Baby Wearing :-)

Today I just really wanted to share why I often wear Samuel when we are out and about.  There are really two reasons why I do this.  The first reason is probably pretty obvious (and for this reason I would have been wearing him even if he came full-term), hands free!  He gets to snuggle in close to his Mommy and I get my hands to use for other things.

I was in Wal-Mart a few weeks ago and saw this Mom and her three children.  Now I'm guessing on their ages, but one looked like preschool, another toddler and the third newborn (like she even looked smaller than Samuel that day kind of newborn).  The two older kids were running around, obviously excited to be in a store and exhibited the typical behavior that goes with that.  The baby started to get fussy sitting in her car seat in basket of the cart, so Mom picked her up.  Now what does this Mom have to do?  She has to pick up groceries, keep the two older kids with her and push her cart--all 1 handed!  I say no thank you!  Granted, at this point we don't have any other children, but have you tried to push some of those carts with one hand?  That can be a challenge in itself, never mind everything else!

Along with handsfree, it also turns out that baby wearing is quite effortless (until you go for a half hour walk like that, which I did and it turned out much more tiring than a half hour walk with him in the stroller, good exercise right?).

Reason #2 (which is actually reason #1 with our preemie) is to keep him tucked away from people, especially large groups of people.  This is not because I don't want anyone to see or touch Samuel, but because I want to keep him as safe as I can and I'd rather have things like touching and holding him done in a controlled environment.  Out in public (especially in larger group settings) who knows who's been exposed to what, and who's hands have been shaken already.  You might be just fine, but can you assure me that everyone's hands you just shook are also just fine?  So until we're ready to just pass him around in groups of people, allow my husband and I to lead when it comes to showing him to people.

Expect me to loosen as summer goes on.  Then expect me to keep him tucked away more during the next RSV season (RSV is dangerous to preemies and young babies).  Then expect me to relax a lot!  Samuel's an amazing baby in my eyes and I want to share him with you, but just for a little longer, please allow me to do that in my own way.  I promise I won't keep him from people completely!  I just ask your patience in the meantime!