My Newest Baby.

Three years ago, I purchased my iPod.

Two years ago it was a Macbook that I fell in love with.

Last year it was Apple TV.

Today, in 2012, I am proud to introduce the newest member of the family:

Weighing in at a mere 652 grams (1.44 pounds) 

and 

Measuring 24 cm (9.5 inches) long, 

I give you...

...iPad 

(complete with green Smart Cover)

I think I need to buy some shares in Apple.

I had planned to purchase an iPad a few months from now, in time to begin our fall h/school session.  But given a few things going on in our lives right now, we thought this might be the ideal time to bite the bullet and just do it.  This baby put a serious dent into our pocket books (little ones are so expensive to raise these days), so I'm sure hoping it will be worth it...just as my Macbook was a couple of years ago.

One of the primary purposes we had in making this purchase was for Seth's ease of learning.  I haven't talked much about this issue (that's an upcoming post or two) but he's going to have some challenges, and I think there is some functionality in the new iPad that will seriously help him.  Why? you might ask.  Well, because Seth is riveted, absolutely riveted, to technology.  He is sharp as a tack in catching onto things having to do with other people's computers, iPads, etc etc.  So although we've been extremely careful in how quickly we expose any of our kids to these kinds of things, I have a strong gut feeling that the new iPad is going to be a huge resource in helping Seth with his academics.

However...

...given that this is my Mother's Day as well as my Birthday gift, I'm also thinking that Mama is going to do some serious cuddling with the new baby in the coming weeks and months!