Dear Readers,

I’m kind of a perfectionist by nature. I like things done at a certain time; in a certain way. I get upset when I don’t meet my own expectations. My dear husband will have to calm me down & remind me that everything will be fine.

This past week I was freaking out because the laundry I had planned on finishing in one day turned out to a be a 3-day job. The dishes I had just finished washing & putting away had somehow doubled in size within the hour. Where am I getting at with this? Well, it takes me a while to get a blog post up simply because I take too much time going back & forth with editing it. I get too nitpicky & I need to be more real with my readers as well as with myself. I need to set more realistic goals. I also need to remember that PERFECTION ISN’T EVERYTHING. It’s ok to not have it all together. And it’s ok if you never have it all together. God didn’t create us to have it all together. God created us to be lacking & to turn to Him to fill in those voids & areas in our lives in which we lack.

I’ve been a mommy now for almost 6 months & everyday gets sweeter as well as more challenging. I’m realizing more & more that I need to solely depend on my Perfect Saviour instead of depending on my imperfect self. So here’s to more depending on the Lord & less on myself! I am loving my perfectly imperfect life & I am grateful for those of you who take time to read my blogs & share some of this mommy-life journey with me.

Sincerely,

Abi

Dear Readers,

Growing up I’ve always been at a normal weight, never over weight & never obese. In my adolescence I was discontented with my body (as most teens are, but don’t have any real reason to be.) I always wished to be taller & thinner. I admired & even envied celebrities who seemed to have the “perfect” body. As a teenager & all the way through my young adult days I worked out pretty regularly & was physically fit, but I was still not happy with the way I looked.

 

I am now in my mid-twenties, married to the love of my life & we have a beautiful 3- month-old daughter. To say the least, my body has definitely changed since my teen years. My weight has gone up & down. My foot size has actually grown a half size. My height… Has stayed the same. And I love the way I look! Who knew that all it would take to love my body was to have a baby. Oddly enough, I’ve embraced my curves, scars, & imperfections altogether.

 

Now I know I’m not the only one who’s struggled with being content with my physical appearance. Whether it’s your facial features, height, weight, etc. maybe you were like me – not happy with your physical appearance. You’re not alone. According to dosomething.org, over 90% of women are unhappy with their bodies. And according to statistics found from health.usnews.com there’s up to 40% amount of men who share the same lack of confidence as women do. (Statistics may vary depending on where one lives or depending on the person’s lifestyle.) These high percentages of folks contemplate or maybe even opt for plastic surgery to alter the way they look. In the end, the surgeries or changes they go through may not even bring them the satisfaction they desired.

 

I know people who are completely consumed with their physical appearance that it’s literally all they talk about. It’s exhausting just hearing about their “cheat day” feasts or hearing about how many pounds they lost since yesterday, or how they didn’t get to work out all week. I believe in being healthy & having a good balance to your eating habits, but I don’t believe it should be consuming each aspect of your life.

 

How can one truly embrace their physical appearance? Is it even possible? Well, here’s what I found to be helpful in my life:

 

– There’s more to life than just focusing on your self. Don’t waste your time fixated on the physical, because that’s not going to last. Focus on things that will bring a greater reward: making memories with loved ones, investing your energy into people around you, picking up a new hobby, etc.

 

– Your body has a greater purpose than just “looking good.” Think about all the things your body can do: care for someone, help others, invest in those around you, etc. I found my greater purpose in carrying my child for 9 months & caring for her for the past 3 ½ months. I absolutely love motherhood! It has given my body purpose. My body may not be what it used to be pre-baby, but those things don’t matter to me anymore. I love my body & proud of what God has enabled me to do for my child & I.

 

– God makes all things beautiful in His time (Ecc.3:11a.) Try a physical fitness regimen that’ll work out for your schedule. You’ll find that you’ll feel better after a jog or even half an hour of cardio. Try meal planning & taking steps towards healthy, conscious eating. If it’s really a fit body you want, just know it’s not going to happen overnight. It’ll take discipline, commitment & time.

PS: (DISCLAIMER) I am not a fitness instructor nor am I a health advisor. This blog was written out of personal opinion & experience.

 

Sincerely,

Abi

Hi There,

If you haven’t read my previous two blogs, I invite you to check them out to see how our daughter did on her first road trip & her first airplane ride.

In this blog I wanted to share some travel tips to you all. [DISCLAIMER: I don’t claim to be a “super parent” by any means, as mentioned in my previous blog I call myself a “noob” parent.] I just thought these tips could be a help to some of you out there who are planning to travel with your little ones.

 

With no further ado here goes nothing…

 

1. You are able to carry the following if you are traveling with a baby or young child:
   • A water bottle (Yes! They will allow it even through security.)
   • Baby nail cutter

2. You’re able to gate check your stroller & car seat for free (These items are fortunately exempted from your regular check-ins & carry-ons.) Be sure to purchase a stroller bag to protect your stroller while it’s stowed away.

3. If you opt to bring your little one’s car seat onboard with you, you must purchase a ticket for your child. TIP: If you want to save money ask the ticket counter during your flight check-in to see if there are available seats in your row & they should be able to accommodate your child’s car seat FOR FREE.

4. Try to be hands free & available to hold your child (especially if they aren’t walking yet.)

5. Have a covering for those breast-feeding sessions. Unless you’re down with not having one… Then more power to you!

6. Worried about how you’ll change your baby’s diapers onboard your flight? Not to worry, they got you covered! There’s a drop down changing table available in the restrooms.

7. To avoid the unwanted & painful ear pressure, have a pacifier handy for your baby/child at takeoff & landing. You may also try nursing instead of a pacifier if you or your child prefers that.
8. Have extra diapers in your diaper bag that way you don’t have to make a last minute run to a CVS in the middle of downtown in the middle of your family dinner at Joe’s Crab Shack. Don’t rely on those cute 18 pack wipe packages when you’re traveling for more than a day. Trust me! You’re going to want the WHOLE 72 pack. Wetting paper towels is just a hassle & not comfortable for your baby’s bum.

10. Lastly (for now,) just have a good attitude towards any curve balls you may face while traveling. Enjoy each moment with your family (even the unplanned ones.) Because one day you’ll look back & wish for those moments again.

 

There are probably going to be a lot more mishaps on our future travels that will lead to make this list even longer because they say that experience is the best teacher, which I believe to be true. Hope you enjoyed my list of traveling tips for first-time parents. Until next time!

 

Sincerely,

Abi

 

“Tiny Traveler – Part Two”

 

Dear Readers,

So there’s traveling & then there’s traveling with a baby. Don’t get me wrong, I still love traveling, but I’d be a liar if I told you that traveling with a baby is a piece of cake. I’m sure there may be some parents out there who are total pros at traveling with a little one, but as for now, my husband & I are total “noobs” at it.

 

If you’ve been keeping up with my blogs you know that I was on a 7 plus hour road trip to San Diego with my husband, brother & 2 month-old daughter. We drove my parent’s car down & spent a week with them. It was exciting getting to introduce our daughter to friends & family for the first time. It was a like a second Christmas. Not by way of gifts (although baby girl did receive many gifts again,) but by way of the cheerful spirit we all had in just spending quality time together.

 

We arrived on Monday (January 2) in the early evening, got settled in and were amazed at how well baby girl did on the road trip. She absolutely loves car rides so we weren’t too concerned. We did notice that her head & back were damp from sweat. Yup, we were definitely not in Norcal’s chilly weather anymore, but were now basking in the sunny San Diego weather. It was still chilly, but 60 degrees compared to 40 degrees can make a big difference.

 

Throughout our week well spent, we celebrated my mom’s birthday, met up with friends & family, & attended my highschool’s alumni games where I played volleyball against a group of some vigorous teenage girls (yeah, I am definitely not 16 anymore!) Gone are those days of being young & fit… (By the way… how are those New Year’s resolutions coming along?) Our week went by so fast; too fast.

 

Going to San Diego we drove (since we still had my parent’s car with us.) But coming back home we were to fly. Fly?! With a 3 month-old (She was only 2 months before our trip?!) Call us crazy! Call us insane! But yeah, that’s what we did. It wasn’t a nightmare, but it wasn’t easy either. We were driven to the San Diego Airport & said our “good-byes” to my side of the family & headed towards our gate. Baby girl was doing so well without any fussiness or whining. Going through security was a piece of cake. Our flight was scheduled for 7:30pm then changed to 8:00pm by the time we reached our gate. “No biggie”, we thought. Suddenly my quiet, mellow baby started to fuss a bit. I started dancing with her & walking around our gate area talking to her about our surroundings. She was fine… (for about 10 minutes.) Then my bouncing skills were no longer amusing my little girl. I quickly checked my baby-feeding app & saw it was time to feed baby girl again. Yup! She was hungry. The thing is I was planning on feeding her on the plane in a comfortable & somewhat private area. So much for that plan. It was time for “Plan B.” I asked my husband what I should do. He quickly responded by saying, “Try the women’s restroom.” First of all, how? Second of all, um… no way! I looked around & spotted a secluded corner facing the wall; which was clear of people for about 6 feet of its radius. It was perfect! I grabbed a couple of essentials & headed over. 15 minutes into the feeding session I heard a woman’s voice on the intercom above stating that our flight would now be at 8:30pm or possibly later due to the rainy weather at our destination. To make this part of my story short, we ended up boarding at 8:50pm & our flight didn’t take off until about 9:15pm. We were blessed to be able to take baby girl’s carrier on our flight for FREE & it certainly was a blessing. She started off in the carrier until I hear some loud toots. My husband & I looked at each & we just knew she was making a poopie! We were still preparing for takeoff so this gave me the opportunity to change her. I walked towards the back with her in my arms. Passengers smiled at her as I passed & I thought to myself “You’re smiling now, but you just wait!” The flight attendant kindly showed me that there was a changing table in the rear restroom. Who knew those were in there?! I sure didn’t. It’s pretty neat what parent-y things have existed all around you even before you become a parent. Anyways, halfway through our diaper change, the light went on signaling me to return to my seat. I quickly wrapped things up then headed over to my seat. The same passengers who smiled at her on our way to the restroom also smiled on our way back to our seat. I placed my daughter back in her carrier & she started wailing. And I mean WAILING! She’s never cried like that before. At this point I started wondering if those passengers still had smiles on their faces. I felt everyone’s eyes on me as I tried to soothe my crying baby. After what seemed like eternity, I picked up my daughter & placed her on my lap. She immediately stopped crying & began to look around. Then she started to smile & giggle. My husband & I looked at each other with a sigh of relief. Our flight lasted for about 50 minutes so by the time our daughter fell asleep, we were already descending into our destination. Praise the Lord for a safe trip & flight. We landed safely & as we were taxiing, the lady in the row across from us whispered over to us ”She did very well.” We apologized to her for the crying. “Oh! Don’t worry. If that were my daughter, she’d be crying the entire time.” That statement put us “noob” parents at ease. Not sure where & when we’ll be traveling to next, but we’ll let you in on how our tiny traveler handles each trip we take.

 

Sincerely,

Abi

 

P.S. Stay tuned for my “First-time Parent Tips for Traveling with a Baby.”

“Tiny Traveler-part one”
I’ve always loved traveling. Growing up I’ve traveled to Japan, the Philippines, Mexico & all over the United States. Whether it’s in the air, on the road, I love traveling. I enjoy making lists of what to pack & there’s something about packing that excites me. It’s the unpacking I don’t care for too much, but I’m thankful for my husband who does. 
This time around we planned to drive down to sunny San Diego where I was born & where my side of the family resides. From where we live it’s about a 7-8 hour drive. This would be our first time traveling with our “tiny traveler.” We prepared as usual with cleaning the house before leaving, dropping off our dog at the sitters & packing all our bags. 
Baby & I started our day at 5:30 with her first feeding. And then 2 diaper changes later I got myself ready. We let daddy sleep more since he was going to do all the driving. Finally at 7:30 we were all loaded, packed & ready to hit the road. 
We had my younger brother with us for the trip, which was a treat for us to have the extra help. It was really a blessing to have my brother with us. When you grow up & move away it’s always nice to reconnect with siblings, to catch up & to take a break from “adulting.”
Baby girl slept pretty much the entire road trip except for 2 diaper changes & one long feeding. She loves car rides & her car seat so she did very well for her first road trip. We’re very proud of her! We’ll see how well she does for her first plane ride. 
Whether you’ve traveled to another city, state or country during the holidays or whether or not you’ve traveled at all I hope you enjoy your day spending the first days or this New Year with those who matter most to you. Happy New Year from my family to yours!