Tips for Flying With a Toddler

A little bit of a different post today, a few friends have asked about flying with Gavin and I knew I personally scoured the internet for advise for flying with a baby and now toddler. I am in no way shape or form a professional at this so you can take all of this with a grain of salt!

The first thing you need is something you cannot buy. It is patience. You have to go into your day of traveling knowing that you have the possibility of EVERYTHING going wrong, your child WILL throw a trantrum at the most inopportune time and all the meanwhile you will be hot and sweaty and flustered and embarrassed and PISSED OFF. But I promise you, it will be so much better if you keep your cool. Calm down, take a deep breath, eventually your traveling will be over and you can laugh at it later. You will look back and laugh at how you had to bring a screaming infant through the security, and that the TSA agents wouldn't let you change a blowout diaper, and that you would have to throw away a cute pair of pajamas before even boarding your first plane. You will laugh at it, eventually!

You will also want to make sure you have all the information you need for your airline. For example, we usually fly Southwest and their plan for flying with children is that two years and younger fly free on your lap. Once they are over two you have to buy them their own seat, though they might offer a cheaper price for you (you have to call). Please remember this: YOU HAVE TO BRING YOUR CHILD'S BIRTH CERTIFICATE, This is extremely important. They might not let you on the plane if you do not have this or some other official documentation of your child's cage. It's almost funny because they do not care about identifying the child to you for safety purposes or to check that you are not kidnapping this child, they are checking the age of the child to see if they can charge you or not...Ridiculous, but still, don't forget to bring it!

Next is, well at least with Southwest (check your own airline) is that even if you do not buy your child a seat of their own on the plane, they might have extra seats and you to use. So if you are bringing a car seat (which I highly recommend, and that is coming up soon) you can put your child in their own seat and you will have extra hands and it will change the entire trip for you. Always ask when you are checking in for your flight if there are any extra seats.

As for what to bring with you, this is what I would start with:

-Travel documents, ID for yourself, Birth Certificate, Wallet, phone and phone charger
-Normal Diaper Bag with extra of nearly everything especially diaper, wipes, bottles/sippy, and binkies
-Extra outfits for child and extra shirt for yourself (if traveling with a baby)
- Stroller (you can check this at the door of the plane. It is so worth bringing it with you)
-Moby wrap or equivalent baby carrier, especially if you are not bringing a stroller
-Car seat (You can check this at the door of the plane also. I recommend bringing it with you even if the plane will be first because you do not want it to become lost luggage and you will be left without a car seat at your destination!)


-Bring lots of toys and books and snacks! Fun toys, new toys, new books, favorite books! You cannot have enough of any of these things. Make sure the toys aren't too loud for the passengers around you.
-Ipad or tablet or phone if you child likes that sort of thing. Load a tv show or movie on it. Remember your charger!
-Blanket or changing mat so you can change your child's diaper if there isn't a changing station in the bathrooms. Also a blanket comes in handy for layovers to let your child sprawl out and play in the terminal without getting the airport germs all over them.
-My newest item to bring for my toddler is a backpack with a leash on it. Yes I said it. Yes it is happening. He is so independent and wants to walk on his own and God forbid you try and hold his hand. He will not be controlled! Haha, so we bought him an Eddie Bauer backpack that he wears and it has a little harness/leash on it and he doesn't even know he isn't in control of the show! Plus he can carry his own toys and misc. items so it clears out space in my carry on bag!

 (purchased ours at Target)

-Bring a few ziplock bags to store dirty clothes in, or to put electronics in to keep them from spilled bottles and sippy cups, etc.
-My last piece of advise is to remember what you packed, write it down, type it up and use it EVERY single time. Make note of what works and what doesn't and make appropriate changes. It makes packing so much easier the next time around. I've attached a copy of my current packing list for vacations. On this list I include everything, from confirmation numbers for hotels and flights to phone numbers of people we are visiting (if needed) and what will be in my carry on bag. I am a list maker but even Ryan respects the list!

Hope you find this helpful!

15 Week Update

We are getting so close to half-way that it is scary! I can't believe how fast yet slow this pregnancy is going this time around. I am so so so so thankful to be in my second trimester. I appreciate more than I ever did the last time! I am feeling so much better. Pretty much nausea is gone with very few exceptions and the only symptom I have is I am feeling tired. Oh, and I am feeling fat. But, that one is kind of a given...

This past week has been great, I have so much more energy. I can feel my body moving and changing making room for the baby already. I hope it's not TOO big! (I think I mentioned before that we are keeping the gender a surprise!) I have also felt a few flutters and twirls from the baby, nothing too big now, so I am looking forward to more of that and when Gavin can feel the baby move. He is going to love that! He gets that there is a baby in my tummy, but he thinks everyone has a baby in their tummy. So, that has some potential for some very awkward moments! According to the "books" our baby is the size of an avocado and will soon be doubling in height and weight in the upcoming week or two. It could explain why my appetite has greatly increased. The timing couldn't be more perfect with Fest coming up soon! I have the best excuse ever to stuff my face!

I am so looking forward to our trip up to Washington to meet little Alma. It is crazy how fast you forget so many things about newborns, so it will be a nice little refresher for me and I am curious how Gavin will do meeting her as well! We are hoping Ryan will have the opportunity to meet us up there but as for now it's just Gav and I. Somehow I always end up flying by myself with him, I am starting to think it's more than just coincidence...haha, I am totally kidding, Ryan has some work stuff and is really bummed he cannot come at the same time as us (if at all!).

Well, I just went to upload some pictures and videos and got completely distracted watching nasty videos of people lancing cysts on YouTube so with that I leave you these two videos, the first one is Gavin saying Alma's name, we call her Cousin Mamba now, and then the second is Gavin's obsession with wearing our shoes around, it's so funny.

Good night!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ow-qL-AgzQ4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHT9RCUw4FE

Ryan's Sergeant Promotion

This week has been a very exciting week in the Scrupps family! For starters, we have a new family member that was born yesterday!!! Our niece, Alma Joan Scrupps was welcomed into the world by her parents, Amber and Chris (Ryan's brother). She was 8lbs 4 oz and has the cutest roundest face I have ever seen! I can't wait to get up to Washington to meet her in person!This brings our nieces and nephew count up to, nine! How crazy is that! I love how once I married Ryan my family size was increased by probably 1000%. Oh, and I am totally serious, I love it, I LOVE big families, so much fun!

Ok, but to the main point of this post. Ryan was promoted to Sergeant this week! We have "known" it was coming for a bit, but as with everything in the military you never really know until it is official with paperwork and everything! I am SO proud of him. This has been a major goal for him since originally joining and by him making Sergeant in three years is a very very big deal. He has worked very hard and deserves it more than anyone I know!

For promotions for NCO's (Non Commissioned Officers) they have a Battalion Formation where they are pinned with their chevrons (which declare rank on their uniforms). So the entire 9th Communications Battalion was in formation behind Ryan and the other's who were being promoted to either Corporal or Sergeant. For those of you who are not rank savvy (myself included, I am still learning) it goes:

Junior Marine Ranks:
Private
Private First Class
Lance Corporal

NCO Ranks:
Corporal
Sergeant

The next rank would be Staff Sergeant, which you have to have at least been Sergeant for five years (I believe) unless you are promoted meritoriously.

Here are some photos from the formation/promotion ceremony!

Here they had been pinned and were saying the NCO Creed.

So I had to combine three pictures together to show you most of the 9th Comm Bn that was standing in formation behind Ryan and the rest of those getting promoted. Also, I might mention that it was SO HOT out. These poor people were all standing in the sun for nearly an hour. It was so hot out that there were literally more than 30 people who fainted or nearly passed out during the formation. People were dropping like flies!

Our little family after the ceremony! 

For the "pinning" which is getting your new rank chevrons put on your uniform, they can choose anyone they want to pin them. I believe if it's another Marine they have to at least be your rank or higher. Ryan chose to have Master Sergeant Bettencourt (who has been a mentor to Ryan and also was deployed with Ryan on LKG) and Gavin (obviously Gavin was too young so I technically pinned it!). We got Gavin his own little Marine cover to wear and a Marine Corp t-shirt which I glued on his own name tape (what the Marine Corps calls the embroidered name tags that are sewn on to their uniforms). 

Ryan with Master Sergeant Nick Bettencourt. He is one of my favorite people Ryan has met through the Marine Corp. He is so friendly and has meant a lot to Ryan throughout his time in the Marines. 

So there you have it! Congratulations to Sergeant Ryan Scrupps!

You also got a little lesson on how the Marine Corps works! :)

13 Weeks and Potentially More Than You Probably Want To Read...

Just a heads up, I'm feeling rant-y tonight. I'll try and keep it like the news and have the important and interesting things in the beginning and then you can skip to the end, there might be pictures.

First things first...pregnancy update:

13 weeks this week, going on 14! I have been slowly feeling better and better each day. I can feel my energy building and my overall sickness seems to, though a little slower, fading as well. My nausea prescription, is amazing. I would marry it if I wasn't already married...Tonight, I had my first "drop everything and go get it by whatever means necessary" craving. It was for Starbursts candy. Luckily I have an amazing husband who obliged and took us to go get them at like 8:15pm tonight, haha! Our next appointment is in the second week of September, and by then we will be in the second trimester already.

Gavin and Ryan are both doing well. Gavin is just getting so smart it is unbelievable. His brain is a little sponge and for the first time he repeated a word that I use frequently. I know you are all soooo curious on what that is! Kay, I'll tell ya.

It's "Kay." Instead of Okay, I usually just say Kay, and I must say it quite a lot because Gavin has started saying it. It is so cute! Of all things to repeat, that is probably the best, HAHA! He is so funny.

He is also still loving the word "no." We will ask him a question, and he will "think" about it and then just say "NO!" He is communicating better and better each day, he wants to talk SO BAD! He will say a "sentence" even though is jibberish, he says the same thing/sound each time for whatever it is he is trying to say. Lord knows what that is, but Gavin does I guess! He has been singing a lot which is cuter than cute, I have yet to catch it on video though! He also does this weird thing, he sing/yells/says, "Ohhwisssahhhhhhhhhhh!" and during the "ahhhhh" part his mouth is wide open and he sort of sign/yells it and shakes his head. It is hilarious, and I have no idea what he is doing or trying to say or sing.

I watch another little boy twice a week, I know I have briefly mentioned it. Well, Gavin has been picking up some not so pleasant habits of his...When this other little boy doesn't get his way, he throws himself to the floor and pouts, and Gavin started doing that this week. Gavin is going to be up for a rude awakening when he realized that kind of behavior is not going to get him very far in life. It will get him from his little spot on the floor, to his little spot on the corner. This other little boy whines when he doesn't get his way or when Gavin steals his toys (somewhat justified whining...) I HATE pouting, and I hate whining. So, unfortunately, this has been a little bit of a rough week in the learning curve for Gavin. I know that he is just modeling behavior he sees from the other boy and he doesn't realize necessarily he is being naughty, but he soon will.  As a side note, I will say that this other little boy is not a bad boy at all, he is very sweet and as well mannered as a three year old can be! He has some speech issues and isn't talking at all yet, so I know that also has a lot to deal with his behavior, it is hard when you can't physically say why you are mad or what you are mad at. So I get it, Gavin however, can (mostly) so his excuses aren't quite as justified, HAHA!

Ryan has been busy at work as usual, he is finally back in his shop and has been working later than usual which sucks. I feel like I hardly see him! It could be much worse though, and I need to count my blessings.

Ok, well, I guess I am getting to tired to go on much more from here...Here are a couple of the things that are on my mind, however lucky you, I am too tired to get into. I just need a little rant because they are bothering me in the news every day...

Manning: I not care about his gender identity, he can figure that out on his own time. Our government does not need to pay for his hormone medications. That is something HE can pay for on HIS time. For now, he is going to pay for the crimes that he committed against our country. He is a traitor who committed treason. His gender identity is the least of our problems. The real problem is that he was only sentenced 35 years. For aiding our enemies?!?!!?!? Even though this was a while ago, what if this information could have hurt my husband, or our brother. That shit is not forgivable and you better freaking believe that his gender identity issues is not a worthy excuse for what he has done. Stepping off soap box.

ObamaCare: I am literally reading the actually bill, and it is horrible. HOW? WHY? WHO? Do we have animals writing and passing our bills and laws!? That is the only acceptable answer for how this got passed forward. So many things wrong, I can't even get started.

Thankfulness: Lately, I have been in a state of mind where I am looking forward to the next thing, buying time until the next chapter, and I have to keep reminding myself to check back in to the current reality. I saw a quote that really sunk in and I need to live my life by this:

"What if you woke up tomorrow with ONLY the things you thanked God for today?"

And with that, I leave you...powerful isn't it?

11/12 Week Update

Here we are again, with our weekly pregnancy updates! This is the last few days of our 12th week, and it seems like time is already flying! As I mentioned earlier, this time around I haven't been feeling well, and seem to have every possible symptom I could have. Well, not TOO much has changed however I have had some relief from a prescription for nausea and then taking different prenatal vitamins at night instead of in the morning. Our midwife suggested taking two children's chewable vitamins instead as they provide the same nutrients as a prenatal vitamin so I have been doing that. Overall it's helped, however it has had a weird side effect...You know how you always hear about weird food cravings/diversions(?) (I'm not sure if that is the right word, but food you used to like all of a sudden seems repulsive) and also how certain food gives you a weird taste in your mouth even though it has to be completely in your head because there is no way it could possibly taste like that? Well, with my vitamins, the after taste that I get tastes the way that raw meat juice smells. So for like 45 minutes after taking my vitamins, I am wanting to vomit because all I can think about is raw red meat and chicken juice in my mouth. NASTY RIGHT?

Luckily it goes away, and I feel much better throughout the day! I would much prefer that to feeling like throwing up literally 17 hours of the day! I feel like I am slowly getting some energy back, and I am sure that has a lot to do with not feeling quite as sick. I am hoping that each week will get a little bit better! I am starting to show a little bit, but it's probably still only noticeable to me. I feel way to bloated in my jeans so I whipped out the maternity ones and the leggings...oh joy!!! Actually, I don't mind them too much, it's almost like wearing sweats because they are pretty comfortable.

Gavin and I are finally over our colds, thank goodness!!! Ryan just finished up on the rifle range, and is doing well also! Not too much else to update...

Gavin's First Haircut

We finally caved. Ryan and I have been mentioning cutting Gavin's hair for months, and we have both been relunctant to do it. But it was finally to the point where Gavin's little curls were just a hot mess, it was tangled and fluffy and just needing a good trim. Nothing crazy!

I didn't want to take too much off because I love his cute little baby hair, and it was good that was my goal because he wouldn't sit still for me to do much anyways!

Here are some pics:

"Surprise!"

Even though I am about 99% sure all you who actually read this blog probably know already, but...

I've been waiting to officially announce anything until we actually heard the heart beat!

Today, we went it for our first official doctors appointment and had the first ultra sound. It was great. We are due February 26th, the baby measured a little big and the computer calculated a February 24th date, but our midwife (yes...midwife, I'll get to that later!) is sticking with the February 26th date..as if it matters, babies do not care about your little pretend due date. I'm just glad it isn't a leap year!

So far this pregnancy has kind of knocked me on my ass. I was not expecting this type of symptoms, as my last pregnancy was mostly a breeze. I have been so sick, so tired, and just so BLA. I threw up more than I ever did the first pregnancy within the first couple weeks. Luckily, I have been able to hold off the vomiting with mind over matter as I know that what is making me feel sick isn't what is in my stomach it's just my hormones. I also started taking my prenatal vitamins at night, which has helped tremendously. My midwife told me today that I could try taking two children's vitamins instead of the prenatal vitamins, as I would get the same amount of vitamins needed, but they are a lot less harsh. I will be trying that. She also gave me a prescription for anti-nausea, so I am extremely excited to see if that gives me some relief.  I've been so fatigued too which I never had as bad with Gavin. I have no energy to do anything. Somedays it is literally a battle to get off the couch. I have hated feelings this way, I feel like such a blob. I am very anxious for the second trimester to get here. Also, this baby better be a girl because I'm not sure if I want to sign up for this again, hahahaha!

So, back to the midwife comment, generally I would lean more towards a medical doctor for a majority of my personal health needs, it's a personal choice...That being said, with our last doctor, I was really disappointed with all of the pushiness for unnecessary tests, scaring you with "do not do this, do not do that's," and then leaning more towards medical intervention (i.e., pushing you towards c-sections, etc.) So I was thinking about alternatives, and then realized that it can actually be difficult to find a doctor who is willing to let you do a VBAC which is a natural delivery, after a cesarean. I am determined to deliver naturally, without a c-section this time, if I am able. Obviously if we have another breech baby I do not have a choice, but I do not want to be told I have to have a c-section just because a doctor deems it easier. SO....I was thinking a midwife might be our best bet. I was thrilled to learn that the Naval Hospital here has midwifery in the OB-Gyn department and was going to ask about that option. Well, I went in to start my process of getting into the OB-GYN department (stupid military hospitals and their processes) and I was seen by a Navy medical doctor. He told me that he would want me to try a VBAC and that the Naval Hospital in general was very supportive, if not, encouraging about it. I was very happy with this information. He told me that even though he was a family medicine doctor I could still continue to see him, however it all depended on the referral process with insurance, bla bla bla. Well, after I had my in-take appointment, they just assigned me to a midwife. So long story short, that is how we ended up with a midwife...I actually really liked her, and didn't get the "hippy" vibe that I was expecting. She seems like the perfect mix of natural and western medicine that I like. I very pleased so far!

Gavin has been practicing the word "baby" and says it like a champ! When I ask him where the baby is? he points at my belly. He obviously has no idea what any of it means, it is just his newest circus trick, but hopefully he will start to get it! When we ask him if he wants a baby brother or sister he just says yes and nods. Haha, too cute!