A Hands-Free Moment

Mason has challenged me to find time to dry my hair, eat breakfast/lunch, put make up on, check email, stalk my favorite blogs, and so on. You get the point. The problem is my baby boy is a cuddler. I know, it's a great problem to have, but sometimes I just want to put him down and have both of my arms free of holding a baby. And let's be honest, he's getting heavy! Don't get me wrong. I love him and love holding him. It's just that every now and then, my arms need a break. Normally, the minute I put him in his bed, swing, or chair, he wakes up from his deep slumber and needs to be consoled right away... by being held. A few weeks ago, I desperately pulled out my nephew's hand-me-down Farmyard Activity Mat in hopes that Mason would just lay on his back for a few minutes and be entertained by the dangling farm animals. I was unpleasantly surprised. Crying. Tears. Screaming. Needless to say, the Farmyard returned to the closet immediately and I was left holding my son.

Fast forward two weeks. Yesterday was a turning point! I once again put the Farmyard Mat on the floor and decided to give it another try -- Mason is two weeks older afterall. He'll definitely have a greater appreciation for the Farmyard now. And he did! I placed him on his back and slowly walked away. No crying. No tears. No screaming. Instead, he kicked his legs and swung his arms. I don't know how much he loved it, but he was definitely occupied for a good 30 minutes. This was a dream come true! In that time, I ate lunch, unloaded the dishwasher, put clothes in the dryer, loaded the washer again, and of course took time to snap a few shots of this cutie in action. I'm hopeful that he will enjoy the Farmyard again today. And if he does, I've got big plans to put on some make up and eat lunch -- without holding a baby.