline otherwise we go dark.

NOT hip in any way, shape or form... stay tuned...

CH-CH-CH-CH-CHANGES!

MIA is what I have been since the decision (and not so hard decision I might add) has been made to completely overhaul the BabyHipWear site. The designer, Bobbie, at The Nifty Studio has been feverishly working to meet our March 10th deadline. The new site will be much more user friendly and will include new features such as how to coordinate the 'hip' outfits and *gasp* store access from the home page!! The fact that the previous site builder I worked with when I launched the company did not have that feature still baffles me to this date... so stay tuned. Good things a'comin'!