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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?

My 13-month old is quite the little Romeo these days!  He is all about kissing, hugging, touching hair (which leads to pulling hair usually, uh-oh!) and friendly wrestling matches.  Awww, how adorable, right?  If you are thinking about those black and white photos of little kids kissing and precious moments dolls and what not, hold on, this is a bit different…

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?

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?

Television is an important part of our culture. Next to the family, some experts believe that television can be the biggest influence on children. Even infants and toddlers have been swept up by popular TV shows marketed as “educational” programming. But are our babies really ready?

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.

Alright, it was not officially a take-your-kid-to-work day, but I made it one, so there!  Since school started on a Wednesday, we had to find something to do with my 11-year-old stepdaughter for 2 days, so Chris and I each took one.

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?