Shhhhh

Thank Goodness for the Baby Gate

Loving the Meat Sticks

Now that Abby is feeding herself all the time, we bought her some of those baby meat sticks. Damon loved them when he was a baby, and I know my sisters couldn't get enough of them. They still buy them on occasion, and they're about to turn 18. Me? I can't get past the smell to even try one. I couldn't when I was a kid, and I can't now. Abby had a great time digging the inside meat part out from the outer skin-type layer. Eventually she ate the pile of shredded meat on her tray.

Next week, Abby and I will be flying to California to visit some of my family. I'm pretty nervous because not only will it be Abby's first flight, but I'll be flying alone with her. We didn't buy her a ticket because it would've been too expensive. Plus, we'll only have a 40-minute layover on the way there, so I'll have to hurry up to get to the next plane. I think that's what I'm most nervous about. I'd love to hear any and all suggestions about how to make this go as smoothly as possible. This is what I've learned from reading other parent blogs with traveling kids:

*Pack a couple new toys that she's never seen before to keep her entertained.

*Pack an extra set of clothes for both of us because Murphy's Law dictates that if I don't, Abby will have the mother of all accidents.

*Abby's never cared for the Bjorn, so I'll be using the umbrella stroller because it's lighter and easier to maneuver. I can check that at the gate.

*Feed her or give her a pacifier to suck during take-off and landing to relieve the pressure in her ears.

*Bring baby Benadryl in case of a total metldown, but test it beforehand because it makes some babies hyper instead of sleepy.

Anything else?

Abby's babbling all the time now. She started a few weeks ago with mostly vowel sounds, and has started consistently adding in "d" "th" "l" sounds the last couple of days. It's so funny because she mostly does it when she's frustrated, so it sounds like she's really letting us have it.

Abby's Walking...

...sort of. We went to Toys'R'Us today, and found this walker deal that she pushes. She LOVES it! She flies until she hits a wall or furntiture, then she can't figure out what to do next. Eventually, Damon and I got smart and each of us sat on opposite walls, so we could turn her around when she gets to us. It literally takes her seconds to get from one to the other!

Abby Hates Grass

It doesn't matter if she's sitting on a blanket or on my lap, and no blade is actually touching her, Abby HATES grass!





She stopped crying for a second as if thinking that it's not so bad.


"Yes, it is that bad. GET ME OFF OF HERE!"