Monthly Archives: January 2016

First Family Vacation

Posted on by under Mommy corner

Our first weekend get-away on a flight with baby MJ!!

And everything went better than I could have planned. We decided at the last minute that we would take a trip to Miami, Florida and instead of asking my mom to care for our baby we made it a family trip.  Literally my husband called me with the idea, looked up flights and hotels, we flipped a coin. Head or tails? Heads we are going, tails we are staying.

Heads it is!

As a mom I immediately went into thinking about everything I needed to pack  and wanting to have a fun trip but most of all I didn’t want my baby to have a bad flying experience and not having control over that gave me a little anxiety. We had an amazing time and it was the perfect weekend to visit Miami during their Art Deco Festival on Ocean. Talk about food, entertainment, and just good times with the family.

 

After boarding the flight with car seat and stroller in tow our 9 month old was full of smiles. We elected to fly her free so she was a lap passenger and we didn’t purchase a ticket for her.

We made it in one piece and we made it back better than we left.

Most of the must have food was near or on 8th and Ocean. Think Rodeo Houston cook out food. Okay not quite but seriously the grilled food was bomb!

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The weather was beautiful and warm so we totally went to the beach with the little one.

Mommy wasn't exactly ready to bring the beach wear out.

Mommy wasn’t exactly ready to bring the beach wear out.

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Enjoying the food is an under-statement. We had gelato twice. How can you resist? MJ loved the frozen ice.

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We watched the sunset on the beach on Sunday and back on our flight Monday. It was truly a relaxed long weekend. What better way to spend the weekend than with your family.

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Tips For Traveling With an Infant

  1. Plan to pack the stroller and car seat. Even if you will be baby-wearing, mostly walking to your destination the baby will need to be in a car seat during the taxi drives. Most airlines gate check this for free. Also the stroller is a luxury for you and the baby because you will not want to carry the baby all the time. You can decide if an umbrella stroller (small stroller) is best for you. I didn’t want to  carry a diaper bag/back pack so I placed it under our travel system stroller.
  2. During take off and landing  feed your baby. This can be nursing, bottle feeding, or eating some snacks but just like our ears pop so does the baby ears. Eating or sucking will help with that. MJ was not concerned and actually slept when we landed in Miami and up talking when we returned in Houston.
  3.  Pack your babies favorite toy, book, or teether to keep him/her occupied and not restless. A two hour flight goes so quickly that we didn’t have to worry about her getting restless.
  4. Pack ziplock bags to keep your luggage organized. Small socks can disappear quickly, zip-lock worn clothes, hair bows, just about anything.
  5. And lastly don’t be concerned if he/she cries or whines that you are distracting the passengers. Babies will cry at times so don’t stress. We had people snoring on the flight, talking loud, or coughing. I was the least bit concerned if she cried but she didn’t.

Oh yeah and have patience with TSA. They have a job to do and if you are polite then they reciprocate. They will “test” the milk to try to detect drugs I guess. I am assuming some people have smuggled illegal things into the country through a child’s diaper or milk bag…smh. now we all have to be looked at.

Have you traveled with a child? How was your experience?

XOXO-Risa

9 months in – 9 months out

Posted on by under Mommy corner

OMG where did time go?

These last 9 months have been exhilarating and packed with passion, excitement, love, peace, and growth. I am a different woman after MJ was born. She is my world. God trusted in me and my husband to produce this beautiful child and raise her.  I take my responsibility seriously, and I am loving every minute of it.

The first two months were like boot camp and it went at a speed that I didn’t know existed. By 5 months we made it to the “too cute stage” and it just gets better. At 9 months, it is so fun because we are trying new recipes, she is exploring, and I feel back to normal.

9 Things I love about Motherhood

  1. I wake up to the happiest baby alive. Seriously this little baby wakes up smiling, laughing and saying “Hi”. She has always been content, even since birth. In the delivery room she barely cried. She is a content baby, but beyond content she is full of joy.  Having her happy makes me happy.
  2. I get to create my own traditions for our family. Before her it was just R and I. We’ve been together so long that yes we had some common themes about the way we do things but having a child has even changed that a bit so it seems like a fresh start.
  3. I love with such passion, it is genuine and that love is reciprocated from such a tiny, innocent soul. There is no gray area.
  4. Motherhood gave me purpose. I have read purpose driven life at least 3 times, and never once did it occur to me that being a mother, a role model, a caregiver would be one of my purposes. But it comes so natural. My life has been given purpose and it puts pieces of the puzzle in other areas of my life together. I am whole.
  5. I’ve been challenged to think about my health and make better decisions. What I prepare for my baby is given a great amount of  thought. It started with pregnancy and being aware of what I dined on. Now that I prepare her meals and even when I buy a snack from the stores I read labels, research ingredients, prepare and prefer fresh, and beyond just her meals I think and modify what I feed myself and my husband. But I still love junk..All in moderation is what they say!!… Whataburger #1 no unions please!!
  6.  I’m okay with saying no to others and putting my family first. We can’t be all things to all people and until having MJ I felt guilt about missing social outings, not visiting family every week… Now I’m at peace. A working mom’s time is limited, she must spend it wisely and make family decisions.
  7. Appreciating the small luxuries of life (breath, freedom, love, etc.) If my baby can wake up with a smile in the morning, and after every nap, well damn it so can we! I tease her and say “God is good.” all the time, God is good.”  Because if she could talk I promise she looks like she would say that every time she gets up, its contagious and hilarious. Appreciate life and the small things.
  8. Being a conqueror. Motherhood has built strength and character. Honestly from the start of my 36 hours of labor,  while I was birthing a baby, God was birthing a strong woman out of me. Seriously, every week is a new learning curve for me, a new challenge, and with me as the Victor! Being a mother stretches you to new lengths. Life is limitless.
  9. Having a front row seat in my family memories everyday is something I would not trade for anything. I understand the people who post first day of school pictures, who talk endlessly about their children…I get it. Children are a gift from God and we are proud of them, as we should be.

Psalm 127:3 Children are a gift from the Lord;they are a reward from him. (NLT)

Honestly my list is longer and I am sure it will evolve as my journey through motherhood evolves but in the spirit of celebrating 9 months I will pause here.

What do you love about motherhood?