We just got back from our first major trip with Babes. We flew to see Mark's mom in Florida. This was Livia's first time flying and that was an adventure in of its own. I did lots of reading and worrying before we left. I read other mom's tips and tricks. I worried about how she'd handle all the new sights and sounds (as well as being thrown off her game with a totally new schedule).

My big goal was to try my best to keep her on a somewhat normal schedule while we were visiting. Well that plan went out the window the morning we left. Our flight was at 5 a.m. and we were going to wake Livia up just in time to do a quick diaper change and put her in the carseat before we had to leave for the airport. Well, she decided she wanted to get up when Mom and Dad got up...meaning 2:00 a.m.

But she was a little trooper. She flew like she was a pro and we didn't have any issues on the way to Florida. On the way back, that was a different story. She needed to be entertained a little more and all she wanted to do was get down and move. I told a friend that flying with a baby is like flying with a baby shark; 1) everyone looks at you with fear in their eyes when they see you boarding with a baby, 2) they do nothing but flop around trying to get away, and 3) they are fully prepared to attack the closest person to them with their ear piercing screams. Maybe we're the only ones that felt like that.

I did keep mental notes on what worked and didn't work for future reference.

1. Fly when baby will fly best. Livia is a morning bird. She is the happiest in the mornings and less likely to throw a fit. That's why we decided to fly early early morning in hopes that she'd sleep a little on the plane (she did) and if she was awake she'd be happy (she was).

2. Use premade formula (if you are a formula user). This one saved our lives! Enfamil has 8 oz bottles that just need to be shaken and added to a bottle for baby. It was so much easier than worrying about getting bottled water after going through security and powder getting everywhere.

3. Know the TSA rules for formula and breast milk. I made sure to go onto the TSA website and look at the rules for bringing premade formula. They said it wasn't an issue as long as you informed the TSA officers of the formula and kept it separate from your other liquids and gels. I kept the formula and her food pouches in a separate gallon baggie and pulled it out when we went through security. No problems at all. I did print off the rules from the website and had them with us just in case we ran into any issues.

4. Take off and landing. I had read to give baby a bottle during take off and landing to help with ear popping. We had a bottle ready each time but she never needed it (remember...acted like a pro). I had also read a little Benadryl before flying would help baby. I did extensive reading on this and also called our doctor. Giving your baby Benadryl before flying comes with different thoughts and opinions, but in the end we felt like it would help her. We gave her the recommended dosage and we didn't have any issues.

5. KNOW YOUR SUITCASE WEIGHT LIMITS. Ugh. I fail at this every.single.time. It just drives Mark up a wall. I say I'm going to pack light every time and end up over packing every time. The original plan for us was to use a large suitcase for all three of us. I didn't want to deal with all this 'stuff' and also a baby. Well....that plan backfired. We were over by 10 pounds when we got the airport and didn't have an extra bag to break up the load. So we ended up paying extra. So, I'm still working on this one. Need to figure out a way not to pack so dang much (Mark would say just don't pack so much!).

6. Check your baby items. Our airline will check baby items like strollers and car seats for free. We did this on the way home with the large carseat (a Christmas gift from Grandma!) and we gate checked our stroller. See my must have items when traveling with baby for stroller and car seat bags.

7. Buy what you need when you get there. We were lucky and going to Mark's mom's house so we had access to a full sized fridge, washer and dryer and the luxury of a house vs. a small hotel room. Mark's mom was awesome enough to pick up diapers, formula, wipes, and food for us before we got there. I just sent her a list of what we needed/used and she picked it all up. It was great! I just packed the minimum of what we'd need to get there and in case we got stuck in an airport overnight or something. Otherwise, it was awesome to have a case of diapers and formula ready for us when we got there. Mark and I decided that from now on we'd order what we need online from the closest Target and just have it ready for pick up when we get there. Totally worth it.

8. Just go with it. I used to love traveling and flying, but somewhere along the way it started to become a little bit of a pain. And flying with Baby....no easy task. As much as you try to read and prepare and get all the cool gadgets, at the end of the day you just have to sit back and let it all unfold. Remember you are on an adventure and whatever happen will. While there were times I was frustrated, tired, stressed, and overwhelmed I tried to remember that this was Livia's first flying trip. It would be something we could tell her about later. And I that I was on vacation! You can't be stressed on vacation. (However, the idea of needing a vacation after vacation has taken on a whole new meaning for Mark and I now that Livia is our little world traveler.)

Happy New Year! We celebrate New Year's Eve like any new parents do; by going to bed at 11:00 p.m. and waking up on New Year's Day at 7:00 a.m. We had a glass of champagne in bed and watched the ball drop in Times Square (Eastern Time) then turned off the light and went to bed. Exciting stuff I know. But I was happy to celebrate the holidays with my little family. Time flew by way too fast. 2016 means the promise of new adventures and experiences...cheers!

Some loves from December:

What I'm Reading: During the holidays I read The Immortal Nicholas by Glenn Beck. I am not a fan of Mr. Beck, but I picked up this book because of the Christmas theme. It was so good. Helped me remember the reason for the season. Going to recommend the book to my family for next season.

Now I'm going to start All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. I am probably the last person on the planet to read this book. Actually, I started this book at some point in 2015, but never finished it. So, we'll try this again.

Last Movie I Saw (and Loved!): We went, we saw and we LOVED Star Wars! But, Mark and I recently have been hooked on (along with the rest of the nation it seems like) Making a Murderer. Can't stop watching....

Baby Love: We have a crawler! She is as fast as lightening too! Holy bananas! One minute she's in the living room and I'm in the kitchen (we have one big open layout so basically we're in the same room) and I look down and she's at my feet. What?! Were did my baby go!? Thank goodness for Retract-a-Gate. Ours matches our decor so it doesn't scream 'a baby lives here'. It is super easy to install and open/close for when you need it. Now to just talk Mark into another one for the lower level....

Podcast I'm Listening To: Again, everyone seems to be addicted to the Serial podcast. We were hooked on season one (Mark so much so that I had to limit him to the amount of conversation we could have about it) and are now listening to season two. Season two...eh. Not as attention grabbing as the first season (for me anyway). But it gives me and Mark something to talk about.

Eating: One of my goals for 2016 is to be a better meal planner....more to come. And wish me luck on this endeavor. Mark said to me the other night, 'you used to love cooking and love cooking for me'. He said this as I was complaining about what to make at 6:00 p.m. This is true, so I'm going to work on loving cooking agin.

Blog Love: Dinner a Love Story. I hope to start a love story with dinnertime in our household again. Right now I love it but I don't have to like it.

As part of my 2016 resolutions I am going to try and be better at planning meals. This will hopefully translate into enjoying planning and cooking meals again. These pork carnitas are literally one of our favorite meals. We could probably eat this every other night in our household. So easy and so good! I usually make a big batch and freeze half of it so we can have tacos another night. When it's time to eat, just add a little meat to a soft shell tortilla, a little avocado and a little lime. My mouth is watering thinking about these. I serve ours with cilantro lime rice but Mark would probably eat this straight from the slow cooker with nothing else if I let him.

{via SkinnyTaste}

Now that the holidays are done the winter season seems to stretch into an endless abyss. Thoughts of cold mornings, bundling up and dark days just depress me. You would think Norwegians would complain more than anyone because between November and January the sun never climbs up past the horizon in their neck of the woods. But, surprisingly they have very low numbers when it comes to seasonal depression. Reason being they look at winter completely different than I do (than most people do).

So here's to warm nights by the fire, sledding, and enjoying a little time without pesky mosquitos.

{pic from here}

Mark and I are seriously trying to restrain ourselves from buying too many gifts for Babes this year. We are trying to remember it's her first Christmas, at this point it's more for our sakes than anything. Instead we're trying to create fun family traditions that we can continue as she gets older, because she won't remember her gifts after a few days or weeks. For instance, we're doing a Christmas Book Advent Countdown and we've decided that going forward to get her a book no matter what each Christmas (this year it's "Stand Back!" Said the Elephant "I'm Going to Sneeze!" (my husband's favorite as a kid) and The Day the Crayons Came Home because we loved The Day the Crayons Quit).

But that isn't stopping us from spoiling her a little bit!

1. Merry Christmas Ya Filthy Animal onesie because why not?
2. Baby Banana Bendable Training Toothbrush. Teething is in full swing at our house and this is a favorite. She loves this teether!
3. Jiggle Bell rattle because it is Christmas after all. 
4. Personalized Lost My Name book. A little man in my life may or may not be getting this year and I can hardly wait (so do NOT order it little man's mom)! I got one for my goddaughter and she was in total awe that the book had her name it in!
5. Fisher-Price Little People A Christmas Story. My parents got this for Livia and it is adorable. It is something we will be bringing out every Christmas for years to come to teach Livia about the real reason for the season. 

Mark and I are at a loss of what to get each other this year, so we decided to do one gift that we both would like. I think any of the options below would make an awesome gift for any couple.

1. Our Q&A a Day. A three year journal to complete together as a couple. Cute way to start a new conversation together every day. 
2. Date Night In by Ashley Rodriguez. Sweethearts, spouses, and parents Ashley and Gabe Rodriguez found themselves deep into marriage and child-rearing when they realized they were spending most of their evenings staring at their computers. Determined not to let their relationship deteriorate into that of "roommates with children," they institute a weekly date night: they sauté, roast, mix and dice and spend time reconnecting over simple but thoughtful dishes. With Babes it's getting harder and harder to go 'out' for dates, Date Night In would solve that problem I think.
3. Sheet Music Canvas with your first song printed on it. I envision ours hanging over our bed.
4. An ornament. Mark and I started the tradition of getting ourselves an ornament together for Christmas each year. It usually represents something we did together or and exciting event that happened to us. This year we got a 'First Year as Mommy & Daddy' ornament.