Justice for Jameson

I've been following on Instagram this profile, Justice for Jameson. As a Mom, I cannot even fathom the struggle that this Mom is going through to get her daughter what she is entitled to and rightfully deserves.

For more information and the story behind the fundraising efforts for Justice for Jameson, please go to the GoFundMe website called Justice for Jameson.  You can also follow them on Instagram under the profile @justiceforjameson.

I was unable to make a lump sum monetary donation to Justice for Jameson so I have donated two of the necklaces that I make, as they will have having an Auction beginning on September 6, 2014 on Instagram.  A lot of really amazing vendors from all over the globe have donated and I for one am honored to be sharing the same page with them!.  Proceeds will go to this helping this mommy and her very beautiful little girl.

They are still accepting donation of items to auction off or monetary donations on the GoFundMe website linked above! This beautiful little girl deserves the world, together "Let's do something wonderful!"

Everyone meet Jameson! How ever do you say no to that sweet face?

Copyright Marlena Cullen

High Risk Pregnancy

I've officially entered the beginning of my third and final trimester of my High Risk pregnancy! I'm officially 28 weeks pregnant today!  My pregnancies aren't exactly cut and dry! I was diagnosed with very common problems while pregnant with my 1st,  that unfortunately haven't had enough light shed on them! I apologize in advance for some googling that may happen as a result of reading this.  For convenience, I have provided links!

On September 11, 2008, I was 19 weeks and 6 days pregnant with Miss Ava Blaire. I went in for my 20 week ultrasound and left the hospital almost a week later! I went for my routine ultrasound,  and towards the end of my appointment, I was moved to a room and my doctor was on the way. "We've found a small complication, your Doctor will be here soon!"

Those words cut me deep! They scared the life out of me and I never wish to hear that again! So a little while later, my Doctor showed up and began to start explaining to me that I have a Short Cervix, which falls under the Incompetent Cervix Category!  At 19 weeks and 6 days my cervix was roughly 1.5 inch long and already dilating, meaning I was high risk to go into pre-term labour.  I was then faced with two options, stay in the hospital until 36 weeks, or have a cervical cerclage placed into and around the cervix.  With this done, I could go home but I would be on moderate bed rest until 36 weeks, at which time, they would remove the cerclage.

All I could hear was my mom saying, "Whatever is meant to be will be!" and all I knew was I couldn't stay in the hospital! Bruce and I made the decision to have the cerclage done, and thankfully the surgery went well!  There is a chance that having the procedure done can rupture the membrane and I'd go into labour anyway and at 20 weeks, she wouldn't have the best chance at survival, this was the biggest of the con's.

 I was placed on Short Term Disability with the company I worked for at the time.  They were incredibly understanding and supportive! Then I proceeded to basically have an ultrasound every month or so and doctors appointments between my GP and my OB every two weeks, then every other week. It felt like I was always being poked and prodded by someone!

It was then around 28 weeks, at another ultrasound, that I was then diagnosed with Polyhydramnios, which basically in simple terms means there was too much amniotic fluid in my Uterus.  They became worried that her lungs weren't working properly, as it is her lungs that regulate the fluid. Polyhydramnios comes with its own list of complications and the highest on the list was pre-term labour.  It really felt like the odds were stacked against us!

That and all the rest considered, I was a mess and I was monitored closely! The words I was being told, the conditions I was being diagnosed with weren't anything you just read randomly in all the pregnancy books. These conditions are small subsections of something else. Cervical Insufficiency, ...those words were so hurtful and offensive! One of the biggest jobs a woman can have is growing a child and I get to hear, "Incompetent" and "Insufficient! OUCH!

There was nothing about this situation that made me feel like a glowing pregnant woman. I didn't feel pampered, I was being poked and prodded every time I went near a doctor! It's not like this was a common thing that every woman experienced, I was alone! There is only so much Bruce could take/understand, but he most definitely couldn't offer any advice! It wasn't supposed to happen like this! The only friends I had were by text message or on Facebook, no one wanted to make the trek out to see me in Burnaby, I learned really quick who my real friends were out here in BC!

I became depressed and I never reached out to anyone. I was lonely and scared, my sweet little baby threw me for a loop every chance she got.  At 36 weeks, I went into my Ob's office and the cerclage was removed.  I was told to pack my bags cause I'd probably go into labour anytime!  This happened on January 2, 2009, my official due date was January 30, 2009. I was now finally allowed to go and live! No more BEDREST! I went into labour with Ava on January 30, and she was born on the 31st at 3:52pm.

Not a single problem with this little girl so far.. (Knock on wood). Miss Ava was born 7lbs 7oz and 20 Inches long. She was a perfect little bundle of joy! Was it worth it?  Every moment!

But now, let's consider all of the above and two LEEP procedures after Ava finding out we were pregnant again, we opted to have an elective cerclage done as soon as we could after the 1st trimester.  This didn't stop the need to take it easy. I quickly learned that I would not be able to remain working. I was experiencing cramping, back pain, abdominal pain, anxiety attacks, high blood pressure and complete overall discomfort! Dr. Rossi and I had already done one baby together, so as I sat in her office crying and struggling to breathe, there was no question to her that I should not be working! After a short conversation between my GP and my OB, they both agreed that it was time for me to be finished work!

Up to 28 weeks, I was going to see both doctors at least once a month and  from 28 weeks on I will now go to my OB every 2 weeks and my GP every 3 weeks. Soon after my appointments will go to every two weeks for both and then down to every week.  At 36 weeks, I will have the cerclage removed and then it could be anytime!

I'm finally back on track with my weight, which due to the stress of a few events prior to our trip to Saskatoon, I hadn't put on as much weight as they liked.  So far everything looks good but I will be back at my OB on September 4th to double check that my cervix hasn't started to shorten anymore.

Crossing our fingers, the rest of this pregnancy goes well but as I experienced last time, there are so many complications that you haven't even heard of and well to google them all will turn you into a crazy MESS!  Happy New Mama's recently did a blog post called "How to help a pregnant friend feel less lonely!" Please have a read and realize not all pregnancies are fun and just because you can't see it, there could be something weighing heavy on your pregnant friends shoulders! Be there to listen... even if you cannot relate!

Miss Ava Blaire Shearer... copyright 2009 Bruce Shearer 4dpmedia

3d Fiber Lash by Younique

By now, you've probably seen my posts or someone's posts about this 3d Fiber Lash by Younique and if you haven't well good for you for managing to avoid social media! Through LinkedIn, I met Tammy Pool who is a Younique Presenter, she sent me a message regarding 3d Fiber Lash and if she could send me a sample.  I'm very skeptical about Mascara and especially one with "Fibers". I thought this would be a great challenge for me to remain objective about this mascara!

My daughter was quite anxious about this delivery, she was pretty certain that there was something in the package for her.  She jumped in at the lip gloss and bracelet, now she claims she will sometimes share with me! This lip gloss let me tell you! It likes to go by the name of Lucrative Lip Gloss and we received the shade "Loveable" Absolutely amazing, I wore it all day and reapplied it after a while. I don't normally wear lipstick, lip gloss or even lip chap/balm! I can't stand when it's sticky and too "goopy" or too drying. I leave those products for special occasions. This lip gloss I wore with my hair down and went about my day running after a 5 year old, cleaning the house, and even went a played in the garden for a bit. My daughter absolutely loves it. I think I might have to get Tammy to send me a new shade for me! I'm thinking I might want to try Lucky!

So I really wanted to dedicate some good time to trying this 3d Fiber Lash Mascara because I am so hard on mascara. I waited until I had the perfect sunlight coming in, my hair freshly washed, and face scrubbed clean!  Mommies don't always get the chance to ensure all of the above happens on a regular basis and with all things happening!

So I'm in my moment and I crack open this lovely packaging which reminds me of a nice sunglass case, it's truly beautiful.  I open the "big tube" and it just looks like mascara.  Then I open the little tube, "what the heck is this??"   So now I decide to read Tammy's letter with instructions after having a chuckle.. again my skepticism is on high at this point and especially after seeing these weird "fibers".


Left eye is 3d Fiber Lash and Right eye is my normal mascara!

While I am applying these crazy Fibers, I'm actually saying out loud, "Holy Crap! This is amazing!" 5 years ago my mascara routine was a primer, then another brand with a larger brush and then another mascara with a smaller brush to go in and get the lower lashes and the tips on the top lashes! 

Now I want to take a moment to completely clarify that I do not work for Younique or Tammy Pool,  I was not given any compensation for writing this blog or any other materials other than receiving the product to try! I have no agenda behind this at all but I can honestly say that this is probably one of the biggest most hidden gems within the make up community!

I kept this mascara on for the entire day, it didn't flake, cause any irritations, the only thing that I noticed was at the end of the day, they weren't as curled up as shown above.  I attribute that to my natural lashes, they are poker straight and short! I ran around, I cleaned, cooked dinner etc and these stayed looking absolutely beautiful!

All in all at the end of the day, I am sold 100% on this product! It produces amazing results, stays on looks beautiful and you don't need a ton of products.  I did find it a bit clumpy but in time it will settle a bit once the fibre's have a chance to settle and in the meantime, I just use another mascara brush to pull the fibre's through. You will not regret this product at all! 

To place an order, ask a question or inquire about all the other products, please visit Tammy's website at https://www.youniqueproducts.com/tammypool/business  Tell her Janette sent you!



There is no photoshop on either image nor any camera filter

Mommy melt down... Crying at the PNE

Once upon a time ago, I worked at Playland for an Airbrush Tattoo company doing airbrush tattoo's, day in and day out, I'd see parents bring their children and then watch the meltdowns happen around every corner of Playland! I never wanted to be that parent! This year that meltdown was not my child but was in fact myself. I had a mommy meltdown at the PNE!

The melt downs mentioned above, were always from children that were  visually and physically over-stimulated and on a sugar rush! For that reason, I managed to shield my daughter from any type of "fair" until now, other than small mall parking lot ones. This year, I just couldn't hide it any longer, with neighbourhood friends talking about it etc. I knew it was time to let go just a little bit!

Seeing as we live just a few blocks from the PNE Fair Grounds, we decided to walk down for Free Day! We had a fun few hours with my husband and the next door neighbours but then we got left just the two girls to wander the grounds. Once the sun came out and we started to overheat, we decided to head home for a few hours and come back at night with husband for some night riding!


I still laugh when I see this face!

 So we head back to PNE around 8:30 pm, walk around a little and we approach this one ride! Now let me offer some background here, I am the worlds biggest chicken when it comes to rides! I can't stand them, I get nauseous on the swings. I got freaked out on the Ferris Wheel with my 5 year old cause it was rocking too much!  Anyway, we approach this ride and I see my beautiful little girl's big green eyes open wide and sparkle with excitement. My stomach TURNS! "Can I please?"

My pulse begins to race and I can't imagine squashing her excitement! Oh Zero Gravity...you might just win this one! So we go to see if she is tall enough... she is! DAMN IT! She runs up and onto the ride! My pulse is racing faster! She gets on, finds her place on the wall, they strap her in! Seriously? My 5 year old is going to do this! They let Bruce onto the ride to snap a quick photo, he comes off the door closes. I'm in complete shock that she is doing this, he is letting her do this and what happens if she's on the ride and gets scared. I was not prepared for this AT ALL!

The door closes, the ride starts! Now my 5 year old is strapped to a wall, while it spins at an insanely fast rate, and then turns on its side and continues spinning. For this very quick moment, I see her face and her sweet little body is pressed against this wall and she looks terrified. I begin to freak out! Bruce is trying to tell me she's laughing but I saw her face, she was scared! I'm panicking! How the hell do I get my baby off this ride? I'm now crying, a lot and I cannot look at my husband!

The ride ends and I'm covered in tears and can barely breathe. The door opens, she comes stumbling off the ride and she looks at us. I'm still crying! " THAT WAS AWESOME!" and she runs back on to the damn ride!

Are you freaking kidding me child?? She wasn't scared for a damn minute! I can now see my future flash before my eyes and I can see this girl causing me so much grey hair! She is fearless and as my husband says," She has bigger balls than her mama!" followed by, "What mom cries at the Fair?"

Now I can accept my fear for rides, it's fairly common! But now I need your help, the tears, are those pregnant hormones or is this my life now? Do I cry every time my child hurts? What happened to me? I can't even begin to explain all the ways that I have felt myself change over the past few months. Are those pregnancy hormones or is this some type of side effect with getting myself ready to be the mother of two children?

Farewell Saskatoon.. Welcome Back Routine

We had been out of our element and our routine for the last 5 weeks now but alas we have arrived safe and sound back in Vancouver! (Insert sigh of relief here!) Kindergarten is approaching in but a few short weeks and I couldn't be more excited to get this girl back into our routine and prepare her for her next adventure. I am trying to remain optimistic about school starting again on time in September. So for now we must say Farewell Saskatoon and get back in the Vancity swing of things!

I love going back to Saskatoon to see the friends and family but I find it so hard to pack up our lives and be without the normalcy your own home can bring for an extended time and I fear that with baby number 2, it will only get harder. This looks like our trips might be getting shorter and less frequent!

The 3 Routines that I learned that we cannot live without...

1. Bedtime routine and yes that includes an appropriate bed time!  Routine includes BRUSHING your DAMN teeth! Why is this such a nightmare with all children? By this point in the day, I was pretty fed up, why not just do it? Instead of the book "GO the F&*# to Sleep!", it should be "Just Brush Your DAMN Teeth!" It's like you sprung this odd chore on them last minute... "Really?! I have to brush my teeth??"

2. Proper meals with proper amounts from ALL food groups and no pink milk (strawberry flavored milk) doesn't count as a dairy product and no candy is not a food group either! Oh and by the way everyone, while desert is fun and a nice treat, it is NOT mandatory!

3. Having back up! I call this a routine because it is routine to make a parenting call and have the other half back you up! Well that's a little different when you are miles away from the other parent and are currently staying with your own parents.  I don't know how many times I heard this trip, "Well you never had that and you were turned out fine?!"         "Really? Did I??"

There were many times when I made the call to finish dinner without playing "Let's Make a Deal" to be completely undermined by the cool grandparents.  This is understandable!  But let's space it out a little, spoiling for 5 weeks is just painful and creates this little attitude I had never seen before.  So far it looks like she left it in Saskatoon.. Cross your fingers, knock on wood, please don't let that attitude resurface anytime soon, or ever again would be nice... Just saying!

And now with a sigh of relief, I am happy to announce that we are back in Vancouver and getting back into our groove. Don't get me wrong, I love my parents and I am so very thankful for everything that they have done for us but there is nothing like sleeping in your own bed, cooking in your own kitchen, snuggling with your husband and having someone else that will back you up when calling in reinforcements! There is no place like home!

Image Courtesy of Lofty Living

Turning off the "Mommy"

I've spent a lot of time lately bonding with my SIL in ways, that 3 years ago I would have never imagined possible and now that we are both expecting within two weeks of each other, I think our bond has strengthened even more!  Lately, we've been discussing decompressing, anxiety and just wanting to turn off the "mommy"!

We've shared a lot of stories about our hormones and emotions and how sometimes we just feel so grumpy etc. Though I'm pretty sure she's fibbing a bit, she seems to be handling her "crazy" much better than I am. If you've been following my blog at all, you can see I'm pretty open about my "crazy" and not so shy with who gets to see it!

On July 4th, we left our home in Vancouver, just Ava and I.  We have been staying with my parents for the last 5 weeks and while I appreciate everything they do for us, it's very clear that Miss Ava is definitely starting to REALLY miss her Daddy and I don't blame her cause I miss her Daddy too! Not just because he's an amazing father who has the most incredible way with her, but he's my best friend and he does so much for our family! This mommy needs a hug!

There is this moment that I have after Ava and I have spent just a little too much time together. When when you start hearing the word "Mommy" and just the tone in which it's said makes you want to scream, cry, and run away all at the same time. I don't know if it's a girl thing but my goodness "Mommy, I can't find my hairbrush" just makes me cringe. The inner me wants to scream," RUN AVA RUN!"

 

It's that moment, when you look in the mirror and all you see is "Mommy."  You need sometime to decompress and find yourself again! When you haven't had a grown up conversation or even a moment of silence in who knows how long. Suddenly you realize it's been a week since you washed your hair and you begin to wonder why you got out of bed today.  Yes this is me lately and I think this is a lot of mommies out there.

Unfortunately, I don't think we have quite yet built up enough of a support system within our mommies to be able to show our "crazy" when you need too, to feel defeated and to cry without feeling weak.  I've said for a long time, that these little beings are like mind ninja's they get in there  and then all of a sudden, you are a mess and you're screaming at the girl in the Tim Horton's Drive- Thru.

The other night, Ava went from this sweet little girl to the "I don't want to" monster! It wasn't pretty! Trying to explain to her that "I don't want to" isn't a valid excuse and that thing we do EVERY single night called brush our teeth.. isn't a surprise and to "get your butt in the bathroom and brush your teeth" ....

"I don't want to!"

It went from bad to just plain old ugly really quickly. Dad had to be called and then I see this sweet little girl returning..... Wait for it.... nope just kidding the monster is still here! Then I'm in tears crying! Yes, I'm aware that children are kind of like bears! They smell fear and even worse...they prey on it and I just threw a big ol' steak to the angry bear!

That's it....I've spent too much time in mommy land lately. My sister-in-law has spent too much time in mommy land lately!  I'm sure HALF the mommies reading this have spent too much time in Mommy land.  We have this need to be a perfect mommy raising perfect children and if we do chose to go back, a lot of us becoming obsessed with being the perfect employee.  You can't do it all, unless you ask for help! So take a deep breathe, realize that what you're doing is developing the future and that is a big deal! The only person expecting you to truly be perfect is you! It is ok to not finish everything or to not want to hear the word "Mommy" any more for the day. 

Being a mommy is a HARD job and it's ok to ask someone else to give you a break, whether it's your children's father, your boyfriend, you brother, your uncle, your best friend! In order to be a good mommy...you have be a good person which means being good to yourself! It is ok to turn off the "mommy" and no it doesn't make you a bad mommy! It makes you human!

95 Years Young Birthday Celebrations!

On Wednesday August 6th, we celebrated my Grandmother turning 95. Who am I kidding, we spent a few days in birthday celebration mode and well after 95 years, I think she deserves a few days of celebrating!

In honor of my grandmother, we finally managed to get all 4 of her Great-Grandkids together and spent a few days doing activities that would bring her great grandkids together so she could see them play, interact, and get to know each other a little bit better.



Photo Courtesy of my SIL Amber Peters. L-R Lucas, Great Grandma, Ava, Isabelle, and Carter.



Isabelle and Lucas are born to Rick and Cheryl Berkenbosch, then we have my little monster miss Ava Blaire, and my main man, my nephew Carter Peters.  These 4 were all sorts of energy throughout the 2 days that they were together!  So much personality in these kiddos and they for the most part were so well behaved! Few small hiccups here and there but given the hot hot weather and all the excitement, they were awesome!

It is truly amazing to think that this kind and gentle woman was born in 1919.  Can you image everything she has lived through? She has seen the world change in such extraordinary ways, some for the better and some I'm sure for the worst.

I have been so blessed to have her in my life this long and my daughter even more so for getting to know this gracious, kind, gentle woman! I didn't have the honor of meeting any of my Great-Grandmothers, and so this makes me even more grateful that they have had 5 wonderful years together..... and counting.  

Photo Courtesty of Julie Untereiner. My Grandma and Father on a quad ride!

 So I will spend that day with family nearby, reflecting on all the positive changes she has made in our lives and how she continues to age with such grace and determination! This woman still lives on her own. She has survived some changes,  I myself could never image ever having to live through; the loss of her husband (which personally shattered my world), the loss of all of her brothers and sisters, surviving World War II, moving from small town Unity, SK to Duncan BC and then again to SK, and not to mention all the worldly changes in between!

She is such an amazing soul and my family is so lucky to have her! Please hug your grandparents tight today and thank them for the sacrifices they have made! Make plans to see them more, call them more, just be there more! I love you Grammy!

My Grandmother and I!

Formula Coupons for the breast feeding mommy

Originally when I found out I was pregnant with Ava, I wasn't sure what would happen as far as breast feeding or formula feeding. I was open to both options but as some of us know our babies can have a plan all of their own.  I signed up for all the formula company's, as a just in case and as it turned out, breastfeeding was the best option for her and us as a family So now as a breastfeeding mommy... what do you do with all the formula coupons and samples?

I knew that there were plenty of Moms in my neighbourhood who couldn't breastfeed or it just wasn't for them and the financial cost of purchasing formula alone can be hard on a family so I decided to organize my Formula coupons by month and do a trade with other moms for some of the things I needed to get for baby Ava at a lower price!

I signed up for the Similac Club before Ava arrived which gets you up to $120 in free gifts, samples and rebate cheques which are accepted at all major retailers.  Throughout the first year, these rebate cheques kept coming in!  With this in mind, I signed up Nestle Baby which at the time, came with a lot of coupons for baby food, formula and a back pack with change pad which was very handy for short trips out.  I also signed up for Enfamil, which seemed to have a lot of samples but wasn't too handy for coupons etc.

All my coupons were organized by month and then again by brand and then they were placed into a plastic portable file folder, I got mine at Dollarama for $2.00.  Then usually 4-6 weeks before they were set to expire, I'd put them on Craigslist or Kijiji as a trade for sleepers or baby clothes for the next age bracket that my daughter would be entering.  Not only did this help out other moms in financial need but it helped us out to ensure that I wasn't having to spend too much money on baby clothes but it also helped me meet new people in the neighbourhood with babies! Win - Win for everyone!

 

 

What other free sites did you sign up for as a new mom? I'm working on putting together an updated list of sites to visit to get free samples, coupons etc! Any input on the best sites that you found most fruitful would be appreciated from one mommy to another! Send me an email at fulltimemommydearest@gmail.com, comment below, or visit our facebook page!

 

 

 

 

Sharing or Trading?

So many great articles have come out lately about different parenting issues with sharing and some of the policies that daycares and preschool centres have.  While I cannot say we are completely in the clear on the sharing topic as far as my oldest Ava is concerned but it's definitely got me thinking about the approach we took and whether it's still the correct approach for baby number 2. We always looked at toys and sharing and we decided not to share but to trade!



Basically, we decided that if there was a toy that she wanted from another child or vice versa, that Ava would have to find another toy to approach the child and see if they wanted to trade.  Each child reserves the right to say no to a trade but the other child can then see if maybe they can find a different toy to trade with.  Most times, Ava would attempt a trade, the child said no and she'd go back to the drawing board to find something else to offer up as a trade!  While searching for that second or third something, Ava would usually find something else and want to play with it instead and crisis averted! We found that offering a trade either made them completely forget what they wanted to play with in the first place or the trade worked out and neither child felt slighted by losing a toy because they both still had a toy and everyone continued having fun!



Now current day, our 5 year old Ava doesn't really have too many moments of wanting something that another child has, knock on wood, she usually will ask if they can take turns with something but she never truly takes something away from another child.  She is usually pretty understanding with the smaller kids and that they don't always understand "take turns!" She is also 5, I know we are going to have many moments where things won't make sense or someone will not want to trade or even let her see it at all.



The article I was reading was "Should You Teach Kids to Share" and I found so any compelling points in this argument that makes you think, perhaps I shouldn't teach my babes to share? There has been many things that have come up with parenting issues that I shake my head at and wonder what kind of children are we raising? My daughter knows that she is not entitled to anything just because she wants it but rather to find a solution but if the child says no, to move on! 



We've had situations where she has been told while playing a sport that if you score, you are not allowed to cheer and say,"YES!" because that makes the other children feel bad.  In a hormonal rage, I've wanted to say "Well then teach your child not to suck" however I know this is not appropriate and we try to teach Ava about the differences between people and that while we are not the same, it doesn't mean we are any better or any worse but to always be polite and know that she is a talented, beautiful, sweet, understanding little girl and to know her self worth and to walk away rather than say something mean. I'm trying to teach my daughter to have patience with people and to understand where they are coming from but there are plenty of moments where I want to give peoples head a shake and ask.. "WTF, are we doing to these children!"



Please teach them manners and chivalry. Teach them to apologize and be sincere about it. Teach them to say NO and to accept when they are being told NO.  These kids need to learn patience, understanding, tolerance, but most importantly, they need to learn how to fall, how to get hurt and how to move on!



 Is sharing just aiding in raising entitled, whiny, snivelling little brats? I'm not sure if there is one way which is better than the other but as parents I think we need to remember the following:

1571 km in a Car and We Still Love Each Other


Let's try this again! I really wanted to touch on the trip Ava and I took together.  We travelled from BC to SK in two days, that's over 1500 kilometers in a car with a 20 week pregnant me and a 5 year old anxious to see her Amma and Umpa, and most importantly, we arrived in one piece and we still love each other!

 

I spent a good week in the kitchen preparing food and making lists of everything that we needed.  We ate most of the food prepared before it got a chance to even make it to the cooler.  We had lists upon lists made for what we needed to pack, wish lists, things to entertain and things we just couldn't forget.

 

I've been flying with Ava since she was about 5 weeks old and so knock on wood; she's always been a great traveller.  I'm not sure if it was due to my need to narcotic need to control the situation but for every trip I brought everything I was positive we would need and everything I thought I might ever need! I packed for everything from hunger, boredom, to the plague.

 

Everyone has asked me, how was she? How did you do it?  3 simple things.. a portable DVD player, Nintendo DS and junk food! I brought every single DS game and these were packed in a bag that was right beside her.  Then we had her DVD player installed with a choice of 5 or 6 movies, these as well, were packed right beside her.  While everything  she would need was packed carefully beside her within reach to allow for her to still have independence and me not to have to stop the car to get her what she needed.  I also had all the chargers packed carefully in the front seat for me, both the charger that plugged into the cigarette lighter and the one to plug into the 115V.

 

A week before, I sat down with Ava and asked her to make a list of everything that she would want to snack on in the car while we drove, we had everything from Cheezies to Bear Claw Cookies, to Nibs. I bought her almost everything she asked for and this was packed in a box beside me, just so she didn't go crazy with everything right off the bat! We had sandwiches, water, pop, and juice all packed in a cooler in the back seat. Every time the situation seemed like it might turn hairy, I offered up a treat! By the time the treat was eaten and the movie was over or she was really starting to stir, it was time for our mandatory leg stretch!

 

I've been blessed with an amazing traveller and I'm really hoping baby girl no. 2 will be just as easy! Fingers Crossed! Our methods have always worked but that's just for us! I've gone crazy packing, unpacking and re-packing but I like to think at the end of the trip, it was all the small attention to detail that saved my sanity! Would I do it again... absolutely, but maybe not pregnant next time!

 

 

Revelstoke BC