A slingin' update from The Roost

A quick status report from The Roost: Soren is feeling all better after his bout with diarrhea last week. He was under the weather for maybe four days. Jeff overlapped this with getting the bad cold that's going around town. I stayed healthy -- I'm attributing it to my mommy-boosted immune system.

But speaking of the boys, Jeff has been wearing Soren in a ring sling -- mostly in the mornings when I'm catching my last shut-eye and he has care of Soren to himself. Don't they make a sweet pair?

We recently purchased an Ergo carrier to supplement our stash of baby carriers, and I appreciate the hip strap that keeps most weight off my shoulders. Soren now weighs 17 pounds, 10 ounces, and that's hefty! The Ergo is supposed to be great for carrying baby on your back after six months of age -- we haven't tried that yet, but I'm getting anxious to.

I am taking a small-group class on "Mindful Parenting" and enjoying the discussions about how to take care of yourself (always a challenge for a new parent) and to be emotionally present for your child. Today we talked about children forming secure attachments with their caregivers, and I am confident we are providing that for Soren, helping him to view the world as a safe, trustworthy place that will soon be his to explore. The only drawback is that the class is that it is held from 4-6 p.m., a really rotten time for a breast-feeding infant who has to be without his mom right before bedtime (currently 7 p.m.). And I have fallen behind on pumping milk and today there was none stockpiled and he wailed with hunger as Jeff tried to soothe him. It was a rough transition for me to return from the feel-good class to a frazzled husband and frantic infant.

We are looking forward to visits from both sets of grandparents this month. Will report on those visits as they occur.

Soren's new favorite "chew toy" is a wooden spoon from the kitchen. The handle is just the right diameter for gumming. No teeth yet! He also has a sippy cup with double handles that he is learning to drink a little water from. To his credit, Jeff did think of giving Soren water this evening when he cried for milk, and it helped a little, he reported.

I'll sign off with this photo that caught a funny expression on Soren's face. You know how babies can make fleeting faces that give you a glimpse of what they will look like when they're older? Note also that his hair is coming in, although it's so white-blond it's hard to see. Isn't he a cutie, though? He makes us laugh. In fact, Jeff likes to get him all giggly and then come wake me up in the mornings with Soren chuckles. Hee, hee!