Traveling with a 7 month old

Preparation

• make 17 different lists of what to do and what to pack, organized by bag of course
• find suitcase
• pump stroller tires
• fix straps on car seat
• clean high chair
• load phone with running app
• debate whether using cloth diapers will work or not while staying in other's homes

What We Should Have Done to Prepare

• check the weather, check the weather, check the weather!

First, let me say, our trip was great! There was a bit of drama being pulled in a few different directions and some sulking from Grandparents about not getting enough time in with the little dude, but overall, great! I need to write a follow up post about how transformative our experience was for both Rowan and I but, before I even get into that, I thought I would just blog about what we packed and how it all panned out.

What I Packed vs What We Used 

DIAPER BAG

Packed/ Actually Used 

4/4 cloth diapers

1/1 change pad

1/0 squirt bottle

1/1 ring sling

1/1 moby wrap

3/3 toys

1/1 blanket

1/0 toiletry bag

BACKPACK/CARRY ON

1/1 Trail mix

1/0 Nalgene

1/0 Camera

1/0 Homemade vicks balm

1/0 Stroller tire pump

1/0 Medicine (tylenol, gravol, etc.)

1/1 Basic Makeup (eye pencil, mascara)

1/1 Phone

1/1 Nalgene

1/0 Phone Charger

1/0 Headphones

1/0 Extra Soothers

1/0 Book to read (ha!)

SUITCASE

1/1 high chair

1/0 car seat base

1/1 toiletries

1/1 hair brush

1/1 pjs

1/1 undies

1/1 running gear

1/1 plastic bag for dirty clothes

1/1 coat

1/1 sweater

1/1 socks

1/1 bras (nursing and not)

1/1 travel outfit

1/1 going out, outfit

20/20 cloth diapers

10/40 package of 40 disposable diapers

1/1 package of disposable wipes

10/ 0 cloth wipes

1/1 baby shoes

7/7 baby outfits

OTHER

1/0 Rowan's birth certificate (just in case at the airport)

1/1 my ID 

3/3 gifts for friends and family

1/1 purse and wallet

1/1 playpen

1/1 stroller

1/1 car seat

So it turns out, as much as I thought I had a great plan for our carry on/ diaper bag, it didn't really work. I had separated baby items from Mama items which was just too much to juggle. On the flight home I switched it up and focused on one bag full of both of our go-to items. I used the backpack rather than my lugz because the lugz is more horizontal and wasn't as easy to access items and the backpack fit under the plane seat/in between my legs much better.

This was our baby friendly plane set-up. Tray for banging, lion attached to string attached to tray clasp for batting at, sophie for dropping beside our neighbour so she'd pick it up for us a million times.

We ended up repacking our suitcase quite a few times. Oh, and I was very glad we went with cloth diapers, more on that in a future post. Traveling by myself with Rowan meant I didn't have time to be as organized as I usually am. Sharing a room meant unpacking or even getting my pjs ready before bed was a rushed and chaotic experience as Rowan's needs to be put to bed was much more important than finding my toothbrush or a clean pair of underwear.  In the end, it was a lot of work to coordinate by myself, and it would've been much easier with Matt, my very supportive partner, but it was more than worth it. Now for my advice for flying with a baby:

WORDS OF WISDOM 

• ask for help: whether it be a stranger, the flight attendants or the people who are dropping you off and picking you up from the airport, ask them to help you. If you're traveling by yourself with your baby, this is key! We didn't have help with our baggage when we arrived in Toronto and it was a mission to push the stroller and the trolley with all the luggage on it at the same time. Luckily an airport attendee eventually helped me get out to the pick-up location. 
• make friends with your neighbour: our flight there we were beside two amazing and lovely women from St. John's, Newfoundland and on the way back another awesome lady, not sure where she was from but she played with Rowan and it was awesome
• sit near the front of the plane: Getting off of the plane is going to be your number one priority so that you don't rip your hair out or start crying in frustration and exhaustion in front of a plane full of people. Spend the money and book your seat in advance if you can. If not, ask the attendant at the counter if there's anyway to move closer.
• don't feel guilty or bad: I know it's hard, but you are flying with a baby, 'nough said! If he cries, if he flails, if he spills his bits and bites, it's ok. People will understand if he's getting in their space and if they don't, they're a jerk. 

LAWRENCETOWN BEACH - phone pics

My second visit to Lawrencetown beach was just as good as the first.

Nova Scotia is an amazing province and I'm so happy to call it home.

Love, Mama

CRAWLING

Last night, this happened. We're in trouble.


Love, Mama

F*ck It! Let's Adopt

This could be our new puppy! I've been following a local animal rescue group called Cool Dog Rescue on facebook for a few months now. They rescue dogs from kill shelters in Quebec and one of the dogs  was pregnant! This girl had some fun with a husky, a lab, a shepherd and a springer spaniel and popped out 8 puppies. This little girl is one of the springer spaniel mixs.

When I saw the puppies I squealed (how could you not!). Then I wanted to show Matt because they were cute. I always show him the dogs I'd love to adopt and secretly hope he'll go for it. At first he refused to look at the pictures knowing he would probably cave. But I weaseled my way in and got him to check them out. Then I said PUPPY PUPPY PUPPY over and over. Then we actually talked it out. Finally, a day or so later, after checking in with me to make sure I could raise and train a puppy on top of everything else in life, he agreed. I did a happy dance and made squeals of my own and screamed that it was better than Christmas! I was so excited. So we applied to adopt her and we're waiting on her foster mom to decide. We'll be over the moon if we get her, if not, then it wasn't meant to be and hopefully her forever home is just as great or better than what we could give her.

Now, you might think I'm crazy, adopting a puppy which is almost like having another baby. Well fuck that shit. Life is so short. I feel like I'm in a good place now with Rowan. He is getting so independent and growing so fast that taking on this responsibility just feels normal, it doesn't feel like a burden. I would never agree to bring a dog into a situation that was unstable. It's not fair to everyone involved. Now that we're no longer treading water or struggling to get through our days, I feel totally confident in what I would need to do to raise a puppy.

Other than puppies and dogs being so awesome, I'm extra excited because Rowan LOVES dogs. He is so in love with Basil and makes the happiest sounds when he sees him. He cranes his neck to get a better look at Basil wherever he may be. I think it's going to be amazing for Rowan to have a dog grow up with him and it's so strange and wonderful that this is a decision I made based on our family. not a selfish want to have a puppy. Personally, I'm looking forward to working with the puppy and Basil to train them both. Basil is a good dog, great with people but he lacks some obedience. Well he is not a social dog, he LOVES people. Now that we're in Halifax, I'd like to get him out of his shell and socialize him. This is a great dog city, sometimes, at least, outdoors, so it's time for Basil to participate too! The puppy is a good excuse to work on these issues. I also want to train the dog when she's old enough to run with me. I'd love to have a running buddy and it'd be great exercise for her too which is something we had to consider, living in the cooperative.

Having a puppy will help teach Rowan responsibility and how to care for another living thing. I know he's smart, but he's not dumb, they take in so much from Day 1, so it's a win win all around! Hopefully you'll be seeing adorable puppy photos soon. Fingers and toes are crossed.

Love, Mama

Handmade Moby Wrap

I made that! I'm pretty proud of it. It's cotton jersey so it's light and soft. It felt a lot cooler than when I wear the black moby that I bought from ecomom.com (and got screwed with customs charges...GRR!). This one ties at my back, but next time I'm going to increase the yardage so that I can tie it in the front. It's a winder panel than your average moby which is nice because I can pull the fabric over his feet much faster and easier without worrying if I'm pulling the front panel off of his shoulders.

I was inspired by the latest East Coast Mama Collective (which Love & Anchor is a proud member of) Spring Fair and have so many ideas pinging around in my brain. This was the first one I followed through with. I'm hoping to make more and sell them to other Mamas and Papa's looking for a baby carrier that uses more modern prints or patterns for either parent and comes at a more reasonable price. I'm just looking to cover the cost of the material and my time to put it together. They range from $40-$50 depending on material choice. If you're interested send me an email
stephanie.v.hayes (at) gmail.com

*update* I can also add a panel to make it more fun and interesting

Here are a few colour boards I put together.

Email me if you're interested! stephanie.v.hayes (at) gmail.com


Love, Mama