Harris Boys - African Style

When I went to Africa 9 years ago, I saw young children taking care of their even younger children all the time.  8yo would have babies tied to their back with fabric or towels.   The babies were never crying or upset and they looked so happy to be with their older brother and sister.  I loved how the older sibling took them where ever they went and well really it was a mob of children that ran together.  Where were their mom's?  I am not sure, probably grinding corn with a stick or something, but there seemed to be no problems with this system, or so was my perspective.

When I was pregnant with Levi, I mourned at times the giant age gap between this kid and his brothers.  But instead of thinking of how things would be different in my family then I always imagined it would be, I decided to live up what this age gap provides instead.  And so I remembered Africa, and have been plotting ever since then to wrap the baby onto the boys.  The boys were all too game for such an endeavor.  

I quickly learned my boys are no Africans.  They are a bunch of American lightweights.  Soren was complaining how heavy Levi was with in minutes……Levi is only 3 weeks in this picture.

Xander was more hardy, but a lot more sketchy. I was constantly worried he was going to bang the babies head on the doorway or chair or something.  How did these African women do it?  Well, they probably didn't give the baby away at 3 weeks.  But I was too excited for the photo.  They are really cute.  Needless to say, dispite Xander's pleading, Levi has only been strapped to me since this time.  However, maybe we will try again later when the baby is older.  Hmmmmmmmm