Traveling with an infant

Even before Harper was born I knew she was going to be a jet setter. I had done some research about traveling with children and found this fantastic article. It gave some great advice that I took to heart and now that we've traveled with Harper twice and survived (once being a long haul trip to Italy), I kind of feel like an expert. Here are some of my tips adapted from the article above.

1. Just relax -  The first time I traveled with Harper I cried while walking off of the plane. Harper had cried the entire way and not only were my nerves shattered I thought everyone on the plane wanted to kill me. My parents were traveling with me at the time and laughed a bit while I huffed and puffed about my terrible flight, they then told me to relax, "don't get so stressed about it" they said otherwise it's going to be hell. My parents know a thing or two about flying with babies, when I was Harpers age they lived in Australia and did a lot of long haul traveling back to Canada to see family. Needless to say, on the way back I relaxed and things went much better.

2. Bring your stroller - This is an essential point and probably one of the most important for me. Unless your baby does well in a front carrier or sling I wouldn't suggest traveling without your stroller. The reason Harper cried so much the first time is because I didn't bring her stroller and she hated being toted around in the Bjorn. Another reason, have you ever tried to run for a connecting flight with a baby strapped to your chest? It doesn't work, however running with a stroller does. The stroller can also do double duty helping you carry the mountains of stuff you thought baby would need on the flight.

3. Don't over pack - The first time we traveled with Harper her stuff took up most of the suitcase and I didn't use half of what I brought for her. A good roller suitcase will also come in handy when you don't have many hands to carry baby and suitcases.

4. Going through security - The article I mentioned above had a great tip for going through security. It's always chaos trying to get through with a baby, even more if you're by yourself. The number of ipads, baby foods, gadgets and shoes that have to be taken out of your bag for security is a monumental task in itself, add a baby and a stroller that has to be taken apart and it makes climbing everest look easy. I loved the idea of putting baby in one of the bins for a minute while you organize yourself, it keeps them in a safe place for the 60 seconds you need both hands. Even better than the bin is when you are traveling with someone else, instead of both Kyle and I trying to get things sorted I tell him to take Harper and just go through, I take care of all the other items and it makes life much easier.

5. Limiting intake of liquids for mum - Have you every tried to pee with a baby on your lap? Where does the stroller, diaper bag and baby go when you try to get  in a stall? The whole situation just doesn't work and so limiting the intake of liquids while traveling is an important key to successful and stress free flying. If you're by yourself on the plane the flight attendants are usually pretty happy to hold baby for a minute but in the terminal i'm not sure anyone would or should trust a complete stranger to hold your baby.

6. Flying early - I thought that flying at a time when Harper would have normally been sleeping was going to be horrendous but wen we flew on a 6AM flight she slept the whole time! The article mentioned above gave some great reasons why the early flight is great and I wouldn't change a thing about her advice. 

7. Flying more comfortably - Having a baby or toddler on your lap for the entire travel day can be exhausting, but luckily, there are a few things that can help make traveling a little more comfortable. We use the Flyebaby and I love it. Not only does the flyebaby give your little one somewhere to sit other than your lap, it free's up your hands for a few minutes and if you get really lucky, baby might even fall asleep in it (this has not happened with Harper yet but i'm still hopeful). See Harper having fun in her flyebaby below. Some planes also have cots that make flying with baby more comfortable. On our most recent long haul trip, while walking Harper up and down the isle I spotted a mum with one of the cots, her and her baby were sleeping comfortably. You have to call ahead of time to reserve these seats but it's worth it. 

Anyone else have any more tips? 

living in a clutter free zone

Clutter gives me anxiety, it's useless stuff lying around never to be used or looked at again. Before Harper was born I was determined to make our space a clutter free zone. I scrutinized everything and ultimately decided on two items that could stay in the living room. The first item is her play mat which she has adored since she was a new born. Like magic, the little animals dangling from above keep her entertained just long enough for me to finish my very much needed first cup of coffee. We have the Alphabet Zoo Activity Gym by Skip Hop and we love it because it's colorful, comfortable and has plenty for her to grab and play with. I've seen many other play mats but haven't seen another one that has compared to this one. Needless to say, it has become a staple in my living room.

The second item is her bouncer which, until about 8 weeks old, she wasn't keen on. Once she started to like the bouncer however, it became a morning lifesaver. After having fun on her play mat in the morning I put her in her bouncer in my bedroom and take a shower, unbelievably, without a crying baby. I never thought I would have a shower unassisted again until she began liking the bouncer. We have the Fischer Price Turtle days bouncer with calming vibrations. It's great because of the toy bar, the frog in the middle makes noise when you pull down on it and now that she is grabbing she loves playing with it. I am sure this is the item that helped her discover how to grab for toys and I remember her doing it for the first time. I was amazed watching her make the connection as she grabbed one of the turtles, I cried of course, my baby was growing up!

Finally, I keep a woven basket in the corner of my living room to help me wrangle all the loose toys that always seem to find their way to the floor. The basket helps keep the room clutter free but still keeps them easily accessible. You can find our basket here from Pottery Barn.

I'd love to hear your clutter saving tips and favorite play toys!

Small moments of joy

Kyle and I made ambitious plans: dinner at a restaurant on the beach with friends and family and of course baby Harper. I knew I was pushing my luck but I thought we'd try anyway and made sure to preempt any imaginable situation. Harper had a good nap, full belly, clean diaper and toys to keep her entertained. What more could a baby want? As we packed her in the car she began cooing and smiling and I crossed my fingers that this would indeed be a lovely evening. Dinner looked like it was going well and my optimism soared but, just as quickly as it started, the moment was gone and the first little cry escaped her. Without cause or reason, a Harper meltdown ensued and I inevitably had to leave our lovely evening without finishing the first course. It is in times like these I question why I so desperately wanted a baby and for a split second I let myself indulge in the memories of my former life. As the memories of my pre baby life flicker through my head I watch my baby girl sleeping soundly in her crib, her lips curl into a sleepy smile and I realize how incredibly in love I am. I couldn't imagine another day without her and I know my life would be nothing without the moments of joy, however small, she brings to it everyday.

Trip Trapp high chair by Stokke

In just a few weeks solids will be introduced in our household and I'm hoping that Harper is every bit as excited as I am. The introduction of solids is a milestone I have been eagerly awaiting and optimistically hoping will help with our sleep issues (wishful thinking I'm sure). I imagine it's going to be a lot of fun and wanted to make sure I was fully prepared. To ensure that we do this in style there was only one high chair I considered buying, the Trip Trapp high chair by Stokke. We bought this one in lime green with colorful striped cushion, it can also be found on Amazon here.

The Stokke family has produced some great children's items with the Trip Trapp probably being their most popular product. The Trip Trapp is a legacy, produced in 1972 it has not only remained a style icon but is a lifelong staple in many households. I like it because it isn't big and clunky like most high chairs and will look fabulous in your living room without taking up much space. The website says that children should start in it at 6 months but I've tried it with Harper at 3 months and she has been fine. The only downside, it isn't cheap, but the investment is worth it. Starting from infancy, with their infant attachment, the seat and footplate slowly adjust as your child gets older and will grow with them into their teens and adulthood meaning your investment will last a lifetime. The high chair is an absolute must in our household and I hope this helps you in your high chair search too.

As you can see from the picture below, Harper loves her Trip Trapp already (this one is Grand-mama and Grand-papa's high chair at their house, yes they got one for her too!).

An introduction to parenthood.

Before the birth of our daughter Harper, Kyle and I would talk about what our life with a child would be like. Quotes like "we're still going to see our friends" or "we're not going to let this baby change the pace of our lives" were regularly thrown around the dinner table when entertaining. Kyle would explain our approach to the preparations for baby as "cave man style", people have been doing this forever, is it really that hard? As the due date approached we remained calm and relaxed and truly didn't believe our lives would change dramatically, we were so wrong.

On April 9th, 2013 at 2:36AM Harper Emma Gibbons was born and life as we knew it changed forever. The first week as a new parent was tough and on several occasions I honestly questioned my ability as a mother. I continuously cursed myself for thinking it was going to be so easy and wondered more than once how the human race had kept reproducing. How could our sweet baby girl produce SO many dirty diapers!! I was so unprepared, but we made it through the first week and many more after that and life with a baby, although different than we imagined, is turning out to be pretty great. So for my first post I thought it appropriate to start with my 'essentials list' which contains items I simply couldn't live without. I hope this helps other new mums survive their first weeks and would love to hear from anyone who would have additions to this list.

Enjoy!

Alex's essentials List:

1. Munchkin changing table liners: Within the first 5 minutes of bringing Harper home from the hospital we had to change her diaper. I had paid a lot of money for the cutest changing pad cover and was so excited to finally get to use it! Exactly five seconds after I opened her diaper an explosion of gigantic proportions happened and there went my nice clean changing pad. These changing pad liners saved our lives and I am never without them.

2. Diapers, wipes and Desitin diaper rash cream: You will need loads! I had no idea we could easily go through 100 diapers a week. We use Pampers Swaddlers because I found the coverage better than huggies but I know many mums who use Huggies too.

3. Boppy pillow and lounger: The pillow was fantastic for holding Harper in the beginning and I even brought it to the hospital with me which was a savior. The lounger was even more amazing, Harper slept in this all the time and loved it.

4. Aden and Anais swaddling blankets: These blankets are fabulous and we use them all the time. In Bermuda they can be found at Luxury Gifts Bermuda, I have about 12 of them and could probably use more because they are so useful!

5. Formula: We all go into pregnancy aspiring to be pro's at breastfeeding but truth be told it's not easy, in fact it's downright difficult and having formula around just in case is an absolute must have.

6. Medela Pump: I cannot emphasize enough how essential this is. As I mentioned above, we all truly believe that we'll breastfeed but in case it's not as easy as you wish a double electric pump will save you life.

7. Milton tablets: The milton tablets are amazing and disinfect everything and anything, not to mention they use it in the hospital. There's no need to rinse either which makes life easier.

8. Onsies: I think we went through about 10 a day for the first few weeks, babies are messy!

9. Purex laundry detergent and Oxyclean: Did you know that baby poo stains? Well, I didn't but I did discover that Oxyclean is great at getting the stains out of all of those onsies and the Purex laundry detergent is gentle on babies clothes and skin.

10. Pacifiers: Harper wasn't a huge fan of pacifiers but I included them on my list because there were times when she would use it to blissfully fall asleep and so I will always have them on hand just in case! We use these BPA free Avent pacifiers.