How to enjoy, not survive, Disneyland with a baby

Everly has been to Disneyland four times in fifteen months. We have passes, and if we didn't live 6 hours away, we would be there weekly. Here are a few things that have always helped us enjoy our time in Disneyland, not just survive the experience.

#1 We joked that a four to one adult/child ratio was perfect, and we really weren't kidding. If you can, an extra set of hands makes the experience complete. Going on the "big rides" by yourself gets old after a while, so bring family or a friend. If you are anything like my family, there is always at least one person who isn't going to be into that particular ride, and instead will hop on something else with the tiny one. 

#2 Ditch the stroller. Now, with that being said, we don't have a stroller to ditch, and the reason why I can say, you just don't need it. Hands, feet, baby carrier. That's all you need. Everly flawlessly made the transition between the three. Being in Disney is an experience that the little ones want to be a part of. And when she got tired, we popped her in the carrier, she slept and we went on more rides. Can't do that with a stroller. Oh, and you can't beat the flexibility of nursing while baby carrying. Just saying, it will save you, your tired baby, and everyone around you. 

#3 Backpacks. Plural. We had three for five people, so essentially whoever had Everly didn't have a backpack [and Everly wasn't made to carry her stuff]. Water is like $4 in the park, and they let you bring in your own drinks, so do it. Besides water, they are perfect for storing the baby carrier when not being used, sweatshirts for when the park drops 30 degrees at night, sunblock and snacks. 

#4 Snacks. I don't think my kid is the only picky water on the planet, so bring food they will actually eat. And be okay when you realize your kid has pretty much only eaten "snacks" all day because they refuse anything else. It is only temporary. They will survive.  [Or is it just my kid that refuses theme park food?!?]

#5 Stay somewhere with a mini kitchen. Our hotel had a full kitchen, which made me feel better when my little had only snacked all day, and we could take her back, have her sit in her own little high chair, and eat her favorite things that are always perishable, even if it meant dinner at 9:30 at night.

#6 Make a ride plan. Each day we would make sure we had a plan for what we wanted to get done. And since Disney offers Fast Passes for their big ticket rides, you need to plan to avoid over walking, over waiting in lines, and getting over your Disney magic quickly.  The last trip we took with just our family of three, we didn't have a clear plan of what we wanted to ride, and found ourselves not really riding anything, and being disappointed with our wandering.  Make a plan, seriously.

#7 Visit the baby care centers.  Disneyland has a little gem of a space at the end of Main Street where families can go and get things taken care of.  Everything from a quiet and private place to nurse, especially if your little one is easily distracted, to large changing stations.  Now that Everly is older, I didn't stop to nurse her here, but our first three trips I did frequent this room a few times, and it was a great place to just unwind for a bit.  [They also have one in California Adventure near Ghirardelli Soda Fountain which I didn't know about and will have to check out in June!]
#8 If possible, avoid crowds.  Take some time in the off season to enjoy the park, and weekdays are always preferable.  Everyone is going to be a tad cranky after waiting in an hour line for a 2 minute ride.

And most of all, remember that you are making family memories.  Sure, Everly will be too little to remember these early trips, but I know she will love hearing stories about them, and seeing pictures and movies of her having the time of her life with Minnie & Mickey.  We had the absolute best time enjoying our days with her in the park.  It is amazing the new joy you feel when being somewhere special with your little ones.  Every smile is worth the work and planning ahead!

^^and I promise, that tan baby is mine, genetics is a crazy thing^^

mom blogger note: this post was written while my daughter slept in until 11, because late nights with friends, and daylight savings, wears out a babe!

toys, and my daughter

Being a child of the 80's, and a mom in the 20-whatever we call it right now, has made my head spin.  I was a tom-boy growing up, died when my mom forced me in a Christmas dress for "pictures", and loved spending my weekend in the dust of a softball diamond.  With that being said, I had balance when it came to my toys.  I loved my pretty collector Barbies [man, as I write this I'm thinking 'husband' may not have been the obvious spouse for me, and why gender stereotypes aren't fair] and loved to dress up in sheets and pretend to be royalty [or the witches from Hocus Pocus]. 

I try not to over think parenting.  That also means, I try not to over think the toys my daughter plays with.  But, geez, it is getter harder to ignore what they sell on the shelves for girls.  And this is where my amazing family and friends comes into play.  They get it too.  They get that Everly can play with pink toys, and red ones, and blue one, and yellow ones.  I try to keep toys more in the wooden range these days, just because they tend to be made stronger and will last my strong pint sized baby girl, and they also tend to be a little less flashy.  Because folks, that's how I would describe toys these days, especially the toys for our daughters.  And then we wonder why our kids lack focus and imagination when they get into school when they have spent the first five years surrounded by flashing, blinking, music playing, image over-loaded toys.

And so, I can honestly say I am so blessed with the imagination building toys that our Everly was given for Christmas.  A little kitchen that she can create masterpieces in, where she makes the sound effects, and the magic happen herself.  Building blocks in varying sizes and shapes, that even came with magnets inside to help Everly "build" as she grows.  And even a little Brio train, not a girl train, but a train, for a child to play with.  And all of these goodies are balanced with dolls, stuffed animals, and fun little pull toys.  Happiness for me comes when I see my daughter holding Ariel in one hand, and a train caboose in the other.  

My hope for my daughter is that we can continue to surround her with toys that will inspire her, allow her to choose what she likes, and if she's anything like her mama, she will love a little bit of everything.  If she wants to wear a tiara and tutu while pushing her tractor through the mud, well, I wouldn't have it any other way. 

This post was inspired by the above ad from Lego, 1981.  The article compares the toys of my childhood to the ones being sold today, and man, it is a strange place we have taken our daughters.  Good read for any parent, or child of the 80's.  And for the record, Everly has about thirty My Little Ponies from my collection ready for her - we got a couple out for her, but she thinks they are Sophies, so we will wait until this teething wave passes.

nursing past one - and why you should never say never

Even way before babies were the topic of conversation, I knew that I would nurse. My mom nursed both her babies and that is just what seemed natural for me. Now, my pregnancy and delivery may have lacked complications, but trying to be a nursing mom sure kept me on my toes.  When moms would boast they had enough to feed the neighborhood, I would quickly retreat into a mode of despair [baby blues are real, and if you have any issues after delivering, they can manifest quickly, now we joke about it and I no longer feel like it was my fault, just for the record]. I was not producing, and not only could I not feed the neighbor kids [weird saying if I do say so myself], but I could not even support my one, itty bitty baby. The first two months we had to supplement with bottles and formula, something I swore I wouldn't do [I had read too many articles on what goes into formula, and decided it wasn't an option for me].  But then there I was, with a baby who was tiny, had lost over 10% of her birth weight in two days, and I couldn't do a damn thing about it.  She took to the bottles immediately, because she was practically starving, and we continued to nurse, and pump, all day long to try to get me where I needed to be.  Everyday from the time I came home from the hospital I put my little nursing pads into my bra, just hoping and wishing that I would need them that day.  Well, it has been over a year, and no, I never did need those nursing pads.

I had a great friend once describe nursing to me in the beginning as the most unnatural natural experience you will ever have.  And yes, this is the best description I could give as well.  My plan to nurse was really focussed on the health benefits for both my daughter and myself.  And the first two months, that continued to be true.  Having my nursing pillow strapped around myself practically 24-7 and holding my arms and baby in unnatural positions didn't quite have the feeling I was hoping to have about nursing.  But I continued on for those health benefits, and now, a year later, I can say it was the best decision I ever made.

At nine weeks something changed.  Everly must have started to get enough from me because she officially refused a bottle from this point on.  At first I was nervous that she refused the bottle because I knew I was going to end up a working mom, and typically bottles go hand and hand with that.  Thankfully, the working mom gods were with me, and I have been able to exclusively nurse for over a year.  And now that she's one, a new conversation has started, weaning.  It isn't even on my radar at this point, but people assume that you should stop after the babe's first birthday.  However, this is an American ideal, not a world wide practice.  I know many moms that are working hard to change the perception that nursing is only for the newest of babies, and for me the current number I hope to nurse until is two.  Everly will determine when we stop nursing.  My mom never had to wean us, we just stopped nursing when we were ready, and I hope to be able to have the same experience with my daughter.

Now nursing is so much more than "health benefits".  It is the most amazing bond that I have been able to have with my baby, and something I'm so glad I worked through.  I worked through the pain, the soreness, the kink in my back from just sitting in strange positions and now we have mastered the craft. I worked through the times when I was the only one who could console her, even when I really needed a break.  These days Everly sits with her arms and legs wrapped around my sides, and now that she's older, she lets me know when she wants to nurse.  Now before I became a mom I would have proudly stated "once they are old enough to pull out the boob, they are too old for nursing".  Funny how we make statements about things we do not know.  Instead, I love that she can express to me that she wants to share that time with me.  I do not love that she wants to have both boobs out at once, but I digress. Modesty and motherhood do not go hand in hand.  I used to cringe at the idea of too much cleavage. Now I am just trying to make sure I'm not going full frontal in the middle of a dining establishment.

So, I said I would never nurse past one, and now I realize how silly that was.  Not only am I the main source of liquid for my child, I can comfort her in a way that no one else can.  When Everly decides she is ready to stop, I will be excited for her, and maybe cry a tear or two for me.  But for now, I will gladly be there for her in this way and know that this time is special in a way that I cannot describe. And everyday I am thankful that I was able to nurse her, I cannot imagine it any other way.

Mom tip: Issues with supply - I swear by Fenugreek.  I take 3-4 capsules about 4-5 times a day.  And yes, you will smell like maple syrup, but smelling like you work at the local pancake house is totally worth it!  Most grocery stores will sell it in their natural foods department or near the pharmacy.

All photos by Sarah Maren Photographers