Pack Light, Not

One of the few perks of year-round schools is the month long breaks. Sure the summers are shorter, but I personally love the idea that during the holidays we can go away for a month. That was exactly what we did. I imagined the scenario of me traveling with my kids. I questioned whether or not I would be able to do it. Sure, I've been on the plane more than 20 times. But with a baby? I worried about the stroller falling apart. What if I run out of diapers? Should I put him in his carseat? How can I store my luggage when I can't reach it? And the most confusing puzzler - How the heck am I going to use the restroom? You can skim through my recommendations just reading the first few sentences or chuckle at my mishaps by reading all of it, your pick.

First off, check-in your luggage. Really. Invest in a roomy and comfortable backpack and call it a day. I did the opposite. I was so paranoid that I would be stuck somewhere and run out of wipes, diapers, and milk (mind you my little chunky is breastfed). I packed extras to my extras. Extra clothes and diapers went into my backpack, while supplies of everything to include snacks and medicine went into my spinner luggage. I figured, I put the baby in the stroller, while my lovely five year old can push the luggage. I underestimated the meltdowns that came along with being jet lagged. She refused to roll the luggage because she was so tired. There I was with a hungry and cranky five year old, pushing my 7-month old in his infant seat attached to his stroller, and trying to roll the luggage. We still had a layover to conquer.

You say, all you are bringing is a backpack anyways? Great. Now what to pack? Aside from the usual baby diaper bag essentials like diapers, wipes, food, and change of clothes, I packed additional items I knew would help me during my travel.
- baby carrier
- Cares harness
- oversized toilet seat cover so your toddler and older kids do not touch the bottom of the seat when they swing their feet because my daughter almost always swings her feet.

- large disposable underpad instead of your changing pad. Why? Just in case you would need to change your baby on the ground, this is the most perfect solution. It folds flat, is lightweight, and has a waterproof liner. This liner will catch accidents as you are trying to clean up one. You fold it up and put in the trash. They sell these in drugstores or Amazon. Or the Goodnites pads from Huggies. I was fortunate enough to not have to change #2 diaper, but if I did, I would have opted to change him right there on the floor near the bathroom rather than the changer inside. My son likes to roll around as I change him. I worried about turbulence that might occur in the midst of changing him.
- plastic bag: flight attendants are not allowed to touch dirty diapers. Even if they were, more courteous. Re,e,berm they have the vodka, so be nice to them!
- Water bottle - with kids in tow, having the tray table down with a glass without a lid is just asking for trouble. At least with the water bottle, you can close the lid and put it in the seat pocket.

The answer to my crazy questions:
- Bring a stroller that you don't mind being banged up and thrown around. If it has a removable tray, remove the tray and carry that in the plane with you. We've lost a tray once and being in Paris with a fuzzy toddler who was unable to hold her cup was not a pleasant experience.
- Yes, for tiny babies, bring the car seat. The lady gave me the dirtiest look because she was unable to lean back. I would have felt bad except the seat next to her was open and she refused to move. I suggest bringing the car seat because during landing and take off, it is the safest place for a baby. They don't allow harnessing them onto you during those times and it is easy for them to slip through your hands when the altitude suddenly changes. Petites don't really have wide wing span to securely hold the baby, at least I don't.
- Bathroom breaks. I use the restroom at the last minute. If the handicap stall is not available, I park the stroller in front of my stall, tell my daughter to put her feet where I can see it, and she sings twinkle. If it is in flight, I ask the flight attendant to watch my daughter while I baby wear my infant. It's challenging because the seats are a tad bit high and I don't want any contact with it. I use my kid's oversized toilet seat cover for that.

Now you are set to go :). If this is your baby's first flight, don't forget to ask for their wings from the flight attendants. Bon Voyage!

Baby Medicine Bag

What's in your baby medicine bag?

Through experience, I found that buying a pre-arranged medicine/first aid bag is not worth it. Especially with babies, it's important to have the medicine and ointments that they're already accustomed to. The last thing you want is applying a rash cream that the baby is allergic to while traveling.

I like this compartment that I bought for my first baby years ago. It separates the dry stuff with the liquids. I wish it even tri-folds. Maybe a diy that I can make later on.

Hair Conundrum

What to do with the wispy baby hair that grows after pregnancy? Bang it out.

With both my pregnancies, my hair fell out after giving birth. With my first, I even went to the doctor baffled why I was losing hair. Six to seven months later, baby hair galore. I am a very low maintenance girl. When I get ready, I take 10 mins tops. So, really the only solution for me is cover them with bangs, put hair up in ponytail, and bam, done.

Travel with Babies

Phew! We made it! Thank God! That was definitely challenging. I am an over-packer so yes, I pushed a carry-on full of things I thought I would need for my baby. That's in addition to the stroller, baby seat, backpack, and my kids. Of course, I didn't use anything from it.

The entire time, people were trying to lend a helping hand. My petite structure must have made carrying my baby, pushing stroller and suitcase, and coaching my 5-yr old look extremely difficult. I looked like a teen-mom for sure. One of the flight attendants asked where the dad was. Oh the joys.

But we made it! We're here! Thank you my Beco. Without you, this whole experience would have been crazy. Oh and thank you my  feeding cover. And yes I like thanking inanimate objects. And to the people of New York and New Jersey, you are some of the most helpful and hospitable people I have run into.

Mini Staycation

I got to sightsee around San Diego with friends today. We both have children the same ages. Our school aged kids hung out while we talked babies and life. For all the recommendations and praises I do for Beco, one must think they pay me for it. My carrier saved the day once again!

I faced him forward as we sat to eat. It was kind of odd, but it worked. I ate, he ate, we all ate. For two hours, in one inch heel boots, I carried him without sore muscles after. Well, maybe my legs, but definitely not my back nor my shoulders.

It was a bit chilly, so we sat down looking at the gorgeous view in front of us, sipping on some cappuccino... of course decaf.

Travel Supplies

I have been stocking up on some supplies in preparation for our vacation.

I really wanted to purchase these items from One Step Ahead, but they're Cares harness is on back order and I didn't want to risk not having it for our flight. I decided to buy these items from Amazon, instead. True to their prime shipping, these items arrived Monday, after ordering on Friday evening. Kudos, Amazon! My list is pretty long and I wonder how I'll fit these, baby supplies and entertainment items in my carry on. I am debating as to which carry on I should bring. A spinner suitcase so my daughter can push it as I push the stroller? Or a regular suitcase that can turn into a backpack? So, I can maneuver going inside the plane much faster. What do you guys think? I am planning to wear the baby to board because leaving him in the carseat is way too heavy for me.

Baby Wearing with my Beco Gemini

I am excited for my very first product review because it's my new favorite baby item! My thoughts on my new gear: the Beco Gemini in Foxie all over print. I was indecisive with the color and the print. I got lucky because this print is limited and was the display at the local baby boutique.

As you can see below, the Beco doesn't make me look shorter or heavier. I do feel like a kangaroo when I wear my baby, but any carrier makes me feel this way. My Gemini meets all of my needs when it comes to a baby carrier.

I tower 4 feet and 10.75 inches in height; yes, the .75 inches count when one is this short. And this is the most accurate to date since I just came from the Doc's office. The nurse was determined in getting my exact height for some reason! Finding the perfect carrier took hours of reading blogs, reviews, trials, and product returns. Due to an upcoming trip, I desperately needed to find that perfect carrier more than ever to have at least a few weeks to break it in. I needed my carrier to not cause backaches, not make me look like I'm drowning in it, and to accommodate my baby's comfort.

I've read about the Beco being fantastic for petite moms. Its construction does not make a petite mom like myself look 20 times heavier. Being so frugal, I couldn't justify the cost in the past; when there were more inexpensive options. Yes, I've tried those options. I bought two at a time in case, I mean, knowing it would eventually break.

The Gemini's price is actually most affordable when you compute the time and gas spent trying different brands. Also, if I calculate the amount of usage it will be under, the cost is more acceptable. Let's say I wear my son at least once a day for 30 minutes. $140 (with tax) divided by 365 days in a year, it equals to .38 cents per day for its cost. However in reality, I could wear him for maybe up to 2 years. Then the cost for 2 years would only be .19 cents a day. Rather than buying an inexpensive one that will break on me and I would have to replace several times, my lovely Beco is a bargain.

It is also very comfortable! Back and shoulder pains can also be expensive - very expensive! Having the right baby carrier can either mean back pains for days or minimal to none. I can wear my baby for an hour and not have back aches after. I thought I would need a couple of tries before this could be really comfortable, and wow! At first try for more than 30 minutes, my son fell asleep and my back was not sore! He didn't even sweat in it unlike the other ones I've tried that left both of us drenched in sweat! It doesn't make me look like I am wearing an armored vest, either; which most carriers I have tried made me look.

Just a quick background on me. I am clumsy. When I walk through hallways, I always find myself hitting the walls, on each side simultaneously. I trip. I fall. I am petite. This baby gear sure messed with my center of gravity at first. I found myself learning to balance with the baby in tow. After I got the hang of it, wow! I think it even helps with my posture. I find myself standing more upright than usual. So, if you wobble the first times you wear your baby, be assured that you will find your balance soon.

What's cool about the Gemini is that the baby can be worn facing forward. I haven't tried it on the baby because I know he's going to love it and I will be stuck carrying him this way. Moms are advised to limit wearing the baby facing forward for developmental reasons. However, I like the idea of being able to do this, if ever I wanted or needed to. The two other features I love are the strap elastics and safety button on the buckles. If the strap is too long, you can roll it up and tie it with the elastics at the end of the straps. The safety buttons on the buckles prevent them from being unbuckled accidentally. When I rented my Beco before purchasing it, I was taught to unbuckle the straps with two hands. As parents, we want to do things with the least hands possible. I figured out that when the straps are pulled hard, I can push the safety button first. Once the safety button is out, I can unbuckle the rest quickly.

I've read everywhere that soaking the Beco in vinegar during its very first wash will help keep its color from fading too fast and avoid lint. Many reviews have stated that their carriers faded during its first wash. I used Woolite on delicate cycle with cold water. I hung it dry away from direct sun. The carrier was exactly the same color. To limit the number of washes, they do sell drool pads that the baby can chew on.

Overall, the Beco Gemini is a wonderful gear for petite moms. I have recommended this to so many moms. Don't let the price scare you. It is worth every penny. It is so comfortable and easy to use. I wish it had a pocket of some sort to put my stuff in. I found some stores in Etsy that make drool bibs with pockets on them. I even found one that made a little purse you can hang on one of the straps. Also, maybe if the design of the print can have vertical lines, petite moms can look taller. I also think a design that has a shape of an hourglass in the middle would make post-partum moms look leaner. My bestfriend bought her Gemini from PaxBaby.She customized it with the print she wanted for an additional fee. If I don't lose the rest of the baby weight, I might just opt for my carrier to be customized with vertical lines to give the illusion of more height and leaner torso.

Do you have a suggestion on how to incorporate something to carry my keys, phone, and cards with my Beco? I don't know how to sew, but maybe you have other tricks that might work.

Hi! My Name is...

Hi. You can call me Bernadette. I am petite. My mom is petite. My grandma is petite. And, there is a 90% chance that her mom, her grandma, and so on were also petite. Most of my female relatives are petite, but not very, very, very petite like me. I am super petite.

Petite is really just a fancy way to say short. No one calls me petite except for the companies who sell me clothes, but I like it. Others call me tiny, lil bit, small fry, 12 yr. old... However, to the two most important people to me, I am mom. My two wonderful children are so amazing. I feel guilty using the time I can be devoting to them to blogging, but writing is an outlet I always enjoyed in the past.

I decided to start this blog when my husband talked me into buying the "perfect" stroller. It had a large canopy, laid flat, and could fit in the small trunk of my sedan. It steered well and it had very good reviews. I loved everything about it. It was perfect. Except, the perfection stopped right on my boobs. It was not made for petites like me who are less than 5 ft. tall. The stroller handle stopped right on my chest. He suggested I could wear heels. I toyed with the idea a bit because this stroller was amazing and on clearance. Then I realized it was the crazy 36-week pregnant lady talking. I ccould not even walk straight without tripping on myself wearing flats, imagine with heels? He said I would have the stroller to lean on! I was sad to bring it back to the store. Okay, it was the Baby Jogger City Micro from Target.

That was when I realized, my height made a difference when it came down to caring for my children. With my first child, my husband was always around and I did not need to have the right gear to do anything. He carried her everywhere or we had our trusty umbrella stroller we bought at Babies R Us for $9.99 if we needed it. This time around, I am on my own during the first year of our son's life with a five-year old that seems to know everything. With sore arms and puffy eyes, I am on a quest to making all of our lives happier and simpler. I hope to share my experiences with you!

This is how this blog begins. I have written blogs as diaries before, so adding an informative twist is very new to me. I hope to share what products and tricks work best for me as a petite mom. Enjoy and laugh at my mishaps and learn from them.

I would like to know the kinds of Google searches you've done in hopes to find reviews strictly related to being a petite parent.