Zoie and I have been enjoying two weeks on Whidbey Island and visits to Seattle. It's been awesome introducing her to my friends and hometown community, she's like a little celebrity! Two months old is such a fun time to share with other people - the smiles, the coos, the intense eye contact - Zoie knows how to welcome friends and make them feel special.
Our first experience on the plane? Pretty easy! Zoie didn't even notice take-off and landing, so at the moment it doesn't seem to affect her ears. The plane was much like a car ride - the bumps and vibrations soothed her to sleep. She woke up when she was hungry, and I nursed her under my nursing cover several times. She even wanted to play for a bit, and made some coos and looked around at the people next to us. She received lots of attention and smiles from our fellow passengers! As we were getting off the plane, people who hadn't seen her yet were shocked to learn there was a baby near them and they hadn't heard a peep. Way to go, Zoie!!
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| Sleepy happy baby... |
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| Bird's eye view! Zoie would switch between napping on my chest and laying back on my diaper bag like a pillow. |
I asked the attendants at my gate if I could board early so I could get situated before the plane got crowded, and boy I'm glad I did! The narrow aisle quickly became crammed with people trying to stuff their bags into extremely full overhead bins. Luckily, I had time to ask a nice fellow next to me to load my carry-on into the bin, and get seated by the window with Zoie before my seatmates, a large elderly couple who required seat belt extenders (I had never seen those before!) got settled in next to me.
It's a little tricky finding your rhythm when carrying a hefty travel bag on your back, a baby on your front, and a diaper bag slung on your shoulder. Tricky, but doable. Makes you feel a bit like a sherpa!
When my parents picked us up in Seattle, they already had a car seat installed and ready to go. Saved me the hassle of transporting a bulky car seat and trusting that it was handled with "care" in the cargo section of the plane! I also ordered several things (diapers, nursing pads, disposable changing pads, and an infant bath cushion) from Amazon and had them shipped to my parents' house - saved quite a bit of room in my bags. I'm sure most people know about Amazon Prime, but it's soo convenient and almost always cheaper than regular stores!
My favorite thing I brought on the trip? Baby carriers! Zoie loooves to be held and cuddled pretty much all the time, so she rides around in her Boba 3G, Maya ring sling, or Happy wrap when we're out and about. Makes it easy to go anywhere - malls, festivals, Pike Place Market, restaurants...
Zoie has grown quite a bit over the last couple of weeks. Her feet amaze me! Little booties that looked like clown shoes several weeks ago now fit her perfectly. She's getting so much sturdier and better at controlling her head, which makes me a lot more comfortable letting friends hold and play with her (still, I've had those moments of panic when someone doesn't know to support her head properly!).
When Zoie is first waking up in the morning, she's always a bit grumpy. Fussing, stretching, squirming, and serious fussing when I change her diaper. However, once she adjusts to a wakeful state, she is the happiest little morning baby! Big smiles, funny giggles and shrieks, and lots of happy wiggling. It's my favorite time of day!
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| Hooray it's a new day! |
Our little girl has developed so much personality, I could write a book about her preferences and little quirky tendencies. It's amazing that newborns can be so particular and develop into such individuals after such a short time in this world. I love going to sleep every night, knowing the next day is going to bring new surprises in her personality and development. Such a joy! I'm so thankful to be able to spend each day with her.
Right now, our world continues to revolve around breastfeeding, sleep, and diaper changes. We've gotten a pretty good rhythm down with all three areas, but there are definitely hiccups!
Since Zoie is sleeping much less during the day than she used to, I really have to be diligent about providing her naps throughout the day. More naps = less fussy! You'd think a baby would just fall asleep when she's tired, right? Nooo... Zoie needs help getting asleep. If she gets fussy and doesn't want to eat, it means she's tired. A few minutes of holding her close, swaying with a little bounce, and talking to her softly usually does the trick. You'd think you could just lay her down and she'd keep sleeping, right? Not exactly. It does work about half the time, but often she'll wake up and start fussing, and usually won't fall asleep until you pick her up again. Thus enter, the baby-carrier nap! Or, the one-handed-holding-and-getting-things-done nap! Or, the chill-on-the-couch-with-baby-on-your-chest nap! It's good to be flexible :)
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| Grandma enjoying a baby nap |
We've had a great time seeing our friends and family here in the Northwest, but it will also be nice to be home in Kansas again. Time has flown by! I'm pretty excited it's almost October. Every day passed is one day closer to my husband being home again! We still have several months left, but Zoie and I can't wait for him to return from his deployment.
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| Bring on October! We're ready :) |
Looking forward to cooler weather, brightly colored leaves, and all that the new season will bring!
Cheers,
Martha
