One of the reasons why I love to carry my baby, and why I don’t use strollers or portable car-seats, is that I adore introducing other people to Cosmo, and having him at eye-level with me facilitates happy encounters.

I hear a lot about mothers who don’t enjoy the meet-and-greets that having a new baby often seems to necessitate—and I totally respect that, and I understand there are lots of reasons for it.

But I love it when new people are drawn to Cosmo’s sweetness. I love chatting with people about babies, I love it when people notice how happy Cosmo is in the sling or the wrap, and I love hearing other people’s stories: about their own children now grown, or about how they want to have children some day, or about a loss they might have suffered.

I think maybe we don’t see enough babies and kids—and I mean really *see* them—out in the world. Having Cosmo in-arms allows others to see him, lets him see the horizon, and keeps the two of us close; talking, cuddling, knowing each other. From the vantage point of my heart and hip, Cosmo is utterly secure, which allows him the confidence to reach out.