{sling diaries} Communication

My baby girl is growing up. Less baby, more girl. Of course, in my eyes she is still a small being that needs plenty of love and closeness. And most of time she really does, but on her own terms. She wants me to be with her when she can't sleep at night, she holds on to me when she thinks I'm going somewhere without her, she calls for me when she is upset, or bored, or tired, or... you name it. Yet, I can tell that in her eyes she sees herself as big as her two years of life allow her to. And when life doesn't sit still, neither does she.

These days she would rather run as fast as her little legs can carry her, doing face plants and nose dives from time to time. Her knees can prove that. But sit still? Let someone else carry her when she can be in the middle of all the action? No, thank you. She says that loud and clear. I don't call it being 'uncooperative', I call it communication.

There are no photos of a content baby snuggled in a sling this time, and it's not for the lack of trying. So here's an honest glimpse at this stage in babywearing, when your baby lets you know with all her being that she is capable of moving herself from place to place, that being carried while her older 3 siblings are running and skipping can seem like a torture. She knows that running on her own two feet allows her to control how fast she gets to discover the world around her. I'm ok with it right now. Because I know it will pass, it usually does. And before I know it, she will be 4 years old, still enjoying being held close and carried in a sling...











p.s. Just as I made peace with Ivy being set on not getting in the sling before this post, she decided to tell me yet again that everything has to be done on her terms. This time holding my grocery bag and wallet to go buy 'bananas!' seemed to be a perfectly reasonable offer in exchange for riding in the sling. But only until we got inside the store, because there are little carts that are just her size. Who would want to miss that?