Summa, Summa Summatime!

A lot has happened since my last post so I’ll try to update everyone on what’s been going on with us. We took a family vacation to Oak Island, NC in early June and had a blast. The house was beautiful (303 Womble Street) and Sam, Charlotte and I got to have one of the master bedrooms/baths so it was very plush! Definitely made me realize how new construction gives you a) a lot more space in general but also very big closets, and b) how I need a master bathroom like whoa!

Traveling to Oak Island was a little intense. The drive down wasn’t as bad – we broke it up into two days, driving only 6 hours the first day. My mom (Grandbirdy) had bought Charlotte a portable DVD player for her baptism gift and that was a bit of a lifesaver. Charlotte loved to watch her “Dora the Explorer” DVDs. She was less interested in “All Dogs Go To Heaven” and “The Little Mermaid.” She’s probably still too young to appreciate those ones just yet. Our house had a pool so that made it very easy to stay on our regular two nap a day schedule while still enjoying some sunshine.



At the beach, Charlotte was just a tiny little sea turtle! I’d put her down and lay out my beach towel and she’d be gone, crawling to the sea at the speed of lightning! She absolutely LOVES the water and even put her face in! She also loved all of the dogs that were on the beach, especially since we had to leave her furry brother Bruiser at home with Grandbirdy.





The vacation was very enjoyable – good food, good laughs, and quality family time. One of my favorite moments was the process of getting this photo. I told Sam that I wanted to get some beach photos of our family. So we went out to a restaurant and then decided we’d get photos closer to sunset. We weren’t anticipating high tide! By the time we got to the beach the water was so high and there was hardly any sand in sight. We got drenched getting this photo, but I will hopefully never ever forget this moment in time.



The drive home was pretty brutal, and at the 9.5 hour mark, Charlotte reached her limit. We were stuck in DC traffic at the time, and it just so happened that at the moment Sam turned to me and said, “Do you think your sister would let us stay with her tonight” I happened to look up and see the sign for her exit “River Road!” It was literally serendipity! S-cookie graciously let us stay the night with her with only a ten minute heads up and it ended being a great night there. Just goes to show that when life gives you lemons you can certainly make some lemonade! Charlotte loved seeing her Auntie S too!



A few weeks later Charlotte turned 10 months. She is getting so big and we are just enjoying every minute we get with her! She’s at the stage now where she gets into EVERYTHING! Bruiser’s water bowl. Check. Climbing up the entire flight of stairs. Check. Opening the kitchen cabinets. Check. Learning to open and close doors. Check. The days of letting the baby play on their own for 2 minutes while you throw in a load of laundry are long gone!



She is also eating much more now. She loves the mixed baby foods including apples and raspberries, brown rice and plums, and corn with squash. She has started picking up foods and loves goldfish. She also started eating Rice Chex recently (thanks for the tip, Dana!)

Moms – are there any other great finger foods you’ve had success with introducing to a 10 month old?

The 4th of July was spent in Washington, DC at Auntie S’s house and it was a great mini Hauger/Meriwether family vacation. Of course we had some Chevy Chase-like drama with Sam breaking the handle off of the shower (it ran nonstop the entire time we were there), and only a couple of overly dramatic moments. Not bad for my immediate family! My favorite part was probably Charlotte’s first parade- the national parade! After that we went down to the waterfront to see the water, boats and have lunch. We ate while she napped in her stroller. When she woke up we took her to see some ducks and Grandpap Haugs and I ran through a sprinkler for everyone’s entertainment. A great vacation and I can’t wait to go on a week-long one next year with my family. Destination next year will most likely be Sandbridge, Virginia.







Now that we are back I am busy organizing details for her upcoming birthday party – theme: shabby chic street fair! We are also getting family portraits taken at a Cleveland area beach. Stay tuned to hear more about our crazy adventures!

Goodness Gracious Grand Cayman with a Baby!

I had to decide in late January if I was going to a) go on a vacation with my mom and sister - our annual girls trip and b) if I was going to bring Charlotte - who'd be 8 months old at the time or leave her at home. I opted to say yes to the trip and bring along the baby. Just because you have a baby doesn't mean you can't do the things you love anymore - and I figured it'd be a great experience for all of us and leaving Charlotte behind just wasn't an option for me. A passport for her, a notarized letter stating Sam allowed me to take her out of the country, and several suitcases later we were all set to fly out of Cleveland, connect in Charlotte, NC, and head to beautiful Grand Cayman island.


ready to jet set!

Unfortunately Charlotte had an ear infection for Easter - but her pediatrician gave her the OK to fly at her checkup the day before we left. Whew. He did warn me that she was "going to scream on takeoff and landing." Needless to say I was nervous about being that person on the plane that everyone despises. We arrived at the Cleveland airport in plenty of time, checked most of our suitcases, had fun trying to figure out how to tighten straps from he** on an umbrella stroller my mom had bought for the trip, and then we were off for security. Charlotte smiled at a TSA agent and he smiled back and said for my mom, sister, Charlotte and I to head to the pre-check line. It pays to be nice to those people! We didn't have to take off our sweaters or shoes. Everyone kept saying how pretty Charlotte was and asked if I had ever traveled with her before. "Her first time on a plane!" I'd reply. A few nice pregnant ladies were chatting with us as well.

Before we boarded the plane I gave her a dose of ibuprofen and her ear medicine. She was a complete doll I must say on takeoff, landing and everything in between. She played with toys and chewed on Sophie and drank her bottles/nursed well. It was a breeze! As we arrived into Grand Cayman, walking down the steps to the ground was a bit challenging, and I'd wished I'd have my baby sling or baby carrier handy, I just put both arms around her and took it slow!

As we waited in the customs line, we again smiled at the guard and he directed us towards the "Caymanians" line. I heard a few people say, "Hey they have passports why are they going to that line" -- again, pays to travel with a cute baby! In the line we ended up befriending a very nice woman who was returning from New York who gave us a few dinner recommendations. The car rental situation was a bit scary - they didn't have the car seat INSTALLED and just handed it to me (umm, hello. My husband did this back home, not me!) Luckily the Hertz guy helped me figure it out. I must say, I taught my sister to drive when she was 17. I felt like I had to do it all over again since they drive on the left hand side of the road there and her steering wheel was on the right side of the car (freaky!). I never really got used to it at all and would have crashed 15 times if I had been driving.

We arrived at the Ritz and I downed some tropical drink the lady handed me and then we were off to the room. I heard the word "oceanfront" and got excited. Our room was beautiful and they had set up the room with a crib for Charlotte -- not that she slept in it too much -- she was mostly snuggled up with me in bed the whole trip! But still, the gift they gave her was so sweet too.

Charlotte admiring her gift

The first day we were all pretty whooped so we just took Charlotte down to see the ocean and she fell asleep in the baby carrier. The sound of the waves literally lulled her right to sleep, plus we had a long travel day! We ordered room service that first night - Bird ordered a top sirloin off the kids meal and made me act like it was for Charlotte -- hilarious note. The next day we introduced Charlotte to the ocean water and the pool for the first time and she loved it!

suited up!

That night we went to dinner at Eduardo's right down the street and Charlotte was a delight. It was fun to have a night out with my mom and sister - we went all kinds of crazy and each had one drink!

We visited the turtle farm which was an easy 15 minute drive from the Ritz. That was a lot of fun and peanut really enjoyed seeing the turtles! I made sure to stay in the shade with peanut and to keep reapplying SPF to her especially after the pool/ocean. It was nice because the Ritz had a pack 'n play they'd set up under the umbrellas for you so Charlotte could take her afternoon nap al fresco in the breeze. She enjoyed the outdoors so much!

A few tips for traveling with an infant:
* If you use a baby sling, bring it. Especially for the flight - Charlotte fell asleep in it on the way home and it helped to carry her around the airport.
* Leave the boppy at home - you won't even use it. Just ask the maid for some extra pillows.
* Ask ahead of time for your hotel to provide a crib, bedding, fridge, etc.
* Ask the rental care service for an infant car seat (and make sure you ask them to have it installed too)
* You can gate check an umbrella stroller - second hand stores have ones in excellent condition for as low as $15
* Bring an extra bottle or two for the plane to help with ear pressure
* If you plan to nurse on the plane, wear an easy access top
* Keep your baby's schedule in mind when planning dinners, excursions, etc. - a cranky baby is no fun at all
* Remember that your baby didn't ask to go on vacation, so extra patience is a must pack item!



It was a fabulous trip all in all and I must thank my sister, Samantha, for planning another fabulous adventure for us. And I must thank Birdy and S for being great au pairs for me when I needed a break. Love you both!

If you're ever thinking about not taking a trip because you have a baby - think again! For every one person that gives you a dirty look there are 100 people that will smile at you and be kind. Just plan ahead, be friendly to others, be patient with your baby, and you'll have a wonderful vacation with memories to last a lifetime. :)

Now for some photos of the trip for you to peruse:

Fall Festivities and Road Trip with the little One!

A couple of weeks ago Sam and I took Charlotte to her first fall festival at Mapleside Farms. It was the perfect afternoon - mid 70's and sunny. The venue had hayrides, a bounce area, and a huge slide for kids to play on. I can't wait to take her back when she's big enough to enjoy it all. She enjoyed getting pushed around in her stroller and posing for pictures for now!

The fam at Mapleside Farms

A week later it was off to Pennsylvania to pick up grandma Birdy for our trek to Washington, DC to visit Auntie S (my sister, Samantha). Auntie S didn't get a chance to hold Charlotte in the hospital so she was very eager to do so now that Charlotte was 7 weeks old at this point. Packing for a trip with a baby was a job in and of itself. You need every imaginable item: diapers, wipes, creams, lotions, wash, onesies, sleepers, pack 'n play, sheets, music maker, play mat, boppy, bottles, bottle warmer/cooler, burp cloths, and the list goes on! The car was packed before we got to PA, but luckily Bird didn't pack too much - although we did have to cart a pumpkin all the way down to Washington, DC for Miss S!

Auntie S with Char Tiger

Grandma, Auntie S and mom with the peanut

Charlotte was great in the car on the ride from Cleveland to PA. PA to DC was a little harrier, but 8 hours in a car was driving ME nuts, so I can't imagine it was fun for a 7 week old baby. We had to stop twice to feed her - and one time I had to nurse her in the back parking lot at Sheetz - not ideal, but that is why it's good to travel with blankets and a boppy!

When we arrived in DC Thursday night around 7 pm, it took awhile to unpack the car filled with babyland goods. Then S and I went and picked up Chinese and we had a lovely laid back evening at S's that night.

The next day we had our first playdate with Jenn and Caleb - he was born ten days before Charlotte!

Jenn and Caleb, and Bird and Charlotte

Jenn and I exchanged tips and tricks and it was nice to chat with a fellow new mommy!

That night we went out to dinner at Clyde's - my first test as a mom with a baby in a restaurant! I definitely got a few glances when I walked into Clyde's carrying a car seat, but most people were just saying how cute she was. I am pleased to say that Charlotte got an A++ on her dinner behavior - sleeping most of the time and sucking quietly on her pacifier the rest. Whooo!

The next day we took her into Georgetown for her first girls shopping adventure. Navigating the busy streets of Georgetown with a stroller wasn't as difficult as I had thought, and S and I took turns steering Charlotte into the stores. We even saw some Penn Stater's canning and had to stop and give them some cash and do a few WE ARE cheers with them! (S attended Penn State).

Later we had to stop for lunch midway through our shopping, and Bird gave Char a bottle in the restaurant. She once again was a great baby! Downside - the restaurant didn't have a place to change her, but S and I managed to do it in the bathroom. What kind of restaurant doesn't have a changing table these days!? Crazy to me.

Bird feeding Charlotte

That night we just laid low and hung out and watched TV. Our friend Alberto stopped by and got to see Charlotte awake for approximately 30 seconds before she fell asleep again - our shopping trip definitely wore her out!

Saying goodbye to S the next day was quite sad - but we'll get to see her again in a couple weeks - hooray!