On Flying with a Toddler

Flying with a toddler is a little like a root canal. It often has to happen, but it's something that is anxiety filled and painful.

(Plane watching)

Hendo and I have flown three times. Once, when he was a little under a year, to Peoria, Illinois (my hometown) for my best friend's wedding. Once, when he was a little over a year, to North Carolina to meet my grandparents. And, just last week to Peoria, Illinois for my little sister's 16th birthday.

(Eating the snacks the flight attendant brought him)

I'm pretty lucky. For the most part, I have the most perfect child that has ever lived. Henry is sweet and funny, and rarely fussy. However, the stress of flying is, well, stressful. Walking through an airport with a child, people look at you like you're carrying anthrax. Usually, we've been pretty lucky. We've sat around people who play peek-a-boo with Henry behind their seats. One woman even let us play a baby game on her iPhone. People adore Henry. He is a sweetheart, and it's kinda hard to be mad at him, even when he's fussy. But there's always the fear that I'm going to sit next to a bad egg. Let's pray that never happens.

(Flash Face)

For the most part, Henry's "melt-downs" on planes have been short lived. We've flown close to 12 hours now. I can honestly say, he's probably cried for a total of 20 min. He's never even full out cried, just fussed. Most people have come up to me afterwards and marveled at how "good" he was. I'm a lucky woman.

(My little angel got his wings)

This last flight was BLESSED. There's really no other way to describe it. I have no idea how I got so lucky. We flew out of Austin, TX at 6:35. We had a row of three seats at the back of the plane to ourselves. Hendrix was tired, but didn't cry. He simply sat on the floor, and played with a few toys. When we got off the plane in Dallas (it was only a 40 min flight), I went and changed his diaper. We then sat at our next gate and he watched planes, played with his car and ate some fruit.

Our flight from Dallas was delayed, and while we sat in our seat (we got lucky again and had 2 seats to ourselves), Hendrix made eyes at the stewardess and BLEW HER KISSES while she demonstrated safety procedures. For this, she brought us bags of Craisins and crackers. She was smitten. By the time we finally took of, Hendrix was asleep. He then proceeded to SLEEP THE ENTIRE PLANE TRIP. I know. Miracles happen every day.

Here are my "secrets to flying":

• Nurse/ make sure baby has something to drink or eat during take off and landing. Henry has never pulled on his ears during a flight, and I'm pretty sure making sure that has helped us.
• SIPPY CUPS/ SNACKS are a must. If you don't have time to get something, or forget it, ask a flight attendant the second you get on the flight. They're usually wonderful about keeping baby happy.
• New/ Different little toys. I usually stop by the dollar store/ Targets cheap bins before flying. I buy roughly $5 worth of new toys and BOY DOES IT PAY to have something he hasn't seen before to take out and surprise him with.
• A box of band-aides. My friend Brandy suggested this, and I honestly don't know what I would have done without them a few times. Baby can stick them anywhere (they'll come off easily), and the box itself can be fascinating.

So, there you have it. Tell me, what do you do to keep baby entertained? Have you flown? Any ideas to add? Any horror stories?

Hendrix's First Year

I've been meaning to post these pics for FOREVER. I bought this Pottery Barn frame for 4.99 at Goodwill at the beginning of the year...

I liked the frame as is, but it was pretty beat up and I am over dark wood (we have it all over our house). So, I sanded it down, and spray painted it with a neutral color:

I went back and forth deciding whether to have sepia toned or color prints in the openings. I ended up meeting somewhere in the middle. In iPhoto, I changed them all to "antique" and went with color. The sepia tone just looked odd, and let's be real, I've got to showcase those baby blues. Right now, the frame is sitting on my dresser. I love looking at it and pausing. My little baby is becoming less of a baby every day. It's so nice to have a tangible reminder of that.

Oh, and those chairs? They're future before/ afters! :)

2011 Resolution Check- in

Honestly? So far, so good. I've slipped up here and there, but I literally went into Target last week and came out with only food. That's right people. The unthinkable happened. I didn't buy anything, not even the adorable shirt I saw on sale for 5 bucks. I walked right on by.

Here, however, are some of the deals I've gotten at the ole' Goodwill:

These brand new DKNY jeans? 6.99... Also, they make my butt look amazing, if I do say so myself.

This basket? 4.99. I needed something big enough to corral all of Hendrix's stuffed animals, and this baby is PERFECT. I'm toying (pun intended) with the idea of spray painting it a fun color...

This Melissa and Doug puzzle? 1.99 ! :)

This Fossil purse? 4.99... I LOVE IT!!!!!

I've really been having fun shopping around for things we need/ want. It's also felt great to walk through a store and PUT SOMETHING BACK ON THE SHELF when I realize that I'm about to buy something new.

Some other stuff we're doing. Eric and I have started travelling to the RED BOX. Yes, we're a bit late to this obsession, but we've been eating in more (another way we're tightening our belt). So, after dinner, we put Henry to bed and reward ourselves with a flick. Both of these guys were pretty great by the way!

I'm selling some of Hen's old baby clothes on consignment. I drop the stuff off and as it sells, I can come in and either cash out my earnings or use them for a store discounted rate. SO AWESOME.

At the end of the day, I'm TRYING. I really am. I know that my "need to spend" is something that comes from a silly place, a place that is insecure and disillusioned about what really matters in life. It's something I know my resolution is helping me to take a hard look at. I was talking to my little sister, and she told me there was someone on Oprah who bought NOTHING for a year except food. They didn't see a movie, didn't even get a hair cut! What I'm doing is small potatoes compared to that, but it's a step in the right direction.

So, what direction are you headed? How have you tightened (or loosened) the belt this year? Could you go a year without spending?

we are all meant to shine, as children do.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”-- Marianne Williamson

It's probably semi-emo to put up that quote in association with these pictures, but I kept coming back to those words as I looked at these pictures, so why not?

I've been thinking a lot lately about how easily I become "dark." I have no problem complaining. Most days, my first reaction to stress is anger. I often have no patience at all for Henry's "curiosity." And I have a real problem speaking negatively about people. I can really be a "Debbie Downer"

You know what? I hate that. I hate that it is so much easier to be a lesser version of myself than the better one. I hate that I don't have an unending stream of grace and good will. I hate the thought of passing on a negative image of myself to Henry.

That thought is what helps me to stop and reflect. Every day, I see this little human soaking in the world and all it has to offer, unafraid. Henry trusts the world I create for him. If I'm happy, he's happy. If I go into something negatively, he feels that. It's the oddest thing. I can actually feel him mimic my mood. That is both terrifying and empowering. Hen makes me want to be the best version of myself, for him. If I am going to create his world view, don't I want him to see the world as beautiful and full? Don't I want him to be open and loving instead of closed and afraid? Of course.

He deserves that.

the great outdoors

Henry's new obsession is "OUTSIDE". When he wakes up in the morning? He gets out of bed, and goes straight to the door. He then proceeds to push on it, bang on it, and attempt to open it. Finally, he resorts to coming to me and saying, "Ah? Ah?" Which, I've gathered to mean, "Hey, Mom. You look beautiful this morning. Could we please open this door and start an adventure?" He's such a sweetheart.

It's freezing now, but lately, we've been going outside right after breakfast. We jump into the wagon, round up the dogs and take off:

We then round our way through the trails on the property. My father-in-law has been lining all the trails with rocks, and installing bird feeders and houses. The property is starting to look like a park. It's really a slice of heaven here. Henry points to different things, asking me to tell him what he's looking at, "Well, Hen, that's coyote poop! That's a tree branch that could take out your eye!"

Henry is an explorer. He picks EVERYTHING UP. Sometimes, he lays out on the ground and scoops up the dirt beneath him. He is unafraid and a true BOY.

If I can be honest, I don't know what it is about myself that has been avoiding the outdoors. Maybe it's from living in the city the past few years? I used to be a camp lifeguard. I would drag kids half a mile through the woods to go canoeing on a little murky pond. But, lately, I've been a homebody, only going outside when it was necessary, or when food was involved. I think Henry's put an end to that old game.

new project.

I'm working on a little project, something to have up in the house to remind me that time flies. It's insane to see the progression of Henry's smile, his hair, his attitude. He's a little boy now, toddling around, exploring the world. He used to be curled up inside of me, mine only, knowing only my voice. Now, he's discovering his own voice, carving out his own place in the world.

in the womb.

newbie

3 months

I'm getting better at appreciating the new role I will take in this next chapter of his life. I have a ridiculous urge to hold him back, to stop him from growing. That's unhealthy, for the both of us. My little guy is growing up, and it's up to me to help him do that in a free, nurturing and safe environment.

6 months

9 months

1 year

Oh, Hendo. You have no idea what you put this heart of mine through, but I promise I'll get better at letting you get older. It was a losing battle anyhow.