Today I finally took my 16 month old son to the Aquarium of the Pacific on 100 Aquarium Way in Long Beach, CA. We had a field trip planned with my Mommy & Me class and I was excited to bring my son for the first time. He’s such a little explorer, so I knew he would love it!

We met out front by the fountain which is available for kids of all ages to play in and around. The place is surrounded by water and all of the local sights of the Pacific. As we approached the entrance we were greeted by the sound of simulated whale voices. We had a discounted rate with our class, so we got in for only $6 a piece! Not bad, when the going rate for an adult is about $25 and $12.95 for kids ages 3-11. I plan on returning with my husband next time, but instead of paying the full $50 for us both to get in, I’ll use my “buy one-get one” coupon that I found in my local Entertainment Book.

Sea otters nuzzling each other in the Aquarium

There’s a parking garage that’s very close, but be prepared for another $8 for parking. Out front, you can book a dolphin or whale watching boatride tour. Right across the street is the Mai Tai Bar and Bubba Gump Shrimp Restaurant.

Bubbagump Restaurant and Shopping area

As you enter the Aquarium, you can’t miss the huge whale they have suspended from the ceiling. It’s absolutely incredible to see and certainly makes you feel insignificant in comparison to its size.

Whale at the Entrance of Aquarium of the Pacific

With a 16 month old, it’s really tough to take in all that the Long Beach Aquarium has to offer, but we managed to see quite a few attractions while we were there. We saw so many different exotic fish, starfish, octopi, jellyfish, seahorses, sea otters and sting rays and our son Christian loved staring at them through the glass. We were lucky enough to catch one of their fish feeding frenzies as the scuba divers swam among them inside the tank while dispensing their food.

Aquarium of the Pacific Water Tank

There were 3 scuba divers inside the aquarium with all of the different fish, including huge sting rays that routinly swam close to the glass walls. They were devouring the heads of lettuce in the divers’ hands as one tour guide communicated back and forth with them about information on each of the different fish. This actually caught Christian’s attention for a little while.

More exotic sea life to enjoy

One of Christian’s favorite places to hang out was the aquarium with simulated ocean waves. The water would sway back and forth while carrying the fish, starfish and sea life around the tank. He spent a great deal of time here and couldn’t get enough! He was fascinated by the movement.

Amazing variety of Sea Life

Later we walked by an area called the “Coastal Corner” where one of the guide was teaching children about the sea life variety. This area offered an opportunity for children to reach out and touch the sea creatures! There were all sorts of starfish, crabs and fish for them to touch while they learned all about each of them.

My son reaching out to touch the school of fish

After taking in many of the exhibits, we decided to take a break outside at a play area for children. We passed by a pool where children were touching sting rays and sea otters during the show happening below. We didn’t actually have time to participate because it was time to feed my son, so we just hung out while the kids played after lunch. They had a wonderful time playing on the sea creature play structures that spouted water.  There was also a boat they could climb into and play with the steering wheel while they pretended to navigate.

Aquarium of the Pacific Children's Play Area

Overall, I found that the Long Beach Aquarium was very baby and kid friendly. Our entire Mommy & Me class had strollers, so thankfully, there were elevators everywhere. As I am 8 months pregnant, I also found that all of the bathrooms were easily accessible with a stroller.

Our Mommy and Me Group at Aquarium of the Pacific

Each of the different exhibits were not only kid friendly, but toddler friendly. My son was able to run around and look at all of the different fish and sea life through the glass without having to worry about him getting hurt or destroying anything. Our entire class was able to park our strollers outside of different exhibits and take our toddlers inside to run around and explore. My son loved his new found freedom to explore and discover new things. I brought plenty of snacks for my little one, but they also had a small snack bar and a decent size gift shop for sea-life collectibles perfect for kids. I was very impressed with all that the Long Beach Aquarium had to offer and definitely plan for all of us to return including my husband!

Tanaka Farms Entrance

We had big plans for him today, so we were eager to leave the house. As soon as he woke up, we embarked on our way to Irvine, CA where we would be meeting up with the other families at Tanaka Farms. My husband and I both wanted to do something special with our boy on his first birthday, so we thought that a pumpkin patch was perfect for this time of year!

Tanaka Farms Irvine California

When we first got there, we took him to the petting zoo where he was able to pet several different goats and about 20 other different types of animals. Some were grazing, some sleeping, and some wandering around. We took a ton of good pics! For a mere $3, you can’t beat seeing the look on your child’s face when they pet the goats. You don’t just see them through a fence. You actually get to go into their pen and sit next to them on hay bales!

Tanaka Petting Zoo - Goats Gallore!

We found a perfect picture area at their “Tanaka’s Pile of Pumpkins” that had a ton of pumpkins stacked on wagons with scarecrows and some on haystacks. We took a lot more really cute pictures of Christian there, and a few of the other moms and their little ones. Afterwards, we made our way in line to the hay ride around their 30 acre farm. There, they took us on a tour of all of the vast areas of different crops including pumpkins (as far as the eye can see), onion, carrots, gourds, watermelon, corn and I’m sure a lot more I wasn’t able to see.

Our happy boy with pumpkins

Christian had fun looking around on the hayride until it dropped us off at the corn maze. There were a ton of older kids running through the maze and screaming with joy. Apparently the goal was to find the middle without getting lost. It wasn’t difficult and it didn’t take us very long. It was just a matter of following the paths in circles all of the way around until reaching the middle.

Tanaka Farms Irvine Pumpkin Patch

We decided to walk back to the car after that because Christian fell asleep in his Ergo carrier on daddy’s back while we were walking through the maze. On the way back we passed an area where you could buy homemade food, pumpkins, vegetables, gourds and other pumpkin carving gear. We also passed a small haystack maze for the little tykes. Since Christian was out cold, we just made our way back to the car to head home.

Tanaka Farms Irvine Haystack Maze

We think he had a great time there and will be back again for a few of their other tours including picking strawberries in the summer, and even Christmas trees!

Walking through the corn maze

Tanaka Farms Irvine Scarecrow

We love watermelons!

Splashing away with glee!

My son had a blast today in our mommy and me class at the South Bay Adult School in Manhattan Beach, California. We meet there every Tuesday morning from 9:30am to 11:30am. When we first get there, we all sing songs together welcoming each child, then teaching sign language or showing pictures of animals etc. After that, we have an art project we work on. Today, we were having our children draw on paper for their first piece of artwork! Most of the toddlers are walking already and a bit older. Our son Christian is almost 1 year old, so he hasn’t quite grasped the concept of drawing yet as he only wants to eat the chalk. Christian is going to have to wait longer before we can try to draw, but some of the older children created some real Picassos!

After snack, we all went outside for playtime.   We’ve had a heat wave here lately, so I thought Christian might really love playing at the water table they have outside.  I took off his clothes except his diaper and lead him to it.  I couldn’t believe how much fun he had!  He was spashing like crazy, yelling with laughter and getting soaked in the process.  I took a ton of pictures and video as this was his first encounter with a water table.  I wish we could buy him one for his birthday because I know that Step 2 has one that small children love that’s not too expensive, but we are heading into the cooler season here. 

If it’s hot next week, I’m going to let him dive in again!

Mexican food was our choice for this evening. One of the best Mexican food places around is El Torito on the Redondo Beach Pier in Redondo Beach, California. They have a great Mexican Caesar salad, wonderful fajitas, and I really love their chicken and sour cream enchiladas. My husband always raves about their crunchy tacos and can’t get enough of the chips and salsa. For some reason the salsa was really spicy this time!

Beach View from table at El Torito Restaurant

El Torito is just a short walk from our home here in Redondo Beach. It’s always more appealing to walk to a nice sit-down dinner as opposed to driving. Not only do we get some exercise, but we get to take our son on a nice walk, and we are lucky enough sometimes to catch a beautiful sunset on the way! Tonight was no exception. As the sun crept toward the water’s edge, we were mesmerized by the hues of pink and purple painted across the sky. We were so moved by the scene, that we took several pictures to capture the moment.

All in all, our walk was perfect, our meal was delicious, and we can’t wait to do it again! I’m sure this will be a regular outing for us.

Sunset beyond the Redondo Beach Pier

Initially I saw one of the moms in my Mommy & Me class wearing one.  I remember thinking how comfortable it looked compared to other baby carriers.  I had a Baby Bjorn with the back support (as suggested by my friends who also have children).  I hadn’t tried the Baby Bjorn yet because Christian still couldn’t support his head and I thought he was way too little to be in it.  So, when I saw another mom wearing a baby carrier that I’d never seen before, I was curious.  I approached her to get the name, Ergo Baby baby carrier.  At the time, I hadn’t asked her where she got it, but I wanted to know how to get one and how much they cost. 

Before I officially looked for one, I went shopping at a local shop here in Redondo Beach, CA for new moms called Bright Beginnings & Beyond.  Even though it’s a boutique in the Riviera Village in South Redondo Beach, they have an excellent selection of toys, gear for newborns, clothes, maternity items and much more.  I had been in there quite a bit since I gave birth and completely overlooked that they carried the Ergo Baby baby carrier.  I was eager to buy one, but then noticed the price which wasn’t cheap.  If you include the Newborn insert, which you need with a small baby, I was probably looking at spending close to $175.  I’m pretty sure that didn’t even include tax which is an additional 10% in California.  After seeing it, I decided I wanted one, but couldn’t really justify spending that much money on a carrier after I already had an expensive Baby Bjorn. 

The next time I saw that mom in class, I was eager to ask her where she bought hers.  She then told me she got hers on Amazon.com.  After pricing it on Amazon.com, I found that I could be the proud new owner of an Ergo Baby baby carrier for around $150. 

Since Christian was born, I had spent many days completely occupied with him.  He always wanted to be held no matter what I was doing.  At such an early age, he pretty much slept most of the time.  So many times I’d find myself looking around the house at all of the things I could be doing while he slept on my chest.  I’m stuck on the couch and I can see the laundry needs folding, the dishes need to be done, I need to cook dinner, I need to vacuum and the list goes on.  I was too afraid to put Christian in the Baby Bjorn, so I finally decided to just spend the money and see what happens. 

After receiving it in the mail, I realized how easy it is to handle.  First, click the belt around your waist, then simply slip it on one shoulder, put in the newborn insert, hold your baby against your chest, and slip on the strap to your other shoulder.  It clicks in the back to hold both shoulder straps in place which also gives you more support.  All of the weight is at your waist and the rest is over your shoulders like a backpack.  The straps are wide and strong, unlike the Baby Bjorn.  I’ve heard many other moms say that they don’t like the Baby Bjorn because it cuts into their waist and just isn’t comfortable.  Once I have the Ergo Baby baby carrier on, I barely feel it. 

If you have a small baby, you will definitely need the Newborn insert.  This is a pad that has what looks like a small seat on the bottom to support the weight of the baby and give them a little booster in the Ergo.  The pad attached to it comes up to wrap around them and give them comfort with a little head support.  The entire carrier really envelops them and cradles them.  I imagine they feel like you’re holding them constantly, but now you’re hands free! 

I also love the fact that it has a cover that’s built in to the outside pocket.  When it’s sunny outside, or you simply want to cover their head if they are asleep, you can pull out the attached cover and snap it to the top of the straps on the shoulder.  It protects them, keeps out the sun and gives them some peace.  There is even another pocket in the front for storage. 

Unlike the Baby Bjorn, the Ergo Baby carrier will only carry babies as they’re faced in toward you.  I personally like this because I can see my son’s face at all times and his head is protected against my chest.  I’ve heard complaints about the Baby Bjorn that when you’re walking up steps, the child’s legs are hitting yours, making it difficult to walk.  With the Ergo Baby carrier, their legs are wrapped around your body, not dangling in front of you.  It’s more comfortable for you, and your baby.

So, now that I’m totally in love with the Ergo Baby carrier, I can’t imagine using anything else.  I was able to do dishes while my son slept, clean, cook, walk around, eat, work on the computer, etc.  Even if I wasn’t doing anything special, I had the use of my hands!  I could even go to the bathroom with it on! 

My husband used it just as easily as I did and was just as comfortable.  He preferred to carry Christian on his back, but enjoyed it just as much.  It is adjustable to fit on front, back or even on the side. 

We’ve used it at the airport to board the plane and also while we’re in the seat, on long walks, in church, around the house, and while shopping.  I continue to use it now that my son is almost 11 months old.  He still fits in it and I can put him on my back for hikes or in front for shopping trips when I don’t feel like bringing a stroller.  I can’t say enough great things about it.

And, now that I’m pregnant with my second child, I know when the time comes, I will get a lot more use out of it with a newborn while tending to my toddler.

Since we bought it, I considered it well worth the $150 I spent.  It gave me a life back!

With our trip fast approaching and so much still left to do, my husband and I are starting to feel stressed. Our son is now 10 months old and things have changed a bit since our last flight to Hawaii when he was only about 4 months old. The way we prepare for a trip has changed quite a bit with each stage of our son’s growth.

We first found out about the wedding and the exact date and place about 4 months ago. My husband decided to go online right away and try to find a good package deal while the inventory was high and the pricing was still low. The wedding was being held at the Sheraton in Kaanapali Maui on the North West side of the Island, and that is where the wedding party and many of the guests were planning stay. Convenience is very important when travelling with a baby so getting a room at the same hotel was key.

Maui Satellite map of Royal Lahaina Resort and Sheraton

My husband was very discouraged after searching through the Expedia and Travelocity sites. The cheapest round trip airfares were $900 per/person and they weren’t even non-stop flights! Also, the cheapest rooms we could find at the Maui Sheraton where $450 per/night making our total projected cost $5,000 for a week, and this did not include other costs like food, taxi, etc. For several weeks afterwards my husband and I discussed the possibility of not going because of the prohibitive costs. But after about 1 month of doing those initial searches, my husband went back online and found that airfare prices had dropped significantly. After further research we decided to book a package deal which included round trip flights and 1 week stay at the Royal Lahaina Resort for about $2,150. We chose the Royal Lahaina Resort because of the proximity to the Sheraton Maui Resort. My husband logged in to Google maps and viewed the satellite imagery to make sure. The two resorts are adjacent to each other and within walking distance! It was perfect, and we were very thrilled that we could join our friends on their special destination wedding.

About 2 weeks ago, I began to have anxiety about having our baby boy in a hotel room where there wasn’t a refrigerator, microwave and/or sink. How would we heat his milk? How would we refrigerate his left over milk and baby food? How do we clean his bowls, spoons and baby bottles? Not to mention leftovers from all of the amazing restaurants we’ll be visiting.

I asked my husband if he could call and request for us to have a refrigerator and microwave in our room, even if there was an added cost. He was very adamant that there was no way the hotel would provide a refrigerator much less a microwave in a standard hotel room. Together we did some brainstorming and he even suggested we buy a cooler while we are there and use the hotel’s ice machines to fill it. Although it was better than nothing, I just didn’t think that was going to work.

About 1 week ago (just two weeks before our trip), my husband called the Royal Lahaina Resort directly and spoke with someone at the front desk named Don. He asked Don what would be involved in upgrading to a 1 bedroom suite with a kitchen. He explained our situation and Don offered us a special rate if we wanted to upgrade. The price was only about $115 more a day which still kept our overall cost with both hotel and airfare below $3,000! After upgrading I felt an immediate weight lifted off my shoulders and now I can’t wait to embark on our journey!

While we’re there we plan to stop at a grocery store and stock our kitchen with all the essentials. My entire outlook has changed! I’m more excited than before, and most importantly I’m more relaxed. I already have a good checklist of what to bring. It’s so much easier to have a kitchen when you’re at a hotel and away from home with an infant. Just thinking about trying to “make do” without one was harrowing.

Had it just been my husband and I, we would have stayed in the single room with no problem. Babies change everything! I honestly don’t think we can stay in a standard room without a kitchen again.

We were told that we should get lots of snacks for the plane ride and also some new toys Christian hasn’t seen before to occupy him. So, when we went to Babies R Us, I would pick out a small toy and let him hold it to see if it caught his interest. There was this one small stuffed animal talking Elmo toy that he loved. As soon as I gave it to him and showed him that it made noise, he smiled! So, with that in mind, I grabbed another Elmo toy that is a microphone that plays music sang in Elmo’s voice. As soon as I turned it on, he smiled again and started staring at it. Of course I bought them both! I just hope the people sitting next to us on the plane like Elmo! I’m sure they’d prefer that to Christian crying.

Other Related Travel Tips:

Taking the Stress out of Vacation Prep

The Packing Dilemma When Travelling with Small Children

Most articles I’ve read say baby walkers are dangerous, specifically because many babies have pushed themselves down stairs.  First of all, I never leave him in the walker unattended. It also has built in barriers on the bottom to prevent it from going down the stairs.  As soon as either the front or the back wheels happen to fall off an edge, the barriers hold it in position like brake pads.  Another common concern is that walkers can impede their walking development because they don’t learn how to balance themselves. This is a valid concern, however I always give my son plenty of time to play in his Superyard so he can exercise his little leg muscles and practice walking along the gate.  I don’t keep him in the walker for hours, just a very short time to mix things up a bit for him, or if I need to go into the other room.  Plus, he loves it when I push him around and sing to him.  Keeping a close watch on him at all times is very important, and the built in barriers are also good insurance.

Our house is set up so there is a wall in between the living room and the kitchen/dining area.  I always have to keep our son close when I cook or do dishes so I can keep an eye on him.   Initially I bought the walker so I’d have a place to put him while I was in the kitchen, but we found a few other great uses for it!

The Baby Trend walker is very handy to have when I’m either cooking or cleaning in the kitchen.  It has a few toys attached and we always give him other small toys to play with and chew on. It’s great because it’s a nice change of venue, he stays entertained, he’s near me, and I am able to get a few things accomplished throughout the day.

Over time, we also discovered it was great for traveling.  It folds very easily, it’s light weight, and easy to store in the trunk of our car.  We brought it to our sister’s and parents’ house several times and he loves to be able to run around the place.  I don’t have to worry about their house being baby proofed as there isn’t much he can reach.  It doesn’t work so well on carpet, so we are lucky that our entire family has wood floors in all of their homes.  He can maneuver it quite well as he roams forward, backward and even turns around.

Lately, we’ve been using it upstairs in our bedroom to have a place for him to walk around while we’re getting ready in the morning.  He isn’t locked up in his crib alone, and he can see us, play and interact with us while giving us our much needed time to primp.

Over the past few months, he’s grown from just sitting in it and playing, to walking, turning and even running in it!  He starts laughing hysterically as he runs around in it.  I’m certainly glad we have it to occupy him at home and while we travel.

Right now we have it permanently set up in our living room, and there are a ton of Christian’s toys set up in it for him to play with whenever he wants.  We have hardwood floors, so we laied out a set of mats underneath so Christian doesn’t bump his head if he falls.  The mats fit together like a puzzle, and he loves to pull up the edges off and chew on them.  It’s like another toy for him to play with!

We first bought and set up the Superyard when Christian started crawling at around 7 months.  The goal was to give him a safe area to play.  We like to refer to it as his “happy play area”, although some of our friends have made fun of us by calling it a cage.  It’s not a cage, its a happy play area that he can roam around and call his own!

We use the Superyard all the time when traveling by car because it folds easily into one block and comes with a small handle to carry.  It’s light weight and fits easily into our trunk.  In addition to the folded up Superyard, we make sure to also bring the foam mats and a bucket of toys.  We’ve brought it several times to our sister’s house and also to our parent’s place.  We spend a good portion of our Sundays with the family and it’s very convenient to have Superyard.  Our son’s two cousins (5, and 7) also love join in and play with him and his toys.

The nice thing about this contraption is that at least for now it saves us from having to baby-proof the house.  With all the work and chores I need to do each day while taking care of Christian, I think it’s safe to say that this Superyard has saved my life!  Each morning I bring Christian downstairs so he can play in his yard after I’ve fed and changed him.  He usually wakes up around 6am, and by 7am, he’s very eager to crawl around.  I’m pregnant again and for the past month I’ve had a very bad case of morning sickness, so it really helps to be able to relax on the couch while I watch him play in his yard.  I made sure to stock his yard full of toys so he is always entertained. There’s a small cubby area in one end of the yard where we set up a few pillows and blanket for him if he wants to relax.  I’ve seen him crawl over to it several times and lay down.  Even though it’s only for a few seconds, he seems to like it.

Our son is not yet walking, but he is very close.  He’s at a stage where he can pull himself up to stand.  He even walks around while holding on to the railing.  Unfortunately, we know that his days playing in the Superyard are numbered as he is so close to walking.  We’re convinced that once he starts walking, he’ll want out of there.  At that time I’m sure he will actually think of it as a cage.  His level of sophistication is improving and each day while he’s in his Superyard he surprises us with some of his new abilities.  Of course when he gets bored or wants something he will make it very clear.  He’ll get up and hold on to the gate while yelling at us to come get him! 

Our son is still at a stage where he spits up quite frequently.  Sometimes I don’t catch it in time and before I know it, he’s rubbing his hands in it and all over himself.  We have to keep a small rag around to mop up the mess when it does happen.  The nice thing about the foam mats is that it is an easy cleanup.

I don’t know what I would do without our Super Yard!  I absolutely love it and would recommend it to anyone.

In less than two weeks we will be on a five hour flight to Maui with our ten month old son. The primary reason for the trip is to attend the wedding of two good friends.  Of course the prospect of spending a week on the Kaanapali coast at the fine Royal Lahaina Resort can easily qualify as a primary reason for the trip as well! 

Right now the biggest challenge ahead of the trip is figuring out what to bring.  As we all know the airlines charge hefty fees for overweight baggage not to mention the already annoying standard per/bag charges each way.

So, for this summer trip where we’ll be basking in the sun, we’ve narrowed it down to the following:

Pool and beach gear

First, we have 2 different floats we’d like to bring.  One is a whale float where the tail curls around to provide shade for our son’s little head.  The second float is one that has a large built in shade which covers a greater area.  It’s definitely easier to travel with because it folds up into a small circle.

We will also want to bring a few teethers we can throw in the freezer.  These are great for when we’re at the pool because they’re nice and cold and feel good on his gums.  He’s always teething and putting everything in his mouth.

We also need swimmy diapers so Christian can go in the pool without contaminating it.  I usually use the Little Swimmers which work great.  The only real difference between the swim diapers and regular ones are that they aren’t that absorbent, so he won’t feel like he’s soaked up the entire pool in his pants.

I will bring at least 4-5 swimsuits for him so that I can spend lots of time lounging at the pool each day. The swimsuits definitely get dirty between the chlorine and his feedings. I’ve found that Target and Old Navy have the cutest and least expensive options.  Along with that I have to have matching hats to keep his little head cool.  Lately he has been pulling hats off his head as soon as I put them on, so now I’m one step ahead by making sure to use the ones with a little strap underneath.  Also, I will bring the cutest little baby robe I’ve ever seen.  It’s blue and has a little whale on it.  It helps to keep him warm and dry after he gets out of the pool.

One thing we can’t forget to bring are the different types of baby sunscreen that I bought.  I have a baby Coppertone spray which works great for his arms and legs, then I use the Baby Aveeno brand cream for his face. 

I’m not sure how hot it will be there, so I’m going to bring this really cool misting fan that I bought at Target.  If I remember correctly, it wasn’t that expensive and it really cooled Christian down quite a bit when we were in Palm Desert.  Of course the weather in Hawaii will be cooler with the highs in the low to mid 80s, but the humidity level will be much higher than in Palm Desert!

We are also bringing a small pop up tent for tots!  The great thing about this is that it folds up to a small circle just like one of his floaties, so it doesn’t take up any additional space.  This will be great when we hang on the beach.

Airport necessities

For the airport, we definitely need his Graco Snugride car seat, stroller and baby carrier.  Thank God he still fits in his car seat. He’s been using it since he was born.  He hasn’t outgrown it yet, which means we can still use the Snap-N-Go stroller which the car seat fits directly into.  This stroller is great because it’s lightweight, folds easily and great for traveling.  We will transport him from the car seat to his Ergo carrier right before we board the plane.  This lets me be hands free while the airline staff stows the car seat and stroller.  I’ve learned to be careful not to leave anything attached to the car seat when checking it because in my experience it disappears quickly, and they have no idea what happens to it (nor do they care).  When our son was still an infant, we had the newborn insert in his car seat which turned up missing after we got off our flight.  I was really disappointed, but what can you do?  Plus, the Ergo will allow me to safely and securely keep Christian on my lap while we fly, assuming he’ll let me keep him in there.  One time I was told by a flight attendant that I couldn’t keep my child in the Ergo carrier during take off.

Of course, we will need regular diapers.  We only use Pampers which I’ve been using since our son was born.  I was hooked once I realized they had a yellow stripe that turns blue to let us know when he peed!  Since then, I’ve been a loyal customer.  I’ve tried the Costco brand and even Huggies, but they didn’t seem to compare.  So, I’ll also need his Bordeaux’s Butt Paste and Baby Powder for his butt… not to mention plenty of wipes.  Since we’re bringing his diaper bag on the plane with us, I’ll have those necessities packed in there.

I was also told to have tons of snacks for Christian on the plane to help keep in occupied.  Especially ones that take him a while to chew on.  So, I bought Baby Mum-Mums, Earth’s Best Teething Biscuits and Gerber Apple Wheels.  As Always I’ll have his Happy Baby Organic Green Puffs (which he absolutely loves).  All of these will travel well on the plane and shouldn’t take up too much space.  Since Christian will be awake a few hours on the flight before he goes to sleep, we’ll need the snacks to entertain him at least for a little while.

Wherever we go, I never dare to travel without bringing along multiple pacifiers.  We’re at a stage now where we’re trying to wean him off of them and only give them to him either when he sleeps or when we’re in public and he’s extremely fussy.  So, on the plane…we will definitley need them!  They also help with his ears popping.

Feeding

I will be bringing a fair amount of baby food.  Usually I use a combination of Earth’s Best and Gerber, but I think for travelling purposes, I’ll bring the Gerber because they come in plastic containers, as opposed to glass jars.  We will be stopping at the grocery store when we’re there so I won’t have to bring a ton.  We also feed Christian cut up vegetables, beans, tofu, fresh fruit, cheese and an assortment of other food which we can pick up when we’re there.

I also have some boxes of travel packets of Earth’s Best organic cereal.  These are great for not only traveling, but also making cereal outside of our kitchen.  They are individually wrapped packages of cereal, so you just open it and add formula. 

With the cereal, I’ll need to bring a travel food container so I can mix it all up and bring other food to the pool. This means I will also need travel baby spoons and our travel container that holds three 9 oz portions of formula.  This will keep me from having to bring extra milk with me where I won’t have a refrigerator.  And, I will bring plenty of disposable bibs for being out and about along with one full-length Bumkins Bib to use in the room.  I will also need to bring his cooler bag to store his food throughout the day while we’re away from the fridge.  It is a bag that has ice packs built in to keep bottles and small containers of food cold.

Instead of bringing a high chair, I’ve decided to try a new gadget.  On the website onestepahead.com, I saw a harness that I’m going to try.  It’s multifunctional.  When you’re on the plane, you can use it to strap your child to you in the airplane seat.  Since we’re not getting Christian his own seat, this should come in very handy.  Also, you can use it to strap your child to any chair for feeding.  I’m hoping this will work for his feedings.  Time will tell!

Although Christian hasn’t really taken to a sippy cup yet, I think I’m going to bring one to test it out again.  Each time I try to get him to drink out of it, the milk ends up spilling out all over the place.  Or, if I use the Born Free transitional sippy cup which has a nipple-like top, he can’t figure out how to suck out of it.  I don’t know, we’ll try again!

Of course we’ll also need formula.  I’m not bringing a ton of it with me because it’s something we can pick up at the store.  However I will have plenty with me (at least a few days worth) just in case.  We’ve always used Similac Sensitive because it’s the only kind I could get him to drink.  When I first introduced formula to him at 4 months, our Pediatrician (Dr. Christine Curtis) gave us a few bins of the Enfamil.  I was so excited because I know how expensive they are.  I gave some to Christian, and he gagged… multiple times!  So, I had to go to the store and pick up 3 different kinds of formula to see which one he’d actually drink.  Since then I’ve tried to give him the Enfamil again and he won’t touch it.  I even tried the Costco Kirkland formula which someone gave me, but he wouldn’t drink that either.  So, Similac it is!

I think I’ll bring at least 2 Born Free BPA-Free bottles for the formula to use while I’m there.  Since we’ll have a kitchen in our hotel room I think I’ll also bring a bottle brush to clean them daily.

Bathing

It’s tough to figure out how to bathe our son while on vacation without his special bathtub, but I’ve found that when I bring just the padded bathtub mat with me traveling, it works great!  The mat folds up flat and has suction cups lined on the bottom to prevent slipping.  Usually while on vacation, I’ll get in the tub with our son to bathe him to hold him up and make sure I can get him clean especially after a long day at the pool.  I better not forget to bring at least a few tub toys and his Huggies Baby Wash (of which I love the smell).

Clothing

I’m changing things up a little bit when it comes to clothing.  Last time we went to Hawaii, I brought all of these cute little outfits for him to wear at night and show off his baby style.  The problem is that he was always asleep by 5pm before we went to dinner, and when we returned to the hotel room I had to either try and put on his sleeper or just let him sleep in his dinner outfit.  This time I’m going to do things a little differently.  I’m just going to bring an outfit or two for him, plenty of swimsuits, and a ton of sleepers!  He’ll wear his swimsuits during the day and his sleeper at night.  I think he’ll be a lot more comfortable.

Sleeping

For sleeping aids, we always bring his “silky” as I call it, his Sleep Sheep noisemaker, and a comfortable blanket.  His silky is a small portion of a soft, supple blanket that has a small puppy head sewn on the top.  Christian loves to feel on it and have it touching his cheek as he falls asleep.  Also, his Sleep Sheep is a lifesaver!  This travel noisemaker plays one of 4 soothing sounds including whales, rain, ocean and a bubbling stream.  It does a great job in masking the outside noise level changes and lasts up to 45 minutes when one of the buttons are pushed.   I also make sure I have a comfortable blanket for him to sleep with.  The Aden and Anais blanket is perfect for covering him after he’s fallen asleep.  It’s large, think and lightweight which allows some breathing room for him as he sleeps.

Toys and Teething Aids

Also, with our boy teething quite a bit, I’ll bring Baby Orajel, Homeopathic Teething tablets, Children’s Motrin fever reducer and a thermometer. 

As far as toys go, we’ll have to bring a few that travel well and don’t take up too much room.  I think I’m going to buy some new toys that he’s never seen before to occupy him on the plane, but we’re definitely bringing Sophie the teething giraffe, and his Baby Einstein music player that plays classical music with corresponding lights.  He loves these!

I’m pregnant again with our second child, so I can’t forget my Nature Made Multi + DHA prenatal vitamins.  I don’t know why, but it’s so hard for me to remember to take them each day!  I literally have to set the bottle on the kitchen counter so I’ll see it each morning to remind me.  I buy these at Costco in bulk and they’re great!  They’re a lot cheaper at Costco than buying them at the local drug store.

Last but not least we better not forget our camera and extra batteries!  We don’t want to miss any of our tots’ precious moments!  After all, if they are not caught on film did it really happen? Aloha!

My husband shoveling over snow in one of the worst New Jersey snow storms in recent history

My husband and I live in Sunny Redondo Beach California just a couple of blocks from the Pier.  Even in January we can expect mother nature to bless us with beautiful sunny days.  Our idea of cold weather on a typical January afternoon is low to mid sixties, so when we decided to visit my Dad on the East Coast in the dead of winter we had to brace ourselves for a healthy dose of “stop your wining”!

My Dad had been bugging me to make a trip back to visit him and the rest of his family ever since my son Christian was born.  I’d been living in California for about 10 years and in all that time my Dad had not been able to come and visit, so after Christian was born I thought he would finally make it out here!  Unfortunately my grandmother wasn’t feeling well enough to travel and she really wanted to see the baby.   So, we chose to make our first trip on an airline with Christian who at the time was 3 1/2 months old. 

We thought that taking a red-eye flight would be the best idea for our son as he would sleep the entire way.  Little did we know that he would be the only one getting sleep that night!  I thought that if I kept him in his Ergo carrier he would fall asleep and I could be hands free during the flight, but it was clear he didn’t want to be in there for very long. I ended up holding him in my arms most of the 5 hour flight. The entire time I was fearful that if I fell asleep I might crush his little body or possibly drop him in the aisle, so I didn’t sleep a wink. My husband tried to sleep, but he didn’t have much luck either. Usually he sits in the aisle seat and I’m always the one crammed in the middle.  He likes the aisle seat so that he can get up whenever he needs to without inconveniencing anyone, but for this trip he wanted me to hold Christian the entire time so that we would not disturb the passenger next to us. It was hard for him to get comfortable in the middle seat because of his broad shoulders and he was very happy to exit the plane when we finally arrived.

My Dad picked us up from the airport and we both looked and felt like zombies!  Afterward, I was thinking about how our decision to book a red-eye flight was not the best we ever had.  The only bummer was that the next day I slept for a good portion of the day to try to catch up and be somewhat social for my dad.

The four days we spent in South New Jersey visiting my family were very special and memorable.  First, it was over my dad’s birthday, so he was so excited about his “gift”.  Also, it was projected to be the biggest blizzard in the South New Jersey area in decades.  We were a little bit nervous, but we made the best of it. 

I grew up in South Jersey, so there were many people I wanted to see and places I wanted to visit in the short time I was there.  Unfortunately things didn’t go exactly as planned.  One thing I really regret is that I didn’t get to see my grandfather on my mom’s side.  I was also hoping to visit with one of my best friends growing up but that didn’t happen either.  And of course, eating at Lamberti’s, one of my favorite Italian restaurants, is usually mandatory but again the blizzard conditions made it impossible.

We arrived at my Dad’s townhouse, where we stayed for the 4 days we were there.  He had a separate room which opened up into a bathroom ready for us with all of the baby conveniences we could have asked for including Pampers diapers, a borrowed bouncer, a Boppy pillow, bassinet and playpen!  When we got there, he also showered us with some sweet gifts for Christian.  

We arrived on a Thursday, and after sleeping most of the day, we decided to take a short trip to Borders for some book shopping and a quick coffee break.  I told him I was craving an authentic cheese steak, so we planned on that for dinner.  The following day, the news was wall-to-wall coverage of the incoming storm, which was already sending some light snow.  They were basically telling everyone to plan on not  leaving the house Saturday.  Incidentally, this is the day that my entire Italian family had planned to throw a party in our honor at my grandmother’s house to celebrate Christian.  They had already ordered tons of food and planned their day around this party for everyone.  So when everyone was told that they were not going to be able to drive anywhere, the whole family was in a panic.   

My dad, his girlfriend and grandmother decided to have an impromptu gathering at her house that day (Friday) instead so at least we’d get to see her.  This idea spread like wildfire throughout my family and the spontaneous decision became reality! Not all of the food was prepared, and not everyone was able to make it because of work and school schedules, but most of them made it and were able to see Christian!  

Despite the last minute change of plans, we still had our aunts, uncles, cousins, second cousins and the rest of our roughly 20 person party show up.  Everyone showed up bearing gifts for Christian and we felt so blessed!  The kid gained 10 lbs of clothes!  Trying to fit all of that in our already heavy bags when we were leaving was not fun, but we managed.  The party was a great success.  There were 2 gourmet cakes and we even had homemade lasagna (which I had been craving).  

It was so great to see everyone and I’m thankful that we were still able to get together despite the weather.  It was a good thing we moved the party back one day because on Saturday, the storm hit us with a vengeance.  My dad and husband had to go outside and shovel the car out twice!  There was at least 2 feet of snow dumped on us overnight!  We spent the entire day indoors hanging out and watching movies.  The news reporters were actually telling people that if they were caught driving, they would be stopped, ticketed and towed!  We ate a ton of leftovers all day and watched my Dad’s bootleg copy of Avatar and Michael Jackson’s “This is it” movie.  Later that evening I also got to show off my Scattergories skills!

By the grace of God, after delays and canceled flights all over the place, we were able to not only make our flight out on Sunday, but it wasn’t even delayed!

On the flight back, Christian was a little bit squirmy and fussy, but it really was not as bad as we expected.  I made sure to pump plenty of breast milk into several bottles prior to the trip.  We also brought the Colic Ease and had at least 3 pacifiers handy for the flight.  My husband had to change all of his diapers because I was too afraid of trying to hold him and change him in the bathroom during the sometimes turbulent flight.  It was a real challenge for him especially one time where Christian really “loaded” up his diaper to the point where it was overflowing!  I was very thankful that my husband held him for a majority of the flight back as my breasts were engorged after the long day of traveling.  Christian was at a point where he did not take the breast directly and would only drink from the bottle.  It could become very painful without having access to my breast pump for long periods of time!

We really had a great time overall.  I’m always happy to see my family under any circumstances and can’t wait to make the insane trip again!