back from France

It's been a couple weeks since I have posted because we have been away in France, but I haven't forgotten about my blog! Things are very busy at the moment so this isn't a long post, but I wanted to quickly say that we had a blast in France. I even managed to convince Mr M to drive us over to Spain for a couple nights to explore San Sebastian. 

Nate did amazingly well on the whole trip and while we were away he started to get on all fours and rock back and forth (I think crawling is imminent!); he also started pulling himself up to standing. And what's even better, he slept through the night 3 times well while away (!). Typically, as soon as we got home he started cutting his top right tooth so his sleep has returned to being all over the place. I will do a proper update on all things Nate when he turns 10 months next week. 

Now that the holiday is over, I am ramping up my work days over the next 3 weeks and then I'm permanently back to 4 days per week starting June 3rd. I'm unbelievably sad that maternity leave is now completely and officially over, but I knew it couldn't last forever, nothing does. I'm just grateful for the time I had with my little man. 

And now I will leave you with few of my favourite photos from our trip. 

crossing the pond...with a baby!

This post is long overdue. It has been 4 months since we traveled across the Atlantic with baby Nate and our trip was fantastic! But before we left, I was very nervous about the flight. The thought of being stuck in a small space with a screaming baby and 300 strangers terrified me. I googled frantically for any tips I could find before we left and tried to prepare for every scenario, but actually, it wasn't so bad. 

There were a few things that I wish I had known before-hand though, so I thought it would be a good idea to jot down my thoughts here in the form of some top tips. Maybe it will help another nervous parent about embark on a long-haul flight with a baby. These tips are based on my personal experience travelling with British Airways from London to Florida with a 4 month-old. What worked for us might not apply to your situation, for example if you're travelling on a different airline or with an older or younger baby. Just thought I would clarify. Right...onto the tips...

~ Tips for flying long-haul with a baby ~

{1} Don't panic 

I was worried about what the other passengers would think when Nate inevitably starting wailing during the flight. In fact, he didn't give us much time to adjust and had a major crying fit for the first 10 minutes of our outbound flight (!) but really there was nothing to worry about. There were lots of other babies on the flight, and you know what, Nate wasn't the only one crying! I think the most important thing to do is to stay calm and remember that there will be other babies on the flight and that your baby will cry. The noise of the airplane muffles some of the crying and with a bit of rocking and soothing your baby will stop eventually. So don't panic.

{2} Time your feeds just right
For our outbound flight we arrived at the airport way too early (see point {5}) and I because we had been at the airport for so long Nate was getting cranky and hungry and I fed him before we boarded the plane to keep him happy. Big mistake! The major crying fit referred to in point {1} was because I was trying to feed him on take off when he simply wasn't hungry - his ears were popping but he didn't feel like eating and he went into meltdown! 

On our return flight, we timed it just right. We arrived at the airport on time (2.5 hours before take off) kept Nate entertained and awake while we waited, but didn't feed him. Then as we took off he fed like a champion and fell asleep in my arms. He didn't even notice the plane taking off. So it's all about timing here. Make sure your baby is hungry when it comes to take-off and you should have no problems.

{3} Pack lightly

A 4 month old baby doesn't really need many things to play with so only bring one or two of your best toys in the change bag. Then just bring the essentials: nappies (1 nappy for every 2 hours is plenty - we had 5 nappies for our 10-hour flight and didn't use them all), wipes, a change of clothes, 4 or 5 muslin squares/burp clothes, and (if you are bottle feeding) pre-sterilised bottles and ready-made formula. That's it! Don't go overboard because remember you have to lug this bag around the airport too.

The travel system came everywhere with us

{4} Put your car seat on wheels

Depending on your destination you might not need a car seat, but we were going to Florida and would be driving everywhere, so it was an essential piece of equipment. Remember that even if you aren't planning to drive around much at your destination, you will still need a car seat for things like taxis. 

We wanted to take our own car seat because we knew Nate was comfortable in it and it was safe, but we didn't want to take a stroller AND a car seat, so we used our travel system wheels with the car seat attached and it worked really well! We have the Zoom travel system and we took the seat unit out and replaced it with our car seat. Simple. We were able to store most of our carry-on luggage underneath, and used it in the airport all the way up until the gate, where we checked it right before we boarded. It was also easy to get in and out of cars because we just lifted the car seat off the wheels and put it straight into the car.

{5} Don't arrive too early

The temptation when travelling with a little one is to arrive super early to allow for nappy changes, feeding and whatever else might happen, but it is not necessary! Once you are at the airport and have checked your bags there isn't much to do with a baby and it can actually make things worse if you are there for too long. So stick to the normal airline guidelines and arrive on time, not early.

{6} Beware of the seat-belt sign
If you are travelling with a baby, most likely you will be sitting at the bulk head and will have a sky cot or bassinet provided. (Side note: make sure to phone your airline as soon as you book and double check you have been put in a bulk head seat, otherwise you won't be able to use a bassinet. BA gives you the option of a flat cot like the one below, or a more upright chair. Think about which your baby would prefer. On our outbound flight we asked for the chair, but Nate never got comfortable in it, so we opted for the flat cot on the way back which was much better.) 

The sky cots are amazing and Nate was very comfortable in his. However, what we didn't realise before we flew was that whenever the seat-belt sign came on, we would be forced to lift him out of the cot and put him back on our laps! Now this wouldn't be an issue if the seat-belt sign never came on, but of course during our flight it was on and off, on and off and Nate was being woken up each time and crying with frustration (I don't blame him!). After the third seat-belt sign interruption, I gave up and let Nate fall asleep in my arms. I leaned back with him snuggled there and got comfortable...we slept for a couple of hours like that, despite the seat-belt sign blinking on and off in the background. So my tip here is to use the bassinet with caution, especially on a flight where you think the seat-belt sign might be on frequently. If you can get comfy with your baby nestled into your arms, keep him there because you might actually get more rest that way.

Sleeping peacefully in his cot...before the seat-belt sign came on

{7} Hire whatever you can at your destination
If possible, rent as much of the big equipment as you can at your destination. We were visiting family so we asked my parents if they could borrow a travel cot (pack 'n play) for us to use. They also borrowed a swing and a bouncy chair which came in handy. Many hotels or travel companies can arrange for high chairs and travel cots to be available upon arrival and it really helps to not worry about these things during the journey. 

{8} Go with the flow 
If you have a strict routine with your baby, this will be out the window once a full day of travelling and jet lag sets in, so just try and go with the flow during the journey as much as possible. I recommend feeding on demand during the flight because babies can get dehydrated and just let baby sleep when he wants and play when he wants. You will have time to get the routines sorted out at your destination and again when you get back home. 

So there you have it, my top tips! I hope they are useful. If I didn't cover something that you would like to hear more about feel free to leave a question in the comment section below. Or better still, if you have flown with a baby too, leave me some of your top tips!  

Travelling on a long flight with a baby might seem daunting, but it is so worth it once you get to your destination.  

summer

As February comes to an end and the skies in Britain are starting to clear, I am reminded that spring is coming. And after spring comes the glorious long days of summer...oh summer...I can't wait. 

Summer will bring many celebrations in our household, particularly July which is our wedding anniversary month and baby's birthday month. I am excited to start thinking about how we are going to celebrate his birthday, but that is for another post.

Last week I was spending a lazy Monday morning with some mommy friends at farm shop cafe and we starting talking about our summer plans. As we live in Suffolk, we are lucky to have a Centre Parcs not far from where we live and all of us had done short UK breaks there in the past, long before we had children. I actually visited with my work for a team building weekend, and others had gone with friends or for a romantic couple's retreat.  

One of the ladies is planning to go to Elvedon Forest for the August bank holiday with her new baby, and we were discussing what sort of activities there would be for very young children. We decided that most of the holiday would probably be spent doing simple outdoor activities like bicycle trips or long walks and spending a lot of time at the pool. Whatever activities they get up to we concluded it will be nice to get away for a few days and go somewhere different, but still close to home. The short travel distance makes it ideal for a holiday with a baby. I think they are going to have a great time and I might just have to see if we can join them!

This is a sponsored post, but all content and opinions are my own.

dual citizen baby

Today baby Nate became a dual citizen! He is now both a Brit and a Yank, with 2 passports and a whole world of opportunities ahead of him. 

I am so happy that he is a US citizen. It makes me feel that part of my life or upbringing or something is being passed onto him. Although Nate will probably spend his entire childhood in the UK, have a British accent and understand the rules cricket instead of baseball, he will be a US citizen and will have an American mum (mom!).  I don't want him to forget that half of his family are American, and he can't now because he is officially an American too.

To get Nate's US citizenship we had to go to the US embassy in London to register him as an American born abroad. This was our first trip to London with the baby and I wasn't sure what to expect. I was also curious to see what the embassy would be like. In my nearly 8 years in the UK, I have corresponded with the US embassy multiple times, but had never visited. 

So at a ridiculously early hour this morning, Mr M and I bundled up baby Nate, squeezed onto the tube and trundled down to Grosvenor Square to register him.  

On the Central Line

The embassy was crowded, as I expected, and absolutely filled with families. Young children were running around and around the waiting room. Many of the kids seemed to be going stir crazy because the waiting times are long and really, there isn't much to do in a waiting room. All electronic devices, including phones, were confiscated on the way in, so the adults seemed to be going stir crazy too without their usual tweeting, facebooking and texting. If I have one tip for anyone going in the future it is to bring a book!

Despite the lack of entertainment, the appointment and interview went smoothly and the whole thing took about 2 hours. Nate did amazingly well, even falling asleep for 20 minutes while we waited. He also really loved being on the tube. He would play with his toy for a minute, then look around observing everything happening around him. I loved seeing him take in this new experience.

We celebrated Nate becoming an American by going and having burgers with a fellow American friend. Nate didn't have a burger, but he did have his very first french fry, which he devoured. 

Good-bye 2012

Today is New Year's Eve; the end of a busy, exciting, chaotic and amazing 2012. I started the year pregnant (in fact I was still keeping my pregnancy a secret when 2012 began) and ended the year with a 5 month old gorgeous boy who keeps me on my toes every day. 

I haven't blogged in a few months (oops!) and lots has happened.  We went to Florida for 3 weeks in November and celebrated Thanksgiving with the American family. They all loved Nate and spoiled him; it was sad to leave at the end of the trip. Nate did amazingly well on the flight and liked his sky cot. I am still breastfeeding and this really made the flight fairly simple. I can't imagine having to do a 9 hour flight with bottles and formula. 

On the flight

We then celebrated Christmas with the British family back here in the UK and it was such a lovely day. Nathan enjoyed watching everyone open presents and he was all smiles as we crinkled the wrapping paper in front of him. He even chewed and swallowed his first solid food, a boiled carrot, on Christmas day!

Nathan is growing up and developing so quickly. It's amazing to see how much he changes each week. He is currently sitting up on his own for a few minutes at a time before toppling over sideways or backwards. He giggles a lot now - mostly when we blow raspberries on his tummy or when we do silly dance moves in front of him. But he laughs at random things too; he let out a huge chuckle when Bailey was scratching his ears a couple days ago - he is so easily pleased.

We plan on starting him on a proper weaning plan onto solid foods in a couple weeks, but in the meantime have been letting him lick on pieces of food, like the carrot on Christmas day. This morning I let him lick on a piece of banana and the face he made was one of shock and horror followed by a smile and finally a large shriek of laughter. I think he will enjoy his food once we get started. And perhaps being on solid food will help him sleep better, but I'm not counting on it. Last night he was up every 2 hours. The night before he slept 6 hours in a row. There is no consistency in his sleeping which in some ways makes it harder because I am always on edge, never sure when he will wake. 

This evening I hope he lets hubby and I enjoy a glass of bubbly and some cheesy New Year's Eve TV before waking up.

Happy New Years everyone and here's to a fun toddler-packed 2013! 

the gallery: picture postcard

The theme for this week's Gallery is Picture Postcard. This photo of Marrakesh is a few years old and nothing to do with my pregnancy journey at all, but I couldn't resist digging it out from the photos on my computer and using it for this week's post. I hope you don't mind. 

I went to Marrakesh with my good friend in September 2010 and we wandered the narrow, busy streets in awe for 3 days. Towards the end of one particularly hectic and hot day we stumbled into the Djemaa El Fna square  in the center of the city and found a shabby cafe  to drink some tea and relax. Little did we know it was the perfect location to watch the sunset over the square. 

As the sun went down, the portable restaurants starting popping up one by one and we literally watched the square come to life! I like this photo because the colours are so vibrant and the Atlas mountains can be seen in the background. It's my personal picture postcard.  

This post is linking up to The Gallery on the Sticky Fingers blog.