#LoveLoveLove

#LoveLoveLove

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Vacation, Baby! ( or Vacation..... Baby??!)

Apparently Brian and I are brave people (or incredibly dumb, we're not really sure).  For our two year wedding anniversary, I decided to tag along on one of Brian's work trips to Ft. Lauderdale and we added a weekend in Boca Raton on for fun.  We debated who should be brought along and in the end, we decided to bring Cameron and leave Mowgli with a good friend who also has a Westie.  Over the last few days, I've remembered some old lessons and learned a few new ones.  Here they are, in no particular order:

  • If you're not stressed, your baby won't be either.
Because Brian was traveling for work, Cameron and I flew down to Florida on our own.  Everyone has a horror story about babies on airplanes.  Deafening cries. Exploding diapers. Evil looks from other passengers, who you feel are judging your every parenting move.  I decided to approach this adventure with a level head.  You can only do what you can do, so I would prepare for and handle situations as they arose.  My mom drove us to the airport, helped us get checked in and stayed for moral support until I made it through security, which was the most difficult part of the journey.  Put purse and diaper bag in bin. Display liquids.  Take off flip flops. Remove baby from carseat.  Remove carseat from stroller. Collapse stroller.  Hoist carseat and stroller onto conveyor belt while holding baby. Walk yourself and baby through metal detector (THANK GOD we were saved from a pat down.  I endured that coming home from Seattle when I was in my second trimester.... not fun.)  Now, put everything back together without angering the people behind you.  Luckily, a lovely TSA officer assisted with this process and we made it through without incident.  Cameron must have sensed my relief because he promptly and obligingly pooped before we boarded the plane.  My sweet boy slept through take off and landing, only waking to suckle down a bottle and play with our seat mates.
  • Wear sunscreen!
One of my favorite things about summer is the first time my cheeks get sunburned.  The summer glow is better than any makeup.  That being said, I really don't want to get skin cancer or have damaged, wrinkly skin in the 30s. So, wear a moisturizer that has sunblock in it (50+ SPF) and apply sunblock liberally when you laze about the beach.  If you want a great glow, get to MAC and try their shimmer powder in Golden Bronze. You won't be dissapointed!
  • Some people do mean well... so just smile, nod and move on.
It took me awhile to pick out an outfit to wear to our anniversary dinner.  I settled on a sequiny tee from JCrew and a ruffle skirt from BR with a pair of great wedges I found in Chicago last year.  While we were waiting for our transportation, a gaggle of overdone, old ladies (self-admitted grandmothers) stopped to coo over Cameron.  Then, one of them said "And you're pregnant again, huh?  You two lovebirds aren't wasting time."  At this point, it would have been wise to smile, nod and move on.  But I didn't. When I indicated that I was still working off my baby weight, crazy old lady #1 asked me if I was breastfeeding.  I said no (I can't because of all the heart medication) and then, crazy old lady #2 gave me a lecture about how breastfeeding was healthy for me and my baby and I must find a way to make it happen.  I explained I was on medication.  "Then pump and dump until you aren't!!" they proclaimed.  Crazy old lady #3 chimed in and said "We're grandmas, we KNOW."  Finally the shuttle arrived to save us, but by this time, I was very crabby.  I do have more of a belly than I'd like, but until I go through cardiac rehab, I can't workout.  And seriously, who looks at a two month old baby and then remarks about your chubby belly?!!  B) - I don't appreciate being lectured by some stranger about how I'm raising my child.  Everyone has their own situation and you never know what someone is handling.  So - some people mean well. Just smile, nod and move on.
  • Time flies when you're having fun.
I cannot believe Brian and I have already been married for two years!  It seems like we just planned our wedding, enjoyed our wedding and found out we were pregnant.  During this next year, I am really going to try to pause and appreciate the great moments we have together. It's so easy to get caught up in the minutia and then you blink and two years have passed!


"I don't get many things right the first time
In fact, I am told that a lot
Now I know all the wrong turns, the stumbles and falls
Brought me here

And where was I before the day
That I first saw your lovely face?
Now I see it everyday
And I know

That I am
I am
I am
The luckiest" - Ben Folds

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