A Wonderful Article

I read this Bump article and thought it actually had great advice and information. Some of the articles that I read from the Bump make me question then as a reliable source of support but this has realistic advice and information for moms who are weighing whether to breastfeed or formula feed. Obviously, I'm a breast feeding supporter and this article helps resolve a lot of the misconceptions I had and was given about breastfeeding. 

Enjoy everyone!

http://m.thebump.com/new-mom-new-dad/breastfeeding/articles/worst-breastfeeding-advice-ever.aspx?cm_ven=Responsys&cm_cat=Newsletter&cm_pla=Parent&cm_ite=July%2030,%202013&MsdVisit=1

THOSE People

    Our little family is scheduled to visit some VIPs in Washington state in August, and in preparation, Adrian and I are researching travel tips for flying with an infant. My biggest fear is becoming THOSE  people on the plane with the screaming baby that everyone wishes they could incinerate with laser beams shooting out of their eyes. I always hated that when I would travel from DC to Texas and want to avoid that at all costs now.
    Amidst researching the airline, TSA, searching the internet and conferring with friends who have successfully travelled with their children, we've managed to figure out a few things. 

     1. Maybe most important for me to remind myself, those people are the ones that do nothing and act like people should just get over it. It's true that there's not much that can be done about a screaming, crying baby. But I do think there is a big difference between parents that try and those that could care less about the others around them. I'm obviously not that person, so I think we're covered in that respect.

     2. The number one suggestion has been to feed Ayla a bottle at take off and landing to help her equalize her ears and keep her calm. This actually works out perfectly because the flight takes about 4 1/2 hours and takes off about an hour before her bedtime, which will work out nicely if she can manage to fall asleep and stay asleep on the plane.

     3. Apparently, checking the stroller and the carseat shouldn't be a problem, but the one concern I have is definitely what to do when/if we have to keep her in her carseat, for instance during take off and landing. Plus, she's so squirmy now and I just know she's going to give me those big, brown puppy dog eyes to beg me to take her out. My plan of attack is to bring a few interesting toys and, the guaranteed distraction, my phone! 

     4. We've started Ayla on solids, beginning with rice cereal and we're going to slowly work in a variety of fruits and vegetables. That's handy since that gives us more of a variety of options while we travel but milk was a concern since it's a liquid. Apparently frozen breastmilk should be ok and we can buy pre-bottled formula that won't freak TSA out too much. If all else fails, I'm a walking baby buffet, which may come in handy, so I think we'll be ok for food.

     5. Even though we're traveling with an extra person (who oddly enough requires two times the clothing & luggage as us), we only get the standard carry on allowance for the ticketed seats. Considering that the flight is a critical part of the trip, this presents a particular problem. Adrian and I have decided that we would prefer to attempt to travel light. I'm leaving my purse at home or will pack it in my suitcase. The diaper bag is big enough to double for my carry on for purposes of the flight and Adrian will bring a backpack that will contain the iPad, travel documents, adult snacks, etc... Hopefully this limits the amount we'll have to juggle at the gate.

     6. DIAPERS! We have to use disposables while we're traveling but we still need to use the cloth diapers at night. Still haven't figured this one out except that we're going to pack one package of disposables and wing it with the cloth diapers. We can always purchase more diapers but we may not be able to wash the cloth diapers. We may have to figure something out.

    All in all, we're looking forward to the visit and now we feel more confident about the trip! We've done our homework so I think we'll manage at least as well as can be expected under the circumstances. Now all that's left to do is go and buy Ayla her very own luggage from Sam Moon!

Tumbleweeds and Canaries

    Well, it's been a few weeks since I last posted and for good reason! School is officially out for the summer and I'm now working at an internship downtown; a nice change from what I had previously planned... A class on wills and estates. It's not quite the break that I was hoping for but I'll take whatever I can get!

    Meanwhile, Ayla has been blossoming! I'm still waiting for an official crawl but she took a half-step the other day and enjoys rocking back and forth on her hands and knees. She has definitely caught on to rolling both ways and that has become her main mode of transportation. Baby-proofing has already begun. She's now sitting up straight like a champ and wants to hold her own bottle, whether she's able to get any milk or not. It's amazing how quickly she catches on to things once she sets her mind to it. It's also amazing how stubborn she becomes when she decides to be. (Doesn't sound familiar at all, right?!) Her new big thing is pulling up onto her knees. That's a new trick she discovered yesterday as she was trying to harass the dog and grab my phone. Now she's trying this hybrid crawl/stand thing and can't quite get either one right. It's funny to watch!

    We've also started her on cereal in the evenings and I was amazed at how quickly she took to eating from a spoon. The one crazy "Ayla" habit she has is sticking her thumb in her mouth after every bite. It's not as bad now as it was when we first started but it's pretty funny to watch! I'll try to post a video later. The next step is to try out mashed up fruits and vegetables with this handy little contraption. You place softened foods inside the mesh bag and it instantly becomes a veggie- or fruit-popsicle. I'm excited to see if it works. A friend also told me about reuseable bags that act almost like a sippy for pureed foods. Imagine a Capri-Sun for baby food. Not so excited about the inevitable stinky poopy to follow. I've also decided that I'd like to try to avoid jarred baby foods if possible. We need to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables ourselves anyways, and with a little planning ahead, I'm hoping that it won't be too big of a hassle.

    My most favorite new trick of Ayla's is her constant singing in the car! It's just vowels and babbling, but to me, it's the sweetest sound in the world! Most of the time, I'll join in with her and she likes that, but every once in a while, I'll let her take the solo. She's actually been doing it for months but not as consistently as she does it now. I think my joining in has encouraged her to do it more often! She's a really fun buddy on the morning commute when she doesn't pass out!