The Mom Crowd

Parents have trained their baby to give the “evil eye.”

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1. Lots of Diapers

I packed diapers in every bag that we brought. Knowing that I had a lot of diapers saved me a lot of stress from worrying that I didn’t have enough or I would run out.

2. Huggies Travel Wipes

I LOVED these packets of wipes. They had them at my grocery store on sale at 5 for $5 right before I left. The plastic closing keeps your wipes dry at all times. These wipes are easy to get out in a hurry and are very durable. I used them for diaper changing, wiping off toys that fell on the ground, and for my hands. After the bag was empty, Ace loved to make crunching sounds with the bag and chew on it.

3. My Nursing Cover

I used my nursing cover everywhere I went. I practiced using my cover a lot before I left, so I would be comfortable breastfeeding in public. I also used my nursing cover as a blanket over the bassinet on the plane to keep the light away. It was light enough that she could still get air and still block light at the same time. One time Ace spit up all over herself and me and I had no wipes or blankets with me. I used the corner of my cover to clean it up. Next time I am going to bring two, so I can use one while I am washing the other.

4. Graco SnugRider Infant Car Seat Stroller Frame

We used the stroller frame to carry our luggage and car seat through the airport. It was easier to carry Ace, than to carry our luggage. The stroller was our ticket to board flights early and get through special security lines. We never used the stroller at our destination, but it was certainly helpful in three different airports.

5. Baby Bjorn

My husband and I could both use the Baby Bjorn, because it is manly enough for him to use. As soon as Ace was big enough to use the carrier, we got her used to being in one, knowing that it would be handy on this trip. It is fast and easy to put on. I love my Moby Wrap, but it was too hot to use in a hot and humid climate. The Baby Bjorn was a lot cooler. We used the carrier on a boat, at our destination, and through the airport.

6. Favorite Toy

Trina commented on a previous post to bring a favorite toy along. I am so glad I listened! “Fishy” was a lifesaver when Ace’s ears were popping on descents and when the plane was just sitting on the tarmac. Anytime she saw “Fishy” to bring her a kiss, she immediately smiled.

7. Huggies Disposable Washcloths

I brought a few samples of Huggies Disposable Washcloths to bath Ace whenever I needed. I could have brought a washcloth and soap, but for this trip is was convenient to have an all-in-one that I could throw away. I bathed Ace at the Hong Kong airport and in the sink in the hotel. They worked great.

One of my favorite things about Christmas is receiving Christmas cards. As Christmas cards arrive in the mail, I place them all in a basket at the end of my bar in my kitchen. I love walking in there and looking through them and remembering that this is a very special time for friends and families to connect through Christmas cards. I wanted to share with you an idea I had this year for displaying our Christmas cards. I was recently given a digital photo frame as an early Christmas present and I scanned all of our Christmas cards we’ve received this year and downloaded them to the photo frame. Now, in our living room all of our Christmas cards are rotating on our photo frame. I will probably keep them going for a couple weeks. I also added some pictures of our family from past Christmas’.

I hope you and your family have a very Merry Christmas!

Do you have any other creative ways to display your Christmas cards?

My head is still in a fog. I didn’t expect to be hit by jet lag this hard. The Philippines is 14 hours ahead my normal time zone. Yesterday morning after playing with Ace at 3:00 am, my husband and I got up and watched a movie. We were up. Ace adjusted to Philippines time without a problem. We had two long layovers and traveled for a total of 40 hours. I think she was exhausted when we got to the hotel.

She slept a lot better on the plane on the way back, but now that we are home it is hard to get her back on her old schedule. Tonight we are driving 4 hours to visit family for the next three days. Maybe the traveling with our jet lagged baby will help her get adjusted again.

I tried to keep her up yesterday by leaving the house and going shopping and I put her down at her normal bedtime, but she would keep waking up every few hours. Then at one point, I let her stay up to wear herself out. Then at the next waking we laid her in bed with us. That didn’t work. Finally at 2 a.m. we were exhausted, so we put her in her crib and shut the door. I don’t know how long she cried, we fell asleep. Then I woke her up at 9:40 this morning when we got up. Maybe a controlled wake up time will work. I don’t know. She is now sleeping again.

I know she will figure it out soon. Hopefully, really soon!

Thanks to Dawn, McKenna’s friend, Kristi and Sara for sharing their insight and stories with us while I was away and McKenna was working on finals. Also, Amelia did a great post on disposable diapers which is worth the read if you haven’t read it. Amelia, thanks for your great posts!

A big thanks to you who have made your Amazon purchases through our site. We appreciate the support!

Christmas is just around the corner. Enjoy your time with the family and kids. I know I am looking forward to seeing more of Daniel the next few days.

I wanted to clue all of you in on a secret. The Mom Crowd is working on a big project that will debut at the beginning of February. Of course, we will have all our great content between now and then, but something extra special is coming soon. Stay tuned!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Amanda

We love reading books at our house. Both my husband and I enjoy reading and have tried to pass our love for books to our kids. My mother read to me a lot when I was a child and as soon as I learned how to read I enjoyed picking out books from the library and getting them as gifts. When the boys were as little as 4 months old we started reading to them at bedtimes. It is part of our daily routine now and we even have started reading books during breakfast and lunch together. The boys like to pick out one or two books to read while they eat. Sometimes it is a little tricky as I try to nurse the baby, eat my own lunch, and read a book to them. I try to multi-task but sometimes I wish I had an extra hand! I digress…

We have collected quite a few books for the kids but there are a few that get re-read over and over again.

Some of the first books we loved are by Sandra Boynton. She seems to be inside the mind of children and writes great stories that are short, sweet, and funny. I always enjoy reading Pajama Time because the rhymes and silliness are fun every time. Pajama Time, The Going to Bed Book, Snuggle Puppy, Dinosaurs Binkit, Snoozers, Hippos Go Beserk, But Not the Hippopotamus, and Wake Up are our favorites. One of the great things about Boynton books is that they are board books which makes them great for reading to children under 1 who like to chew and mouth books. 2,3, and even 4 year olds enjoy the story and looking at the pictures.

We have recently discovered the tales of Skippyjon Jones. These books are about a Siamese Kitty Cat who likes to pretend he is a Chihuahua. His ears are too big for his head and his head is too big for his body. In Skippyjon’s mind, THAT is what makes him a chihuahua. When he is pretending to be a chihuahua he takes on the name Skipito. He has a fabulous imagination and goes on many adventures. These books are fun to read to your kids as the sentences are silly and fun to listen to. The books also come with CD’s of the author reading the book outloud. The author includes little “songs” into the books as well. Here is an exerpt from Skippyjon Jones in the Doghouse:

“Oh my name is Skippito Friskito.

And I heard from a leetle birdito

That the doggies have fled

From the gobbling head

Who goes by the name Bobble-ito!”

My boys are 3 and 4 and they both love these books.

Dinosaurumpus! is also a new discovered favorite. “Shake, Shake Shudder through the sludgy old swamp, the dinosaurs are coming get ready to romp.” A bunch of different dinosaurs meet in the jungle to have a big fun dance together. Not only does this book teach you some of the different names of dinosaurs it also is a fun book to read. The pictures are full of color and fun to look at while you read the book.

I know the list could go on and on but I thought you could add some of your favorite books you like to read to your kids! What are your favorites?