"The Miracle of the BABY BJORN"

The Baby BJORN!! I don't know if any of you realize this but in the beginning stages of parenthood, parents will run across devices and objects that we will term "miracle objects". Why this term you ask? Because this new found object does 2 things:

1. It stops the baby from crying and soothes the baby and
2. It stops the parent from crying.

My husband and I have a very active and independent child. She does not like to be held and will only be held to be fed, and at the moment the bottle or other "milk" device is emptied out, she cries. I was told of such things as the "wrap" and the "Baby Bjorn" that make it possible for the mother or father to multi-task because the baby is strapped on. I always brushed such an idea off of trying such a thing, knowing that our little independent girl would not like to be confined to such an object. (This is when I thought I knew everything, and now realize that I know NOTHING)

Recently our little wonderful bundle of joy started daycare and due to the new schedule she has chosen to sleep at daycare and cry and scream until she exhausts herself when she is home with mommy and daddy for the last 2 weeks. It was just yesterday that I discovered the "Miracle of the Baby Bjorn".

I was told by a fellow mother of an independent child that this device saved her life and maybe it could save mine. (Do you think that the bloodshot eyes and uncombed hair gave her the clue that I was not getting any sleep?) I got a hold of the Baby Bjorn from a garage sale (and later discovered that I would have paid $1,000.00 for the thing) and upon arriving home I ripped open that box like a kid at Christmas time. After I noted that my child was entertained as I tried to figure out how to wear this contraption, it was shortly thereafter that she started her routine of screaming and crying. My husband placed her into the Bjorn and she let out a little sigh and was quiet! My eyes widened with excitement and I felt like I wanted to run to the hills like Julie Andrews in the Sound of Music and scream to everyone of my wonderful find!

As with anything, there is a catch. I cant stop moving or the child will let out a little "Ahhh!". So, for 3 hours last night I walked and walked and danced and swayed and not one peep was made. I now will save money on Tylenol (extra strength) and hopefully will lose 20 pounds from moving non-stop.

So, to chronicle my night with this new miracle baby device went something like this:

6:00 put baby in new Baby Bjorn contraption.

7:00 took baby out to put P.J's on, change diaper and had 2 min story time (Sometimes we make up our own stories of how "Once upon a time there was a mommy and a daddy and that they all lived in the land of "NeverSleep" and no one lived happily ever after until the baby grew up, slept through the night and became a Nero Surgeon and bought the Mommy and Daddy an Italian Villa to retire to. Then the Mommy and the Daddy lived happily ever after. The End."

7:30 went to feed baby and baby started screaming.

7:31 placed baby back into the Miracle Bjorn and baby ceased crying. Mommy popped the bottle into the baby's mouth and fed baby in the Miracle Bjorn.

8:30 2.5 hours of continually walking, dancing and swaying around, the tired mommy tried to place the baby in the crib.

8:31 baby started screaming

8:32 placed baby back in Miracle Bjorn

9:22 baby was sleeping in said Miracle device

9:23 Daddy took sleeping baby out of device and put sleeping baby in crib

3:00 a.m. baby woke up to eat (Did you happen to note the time!!!!!!!!! This is where the device gets it's name of "Miracle" baby Bjorn.)

So, today is a better day. My fifth cup of coffee tastes a little better, the birds are chirping a little louder, the sun seems brighter and the world is a happy place.

(I may have shot myself in the foot bragging about this device, but stay tuned until tomorrow to see if it works, or I have thrown it out the window.)