Holiday Travel
Mads Trying to Get Organized for Big Holiday Adventure
Maddie is packing up her gig and heading out west.
So what do you pack for the demanding baby for a six-hour flight? Basically anything you can think of.
Maddie is always on the move and has the attention span of a chipmunk with a Mountain Dew addiction.
At this point, we can only speculate what surprises the baby has in store for her parents and of course her fellow passengers.
Maddie has flown before, but that was months ago and before she was mobile.
Now that she can run around with reckless abandon, it will be fascinating to see how she reacts to being strapped in for the long haul.
Get ready for takeoff!!
Maddie Turns the Corner on Her Thanksgiving Sickness
The Mad Madster finally came out swinging this morning after battling back from a skin infection and projectile vomiting. Trips were cancelled and plans were altered as Maddie pretty much slept through the Thanksgiving holiday so she could right the ship.
It was tough seeing the “Little Bean” so far off of her game, but she’s feeling more like her old self this morning.
We suspect that waiting in the pediatrician’s office for two hours on Wednesday afternoon might be where Maddie caught this nasty 24-hour bug. We had been home for about two hours and Maddie wasn’t interested in any dinner.
When we finally gave up and tried to put Maddie to bed, the sickness beating up her little body let loose. She threw up down the hall, took a few steps and then covered her mom with the holiday brew of sickness.
The next morning Maddie slept deep into the morning before we finally went in and woke her up around 9am. Maddie was wiped out and we decided that we couldn’t make the trip to her grandparent’s home.
Maddie was already back in bed by 11 while her dad went out to gather up some food for an impromptu Thanksgiving dinner. Maddie slept hard and slept often through out the day and we were happy to see that she was on the mend this morning.
Baby Shines Through Ridiculous Travel Day
Maddie’s look seemed to say it all, “You guys are pushing your luck!” After a flight to Chicago and three plus hours in the car, my 8-month-old super star was winding down before our eyes. Today’s flight wasn’t as adventurous as her faux-emergency landing at Newark last week, but it did have it moments.
We hit the airport early armed with snacks, stealth and experience. Our plan was to feed Maddie before boarding the plane. Do to unforeseen circumstances, that didn’t quite happen. But Maddie kept her spirits high and was patient enough to let us feed her on the plane.
Once again, we were all underwhelmed by the grandeur of Newark Liberty Airport. We taxied so long that Maddie finished a full bottle, some English muffin pieces and almost an entire apple worth of slices. We actually thought that the pilot had diverted to the highway and was going to taxi us all the way to Chicago. Anyway, by the time Chucky Lindbergh got the bus in the air, Maddie was celebrating her Sweet 16.
At the tail end of our flight, Maddie started to unravel a little bit. But before she could get out of hand, a woman across the aisle started telling her what a good girl she was. Maddie has never been one to shy away from attention. She made fast friends with the woman who chatted with her until we actually landed. Good stuff!
Maddie endured another 3 hours in the car like a champ as we pulled up to the thriving metropolis of Peoria, Illinois. Both of my lungs collapsed before I could actually blowup Maddie’s little inflatable tub. As we got Maddie into the tub, it was obvious that her sense of humor had left the building. We needed some baby supplies so I slipped out to the store and left bedtime operations to her mom.
As the door closed behind me, I could hear Maddie lighting up her mom with high-pitched screams and fussing. But I figured that after the day she had, the baby was more than entitled to vocalize a few well-placed complaints. Tomorrow we will have a full report from the baby’s first fish fry!
Baby Stars at Holiday Family Supper
Now that Maddie is tearing up the solid food, the dynamics of eating around her have changed completely.
The baby perks up anytime someone nearby puts something into his or her mouth, especially when it’s her mom or dad. Even when you take a drink, Maddie has no problem when it comes to reaching out for a little taste.
Today was no exception when we visited my Aunt in Central Virginia. Maddie was in remarkably good spirits after taking another road trip. We got Maddie into the house and placed her onto a blanket on the floor. My Aunt’s tiny Yorkie named Bonnie Blue couldn’t wait to come out and meet the baby.
The little pooch kept circling Maddie and trying to approach her to spread a little bit of love. The baby wasn’t sure what was going on, but the pup was dying to play with her. No physical interaction actually took place, but it was beyond cute to watch them size each other up.
With all of the relatives in the house, there was no way Maddie was going take a nap and miss out on any of the action. She put on a halftime jumping display that would have shamed Madonna at this year’s Super Bowl.
Once it was time for supper, Maddie was chomping at the bit to get in on the action. My aunt broke out an amazing array of turkey, ham, potatoes with all the works and Maddie was going wild.
I prepared an enormous plate for myself and started breaking off pieces from a roll for the Madster. She was gumming them up and setting them down while we everyone was eating around her. The baby was in all her glory because she was eating with the group, just like the big girl she is.
Each time she got the bread nice and soggy, we would replace it with a new piece to keep her interested without fear of any choking. This went on for a while until we decided to switch gears and actually let her try some turkey. Even when we finished up, the baby wanted to keep the party going.
Maddie communicated to us that is was rude to eat and run, but we had to get her back home for some quality naptime. As always, she was a perfect lady and left everyone with a smile on their face.
Stay Home PaPa 