This Time Next Week...

 

...Elena & I will just be arriving at our beautiful destination in sunny Huatulco, Mexico!

 

Thank you all for the excellent advice! Abby's suggestion of the reusable swim diapers was genius so I took Shannon's recommendation of the iPlay ones & have 3 on order that should be here in a day or two.

 

I hadn't considered bringing a stroller since ours is so big & Elena walks most of the time but it makes prudent sense to have one so I am going out Saturday to buy one of those small umbrella strollers.

 

Since we're going to a resort in Mexico, I couldn't chance being able to purchase diapers there & I'm not bringing Elena's carseat since we're just going from plane to bus...I have my suitcase pretty much packed & it looks like I should be able to fit everything pretty well...including bottoms, lol! It sure will be an empty suitcase coming home though!

 

I love Jennifer's idea of wrapping Elena's special travel presents!! I am definitely going to do that! Elena & I have been talking about the trip & I've been telling her about the airport & being on a plane & even showed her some videos of kids on a plane. I've been letting her try out the headphones & she really likes them & I think it will help calm her to be able to block out all the noise on the plane.

 

So any last minute advice?

 

Oh, & remember my Halloween post & I mentioned that Elena refused to wear her lion costume? Well look what I cam home to the other day:

And lastly...Elena is such the little helper & loves her "chores"...an example of her "helping" my Mom rake the leaves...

Taking to the Skies...

Elena & I are 2 weeks away from our Great Mexican Adventure & tho I’ve been planning for a while, its crunch time. I don’t want to forget anything…nor do I want to bring too much either.

I have already promised myself that I won’t make the same mistake I’ve made on every Down South trip…packing too many clothes!! I inevitably end up wearing the same 1 or 2 outfits the whole time anyway & this time with Elena, we’ll be in our swimsuits most of the time…here’s what I’m packing for myself:

·         3 Bathing Suits

·         3 Sundresses

·         2 T-shirts

·         2 Tank tops

·         Flip Flops

·         Sun Hat

·         Plus underwear & a pair of socks

·         Pajamas

And even that seems like too much!! On the plane I am going to wear a skirt, t-shirt & hoodie so I don’t have to pack those. I think I’ll pack about the same variation of clothing for Elena.

What thru me for a loop was the realization last night that I will have to pack AT LEAST 42 diapers to get us thru the week…that’s 6 diapers a day which is generous since she’ll be in swim diapers most of the day…but then of course I have to pack at least 30 swim diapers!!

Would it be wrong if I let her go diaperless on the beach & let her pee in the ocean?

Of course there’s also the toiletries, sunscreen, etc…plus for Elena, I have to pack her blanket tho now that I think about it, I should have that on the plane for her.

Speaking of the plane…this is the part of the trip I have the most anxiety about…I couldn’t afford to purchase Elena her own seat but I did pay for an extra leg room seat. I am assuming that I am allowed to bring 1 carry on plus Elena’s diaper bag. I am going to be one of THOSE parents & I will be bringing a DVD player plus our iTouch & my iPhone with many videos for Elena to watch. I even purchased a pair of children’s headphones (with volume protection) for her. So in the carry on + diaper bag I plan to pack:

·         DVD Player/Headphones/Discs – all in its own carry case

·         A couple of soft-side story books

·         A couple of small craft ideas i.e.: pipe cleaners, foam stickers, (ideas, anyone?)

·         Sticker book & stickers – Elena loves playing with stickers

·         My wallet incl: passports, id, money, etc

·         iPhone & iTouch

·         1 swimsuit each

·         Change of clothes each

·         Diapers, wipes, cream, 1^st aid stuff

·         Snacks & drinks for Elena

·         Elena’s blanket

OMG! I just had a panicked thought…they’ll let Elena carry her doll on the plane, right?!!? She has become extremely attached & there might be meltdowns all around if I have to put her doll in checked baggage…they won’t take a kid’s doll away from them, will they? WILL THEY?!!?

Okay, what have I forgotten…or not thought of…what is the best advice you have to offer? Any fool proof tips? Help?!!

Study Participation

I haven’t posted properly in a while & I feel bad…it’s not that I don’t have anything to say. It’s that I’ve hit a bit of writer’s block on how to say it…

 

I do, however, want to mention an experience I had recently…I saw this posting on choicemoms.org & felt compelled to participate. It was a worthwhile experience & I’m glad I had the chance to share my experiences with Brandi. We had an hour long conversation, her questions were thoughtful & she showed a genuine interest in hearing what I had to share.

 

I would encourage you, if you also feel so compelled, to contact Brandi & share your experiences as well.

 

And I apologize for the fly by post but I promise to write a proper post soon…

A Soggy Halloween

 

Quite a few weeks ago, a friend from work gave Elena a gorgeous lion costume to wear for Halloween...I brought it home & she was so excited to try it on...

 

Okay, she looks more like an Ewok but adorable none the less!



 

Fast foward to this week...would Elena wear the lion costume? Not a chance! No amount of coercion would convince her to put it on! Oh well...I had no intention of taking Elena door to door anyway & with the rain, there was no chance...this is the Halloween outfit she wore instead...

Note the detail at the bottom of her leggings...my favorite part



 

My favorite photo of the day though?

Enjoying her 1st ever Halloween candy...a Snickers!

 

I hope everyone had a safe & happy Halloween!



Have You Submitted Yours?

I've submitted mine...

In Case You Were Wondering...

 

...where Elena got her cute...

This is me when I was about Elena's age...I had more hair.

Gotta love that 70s top!!



 

I turn 38 years old today...I'm not sure how I feel about that...I'm a bit weirded out. I feel to young to be 38! I don't feel sad or depressed like I have in past years...but I can't say I'm excited either. I'd be lying if I said I wanted the day to pass without any acknowledgement but I don't want a BIG deal...just a deal.

 

It baffles my mind that when Elena is 38 it will be 2049...I will be 75 years old. That is just unfathomable to me. I can't even picture Elena as an 8 year old, let alone as a 38 year old! & me 75 years old??!!? That's beyond imaginable!



19 Months

 

My sweet...my heart...the love of my life is 19 months old today. This time last year, Elena was perfecting the army crawl & on the verge of crawling on all fours. Now a year later, it is language she is perfecting but one thing remains the same...I was going to say she is as adorable & precious as ever...but, no...I believe she is actually more adorable & precious! What I do know for sure is that I love her more now than I ever thought I could love anything. There is so much going on in my personal life & in the world at large that just makes me hold her close & never want to let go. No matter how bad things seem, I can just get lost in her laugh & her deep beautiful eyes & it just doesn't seem as bad anymore. Sorry, I didn't mean to get mushy...while I pull myself together, please enjoy these photos from Elena's 18 month photo shoot...

It was a Tea Party theme

 

She had so much fun!

 

 

 

And my favorite...

 

 

Okay, seriously...all bias aside...is she not freakin' adorable!!!