Olivia

Olivia: 9 Months

Stats:

17.6 lbs, 25th Percentile

27.5 inches, 50th Percentile

Size: 9- 12 Months

Tooth Count: 6 – 3.5 on top, 2 on bottom

Nicknames: Liv, Sneekle Freetzie, Bug, Kates (Like the second half of Baby Cakes… kinda weird, I know)

LOVES:

Puffs & Baby Mum-Mums

Geeeee

Watching other Babies and Kiddos

Grass, dirt, mud, & leaves

Going to the park – Exploring Outside

Klyde Warren Park

Playing with pumpkins

Water Bottles, Tupperware, Pots + Pans

Getting in the the refrigerator

Exploring faces via poking of eyelashes, noses, mouths. Loves wiggly tongues.

Toilet Paper

Zippers

Her “OLIVIA” blanket (From Miss. Jill)

Her WubbaNub Collection

Favorite Foods: Avocado, Peas, Carrots, Squash, Pumpkin… but especially Avocado.

Favorite Books: Rainforest Discoveries, Animal Kisses, All of the DK Touch & Feel Books

The poopy-toot song

Getting in to Dad’s sweaters

Playing in Durch’s water bowl

CRANKS:

Bows

Her Carseat

The Exersaucer

Having her Diaper Changed

Swallowing Medicine

Having Dangerous objects taken away

Swings @ the Park

Milestones:

First Halloween!

Trick-Or-Treating

Pulling-Up

First Ear Infection

First High Fever (102.1 degrees)

Waves and Points & Pinches to Pick-Up small objects (like Peas & Puffs)

Signs “All-Done”

Says “Mum Mum Mum,” “Da Da Da,” “GEEEEEE,” “Bye”

 Growing, Growing…

9 Months

Olivia: 8 Months  |  Olivia: 7 Months  |  Olivia: 6 Months

Family P: Give Thanks

A few more Thanksgivings from the Jar:

Today I am Thankful for… Being able to stay-at-home with Olivia

Today I am Thankful for…Being able to breastfeed with no complications

Today I am Thankful for… Clean Sheets and our BIG comfortable bed.

Today I am Thankful for… Hot Coffee.

Today I (Daniel) am thankful for… My Tiny Pliny

Featured Image Here‘p0

Family P: Give Thanks

A few Thanksgivings from the Jar:

Today I am thankful for… A supportive husband who will wake up with the baby when I have a migraine. Feed her Bananas. Change her poopy diaper and keep her happy until I roll out of bed.

Today I am thankful for… the happiest, most easy-going baby in the world. Who is easily entertained and independent but still loves to snuggle.

Today I am thankful for… my sisters – who are truly my best friends – who accept and love me for who I am and will always be there when I need them.

Today I (Daniel) am Thankful for… Family Lunches at Home

Today We are thankful for… Baby Liv Kisses, sloppy and wet, Love Bites included. Because they are the best.

Featured Image Here

Mom Life: Ain’t Nobody Happy (Sleep Diaries)

5:10AM Olivia is finally asleep in her crib… I think.

Am I asleep? No. I’m wide awake. Coffee Brewed. Googling… “Alternative to Cry it Out Method.” Several message board posts later – I feel horrible about ignoring my gut instinct to ALWAYS comfort my baby when she cries. I talked to our pediatrician, and consulted many friends about their experiences with sleep training and developing healthy sleep habits for/with their babies this past week. Everyone has an opinion about what works – but it all boils down to the baby. (I don’t think I like using the word BOIL and BABY in the same sentence).  I never really fully backed the Ferber-type method for sleep training; never judged those who did, just didn’t think it could work for me (and Olivia). Most of my friends made suggestions like, “quit nursing her at night,” and “let her sleep with you until she decides she’s ready to sleep in her own bed – cribs are prisons” and of course, the flip side, “you just need to let her cry it out!” We were at the pediatrician on Tuesday for an ear re-check when Dr. Diaz encouraged me to try the CIO method. She made arguments like, “It’s your responsibility to help your baby develop healthy sleep habits in the same way that it’s your responsibility to help them develop healthy eating habits” and “Babies cry, that’s just what they do.” I really couldn’t disagree with these statements more – It’s not like I’m encouraging POOR sleeping habits! and I certainly don’t think that letting your baby cry just because “it’s what they’re supposed to do” is acceptable. Babies cry because they NEED something – food, diaper, cuddling… etc. (We’re switching Doctors, by the way – more on that later).

OK – So I’ll set the stage. To help paint a picture of what the past few months have been like… and show you just how sleep deprived I am.

At around 6 months – Olivia’s sleep habits changed… and I have a feeling it’s mostly my fault. (This is where I do agree with owning the responsibility of developing healthy sleep habits.) Pre-6 month old Olivia would nurse to sleep in the evening, go down in her crib… wake up to nurse once, maybe twice, but generally sleep for 10-12 hours in two 5-6 hour stretches. During her nighttime feedings, she frequently fell asleep within a few minutes of nursing – a big sign that she probably wasn’t REALLY hungry, just needed a snuggle. Here’s what I should have done at this point – Slowly eliminate nursing at night, instead just rock, cuddle, sing her back to sleep. Instead, at 6 months, when I was so totally sick of the zombie feed, I started bringing her to bed with us, (BIG MISTAKE family cuddling is kind of the best) where I could roll over, nurse, then fall back asleep. Just as I was convinced that I needed to be the one to break this habit and let Olivia start sleeping in her own bed again… we had 4 straight weeks of cough cold/ ear infection/ cutting teeth… and my plan was shot. So here we are (Oct. 31)- a typical night (for the last 2 months) for us looks like this:

8:00PM I nurse Olivia then usually rock her for 15-20 minutes, sing, say prayers, etc. until she’s pretty much konk’d out

10:30PM We usually get to sleep – It’s really nice to have that extra couple of hours alone!

1:30AM (or so…) Olivia wakes up, I nurse her in the rocking chair in her room, then rock her for 15-20 (sometimes 30 minutes) then put her down in her crib… and her little eyes POP open… like, “BUT MOM! I want to sleep with you!”

2:00AM So I usually make a second attempt to get her to go back to sleep… Another 30 minutes of rocking… and I put her down… and her eyes POP open.

2:30AM Occasionally I make a third attempt – but usually I’m frustrated and tire by this point so I usually just let her come to bed with us – where I give her a pacifier and she crashes pretty quick.

3:30AM Somebody squirms, coughs or rolls over and Olivia wakes up – so I nurse her back to sleep.

5:00AM Daniel gets up for work, Olivia starts to squirm so I give her a pacifier and pray that she’ll go back to sleep.

5:30AM Still squirming, I make another attempt to feed Olivia thinking that it might help her sleep a little longer.

5:30 – 6:30AM I endure an hour or so of kicking and squirming… which gradually escalates to hair-pulling and poking (She really likes to poke my nose and eyes and stick her pointer finger in my mouth)…

so by 6:30… I get up.. make the coffee… turn on the news, pump, etc.

So basically, I get a 3 hour (or so) stretch of sleep, then am up for an hour and a half, then get another 2 hour stretch, then an hour and a half of “half-sleep.” NOT ENOUGH SLEEP. I do feel guilty that I don’t want to share our bed anymore with our squirmy baby. HOWEVER, “Ain’t Nobody Happy if Momma Ain’t Happy Rested.”

So last night. Actually… this morning. or today. We let Olivia calm herself back to sleep – I won’t really say we let her cry it out – because I definitely didn’t follow all the rules to Ferber’s method. We had a bit of an off night,  (Olivia boycotted her afternoon nap yesterday then fell asleep at 6:30 while we were out trick-or-treating) so we extended her bedtime a bit. When she woke up at 3:30AM (actually much later than usual!) – I went in and fed her, we cuddled for 30 min or so then I put her down with a pacifier (eyes popped open), tuned her mobile on (I don’t usually do this – but figured maybe it would help her drift off to sleep) and walked out of her room. She fussed a bit (not even real crying) for about 10 minutes then I let her cry or 5 minutes before I went in to find her standing in the crib. I gently kissed her head and helped her lay back down, gave her a pacifier, rubbed her tummy a bit, turned her mobile on and again walked out. Tears definitely welled up in her eyes (mine too) as I was going through the process… and she started to cry as I walked about again. I waited 15 before going back in and repeated the processes. When I walked out this time, I set my stop watch for 30 minutes… thinking, “there’s no way I’m going to be able to endure this!” –  but she cried for less than 5 minutes.. and that was an hour and ago.

So I’ve been awake since 3:30AM. Not the desired result but I do see more sleep in my future. And a more rested Momma (and Olivia) will make for a happier family. Stay Tuned for night #2 of “Healthy Sleep Habit Building”… that’s what I’m going to call it.

UPDATE: Night 2 was much easier… Olivia, again, woke up around 3:00AM – I fed her, rocked + snuggled her for a few minutes then put her down in her crib with a pacifier + mobile on. She cried for about 20 minutes (which was much less heartbreaking on the second night since it was more of a whine than a cry). I checked on her, rubbed her back for a minute or two then left her room. She cried for 12 minutes (I’d set my stopwatch for 45 minutes this time) before falling asleep. Again – she slept much later than she would have if she was in bed with us… until around 7:15AM. Go Liv!

 

Featured Image Here

Family P: Halloween Happenings

Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays. I guess, I get that from my Dad. He always made sure that Halloween was extra special for us growing up. We ALWAYS carved pumpkins together as a family in the garage, usually with Jimmy Buffet or George Straight tunes playing in the background. When our carved masterpieces were complete, we’d line up our pumpkins, have a grand lighting ceremony then admire our work from the street. Even through college, my siblings and I all continued to participate in this tradition – sometimes with friends or love interests in tow. When we were little(er), on Halloween night, my Dad would set up “Jack,” the giant (actually larger than life) stuffed gorilla, in the study window and playa creepy tunes through the intercom system to spook the trick-or-treaters. My family has definitely always been big on traditions so Dan and I are having a blast creating some new ones with Olivia’s firsts.

Needless to say… October is definitely my favorite month of the year. Maybe it’s the predictably beautiful weather (both here in Dallas and in SoCal)… or Pumpkin Spice Lattes, boots + sweaters… carving pumpkins, the texas state fair… Dan’s birthday, our wedding anniversary, halloween… it’s always a pretty eventful month in our house.

This year we celebrated our 2nd Anniversary (10/10/10) with a celebratory dinner at Sissy’s Southern Kitchen – followed by a night at the Texas State Fair. Even got to see Big Tex before tragedy struck. We’ve made several trips to the arboretum, a trip to the Flower Mound Pumpkin Patch, and enjoyed the gorgeous October weather – granted it’s been ALL over the place this year… 80s one day, 50s the next.

This past weekend, we had a bunch of friends over (for a VERY last-minute-non-party) to carve a few pumpkins, enjoy some festive food and watch a scary movie. I don’t know how it happens, but it seems that WAY too much time goes between getting our big(ger) group of friends together. (Thank You Brian Kress for pointing that out!) It got me thinking, I always blame our anti-social tendencies on the baby &/or tight budget – but in reality it’s just plain difficult to get everyone’s schedules and availability aligned. Dan and I debated for weeks on wether or not to throw a Halloween “party.” Then, just a few days prior – feeling slightly bummed that I STILL hadn’t organized anything… We decided, What the Heck! – NOBODY CARES if our yard is a mess, or our house isn’t totally spotless clean… What really matters is just getting together with good people… catching up, sharing a meal… and having a little fun!

;

Unfortunately, Daniel had to travel for work again this week and he won’t be home in time for trick-or-treating. Liv and I may make a spin around the block (Swiss Ave. is a pretty happenin’ place on Halloween) or we may call it an early night… just thankful that Halloween becomes a 2 week ordeal when you have kiddos… and we’ve already celebrated in lots of festive ways!

Ten MORE Things I love about October (And Fall in general)

1. Finally feeling legitimate about wearing sweaters + boots

2. Pumpkin Spiced Lattes + Pumpkin Bread

3. Wearing Daniel’s Flannels

4. Carving Pumpkins

5. Using the seat warmer in my car

6. Slippers, Sweatpants + Hoodies

7. Soup + Cornbread

8. Enjoying the crisp cool air outside.

9. Reminiscing while looking through our wedding “album”

10. Darker, earlier evenings… makes me feel like I’m staying up REALLY late.

;

;

;

Family P: Weekend REcap

Even as a stay-at-home Momma, I look forward to the weekends. Everything just seems better when Daddy is home; Liv and I are both happier. We’re really very lucky that Daniel + I enjoy our work as much as we do. Dan is finally enjoying the type of work he’s doing – most days his job is equally fulfilling as it is challenging. I obviously LOVE staying home and can’t imagine what life would be like if I’d returned to work after Olivia was born. Still, sometimes M-F seems like an eternity in comparison to the weekend blur.

This past weekend we actually got to sleep in a little bit. And by “both” I mean… He slept in on Saturday and I got up with the baby and on Sunday we swapped. Also – by “slept-in” I mean… 8:30AM. Mostly, I’m a morning person and my little 5AM alarm clock (A tiny kicking and giggling, co-sleeper) usually   doesn’t bother me at all… HOWEVER, lately, with the pitch black mornings… I’ve not been as happy to hop out of bed that early. On Saturday we started the day with Beer Biscuits + Bacon… always a good way to kick off the weekend. Olivia took a good long nap. Momma got an uninterrupted shower! We enjoyed a late lunch with Uncle Dallas at Stackhouse Burgers (Mentioned Here) If you live in the East Dallas area, I highly recommend giving it a try. Wonderful burgers (in my opinion, much better than Twisted Root), great salads, specials and sides. Definitely our go-to neighborhood joint. We enjoy the shaded patio, friendly staff and delicious food at least 2-3x a month. (Liv enjoyed the Avocado!)

Saturday afternoon Liv and I played on the floor of Daniel’s new office while he worked for a few hours then we spent a quiet night at home.

Sunday after church we made the trek out to Flower Mound to play at the Flower Mound Pumpkin Patch – Definitely glad we checked it out but will probably stick to a quiet(er) day at the arboretum next year. Closer, less crowded and 100% FREE for us as pass holders.

 

As uneventful as they are, our weekends lately are pretty much perfect.

Olivia: Bed Time, Best Time

In so many ways I really do believe that we were blessed with one of the BEST babies in the world. Olivia is generally happy, doesn’t cry or fuss much, nurses like a champ, is easily entertained, etc. HOWEVER – she still struggles with that whole sleep-through-the-night thing… Let me preface this quick rant awesome praise, by saying that I would NEVER trade her sweet temperament for 12-hour nights and that I LOVE LOVE LOVE our precious girl, even in the sleepless nights. That being said, bedtime is our favorite part of the day – maybe it’s the hope that tonight will be the night… the night that Olivia finally sleeps through the night.  I’m sure that day will come… hopefully sooner than later… until then, I’ll share the good.

Our evening routine usually starts after dinner, around 7. Olivia and I usually snuggle up in our big bed and read 3-5 books. These are our favorites:

Baby Einstein Rain-forest Discoveries – Here

Baby Touch and Feel Animals –  Here

Where’s Spot? – Here

Olivia – Here

Mommies Are for Counting Stars – Here

Book time usually lasts around 30 minutes, then Daniel takes over for bath time. I usually take advantage of the next 20 minutes or so and finish up the dishes from dinner, fold laundry, etc. Daniel LOVES giving Olivia a bath (with bubbles) – it’s kind of become their special alone time. After her bath, I spend about 15 minutes giving Olivia a little massage with our favorite baby lotion (Thanks Poppa G for introducing me to the good stuff!), brush/rub her gums, condition/brush her fuzzy head, get jammies on, etc.

Weleda Calendula Baby Lotion – Here

The Honest Company Shampoo + Body Wash – Here

California Baby Calming Bubble Bath – Here

Then we sit in the rocker and I say our prayers and sing a few songs while Olivia nurses… usually another 15-20 minutes. (She eats a TON at her last feeding of the day).

So total that up – Our bedtime routine takes anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour and a half. Although that sounds like quite the process – I think Dan + I agree… it’s a pretty great part of the day…

UNTIL…

11:30 PM rolls around – Dan + I have been asleep about an hour (If we’re lucky!)… and Olivia lets out a few mild complaints… Rarely resulting in rolling over and going back to sleep. Usually I go in – let her nurse for a few minutes… rock her for a few more, thinking “surely this will be enough to top-her-off and she’ll definitely make it though the night”

THEN…

3:30 AM… and she wants to eat again… Except this time… we rock for a few minutes, I put her down…and her eyes POP open… “Mom! I’m not asleep yet!” so we rock a few more minutes… and I try again. Occasionally she drifts back to sleep. More often than not… after the 2nd or 3rd attempt, I’m too delirious and/or keep rocking myself to sleep, so I just throw up the white flag and let Olivia join us in bed. Immediately – she crashes. What is it about our bed? (Actually I know EXACTLY what it is about the super fancy memory foam mattress is AWESOME and pre-baby gave me some of the best nights sleep I’d ever had…)

BEEP BEEP BEEP…

5:00 AM Daniel’s alarm goes off… always enough to wake me up… luckily, Olivia sleeps through it. Daniel tip-toes around, showers + makes the coffee… Olivia squirms (still mostly asleep) and wiggles kicks for another 2 hours… I TRY to stay out of her way… and eventually get up, get a cup of coffee… read, check email, etc. only slightly irritated that she’s still sleeping… and I’m NOT.

I know we’ll get there eventually… Until then, I plan on joining my napping baby at least once a day.

Happy Siesta,

XO

Momma Meg

Featured Image Here

Family P: Am I doing this right?

I must admit – I feel like I’m finally starting to get a hang of this whole MOM thing. Olivia has her first cough/cold this past week – going on 6 days of the snottiest and crankiest little Liv… No fever. Just snot. and LOTS of it. Standing in the hall bathroom (it’s much smaller than ours) with a steamy shower running and a tearful baby wrapped tightly to my chest – it hit me  – You’ve Arrived, Welcome to motherhood! Just as I started to feel completely hopeless, unable to do anything to soothe my miserable baby girl- she laid her head down on my chest, whimpered then closed her eyes and fell asleep.

Most rewarding are the moments when you just feel like, “I’m doing it right!” 

In the past 7 months I have become increasingly thankful for such an amazing support group of friends and family. They (Y’all – because lets just face it… y’all are likely the only ones following this blog) are my constant assurance that I am actually “doing it right;” that I am a good mother.  I want each of you to know how appreciated your words, advice, time, prayers, etc. are. Your support means so much to Daniel + I. We truly believe that it takes a village to raise a baby – Family and Friends alike – We feel incredibly blessed to have you and consider YOU part of our village. 

We are among the first in our circle(s) of friends to have a baby(ies). As much as we’ve made an effort to not let “having a baby” change who we are and what we love to do; there are some lifestyle changes that are inevitable. For the most part, our young married and single friends have been wonderfully accepting, understanding and accommodating as we navigate through this change. I’m reminded of this every time Olivia spits up on a girlfriend’s silk blouse and she pretends like it’s REALLY no big deal… or it’s overlooked when show up 15 min late but still have to leave promptly to catch bedtime… or when we bring a big embarrassing animal-print high chair cover in to a trendy upscale restaurant. I’m constantly juggling feelings of eagerness to have some of y’all join the club with understanding when dinner + drinks invitations taper and  still contentment with exactly the life we’d imagined (It’s unreal how insanely happy we are). Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to our amazing friends, who have not abandoned us because we had a baby, and became SIGNIFICANTLY more dorky than we were before.

Would also love to mention how grateful I am to have some good new-Momma friends, nearby and far away alike. I love knowing that y’all are out there for 2 am text messages or emails about diaper rash, spit-up and sweet potato puree. Ready and willing to answer the questions I’m too embarrassed to call my pediatrician about. It’s amazing how something a baby in common can bond you to someone instantly… Hope y’all feel the same.

Much Love,

Momma Meg

PS. I guess I get kind of sappy when Daniel is out of town. 

Mom Life: Starting Solids

Olivia is just a week shy of 7 months old – and should be well on her way to enjoying solid foods. I say should lightly because I don’t REALLY agree that babies should master certain milestones by certain ages. That being said, most parents begin to feed their babies solids around 4-6 months. Since we were in California when the clock struck 6-months… we delayed just a bit past the target window. Almost 2 weeks ago, at 29 weeks, we finally decided to take the plunge…

Many month ago, I picked up a copy of Tyler Florence’s “Start Fresh” and started planning. All along, I’ve known that I wanted to make Olivia’s food. Mostly, I’m concerned with the amount of preservatives and additives in even the organic varieties available on the shelves. Obviously, we also considered the cost-factor as well – knowing that it would be significantly cheaper to DIY. I love Tyler’s one-family, one-meal mentality… Kids should eat the same meal that the family eats for dinner. Mom WILL NOT make multiple meals to please multiple family members’ tastes. Very much aligned with the “You don’t have to like it, but you have to try it”  rule. His book includes recipes slightly altering “the family meal” for babies, toddlers and younger kiddos.

Buy Here

Totally in-line with our pediatrician, Tyler suggests starting with cereal (rice or oat) for the first few weeks then moving to veggies for the first month or so before introducing sweeter (more desirable) fruits. He suggests creating combos (adhering to the 3-day rule) after baby has mastered several foods, at around 9 months. His cookbook includes wonderful combos and stage II/III meals for older baby/toddler.

My daughter, who puts EVERYTHING in her mouth, and I do mean EVERYTHING, doesn’t want ANYTHING to do with food. Two weeks of our most desperate attempts to get Olivia to swallow even ONE bite… and she’s STILL completely uninterested.

We started with 3 days of Rice Cereal, then 3 days of Oat Cereal, followed by 3 days of sweet potatoes, 3 days of avocado and now we’re making our way through 3 days of carrots. I’m out of ideas…. Ready to call the pediatrician on Monday if things don’t turn around. OR give it a break and wait a few more weeks. I mean… what’s the harm? She doesn’t seem hungry, or cranky… and there’s lots of earthy-crunchy material suggesting that it’s perfectly healthy for babies to exclusively breast feed until 9-12 months.

Oat Cereal

Sweet Potato

Avocado

Believe it or not – we did start with a plastic bib… when she seemed more interested in eating it… it came off and I decided that Rice Cereal wouldn’t stain and I could easily just toss her outfit in the laundry… then came sweet potatoes… knowing that those might stain, we tried a cloth bib… after a week+ we’ve resolved to eating in the nude. Still followed by a hose-down in the sink…

Note: Ignore the fact that I still need to DIY a high chair cover… notice that even it got caught in the crossfire and ended up in the laundry before Avocado day.

COOKING GEAR: We decided against the uber fancy BEABA or Baby Brezza mainly because of the cost. When we put in perspective the span of time that we would be making pureed foods – it just seemed silly to invest. We even decided to forgo the BabyBullet  in favor of using the high end blender/food processor we own. With limited freezer space (we’re storing close to 500 ounces of frozen breast milk) I’m still unsure of the most compact way to store prepared food. We have some of the Oxo Tot 2oz and 4oz containers that I like (and will probably buy more of as I have 20% off coupons to BBB/BBB).

Interested in trying these Tovolo Silicone Ice Cube Trays too.

Recently I’ve done some more searching online and found some other great resources that are worth sharing…

Momtastic’s Wholesome Baby Food – A friend referred me to this site – Awesome nutritional information, suggestions on what foods to start with, recipes, etc.

Tyler Florence’s Sprout Organic Baby Food – Tyler Florence’s line of organic baby food + more recipes.

Mash Your Heart Out Baby Food – great recipe and combination ideas

 Featured Image Here

 

Family P: CALIFORNIA Adventures

Hard to believe we’ve already been home from vacationing in SoCal and visiting Family Gorham. Seems that we brought the <100 degree temps home with us – making the transition not quite as painful. After a productive week, readjusting to our “normal” routines, I’m finally taking the time to recap for our family records what a wonderful trip we had!  

I wondered, post-plane ride with baby, if I would have TONS of opinions, pointers, tips, regrets, etc. about traveling with Olivia… The truth is… I don’t really. I read quite a bit online, solicited advice from other mommas and spent over a week making lists and packing bags. A quickie top 10 I felt helpful during our 2-week adventure.

  1. Pack Light – bring only what you NEED on the plane – NOTHING more. (Diaper Backpacks are best – Our PPB converts)
  2. Babywearing is your friend – strollers are BULKY and not practical for traveling with a non-toddling baby
  3. Allow SOME extra time (get through security, to the gate, etc.) but not TOO much time that you’re just sitting around waiting longer than necessary.
  4. Nurse at take-off, Nurse at landing, Nurse the entire flight if your lil babe wants to. (Or Bottle, Sippy Cup, Pacifier, etc.)
  5. Bring some favorite + some new  toys, books, stuffed animals
  6. Make friends with the flight attendants – they’ll usually let you use their space in the back of the plane for diaper changes, etc.
  7. Rent, Buy resale, or borrow (if possible) as much as you can! (We Borrowed/Bought: Carseat, Stroller, Crib + Exersaucer)
  8. Your baby will likely have an easier time adjusting to a time-zone change than you will. Don’t Stress too much about adjusting!
  9. Buy disposables when you arrive – Diapers + Wipes (For our longer trip – we even bought lotion, sunscreen, soap, etc.) Do Laundry!
  10. Relax! Don’t stress too much about keeping on routine because before you know it, it’s time to go home!
Here’s the short and sweet edition –

TUESDAY – Tuesday morning we started the day early arriving just a little over an hour early for our flight DFW to SNA. Olivia – in true Olivia fashion – did wonderfully on the plane. Only mildly cranked and easily distracted on the 2.5 hour flight. Made a necessary first stop at Baja Fish Tacos then relaxed by the pool at Gramma + Poppa G’s house.

Getting on the Plane

WEDNESDAY –  Started the day at Mimi’s Cafe (Supporting my alma mater LHHS  by participating in Win Win Wednesdays) then took a nice long walk at the Laguna Niguel Regional Park

Walking at the Laguna Niguel Regional Park

THURSDAY – Enjoyed Olivia’s first unofficial trip to the beach (unofficial because there were no swim suits, towel, or actual salty and sandy adventures) at the Huntington Dog Beach. Got my annual (just kidding! Semi-Annual) haircut with my dear friend Kristina at Sweeter than Honey Hair Lounge.

Huntington Dog Beach

FRIDAY – Started the morning with a nature walk at Riley Wilderness Park in Trabuco Canyon – Safe to say that Liv LOVES nature. Afternoon naps and swimming in Grandma G’s pool finished with dinner on the patio… If there were a “typical” day – this was it. Walk/Hike, Nap, Swim, Nap, Eat

Nature Walk at Riley Wilderness Park

SATURDAY -Gramma G arranged for several of her closest OC pals to come over to Meet + Greet Miss Olivia. In true Gramma G fashion – this was a little bit MORE like a party – darling pink + yellow decorations (Emily made these – pinned Here and Here), brunchy appetizers and unnecessarily gracious gifties from the SoCal Aunties!  A bit overwhelmed by the stimulation, but overall did a wonderful job impressing the ladies – Especially Miss. Mav and her colorful dress.

Hand-me-down Rocking Chair from the Antone Family

SUNDAY – Went to St. Margaret’s to Church with Mom, followed by breakfast tacos at Las Golandrina’s then some quickie naps before heading South to San Diego. Safe to say, Olivia’s first trip to the San Diego Zoo was a huge hit. She LOVED watching the bigger animals – especially the giraffes (duh!), elephants, and hippos. We stayed just long enough to enjoy the cooler late afternoon/ evening weather before heading to the Westin Gaslamp district.

San Diego Zoo

MONDAY – After a better night than anticipated (Olivia actually slept 6+ hours IN THE HOTEL CRIB!) Gramma G and I ventured out in our PJs/Sweats in search of some Coffee and Breakfast Tacos while Auntie Em caught a few more ZZZs. Took the trolley over to Old Towne San Diego to explore a bit snagged a Chorizo + Egg Taco Here. After a quick stop in La Jolla for lunch + botox (Auntie Em’s migraine treatment) we headed back up to South County for an evening Harbor cruise complete with Dolphin sighting then teppan dinner at Ichibiri.

Exploring Old Town San Diego

TUESDAY – Sounds silly, but it’s a must hit spot when I’m in town –  I <3 Bagels. (Maggie – we MUST go here sometime. BEST BAGELS EVER) then a LONG overdue appointment at my old Eye Doctor for a new ‘scrip + contact lenses. Lunch at a hole-in-the-wall fav – Mongolian BBQ (Highly reccomended – Reviewed Here) follower by afternoon naps + Swimming. Picked up Daniel from the airport then home for Family Gorham dinner.

6 Months – Before Picking Up Dad from the Airport

WEDNESDAY – Lazy morning followed by Lunch + Boating in Dana Point Harbor. Olivia opted out this time to wander around the harbor with Dad. We had some family (+Christmas Card) photos done late afternoon then another fabulous Win Win Wednesday meal at Bru Grill in Lake Forest. Really awesome little Market + Upscale Grill.

Bru Grill

THURSDAY – Set off on a hike through Aliso Canyon to the dripping Caves with Chippy. Olivia happily rode on Daniel’s back for the first hour or so but lost interest when it started to get hot on the return. Cleaned up and made a Taco Loco run with Chippy. Then swimming… and dinner with Auntie Em’s new boyfriend Al (Fresco). (Clarification: this is an inside joke – Emily is not dating a man named Al – we just ate outside. Al Fresco.)

On top of the Dripping Caves

FRIDAY – Met up with Caitie + Mom for lunch at Wahoo’s at the Irvine Spectrum – Then kept the day low-key with more swimming and visits from family friends. Dan and I left the babe in the care of Family Gorham and snuck out for Dinner + Drinks with Friends at the Yard House.

Jen, Kristina + Me @ Yard House

SATURDAY – Brunch at home with the Iorio Family then headed down to wander around Laguna – made another necessary stop at Taco Loco, some thrifting, then more swimming and… you got it… Dinner al fresco. Finished the night with some “Jolly Games” – Cash Bingo courtesy of Bank of Dad.

Having a moment with Poppa G

SUNDAY – Early departure for the Airport. A quick – UNEVENTFUL – flight and we’re home. Worth mentioning that Olivia didn’t cry ONCE on the flight home – We’re VERY proud parents.

It’s always hard to come home from visiting California. Sometimes I feel torn, like Orange County is just as much home as Dallas is. Daniel and I talk all the time about moving back to sunny Southern California again in the distant future – if career paths and stars aligned. I mean… what’s not to like? I can’t even begin to describe how hard it hits me each time – how privileged I was to grow up in the environment I did. More on that another time.

Can’t wait for our next trip this Christmas! 

XO, Momma Meg (For Family P)

 

PS. – I’m noticing a complete failure to capture a complete (Family P 3) photo – We’re going to get better at that…