A Journey of a Thousand Miles...

Means bringing a whole lot of crap with you when you're travelling with babies. My cousin A is bringing her adorable baby to meet the family in October, which means she is going to be travelling with a 3 month-old.

I remember taking E to Washington DC when he was about 5 months old, and taking V to Hawaii when she was about 4 months old. It seemed like a lot of work at the time (little did I know that it's cake compared to taking a 4 year-old anywhere, including to the mall just a few miles from home), but now, it doesn't seem so bad in hindsight.

Maybe that's because I've probably forgotten most of what I learned about travelling with an infant. Among the things I can recall:

• Breastfeed the baby at take-off and landing (if you're lucky, he will sleep for at least part of the flight)
• Don't try to pack up all the baby stuff and bring it with you - you know how much airlines charge for luggage these days, right? - and buy things like diapers when you arrive (that is, unless you're about to take a hell ride on a cruise ship)
• Ask your airline if a bassinet is available and if it is, try to reserve the seat in front of it. Alternately, if you can afford it, put your baby in his own seat.

I'm sure I learned way more than that, so I'm hoping anyone who might see this post would be willing to share your tips on travelling with Junior.

Stuff I Love (Retro edition): Fisher-Price Papasan Cradle Swing

This one is for you, A... One of my dearest cousins is with child and getting excited about the imminent arrival of her baby. Or at least shopping for her baby. She asked me what stuff she needs to have. So I'm going back to the newborn days to write up on this LIFE-SAVING baby gizmo.

What I Love: Fisher-Price Papasan Cradle Swing (prices vary depending on design, Nature's Touch model, $139 USD). We have lent ours to at least 4 other sets of parents and they have all thanked us for saving their lives and the lives of their babies (whom they would have thrown out the window after the 5th hour of colicky wailing).

Why I Love It: Have I already mentioned that it's a life-saver? First of all, sooooo cute! There are multiple designs available now: the Nature's Touch model (neutral colors with leaves and birds and bugs on the mobile), the Starlight model (pastel colored stars), and who knows what other designs by now. And the seat is extremely soft and plush. Many a day I watched my kids snuggled in the swing and wished they made a grown-up version.

Before I go further, every expectant parent needs to know this about newborns: they like to be rocked/swung. They all like it, trust me. I haven't met a baby that didn't enjoy the gentle lull of a swinging motion. My son liked being rocked side to side. My daughter liked being rocked back and forth. But they all love being rocked. Which brings me to reason #2 to love this swing: it goes both back and forth AND side to side. You won't know which way your baby likes to be rocked until s/he comes out, so hedge your bets with a swing that goes both ways.

Reason #3: it has diversions. Some have lights on the top. Some have a mirror. They all have a mobile and music. Some can be plugged into a wall outlet (highly recommend this because it can chew up batteries). Some let you download MP3's (mmm, because you always thought your iPod is too small and you need a bigger device for playing your favorite tunes?).

A tip for you: pick the model with the features you like. Definitely do NOT pick the model based on whether it matches the nursery decor and such (it won't go there, it will end up wherever you spend the most time and will probably get pretty worn). Pick the model based on which of the gadgety-goos drive you the least crazy. Baby won't know the difference one way or another, but if the sound of toucans and monkeys makes you go bonkers, you best not get the jungle design. Right, this was me hating the sound of crickets and chirping birds, yet I picked the Nature's Touch model which featured... you guessed it, crickets and chirping birds.

Other caveats: there is another Fisher-Price Swing that goes in both directions; it's not a papasan swing, but rather one with a more upright seat. This is NOT the swing to get because it is harder for baby to sleep in this one due to its sitting angle and the molded doo-hickey that goes between the legs to keep the baby in. And inducing sleep is a key function of a swing, no?

And lastly, the swing has a large footprint. Yes, the legs can fold together, but more for moving it around than storing. But you should just clear out the space you need now, because you will love this swing if you get it.

Stuff I Love: Aden & Anais Swaddling Blankets

My little girl has allergies, so even though most parents stop swaddling their babies around three months, I still wrap my baby up like a burrito every night so that she won't scratch her face.

What I Love: Aden & Anais Muslin Blankets. They are super big and soft swaddling blankets (44" x 44") that can be used for a variety of other purposes besides swaddling.

Why I Love It: First of all, most baby blankets are 30" x 30". My 7-month-0ld is over 25" long, there is no way a normal receiving blanket is going to hold her. So these blankets get a thumbs-up just for being big enough to wrap my girl up.

But they also come in really cute patterns. I have the "girlie" collection, which features dots, stripes, and stars in pink and brown. And the fact that they are cotton muslin makes them soft, softer with each washing in fact.

And you can use them for more than just swaddling. They make a fine burp cloth or play mat. They are fabulous to drape over your stroller to keep the sun out of your little one's eyes. They are big enough to roll up to use as a bolster. I have even made one into a makeshift sling in a pinch.

You can purchase them at: http://www.adenandanais.com/. At $44 for 4 blankets, they are very reasonably priced for all the use you will get out of them.

Stuff I Love - The Joovy Ultralight

Today's parents are beset by all manner of baby gear. Walk in to any baby superstore (the fact that baby stuff must be sold in "superstores" speaks volumes, doesn't it) and you will have hundreds of strollers, car seats, high chairs, bouncy seats, play pens, learning mats, bottles, binkies, and random gadgetry from which to choose. And EVERYTHING is expensive. So what to buy?

Hearing from other parents is always the best way to figure out what to spend your hard-earned money on, but it's important to ask not only what they love but why they love it. Herewith, I give you my first rave review of a product that is worth your money.

What I love: the Joovy Caboose Ultralight stroller. It is a stroller made for two children of different ages, with a seat/infant carrier in the front and a rear-facing jump seat and standing platform in the back.

Why I love it: We had been using an umbrella stroller for my son and a snap-n-go infant carrier for my daughter, and that worked pretty well. It actually still does, and for occasions where we might split up (like at the mall), it is still our usual stroller arrangement. But we have a wedding in Hawaii to attend in October, and the thought of lugging two strollers, a car seat, and an infant carrier for a 4-day trip was unappealing. I decided that as much as I would prefer not to buy another stroller, a double stroller of some kind would really be useful.

My criteria for a double stroller was it had to be: (1) fairly compact (able to fit into a standard sized car's trunk when folded and can fit through a regular doorway when opened), (2) fairly light (can be picked up with one hand), (3) steerable with one hand, (4) not completely ugly.

The Joovy Ultralight meets all the criteria. It is the same width as my Graco Metrolite single stroller, and when folded, it fits in the back of our sedan. It is light enough that I can pull it out of our SUV cargo with one hand, although it's still heavier than most single strollers. On a flat road or smooth floor, it is easy to maneuver with one hand; it still requires two hands to steer it straight on a bumpy surface. And it comes in three cool colors: light sage green (the one I got), creamy sunset orange, or black.

More importantly, my son, who is about 2 1/2, had started to lose interest and willingness to sit in his stroller. Many times, he would want to get out and help me push the stroller. Or rather, take off the heels of unsuspecting pedestrians around us. With the Ultralight, he loves that he can face Mommy or Daddy and talk to us, and he loves that he can stand or sit. When he's standing, it's easy for him to hop off when he wants to walk and hop back on when he's tired. And he likes that he can see his baby sister and is sharing a ride with her.

There are several of these sit and stand strollers out there, but after looking at all of them, I like the Ultralight the best. First of all, it is more compact than most of the others. This is because the jump seat on the Ultralight slides back to give more room when the child is standing and slides forward for when he is sitting. Others with a stationary seat need the extra room so that the child can still sit comfortably. It is also one of the few models that has padded handles for both the child and parent, which make it more comfortable and cooler for both of you to hang on. And it is one of only a handful of models that has a parent organizer tray.

Finally, if you are trying to figure out if the Ultralight Caboose is worth $80 more than the regular Caboose, the answer is yes. The Ultralight has a snap lock for the jump seat, includes the parent organizer (which is purchased separately for the regular Caboose), comes in nicer colors, and really does feel a lot lighter.

So there you have it. If you've got two little ones who are 18 - 40ish months apart, and you want a double stroller, get yourself a Joovy Ultralight Caboose. And if you're lucky like I was, you might find a really good condition one on Craigslist!