First flight

I am so behind on things! Saturday morning Delanah experienced her first flight! The day started out with a twist...I was calm and Dave was stressed! Delanah was happy as a clam in the Ergo and actually fell asleep before we boarded :) Security was funny. I didn't have to take her out of the pack, but I was questioned about any food I might have had for her. I was questioned several times, each question getting more detailed...apparently they don't get many breastfeeding moms coming through because he couldn't believe I didn't have a bottle, formula or jar of food for her. Honestly "sir" (I swear he was like 22), I know what you're asking me, but no matter how many times you ask it, the answer is still no! I don't have any food! Geez! We must have been a sight walking through the airport. Delanah in her Ergo, my new Ergo backpack hooked on while I pushed a stroller that contained a camera in the bottom storage and a bag in the seat and Dave with his computer bag and holding our sandwiches....I wish I would have taken a pic! Our $10 travel stroller was a great buy and worked well for luggage moving through the airport (we did use the stroller in LAX for Delanah), but it is too short for Dave to push so it was all me!
On the plane Delanah was heck bent on trying to touch everything, and I was heck bent on her not! I slipped her into her baby b'air vest (which I connect to my seat belt so she is strapped in as well) and before we pulled away from the gate she was hungry so I slipped on my cover and nursed her. She nurse herself to sleep before we took off so I forced her paci in her mouth as we were barreling down the runway. Seriously, she was clamping her mouth shut so I couldn't gently put it in, this was shoved in! I just wanted to make sure the pressure changes didn't bother her. I also managed to slip the loop of her vest through my belt before we took off. You see, in other countries babies are allowed to be strapped in with their vest for take of and landing, the FAA though apparently feels that it's not okay to secure babies in while barreling down the asphalt. Well, when is the last time you've seen someone ask a mom to remove her nursing cover and baby so a lap can get looked at? Devious, yes, but my baby was secured!
She slept for an hour, yay!, but I was sitting awkwardly and my bum was falling asleep so I shifted and she woke up. Then it was a game of her trying (an succeeding) to touch all parts of the germ infested plane and mom and dad trying to disinfect her hands before they went into her mouth...fun game! She talked for a little bit, played with some toys and then eased her mommas mind and decided to demonstrate that she wasn't constipated from the sweet potato :) It was many minutes of toots and some foosh and me praying that we were going to land soon so I wouldn't have to try changing her in the airplane bathroom! She got hungry very soon after that, and then the seat belt sign came on again...thank goodness! With the sign on I had some guilt alleviated about not getting up to change her. I mean, who am I to go against the rules! Oh wait...the vest thing....well, who am I to go against the seat belt sign?! Landing went well and Dave ran block for us so we could safely leave our row without bags raining down. No one mentioned how good she was :(, but there was an 11 month old traveling with just his mom a few rows up that let out periodic screams so I think everyone was focusing on him. I spoke with the mom in Denver (it's a new thing I do, I am drawn towards other moms and strike up conversations), I'm just glad they had a good flight, must be hard to do this alone!
Delanah and I rushed to the loo in the terminal and oh my foosh!!!!! She decimated her little g, got a little bit on her onesie and there was almost no place for me to touch without getting poop on me. Sigh!!!! She felt better though! Down in baggage claim Dave changed her while I got to use the loo and all was good! You know, that's a perk of traveling with a child that hadn't occurred to me...it takes so long to get down to baggage claim that by the time you get there, your bags have already arrived! No waiting around for us!
We survived our first flight! I WAY over packed, but this was one of the reasons we took this trip, to figure out how to do things on the flights. There are some things I'd like to refine for the trip home, but I think we have a good idea on how to make things work :)

First food!!!

Today was a momentous day...Delanah is 6 months old! We had such a full day. It was beautiful out and we had the most wonderful walk, went to our breastfeeding group where we were the oldest baby, again, and then home to make her first baby food and her 1/2 B-day cake! Tonight sweet potatoes were on the menu....mmm..mmm..good :) I think I made them a little more runny than I should have, but hey, it was my first time!
Now picture it....decked out in her bib, anxiously awaiting whatever was in the bowl, slight opening of the mouth for the first taste...a swallow...then...oh my! She loved it! Picture a bird in a nest with the mouth open awaiting a worm...that was my girl! She would reach out for the bowl and spoon and when we would set the spoon down to get some dinner ourselves, she would fuss until she got more! Chow horse! It was just too cute! Put to rest my fears that she wasn't ready for it.
Okay, I admit it, I wasn't ready for it! I mean, since birth I was her only source of nutrition and I've done a pretty good job :) We are going to slowly introduce her to solids, I don't think we're going to try anything while in CA, and gradually increase things. I am sure I will enjoy the break a bit, especially when those darn teeth come in, but I am already afraid of what's going to happen when she is weaned. Nursing is our time right now. It's something no one else can do with her and I kind of like that. Oh, my baby is growing up!

Stinkin' teeth!

So, Delanah has no teeth, yet, but man are they wreaking havoc in this household! She has been having complete meltdowns periodically during the day and at night. Sleeping through the night? Sure, but not like she was. As I was sharing my sob story with some mommy friends yesterday (all with older babies) they all agreed that it sounded like teething.
This morning was our 6 month photo shoot. Hoo-boy! I am SO glad our photographer is a friend! We got some great shots, but then meltdown city! We think it was her teeth and I felt like a horrible mom as I had not gotten teething tablets or brought tylenol with me for her. Dominique brought down some teething tablets for her and seriously, within a few minutes she was calm and within about 15 min she was asleep. Poor thing was in pain!
Tonight it was another hard time putting her down. We gave in and gave her some tylenol and it took awhile to convince her to sleep in her crib, but she's down! My poor baby!
I am feeling run down myself and need my child to sleep for me! I don't know what's going on with me, but I feel so tired that I could almost collapse at most moments. I fell asleep on the way home from pictures, and on the way downtown. I almost fell asleep during dinner as well...and yet now, with Delanah asleep, I cannot fall asleep. Oye!!!! I think I am over-scheduling Delanah and myself during the week and I need to start cutting back. This week we have 2 mom groups, one Tuesday and one Wed. I think we'll just hang out and take walks the other days. There are some things I still need to get before we leave this Saturday for CA, so I will have to choose one day for errands as well. Too many things to do and not enough time!

Hands

The many uses of a mom's hands....teething toy, diaper changer, spit-up catcher, nose picker, hair brush, interesting toy, tear wiper, soother, ear cleaner, comforter.... I never knew that my two hands could and would do so much for my precious little girl.