Babywearing.

I'm a big fan. I'm lucky that Ayden loves being carried around in a sling or a carrier (but I won't let him sit in the baby bjorn for more than half an hour because he gets antsy after a while). I use the sling to put him to sleep everyday when I come home from work. I get to carry him close to me, with his head against my chest, as I sing softly to him while kissing his forehead and rocking him to snoozeland. It's such an intimate bonding moment between the both of us, that I really don't mind carrying him till he dozes off, most of the times still in my working attire, no matter how tired I am. I just love watching his eyelids droop heavily, and his mouth slightly open as he drifts off to the world of Carebears and My Little Ponies (what else do babies dream about?). Sometimes while I'm singing him to sleep, he'll stare at me and smile, which makes my heart flutter everytime.

Once, while at a raya openhouse, I was wearing Ayden, and one of my uncles said to me with a smile, "It's not everyday you see a modern, young woman wearing a traditional sling!" and I thought he was exactly right. I rarely see mothers wear their babies in a sling around here, and the ones that I have come across were usually the maids and their charger's baby. I suppose it hasn't really caught on amongst the KL moms. My cousin Farah, who is an urban chick just like me, used to love wearing her babygirl Maya in a sling when she was smaller. I bet she got glances her way when she was out and about wearing Maya, too.

Anyway, as long as you practice safe babywearing, I highly recommend it. It's such a great way to carry your baby and apparently helps to foster a bond between the both of you, too. Score! Not sure how long Ayden will love being in the sling much longer though, although there are ways you can carry an older baby or even a toddler in the sling if you know how.

Now all I've got to do is find a way to get Yasir to wear Ayden too...

sloppy kisses,

'Aainaa

p/s: here's a babywearing styleathon contest that was going on months ago. These stylish mommas rock the hell out of babywearing! So inspiring!