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| Firefly Upsee |
One of my friends heard about the Upsee and sent me a link knowing full well that it was right up our alley. I read the article and watched the video and immediately started looking for where I could buy this amazing product. Then I found out that it wasn't yet for sale - we would have to wait until April 7th to "click and buy."
The wait for the calendar to reach April felt longer than usual, but then last week I started to get really excited. I knew Emma would be getting her Upsee and that we would be walking together soon! Then the launch day came, and the Firefly servers went down. Since this was the first product of its kind and they were shipping worldwide, their servers were unable to handle the traffic and took some time before orders could be processed. After hours of periodically checking for their site to be up and running so I could complete the order, I finally had success! My order number was US10637 when all was said and done... a number that spoke volumes of how many other parents were out there trying to do the same for their kids.
After the order went through, I got an email a few days later explaining how they were doing their best to fill the orders, but that it could take up to twelve weeks before we would see our new Upsee. Again disappointed, I patiently waited because I knew that this was WELL worth the wait.
Then, a week later, I got another email. This one gave me an estimation on when the Upsee would ship. It was to be dispatched on the week of May 26th. While this was within the original twelve week estimation, I was beginning to feel like a young child on Christmas Eve. I was struggling to keep my excitement in check and remain patient. The next month felt like a year, but then I got my email with shipping details - Emma's Upsee would be here on Friday, May 23rd!!! I couldn't believe it - just in time for Memorial Day Weekend. While Emma would be with my ex from Friday night until Sunday night for visitation, she was coming home for the holiday. This would be the perfect chance for us to try it out for the first time!
While Emma was gone, I practiced with the Upsee and got it all sized up for both of us. I knew when she got home on Sunday at 6PM that I would want to put her immediately in it and try it out. And that is exactly what we did! It was a little awkward the first time getting us all set up together, but we got it down. We walked up and down the main hallway of our house and around the front yard. There was a bunny in the yard and when she saw it, she started making kissing sounds at it. From that reaction, I knew she saw it and that she knew what it was. You see, she has a bin full of flash cars and corresponding items that she looks at daily (and has done so for well over a year now). In that bin, there is a rabbit stuffed animal and it loves to give her rabbit kisses. She used to push it away when it did, but she grew to like it.
Due to the time of day at that point, we had to go ahead and end our first Upsee day as it was time for her medicine, bath, and dinner. But I knew we would have all day on Memorial Day to practice walking together. I couldn't wait!
The next morning, we went to the Dallas World Aquarium. This was Emma's second time there, but the first time to stay awake for all of it. We took the Upsee with every intention of trying it out there, but with the rainy weather and all the people, we decided not to push her. So we enjoyed all the animals in the "jungle" as Emma kept calling it and stopped for lunch on our way home. After Emma had a nice nap, it was time to get Upsee Daisy!
While we are still working on our technique and stamina, she really seems to enjoy her new view of her world and curious about everything she sees. I love watching her discover things and I can't wait to see what she discovers next!
