Baby & Kid

Dear Autumn @ 23 Months

October 30, 2015

October 2015

Dear Autumn,

Your curiosity and imagination is incredible. It’s fun to watch you pretend something, like cooking with the chalk from the chalkboard. Umm… yummy!! Or how you like to draw while laying on your stomach kicking your legs around.

Maybe we are bias as your parents, but Daddy and I can’t get over how smart you are. You are learning so much in English and Spanish, which we love. You know 1-10 in both English and Spanish. You resist saying the ABC’s, but talk so much. You give strong commands, ask questions, and give pretty clear responses to simple questions. My favorite thing that you are now doing is calling ‘Kemper’ by name vs just calling him ‘Puppy’. You scold him plenty, but give so much more love. Oh that poor dog gets squished by you flopping on him for hugs!

I know you are pretty young to potty train but you are quite funny that every time I tell you that you have to ”pee-pee on the potty’ or to ‘go poop on the potty’ you just look at me and say ‘No.’ HA! At least you have your position on that!

Your love for Mickey and Minnie is deep and true. I love how you are so eager to watching Mickey in the morning. We don’t have the TV on at night so you have to get your Mickey Mouse Clubhouse fix in the morning before we flip on the Today Show at 7am. Sometimes you get really frustrated about not getting to watching it over and over and over again. Truthfully, it’s tiring to watching 2-3 episodes of Mickey when you get up extra early on the days when you aren’t feeling well (why 4.30am?!?!?!) but watching you watching it while cuddled up under your blanket Aunt Tish made you with Owl makes hearing ‘Hey Toodles!’ over and over again all worth it. Plus, it melts my heart when you respond to their questions on the show. Adorable!

Unfortunately, your 23rd month started off with you battling a nasty cough. You ended up having to get on Prednisone, to help clear up some wheezing. Thankfully that worked so you just needed to get another inhaler to help you get through the sick winter months. I’m hoping that you stay healthy and happy this winter so we can wean you off your inhalers.

I’m looking forward to Halloween this month! You will be the cutest Minnie ever!

I can’t believe that you are almost 2! Oh it feels like just yesterday that you were born!! It just has gone by too fast! Sobs!!!

Love,

Mommy

Crisp Lemony Star Cookies & a Krusteaz Back to School Baking Giveaway

September 29, 2015

Autumn is growing at record speed. Okay, she is not, she is in fact she is still teeny tiny. But I can’t believe she is almost 2!! Sobs!!

I’ve loved every age so far, but right now this is so super cool as she is so active. We are starting to be able to participate in things together more as she can take instruction well and give it well too.

My new favorite activity together is baking!!!

Everyone has geared up for back to school activities, including fall baking, recently, but since my wee one is still so young, our focus has just been on the yummy fall baking.

While I love to bake from scratch, I have found that using a mix has really simplified things for us so that we can quickly and easily get started right after I pick her up from daycare.

I get home about 30-40 minutes before I pick Autumn up from daycare so I prep for our new baking adventures by taking out the Krusteaz mix, butter, and preheating the oven, grabbing the dog for a walk, dropping him off at home, and then I head over to get Autumn. On our walk home I tell her what we are making that night. She gets excited about using the mixer and using her hands to ‘play’ with the dough.

Last week we made yummy cookies using Krusteaz’s Brown Sugar Oatmeal Cookie Mix to make cookies. She helped with the mixer and by (sorta) rolling out the cookies.

And last night we made a toddler friendly version of Krusteaz’s Crispy Gold Star Day Cookies with their Meyer Lemon Cookie Mix. So good! And the perfect cookies to make with a toddler or young kids as they can use the cookie cutters to cut out the cookies and then decorate them with the sprinkles that came with the mix.

I started out by mixing the dough while Autumn was busy eating her dinner of lasagna, mango, and yogurt. Once she was done we were all ready to go!

I set her on the counter to help me cut out the cookies. It was the first time she used cookie cutters! She would grunt a bit as she push it down and then say ‘ah!’ when she was done, while she waited for me to pick it up to do it again and again.

We received the most adorable red aprons from Krusteaz, which would have been great to wear, but a certain toddler didn’t want to wear it. Something, something, screaming about her Minnie shirt. I, of course, wanted to protect the precious Minnie shirt, but she didn’t want it covered. #toddlerlyfe

We would then pat and roll out the dough again and again as we made more cookies. She certainly loved rolling out the dough.

Then I baked them. ‘Oven HOT mommy HOT!!!!” At least she gets that.

And how important it is to help with clean up!

We then decorated them the next morning, as the cookies need to cool before putting the glaze them and she goes to bed so early (6.30) so we just couldn’t fit it all in the night.

She did pretty well putting the glaze on them, but I think getting the sprinkles on the cookies was her favorite part!

We then brought them to daycare to share with her friends.

I hope you’ll bake up these! Be sure to grab a kid or two to for some fun help with the baking. You’ll love it, and so will they!

Crisp Lemony Star Cookies

Makes 12-24 cookies, depending on cookie cutter size

Ingredients

For the Cookies

1 package Krusteaz Meyer Lemon Cookie Mix
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 egg

For the Glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1 packet yellow decorating sugar, enclosed

Process

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet with a nonstick baking sheet.
To make the cookies, pour the cookie mix in the medium bowl. Add the butter and egg, stir until a dough forms. It will be a dry crumbly dough.
On a well floured surface, knead the dough into a disk. Roll dough 1/4 inch thick, cut stars and place 2 inches apart onto the cookie sheet.
Bake 8-9 minutes, until the cookie is no longer soft in the center and the edges are golden brown. Time will vary depending on cookie size.
To make the glaze, combine powdered sugar and milk in a bowl, whisk until smooth.
Decorate the cookies when they have completely cooled by drizzling or spooning the glaze on them and then sprinkle with the decorating sugar.

Adapted from Krusteaz

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And now the fun stuff… a GIVEAWAY!!!!

Be sure to enter for your chance to win the following goodies from Krusteaz!!!!

New Krusteaz Bakery Style Cookie Mixes including:

Triple Chocolate Chunk
Meyer Lemon
Double Peanut Butter
Brown Sugar Oatmeal
Oatmeal Scotchie
Butter Vanilla Sugar

A Krusteaz lunchbox
Some fun kitchen items like a Krusteaz-branded oven mitt and aprons (one for an adult and one for a child!)
A selfie stick (for fun family photos taken while baking and enjoying cookies!)
Cookie cutter and measuring spoons for kids from Curious Chef
Cookie recipe inspiration cards

ENTER HERE

The giveaway runs for a week, ending on October 6th at midnight. Open to US residents.

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This is a sponsored post from Krusteaz, but all opinions are my own.

Dear Autumn @ 22 Months

September 26, 2015

September, 2015

Dear Autumn,

You are such a smarty pants know it all. But all toddlers are!

You are so opinionated and I loved it so much. I love how you are finding your voice to indicate what you want. It can be something simple from which shoes you want to wear to something more frantic, like your immediately need to go outside with shouts of “SIDE!!!!” while dragging me to the door by a finger.

The amount of talking you do is incredible. I love that you parrot us all the time. I know once day that will back fire when you say something when we slip up, but right now it’s so precious how you mimic us. The thing that just makes us melt is when you say ‘tank you mommy’ and ‘tank you daddy’. It’s so sweet.

I swear you never stop moving. You are always buzzing with activity around the house or outside. I’m afraid that you are going to be so sad trapped inside the house this winter since you can’t get enough of being outside. You had a blast when we went apple picking arleady. I’m sure you won’t mind going again this season since mom can’t get enough of apples this year. Gotta live it up before we move to Florida!

When we were on The Cape for vacation you had so much attention for your cousins that you loved. You slept so, so horribly some times, but it was still a wonderful vacation as we were together as a big family and you got to play with everyone in the pool and at the beach. So much fun!

One morning we put Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on while we were on The Cape and since then you have been HOOKED. You asked for Mickey even before we get home from daycare so always have to explain to you that Mickey and the TV are resting as we don’t watch TV at night before you go to bed. But you get an episode of Mickey every morning while you have you morning ‘leche’. My favorite part is that you reply to the characters when they ask questions. LOVE IT!!

The hardest part about the time passing is that time is passing. It’s hard that it is speeding by so quickly. I think back to what we were doing last year, or even 6 months ago, and it’s insane how much bigger you are, how much more curious you are, how much more independent you are. I love your independence, but it it hurts some days when you don’t need the help. But at the same time you’re becoming more affectionate, so that’s a win!

Now, please let us brush your hair without fighting us! It’s looking crazy some days!! ha!!

I Love you!

Love,

Mommy

Dear Autumn @ 21 months

August 22, 2015

August 2015

Dear Autumn,

Just when I think every month is the best, you prove me wrong. This past month has been amazing.

The thing that I most interesting and amusing is how quickly you are picking up different words. You are a little parrot! Mommy is going to have to cut out the swearing ASAP! You repeat everything that we say to you, so you are learning new words so quickly. The best is that you are learning in English and Spanish. It’s tough when we don’t understand what you say in Spanish, but we usually figure it out together! I love how you try to put little sentences together, well 2-word ones, but still so awesome. “Open it!” “Close it!” “It’s Broken” “mass (yo)gurt!” “Please mass!” But I swear the best is “Tank you Mommy!” I die!

You are fiercly independent about somethings, like picking out the shoes you want to wear. Oh dear, you love shoes so much. It’s a bit of a struggle when we are shopping as you bee-line it to the first rack of shoes you see and you start to try on shoes. One time you sat in front of a rack of infant boys shoes. It was quite funny to watch you try to get your feet into newborn slippers. But, I can’t dare trying to help, unless you ask for it, otherwise you have big mellow dramatic tantrums. Yikes!

I love when I get you from daycare as you are so excited to see me, head home, and see Kemper. You say goodbye to all your friends, grab my hand, and we begin out walk down the hill to get to our house. I love the way your little, sweet voice when you say “hi, mommy!”.

It’s been a busy, fun month, but I think all of them when it comes down to it. At least we try our hardest to stick to your nap and bed time schedule, which keeps you in a happy mood. I am dreading when you ditch your morning nap, and just do an afternoon one. I feel that will happen sooner than we would like. Slow down!!

We have a lot planned for this next month! I can’t wait!!

I love you!

Love,

Mommy

The $5 Noodle Pool

August 7, 2015

Autumn loves the little kiddie pool that we set up for her on warm weekend days.

We fill up the pool first thing in the morning so that the water warms up as the day warms up. Then it’s perfect for her to splash around in for hours and hours. She takes tons of toys in there, which get thrown in and out over and over again.

I wanted to change things up from the normal little cups, buckets, measuring spoons, and squishy balls that she normally plays with, so I grabbed

I headed over to my local Dollar Tree for some $1 noodles.

I grabbed 4 of them as I wanted to have plenty in the pool, but enough room for her to play around in it too.

And then I saw a $1 mesh laundry bag. It would work perfectly as a storage bag for the noodles when we were not using them. It was a great size and it would allow the noodles to dry out too as it was a mesh bag.

And it made it a $5 project!

Step 1: Buy 4 noodles & bag.

Step 2: Cut noodles into 3″ long piece.

Step 3: Put noodles in pool.

Step 4: Have fun!!

She loves playing around with the noodles!

She would take them in and out of the pool. And, most of all, splash around like crazy. Autumn would push them and then watch them bob around atop her little waves.

A great little project!

Dear Autumn @ 20 Months

July 21, 2015

July 2015

Dear Autumn,

Oh what a month!! It has certainly had it’s up’s and down’s. Thankfully, more great and wonderful moments than he crummy ones.

The month started off poorly for you with your double ear infection. My poor babe! Your high fever just beat you down. It was so rough to see you so sad and miserable. At least you were cuddly to me. You’re so guarded with your affection, like me, that I’ll take what I can get!

And, now, it’s ended on a rough note for us as you have basically taken so many steps back in that you have been protesting going to bed recently. It makes you grumpy, sad, and frustrated, which makes us grumpy, sad, and frustrated. I’m hoping

So while there have been a few rough patches this past month, there have been such wonderful things too!

We went to Maine for a long Fourth of July weekend. It was a blast and you just loved it. We made a point of it to spend as much time as possible outside as you loved it so much. You played in the dirt and tried toddler golf in the yard with Daddy.

Your lanuage skills have really taken off! It always amazes us at how much you are grasping in what we are saying and how you communicate back to us. You are learning English and Spanish beautifully. Generally, you speak in English with us but you have your favorite Spanish words for things, like ‘Milk’ is ‘Leche’ and ‘Tomato’ is ‘Tomate’, which you call ‘mate’. I can’t wait for you to keep learning more and more!

Lastly, you went pee-pee on the potty. OMG! I just about exploded with excitement when you did it for the first time. I think I spooked you but it was worth it. In the week since then, you have done it a few more times. It makes us to proud that you are getting the concept of going on your little princess potty so quickly. We think that you’ll just keep getting better and better about notifying us before you need to go, rather than afterwards, to keep progressing forward with it. yay!!!

It’s the summer, so we’re enjoying the nice weather, so our evenings are filled with walks with Kemper and the weekends are filled with play time in the kiddie pool. It’s the best time of the year and I’m loving enjoying it with you!

I’m looking forward to the next month to continue to watch you grow, learn, and just be so super silly.

I love you so much!

Love,

Mommy

Dear Autumn @ 19 Months

June 25, 2015

June 2015

Dear Autumn,

Every month is such an adventure. This last month is no different.

Not only have we hit some big milestones with your development, we had a big family milestone… Mommy and Daddy got married!!!!

Oh my goodness, you were the cutest little bug at the wedding last weekend. You looked darling in your little yellow dress and pink shoes. You panicked right before Mommy was going to walk down the aisle with Poppy so instead of you walking down on your own, you walked down with us. It was so cute to do it together, even with you yelling ‘ball!!!’ over and over again when you saw the paper lanterns hanging from the arbor. Oh goodness, too funny.

You have such a strong personality, that you express well. You know what you want, and when you want it, which usually is right that very second. ha! You like to be outside, read books, and eat.

It amazes us how much you like to eat, and how much too. You try to climb up the highchair when you are hungry. Such a little monkey! You now say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ when prompted, especially when you want whipped cream. You go nuts for it. There was a night when you were not accepting the fact that we ran out. Oh the crying!! At least you enjoyed all the Chinese food at the rehearsal dinner. You ate so much soup, everyone was impressed.

You’re currently getting a tooth and it has made you such a grump! Poor baby, I feel so bad that you are in pain from it. I’m hoping there will be a bit of a break from it after this so you can get comfortable again. At least you were a champ at the dentist earlier this month. The iron supplement you take was staining your teeth so we went to the dentist for your first visit and she was sooooo impressed with how well you did. You sat on my lap quietly while you had your teeth counted and cleaned. You liked the air and the suction too. It was so nice that it wasn’t a scary experience for you, in fact, that you enjoyed it.

I can’t wait for this next month with you. The summer is going to be great!!

Love,

Mommy

Happy Father’s Day 2015

June 21, 2015

Happy Father’s Day to all the wonderful dads out there!

I hope you enjoyed the day. It’s such a great day for families and dads.

I saw that Fenway Park has an event for Father’s Day so we headed over there to check it out. The plan was to walk on the warning track, but since it was raining, it was not permitted but they had other activities for the kids and dads like guys making balloon animals and caricatures.

We’ve been in Boston for all of these World Series wins! 2004! 2007! 2013!

Autumn was really excited to see Wally and his dad, hence the pointing. However, whenever we approached them her little body would go stiff and I’d feel her legs clench tight around me. The panic would take over. Once we backed up and she was happy again watching them interact with the other Fenway Park visitors.

Oh man, the cutes.

After vising Fenway, we went to Rattlesnake Bar and Grille for lunch. It’s one of our favorite places in Boston. The food is just so good, which is why we have been going for years and years. And, let’s not forget that I had a drink featured on their menu too. Woohoo!

While the rain messed up the plans to walk on the warning track, and Autumn was grumpy from her double ear infection, we still had a wonderful time has a family.

Love you Price/Dada!

Our Little Picaso

June 2, 2015

She may eat more paint than she gets on a page, but everything she paints is a master piece.

It rained most of Sunday so we were forced in for the afternoon. Autumn likes to paint so I pulled out the stuff to give us an afternoon activity.

I’m looking forward to doing more activities like this in the future. Maybe when she can just take a dip in the kiddie pool next time. Might help wash off the messy face of hers!

How to Successfully Cruise with a Infant or Toddler- Tips and Tricks

May 29, 2015

How to Successfully Cruise with a Infant or Toddler- Tips and Tricks: Helpful tips to make your next cruise with your kids fun and easy. Knowing the best approach for traveling, dining, and packing will make your vacation so fun for the whole family. Happy Sailing!

When Autumn was 14 months old we took a family cruise in the Caribbena on Royal Caribbean’s Vision of the Seas. We cruised out of Tampa in January 2015 was a blast for all of us. It was a wonderful 7-day cruise that was packed full of fun. We had fun in the sun, shopping, eating plenty of food, lots of wandering around the ship, and some nice leisurely afternoons filled with naps (for all of us!).

We did A LOT of research before selecting our cruise line and itinerary. Ultimately, we learned that Royal Caribbean was in the process of outfitting their ships with nurseries. It felt like a no-brainer to have the nursery as an option for us to use so we then selected our ship, dates, and itinerary.

Check out our breakdown of the big things to consider when cruising with a baby or a toddler:

-Selecting your cruise-

It’s important to pick a cruise line, ship, length of cruise, and itinerary that works best for you. They are all import factors in you selecting the cruise you will take. There are so many cruise lines and itineraries that you can easily become overwhelmed. Stick with something that you think you will enjoy and be comfortable with.

Something that we considered was the age of our child and the services the ships provide for her. As she was too young to understand any of the Disney characters we decided to skip the Disney cruise. We felt the Royal Caribbean cruise would offer great things for us and for her. And we were right!

Something that we didn’t consider was if the ship would be tendered or docked at each port. After completing our cruise that had 3 tendered ports and 1 docked one, I am certain to say that tendered ports stink! You can manage but they require so much more coordination than if the ship is docked. You already have so much to juggle with your infant and your stuff for the day, that having to deal with the on and off and waiting for the shuttle boat stinks.

-Packing-

It’s quite amazing how much clothing you need while on a cruise! From the daytime stuff like bathing suits, shorts, tops, and sneakers, to the evening stuff like pants, blouses, dresses, and heels. And don’t forget the formal night(s)!

And then add all the stuff your baby needs… clothes, diapers, wipes, medicines, formula, pumping equipment, some toys, etc, etc!!!

Be mindful of all of this and carefully pack up all of this stuff before your trip. I don’t think you can truly properly pack for a cruise at the last minute, but, hey, that’s just me! So take your time and properly plan it all out before you pack it all up at home.

Once you get on board I highly suggest that you unpack your suitcase(s) so that you can easily find things and get around your room. We put one empty suitcase under out bed and one in the closet. It worked well for us, so just find something that works well for you.

Then pack as much stuff into your suitcases on your last night of the cruise. Have your suitcase(s) picked up outside the brought off the ship, directly into port for you. Pick it up before you go through customs. It makes getting off the boat so much easier.

-Laundry-

We used the laundry service a few times while we were on our week long cruise on the Royal Caribbean.

The first 2 times we used laundry we were charged by piece, similar to when you bring items to the dry cleaner. After that our room steward gave us a bag that had a flat rate to use as an option. See what laundry service and rates your cruise line has, ask ahead of time or ask your room steward.

-Swimming on the Ship-

Unfortunately, your little one can’t use any of the main pools. Kids have to be potty trained to use the pools. Some ships have baby splash pads, but the majority don’t, so plan for that.

This is a bummer, but it’s for sanitary reasons as cruise lines (with the exception of the Disney Cruise Ships) don’t have the proper filtration systems in place to deal with any poo accidents.

On some forums I read that people pack inflatable pools that they blow up with a plastic hand pump, or with a strong set of lungs!, that they use on their balcony. If you think that would work well for you then you might want to get a pool like this Intex Sunset Glow Baby Pool (34 in x 10 in) and a pump like this Hand Air Pump.

-Getting Around-

There are 2 main ways to bring your baby or toddler around on and off the ship: A stroller or a baby carrier.

We brought both an Ergo Carrier and an umbrella stroller that a coworker generously gave us. It was great having both options for our vacation. The stroller was great when we were in port because she could nap on the go.

We liked using a carrier when in the airport for hands free carrying. As well, he carrier is also great when you have to go to your muster station before the cruise starts. Getting around the ship with it is great as well, as there generally is a wait for the elevators. By using a carrier you can skip the line and just take the stairs.

We found that the stroller worked well for us when we were in port. It allowed us to get around quickly with Autumn by having her safe and secure. Plus, she was one less thing to carry as we had to pack well for the day in port. One of us pushed her and the other carried the gear for the day. That was a heavy bag of snacks, water, shoes, sunblock, a camera, and beach towels. While, it was a pain to push through the sand at the beaches, it as still helpful at the beach. It helped us keep out stuff together and out of the sand when we loaded it up when it wasn’t in use.

If you would like to use a stroller but don’t want to bring one yourself then just inquire if your cruise line has strollers for use, as Disney and Carnival do, for a deposit or daily fee.

-In Port/On Shore Excursions-

We didn’t participate in an of the excursions that were arranged through the ship. They sounded wonderful but the majority of them were too advanced for her. We did speak to another family that took their 2 year old on an excursion to see and swim with dolphins. They said she did well and enjoyed it, which was great for them, but the year difference between Autumn and their daughter would have made a big difference. Just do what works for you and your family.

Grand Cayman and Costa Maya were beach days for us. They were both wonderful, sun filled days. We made the days work with cab & shuttle rides to and from the port to the beaches. On the beach, we rented chairs and umbrellas that we either paid ($20- Grand Cayman) for or we free (Costa Maya) for use.

The other days were spent around port shopping and just walking around. Belize was the toughest day as it was our last port and it was so incredibly hot. But every port was great in its own way.

– Dining-

We all loved the food on the cruise! The variety of foods meant that she could try a lot of things, finding something that she’d like. Plus, there were things that she tried for the first time that she loved- like jello!

While everyone thinks there’s food 24/7, it’s not really the case. The restaurants and cafe are open at set times. Our daughter is an early riser, so we spent many mornings waiting for the Windjammer Cafe to open. We quickly learned that it was important to always have snacks available to ease the hungry toddler. Grabbing boxes of cereal, yogurt, and fruit when we left breakfast each day helped us get through snack time.

Our dinner servers were so awesome. They quickly learned how to make dinner run smoothly for all of us, including them! They always brought the bed basket over for her and we kept menu browsing time to .2 seconds. This help her satisfied and got our food out quickly. It was a bit rushed but it all worked well for us so we could all enjoy food.

There were nights when we just knew Autumn would be content with some bread and yogurt. Then there were other nights when we ordered her an appetizer or soup. I was a bit hesitant to order her any food but our server kindly reminded us that we paid for it so we might as well. There were nights when she loved what we ordered and there were nights she hated it, and then were were the nights she ate what I ordered for myself. ha!

– Your Stateroom-

You’re room is going to be cramped, unless you have a suite or family room. That’s just the way it is when you have a small room and then add a pack & play.

As I was exclusively pumping, I needed a refrigerator in the room to store the milk. I called ahead, to speak with a Royal Caribbean agent who arranged that, along with our pack & play. Both are to arrive by 8pm the day you embark. In the rate occurrence it does take that long, it can make things tough if your child goes to be earlier (like ours), but be patient with your room steward as they are busting their butts that day.

I really suggest getting a mini fridge to keep your pumped breast milk/milk/formula, snacks, medicines, etc cold. We did need a chair removed from our room to make room for it. Unfortunately we couldn’t rip the built in sofa out to make even more room. ha!!

We kept showers quick because Autumn wasn’t used to taking showers, so they were a bit scary for her. It worked well to tag team the ‘event’. She would be in there with one of us, and when she was done we would hand her off. Then she would be dried off, diapered, and changed her, while the other completed their shower.

Typically, there is just 1 duplex in the room, so I suggest bringing a power strip (not a surge protector). With 1 outlet being dedicated to your mini fridge, and the other in use, while you’re pumping, you are unable to charge any devices while in the room then.

– Nursery-

We used the nursery on our Royal Caribbean Cruise throughout the week-long cruise in one way or another.

Babysitting was just $8 an hour, after 6pm, (January 2015) which certainly beats our $12+ rate in the Boston area. They had clean facilities and experienced staff who were excited to watch Autumn. Autumn loved the toys and movies they had playing and quickly took to the staff. Before we knew it, she was snuggling in their laps taking a bottle before bed while we were having dinner. Later we would pick her up, quietly walk to our room, and put her in the pack & play to complete the wonderful night.

Unfortunately Autumn was the only kid to use the nursery that week. It would have been great to have met other families while using the toys during the open play times.

The kind staff even gave us a bag of toys at the start of the trip. This allowed Autumn to have things to play with while we were in our room. We just returned it on the last day after lots of use.

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Our Top 10 Tips & Tricks To Successfully Cruise with a Baby or Toddler

–Avoid tendered ports. Tendered ports are no fun for anyone, but they are even less fun for you and your infant as you have to lug your stuff and theirs on and off the boat that shuttles you from the ship to the port. Plus, there is the wait to get on the shuttle boat, load it, and then unload it. Babies aren’t always the most patient creatures!

-Bring a compact umbrella stroller. This is helpful for getting around in port or around the ship. It’s great for on the go napping. Plus, the storage helps you keep your hands free too.

-Bring a baby carrier. This is great when you are attending your muster station drill, getting on/off the ship, and in port. Plus, we find them to be really helpful when you are going through the airport.

–Bring extra of everything! Pack more diapers, wipes, and formula than you think you would need. Better be safe than sorry. But be sure to pack efficiently too!

–Request a mini refrigerator for your stateroom. Call ahead of arrange this. This is a must if you’re formula feeding or pumping. Plus, it’s great for storing snacks.

–Request the staff to remove any furniture, if possible. Our room steward took out a chair for us as we were cramped with a pack & play and the mini fridge.

–Take portable snacks whenever possible. Grabbing boxes of cereal & fruit at breakfast is a great way to always have something on hand for when your in port or just around the boat.

–Use the nursery, if available. We found this very helpful and just awesome. We used their open play times and babysitting services.

–Try to maintain your typical schedule, especially for naps and meals. This worked well for us as the consistency was helpful for her to have some sort of routine.

–Go with the flow!! While you should stick to your child’s normal schedule as much as possible, if your kid doesn’t eat, behave, or sleep like normal, just remember how this is a new experience to them so just follow their cues to make it work for everyone.

– Bonus… Have fun!! It’s a cruise! It’s vacation! Always remember to have fun.

Scenes from Memorial Day 2015

May 26, 2015

I live for 3 days weekends. And Memorial Day is a great one. It kicks off the summer season. Plus, it has a great meaning and purpose. Honoring our past and current service members is so very, very important.

We met up with our friends Mark and Allie, along their kids Macari and Micheal, to spend some time together on Boston Common, the Tadpole Payground, and to get some lunch.

There were over 37,000 flags on Boston Common to represent the lives lost my service men and women since the Revolutionary War. It was quite stunning to see. The blanket of flags on Flagstaff Hill that leads up to Soldiers and Sailors Monument was quite beautiful and sad at the same time.

After the kids had enough of wandering around and climbing on Soldiers and Sailors Monument we headed over to the carousel on The Common.

Autumn loved it!!

She enjoyed the ride so much that she refused to let go for a bit. I basically had to pry her off her horse. I imagine we’ll have to go again and again one day. Oh the struggle! ha!

We then ventured over to the Tadpole Playground so the kids could play together and explore the big jungle gym.

Autumn took to Macari quickly and had so much fun going up and down the jungle gym complex. She happily took her hand to go up and down stairs, enjoyed getting carried around, and going down the slides together.

Once everyone had worked up a thorough appetite we headed over to Parish Cafe for lunch. We almost made it through the meal but the kids got antsy and wanted to stretch their legs outside the patio. They ran around the area by the flower planters, along the ramp to the neighboring church, and the sets of stairs to the church and adjacent apartment building.

By the time we parted ways just before 1pm, Autumn was filthy and exhausted. It was a sign of an awesome day.

Dear Autumn @ 18 months

May 21, 2015

May 2015

Dear Autumn,

It’s always amazing to me how much you develop every month. The big thing this month was how much better you have gotten at walking and talking.

You are walking more than crawling. In fact crawling is getting rarer every day. I swear you will be running soon. Well, you try, but it’s pretty wobbly and you fall. There are times when a slip is quite a dramatic event and there are other times when I think you will wail and you just pop right back up again.

You are talking up a storm now, and it’s just the beginning! Of course you say “Dada” and “Mama” to demand our attention, but there is so much more! You can say “Hola” and “Owl” really clearly. I love it. Water is “WaWa”. “Banana” and “Down” are really clear too. You’ve yelled at Kemper to “Stop”. But I think your favorite word is “MINE!” Oh dear, everything is yours, apparently. ha! And you think every dog is “Max” from your teacher’s dog’s name. So every time you hear a dog on our walk you yell “Max!” So cute!

Now that the weather is nice again, we have been taking daily walks. We either go right after I get you from daycare or after dinner. You help by pulling the hiking back carrier when I tell you to “Get the Backpack!”. We gear up and go on a walk with Kemper. You love to touch the trees and bushes as we walk by them. I tickle your legs and you try to tickle me back by hitting my arms and side.

We celebrated my 2nd Mother’s Day by going to the Make Way for Ducklings Parade in Boston. I really wanted to go last year but we kept it low key as juggling everything with trying to get you to nap and my pumping schedule felt too overwhelming to enjoy the day. And it was for the better as we really enjoyed the day and the parade. There were activities that you enjoyed playing it and you did a good job marching along the route in your cute little yellow tutu. Oh that tutu is the best! I am so thankful we had such a wonderful day together.

One of my favorite little moments this month was when I got you to give me some deep belly laughs all because of a balloon! We had been shopping at the dollar store and you were getting bored so I tied 2 balloons on your wrist. You just thought they were so cool!! When we were back home I took one and pretended it was wildly blowing away in the house. I hung on to it for dear life and ran around the house going “whoa!!”. You thought it was hilarious. So awesome.

This upcoming month is really special!! Mommy and Daddy are getting married!!! You have the cutest yellow dress that I can’t wait to see you wear. And, thankfully, your hair is long enough for little pig tails. I have been looking forward to this day for along time. I can’t wait for all of us to celebrate such a wonderful family occasion.

Love,

Mommy