The Tale of Mountain Baby

Here's the tale of How we Grew. (written by Judy's Daughter Elena)

We at Mountain Baby have watched hundreds of kids in our community grow from chubby-cheeked newborns in their parents' arms, to boisterous toddlers running around our store, to young adults passing by our shop's windows on the way home from high school. Mountain Baby is about to turn fifteen; we, too, have come a long way.

Fifteen years ago Mountain Baby was conceived in Judy Banfield's living room, where she sold nursing pillows and toys and taught women how to breastfeed their babies on her family's couch. It was born November 1994. It was a tiny little thing; a narrow space on a side street; a miniature version of a business. She named it Comfort and Joy. It was awfully cute, and she knew it had the potential to grow into something amazing, but it certainly couldn't take care of itself yet. In those early years it developed important skills and learned a lot. It also fell down a lot, made a lot of messes, and caused a lot of sleepless nights. You know how babies are.

By the age of 3 it was standing on its own two feet, and it had outgrown its baby clothes. When it saw a bigger space on Baker Street it pointed and shouted "MINE!" and you know it's hard to convince a toddler that something is not, in fact, his or hers. So they packed up and moved.

Judy now had the room to create the kind of space she'd always wanted, where she could share the knowledge she'd acquired as an Early Childhood Education instructor, a La Leche League leader, a Lactation Consultant, a preschool teacher, and, of course, a mother; where parents could come for advice and feel comfortable, supported, and valued; where kids could run around freely, touch and play with whatever caught their eye. The business was becoming part of the fabric of the town, contributing to many local events and organizations. Nurtured by an amazing community of loving and involved parents and relatives seeking out the best products for their kids, it was growing up and coming into its own.

To accommodate the growth spurts, Judy moved to an even larger space on Baker Street. The new store was, and is, totally family-friendly with its little kids-sized toilet, change table, spacious nursing room, play stations all around, and ample room for backpacks and strollers.

Comfort and Joy was then faced with the usual questions of the teen years: Who am I? Where do I fit in? It was time for a new identity. Judy saw that the business needed to better reflect the changing needs and interests of its customers; they were more focused on the health and fitness of their families; they wanted to instill a love of nature and the environment in their children, who would grow up with the reality of Climate Change; they wanted to do activities that deepened family ties. Thus Comfort and Joy became Mountain Baby, carrying many of the same great products, but specializing in quality outdoor gear for babies, young children and families.

Mountain Baby has aged gracefully, maturing beyond its years and now selling worldwide through a brand-new, up-to-date website that connects families all over the globe. Judy and her staff search the world for unique, outstanding products, researching each one thoroughly and wherever possible supporting small, family owned businesses.

None of it would have been possible without the support of our customers and our incredible community. You've been there for us as we've changed and grown, just like we've been there for your kids as they did the same. Whether you've been visiting us since those humble beginnings in that little narrow shop on Ward Street or you've just recently just found us online, you are like our extended family and we are honoured to play a role in your lives.

ELENA BANFIELD, NOVEMBER 2009.