Traffic patterns

The traffic in Seattle gets worse when it's sunny and when it's rainy
(don't even bother leaving the house if it's snowing). The only time
Seattlites seem to do well is when it's overcast--good thing that's
2/3 of the time.

My egg gets her own egg

Katie's egg by Corinne S.

Katie, now freshly 5 months old, had her first Easter this weekend. Easter isn't a big holiday in my family, but Piper's family has an egg-dying and hunting tradition that I thoroughly enjoy and Sara was kind enough to invite us. We had a good time hanging out with everyone, despite being 3.5 hours late after a giant (and much-needed by mom) nap.

More photos on Flickr

Girls in Mexico

Look at my dirty feet! by Corinne S.

Yes, my blog has gone stagnant. What can I say? I am a typical new mom in some ways. ;-) Katie and I just got back from Mexico a week ago. It was a pretty last-minute tripe with just two weeks notice. My mom and Rich decided to use some of their time-share trade-in time for my mom's birthday. When they booked their two weeks they ended up with a two-bedroom suite for the second week. Being the incredibly generous folks they are, they invited my grandma, me, and Katie to come down and use the second room. We just had to pay airfare and incidentals.

At first I thought this was ridiculous. Fly to Mexico only weeks after quitting my job and ceasing to bring income into the house (oh, did I mention I quit my job? Oops.)? But my selfless and supportive husband pointed out that, despite not being able to take vacation time himself, I should take this rare opportunity for an affordable vacation in the sun with other adults around to help with the baby. So we did it. One expedited infant passport and a lot of rigamarole later, we were at SeaTac on our way to Mazatlan. My grandma (Katie's "GG") flew down and back with us and we met my mom and Rich there. We left at 5am on a Tuesday (ugh) and headed back the following Monday afternoon. Katie did great on the plane and received A's from nearby passengers, only giving me hell on the final flight home (2 poops and a 2 hour "don't move an inch mom" lap nap).

While we were there Katie had a bit of separation anxiety and didn't want anyone but me to hold her. She also started sleeping only catnaps unless I slept with her. Still, she did really well considering the upheaval. We never got in in the pool, but I did stick her little toesies in the ocean and the sand. This picture is evidence.

There are more pictures of the trip on my Mazatlan set on Flickr and my mom's Mazatlan set on Flickr.

For any parents planning to travel with infants soon (Katie was a little under 5 months during the trip) here's my advice:

• You aren't required to use a car seat in Mexico and no one does, so if you're not renting a car or buying your baby a seat on the plane consider leaving the car seat at home
• The extra space in bulkhead rows is worthwhile, even with the hassle of no under-seat space for your stuff
• There are no changing spaces on most planes, so change the diaper right before getting on the plane whenever possible. Still, come prepared with your own little changing mat and some ingenuity for the blowouts that may occur with pressure changes
• It costs 10% of the adult fare + airport fees and taxes to have a "lap baby" on international flights
• Yes, you have to have a passport for your baby--no matter how young--to fly to Mexico
• The little baby tent (KidCo Pea Pod) was actually useful, though I don't know if I'd pay retail for it unless I was going to use it multiple times
• Kids under 6 months need to wear sunblock, not sunscreen. Good brands are California Baby, Badger, and Blue Lizard.
• You're probably going to over pack. It's okay.