Happy Birthday, Bota!

August 26, 2013Leave a comment

Today is a very special day: our dog’s birthday. Now a dog’s birthday may not seem like a big deal, but when you’ve just spent countless hours and thousands of dollars arranging travel for your dog to move halfway around the world–it’s a big deal. At least, I’m going to make it a big deal. Plus, I love any excuse to celebrate (read: eat cake) and I really do love my dog (thus my willingness to spend countless hours and thousands of dollars to move her halfway around the world). So, happy birthday, Bota! We’re going to celebrate you in style.

Bota turned 7 today, which is 49 in dog-years: she’s officially over the hill. If she were a human she’d already be scrutinizing her 401-K and buying a Harley Davidson. To us, though, she will always be our “baby”. It seems like just yesterday that we were bringing our tiny puppy home from the Christmas tree farm where she was born:

Bota is a trusted companion and she has been through a lot with us. She’s an expert at moving, and has helped us transition to 3 new homes:

She has been my hiking/running/exploring partner who is always up for an adventure and who never lets me sit around getting lazy for too long:

And she has helped us raise our boys (Dogs and boys are a great combination, by the way. They have a lot in common: both love getting dirty, running around in circles until they pass out, and conspiring to destroy my house one piece at a time).

Today we decided to celebrate our puppy-friend with a birthday party just for her. We had some delicious party food: Hot Doggies for dinner and David “helped” me bake a cake for dessert (which Bota can’t eat but, really, I do love any excuse to bake a cake!):

We played some party games: ball-throwing and TWO walks in the woods!

And no party would be complete without some festive party wear. Bota even tolerated her party hat long enough for me to snap a photo:

Happy birthday, Bota! You really are man’s (and woman’s, and boys’) best friend!

Friend-Dating

August 23, 20132 Comments

Today I had my first-ever blind date. But it’s probably not what you’re thinking.

Ever since we moved to Ireland we’ve been blown away by the kindness and hospitality of the Irish people. Everyone here is just so…nice. It has been fun meeting new people but, with two demanding children always attached to my hip, it’s also a bit difficult to get out and socialize. Sometimes even grown-ups need some help making new friends. So, my “blind date” went down like this:

Jon has a coworker who has a girlfriend who has a friend that lives near me. The Girlfriend gave me a call yesterday and said that she’d like to introduce me to The Friend (another mom of 2 little ones about the same ages as my boys). Arrangements were made. The date was set.

We all decided to meet up at The Girlfriend’s house–neutral territory. I’d never met The Girlfriend in person, either, so it was almost a double-blind date. Talk about adventurous. I was running about 10 minutes late so, naturally, I was the first one to arrive (I’m still trying to figure out this whole “Irish Time” thing. For someone as finicky about punctuality as myself, it’s going to take some getting used to). The Girlfriend welcomed me and my children into her home and laid out a spread of tea, coffee, pastries and sweets (scones with jam and cream graced the table yet again). The Girlfriend doesn’t have any children, so she went out of her way to buy toys for the kids to play with at her house. How nice is that? I think that if I’d invited somebody with children over to my house when I was in a pre-baby state I would have just thrown some pots and pans down on the kitchen floor and told the kids to go to town. But, no, she actually bought Legos and bubbles so the kids would be entertained. Amazing.

After awhile The Friend arrived and I got to meet her and her two darling children, a 2-year old girl and a 4-month old boy. She was so…nice. As we were talking we discovered that she, literally, lives across the street from me. She’s my neighbor. What a small, small world this can be! Her daughter even attends the same preschool that David will be starting at next week (which, by the way, she had nothing but nice things to say about). We exchanged phone numbers and, I can honestly say, I will be calling her (does the “2 day rule” apply to friend-dating?).

In all, it was a great first “date”. I met a new neighbor-friend, ate my fill of scones, and got to play with bubbles. I also got to clean up a lot of spilled bubbles. Maybe for our next date we’ll leave the kids at home.

10,000 Readers Strong

June 14, 2013June 14, 2013Leave a comment

This week I reached a blogging milestone of sorts–somebody out there in the wide world of internets has just become my 10,000th visitor. This is kind of mind-boggling to me–and totally humbling–that 10,000 people would actually choose to read something I’ve written. My little blog-baby has come such a long way!

I started this blog less than 6 months ago because my friend asked for my opinion on some baby things. Little did she know that I would go on to tell her my opinion on every baby thing I’ve ever come across…and start a blog because I realized I just have too many opinions on too many things and the world just has to know them.

So, who do those 10,000 readers represent? As it turns out, lots and lots of different people. I’ve had readers from over 90 countries (Can you even name 90 countries?). These readers really like to eat. Specifically, the love to eat rolls. My top posts of all time have been about Resurrection Rolls and Cinnamon rolls. They also enjoy laughing with (at?) me–my most popular non-food post was about the awkward things I do now that I’m a mom. Ireland is also on their minds–my top search engine terms that refer people to my site have mostly been about Ireland. I guess it’s a good thing people enjoy reading about Ireland, because I’m about to start writing a whole lot more about the Emerald Isle when we move there next month.

To those of you who have endured my wacky sentiments and ramblings, and actually keep coming back to read more, thank you. I love writing and I love being a mom, and this is the perfect outlet for me. 10,000 readers already, and cheers to many more to come!

Happy (30th) Birthday To Me!

June 10, 20132 Comments

Whelp. It’s here. Today I turn 30–THE BIG 3-0! This seems like quite the milestone, so I felt like I should devote a post here to my thoughts on entering a new decade of life. I’ve had a lot of people asking me if I’m nervous about turning 30. Contrary to what some people may expect, I’m actually quite excited about it. The truth is, I’ve been waiting a long time for this birthday!

This will just go to show what a precocious child I was, but I have dreamed of this day since I was a little girl. I remember driving somewhere with my mom–I was about 5 years old–and I was frustrated about something that I couldn’t do yet (I don’t remember exactly what it was–maybe it was being able to drive a car, or getting to choose the radio station or, most likely, having the authority to tell someone younger than me what they should or should not do). At any rate, I was feeling rather remorse and I asked my mom how old she was. “33,” she told me. That’s it, I decided–once I reach that age, I will have it made. And from that moment on I have dreamed of being in my 30’s.

Some people associate this magic age with being “old”–it seems like every woman just wants to remain in her 20’s forever (like a certain friend of mine who, on every birthday, says “I’m 29 for the __th time”). I remember seeing an episode of Friends where Rachel turned 30 and it was such a big deal–they acted like she was dying or something! For me, though, it’s just the opposite. Gone are my 20’s when I had to worry about passing college exams, getting that cute boy in the front row to notice me, and start a career. I am moving on now to bigger and better things.

I feel like I have finally hit my prime. My body is strong–I’m even running a half-marathon this weekend to prove to myself that I’ve still got “it”. I have everything I could possibly want at this point in my life–a loving husband, two beautiful babies, wonderful friends, and a comfortable home to share life with my loved ones. And life just keeps getting more exciting–with our Big Move coming up shortly I don’t even know what my life will look like a year from now. And I think that’s amazing–that at 30 years old I can have both stability and adventure, the known paired with the unknown.

So, happy 30th birthday to me. Little 5-year old Allison, you can stop waiting for better days. They have arrived. Carpe diem.

My Summer Bucket List

June 6, 2013Leave a comment

Ahhhhhh…summer. It really is the most wonderful time of the year. I may be a bit biased because up until about 2 years ago I had spent my whole life in school (as either a student or a teacher) so summer has always just been the thing I looked forward to all year. Now that I have kids, though, I’m more excited for summer than ever before. Again, I may be a bit biased–as a stay-at-home mom in rainy Seattle I really can’t wait to get the kids outside and finally do something.

A few months ago I made a spring bucket list. I’m happy to report that I have checked off every item from that list…except for two: “plant something” and “fix our yard” (I knew those were bad ideas even as I was writing them. In my defense, though, I did buy a potted basil plant from Trader Joe’s and it’s still alive. I also have managed to keep the dog poop mostly picked up from our back yard, so that’s kinda like fixing the yard, too.). My favorite discovery from my spring bucket list was visiting new parks in our area. I found a lovely gem a few miles away with a wetland boardwalk and a large playground–we’ve already spent several afternoons exploring there.

Now it’s time to see what summer has to offer. This summer will be different from any other that I’ve ever experienced as we’ll be moving to Ireland in July. But what would summer be without a healthy dose of adventure mixed in? Here’s a bit of what I’m planning for this season:

Build sand castles at the beach
Climb a real castle (yay, Ireland!)
Pick fresh berries from a U-pick farm
Ride the car ferry over to Whidbey Island or the Olympic Peninsula for a day trip
Catch the ice cream man
Take in some free children’s concerts in the park
Throw a killer first birthday party for my little Jacob!
Walk down Alki Beach and pretend like I’m in California
Take in a firework show
Get a pedicure so my feet look cute in flip flops
Eat a picnic dinner in a park
Watch an outdoor movie
Take the free ferry over to Jetty Island for some play time at the warm water beach
Make our own Popsicles and eat them outside
Play in the kiddie pool we have hidden under our deck
Play with sidewalk chalk
See a parade (be in a parade?!)
Take David to a baseball game
Barbecue. Lots and lots of BBQ.
NOT get a sunburn
Go bowling (kids bowl free in the summer!)
Walk barefoot in the sand
Borrow my parents’ stand-up paddle boards and get out on the water
Read books with my kids outside under the trees
Go to a farm
Go hiking
Watch a beautiful sunset
Fly a kite
Swim
Roast marshmallows over a fire
Go to the fair
Run through the sprinkler
Play mini golf
Go on a nature walk
Play with water balloons
Blow bubbles
Make ice cream in a bag
Rest (I don’t know how I’ll have time to fit that one in with all of these other fun ideas, but it seems like it would be a good idea!)

What are some of your favorite summertime activities? I’d love some fresh ideas!

Haircuts: A Retrospective

April 24, 2013Leave a comment

I have a tendency to let some things go until they are absolutely driving me nuts. ‘Tis the case with David’s hair. It’s been a few months since his last trim and David’s head was starting to look like an overgrown jungle. So, it was decided: today would be haircut day.

David must have known it was haircut day because he decided to pull all of our photo albums off the shelf while I was putting Jacob down for his morning snooze. As we were looking at some of the old photos I came across these gems from David’s very first haircut, a year ago almost to the day.

Here he is before his first cut:

And after:

I couldn’t help but notice how little he looks in these photos! Which is funny, because when it was actually happening I thought he was so big. Here he was–my BABY–getting his very first big boy haircut. I remember thinking how old and grown up he looked after the haircut…and I remember being a little bit sad that he was already growing up (OK, I’m still a little bit sad that he’s growing up).

And then there was today. We usually do David’s haircuts at home now, but we decided to splurge and take him back to the same place where he got his first haircut. But things were a little different this time. He sat still (quite the improvement!), he held a conversation with his stylist, and he came out looking even bigger than after that first fateful cut.

I know that some day in the not-too-distant future I will look back at these photos and think about how little he looked. But, at least for today, he seems so big to me.

To my handsome boy David: I hope you continue to change and to grow and to become your own person. As long as a little part of you still wants to be my baby.

Lessons From A Garbage Can

April 22, 2013Leave a comment

This is a garbage can.

It looks like an ordinary, run-of-the-mill garbage can, and it is…and it isn’t. You see, this garbage can has become a bit of an extension of our family. We spend time with it, we care for it and it has taught us many things. This all sounds a bit strange, so let me explain.

Several months ago at church we heard a sermon that challenged us to fix the problems that we found. The message was basically that if you see a problem and it is bothering you, then maybe you should be the one to help find a solution. After all, if it’s bothering you that much then it’s probably something that’s already near and dear to your heart.

The first problem that came to mind when I was listening to the sermon was our park. We have a wonderful neighborhood park across the street from our house that is well-loved and much-used by kids from the surrounding area. There is a playground and a basketball court in the park, so we spend many, many hours there–rain or shine. I know all of the kids who play there and they all know us. I spend so much time there that I feel like it’s “my” park.

You can imagine my annoyance, then, when I would get to the park each morning to find piles of trash lining the basketball court and littering the fields. How dare these kids come to my park and leave such a mess? Who was going to clean this up? And that’s when it hit me: I was annoyed by this problem because I needed to be the one to fix it.

We had an extra-large garbage can from when we were doing some home improvement projects and I got permission from our homeowner’s association to chain it to one of the hoops in the park. Then we went to work.

I started by gathering together all of the kids who frequent the park and showing them the garbage can and how to use it (I didn’t want to leave it up to chance that they’d actually know how to put their trash in the can). Then I had them all help me tidy up the park. I told them we were going to have a race to see who could get the most pieces of trash in the garbage can in 5 minutes–they all won! (wink, wink).

It’s been about 6 months now since we first put the garbage can in our park. David and I still go to the park almost every day, but now the first thing we do when we get there is collect litter to put in the garbage can. David has taken ownership of the park that he uses so frequently and he enjoys lending a helping hand.

I explain to David that when we pick up litter we are helping the environment and helping to keep our park safe and clean for everyone. More importantly, though, David is learning that he can solve problems. He can do his own little part to be Jesus’ hands and feet in a world that is full of problems. And, some day, he will find his own problems–and instead of running away from them he will fix them.

My California Adventure

April 12, 2013April 24, 20132 Comments

Last week I had an incredible adventure: my first solo-trip with both boys. We flew down to California for a week to visit family and some dear friends. It was both challenging (Just try spending a week sharing a tiny bedroom with a teething 8-month old and a rambunctious 2 year old. I dare you.) and incredibly touching. I got to see two friends with whom I’ve shared some of the biggest milestones in my life (even though we now live in 3 separate states), and I got to spend a whole week with my lovely sister and her family. In the middle of our trip we got word that we will officially be moving half-way around the world to Ireland in the next month or two. It was a beautiful, crazy week. Here are some of the highlights:

We got to fly on an airplane. Both boys have been on planes before, but this was their first time flying together (and my first time flying alone with both of them). God must have heard my prayers because I was able to get a whole row to myself on both of our flights–even though the plane was supposed to be completely full. It was great to have an extra seat for Jacob so I could bring on his carseat and allow him to snooze a bit. David had fun eating sugary snacks that he doesn’t usually get to have (including a giant ring pop that took him almost an hour to consume), watching videos on my iPhone, throwing stickers at other passengers, and smiling at the cute flight attendant who brought him apple juice. Overall, the flights went really well and I think I could totally do it again.

We went directly from the airport in Burbank to Ventura so we could meet up with my friends, Tammy and Krista, and their families. We all met a few years ago at our church and coincidentally all had our first sons within a few weeks of each other. Then, two years later, we all had our second sons within a couple of months of each other. Tammy now lives in Fargo, Krista now lives in Central California, and I live in Seattle. This was the first time that we all got to see each other with our youngest babies–it really was a dream come true for me!

We spent the afternoon in Ventura picnicking, playing on the beach, and catching up.

Even the babies had fun playing in the sun!

After our beach time in Ventrua we headed back to my sister Erin’s house to unpack and get settled. That night we got a really special treat: my nephew Noah was having an art show at his preschool and we were invited! Here’s Noah showing us snail art in his classroom–the teacher put drops of food coloring on paper, then put snails on top of the paper. As they slid around the paper, they dragged the food coloring around to make a beautiful picture. I can see practical applications for this technique in Washington using slugs from my garden.

The next day we met up with Tammy and Krista again, this time in Santa Barbara. We went to the Santa Barbara Mission and spent the morning exploring their beautiful gardens.

David learned not to hug a cactus.

He also learned that good friends can help you feel better.

After we exhausted the boys’ patience looking at beautiful gardens and fascinating old relics at the mission, we went into town for some lunch and exploring. We ate lunch at Taqueria Super Rica (be sure to check it out if you’re ever in Santa Barbara) and walked around State Street looking at the shops. We also visited the courthouse (the rooftop has a wonderful observation deck) and found a fun park for the kids to burn off some energy in.

Jacob and Calvin got to play in the swings. They both loved it! David spent about an hour (really) putting wood chips into a life-size plastic shark’s mouth. Then we snapped one last photo of us with our “6-pack” of boys:

It was a magical two days with dear friends, a time I will treasure forever!

The rest of our week was spent with my sister, Erin, her husband, Toph (OK, his name is really Christopher, but we all call him Toph because my other sister–Erin’s twin–married another Christopher and it just all gets too confusing), and her 3 1/2 year old son Noah.

David and Noah are buddies, and they got along great all week (despite a few spats over balls that David was, unexpectedly, quite possessive over). Here they are walking to “Bucky Park”, a neighborhood park down the street from Noah’s house.

On Saturday we went to Leo Carillo Beach. It’s a quiet little beach near Malibu with private coves that you can set up your “camp” in, tide pools for exploring, and gentle surf for playing. It’s the same beach where Erin and Toph got married 4 years ago, so it was fun for me to go back there and re-live that beautiful day.

Jacob had fun playing in the sand and watching the “big boys” run around like wild banshees.

David and Noah (with a little help from Uncle Toph) built a “big hole”. This hole kept David occupied for two hours. He jumped in the hole, sat in the hole, put balls in the hole, buried his feet in the hole–he really would have stayed there for the rest of his life if I would have let him.

Unfortunately, Erin had to work on Saturday so she didn’t get to come to the beach with us. But that afternoon she got some snuggle time with her youngest nephew, and I think that helped make up for it a bit.

On Sunday we went to Griffith Park in Los Angeles. I’d never been there before but, man, that place is HUGE! We started the morning at the Griffith Park Observatory. If you look very closely at the hill behind me you can see the white “Hollywood” sign in the distance.

We thought it would be fun to take the boys to the planetarium show at the observatory.

Don’t let this photo fool you. The planetarium show was NOT fun. The show was great. I would have loved it. But the experience was….well, just look at who we brought with us. Not the crowd who enjoys sitting through long scientific talks in the dark. It was stressful, aggravating and, at times, physically painful. We’ll just leave it at that. Lesson learned: don’t bring 3 kids under the age of 4 to a planetarium show.

After the planetarium experience we decided we needed to go somewhere a bit more low key. We ate a picnic lunch then drove around to the other side of Griffith Park to a place called Transportation Town. It’s set up like a big train yard, complete with train tracks and lots of old trains for the kids to climb around in.

David and Noah got to “drive” a train (although, David’s favorite part was throwing pebbles into the coal chute: “Goal!”).

And I just love this picture because it looks like our children are about to get run over by trains. (Don’t worry, Grandma Doreen, none of the trains can actually move).

The next day, Monday, was Erin’s day off work. We decided to take the boys to one of my favorite places, the Santa Barbara Zoo. This zoo is great for young kids: it’s easily walk-able, you get really close to the animals, and they have a great play area for the little ones. Plus, the giraffes have a view of the Pacific Ocean. I would love to be a giraffe at the Santa Barbara Zoo.

Here we are by the elephants (you can barely see one to the left of David).

And here are David and Noah “sledding” down an astro-turf hill on sheets of cardboard. It’s actually a LOT of fun!

We saw some interesting creatures at the zoo, including this tiny hatchling.

On Tuesday we went to one of my other favorite California attractions, Noah’s farm (really, it’s called Underwood Farms and it’s just about the most amazing place ever. I would perhaps move to California just so I could live next to this farm).

We got to feed the animals. These are chickens and ROOSTERS!!! (David’s favorite), but they also had pigs, goats, Emu, cows, and horses that you could feed.

We took a wagon ride out to the fields where we had…

SNACK TIME! We helped ourselves to the farm’s bounty (I mean, we were U-picking produce to purchase when we exited the farm). There were so many wonderful fruits and veggies ready for the picking: strawberries, oranges, sugar snap peas, carrots, heads of lettuce bigger than David. After we all had our fill, we headed back to the animals for a little while.

David and Noah got to ride ponies. You may be able to tell by his expression: David was in heaven.

After a busy day at the farm we drove into town for some nourishment. And, when you’re in California, that means In-N-Out. When we lived in Palo Alto I used to go to In-N-Out about once a week (terrible, I know, but if you’ve ever had it then you know why). David actually ate a whole cheeseburger–I think all that rooster-feeding and pony-riding worked up quite the appetite.

And, just like that, our trip was over. We had an uneventful flight back home and then we all crashed for a 4-hour nap as soon as we got back to our house. Thank you to Erin and Toph for putting up with my crazy lot for a whole week, and thank you, California, for never disappointing.

Guest Post: Making It Through Cancer and New Motherhood

April 12, 2013April 12, 2013Leave a comment

Today I am excited to welcome my first guest writer to my blog! Heather has an incredible story of strength, survival, and the power of a mother’s love. When her daughter, Lily, was only 3 1/2 months old Heather was diagnosed with a type of cancer called Mesothelioma. This type of cancer is deadly–it has only a 5% survival rate–but, sadly, it is 100% preventable. Now, 7 years later, Heather has beaten the asbestos disease and is a poster child for hope after Mesothelioma. If you would like to learn more about Heather, you can read her blog here. And, with no further ado, here is Heather’s story:

Not too many adults can believe it when my daughter proudly exclaims that she saved me from cancer over seven years ago. She says it in such a matter-of-fact way that you can’t help but to question how that’s possible. However, it’s the truth. I was diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma. Some people don’t understand what kind of effect a child can truly have on someone going through cancer, but for me, Lily was my saving grace.

My husband Cameron and I waited about seven years before deciding that we ready for kids. It was the first time that we really gave it a lot of thought. I knew that it was the right moment to start. Once we made the decision, I was pregnant and in the midst of craving heaven. There were a lot of emotions that ran through me as a newly pregnant mother, but what I really wondered was what kind of mother I was going to be. I didn’t know how I was going to treat all kinds of situations that may come up during my kid’s life, but I just knew that as long as I was a good mom, then I could handle whatever came our way. I had so many dreams as all moms do about their kids and what kinds of things that life would bring. I never expected it to go the way that it did after Lily was born.

My pregnancy was smooth besides the delivery. On that day, the doctor told me that I had a breech baby and needed an emergency C-section. That moment was terrifying, but soon after, Lily was in my arms, just as beautiful as ever. I knew that I would do anything to protect this wonderful bundle of joy. It was the happiest moment of my life, and that must be why the news hit so hard a few months later when I realized that my body was not as healthy as I thought.

After my pregnancy, things started to get really strange for my body. I was tired all the time. I was losing a lot of weight every week. I went in for testing to figure out what was wrong. Three days before Thanksgiving, I went to the doctor’s office with Cameron. He has such an amazing heart and strength. This was a moment that really tested me as a human being and wife. The doctor told me that I had mesothelioma, and that I only had 15 months to live without treatment. I sat there in total shock, going over everything in my mind as he continued to talk about treatment. Cameron looked to me for help but I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t know what treatment to pick. Cameron knew that there was only one option to save my life. We had to see a mesothelioma specialist in Boston who had a high success rate.

I knew that the road was going to be long and hard to recovery. In those first few months, I spent doting on Lily as much as I could, preparing for major surgery and what would come after: chemotherapy and radiation. During those months, I wasn’t going to be able to see Lily at all. I went in for major surgery to remove my lung and parts of my chest, diaphragm and heart. I was in the hospital for 18 days. It was such a difficult time in my life. The dreams that I had of being this healthy mom running and playing with my daughter looked so far off and away that it was hard to think of what was coming. However, I kept my strength and I held hope that the clouds were going to break.

Two months after being out of the hospital, I started chemotherapy and radiation. It was a rigorous and terrible process. I knew that it was trying to save my life, but I couldn’t help but feel that I was dying anyway. It was a very dark time. The only thing that kept me alive I truly feel was the thought of Lily. I wasn’t done yet. I had so many things to do in her life, and if I could just hold on, I knew that I could beat mesothelioma and the treatment that came with it.

Well, I did. I beat a cancer that takes 95 percent of the people that it infects. I’m here seven years later because of Lily. We did pick an amazing time to have a baby, just in time, in fact. Without Lily, I don’t know what the treatment process would have been like. Of course, my husband and family were there for me, but it was those feelings of being a mother and holding Lily in my arms that I knew I was going to make it.

What’s In My Diaper Bag?

April 1, 2013Leave a comment

I’m getting ready to go on vacation this week, so you know what that means: I’ll have to buy one of those celebrity gossip magazines to “read” on the plane. One of my favorite “articles” (notice my use of quotes when referring to anything even slightly intellectual in regard to this type of literature) has to do with looking in celebrities’ purses. Basically they dump out their purses and you get to oggle what they tote around with them. It’s really quite interesting–I’m not exactly sure why, but it is. Bravo, world-class journalism. You’ve won me over.

Today I will perform my own version of the celebrity purse dump. Only, this time, you get a little peek into my diaper bag. Before I had kids I always wondered what moms carried around with them in those elusive bags. Well, my friends, here’s your answer:

Diapering supplies: I have a potty-training 2-year old and a fully-diapered 8 month old. I use disposable diapers, so I usually carry 2-4 diapers for the baby and a spare pull-up for my toddler for “just in case” scenarios. I have a wipes case that I keep full at all times (trust me, you do NOT want to run out of wipes at a critical moment…like a poopy diaper change in an airplane restroom.). I also have a changing pad that folds out from my diaper bag so I can do a diaper change anywhere with a flat-ish surface to lay baby down on. I keep a couple of plastic grocery bags with me in case I need to dispose of a poopy diaper or stash soiled clothes. There’s also a tube of diaper cream (I like “Butt Paste”, and not just for its name) and a small container of hand sanitizer. Before I leave the house I usually do a quick check to make sure I have enough diapers, wipes, and bags for whatever outing we’re going on.

Spare clothes: Things happen. Babies poop up their backs (Yuck! But true.). Little boys run through mud puddles on your way in to church. It’s a good idea to have at least one spare pair of clothing for your child. Some people keep spare clothes in their cars, but I like to keep mine in the diaper bag itself because you never know where you’ll be when disaster strikes! I have an outfit for each boy, and I keep them in a plastic bag so they’re easy to find in the bottom of my diaper bag.

Nursing supplies: I’m still breastfeeding my baby, so I keep a nursing cover and a burp cloth in my diaper bag for on-the-go feedings.

Snacks: A little secret of motherhood: snacks cure all things. Fussy toddler in the car? Give him some crackers. Impatient baby at a restaurant? Give him some Cheerios. Cranky mommy who’s 2 hours late for her meal? Give her a granola bar. I keep snacks for all of us in my diaper bag and I replenish my supply every time I leave the house. I also have a reusable plastic bib that I use when we go out to eat.

Health: I keep a small first aid kit with Bandaids and sterile wipes in my diaper bag. I also carry a water bottle with me so I can stay hydrated.

Entertainment: I keep a couple of small toys in my bag for those times that baby needs a little pick-me-up.

My essentials: I keep my wallet, cell phone, chapstick and a pen in a zippered pocket in my diaper bag. I find that it’s easier for me to keep all of my things in the diaper bag instead of in a purse–one less thing for me to carry around that way!

This is what my bag looks like all packed up. Amazingly, everything fits inside and I know that I’ll have everything I need within reach. There we go! Now, don’t you feel better now that you know what’s inside my bag?

We Love, Teach, Grow

My journey through motherhood

Category: Musings