We made it, we survived! Our first airline flights with Tate were a success, defined as no meltdowns for child or parents!

Thank you for all the great advice you offered in the comments of my Travel Tips Needed post. Being that it was a shorter flight, we didn’t need a movie, although the laptop was ready to go. Opening presents was the biggest hit – there were books, Matchbox cars, a pair of sunglasses, stickers and animal crackers. On the return flight, he loved watching the videos from our trip on my digital camera.

My flight attendant friend, Sarah, suggested bringing a wide variety of snacks, which were also very popular. Our lovely Delta attendant gave me both peanuts and cookies, without my even asking. She also gave Tate a really cute “First Flight” certificate, signed by she and the captain.

I’m SO glad that we brought the stroller, as several of you advised. The long walk to our gate would have been reason enough, but he also fell asleep in it while we were waiting for our rental car. Well worth it, and a nice way to transport some carry-on luggage as well.

I bought an animal backpack/harness from Target, although I only used the leash part for about 5 minutes. It was still worthwhile as a distraction – he loved snuggling the monkey and making “ooh, ooh, ooh” sounds.

A few final tips: One that I learned from the Flying with Kids site is to ask the flight attendant which bathroom is best for changing diapers. Ours advised us not to use the one towards the front, as it was much smaller. Another, from my friend Sonya, is the site SeatGuru.com -simply select the airline and plane type (listed on your ticket confirmation) for a heads-up on which seats/rows are good or bad.

Our next travel adventure begins in a few days, as we’re off to Chicago for the BlogHer conference. What is normally a less-than-seven-hour drive will certainly be longer with Tate. Any roadtrip tips for me? Please?!

We’re going to family camp with my husband’s family this month. It’s in Colorado, and this will be our first flight with Tate. I’m a little nervous…

He’s just so rarely willing to sit still, and doesn’t seem to ever fall asleep in our arms like in his younger months. So I need your help- what are your best tips for travelling with a toddler (17 months)?

I was really excited about these travel activity packets from Ohdeedoh until I realized that they’re for slightly older kids. If that’s what you’ve got, they have options for ages 3-5 or 6-8.

An idea that will work for us is from Susan Willis, writing at EZines: bring some new toys, but go the extra step and gift-wrap them. I’m sure the extra time it will take him to open them will be well worth it!

How about this tip for sanity, or at least a laugh, from Flying with Kids: “Wear spunky clothes and dark glasses so that other passengers think you are someone famous enjoying quality time with your kids.”

I’m planning to get some sort of leash/harness for the airport. Should I also bring our stroller- would it be worth the hassle, and do I need to check it?

Anything you can tell me will be greatly appreciated, even if it’s something that did NOT work for your family!

Photo Courtesy:
Ma1974

Midway through my pregnancy, I went journal shopping. I was considering colors and textures when it occured to me that 9 months (or about 5 at that point) worth of my thoughts would not fill an entire blank book!

Then I realized that this book could be used as a place to record my baby’s milestones and the cute things he or she would someday say. Not knowing if the baby would be a boy or a girl, and not really wanting something babyish in style, I finally chose a simple black Moleskine book. 

I didn’t know it at the time, but there are (of course!) specific pregnancy journals out there. Expecting You, The Belly Book (my friend Dawn had this one; I love the space for a photo each week), Getting to Know You, Butterflies & Hiccups and My Pregnancy Journal are some of the options I found. Each one has a specific approach, so the online reviews are helpful. 

My first journaling challenge was deciding how to address my entries. My frame of mind was writing letters to my unborn child, so my first instinct was to say “Dear Baby”. Then I realized that by the time the pages would be read, he or she would no longer be a baby. I finally settled on “Dear Beloved” and now of course I use “Dear Tate”.

Another mental hurdle was references to family members. Our parents were suddenly the grandparents, siblings were aunts and uncles. Strangest of all was referring to my husband as Dad.

I ended up journaling about once a month, recapping the events in our life, what we’d learned at doctor visits, name ideas, etc. Looking back, I wish I had written a little more frequently. And specifically, I wish I had captured more of my emotions and thoughts. Whereas I usually took quite some time with each entry, I think a brief sentence or two every few days would have encouraged more “here’s where I’m at today”-type records.

At Chasing Cheerios, Melissa suggests filling a Journal Jar with slips of paper that prompt you to write on a certain topic. What a fun motivation that would be! Did you keep a pregnancy journal? Please share any hints you have!

Last summer, Tate and I had a little morning routine of watering the garden together. Carrying him on my hip, I’d soak the vegetables before they could get blasted by the daytime sun.

This year we have the same routine, but Tate gets to participate a little more. Well, at least he’s not stuck on my hip. He’s gotten brave enough to walk in the grass (veering off the nice flat driveway was scary at first), and realized today how fun it is to stick your hands in front of the hose.

At Grandma’s house, though, he REALLY got to help. He could help her pour from the big watering can and we also turned an empty vegetable oil container into a Tate-sized can. 

Notice that he’s wearing 2 different “outfits” in the flower-watering pictures. That’s because my mom and I watched him pull the FULL watering can off the kitchen counter and onto the floor. Thankfully it didn’t land on his head! Either one of us could have stopped him in time but didn’t think he’d be strong enough to pull it down.

Now we know. And now her floor is clean, even under the oven drawer.

How do you get your kids involved in gardening?

Before Tate was born, I had great plans to teach him sign language as soon as possible. I ordered a book online and was encouraged to learn that signing helps children speak sooner and increases their IQ, in addition to the obvious communication benefits.

The authors of this particular book have developed a signing vocabulary for babies, using simple gestures they can master. Some are the actual American Sign Language (ASL) signs and some have been specifically created.

Tate was less than 6 months old when I first got the book, so I just skimmed it, thinking I would read it in more detail when he was a little older. (9-12 months is the age when most babies show interest in signs.) My husband of course wanted to know how to sign “poop”. We found it amusing that this most common of baby needs didn’t make it into their list of Top 100 Baby Signs, but “hippopotamus” did!

We started off with the mealtime basics “more” and “all done”, although I rarely used the former since I didn’t feel like putting down his bowl and spoon between each bite to do the two-handed sign. He eventually picked up “all done” but that didn’t exactly give us a huge range of parent-child communication.

After one particularly frustrating day of not understanding what Tate wanted and needed, my husband begged me to order the signing DVDs that our sister-in-law had been raving about. I decided to check them out at the library first, to see if we liked them. We were soon singing and signing along with Rachel. Okay, when I say “we”, I mean “me”. Tate liked watching the kids on the video, but I was skeptical that he could actually pick up any signs.

At a minimum, I figured that the videos were a good way for me to learn the signs. I tried to reinforce them as we encountered the words throughout our day – while reading books, playing with toys, eating, etc. Then one day I asked “Tate, can you sign ‘book’?” and he did! I couldn’t believe it. The one that really floored me was “friend”, a more complicated sign with pointer fingers interlocked, first one on top, then the other.

We’ve gone through the first 2 DVDs now, and he knows 12 signs. I love understanding him more and just having a connection. Even when it’s not something essential, it’s fun to sign “bike” together when we see a biker go by. He seems to get a kick out of it too.

His favorite sign is “dog” and he excitedly pats his hip whenever we see one outside or in a book. If I’m holding him and he can’t access his hip, he’ll reach down and pat mine instead. While we were visiting family over Easter, Tate signed every five minutes or so to remind us that they have a dog.

I can’t really say enough good things about signing in general, and especially these DVDs. I see on their website that there’s a set designed specifically for babies; we’ve been using the regular Signing Time series. Because this series uses actual ASL signs, some seem a bit complicated for Tate at 14 months. As I mentioned, though, he adapts and I generally know what he’s trying to sign.

Who else is using sign language with their children? What’s worked or not worked for your family?

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Welcome to Notes from the Nest! If you’re visiting via the Ultimate Blog Party at 5 Minutes from Mom, thanks for stopping by. I’m Kara and it’s nice to meet you! 

I blog about raising my son Tate, along with flashbacks to my pregnancy. My favorite part about blogging is the chance to share both the funny and the frustrating with others who are on the same journey. 

My husband and I are both firstborns, but admitting that you have a problem is the first step, right? The good news is that all of our siblings are not  firstborns. Thankfully they’re willing to babysit Tate so that he has some good role models for breaking rules. (But please, only small rules, Uncle Mickey?)

We live in Minnesota. Yes, it gets very cold in the winter. No, my son’s first words were not “yah, sure, you betcha’!”. Actually, they were “mom”, “dad” & “hot”- how’s that for irony?

So, that’s a little about me. If you want to learn more, take off your coat and stay awhile! 

If you’re a regular NFTN reader, make sure to check out 5 Minutes for Mom and especially the Ultimate Blog Party. You’ll find links to lots of great blogs and a chance to win fabulous prizes too.

For instance, I’d love to win:
53 – Signing Time Parent Success Kit from Two Little Hands Productions
89 — $100 gift card to HomeGoods from HG Openhouse
USC 70 — Organic Nest Egg take-a-long pillow from ,Blessed Nest
I’d also be interested in 58, 69, 19, 21, 22, 23, 27, 7, 91, 93, 102, USC16, USC70, USC15, USC30, USC66, 46 USC40, USC73 or USC12.

I hope you enjoy the party!

Did you know that dialing “999″ is the same as “911″?

I know that. Now.

Was anyone else a fan of ”Choose Your Own Adventure” books when you were little? If I were to write one about today, it might go like this…

Tate loves to play with his mom’s cell phone. She thinks it’s cute when he puts the phone up to his ear like he’s talking. In the back of her mind, she knows she should probably start using the keypad lock function on her phone, but has never actually done it. One day, Tate was playing with his mom’s phone and started pressing the “9″ key.

Turn to page 17 if Tate’s mom had her back to him, checking email while he was playing with her phone.

Turn to page 24 if Tate was sitting on his mom’s lap while he was playing with her phone.

Page 17: Tate played with the phone for awhile longer, then dropped it on the floor so he could pull the pieces out of a puzzle. He looked up in surprise at the sound of a loud siren outside. His mom picked him up so they could look out the window and watch the police cars and fire trucks drive by. To her surprise, they stopped on her street, and then ran up to her door. She met them there, puzzled by the news that someone had called for help from her home. Eventually realizing what must have happened, she agreed to pay the fee for the emergency crews that had been dispatched.

Page 24: Tate’s mom noticed that he was pressing keys, and hit the “end” button on her phone. She had to hit it a few times before it worked, and suddenly the words ”Emergency Services” flashed on the bottom of the screen. What?! He just dialed a bunch of 9s, no 1s, NO 1s!!! Finally, the call ended and no one had picked up on the other end. Phew- that was close! She set the phone down and started reading Tate one of his favorite board books.

After a few minutes, her phone rang. Although it wasn’t a familiar number, she answered. The voice on the other end said “This is Emergency Services; we just received a hang-up call from this phone number. Is everything okay?” Tate’s embarrassed mom explained what had happened, apologized and thanked the dispatcher for following up.

Thankfully, the latter adventure was ours today! There have been countless times in which I’ve given Tate my phone as a toy, so that I could get something done. The chances of him putting together a 9 and two 1s seemed pretty remote. I figured the worst he could do would be hit a speed-dial number and get to talk to one of my eight closest friends or family members.

Lessons learned:

• Should I ever be in a real emergency, at least in this area, I can dial “999″. Much easier to use just one key!
• TODAY is a good day to set the keypad lock on my phone.
• Never underestimate what mischief a curious child can create, even when you’re nearby.

Who else has a good “adventure-that-you-wouldn’t-have-chosen” story to share?

Photo Courtesy:
lemoncat1

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Before I became pregnant, I thought I’d be one of those people who took profile pictures of their pregnant stomach every week, or at least every month, to see the progression. When I was pregnant, though, I never got around to it. I don’t have any pictures showing my bare pregnant belly, actually. The morning I went into labor it occurred to me that I should take one, but then, well, labor got in the way!

Something else that I think is really cool is having a professional photo shoot during your pregnancy. Several of my friends have done this, and the photos are beautiful!

I’m discovering though, that photography is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of commemorating and celebrating your pregnancy. 

I found some very artistic pregnancy body casts from Belly of Love in Australia (pictures below). Several US companies also offer do-it-yourself kits. At Original Belly Works, after you’ve created the mold of your belly, you can paint or decorate it yourself, or ship it to their artists for the finishing touches.

If you have older kids, try a little art project to get them excited about the upcoming birth: Tutu’s Bliss let her daughter finger-paint on mommy’s pregnant belly! Visit her site to see the pictures – wouldn’t that be a cute big brother/big sister shot to put into a baby book?!

Or maybe you want something that requires less clean-up? Try a temporary tummy tattoo! The options in the packet from Proud Body are all pregnancy-themed, from the Chinese character for mother to “One Hot Mama” surrounded by flames. For me, it would be worth $6.50 to look down and giggle at my stomach when pulling up my elastic-waisted maternity pants in the morning!

Are you doing anything artistic or creative during your pregnancy? Share your ideas with us!

Photo Courtesy:
Torsten Mangner
www-bellyoflove-com

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Tate has been verrrrrry clingy lately, wanting to be held a lot. He’s also very inquisitive, noticing and wanting to explore lots of things, many of which are off limits to him. A whiny uh-uh-uh sound seemed to be constantly coming from his mouth, with arms reaching up to be carried. Or if I was already holding him, he was reaching out to touch something. It was getting a little old, to be honest.

Stay with me, I’m veering off here, but it will all tie together eventually… I mentioned in the first year recap post that Tate loves to be a helper. It all started when I read about a study revealing that toddlers have empathy for those struggling to complete a task, and want to help them. (Now I can’t find this article, please let me know if you know the source!)

I thought, why not give it a try? Instead of saying “no” so often, while trying to get things done around the house, I tried to include Tate in my projects. We started with closing the cupboard door or dropping an empty box into the recycling bin. He got into it right away, and we’ve found more things that he can do.

For instance, after he finishes eating, I wipe his hands and mouth with a wet washcloth. As I’m finishing, he starts kicking his legs in anticipation because after I get him out of the high chair, we walk over to the sink and he tosses in the washcloth. He seriously jumps in my arms, he’s so excited to get to do this.

Sometimes this new helpfulness backfires, like when he thinks he can help me crack eggs. Salmonella fingers, yum! Or after I wipe his nose, he gets upset if we don’t get up immediately and walk over to the garbage can to throw away the kleenex. Likewise if he picks something up and I say “that’s Daddy’s shoe (or phone or letter or whatever)”, we HAVE to go bring it to Daddy right away.

We’re visiting my mom this week. She figured out that Tate would hand her clean dishes and silverware from the dishwasher, so I snapped a few pictures. As I was re-loading the dishwasher, he grabbed some of the silverware. I wiped the peanut butter off his fingers with a washcloth and of course he wanted to have it. This time, though, he dropped to the floor with the washcloth and started scrubbing! Thankfully I still had the camera nearby, because I hardly believed my eyes.

Honestly, how does a one-year old think to wash a floor on his hands and knees?! He certainly doesn’t see me do it very often. And does that mean that those clean-freak genes are hiding somewhere in his father as well? 

So while Project Helping was initially started to minimize Tate’s whining, it may turn out to have some lovely side benefits regarding the cleanliness of our house! I’m also finding others who involve their young children in household chores. Jennifer at Fruitful Vine has her five and six-year-old sons helping out with all kinds of things. She also shares this link for age-appropriate chores from Lisa Metzger.

What do your kids do to help around the house? If they’re older, are their chores tied to an allowance?

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Around six inches of snow fell here this past Friday night. My husband had to work all day on Saturday, so Tate and I were moping around, feeling housebound with long hours stretching ahead. Okay, the moping part was only me. I know it wasn’t my husband’s preference to work, but that didn’t stop me from feeling sorry for myself, all alone on a Saturday. 

My pity party reminded me once again of this great article from Parents magazine. It’s written by a single mom who’s sick of hearing her married friends complain about what their husbands aren’t doing, or aren’t doing the right way, when she would love to have a parenting partner- especially one that loves her and her baby! A must-read!

Anyway, I decided it was worth the effort to get Tate and myself bundled up in snow clothes so that we could go outside and play. I don’t quite have the timing perfected…it seemed wise to put on all of my layers first so he wouldn’t be sitting in his snowsuit too long and pulling off mittens, but then I got all sweaty wrestling him into the snowsuit, and had to de-layer myself a bit. Once both of us were sufficiently bundled, we headed outside.

When we all went sledding on Christmas Eve, Tate got a big kick out of crawling around in the snow. I thought maybe he’d just play on the deck a little while I shoveled the sidewalk. Much to my surprise, he just sat there in exactly the same spot the entire time. This is not a kid who generally sits still for anything. I think he was stunned.

Eventually he started to whimper so I plopped down next to him, realizing that playing in the snow was perhaps not an intuitive skill. It was too fluffy to pack together but I showed him how to make piles of snow, push it around, taste it, etc. Nope, he wasn’t having any of it, as this picture reveals. (Mom, if you’re reading this, I promise that the mittens were only off for a minute, so that he could feel the snow, and then we went inside!). I guess Minnesota winter must be an acquired taste.

Have any of you found fun things to do in the snow with your little ones?

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