Southern California

We spent three weeks in Southern California and this time we rented a car. It made such a huge difference and gave us so much more freedom than we had in the past with borrowing my mom's car when it was free. We did a ton of baby friendly things, and I know Mars had so much fun spending time with his cousin as well. Here are just a few pictures from some, but not all, of the things we did while we were there:

Swimming!

Mars' first trip to Disneyland!!!

Our yearly trip to Tanaka Farms pumpkin patch:

They took the same picture last year

And this was Mars having an insanely good time in the rain while playing with Maya Lin's water table at the arts plaza at UCI! My old art school stomping grounds!

Some other fun things we did included:

Riding the train at the Irvine Park Railroad
The LACMA
Riding the train and carousel at the Irvine Spectrum Center
Going back to our childhood home and helping my mom clean out the garage
Pretend City!
The Discovery Cube in Santa Ana
The Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach
Picnicking in Aldrich Park at UCI 

We're planning on spending Christmas in So Cal, so we're looking forward to going to these places again :) 

Travel: Plane Rides with a Baby

A picture of Mars mid-change on the plane, taken on my phone.

So far, Mars has been on ten plane rides. Four of which were very short, 1 hour rides to Southern California, four were to Costa Rica (one roundtrip journey, broken into four 3 hour rides), and these past two 11-14 hour long rides to Taiwan.

I always dread the plane ride right before we get on and feel extremely nervous about how Mars is going to do. Our trip back from Costa Rica was not that long, but I remember being very close to losing it because Mars wouldn't sleep and was getting overstimulated by all the passengers sitting around us, trying to play with him. With that being the trip right before our long 14-hour flight, I was terrified and was expecting the worst. 

However, things turned out great! I would even say that it was a very pleasant experience. Mars did very well and didn't cry or scream or anything like that! I'd give him all the credit because he generally is a very happy baby, but I can't say that my preparations didn't contribute either :) A mom recommended I bring some Benedryl "just in case", but in the end we didn't even need it, and I'm glad we decided against drugging our baby for convenience.

Here are my top 5 tips for flying with a baby:

1. Make sure to get bulkhead seats!

I called a month ahead of time to get a bassinet, but it seems like none of that got communicated to the airline, however it was good to say, "I called a month earlier to request it and...". We asked at check-in for seats, and we asked again at the gate for seats. At first they said that the flight was full and there was nothing that they could do, but in the end, they were able to switch some things around and get us the front row seats. These seats played a major role in making us feel so comfortable on our flight! 

On our flight there, we sat at the bulkhead seats on the left window side. On the way back, we had aisle seats in the middle row. I'd recommend the side window seats if possible. There were times during the flight when I put down a blanket and let Mars sit on the ground and crawl around. It was also nice to sit down there to switch things up after getting tired of sitting in one position. Being by the window also offered more privacy for easy nursing. 

2. Pack more baby snacks and toys than you think you'll need!

I brought two mesh bags full of toys and one big bag of snacks. When packing the toys, I made sure to pack many different textures, rattles, and uses. I even got this new vibrating teether and introduced it to him on the plane. That kept him busy for a while. A few times, Mars would throw toys behind our seats so I was glad to have extra. Same goes for the snacks. Having extra snacks came in handy when he would drop his cracker on the floor because the five second rule does not apply on an airplane. Those seats and floors are filthy!

3. Anything can be a new toy to keep baby busy!

When Mars needed a new distraction, the headphones in the seat pocket came in handy as something new to explore. When the flight attendants were serving drinks, we asked for extra cups (hot and cold!) for Mars to play with (as pictured above). The blanket they provide was great for peek a boo, and the pillow kept him busy for a short while as well!

4. An inflatable nursing pillow adds a lot more comfort!

On our Costa Rica flights, I remember my arm losing circulation and getting really sore from holding the baby. This time around, we got an inflatable My Breast Friend and it made a huge difference! It takes up a lot of space when inflated so the trick is to not blow it up all the way so that it fits in you seat. 

5. A nursing cover can help block distractions for a good nap.

I used my nursing cover to help battle distractions on the plane when it was time for a nap. Mars was really interested in everything that was going on since being on a plane is still new for him so covering him up for nap time was a must. Sometimes, he'd still pop his head out and it was funny and cute so we didn't mind :) 

Those are my top 5 suggestions for traveling with a lap infant. 5 because I can really go on and on with this one (For example, babywearing, packing, preboarding, getting through security, etc!) If anyone has any other good ideas, please don't be shy and comment below! Happy travels!

Going Out: The Academy of Sciences

Last week, I took Mars to the Academy of Sciences for the second time. The last time we went, he was still a sleepy infant. This time, he was a lot more alert and aware of his surroundings. He loved looking up at the butterflies in the rainforest room, and at the giant fish in the tunnel aquarium. 

The Early Explorers Cove playroom was the best part. It was big and baby-proof so I just let him crawl around and play.

Here he is with his friend, Jasper.

And of course, every time we come we take a picture with Sue the t-rex. Next time, I want to let Mars crawl around the African Hall and see the penguins and dioramas up close. He'd probably enjoy that :)

Going Out: My Birthday!

This picture was taken last year on my birthday:

And here we were for my birthday last weekend, dirty dishes and all:

I had a really nice birthday this year. We went into the city for brunch and ice cream, took a two-hour nap after we got home, and had a delicious homemade dinner with meat we bought at the French butchery.

Chicken and waffles at Hard Knox Cafe.

Red guava and cookies and cream ice cream from Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous.

Amazing looking meat from Olivier's Butchery.

It felt like any other weekend but just a bit more special since we got to do things that we normally don't do. I'm not really into going out and doing things big for my birthday anyway, and since this was my first birthday as a mom, there's really nothing I want more than to spend time with my little family. Maybe in a few years when I turn 35 we can do something big, but for now, this is just fine :) 

Going Out: Stonestown Farmer's Market

We've been getting very light rain so going out in the mornings have been extra nice. The wet ground mixed with the crisp air and light sunshine definitely gave me that nostalgic holiday feeling. To make the most of this amazing time, we went to a couple of outdoor places this weekend. On Saturday, it was downtown Burlingame (outdoor shopping street), and yesterday, it was the Stonestown farmer's market. We got some nice squashes and leafy greens for baby's food since he is upping his solids game. Other than that, it was a pretty relaxed weekend. I know once the holidays come around we'll be busy busy busy, so it's nice to have a bit of calm before the festivities. Although I'm not-so-secretly excited for the festivities!

Going Out: Tanaka Farms Pumpkin Patch

For the past two weeks, we've been visiting family and friends in Southern California and it has been so much fun! The weather is always amazing and visiting the home I grew up in always makes me nostalgic. 

One of my favorite parts of the trip was when we took Mars to his first ever pumpkin patch. We went to Tanaka Farms, which is right next to where my sister lives, and it was impressive. I'm used to old parking lot pumpkin patches so seeing an entire field of pumpkins was a really neat sight. 

I think this wheelbarrow was someone's shopping cart of pumpkins but it was a great prop for a cute photo!

I cannot handle this father-son picture!

Mars is chewing on some hay in this family photo.

If you live in Orange County, I would highly suggest you to stop by Tanaka Farms! They have year-round tours; watermelon in the summer, strawberries in Spring, and Christmas trees too! My sister even gets their CSA box of fresh organic veggies every week. It kind of makes me want to live in the OC again...or at the very least, visit a lot more often!

Going Out: Land's End

Land's End is definitely one of my favorite spots in the city. Pair that with amazing weather, and we've got ourselves the perfect weekend outing. 

This is where we started, right above the Sutro Baths ruins.

Then we headed up the Coastal Trail and (barely) saw the remains of two shipwrecks (still cool though because it's something I've always wanted to see).

We took baby in the stroller and wore him towards the middle of our hike, but looking back, we should've worn him the whole time. The trail was a bit bumpy for the stroller, and we couldn't go any further once we hit the stairs, but it was still a good three-mile walk roundtrip. 

Afterwards, we had an amazing picnic in the open seating area of Park Chalet where we put down a blanket and sat in the sunshine. It was the most relaxing and comfortable way to end our outing. 

Going Out: Clement Street Farmer's Market

We used to live in the Inner Richmond, right where the Clement Street Farmer's Market is at. Since moving, we haven't gone back so it was nice that we took some time from our weekend to visit once again. I love going to the farmer's market at the beginning of each season. When summer started, there were berries all over the place! Now that we're in Fall, there are pumpkins everywhere! My favorite!

Going Out: Pacifica

Pacifica is a neighboring city that reminds me of a sleepy beach town. Since the weather has been extremely nice, I met up with another mommy friend and we went on a short stroller walk in the area. Our first stop was the bakery where we both satisfied our sweet-tooth cravings. Then, we strolled along a residential area that faced the water. It was a nice and peaceful outing for mama but I think it got too hot and bright for baby so we went home shortly after. Next time, I want to try this old-timey-looking fish and chips restaurant.