Sling Daddy

Ever heard of 'BabyWearing'? I had no idea the word even existed until becoming a new mommy. Here's the definition as per Wikipedia;

Babywearing is the practice of wearing or carrying a baby or child in a sling or other form of carrier. Babywearing is far from new and has been practiced for many years around the world. Babywearing is a form of baby transport.

And if you thought sling shopping would be easy you have obviously not be shopping for baby gear over the last few years. I have learned that you have to do your research, thank goodness for the blessed internet! After way too many hours in the wee hours while up feeding Jackson (what else am I going to do), I felt educated enough to head out and shop around for Jackson's new mode of body transportation. I really wanted to buy this body wrap called the CuddlyWrap actually my favourite is from MetroMamma (who doesn't love camo & bling), but could not justify the over $70+ price for a long piece of fabric with a little patch on the front. So I settled for a Little Star sling in a neutral colour for a fraction of the wrap prices. And while I still have ambitious plans of making my own blinged out wrap, Jackson has really taken to the sling. I can get so much done around the house and not have to worry about how he doing as he is strapped to me and usually fast asleep or just chilling out snuggled up close to mama. We even got a batch of cookies made for Daddy while in the sling. It's my new favourite accessory. Daddy just tried it on for the first time last night, but I think the Snugli is still his choice so far, but he's slowly crossing over to the 'sling side'.

Six Weeks Already

Today marked the sixth week since Jackson's birth. I can't believe that he has already been here that long, yet it seems like he has grown so much it must be longer than just a mere six weeks. As I look back at all the things he has already learned or experienced I am a little saddened that these 'firsts' are over and my little baby is growing rapidly before my eyes.

Sucking his thumb
Opening his big eyes so wide and being so alert and absorbing so much
Rolling from back to side then back again and then over to the other side
Holding up his strong neck as he is held over your shoulder
Riding in an airplane to visit Grandma & Grandpa
Almost completely outgrowing his supply of newborn clothes and diapers



So to mark this occasion, I dressed Jackson in his first pair of jeans. It almost made me cry to see how much he looks like a little man in his outfit and not like a little baby in his cozy sleepers. But he will always be my little baby no matter what he is wearing or how big he gets, just as I will always be his mama.

New Friends and Old Friends

Due to the miraculous creation of the internet, blogs and Facebook, I have been able to catch up with an old friend, Eva, from high school. As we started filling in the details of our years since school, we found another common bond, we were both pregnant and due within a few weeks of each other. It was great to have someone to share the wonders and woes of our 40 weeks of procreation. And now that our little bundles have arrived, born just three days apart, we have even more to share; from breastfeeding successes to new milestones being met by our little beans.

During my recent visit to the coast, we were able to actually meet up at Jackson's baby shower. And then later that same week, Jackson, Grandma P and I took a trip across the big bridge to visit Eva and her new daughter, Megan at their home. I think there was some instant bonding between the babes, but no worries, their moms were there to chaperone so no hanky panky took place. Jackson and I are so happy to have these new and old friends with whom we hope to share our new life adventures.

Showers-A-Plenty

Little Jackson has been the star guest of not one, but two 'Welcome to the World' parties in the last couple of weeks. His social calendar is just so jam packed at such as early age that sometimes I feel like his social coordinator and personal assistant.
While visiting Grandma & Grandpa P, Aunty Joy and Grandma hosted a wonderful 'Welcome to the Family' afternoon. Aunts, cousins, friends and family, gathered to cuddle and celebrate Mr. Jackson's entrance into our lives. It was a relaxing afternoon of chatting and catching up with family that I rarely see and friends with which I only communicate via the net. And of course, his highness was spoiled with gifts galore from all our lovely, thoughtful visitors. That boy is building up quite a wardrobe to last him until his third birthday and gadgets & accessories that rival his daddy's collection.

Then not one day after his return from Grandma & Grandpa's visit, he was off to another shower from Mommy's wonderful co-workers. More cuddling and catching up and even more gifts were received. We have such generous, giving friends and family of which we are greatly appreciative to have in our lives.
Now we just have to find room in his closet and shelves for all this new gear...

To Grandmother's House We Fly

I have often heard that it is difficult to travel by air with children let alone a newborn, so you can imagine my apprehension of travelling with Jackson at just one month of age. We received lots of 'Oh, is that safe for so young a baby?' or ' His poor little ears will be hurting, make sure he is nursing the whole time.' After lots of 'helpful advice' for fussy babies was shared with us before the big day, we felt prepared for our first place ride. So with travel documents in hand, his birth cert arrived just 3 days before our departure, and the doctor's okay, we were set to visit Grandma & Grandpa P.

At the airport we were greeted by light snow flurries and slight winds. Not a good sign for perfect flying conditions to an already nervous first-time mom for her newborn's first flight. But with just a 20 min delay, we were loading into the plane on our way to completing yet another first in little Jackson's long list of adventures. Scott was yet again more than happy to take advantage of the perks of having a little guy as we were admitted to pre-boarding priviledges, he loves the 'Pregnant Mothers/New Parents' parking at malls. Once settled into our seats, we started to get anxious about Jackson's reactions to our upcoming takeoff and how we would handle his cries and/or fussing. But our little man surprised us both as not a peep came from him as we started off on the journey. First hurdle tackled, now just the descent and adjusting to cabin pressure during the landing. Mommy & Daddy were anticipating some squacks and sqeaks from Jackson, but once again our little traveller slept right through as ears were popping and the plane touched down. We are so proud of our jet setting Jackson. But then again, we is our little warrior and has always been such a good baby with very little fussing, so it shouldn't have been such a big surprise. And as you can tell from the somewhat grainy cell phone pictures, Jackson is still proving to be the best baby ever... as per the most biased opinions of his parents.

Our Special Storytime

While nursing Jackson today, I decided that we needed to take advantage of this special time that we spend together. I was inspired by a friend's recent blog about all the books she had received for her newborn daughter and all the reading they do together. Jackson too has a very extensive library thanks to a mommy who previously worked in a bookstore and her love of children's books that she has had since childhood. So enough said, I have decided that during our feeding times together, Jackson and I will read one of his numerous books.
We started with a very special book from a very special 'aunty'. A very good friend of my mom's, whom I have always referred to as Aunty Carol, sent Jackson a very touching book, The Gift of an Angel by Marianne Richmond. It is a very beautifully illustrated story with an amazing message. I didn't realize how wonderful the story is until I found myself tearing up as I read the simple verse with the powerful meaning. It was a wonderful start to a great routine that I have started with my son. We can't wait to get into our next book during our special storytime.

Hockey Night in Smalliver

It's a New Year of firsts so bring it on...
Our first born went to his first hockey game yesterday. And what better game to go and watch but your own daddy's first ever hockey game. Now bear in mind that Scott has only been on skates about 5 times this season since being a kid and he has never played a full game of hockey on ice in his life. And this game was for charity for the local WHA team against the volunteer fire department of which Scott is a member. He was a little apprehensive on how he would do on the ice considering he just taught himself how to stop properly last week and he still hasn't quite mastered the art of skating backwards. And of course the fear of falling as he didn't know how he was going to get up once down on the ice.



But those fears aside, it was a great small town night of entertainment for all who attended. We are very proud of our local fire department, especially for bringing their game to the ice and slapping the puck around with the with this much younger, more experienced team. And Jackson and I are proud of Scott for lacing up his skates and showing us that he gave it his all and had a lot of fun in the process. Way to go #20 Daddy Scooter!