Mommy-Inspired Inventions for ages 0-5 months

Sometimes, during feedings and night time walkabouts, I fantasize about inventions I'd build if I actually had engineering talent...

Have Baby Will Travel - Episode 2: What To Pack For Flight

After 20 hours of flight, here is a list of what I found most useful (and what I wish I had):

1. Two Toys (remember your Boogin Head clip!)

2. One Book - something with lasting power like "Mother Goose for Babies"


3. If your baby eats solids try the Boon Squirt Baby Food Dispensing Spoon. I have a friend with one of these and it's the coolest thing ever.

4. A change of clothing


I'm a HUGE fan of Carter's terry cloth sleep n' play footed pajamas. They are warm and breathable.

Avoid fleece as it will make baby sweat (mine wore this one with stinky consequences)

5. An extra bib and an extra burp cloth

6. Changing pad and one diaper + three wipes for every hour projected

7. Pacifier
Tova doesn't use a pacifier, but when the plane started to descend and she wasn't hungry enough to eat she was clasping onto her binky like they were old friends.

8. Iphone Games
Don't forget to download a few preschool apps to keep her entertained when you can't leave the seat. These especially worked well when people were getting on and off the plane and we were stuck for 15 minutes.

Here's a link to some freebies:
http://www.babygamer.com/online_games/free/toddler/toddler_iphone_ipod_apps.htm

9. Plastic ziplock bag 
You'll need a place to stash those vomit soaked burp cloths

10. Gas drops, Nasal Aspirator, Saline, Tylenol with dispenser, Alcohol wipe, Band-aid 
If something is going to go wrong, count on it going wrong a mile up. Be prepared!

11. Baby Blanket
Not a huge blanket, but the small kind that drape over enough for privacy when you breast feed. I had some guy stare at me unabashedly while feeding my girl and I was very happy to have something bigger than a burp cloth to protect my modesty... perv.

12. An extra shirt for yourself
My wee one threw up aaallll over me during the first flight - like it pooled in the area between my shirt and nursing bra type amount. It wasn't the big stain that embarrassed me but the awful smell of stale milk. The memory makes me gag a little.

And make sure the bag itself is washable so you don't have to burn it after you arrive. A teenager on my third flight threw up on mine - yeah, my luck is good like that.

Have Baby Will Travel - Episode 1: Germs

It's been a while, but I'm back from vacation with the family in Michigan. And while seeing family is awesome, traveling with a baby is not so much.

I'm going to harp on the plane a bit, because family is wonderful and not as likely to man-handle your child as the act of traveling itself.

Germs is the subject of this entry. I've always been careful when traveling. Not OCD careful, but I wash my hands often, never sit on a toilet seat, peel off my clothing and burn it after reaching my destination - you know, the normal things a normal person would do. But your whole perspective of the outside world changes when you travel with a child.

Suddenly the world outside of your home is oozing bacteria. Fellow travelers are plague-infested zombies that want to lick your child's face and then sneeze on you - it's awful. And don't even get me started on how filthy airplane seats are - mine was sticky - STICKY! And then you're sharing air with 100 other passengers - g-d knows what illnesses they carry and I'm sure as heck none of them are covering their mouths when they sneeze or wearing a face mask when they breath!

And then there's my child. MY angelic wonderful can-do-no-wrong baby. She's perfect in every way, and has never had an illness/cold/infection anything in her life. She is pure and healthy. And I've got to subject her to this situation? Forget my worries about ear trouble on ascent and descent - I'm worried she's going to get Ebola because Mommy didn't wash her hands well enough in the terminal bathroom. Or maybe a Burger King employee didn't wash his hands before dishing out my fries and we're both going to get it! Argh! Panic!

So I've devised a few ways to keep your precious commodity a little less germ-prone while out and about.

1. Keep your toys close
You know those Boogin Head things they sell at the pharmacy that you attach to her pacifier and then clip onto her sweater? Use that to attach to a toy so it never touches the filthy disgusting floor.

This is her favorite toy by the way and I'd HIGHLY recommend! (Target)

2. Moist towelette?

They're safe enough to use all day to clean her hands and yours every time you touch something questionable.

3. Cover the changing table in paper towels before you lay down her changing pad
Honestly, the very worst fluids produced by mankind is on those things and I doubt they get cleaned very often.

4. Use the stroller cover
I have the Britax-B-Agile stroller and it comes with a canopy on the car seat and another on the stroller. These completely cover baby in the rain. Use it in the airport to shield your wee one from the disease-ridden paws of strangers. If anyone asks, "hey, who's in there?" you can say, "sorry, she's sleeping" and roll away at break-neck speed.

The rain may drip in but bacteria won't

5. Hang around in empty terminals
While on a layover in Vegas we found a terminal that had no flights coming in or going out - a rarity! We were allowed to go in and hang out for our 3 hrs. Baby got some sleep, daddy got a nice view of Luxor with his angry whopper, and mommy got to do yoga on a freshly shampooed carpet.

6. The nose has it
It may be an old wives tale or it may not - but I followed a friend's advice and put a drop of my breast milk into baby's nostrils once every hour. Not only does it keep her from getting all stuffed up with dry boogies but it's also supposed to disinfect (or maybe not disinfect but at least protect) the nose from storing bacteria and viruses. I'm no scientist and I don't pretend to be smart about these things, but I did it and one week later my baby is cold/virus free. So it doesn't hurt.

7. Don't throw the meds out at the exit
If you're traveling to see family, chances are you'll be seeing more wee ones. If they're school-age (as my nieces are) they may be carrying their own little treats to share with others. Ask them (or their parents if they're too young) to wash their hands before holding baby. And if they already have colds don't be afraid to quarantine your child as best as you can. If they're good family they won't judge, and if they're bad... well... maybe you should make different travel plans next year.

Traveling is WAY worth the hassle!