Flying with baby was easier than I expected.

We just took our first flight with baby from North Carolina to California.  I have been worried about this flight since I booked it months ago.  I didn’t want to be “that” woman with the crying baby.  I felt like I would have no control of the situation if Owen was crying and I couldn’t get away from people.

Strangely the hardest part turned out to be getting through the security trying to hold the baby, take off my shoes, and move all my stuff into the X-ray machine.  Up until last week I thought I would by traveling alone with my baby but my husband was able to come at the last minute which was a lifesaver.  Not only did I know that he would be in the seat next to me, he was an extra pair of hands and a change of scenery for Owen to look at instead of just my face.

Our trip across the country was on two planes, one small plane for an hour and then a big plane for five hours.  The small plane was really loud and I thought it might bother Owen but he really didn’t seem to mind.  It also muffled any noise that he made so he didn’t bother the other passengers.  I was surprised when he fell fast asleep for most of the trip.  The next plane had me nervous since it was the long flight and when we boarded the plane, we had someone else in our row.  I was hoping to have an extra seat so we could spread out across the row.  Luckily the flight was not full and the flight attendant moved us to an empty row.  My husband and I took turns entertaining Owen while the other rested and Owen napped as usual on the plane.  I was worried that the pressure would bother his ears but he really didn’t seem to mind.  All my worrying was for nothing, he did great!

This just showed me that babies are pretty adaptable; it can be the parents that have a hard time adjusting to a change in the regular schedule.

Have you flown with your baby?  How did it go?

Don't you go shopping when there's a hurricane?

Last week when Hurricane Earl hit North Carolina, Coast Guard dependents that were in the area received orders to evacuate. Even though I was worried about possible flooding or the loss of power in our neighborhood, I was going to Raleigh for a day and that wasn’t such a bad thing. It was annoying having to pack up the kids and the dog at the very last minute but at least I knew we were going to be at a hotel that night and not alone in our house, in the middle of the night, with no electricity.

Serophina LOVES Raleigh. She understands that Monkey Joe’s (a bouncy house) is there and all she ever wants to do is go to the bouncy house.

As we drove west on highway 70, in order to escape the wrath of the hurricane (which turned out to be minor wind and rain for us), I started making plans of what we were going to do once we got to Raleigh.

We arrived at our hotel at around 6pm. Once I unloaded the car, the kids and the dog and got everyone situated, we relaxed in the hotel room for a little bit and then headed out to Crabtree Valley Mall, which was basically across the parking lot.  We ate dinner in the food court and proceeded to have a wonderful girls evening at the mall.

In previous posts I’ve talked about how Serophina is a little shopaholic. That theory continues to hold true; she strutted around that mall like she had been there a hundred times before.  We went to the Disney store, the Lego store, the candy shop, the soft play area and then called it a night.

The next morning, we grabbed a quick breakfast from Starbucks, spent a couple hours at Monkey Joe’s, then hit the road back home.

Our trip to Raleigh was an unexpected side affect of the hurricane but I’m glad it turned out to be a good one.

What did you all do during the hurricane?

His favorite new activity is kissing another little BOY on the lips.  Not the sweet young ladies in the class, nope.  It’s serious, people — they both will be playing together and then all of a sudden they lock eyes, slowly lean toward one another, close their eyes and kiss each other!

Come here and give me some sugar!

Kissing is just another phase here at daycare, like biting and throwing food.  We have seen our share of baby affection, so maybe Isaac has learned this from watching the other kids.  Or he may have got it from me, since I kiss him all the time, all over, including on the lips.  At the end of the day I would rather he learn affection instead of aggression (:

I know at this age they are pretty much “gender neutral” and him kissing boys is not a real cause for concern, but I have gotten comments of caution from others on this, which I think is pretty amusing.  And you know what?  If Isaac grows up and decides he still likes to kiss boys, I will still be his mother who loves him — that will never change no matter what.

Has your baby kissed or been kissed by another little one?  How did you respond?

I am currently engaged in a nightly battle with Sayle regarding bedtime and I’m losing terribly. Losing to the point I want to poke my eyeballs out. I’m not sure if this is a phase he is going through or if this is how it is going to be until I come up with a solution, but either way Sayle is being extremely difficult lately and I need some mommy assistance. 

I would like for him to go down between 7:30 and 8:00, but he wants to go down around 9:30-sometimes even 10. These late nights are not okay with me.

We have a nightly routine that goes very well until we hit the dreaded bedtime, then Sayle resorts to screaming bloody murder. As soon as we start walking back to his room the screams of protest start; he kicks, whines, etc. We place him down in the crib where he immediately twists his body and jumps up, holding tightly to the crib rail while throwing his head back in a howl that declares I AM NOT GOING TO BED!

 I have tried to allow him time to cry it out, but he winds himself up into such a tizzy, I don’t feel comfortable with letting it continue. The tizzy isn’t just cries of protest, he seriously cries so hard he starts coughing and choking-like a very distressed cry.  Then I try rocking him, just in case he will settle down with me, but that seldom works and we start the cycle all over again.

I get Sayle up early every morning regardless of what time he went to sleep the night before so he isn’t catching up on his sleep in the AM. He usually naps about an hour every afternoon at daycare. We have tried everything we can think of to get him to go to sleep. We have quiet time before Sayle goes to bed, which consists of bath time and then reading several books. I try to keep his activity level limited with quiet, slow paced activities. He starts rubbing his eyes and you can tell the child is tired, but he will simply not surrender to sleep.

The only thing that has worked was letting Sayle fall asleep while watching Elmo. I do not want him to get accustomed to falling asleep in front of the television in the living room (and I’m not a fan of TV anyways), so that is not a solution. We have tried starting the bedtime routine earlier. As I stated above, we have tried letting him cry it out. We have tried letting him play with toys in his crib. None of this works!

Sayle used to go to sleep easily so I’m not sure why all of a sudden he thinks he can stay up all night?!  I want him in a routine, but I apparently can’t get it right. 

Has your child gone through this? Do you have any suggestions?

My Marine

Dear Garrett,

I miss you. I miss us. There are some things I miss more than others. Here are some of them in no particular order:

I miss putting our baby to bed together, watching her sleep and then cuddling on the couch and talking about what a beautiful, happy and angelic baby we’ve made.

I miss dreaming about the family we’ll one day have, when each child will be born and what we will name them.

I miss calling you whenever I want.

I miss watching you teach Nora new things.

I miss tickle fights.

I miss long runs together and feeling like I can keep up with you, like I’m an equal half.

…and then I think about the things you probably miss and I fell like I shouldn’t complain. You miss all of the above and from how you’re living now I bet…

You miss eating a sand-free meal.

You miss using a toilet and not a grocery bag

You miss having a cold drink.

You miss being able to shower alone.

You miss being able to have a day off of work.

You miss being able to get a back massage from your wife.

You miss fresh fruits and vegetables.

I know there is probably a lot more that you miss and yet you never complain. So I wanted to say thank you for all that you are sacrificing for your family, your community and your country. You are an amazing husband, father and best friend. I am so proud to call you my Marine.

I love you!

Kelly

We hope Owen likes his first plane ride.

We are headed to California this week and it will mark Owen’s first plane ride and our first real vacation as a family.  I’m mildly anxious about having a baby on the plane but it will be worth it to get to visit our friends and family.  For the plane ride my husband is on “team entertain the baby” while I will be on “eam feed and hold the sleeping baby”. We hope that our son behaves but there are no guarantees.

I started a list a couple of weeks ago so I will hopefully not forget anything essential.  As I laid out all his stuff today I was truly amazed at how much stuff a baby needs.  We were thinking he could use a small bag because his clothes are small but the rest of his stuff is making up for the small clothes.  We need burp cloths, blankets, toys, monitor, and carrier to name a few extras.  One thing I’m doing to try to cut down on the volume of stuff we are bringing is that we are planning to buy diapers and wipes when we get there.  I will pack just enough to get us there.

Luckily my mom has a car seat that we can use while we are in California so we won’t need to bring ours.  We are going to bring our favorite carrier and no stroller so we are hoping all his relatives will be happy to carry him around the whole time.  Since we are a military family, we will be moving over the next few years.  This will be a good test to see how Owen travels.  I think if we stay calm and are well prepared it will be a fun adventure.

How do you prepare for a trip with baby?

As child development experts continue to study how babies and young children grow and develop, the TV issue becomes even more complex. The need to weigh the pros and cons of children’s TV habits has become more important.

A warning for parents

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says that children under 2 shouldn’t be allowed to watch television. That’s because a child’s brain grows so quickly during the first three years of life. Instead of TV, young children need to spend time with other kids and adults. They need time to play and explore. Watching TV doesn’t give them this chance, experts say.

Babies learn best by interacting with people, says Susan L. Buttross, M.D., a specialist in developmental and behavioral pediatrics in Jackson, Miss. “During the first years of life, a baby’s brain grows very rapidly,” she says.

It’s important for a child to have immediate feedback when learning a new word or a skill begins to develop. Parents can offer this through interactive play, Dr. Buttross says. “If parents are looking for a way to take a break, they should remember that you can place a child in a safe area with blocks, puzzles, and books and he will benefit much more from the visual and tactile stimulation of the activity. Babies can be ‘media free’ and develop wonderfully.”

Lots of TV

The AAP’s guidelines were triggered by the amount of TV children watch these days. The typical school-aged child watches four to six hours of TV a day. That number doesn’t include time spent watching movies, listening to music, or watching music videos. It doesn’t include time spent playing video or computer games, or surfing the Internet.

Child experts know that youngsters need relationships with kids and adults to grow and develop, says George Askew, M.D., a Boston pediatrician. “Television is a passive activity that does not provide two-way interaction or response, both of which are critical to young children,” he says. “In order to learn nuances of language, how to relate to others, and to develop social skills, there must be an active give and take. I believe that the day-to-day, moment-to-moment connections with a responsive, nurturing, committed caregiver are far more enriching to a child’s growth and development than any brand of media.”

A 2005 study in the Archives of Pediatric Adolescent Medicine reported that children who watch a lot of TV do more poorly in school.

Obesity is another factor tied to TV watching. Children who spend time watching TV instead of running, jumping, and playing are much more likely to be overweight. Children who watch TV see many commercials for unhealthy foods. They also tend to snack more while watching TV.

To continue reading this article, click here.

On Monday Marissa got sleep in, hang out with her dad, do some last minute shopping, and go to back to school night.  It was a nice relaxing day for the both of them.

On Tuesday this lucky child got to wake up early, pack a healthy lunch, and head into work with me and her little brother, woo hoo!  I’ll admit it, I was not looking forward to this for several reasons…Marissa can cop an attitude and be super lazy and whiny like a teenager, and the last thing I need is one more “baby” to look after at the daycare.  This may sound harsh, but these were my honest concerns at the time.

Guess what?  I was thrilled to be proved so so SO wrong!  My sassy little 6th grader impressed me as well as the rest of the daycare folks.  Even the babies loved her, and they can be tough customers sometimes!

Not only did Marissa do everything I asked, but she also helped with some other things like cleanup without anyone asking her to.  She was polite, friendly, gentle with the babies, and was a great extra set of eyes, which is always useful where I work.

Another thing I noticed was that Marissa was way more involved with Isaac than she used to be.  At first she was grossed out by his dirty diapers and annoyed by his constant crying.  As he got a little older, she became very jealous of him and all the attention he demanded.  Recently, though, Marissa has been playing with him, helping feed him, distracting him when necessary and reading with him.  She even lets him grab and pull her hair — what a trooper!

So Tuesday with Isaac and I (and a roomful of energetic babies) may not have been as peaceful and quiet as Monday with her dad, but overall I’d say it was a very pleasant day with wonderful company.  I’m looking forward to her coming back to work with me sometime soon!

Do they even still do bring-your-child-to-work days anymore?  If so, how did yours go?

Too bad the ones this is meant for can't read

Have you noticed that ever since you had kids you have no privacy? They always seem to be the most needy when you need to have just a few moments to yourself. I’ve found that no matter what I’m doing, there always seems to be either a baby, a kid or a dog present. They just barge right in, with no respect for Mom’s personal space. Everyone needs personal space, Moms especially. Yet, we’re the ones that seem to have it the least!

Before I had Saioa, the one guaranteed place of privacy for me was the shower. I loved taking long showers at the end of the day because it was a much-needed moment of peace and quiet. Now, either Saioa or Serophina (or both) join me in the shower because we’ve found it’s so much easier to just have them shower with us instead of in the bathtub.

I guess if I had to pick just one time of day that I could have all to myself, it would be first thing in the morning when I’m having my coffee. I’m not a morning person and I’m physically and mentally incapable to interact with anyone until I’ve had coffee. (I know that’s pathetic but it is what it is.)

All I want is five minutes to sit down and drink my coffee in peace, allowing myself to slowly wake up with each glorious sip.

Unfortunately, everyone else in my house is perfectly peppy the second they wake up. They’re always all up in my face trying to include me in their morning festivities, asking me questions, making their demands.

Will I ever get my space back? Will I ever know what it’s like to have privacy again?

Do you experience this problem of no privacy? What’s your solution?

12. Cracker Jacks to be a kid again

11. A Baby bottle to keep your babies fed, full and happy

10. A Movie to help you chill out, vegetate, and forget the time for a few hours

9. Military Wives Prayer to remind you God walks with you always, and you can always lean on Him.

Military Wives Prayer

Dear Lord,

Give me greatness of heart to see,

The difference between duty and his love for me.

Give me understanding so that I may know,

When duty calls him he must go.

Give me a task each day,

To fill the time when he’s away.

And Lord, when he’s in a foreign land,

Keep him safe in your loving hand.

And Lord, when deployment is so long,

Please stay with me and keep me strong.

Amen.

8. Hair ties to pull your hair back and get the job done (on days when there isn’t time to vegetate)

7.  Bubble gum to mask the I didn’t get the chance to brush my teeth breath when you have surprise visitors

6.  An American Flag to show your pride in our country as well as to remind yourself what you and Adam are sacrificing for. So that EVERYONE may be entitled to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.

5.  A Journal to write your deepest fears, darkest moments, happiest joys, everyday trials, to vent, to scream and yell; to just get EVERYTHING OUT.

4.  A USMC Wife Shirt to show everyone who you are and what you’re made of. And also to give you back a little piece of the home you left behind.

3.  Bubbles for the Babies So you can have a trick up your sleeve when they’re having a bad day and you need to distract them.

2.  Stationary to keep in touch with Adam

1. Smirnoff Green Apple Vodka as a last resort, just in case…

What would you put in a deployment survival kit?