It's a Snap! (N Go)

Alright everyone...we're doing it!  

Abby and I are hard at work preparing for the first of three cross-country trips in the next six weeks.  Yesterday we kicked off our travel prep by making a purchase that we're both very excited about...

We decided the BOB was too heavy and awkward for travel (and we wouldn't want it to get destroyed by the airlines) so we took our 20% off coupon to Babies'r'Us and bought the Snap'N'Go.  I still can't believe how lightweight it is!  

Mommy just assembled it in the kitchen...

While Abby slept in the living room...she's obviously extremely proud of Mommy.

We're officially one step closer to feeling prepared...wish us luck!!!

Thank you ALL for your advice over at Seeking Advice: Flying with a 3 Month Old - I look forward to having some pointers of my own upon our return.

Decoding the Cry of the Baby: The "Burp-Me" Cry

The Burp-Me Cry

This one can be confused easily with the That-Hurt cry because of its shrilling nature.

You can, however, decipher between the two because typically, the Burp-Me cry happens relatively soon after a feeding.   That being said, some stubborn bubbles lurk in the depths of her body and rise with a vengeance hours later...that can be a little confusing for me, a little frustrating for others (why won't that baby stop crying!?!), and very uncomfortable for Abigail. 

Luckily, once the gas bubble has left her body, all is right with the world again and Abigail's back to her smiling ways. 

Read more about Decoding the Cry of the Baby:

The Overview

The That-Hurt Cry

The Burp-Me Cry

The Panda Report: 3 Months

It's hard to believe she's already 3 months old...

And it's even harder to believe that since I posted A "First" We Could Get Used To, Abigail has continued to sleep through the night.  Last night was her longest stretch - she was asleep peacefully in her bassinet from 10:00pm until 7:00am.   It was amazing.  And while we're still not expecting it to last or happen every night, we're definitely appreciating each and every full night of sleep we get!

In other Abby news, she's getting stronger, more talkative, and more aware of her surroundings every single day...oh, and she's still growing like a little weed. 

Think she's getting bigger???

One more thing...last night while I was changing from my casual clothes to my even more casual clothes, I put Abby on our bed and set Panda on top of her...I'm pretty sure she was trying to devour Panda...

Take a look back at previous Panda Reports:

The Panda Report: 2 Months

The Panda Report: 1 Month

Abby (the Panda) on ETSY!

The Panda Report: 3 Weeks

The Panda Report: 1 Week

The Panda Report: Birthday

The Panda Report

Decoding the Cry of the Baby: The "That-Hurt" Cry

The That-Hurt Cry

I hate this cry because it typically means that either I've hurt her or she's hurt herself...and it always seems to involve her crazy fingernails that grow like weeds.

I'm not ashamed to admit I've trimmed her finger instead of her fingernail (what!?! Her nails are as thin as paper and feel the same as skin...not to mention they're tiny).  This little accident (which I am a little ashamed to admit has happened more than once but less than five times) results in the that-hurt cry. 

Believe it or not, it's a cry that has ZERO buildup.  It starts at the loudest possible point (or so you think) and then progressively gets MUCH louder, MUCH more dramatic, and it's even accompanied by tears. 

This is the saddest cry of all...but like some of the others, it's a quick fix.  The that-hurt cry just needs LOVE. Quickly. Oh, and lots of it. It passes just as quickly as it began, but it has been known to break hearts (and make Moms and Dads everywhere feel like they're the worst parents on earth).

I just hope Abigail doesn't hold the finger incident(s) against me, though something tells me her Dad will never let her...or me...forget.

Here's a look at the that-hurt cry...

Read more about Decoding the Cry of the Baby:

The Overview

The That-Hurt Cry
The Burp-Me Cry

Decoding the Cry of the Baby: The Overview

Is she hungry or does she just have a huge load in her diaper?  

Did I just trim her finger instead of her fingernail (again...damn it) or does she have a gas bubble?

Does she want to be picked up or is she just too tired to fall asleep?

Those are just a few of the stimulating questions I've pondered since becoming a Mommy.  And while it may not sound like rocket science, it surely feels like it when you have a baby with a completely devastated look on her face (not to mention a shrieking sound coming from the depths of her soul).

If only this photo had a sound bite...Abigail...8 Days Old

I must admit that in the first few weeks I couldn't tell a difference...a cry was a cry and there wasn't much more to it.  In new-sleep-deprived-Mommy-mode, all you can really do is start with the necessities of life..feed her, burp her, love her, check her diaper, swaddle her, sing to her, and then pray for her to stop (trust me, I considered that a necessity of life on some days). 

But after nearly 3 months of 24-7 mommy/daughter time, I feel like I finally have a good understanding of all her cries...I think I've finally decoded the cry of the baby...here's a quick breakdown of all the cries I've decoded and over the next week or so, I'll go into a little more depth with each one (otherwise, this would be the longest single post I've ever written). 

THE STANDARD CRIES

The That-Hurt Cry

The Feed-Me Cry 

The Burp-Me Cry 

The Tired-But-Don't-Know-How-to-Fall-Asleep Cry

The Where-Did-You-Go? Cry

THE "EXTRA" CRIES

The Newborn Cry

The Stop-Dressing-Me-Up-Like-I'm-a-Doll Cry

The Pay-Attention-to-Me Cry

The Hand-Me-Back-to-Mom Cry

The Pick-Me-Up Cry 

THE IMPENDING CRIES

The I'm-Sick Cry

I'd love to hear your thoughts/experiences with decoding baby cries...and what other cries will we have to "look forward to?"

 

Read more about Decoding the Cry of the Baby:

The Overview

The That-Hurt Cry
The Burp-Me Cry

Seeking Advice: Flying with a 3 Month Old

Friends, Family & Followers:

In the next 2 months, I/we will be flying with little Miss Abigail 3 times.  And I'm not talking a quick 1 hour flight down to LA...I'm talking cross country trips.

In less than 2 weeks, we'll be on our way to Washington DC (YAY for Alice's Wedding!!!)...the following week, we'll be off to Atlanta to visit Abigail's Aunt and Uncle...and then less than a month after that, we'll be heading back to Atlanta for another summer vacation...

That being said, I need HELP!

I have so many questions about flying with a baby...we can't pack her up like we did for our first family road trip*...

And while I've perfected the cross-town trip to see KiKi (stroller for a walk on the pavement...baby bjorn for the walk in the woods...excessive amounts of laundry so we don't have to use quarters at our apartment...diaper bag...etc), I'm a little nervous about the cross-country flight.

My questions:

- What is absolutely essential (beyond clothes, diapers and wipes)?

- Would it be a terrible idea to leave our stroller behind or will our baby bjorn suffice?

- Do we check the car seat and carry her on? 

- What other general tips/suggestions do you have from your experiences?

These may be terribly dumb questions that even I will look back on and say "really!?! You couldn't figure it out on your own?" but I have this feeling I'm not the only person who will benefit from some advice.

Thanks in advance!

Oh, and like my post on Stretch Marks, I promise to summarize all your tips in a (hopefully) helpful future post.  Who knows, maybe I'll even have a few tips of my own after all these trips! 

*remember...that was a joke for anyone out there who takes things too literally...

Why is the Easter Bunny so HUGE?

When I was a little girl, I wrote a note to the Easter Bunny saying something along these  lines:

Mr. Easter Bunny...please don't come into my room tonight.  If you could just leave my Easter basket somewhere else in the house, that would be great. 

I posted it on my bedroom window so the Easter Bunny could read it as he hopped down the street and approached our house.

I'm not gonna lie...I was PETRIFIED of the Easter Bunny.  But not petrified enough to turn down his candy.

Yesterday I was reminded why I found the Easter Bunny so scary when we walked into a mall and saw this guy sitting there...

And even though he may have been a little frightening (at least to me), Abigail sat there like the three month old champ she is and stared off to the side while the not-so-friendly camera lady took her picture. 

I'd call this a success. 

I have a feeling this will be the first of many pictures with the Easter Bunny and the rest of the crew (you know, Santa and the others).  

So I'm curious...were you ever afraid of the Easter Bunny, Santa or anyone else?  Are/were your kids? 

"WombTube" - Pregnancy & Social Media

As a Mommy blogger who documented her pregnancy, I found this discussion on the Today Show very interesting...

The YouTube Pregnancy: Taking TMI to a New Level

While I've experienced overwhelming support from most of my friends and family (and blogger friends I've made along the way), I've also heard (in more indirect ways) that some people feel I share too much. 

I could get into how I really feel about all this, but for now I'll just say that a picture is worth a thousand words...

Plus, if you have a problem with Mommy bloggers and women sharing too much, you're probably in the wrong place right now...

Happy Friday, everyone!

A "First" We Could Get Used To

I'm not sure if I'd call it a First for Abby or a First for Mommy and Daddy, but we all enjoyed our First FULL night of sleep last night.  

And I'm not talking a solid 5 hour block...

At nearly 12 weeks old, Abigail slept from 10:00pm until 6:00am last night.  That would be EIGHT hours...and not weird hours like the time she slept from 7:00pm until 3:00am (which was a miracle at the time).  

Eight "normal" hours...the hours Mommy and Daddy enjoy sleeping during as well.  And since we most definitely were sleeping while she was last night, this is what I'm assuming she looked like in her bassinet...

And while I don't want to speak too soon or begin expecting this to be the norm from here on out, it's nice to see a light at the end of this sleep deprived tunnel.  

And just like her First Smile, we hope this First becomes an extremely regular occurrence we ALL get to enjoy!

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

Mommy Challenge #5: Being a (Super)Woman

Yesterday morning I was watching my favorite guilty pleasure, the fourth hour of the Today show with Kathie Lee and Hoda, and a very interesting topic came up...Mommy Guilt.  According to a poll on Baby Center, "94 percent of moms say they feel guilty."

Let me repeat that...94% of Moms say they feel guilty.  The causes of that guilt?  Anything from not breastfeeding for 6 months to a year (or at all) to going back to work (or not).

So out of curiosity, how are we as women supposed to...

::Breastfeed for 6 months to a year

::While going back to work (hoping your milk won't dry up)

::Or not going back to work (and all the guilt that could be associated with that)

::While making sure your household is maintained

::The grocery shopping is done

::Your marriage/relationship is still fresh and exciting

::You're keeping up with Thank You's, Baby Announcements and other friend's life events

::Your social life doesn't die (completely)

::And oh ya...that baby weight?  That's supposed to melt away too...

As the article states, "Guilt is the great equalizer among all moms, regardless of how diverse our backgrounds or circumstances are."  True statement.

So how do we, as women and as Moms, help each other out?  Set realistic expectations? Realize that balance in life means something different to each and every person?  That we can't do everything? And that that's okay...

I'm not afraid to admit that I've been experiencing some of these guilty feelings and I'm still on Maternity leave!!! 

Abigail is only 10 weeks old and I find myself thinking far too much about working vs. not working...wanting to breastfeed as long as possible but being afraid that going back to work will be the end of it...wanting to be around as much as possible to help Abigail develop and still have something that's "my own"...

All these conflicting feelings and thoughts have been making me feel like a crazy woman lately.  Why do we put so much pressure on ourselves to be superwomen?  To be perfect? To do everything?  

I think what we (ok, what I) need to work on is figuring out what works best for us...as individuals...being confident in our decisions...being realistic that we can't do everything...being okay with plans changing...and quite simply, being the best Moms we can be.  I think I can handle that much...

So what do you think?  Have you experienced similar feelings/dilemmas? 

Take Your Daughter to Work Day

OK, so she may be a little young for an official Take Your Daughter to Work Day, but Abigail and I ventured downtown last Friday to visit Daddy at work.

Not only did we get to meet and hang out with some of Daddy's awesome co-workers, but Abigail got to see her Daddy's new office and see the world through his eyes...

I so clearly remember visiting my Dad at work when I was a little girl...I attended the official Take Your Daughter to Work Day a few years in a row, but my absolute favorite visits were the casual ones.  The ones where I'd run around the halls and (probably) drive people crazy...well, the people who were actually trying to get work done.  

I was my Daddy's little buddy...sometimes I'd go in for an ENTIRE DAY and help him file papers (I wonder if that's when my intense organizational skills developed).  Sometimes I'd go in for an entire day and draw pictures on his giant white board (which was the absolute best part about his office...I think he had upwards of ten dry erase pen color options).  Sometimes I'd go in and say I'd help with filing but I'd really spend half the day at the vending machine (a novelty for an 8 year old who'd never seen such a thing in an enclosed building...my house didn't have one...school surely didn't either).  

All I know is that I thought my Dad's office was the coolest place to visit.  It was always an adventure and I thought my Dad was the most amazingly powerful dude around (and some things never change). It was a unique bonding experience that we shared and I know it helped make our relationship even stronger...here's a special picture of the two of us from back in the day.

I think it's safe to say that Abby and I will be making many more visits to Daddy's office over the years...it's an experience I hope she will enjoy just as much as I did.  

And while she may not remember this particular visit at only 2 months old, I have this sneaking suspicion that visiting Daddy during the day will soon become one of her favorite activities.  

Something tells me Daddy might be a fan those special days as well...

Those Are Some WHITE Legs!!!

Is this some kind of April Fools joke? 

No fog for multiple days in a row?

I'll take it because we're going on day three of the most amazing weather we've had in San Francisco since last year's "Indian Summer."  There's no rain. No fog. And not much wind (thank goodness). 

There's just a whole lot of heat, sunshine and really pale legs.

I mean, seriously...it's so nice out that I wore shorts yesterday and probably blinded everyone with my pasty legs.  I'm happy to report, however, that I'm obviously not the only sun deprived San Franciscan.

Believe it or not, it's even nice enough for people to head out to the beach! 

And while you may think that's a "normal" statement, it's anything but.  On a typical day, the beach is empty (something about 50 degree, foggy weather that seems to keep people away from the shore).  But yesterday, Abby and I went on our usual walk and as we approached Fisherman's Wharf we heard a new sound...kids laughing...

(side note, but it's kinda sad that the sound of kids laughing is not something I hear very often...that needs to change)

But there were kids laughing!!!  And when I looked to my right, the typically sparse beach was FULL of people!!!  It's been that nice in San Francisco.

So nice that my Mom, Abigail, Belle and I took advantage of a trail near their new place in the City...here's a look at our little adventure (and don't worry, I covered my pale legs...no sunglasses needed to view these pictures).

If you're in the City, get out there and take advantage of this amazing weather...I know Abby and I will!  We're heading downtown to have lunch with Daddy today...yay!

Maybe I should work on my tan while I'm at it...