crossrhodes

Greetings from Fort Lauderdale! We arrived just in time for Hurricane Fay! The constant downpour has driven us inside for 2 days. Oh well, I had no intentions of leaving the hotel anyway, except to take Layla to the pool. We haven’t been able to do that either, not with palm trees falling on cars in the adjacent parking lot. It looks like a nice pool, too.

Don is here on business. Layla and I tagged along. James is home alone and hopefully not throwing a wild party… coz… that’s what I would have done if my parents were out of town all week. *grin*

I was worried about the plane ride for nothing. Layla was awesome! She started drinking her milky at take-off and slept until we reached the gate. I only hope she did not catch a cold or worse during the flight.

The only thing about traveling with a baby is all the crap she comes with!  Her suitcase is bigger than mine. Don was like a pack mule at the airport. At the security checkpoint, he unpacked both of our laptop bags, detached the car seat, folded the stroller, removed his belt and shoes, placed everything onto the scanner belt and put everything back together at the other end. All I did was drop the diaper bag on the belt, slip off my flip flops, and carry the baby through the entry =) With the exception of a two-room suite with a kitchenette, microwave, fridge, and multiple sinks like the room we’re in this week, I’m starting to appreciate the convenience of our camping trailer. With a new baby, it really helps to travel with (almost) all the conveniences of home.

In the grub department:

We had dinner at a “real” Irish pub, as real as it gets in Florida, I suppose =) Don calibrates the Irish-ness of a joint by the temperature at which they serve Guinness and, according to his dark ale scale, this place nailed it. I tried the kidney pie, which is basically a stew underneath pastry. Never had kidney before. The texture is just like liver (and I love liver!) but the taste, although similar to liver, has a gamey after taste. That part I wasn’t crazy about. But now I can say I’ve tried kidney and didn’t like it.

On day two, I had THE BEST Mexican seafood dish I’ve ever had in the USA (and I’ve had some great Mexican food in Southern California)! It’s a little moms-n-pops (rather, mamas-y-papas) cantina across the street from the beach. If you’re ever in Ft. Lauderdale, stop by La Cantina on Rt. 17 for the shrimp and scallop burrito. OMG! As Rachael Ray would say annoyingly, Yum-oh!!!

Tonight, I dine alone on some boring Chinese take-out while Don is working the floor at the convention center. But in the morning, we will enjoy the omelet bar at the hotel’s complimentary breakfast. You know it’s a worthy hotel breakfast when they crack open real eggs in front of you for your custom omelet order, not that boxed or powdered egg stuff. Last time I checked, chickens still hatched eggs in shells.

I probably should have found a replacement sofa before I gave away ours to my sister. But we still have 2 big arm chairs, Don was away this week, we’ll be in Florida next week, and then camping again the following week.

I tugged the baby along furniture shopping. What a pain in the beee-hind! Detach car seat from seat base. Take out stroller from the trunk. Unfold the stroller. Snap car seat into stroller. Unsnap car seat from stroller. Fold the stroller and return to trunk. Attach car seat back in the base. I did this 5 or 6 times at every store parking lot in one afternoon. Whatever happened to leaving the car running while I run into the store really quick?!?!

Anyway, my sister is voluntarily giving me her piece, “Heavenly Flower” in exchange for the couch. A used couch is hardly worth the value of the painting, but no givsies-backsies! It’s mine now! I’ve always wanted this piece. It’s my namesake on canvas! Leilani is Hawaiian for heavenly flower. It’s an original, no duplicate prints. So, who wants to buy it? The bidding starts at $999. Do I hear $1100? $1200? *LOL* J/K =) No way! This is priceless and it’s Layla’s when I die. Of course, my sister gets Layla when Don and I die so the painting may find its way right back to the artist’s home.

Back to the couch. Here’s the before picture (ignore the napping model):

It’s a roomy semi-sectional, but the chaise lounge just became a clutter hot spot. (I hate clutter!!!) The back pillows are disfigured because Don sleeps and works on it so much, and I don’t have enough natural light in the house for such a dark fabric.

Here’s the new couch (with a new model. I fired the previous model for sleeping on the job.):

I know, the throw pillows are ugly but they can be replaced. It should take Don longer to wear down the tight cushioned back. I love the tan pinstripes and pretty curves. Makes it masculine and feminine at the same time. It’s a “he-she” couch; a transgender, gender equality being a major decision factor for me. *hehe* J/K =) It’s just a couch. It was 20% off and matches our armchairs. Hopefully, it will brighten up the room a bit… until Don installs the recessed lights I’ve been asking for since we moved in 6 years ago!

Meanwhile, until the new couch arrives, everyone but Layla will have to share seats.

There’s a saying in Hollywood: Never work with children or animals… especially in groups.  It’s so hard to get all of them to look in the same direction at the same time =)

And when the babies cry, forget it!

I suppose it applies to adults, too.  It took over a dozen captures to get this one when everyone’s eyes were open… or when Don wasn’t touching my butt.  He belongs in the children and animals category. *grin*

We had a mini-reunion with my MIL’s side of the family last weekend.  (We missed you, Mark and Michelle!)  Layla met her great grandma and I met Don’s maternal cousins for the very first time… in real time outside of MySpace, that is =)  I had a great time getting to know the ladies and wish they came more often on holidays and stuff.

Want to know where we stayed?  On my SIL’s driveway! *hehe*  We’re already going camping with them in a couple of weeks so Don decided we would save on fuel by towing the camper now and leaving it up there until Labor Day weekend.  And they were gracious enough to let us set up behind their house since all the nearby campgrounds were full.  (It was a last minute’s decision to drive up there.)  On Sunday, we set up the lawn chairs, tables, and canopy for the family picnic as if we were camping in the backyard.  The camper is no Crowne Plaza but it was convenient having a portable home-away-from-home when it’s needed… and an extra fridge outside for beverages =)

We just returned from another road trip.  After the 6- or 7-hour drive home from upstate New York, Don left immediately for Washington DC for a seminar in the morning.  I’m still waiting for his call.  I know he’s tired.  I hope he’s okay.  I gave Layla a bath, started a load of laundry, ate my leftovers from dinner, fed Layla, put her to sleep, and am getting ready to crash myself.  Tomorrow’s the start of another busy week of unpacking, cleaning, cooking, shopping, laundry, and packing again for another trip.  Although I’m tired of all the packing and unpacking, I love that my summer seems to be going so fast.  I’m really looking forward to autumn weather.

Anyway, I have some pictures and stories to post of our weekend.  Hasta mañana!

[At the time of this writing, Don and I are downstairs listening through the baby monitor to James and Layla playing and giggling upstairs. There’s no sweeter sound!]

I was just looking at Layla’s first videos. *sigh* I really miss my newborn! I remember my heart melting at her first smile. And now, I am so amazed in the changes she’s going through. For such tiny humans, babies are utterly amazing!

Lately:

• She said MAMA!!! Don was sitting right next to me when Layla said it but he continues to deny it =) I know she doesn’t know what it means yet, but daddy’s jealous anyway.
• She likes her swing again.

• She doesn’t mind the baby carrier now that she has more head control. I’d like to try the ring sling again if I only knew where I stored it!
• She loves when I sing Itsy Bitsy Spider with hand motions.
• She smiles when I kiss her feet.
• She stops crying when she hears her bottle shaking. She knows her meal is near!
• She’d been sleeping through the night for weeks, drinking 6 ounces of formula every 4-5 hours. Then a couple of weeks ago, she threw me for a loop! She started waking up in the middle of the night again and eating more frequently. But thankfully, she’s back to sleeping through the night. It must have just been a growth spurt.

• She didn’t mind the indoor heated pool at a hotel, but she didn’t like the kiddy pool at Kuya Ethan’s and Ate Elle’s backyard. Brrr!!!

• She’s a little HAM-booger! My brother got a Nikon D80 which looks similar to my D50, which she must be familiar with by now. While Uncle was taking pictures at a Yaya baby shower last weekend, Layla was the only one looking at the lens!
• Lastly, I LOVE THIS!!! Just now, she was mimicking her daddy sticking his tongue out. So funny!

I took a basic sign language class 10-15 years ago to assist in deaf ministries but I never got to use it.  Like any other language, if you don’t use it, you lose it.  But I just realized where sign language would come in very handy to me these days… with my baby!

I wanted to teach Layla a few basic hand motions that I was going to make up myself for her to communicate her basic needs, i.e. eat, sleep, tummy ache, change diaper, etc.  I did not realize until I Googled it that there’s a whole industry on teaching American Sign Language (ASL) to babies beginning at 6 months old!

Look what this baby can do!

It’s worth a try if it means less frustration for both of us trying to figure out what she needs.  The intellectual and psychological benefits would be the icing on the cake, like this toddler (the baby in the previous video) who is already reading at 2.5 years old!

Hook me up, phonics! Check out this site on the benefits of and how-to on baby sign language.  And if any of you have tried this with your baby, I’m really interested in knowing your experience.

We’re traveling again… and again… and maybe once again through Labor Day. The first was a short camping trip close to home, no sweat. In the second and longer camping trip, we had free access to a laundromat which came in handy since I had to wash Layla’s car seat cover 4 TIMES IN 1 WEEK!!!

Lessons learned when traveling with a baby:

• Bring 2 (not 1) extra change of clothes per day in her diaper bag.
• Feeding in the car seat while the car is moving means cleaning up projectile vomit afterward.
• Google Map the nearest laundromat to the destination.

In August, my little jet setter is going on her first plane ride! We’re tagging along to Ft. Lauderdale on daddy’s week-long business trip. Layla flies for free and daddy is staying in a nice resort in the center of all the attractions. So, Layla and I will be chillaxing poolside, hitting the town, or taking bubble baths in our suite while daddy schmoozes his clients.

I’ve been reading a lot of tips online on traveling with an infant. I’ve pretty much read everything I need to know, but I do have a couple of questions left unanswered:

• We’re checking in her car seat as baggage. What can I pack it in so that it’s not damaged in transit? I already disposed of the original box.
• What can I do to prevent her from crying if/when the air pressure at take off and landing becomes uncomfortable?
• Any other tips for flying with a baby?

First, watch the butterball roll about 30 seconds into this 1 minute video. LOL!!!

Now, on to the real subject of this blog. James received his dorm assignment today! Most freshmen are assigned to a specific freshmen residence hall. We’ve toured it, it’s not that impressive.

To his surprise, James was placed in the honors “suite.” He’s not an honors student, but the upgrade is a fringe benefit of being in ROTC. It’s the much envied and only suite-style dorm on campus. It’s basically a 2-bedroom, 2-bath apartment with a living room and kitchen shared by 4 roommates (2 per room). It has a fitness center, a full communal kitchen and lounge on each floor, and a huge laundry room.

This is why he’s not bringing dirty laundry home to me! If anything, I should have him do our laundry on campus, too. LOL =)

I’m told all 4 roommates are ROTC cadets. He’s pretty excited about this arrangement and we’re really excited for him starting this new chapter in his life.

I organized my video directory and uploaded to YouTube. (I’ve been taking a lot of videos with my new phone. It’s not the greatest quality, but it’ll do for spur of the moment captures.) Here’s one taken with the Canon SD400:

I don’t post them all to this blog so for those who want to know when I have a new video of Layla (hint: grandma, grandpa, lolo, lola), you can bookmark or add this link to your favorites:

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=84B59F016A965E17

You can also just click on “Videos” on the top right menu of this website to go to my YouTube channel. If you’re familiar with RSS, here’s the feed URL:

http://www.youtube.com/ut_rss?type=username&arg=adonai2me