The Mom Crowd

Parents have trained their baby to give the “evil eye.”

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1. Lots of Diapers

I packed diapers in every bag that we brought. Knowing that I had a lot of diapers saved me a lot of stress from worrying that I didn’t have enough or I would run out.

2. Huggies Travel Wipes

I LOVED these packets of wipes. They had them at my grocery store on sale at 5 for $5 right before I left. The plastic closing keeps your wipes dry at all times. These wipes are easy to get out in a hurry and are very durable. I used them for diaper changing, wiping off toys that fell on the ground, and for my hands. After the bag was empty, Ace loved to make crunching sounds with the bag and chew on it.

3. My Nursing Cover

I used my nursing cover everywhere I went. I practiced using my cover a lot before I left, so I would be comfortable breastfeeding in public. I also used my nursing cover as a blanket over the bassinet on the plane to keep the light away. It was light enough that she could still get air and still block light at the same time. One time Ace spit up all over herself and me and I had no wipes or blankets with me. I used the corner of my cover to clean it up. Next time I am going to bring two, so I can use one while I am washing the other.

4. Graco SnugRider Infant Car Seat Stroller Frame

We used the stroller frame to carry our luggage and car seat through the airport. It was easier to carry Ace, than to carry our luggage. The stroller was our ticket to board flights early and get through special security lines. We never used the stroller at our destination, but it was certainly helpful in three different airports.

5. Baby Bjorn

My husband and I could both use the Baby Bjorn, because it is manly enough for him to use. As soon as Ace was big enough to use the carrier, we got her used to being in one, knowing that it would be handy on this trip. It is fast and easy to put on. I love my Moby Wrap, but it was too hot to use in a hot and humid climate. The Baby Bjorn was a lot cooler. We used the carrier on a boat, at our destination, and through the airport.

6. Favorite Toy

Trina commented on a previous post to bring a favorite toy along. I am so glad I listened! “Fishy” was a lifesaver when Ace’s ears were popping on descents and when the plane was just sitting on the tarmac. Anytime she saw “Fishy” to bring her a kiss, she immediately smiled.

7. Huggies Disposable Washcloths

I brought a few samples of Huggies Disposable Washcloths to bath Ace whenever I needed. I could have brought a washcloth and soap, but for this trip is was convenient to have an all-in-one that I could throw away. I bathed Ace at the Hong Kong airport and in the sink in the hotel. They worked great.

My head is still in a fog. I didn’t expect to be hit by jet lag this hard. The Philippines is 14 hours ahead my normal time zone. Yesterday morning after playing with Ace at 3:00 am, my husband and I got up and watched a movie. We were up. Ace adjusted to Philippines time without a problem. We had two long layovers and traveled for a total of 40 hours. I think she was exhausted when we got to the hotel.

She slept a lot better on the plane on the way back, but now that we are home it is hard to get her back on her old schedule. Tonight we are driving 4 hours to visit family for the next three days. Maybe the traveling with our jet lagged baby will help her get adjusted again.

I tried to keep her up yesterday by leaving the house and going shopping and I put her down at her normal bedtime, but she would keep waking up every few hours. Then at one point, I let her stay up to wear herself out. Then at the next waking we laid her in bed with us. That didn’t work. Finally at 2 a.m. we were exhausted, so we put her in her crib and shut the door. I don’t know how long she cried, we fell asleep. Then I woke her up at 9:40 this morning when we got up. Maybe a controlled wake up time will work. I don’t know. She is now sleeping again.

I know she will figure it out soon. Hopefully, really soon!

Thanks to Dawn, McKenna’s friend, Kristi and Sara for sharing their insight and stories with us while I was away and McKenna was working on finals. Also, Amelia did a great post on disposable diapers which is worth the read if you haven’t read it. Amelia, thanks for your great posts!

A big thanks to you who have made your Amazon purchases through our site. We appreciate the support!

Christmas is just around the corner. Enjoy your time with the family and kids. I know I am looking forward to seeing more of Daniel the next few days.

I wanted to clue all of you in on a secret. The Mom Crowd is working on a big project that will debut at the beginning of February. Of course, we will have all our great content between now and then, but something extra special is coming soon. Stay tuned!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Amanda

Moon and Back Studios specializes in creating beautiful and distinctive note cards, desk top calendars, announcements and invitations. My personalized note cards are awesome. They are so fancy and I love the hip design. I even received super cute note cards with my daughter’s name and little birdies on them. The cards are made of professional glossy card stock. I am already looking for an excuse to use them.

I want to share the love with our community of readers here at The Mom Crowd. We’re giving away 12 free personalized note cards and free shipping! You can check out the many note card designs at Moon and Back Studios. Let us know in the comments below which note card design is your favorite for your chance to win. We will draw one winner at random. You have until Thursday at 10:00 p.m. Central time to enter.

Extra Bonus:

Moon and Back Studios is offering The Mom Crowd readers a 10% discount with the promotional code: momcrowd07

This is my first year with a little one and I absolutely could not wait to show her off this Christmas season. What better way to show off the unimaginable cuteness of my daughter than to showcase her beautiful smile on this year’s Christmas card?

I was delighted to find Moon and Back Studio’s unique, sophisticated, and stylish holiday card collection. There are many options available to suit anyone’s taste. The Christmas cards include your own photos that you upload on the site. Taking your own photo or using a favorite photo that you have already taken gives you enormous creative control to create the perfect card. I picked the “retro ornament” card design first, before taking Ace’s photo. Then I kept the card design in mind as I was photographing Ace in the backyard. The result is that I have a fabulous Christmas card that will be the star on every mantle.

The best part of Moon and Back Studios is that the price of the card includes photo enhancement. You can choose from four different photo enhancement options: vivid color, classic black and white, retro sepia, and designer’s choice. I chose “designer’s choice,” because my untrained eye would not know what is best. The photo I chose did not have the best lighting, but it was the one with the best smile. I sent the photo, hoping that it could be corrected. I could not be happier with the enhancements. They made my very-amateur photo, look like a professional photo.

Here is the photo before enhancements:

Here is the same photo after enhancements:

Many of the Christmas cards also have the option of using the sample’s color scheme or matching the color scheme to the photo. They will also crop the photo for the best fit on the card. It was certainly nice to have someone do that for me, instead of spending the time to think about the cropping and positioning.

Once you have customized your card and purchased your order, they will send you an electronic copy of your card to proof. I received my proof the next day. I only had one minor spelling correction to make and they were shipped out the very next day! I received my package the day after it was shipped. There is only one shipping option at checkout, but the shipping was incredibly fast. Myra at Moon and Back Studios was very prompt and courteous with my order.

I have been showing my new Christmas card to my friends and several of them have suggested that I frame my card! I know that my family and friends will love the Christmas card of our little one when it arrives in their mailbox. I am extremely delighted with my Christmas card from Moon and Back Studios.

Moon and Back Studios is offering The Mom Crowd readers a 10% discount with the promotional code: momcrowd07

Here is my awesome Christmas card: