PAXbaby.com
PAXbaby.com
9 years ago I was a mom to 4 adorable kids ages 4, 2, 2 and almost 1. I was on an adventure that, looking back on it, was absolutely impossible! PAXdaddy was working as a full time stained glass artist at the time, and I was a full time mom. My time was spent driving to the park, changing diapers, feeding, cleaning up, grocery shopping… you know how life goes with little kids! Every day was just another variation on the chaos and mess that toddlerhood brings multiplied by FOUR! The only way that I could handle everything with the grace that I had was from babywearing. And praying a lot. But having been a babyworn baby and then starting my parenting career with a homemade ring sling, babywearing was in my blood! Once my fourth baby was 7 months old, I realized I needed something more effective than the hand me down ring slings I’d used for my “twin” daughters and the Snugli that had been mine as a baby. The Babywearer swept me in with its fancy initials and its glittering ads and its ability to connect me to other REAL LIFE moms like myself! I delved in with the question “Which carrier would be better for my baby and I : an Ergo, a Blue Kangaroo, or a Beco 4g?” Of course the veteran admins there at TBW had answered this very question a million times so they advised me to search the page for my own answers. Sheepishly, I followed their directions and discovered that the manufacturer of Beco lived in my hometown in Southern California, and when I emailed in, Gabby, the owner, replied herself. She’d be happy to meet with me, fit a carrier to my baby and I, and by the way, would I like some of her wool diapers that she was giving away. I was astounded. Blown away! I had NEVER met this woman and yet, here she was giving me goodies and advice! I ran, not walked, to Beco headquarters, then in Costa Mesa CA, and proceeded to have an amazing afternoon with Gabby and Duke, her son. I’m sure she doesn’t recall that fateful day, but it is one of my favorite memories of my adult life because had I not contacted Beco, and had Gabby not been so friendly, I may have purchased a different carrier and my story would be completely different.
paxbaby
paxbaby
Given the fact that Gabby spent an entire afternoon with my baby, Koko, and I, I felt naturally obligated to purchase a Beco from her. Just kidding, as soon as she fit us into the adorable Beco 4G, I was in love. His little body was weightless, both shoulders were equally supported, and perhaps most importantly to the story, this carrier was CUTE! I bought “Spa Damask,” a print that was rather subdued in my opinion, but PAXdaddy said he would wear it too. (The one I lusted after was called Carnival Bloom. Fun fact, the stools and accessories in my current kitchen are made from this iconic Michael Miller fabric.) I proudly showed off my new carrier to my other baby mama friends at home in Santa Barbara and was overwhelmed by requests that I help my friends find one for their own baby! After I referred quite a few friends back to Beco, someone mentioned that I should really sell these myself. LIGHT BULB MOMENT! Why not, I asked myself, it won’t be any more than a mere hobby! Gabby told me to set myself up with a business license and she’d be happy to sell my a minimum quantity of Beco carriers, 9 in total including the one I’d already bought. I was very pleased with this idea, but could not for the life of me think of the PERFECT name! One name that didn’t make the cut was The 4 Bees for my current 4 children, soon discarded since we knew we wanted more children and soon, but after much hemming and hawing, my genius husband said one night, what do you want babies to FEEL in the carrier that you sell. I said, “PEACE!” And so, PAXbaby, everything you need for a peaceful baby, was born! PAX means PEACE in Latin, and I quickly had fallen down the rabbit hole and decided to sell a little of EVERYTHING!
paxbaby
PAXbaby.com
9 carriers became 20. 20 became 50, and so my career as a small business owner (for the second time in my relatively short life at 24 years old) took off! The allure of cloth diapers convinced me to add a great number of manufacturers to our line up including custom designs. The appeal of safe feeding supplies brought a plethora of BPA free options including Klean Kanteens and bento boxes. Organic baby clothes, blankets, and wooden toys soon showed up as part of our array of options. Having a tiny store front in Santa Barbara was wonderful, but when we decided to move back to Southern California, the option of seeing customers in my own space wasn’t viable. PAXbaby.com became a .com only; I filled that social void with bi-weekly and monthly PAXplaydates where I could interact with local babywearers from San Diego up to Los Angeles and also on our family road trips! The change has been good for me though. I have been able to focus on my first love which is textile design, and by paring down the other extraneous items that had been on our shelves, PAXbaby is truly a babywearer’s dream, filled with wraps and carriers conceived of my dreams and born through the hard work of my team of PAXmoms! I am truly so grateful for your support over these 9 years.
paxbaby
paxbaby
Thank you for allowing me to stay at home with my children, as a WAHM and now as a homeschooling mommy too! I am so blessed by you and your love!
With all my heart, jillian
paxbaby
PAXbaby.com
*happy babywearing*
PAXbaby.com