A number of people have asked us how traveling with Lois has been. I think some people might think we're nuts for bringing a 4 month old on such a big trip, but then again others have said it's a lot easier to travel when they're littler. After watching a few monkeys run up and down the isle on the plane and watching their worn out looking parents do everything they could to entertain them for 9 hours, I'd much rather travel such a long way with a 4 month old than a 2 year old. In general it's been a lot easier than we thought it would be. She slept for most of the plane ride here (whew), we have a real crib in the apartment where we're staying, so we didn't have to bring a portable crib (that was a load off), and she adjusted pretty quickly to the time difference (after the first week anyway). We've only had a few stressful moments, most of which we got through without me getting horribly nervous and sweaty like I get sometimes when we're having a hard time with her in public.
The train ride from Paris to Zurich, though, was probably the most stressful in public time we've ever had with her. A packed train with people standing in the isles and between the cars and a screaming baby who is tired and wants to eat are not a good combination. I felt so guilty! I was thinking we should have stayed home. Everyone was quiet and staring at us (at least it felt like
everyone was staring at us), so I squeezed down the isle with her and took her into the nasty train bathroom to feed her since there was no way to do it discretely anyplace else. After I fed her I squeezed back up the isle to find my seat with Andrew (a nice guy got up and let us sit). Just as I started to feel a little more relaxed about the situation, Lois made a HUGE poop that people could probably hear (and smell,
ewww, I know) about 3 rows away. More stares. Lately Lois has had some pretty explosive poops so I knew if I didn't change her diaper right away, we could have a big mess on our hands. I searched my bag for a diaper so I could change it. We couldn't find a diaper. I was out! Mom rule #1: ALWAYS have extra diapers. I couldn't believe we were out of diapers. We had 3 more hours on the train. I
had to change it. It was way too full and gross not to, and soon I knew it would get all over her clothes. So Andrew and I both went into the nasty train bathroom to change her nasty diaper. I needed his help because the "changing table" in the bathroom was just a metal ledge with no straps. I couldn't hold her and clean her up at the same time. So we cleaned out her diaper with paper towels and put it back on. Can you believe that? DISGUSTING, I know. But we had to do it. It was stressful, but we made it through. And it could have been worse. I was so distracted by the diaper situation that I didn't even think about our bags, which were at our seats. There was a stop while we were in the bathroom and when we got back to our seats we realized a bunch of people got off and other people got on. We were lucky nobody stole our bags.
Now we're back at our apartment in Zurich. In more recent, and much less stressful, baby news, Lois had her first real solid food experience! (I don't think the other one counts really.) We went for rice cereal this time, and she liked it! She takes after her parents--likes to eat.
After she was done, she was like, "yes, I did it, Mom!" We're headed out today to check out more of Zurich. I will have plenty of extra diapers.
A number of people have asked us how traveling with Lois has been. I think some people might think we're nuts for bringing a 4 month old on such a big trip, but then again others have said it's a lot easier to travel when they're littler. After watching a few monkeys run up and down the isle on the plane and watching their worn out looking parents do everything they could to entertain them for 9 hours, I'd much rather travel such a long way with a 4 month old than a 2 year old. In general it's been a lot easier than we thought it would be. She slept for most of the plane ride here (whew), we have a real crib in the apartment where we're staying, so we didn't have to bring a portable crib (that was a load off), and she adjusted pretty quickly to the time difference (after the first week anyway). We've only had a few stressful moments, most of which we got through without me getting horribly nervous and sweaty like I get sometimes when we're having a hard time with her in public.
The train ride from Paris to Zurich, though, was probably the most stressful in public time we've ever had with her. A packed train with people standing in the isles and between the cars and a screaming baby who is tired and wants to eat are not a good combination. I felt so guilty! I was thinking we should have stayed home. Everyone was quiet and staring at us (at least it felt like everyone was staring at us), so I squeezed down the isle with her and took her into the nasty train bathroom to feed her since there was no way to do it discretely anyplace else. After I fed her I squeezed back up the isle to find my seat with Andrew (a nice guy got up and let us sit). Just as I started to feel a little more relaxed about the situation, Lois made a HUGE poop that people could probably hear (and smell, ewww, I know) about 3 rows away. More stares. Lately Lois has had some pretty explosive poops so I knew if I didn't change her diaper right away, we could have a big mess on our hands. I searched my bag for a diaper so I could change it. We couldn't find a diaper. I was out! Mom rule #1: ALWAYS have extra diapers. I couldn't believe we were out of diapers. We had 3 more hours on the train. I had to change it. It was way too full and gross not to, and soon I knew it would get all over her clothes. So Andrew and I both went into the nasty train bathroom to change her nasty diaper. I needed his help because the "changing table" in the bathroom was just a metal ledge with no straps. I couldn't hold her and clean her up at the same time. So we cleaned out her diaper with paper towels and put it back on. Can you believe that? DISGUSTING, I know. But we had to do it. It was stressful, but we made it through. And it could have been worse. I was so distracted by the diaper situation that I didn't even think about our bags, which were at our seats. There was a stop while we were in the bathroom and when we got back to our seats we realized a bunch of people got off and other people got on. We were lucky nobody stole our bags.
Now we're back at our apartment in Zurich. In more recent, and much less stressful, baby news, Lois had her first real solid food experience! (I don't think the other one counts really.) We went for rice cereal this time, and she liked it! She takes after her parents--likes to eat.
After she was done, she was like, "yes, I did it, Mom!" We're headed out today to check out more of Zurich. I will have plenty of extra diapers.
4 comments:
Ah sweetie. I know how you feel about sweating.
That is a great story to hear but not to have to live through. A mom's gotta do what a mom's gotta do. It's one of those european stories that you can use later to embarrass Lois as a teenager when she acts up!
Sounds like you two are doing just great with her.
Lisa & Alfies
you told me about this, but reading it just made me laugh. you two totally rule. lois is lucky. oxo
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