Back to school

Yay! It's back to school time! I know, I've officially become a mom when I'm excited about the kiddos going to preschool vs being sad that the summer is ending. And around here it starts so dang early! School officially started the FIRST week in AUGUST people. That's so early!

     But this year, I was ready and waiting. Well, scratch the ready part if you're thinking that means I had shoes lined up and clean new clothes and backpacks. I had to run out that first day and get some things I didn't realized we had grown out of, but now we're all ready. And mentally I was ready a week ago.

     And this year my newly minted toddler is going to school one day a week, too. Yes, most people call it "Mommy's Morning Out" because it's only 4 hours once a week, but whatever you call it, I call it golden. Mostly it'll be full of dr check ups for Baby-on-the-way, but even those will be a lot less stressful without kids in tow. And since I didn't have anything scheduled this week, I got to spur-of-the-moment meet my husband for lunch, and we actually got to pay attention to eachother. Wow.

     For those of you who don't have kids, or don't remember, that's a major wow moment. Most of our time is spent getting food on the table, cleaning up the table (and floor) after food, putting away toys, getting jammies on, brushing teeth and hair, picking up toys (did I say that already?) and then falling into bed exhausted at 9pm since we know that we'll be woken up sometime between 5 and 6am if not earlier to start it all again.

     And therefore, I'm excited to have a few hours during the week where my brain can focus on something other than the child tugging at my legs and perhaps I can do something that makes me feel like an adult vs a mom. Just for a few minutes, anyway.

It's time to call it

Hi y'all,
     Well, I've been quiet on purpose for the last almost 2-weeks. And that's because I have big happy news, but didn't want to jinx it by announcing too early. But now that we are approaching the 2-week mark, I'm going to risk it.

     We haven't changed a poopy pull-up in almost 2 weeks!!! WOOHOO!! This is big stuff, people. BIG. And unfortunately I don't exactly know how it happened. We had been struggling as we always do, with the back and forth arguments about not using a pull-up and trying to use the potty instead. And then on a seemingly random Thursday, she just said, "ok, I'm going to use the potty." And this time she didn't follow it up an hour later with a dirty pull-up. It was amazing.

     And needless to say, we've had a fair share of ice cream, chocolate, and toys over the last 2 weeks. But now that it's gone on this long, I have to say that I can't imagine going back. Now we just have to deal with learning to wipe well. Oh the wiping... the WIPING!!! It seems she so much in a hurry to announce her great accomplishment that she runs out of the bathroom without wiping, and we've been dealing a bit with the aftermath. 

     But even that is better than the pull-ups. So once again, WOOHOO!!

Throwback Thursday begets Frustrated Friday

Typically I'd describe myself as someone who can "live in the moment" most of the time. To me this means that I can sit in a situation, take a mental step back, and appreciate the good things about what is going on. And if nothing else, appreciate that the moment will perhaps become a funny story years from now. 

     Example: yesterday my preschooler finally pooped in the potty on her own terms. And then refused to flush it until Daddy could come home and see her amazing accomplishment. Oh the joy.

     But I don't know anyone who can do this 100% of the time. And it seems I'm having some trouble today. And all because a friend posted some photos from several years ago that got me reminiscing. The photos are of me and 3 other friends, all goofing around and posing in the beautiful Santa Barbara mountains. This was before kids for me, even before my wedding. So thinking back on those days now, the first thought that comes to mind is, "wow, how carefree was my life!" 

     I'm sure my 2009 self didn't think that way. I was planning a wedding, dealing with a job that had a fair share of stress involved, and all the normal drama that is a 20-something life. It was just so different than my life today. And normally I don't miss it - I'm so happy and fortunate with so much in my life, I rarely think back longingly to kid-less days. But it's just one of those Fridays.

     Perhaps it's that I'm pregnant and dealing with the fun emotional roller coaster that is pregnancy hormones. Or perhaps it's that instead of getting some of those projects around the house accomplished each day (think folding laundry, picking up toys, cleaning bathrooms, cleaning anything really) I am taking a nap if I can find a time when both girls are resting. Or it could be that my preschooler is becoming more demanding in her wants ("that was fun, mom. But what is the NEXT art project we are going to do together?" every 10 minutes) and that my baby is actually now a toddler and has the mindset of, "why talk when I can just screech and get attention?"

So my life is full. And I love seeing the smiling faces of my daughters or delighting with them when they learn a new skill (my toddler just figured out how to say "please" yesterday, although it comes out more of a "piss") or when they make the connections that show they are taking everything in and learning all the freaking time. It's priceless. But doesn't everybody have days where they kinda wish they could put their current life on hold, and go back in time for a single day and live their old life with their current knowledge and experience? Wouldn't we appreciate things so much more knowing what we do now about life?

No magic here

So the Magic Pull-up doesn't seem to be a successful next step for our preschooler. She sees right through our attempts, and the fact that she can wear a pull-up still doesn't matter. She is still very very concerned about the concept of her poop falling into the toilet.

     This makes me sad. I know so many other mothers who haven't had this issue, so I had to resort to googling on the interwebs for ideas. And unfortunately the advice is pretty similar to all potty-training advice: just wait it out. Yes, I realize that rarely does a kindergartner go to school with a pull-up on. This doesn't reassure me that much folks. I'm still knee-deep in diapers!

     But, we've had to ease off the Magic Pull-up for our sanity's sake this weekend. Perhaps I really do need to start having her watch as I attempt to flush the contents of her pull-up (vs just wrapping it up and putting it in the diaper pail). Maybe she'll clue in... perhaps before she turns 4? One can only hope.

Step one: Cut a hole in the ....

Ok, we've tried something new. Since everyone I talk to swears that potty training USUALLY finishes by around 3.5yrs old, I'm starting to get desperate. Plus, we have a new baby on the way and there's NO WAY I'm going to be doing triple duty on diapers. And finally, it seems absurd that she's completely and entirely potty trained except for going poop. And even then, she now puts the pull-up on herself, sits on the potty to do the deed, and climbs up on the changing table on her own. It seems illogical to keep this going much longer.

     So today I attempted the "magic pull-up." As soon as she told me she was going to get a pull-up, I told her today was a special day. I then took shears and cut a hole in the bottom of the pull up as shown here. And I kept telling her this was a "magic pull-up" for her to use. She immediately saw through my guise and asked, "is my poo-poo going to go in the potty? NO!!!!!"

     Now I don't understand one bit of why it is terrifying to her that poop goes in the potty. But boy did she school me in the fact that this is a horrific thing. She sat on that potty for all of 5 seconds before she hopped off and told me she didn't want to use the magic pull-up anymore. We then got out the bribes - "you can watch the iPad in the bathroom while you sit on the potty, but only if you are wearing the Magic Pull-up." Nope, that just elicited a fit about how she couldn't watch the iPad in a normal pull-up.

     Then we had to have a fit on the kitchen floor for a while. At which point I decided that perhaps I had made this first hole a little too big. I was very intent on making sure everything fell through to the potty, that I may have been a little over eager in my hole making. So I tried again. Still too big.... but finally, after the 3rd pull-up being mutilated with a hole in the bottom, she finally agreed to put it on and sit on the potty - of course only if the iPad could be there too.

     And the final result was - partial success. Some fell into the potty, while some got stuck. But I could shake it into the potty with her watching, so perhaps that helped. It also proved to her (although probably not  for the last time) that it doesn't hurt, and really doesn't feel any different when it stays in the pull-up or doesn't. Let's hope this is making progress, people.

When nightmares come true

So about 2 weeks ago, we traveled from Alabama (well, we flew from Nashville, technically) to San Diego, California for a wedding. It was a great, albeit short and very busy, trip. My preschooler was the flower girl, and did an amazing job - as you can see in the photo below.

     The whole trip was fun for everyone, although the girls didn't nap much, and we were all very worn out by the end. But Sunday came, the wedding was over, and we piled back on the airplane to head home. That's when disaster struck. 

     Yup... it was a parent's worst nightmare. Here we were, in our 3 seats next to each other, on an incredibly packed flight of people, and our preschooler says the dreaded words, "my tummy hurts!" Thankfully a flight attendant overheard her and handed us a trash bag as a precaution. Now most parents will know that an upset tummy can be caused by many things, and doesn't mean iminent danger. Unfortunately this time it did.

     No sooner had the cabin doors closed and the plane begun to pull away from the gate, when she vomited. Thankfully the vomit made it all into the trash bag. Unfortunately there was danger at both ends going on, and we weren't as prepared for that. So not only did the people next to us have to experience the sounds of a preschooler throwing up, and the smells, but they were also treated to the smells of soiled pants. And since she is normally so proactive about potty time, she was in regular clothes (and of course I didn't follow my own advice and hadn't packed her a spare set of shorts. oh no!)

     My husband turned to me - who was busily holding my breath from the stench and trying to entertain a very squirmy 15mo old, and said in a very calm voice, "I'm pretty sure I've had nightmares about this. I don't even know where to begin." Yes, it was awful.

     Well, once we had finished take-off and the pressure in the cabin eased a bit, he was able to clean her up, grab another trash bag from the helpful crew (who jumped up as soon as they could to help us), and pack away all of the foul smelling items. But, like I said above, I had forgotten a spare set of clothes for her, and there was no way she was going to fit in the romper I'd packed for the baby. Thankfully I did have extra pull-ups on hand, so she had to just sit tight in a T-shirt and pull-up until we made it to baggage claim.

     And bless the flight attendant who recognized horrified parents attempting to make the situation as manageable as possible for everyone involved (or not involved) and offered us free drinks. My husband thoroughly appreciated his whiskey & coke. You have no idea how much he deserved it.

All by myself

As I seem to start every post these days, it's been a while. Summertime means outdoor fun, pool time, and not a lot of time to sit in front of a computer.

It also means my girls are growing. My baby has graduated to toddler status, and my preschooler seems to be growing like a weed. Unfortunately, we're still up to our elbows in diapers.

I really thought that once we hit 3, the final vestiges of potty training would figure themselves out. However it doesn't seem to be happening that way. We still get handed a pull-up anytime she has to poop.

Well, until recently anyway. There's been a new twist, and I can't decide if it's a good thing or not. My preschooler has twice now taken the entire process into her own hands. She has gone and gotten the pull-up on her own, put it on herself, done her business, and even climbed up onto the changing table by herself.

But then she took it one step further. She's attempted to change her dirty pull-up without telling me or my husband. So twice now he's walked in on her trying to figure out how to wipe herself.

It's not been pretty, folks. Comical yes, clean no. So again, I ask you - is this a step in the right direction or are we traveling along a messy tangent and not really going anywhere?

Follow your imagination, wherever it may lead

I know it's been almost a month since I posted. I guess that since school is out, I forgot that I still was supposed to be blogging. Whoops. Sorry folks.

Anyways, I wanted to share this little story from last night. My preschooler was playing with duplos (that she calls "playgos") before bed as her "one last thing." And she built herself a little car; complete with a person riding on it. So off the car goes around the livingroom furniture on an adventure. And in her sing-songy voice, my daughter is singing, "they are going on an adventure! They are going through the tunnel, off to get ice cream! They are going to get ice cream because she went poopoo in the potty!"

And I think to myself, "is it a good thing or a bad thing that our potty bribes have made it into her imagination play?" Followed by, "now when is she going to follow the good example of her imaginary friends?"


If only, if only.

School's out for Summer!

Today is the last day of preschool before summer. Although as a child I always thought that the last day of school was such an exciting event, I find that I am definitely a parent now. The last day of school is a little bit terrifying. It means I will have both children with me for any errands, grocery store trips, doctor appointments, etc. It means every single day of the week with questions like, "Mom, where are we going today? What are we doing? Can I watch more TV?" as I scramble to come up with activities and also try to find 5 minutes peace (do you remember that book from our childhood? I finally get it now).

     And most of this week I had my grandmother here. I love my grandmother and it was a really huge treat to have her come visit and spend some time with the girls. But, having her here meant that my last week of school was dedicated to her and not to trying to accomplish an entire summer worth of errands and to-dos in a matter of days. 

     Alas, that means that the summer will actually have errands and grocery store runs and whatnot with both my kids in tow. Which already has me thinking, "how do mothers with more than 2 handle it?"

     It also has me very open and willing to start a rotating playgroup with any and all of my other preschooler moms.

Toilet seat

So, today this happened...

My baby was wandering the house, as normal, as I was getting things ready to head out the door. My grandmother is in town, so we were heading out to the toy store. So I was going through the exit routine, which includes going to the bathroom, packing the diaper bag, getting a bottle ready, etc... anyways, after a few moments I noticed that my baby wasn't underfoot - in fact, at that second I heard her cry out in a "I'm kinda stuck, or bored, or kinda want some attention" way. I want make certain that you understand this was NOT a cry of distress or pain.

     And off I went to investigate. Apparently I had lost her back at the bathroom stop on the exit routine. While I had continued on, she had stopped to investigate - normally this means the toilet paper roll. This time though, it meant the actual toilet.

     I found her sitting in the toilet - and I mean IN the toilet. She had climbed inside the toilet and was perched, kinda of squatting with her socks and shoes in the water in the bowl with her hands on the seat and her head peering out from under the lid (granted the lid was more like on her shoulders than the top of her head).

She has never done something like this before. NEVER even close!

     I was in such shock and heard that split second inner chastisement of "bad mommy!" so I quickly pulled the sopping wet child out of the toilet. Then I realized that I really should have taken a photo first. Because as soon as that inner voice was quiet, the laughter began. Absolutely hilarious. So this is a post-toilet seat adventure shot, and I promise that if there is a next time, I'll be sure to snap a quick photo before rescuing the adventurer from her watery predicament.

And thank goodness the toilet was clean!

All she wants to do is walk

My beautiful and adorable 1yr old is now a squirming screaming walker. She's been walking for a while now, but it's gotten to the point where she really doesn't want to do much else. She certainly doesn't want to sit still in my lap or on a changing table.

     I knew this day would come, and she was older than my first daughter was when it started. But man is it frustrating. It makes the diaper changes a fight that's no fun for anyone, and makes car rides and plane trips a bit more tricky. Thankfully we don't have any of those planned for a few months anyway.

     So now that summer is coming, we're going to be spending a huge amount of time outside walking wherever we can until mom (me) gets too hot and demands that we all go inside or to the pool. And until then, I apologize if you are within earshot when I refuse to let her walk around and she screams. 

Diapers over Ice Cream?

Sometimes the logic of a preschooler surpasses adult understanding. No, I am wrong - it seems almost ALWAYS the logic of a preschooler is beyond the comprehension of an adult or parent. Take this for an example...

     We have a running bribe (let's call it what it is, people) that if my preschooler goes poopoo in the potty, then we will all get in the car and head over to the ice cream shop for an ice cream cone. Seems like a pretty awesome incentive to me! However, she doesn't seem very swayed by it.

     In fact, as she was handing me a diaper last night, I reminded her that she could instead choose the potty over the diaper and we could all go get ice cream. She cocked her head to the side as if considering this proposition, and then stated, "nope, I don't like ice cream that much."

     Huh? She LOVES ice cream! I can't believe that the security blanket that is a diaper is so much stronger than having an ice cream cone complete with sprinkles on a warm spring evening. huh? I just don't get it.

In one end and out the other

I think my 1yr old just swallowed a plastic cap. The tiny ones that come on the applesauce pouches - I'm sure you know the ones. Now I'm not entirely positive that she swallowed it, but I can't seem to locate it anywhere else, and seeing as how she loves to put EVERYTHING in her mouth, I'm going to assume she did.

     Perhaps you'll think I'm a bad parent, but as she's not expressing any sort of distress, and it doesn't have pointy edges, I'm going to wait and see if we get a surprise in her diaper here in a few hours/days. Yes, I will admit this is definitely a Mommy Fail event. I'll just try to remind myself that it could have been worse, and we'll hope for the best.

Bye bye bribes

So we've given up on the bribe method with my preschooler. She obviously could care less whether we hold out ice cream or Frozen or stickers as incentives to going #2 in the potty. It just doesn't seem to matter. She looks at me and says, "well, next time I'll use the potty, but I want a diaper now." Doh!

     And since we've been tired of waiting on ice cream, we went Saturday night. Yum. Ha. Then Sunday morning the Easter Bunny brought Frozen on DVD for my daughter. She was very excited - a little confused because she knew she hadn't earned it by going poopoo in the potty, but still excited. And we've watched it at least 5 times in the last 3 days.

     At some point it'll work. And I don't know yet if any of our attempts at different methods will help or hurt or have any affect whatsoever on the timing of when it'll happen. I'm just confident that I know zero adults or even teens who use diapers out of choice, so there is a day coming up sometime in the future where I won't be handed a diaper... at least from her. And about that time I'm sure we'll be starting the whole process over again with her little sister. 

Oh joy.

Free and clear in the rear

Now that the weather is FINALLY warming up, we get to spend a lot more time in the backyard. My baby even got a slide for her birthday, so there's fun for everyone. And it reminded me that it was about this time last year where we were starting the potty training fun with my preschooler and the backyard was a big part of that.

     I've heard a lot of people tout this method, although it only worked so-so for me. Essentially you strip your child down to their birthday suit (at least from the waist down) and let them play around outside. The idea is that without diaper and clothing to separate them from their bodily functions, they will notice when they have to go and it will clue them into what's going on a bit more.

     For my daughter this only kinda worked. The few times we let her run around outside without anything on, she would either go hide in the bushes or squat down near some plants and go right there. And usually it wasn't pee-pee. So then I had to get the hose out and wash everything away, otherwise worrying that we'd get into the mess later on. Thankfully she doesn't like to get messy so was not at all interested in investigating it.

     I think the idea behind this method is sound. However, for me and my daughter it was just as effective to put her in cloth panties and let her feel when they got wet. She doesn't like to be wet or messy, so that was much more incentive for her to run to the potty or tell me before she had an accident. But, I do see where this method, used at the right time, could make some headway. Good luck!

Laugh it off

A friend of mine just relayed this story, and I thought it was hilarious - in an awful sort of way, so I had to write it here.

     It seems that having a younger sister does funny things to 3-yr old girls. At first it's great - they have a real life baby doll. They love helping mommy and enjoy the big sister gifts that come rolling in. ... And then the baby starts moving around. Once baby begins to crawl, walk along furniture, or even venture out on their own 2 legs, the fun seems to end for big sister. 

     A 3-yr old doesn't understand that her little baby sister will grow up to be a best friend she can always count on and will always be there. All she sees is someone who is grabbing her toys and getting a lot of her attention from mommy and daddy and anyone else around. So the jealousy sets in.

     Sometimes it isn't too bad. But it seems that once baby is mobile, the 3-yr old goes through some regressive behavior (see: my preschooler still pooping in a diaper) and starts acting out a LOT more. It's no fun for anyone... perhaps that's the point.

     Anyways, my friend has 2 girls about the same age as mine, so she's in the same fun adventure at the same time. And her preschooler has started acting out big time. Her most recent escapade involved a potty accident and quiet time.

     Apparently her preschooler was having her daily quiet time, and was happily playing in her bedroom. Unfortunately after about 45 minutes, mom came in to find that her darling preschooler had had a potty accident. And I'm not just talking about wet panties. No, there was poo. Everywhere.

     It seems that not only did her preschooler get poo everywhere, but she then proceeded to smear said potty accident around her room. On her bed, on the floor, on her books... on herself... everywhere. Uh oh! 

Needless to say, I laughed mostly out of relief that I haven't experienced this kind of behavior. yet. And because if you don't laugh, I imagine you might cry. Being a mom stinks sometimes, and this is one of those times where it probably stinks to high heaven. 

So you laugh. And grab a very large jug of bleach.

Side tracked by birthday

Sorry about being MIA last week. My little baby turned 1 and we made a big deal about it, primarily for my preschooler's sake. The older one isn't entirely comprehending that it wasn't her birthday, but we hoped that by having a party and cupcakes and presents for her little sister, and having her part of the process, she would understand that everyone gets birthdays and it isn't always about you.

     I'm not sure any of it has sunk in. Especially since the attendees at the party were all my preschooler's friends, and unfortunately any gift given to a 1yr old is also fun in the eyes of a 3yr old. But at least we worked on it some and by next year hopefully it'll be a little more obvious.

Doing the dance

Ok, can I just say that sometimes the "I have to go potty" dance is pretty hilarious. It seems to take different forms for different kids, and even evolves as they do. Currently my preschooler has a funny one.

     She first uses both hands to grab at her pants between her legs. Then she proceeds to hop from one foot to the other, but in a very exaggerated way. She bends her legs at the knee, and raises the opposite leg in the air almost a foot off the ground. Then dances to the other one. It's hilarious!

     And thankfully most of the time she starts the dance with enough buffer that I'm able to help her find a bathroom before we have a problem. I know, I'm lucky. I don't think all kids are as into giving advanced notice. Even today she cut it close and had to sprint inside to make it to the potty. It was kinda cute though, we heard a "phew! I made it!" from the bathroom. Adorable!

Gloomy day

It's a rainy, gloomy day outside, and things have been going slightly off routine all day (yes, it's only 2:30pm and I will say all day already). Now those who know me probably know that I like to have a schedule. I am perfectly fine with last minute changes to the schedule provided that I am appropriately prepared for them. And today each minor change is throwing me off my game.

     Which reminded me of the fact that my toddler-now-preschooler has fallen off her game as well. I recently posted about all the amazing progress we'd made trying to eliminate diapers completely. Unfortunately that phase was very short-lived - I didn't even get to eat all of the cupcakes I made. And now we're back to her asking for a diaper when she needs to go #2. BUMMER!

Sadly today's post doesn't have a happy solution or an ending to the problem. It's just an update to say that although it's a Friday, it's a "1 step forward, 2 steps back" kind of day. At least this weekend should hopefully give us all a chance to reset and recharge. 

Independent Streak

My toddler is growing up. In reality I should probably stop calling her a toddler and start calling her a preschooler, because it has been quite a while since she's done anything close to toddle around. She runs, jumps, skips, climbs rocks, and at the moment any piece of furniture she can reach. And lately she has also taken on a bit of an independent streak.

     The most common form of this current exertion of wills is in the fashion category. She has decided to start picking out her own clothes and putting them on herself. It used to be that I could select 2 or 3 outfits and let her choose which she felt like wearing, but lately that hasn't been enough control for her. So now she runs into her closet and pulls out clothes she wants to wear, and then has to put them on all by herself.

     For the most part she is successful. Occasionally she needs help finding an arm hole or getting both legs in the right spot, but often she gets the clothes on all by herself. However, they aren't always in a manner that you or I would wear our clothes.

     It seems that a good percentage of the time that she dresses herself, the clothes are either inside-out, or backwards. With T-shirts it rarely matters whether they are front ways or backwards, although sometimes she runs around with a giant frog on her back or tags flapping in the wind and seams visible to all. With pants though, it's a bit trickier to wear them backwards.

     She has realized that jeans are much more difficult to put on oneself (especially when one is just learning how to dress oneself), so she's taken to wearing cotton pants whenever possible. And there are lots of clothing options for children out there in cotton. Some have cute designs, or even words on the backside, like "cutie." Well, you can just imagine how comical it looks to see a little 3 year old wearing "cutie" red cotton pants on backwards. 

Crazy expensive rash cream

I don't think I've talked about this before, but when baby gets a diaper rash it hurts for everyone. Thankfully little baby hasn't gotten too many (knocking on wood now). But my toddler used to get them, bad! I think some of that might have been the season - in the winter time in northern Alabama, it is cold! They don't get a whole lot of time to run around sans diaper, or even just air time on the changing table. And I think the lack of exposure and airing out caused some diaper rashes to be worse than they otherwise would be.

     Eventually we asked the doctor for help. The topical creams are great at prevention, but not excellent at curing one, and curing it fast. So he wrote up a great prescription for something we didn't know and sent it off to the pharmacy. To this day I have no idea what is in it... but man does it work! It's the thickest paste concoction I've ever seen, and once slathered on, the rash disappeared. Wonderful!

     What wasn't wonderful was the price tag. Even with insurance, it was around $50. For a small tub of the stuff! Granted that's more than a little tube of diaper cream off the shelf, but it still hurt our checkbook. I think the reason it's so expensive is that the pharmacy has to actually make the stuff. It doesn't come in pill form for them to just dispense, so all that extra effort involved drives the price up. It's what they call a compound prescription (I think).

     Now since then we've been told some suggestions to make a homemade diaper cream. These usually involve combining neosporin, diaper cream, and anti-fungal cream. We haven't tried that, but it might work. If things get terrible again, though, I will probably shell out the cash for the good stuff. It's worth it not to have a child who screams every time she wets herself.

Fast fingers

So my little baby is growing up and discovering the world. And with that comes some tricky situations... like diaper changes. Now the trick is to be quicker than she is.... ready, set, GO!

     I imagine this is the case for both boys and girls, but all I know is girls. If I'm wrong, let me know. With my girls, they hit and age where they try to grab and touch everything. This goes for their own body parts, too. We've all seen the little boys who constantly grab at themselves and know that it's just a stage everyone goes through. Well, even before that age, they eventually discover that there's stuff down there; even girls do it. And when it happens, it makes diaper changes tough.

     So now we've got a baby who just wants to walk around everywhere, which means diaper changes are unpleasant to begin with. She doesn't want to lie still and let me change the diaper. And NOW she's decided that if she has to be there, she might as well try to explore what's under the diaper as soon as I remove it. And she doesn't care, or realize, that she's getting in the way. Nor does she care if it's a dirty diaper; all the more to explore, right?

     So parents, this is normal. And it will probably mean that you get messy and end up cleaning both yourself and baby (especially baby fingers). Not to mention that diaper changes have now become a race. Who is faster? You or her fingers? Ready, set, GO!

Parents are people, too

It's amazing how wonderful it feels to take a break from the daily routine sometimes. I'm not trying to say that I'm not happy with the daily routine and what my life is. I love my family and the ability to stay home with my girls. But taking a break and reminding myself that I am more than just "mom!Mom!Mommy!!" is important.

     We have some wonderful friends. We have an incredible church family. And last weekend a couple from our church offered to spend 24 hours with our girls so we could go do non-kid, non-parent stuff. Wow. Since all of our actual family is on the West Coast, we don't have the opportunity to "send the girls to Grandma's" ever. If they go, so do we. And chances are, we want to see the grandparents too, so we aren't about to drop the kids off and leave. All the more reason why this weekend was such a treat.

     What did we do? Kinda nothing and it was beautiful. Well, we got coffee and donuts in the morning, went out to eat a LOT, did some disc golfing and checked out some other places around town, but the main essence of it was that we didn't do much. We didn't even leave town, although we could have. But just staying here, seeing our town from a different perspective than a parent of young kids, and not having to constantly check the clock to ensure we were on schedule was WEIRD. In a wonderful sense, of course. I didn't have to change a single diaper in more than a day; I can't remember when that has happened before!

     And by getting a full night of sleep without having to wake up for midnight feedings or nightmares meant that when we did wake up on Sunday (at a very late 8am!), we were smiling instead of groaning. So now I feel a bit more refreshed; the patience meter is not hovering on empty. And with Spring Break this week, it was a perfect time to fill up the reserves. Moreover, it reminded me that parents are people too, and we deserve to be an adult sometimes. It's good for everyone when we do.

Plus, I'm pretty sure that our kids had fun too. They came home and each took a 3 hour nap. Not to mention that it sounds like they watched a whole lot of Frozen, so it was a win win all around. 

Never forget the diapers. Never

My sister shared this story yesterday, and it was just too perfect not to mention here. 

My sister was at the airport in Santa Barbara. Now as my sister was sitting at the gate area waiting for her flight to board, she noticed a dad with a baby flying alone. No one is quite sure what the scenario is that caused this to happen, but let's hope that they were on their way to someplace fun and relaxing.

     So apparently Mr. Dad took baby and stroller et al into the bathroom to change baby before the flight - so far, so good. And then moments later, Mr. Dad reemerged from the bathroom with baby not yet changed, because Mr. Dad FORGOT TO BRING DIAPERS!!!!!

     Perhaps you have to be a parent to appreciate the horror of this situation, but believe me - this is BAD. What do you do with a baby with a wet (or heaven forbid, a dirty) diaper when you are about to be on a very cramped plane with lots of people? And chances are pretty high that Diaperless Dad wasn't just going on this one flight, but that this was merely a connecting flight to another, probably longer leg.

     I know that in my family, I tend to be about as anal as possible when it comes to packing. I pack days in advance; I pack three times as many diapers and clothes as I will need. Did you see my post about traveling with babies and kids and all the stuff I mentioned? Yes, I'm nuts. But I'd rather be nuts than be this guy.

     Poor baby. Poor Diaperless Dad. I can imagine that there were several moments of sheer panic happening as he struggled to figure out what he could possibly do to handle this. After all, there aren't a whole lot of things that can double as a makeshift diaper when you're at a gate and I doubt there's even a convenience store in the airport (and if there is, it's incredibly unlikely that they have diapers, being in Santa Barbara and all).

Sadly I don't know what the ending was to this story. But it still serves as a wonderful reminder to anyone ever flying with a child. DON'T FORGET THE DIAPERS!

Shower time

I love showers. I think I have always liked them, and I remember taking way way way too long showering when I was a teenager. But I don't know if I've ever enjoyed showers as much as I do now that I'm a mom. They are my escape. For a few moments, I can't hear anything but the rushing water, the heat helps relieve some of the knots in my back and shoulders, and there is peace in the world. Well, in the shower anyway.

     Unfortunately, my opportunities to enjoy showers like that seem fleeting these days. First, our morning routines are getting earlier and more rigid, so I often find I need to shower the night before rather than try to fit in a rushed 90 second shower in the morning. Then there's the fact that my toddler doesn't like to let me shower on my own. To her, the shower is a group activity.

     So I now find myself, more often than not, taking a shower at odd times, accompanied by my toddler. Just imagine trying to figure out how to shave your legs while avoiding the water sports going on below me. It's a bit of a balancing act. Literally.

     And then there's the dreaded potty incidents. Yes, when she first starting accompanying me in the shower, my toddler had the occasional whoops moment where she didn't realize we weren't in a giant potty and decided to go. And we've dealt with it all. Thankfully it doesn't happen so often anymore (perhaps my shrieks and yells had something to do with that).

     But we do still deal with the occasional pee in the shower. I think it's still a novel idea for her - the fact that she doesn't get in super trouble for peeing in a place that isn't her diaper or the toilet. Oh well, I'd much rather wash that down than the other stuff that could be happening. And if I'm not having my peaceful nirvana away from reality type showers, what's a little more to deal with?

I'm making cupcakes

We have had a break-thru people! My darling 3-yr old has finally taken that first step (again) and gone #2 in the potty (again). We are OVER THE MOON! 

     I would love to say that I know what we did and could repeat it easily. I haven't a clue. I sadly have to agree with the multitudes of parents who told me "it'll happen when it happens, and not before." The worst thing to hear, but sadly very true.

     And I will admit that we aren't out of the woods yet. We can see the end, but I don't know how long it's going to take to get there. Here's the play-by-play... she went last night, flushed, then announced to us that she did the deed, followed quickly by, "can I get ice cream now?" (Yes, we had returned to the bribe tactic, since neither my husband or myself really wanted to try that plan B from the pediatrician). We explained to her that we actually had to witness that she'd gone poo-poo in the potty before we'd jump in the car for ice cream.

     Then off I went to a meeting at the church. And while I was gone, apparently she got back on the potty and brought herself to tears attempting to recreate the scenario and get some ice cream. So my husband finally took pity on her, and acceded that it's doubtful she was making all of this up and working that hard at it, and they went off to ice cream. yay!

     But my little toddler has developed a memory like a steel trap; at least when it comes to things she wants. So this morning she announced to me that I owed her cupcakes. Yes, I admit at one point I even threw those into the bribe kitty at a low point. Since we had acquieced the first time with a little doubt hanging on, I told her that she would have to repeat the act in order to deserve a cupcake. 

     And would you know, by 10am she had! I was so excited! Of course making cupcakes first required a trip to the grocery store, but she didn't have a problem agreeing to that. And after lunch she even repeated the act... followed by requesting a diaper... bummer. I was somehow hoping that once she did it once, she'd never go back to a diaper. I guess that's not true. However, I'm going to continue to ride this excitement and hope that it'll just take a couple more cupcakes.

     Which is good, because I now have 3 dozen chocolate cupcakes baking in the oven.

Riding along in the car

We've all been there. We're out on the go (whether running errands, being the family shuttle service, or just out for a drive), when all of a sudden there is a need for a diaper change. Pronto. Usually these come on with little advance warning, and rarely can you throw the kid back in the carseat and make it all the way home without causing damage.

     So what is there to do? Diaper change on the go, of course. And what better space to do this than on the tailgate of the vehicle? If you have a truck, then it's super simple. But I don't; so up goes the tailgate, down goes the shelf, and out comes the changing pad from the diaper. 

     And a couple of other tips that I've found extremely useful in these situations...
-- A toy to occupy baby's attention so she doesn't try to roll over or squirm
-- Easily accessible wipes. My current diaper bag has a wipes container in a side pocket that I can access without having to remove them from the bag. Genius. If you don't have that, then get a couple out and ready before laying baby down and beginning the process.
-- Fresh diaper
-- Plastic bag - this is a must for the stinky diapers. You can double wrap the diaper and toss it in the car or the bag without worrying that it'll leak everywhere. Plus, if you wrap it well, the stink seems to stay contained, too.
-- Change of clothes. Well, if she has leaked everywhere, it's nice to be able to put on a fresh pair of pants on the go. Otherwise wherever we were intending to go next turns into HOME. 

Most moms have probably already figured all of these things out. But maybe not. So here you go.

Tee-pees

Because I have girls, I have not encountered this personally, but feel that it might resonate with some of my friends (and my 2 readers out there). Apparently with boys, right from the beginning, there is danger when changing those diapers. If not timed exactly right, the moment the diaper comes off, a firehose erupts and gets EVERYWHERE.

     Now girls are known to pee on the changing table, too. And perhaps the frequency isn't any different between boys and girls. The biggest difference is probably the fact that with girls they flood the table and whatever they are wearing, but the person changing the diaper is relatively safe from getting wet. Not with boys. Boys have aim (or lack thereof), and so the stream will get everyone nearby, just like an unattended garden hose. 

     I have heard that the reason babies almost always pee when the diaper comes off is due to the rush of air. When that warm, wet diaper gets replaced with a cool rush of air, it automatically triggers them to pee. Not sure why, just that it does. So that would suggest there is very little you can do about preventing these episodes; the only thing to do is be prepared on how to handle them.

     And my favorite solution on how to handle these is the pee-pee tee-pee. It's a tiny little cloth cone (shaped like a tee-pee) that you hold in one hand while you remove the diaper. As soon as the diaper exposes the little boy parts, you drop the tee-pee on him and voila! The tee-pee will soak up anything coming out and protect everyone around. I have to assume they are machine washable, of course. Here are some you can check out from UnCommon Goods, although several online retailers sell them these days.

     I don't know if they truly are as effective as it sounds in theory. I'd love to hear from someone who has used them and whether they are realistic, but they are cute. Especially when they have them around the holidays and they're red with a little white ball on top, so they resemble Santa hats. If you have tried them, please comment below and tell me if they work. 

Please stand up

I have girls. And as we all know, girls don't stand up while using the potty. However, this is not something that they accept "just because." As soon as a little girl who is potty training learns that boys get to stand up, they want to try it. And boy is it a mess!

     Although frankly, it can be a mess even without standing up. I always thought that with girls there was never an issue about aim, and therefore it wasn't something I needed to think about. I was wrong. I have learned through countless wet pants and panties that girls need to practice aim as well. Who knew?

     Yes, even while sitting on the toilet, it is possible to miss the toilet bowl. So we have practiced lifting our knees and sitting up straight so we don't accidentally get our pants all wet even when we've made it to the potty on time. Thankfully it happens rarely anymore.

     And for those with boys, good luck! I haven't had to learn what to do yet, so I welcome any comments or suggestions to share.

The tinkle fairy

Well, we haven't made much headway in the potty training lately, but there has been one development. My toddler has started asking to go without a diaper overnight. Not every night, but at least a couple of times a week she asks to wear panties instead of a diaper. 

     Depending on our energy level, we usually protest and she stays in a diaper overnight. However, on occasion we have given in and let her go to bed without. And the couple times we've let this happen, we wake up to a wet bed. Interestingly, she seems to only wet the bed right before waking up in the morning, so it hasn't been a catastrophe. Plus, I have tried to be smart and either double make the bed (see my double it up blog post for details) or when sheets are in short supply I at least put an extra waterproof sheet and a towel down under her. That way a midnight sheet change is a quick effort.

     The fact that she's asking for this her self (vs us encouraging her), and that she doesn't appear to wet the bed throughout the night, makes me wonder if she really isn't ready. Maybe. Perhaps she'll master the nighttime tinkle fairy before she masters the rest of it. Wouldn't that be a kick?

     Who knows... life seems to be funny that way - it's never straight forward and never ever the way you think things ought to happen. Oh well, that's part of the adventure, right?

Walking wiggler

All kids go through it eventually. It's the dreaded diaper fight phase. For my toddler, she fought diaper changes from about 9 months to 18 months (at which point we started trying to potty train, mostly unsuccessfully). I'm just holding my breath hoping my baby doesn't start too soon.

     She already kinda is, but not too vigorously. She squirms a bit when we lay her down on the changing tab

le, but mostly because she has so much to explore that she does NOT want to be put in a prostrate position for any length of time. Even for a quick refresh of the soggy diaper, which I would assume is a pleasant thing to have changed. 

     Perhaps some of her disinterest in diaper changes is due to the fact that she has now discovered how to walk. Yes, folks. My 10 month old has taken those first steps and now is overjoyed at her now found talent. She gets so extraordinarily excited when she takes 2 or 3 steps and lunges at the side of the couch. We get a victory dance each and every time.

     And we cheer like it's the Super Bowl. Because really, how can you not cheer for someone so cute and so incredibly proud? It's exciting even if it means my chasing skills are going to need some sharpening and the diaper gymnastics are going to step up to a new level of difficulty. It's all worth it to see her gigantic smile and watch her victory dance.

Snow suit fun

We got snow a few weeks ago. It was awesome! We were so excited, we even went out after dinner one night to go sledding in the dark, just in case something changed and the snow was gone by morning. Thankfully it wasn't.

     Of course, this experience with snow gave us the reality check that we are very ill prepared for snow. Just like the rest of the South that was crippled with a couple of inches of white stuff, we had very little of the necessary items to handle going out in the snow.  We have 3 full sized surfboards taking up space in our garage, but when it comes to gloves or snow boots, we are significantly lacking. Nothing waterproof for long exposure to wet snow.

     Yet we have wonderful neighbors. And those wonderful neighbors are from up north where they get snow often. So shortly after breakfast, they came by bearing snow suits for both girls. Amazing! And I have to say that the pink snowsuit looks absolutely adorable when it completely enveloped her.

     And she loved the snow. She didn't even seem to care when her little fingers turned red and cold (don't worry, we cared), she just wanted to keep playing. So cute!

     I will say though, that changing a diaper when a baby is wearing a snowsuit is not an easy task. You pretty much have to take the suit completely off of them in order to access the diaper. I guess it's a good thing they don't make snow suits like that for older potty-training children or they might not make it to the bathroom in time.

Great Job, Mommy!

I don't know how many people remember doing this, but if you are a parent, I'm assuming that you at one time or another cheered as your child used the potty. It's pretty much a given. There was a while there where we cheered for our toddler every time she used the potty instead of her diaper, and sometimes she even got a treat.

     Yes, we were those parents. We offered pieces of chocolate coins, chocolate covered pomegranates, candy corns, pretty much whatever small sized sweet we had on hand. And she got a sweet and a big cheer from both of us every time she even so much as tinkled into the toilet. And all of that cheering lead to a rather comical result.

     Because to our toddler the cheering section was a routine part of the whole potty going process, she assumed that everyone got a treat and cheers when they used the toilet. She had no reason not to think that. So if she ever happened in on me or my husband using the bathroom, she would whoop and holler, "Great job, Mommy!" when we finished. And then would insist that we got a sweet for going potty. It was rather adorable... 

     Alas, those days are over. Now she uses the toilet so often that the treats have gone by the wayside, as have the cheering sections. Although I'm hoping that my little potty cheerleader will resurface when it's time to start cheering for her little sister.

So much for date night

Sorry everyone, I haven't been very good about posting lately and had to use some older topics to fill in. Primarily this was because of the stomach bug. Yes, we all came down with the stomach bug. At the same time. On Valentine's Day.

The calm before the storm

Ugh.

     And not to bore you (or rather gross you out) with all the nasty details, I can say that being sick to your stomach is awful. But there's worse - being sick to your stomach and also having to deal with nasty diapers of someone else who is also not feeling well. It's torture.

     Not to mention, it smells wretched. Thankfully my husband was feeling slightly better than I was, so he handled a lot of it for me. I owe him big time. Plus, when the smell got really unbearable, he had the thoughtfulness to light some scented candles. It didn't take long for the candles (with an actually burning flame) to diffuse the stench and make it so I didn't have to hold my breath around the house.

     Like I said, I owe him. And in fact, we both deserve a make-up Valentine's Date Night sometime soon.

It's Pink, and it Sings

I don't remember what my training potty looked like as a girl. That's probably because potty training happens in those years before you develop strong memories, so it's all a bit blurry when I think that far back. But despite not having memories of my first potty, I kinda expected that they hadn't changed much in roughly 30 years. I now know that is not the case.

     I didn't do an exhaustive search for a potty when the time came. She was about 18 months old, and as she had expressed some interest in the bathroom and what goes on in there, I figured it was time to set up a little potty that was her size. So out I went to Target. Sure, they had some selection, but I wasn't expecting that every single potty they offered had batteries and would make some sort of noise! I think one of them was programmable so it said your child's name. Huh.... not quite what I was thinking.

     So, now we are the proud owners of a pink and white princess potty. It doubles as a step stool when the lid is down, and yes, it makes noise. In fact, when any amount of liquid makes contact with the bowl of the potty, it plays a trumpet song and then cheers. It's positive and rewarding and not at all creepy. Ok, perhaps a little bit creepy. But that's just me - my daughter loves it and I often find that when she doesn't have to pee, she has flipped it over and found the button you can press to get the music and cheering to trigger without using the potty. Apparently whoever designed it knew that children would love it. Never mind the creeped out parents.

Thar she blows!

I realize that on a blog all about potty training and diaper fun, this title might be a little concerning. But in actuality, I'm going to talk about baths more than diapers in this post. And the title comes from a new toy that I think is genius.

     For Christmas, somebody got the girls a new submarine for the bathtub. Now I apologize, because in the fun that my girls (aka my toddler) have in opening gifts, I'm not entirely sure if this was from my MIL or the girls' great grandmother. Either one, THANK YOU! It is a somewhat simple looking toy. A submarine that sports a handle so the girls can play with it and submerge it all over the bathtub.

     It also has an amazing trick. Notice the long flat opening at the front? Yes, well what the packaging didn't mention is that this is the best toy ever for helping to wash hair. Since my daughters share the hatred of dipping their heads back in the water, or letting me pour cups full of water over their heads, this has really come in handy over the past few weeks.

     Where I used to have to coerce them into lying back and washing out the shampoo, now I just have to say, "close your eyes, here comes the submarine!" Then with the ease of the handle, I scoop out a good amount of water and pour it out the front. Because of the shape of the hole, the water covers their heads and does a great job of washing away the suds very quickly. The baby only needs one submarine full (she doesn't have a lot of hair yet), and my toddler gets 2 or 3 if she moves around too much. 

     Overall, it's more fun and easier to manage. So now when an impromptu bath is needed (with those fun diaper troubles), or even just playtime in the tub, Mommy is no longer the badguy. I'm just the submarine captain.

Choose your own adventure

The most successful trick I found for potty training was letting my child choose for herself. Over the summer, when we weren't going anywhere too often (other than the pool), and would mostly play in the backyard close to home, I would let her choose whether she wanted a diaper or panties. I was never one to let her roam bare bottomed around the backyard, although I've heard mixed results on that trick. Instead, every morning, I'd hold up a diaper and a pair of cotton panties, and would let her pick.

     In the beginning I think it was the novelty of cotton panties that won out. Then eventually it was the comfort, free feeling, and the fact that she was keeping them dry. Because boy did she hate when they got wet! Which was exactly my hope - by letting her have the power and freedom to make the choice, coupled with her desire to stay dry, she was potty training herself and happy about it. Yay!

     It was a long process, but because it was relatively passive, I didn't notice the time going by. It wasn't until she started preschool and the booklet said, "please keep your child in a diaper until they have gone 3 days without an accident." Because I couldn't remember if we'd had an accident or not, I put her in a diaper that first day. But when I went to pick her up and her diaper was dry, and her teachers were applauding her initiative of going to the bathroom, I switched her to panties again. 

     For a couple of days I still gave her the choice, but eventually I stopped offering a diaper and just offered panties instead. By then she didn't notice and happily puts on panties every morning. It was about the only thing that I can say I've done successfully when it comes to potty training. And unfortunately I haven't yet figured out the secret to my success in order to duplicate it on other matters. Maybe someday.

Watch out for the Juice

One of the most tightly held secrets of parenting is the excruciating length that potty training takes. I don't know why, but I was under the distinct impression that potty training was a few months at the most. And for the parents out there who had toddlers go from zero to potty trained in a day or a week, I'm horribly jealous. In my experience, most potty training experiences last more on the order of a year or more. That's an ENTIRE YEAR of spending numerous hours sitting on the floor of the bathroom encouraging your child to poo or pee, and even more time spent staring into toilet bowls.

     It's amazing. I really can't believe how in the dark I was about all of it. Even with a girl who expressed interest in the potty around a year and a half. I was convinced that I'd have a precocious 2 year old who was completely potty trained. Unfortunately that was not the case.  We had ups and downs, and by the time she was 26 months, I decided to try the intensive potty training day that some had suggested.

     For those considering this attempt, I will give you a word of warning. Watch out for the juice. The way I approached it, we hunkered down at the house with cartoons and juice boxes with a plan to stay home and sit on the potty every 15 minutes. I let her drink as much juice as she wanted - this was a big deal as she normally gets a juice - water mixture that is about 30% juice to 70% water. So having unlimited access to the real stuff was a big treat.

     Unfortunately it was also a big shock to her system. She was not used to having that much concentrated sugar, so by 11am all of those juice boxes had given her the runs. So much for our potty training day...

Food in, Food out

It never fails - just as we sit down for a meal, somebody has to use the bathroom or needs a new diaper. And this seems especially true for dinnertime.

     Recently we went out to dinner at a local pizza place that we love - the Mellow Mushroom. We've discovered that this is an amazing restaurant for children. Well, for us too. But for kids there are so many things to look at (colorful walls, things hanging from the ceiling, pizza makers in full view, televisions, etc) plus it is a bit on the loud side, so any screeches a baby or toddler can make only really affect the people in the table immediately adjacent to you. So in all, it's a pretty kid friendly place. And it serves beer, so us parents enjoy the experience as well.

     So on this occasion we had just been seated at our table when my toddler stated loudly that she had to use the bathroom. Off we went. After a successful trip to the potty, we returned to the table. Of course, it seemed that every few minutes throughout the entire meal, she wanted to make another trip to the bathroom. I think we must have taken her at least 5 times in the 60 minutes we were there. Oh how I love toddler bladders and their seemingly endless capacity (or lack thereof depending on how you look at it).

     And not to be left out, the baby also decided that it was a good time to fill her diaper. Only once mind you, but it added an extra trip into all the fun we were already doing, wearing a path from our table to the restrooms. I guess there's just no sitting down for a parent, even when you are at a restaurant. Oh well, at least there weren't any accidents and everyone had a fun time. Just next time I'll try to limit how much my toddler drinks before we leave the house.

Play-uh-oh

My baby is at that age. The age where absolutely everything, without discrimination, goes into the mouth. I know it's a phase that she'll grow out of, but this time around it's a much trickier situation to handle. With an older sister who is 3, there are definitely small parts around. Toys come with so many pieces these days, it's not easy to keep track of them all and make sure they stay above where the baby can reach them.

     Also, my baby is a sneaky one. Yes, I've found her crawling through the kitchen, over to the cabinets, where she leans down, and reaches under the cabinet to get at whatever is under there that I don't clean. No, I'm sorry; I'm a delinquent mother who doesn't scrub underneath my cabinets. My baby has found me out.

     Now for the most part, we do ok. My toddler is rather possessive, which usually is frustrating, but for this works well. She screams and grabs anytime the baby tries to go for anything that she has deemed her own. So for those situations where I'm not watching as close as I should, or the baby is just faster than any of us expect her to be (this is all the time), my toddler is the 2nd round of defense. And not much gets past a toddler.

     Except for play-doh. How is it that a fresh tub of play-doh plus all the rollers and cutters and squeezers to keep it all in one place and highly entertaining, can still fail? I am the play-doh nazi and I try to pick up every tiny speck of it before the baby can find it, but I still fail. Yes, I have found hot pink play-doh in my baby's diaper... oh well, at least she isn't Gluten-Free. And afterall, if they didn't expect kids to eat it, why do the mention on the packaging that it contains wheat?

Up, Up, and Away

Baby got to fly the Dreamliner

Since we live in Huntsville, AL and the majority of our family is split between Oregon and Southern California, my girls are seasoned travelers already. My toddler took her first flight at about 5 months old, and my baby flew to California this past Halloween, around 6 months old.

     I've flown with all 3 of us, all 4 of us, and just my toddler and I (when she was all ages), so I have seen quite a few scenarios on airplanes. Here are a few tips from me to anyone traveling with a baby or child...

     All ages are different. Some babies will sleep through the whole plane ride, while others will want to watch what's going on and will fall asleep on landing (yes, this has happened to me). So, bring toys, books, magnetic doodle boards are a hit, and for our toddler the ipad is a saving grace.

     For babies, it's easiest to put them in footie pajamas or something equally as easy to take on and off while also keeping them warm. It's tough to predict whether you'll have a warm flight or a cold one, so it's safer to assume for cold. Also, airports and airplanes aren't exactly the cleanest places, so bare feet is not recommended, even for those not walking yet.

     I take a million diapers with me. My logic is that I pack enough for the unlikely (and unwanted) event that we're stuck somewhere overnight. Usually that means 10 - 12 diapers somewhere in our carry-on and an equal amount of wipes. Thankfully I've never needed them, but the peace of mind just knowing we have them is priceless.

Yes, this is how we fly

     Change diapers on layovers and prior to boarding when possible. When you're stuck on an airplane, changing a diaper can be very tricky in those tight bathrooms (even the newer ones that have fold down changing tables). I've even taken my little changing pad and done a diaper and clothing change on the floor of the galley where the flight attendants hang out merely for space reasons. Thankfully they didn't care too much.

     Pack plastic bags. You know the ones - you get 15 of them at the grocery store when you go buy 5 items? Those. Stick them away in the diaper bag for times when you need to dispose of a stinky diaper and there isn't a trashcan nearby, or when you have wet soiled clothes that you don't want touching anything else you're carrying. In fact, I try to stow a couple of these permanently in the diaper bag in case the same situation comes up around town. It's really helpful.

My seasoned travelers on an airport train

     Take a blanket or 2. One for wrapping the little one or cushioning a head that wants to nap in an airplane seat, and another to lay on the floor of the airport for the roller/crawler/baby that you're tired of holding onto in a seat. By having 2, you don't have to think about where the 2nd one has been before you wrap your child in it. And I'm not even a germ-a-phobe...

     Baby food and sippy cups and bottles of milk are NOT restricted through security. Bring them, and bring them full. You will probably have to separate them from your carry-on and perhaps open them for inspection, but

     That's all I can think of now, but I'll update everyone if I remember some other key travel tip. I know it can be stressful planning for a plane ride, and feeling prepared is huge. Oh, and ask the flight attendants for help - unlike the TSA officials, they are more than happy to hold your baby and to lend and extra set of hands. Good luck!