Bjorn Baby, Bjorn!

It's no secret that I'm not a big fan of the popular Moby wrap -- it just does not suit me. Nothing that starts with a 50-foot piece of cloth is going to end well after being endlessly wrapped and tied around by body (not to mention getting baby inside and settled). While it is possible that my patience is very short with the Moby-thing, I have resorted to the MUCH better secondary option: the Bjorn! Yes, I am referring to the best baby carrier on the market. It's not just manly and cool, but has been featured in such classic Golden-Globe-winning films as "The Hangover." I also found out that the Baby Bjorn is twice as popular as the Moby wrap (so I have lots of company sharing my perspective).

Of course, we've not been able to put Holden into the Bjorn yet since he has been so small. But now that he's been on a real growth kick these past couple of weeks and he's getting vastly improved head control, I thought I would give it a try this past weekend (with lots of pent up excitement and anticipation).

Keeping my fingers crossed (figuratively), I quickly strapped on the Bjorn and snapped everything into place -- yes, I used the work "quickly" to describe this process, which I would never use with the Moby wrap. It all fit perfectly, with little directions needed. And I picked up Holden and slid him in ... again, with little struggle or puzzlement about what fold to wrap around him or how to adjust yards of cloth to get it all just right. And, for a first time, he seemed to like it (a little bit of fussing would be expected with any new carrier). And the second time I placed Holden in the Bjorn on Sunday, he really liked it -- so much that I was able to carry him around while doing some laundry and cleaning up some of his toys and stuff. He got to see everything I did, and I narrated every step of the way (... it's never too early to teach the boy how to do laundy, right?).

Hopefully, after some more practice with the Bjorn (and some more growing), Holden will be able to enjoy afternoons walking around, going to the store, etc. etc. ... all in the Bjorn. And then he and I can both say goodbye to the Moby -- well, at least when Bryna's not around ; )

5 Weeks: swings, slings, and other things

For the first 3 or so weeks in the life that is Holden's, our little guy's world mainly revolved around a swaddle blanket, our arms, and the occasional bright light or ceiling fan. In the past couple of weeks, this world has started to expand. Not only is he starting to coo and grunt as he gazes into our eyes, but he's finally the age (and size!) to test out the various gadgets we've accumulated. For instance, he's started to take an interest in the dangling bears above him in the pack-n-play and the sweet art cards of animals we own. And, just this past week, he's decided he likes the swing that he, admittedly, barely fits in:

And as you'll note in the first picture, he's also discovered his hands. In fact, for the past couple of days his soul interest has been slobbering all over his fist.

Yet nothing has been more wonderful for me, anyway, than the bliss he finds when he's nestled in our sling. Without the sling, I'm not sure I'd ever be able to find time for breakfast. There's no way to capture his joy pictorially, so instead, here's me, many months ago when still pregnant with Holden, test-driving one of these things at the store. Try to imagine a baby in the sling, instead of my belly: