BabyName Service.com

My husband and our 10 month old daughter and I just returned from a wonderful one week cruise in the Caribbean on the Crown Princess cruise ship. We wondered how difficult it would be to cruise with a young baby - it turned out that it was actually quite easy. Sure there are some things that we would do differently, but for the most part we did a lot of things very, very well. We are now planning our next cruise.

If you or someone you know is planning a cruise vacation with a young baby you might be interested in reading what our days were like on the cruise ship.

Princess Cruise Line was wonderful to us. They provided us with a very sturdy, clean and safe playpen for our daughter to sleep in. We positioned the playpen out of the way in the small hallway in our cabin near to the cabin's washroom. Our daughter sleeps very well - her normally waking time is 7 am. When she woke up during the vacation we would give her a quick change of clothes and then the three of us (baby, dad and me) would snuggle in our bed for a while waking up and playing.

After the family play time we would wash our daughter up, change her into some dry clothes and then my husband would put our daughter into our stroller (we brought one with us - don't leave home without one) and take her for a walk on one of the outside deck - either one of the top decks or the promenade deck. While they were gone - for 45 minutes or so - I would hop into the shower, get dressed, pack the diaper bag for the day and tidy up the cabin a bit. When they returned my husband would have his shower and get ready for the morning.

The three of us would than meet at the buffet area of the ship for breakfast. One of us would put our girl into a high chair (again provided by the cruise ship) and the other would go to the buffet to get breakfast.

After breakfast we headed back to our cabin to change into bathing suits and off we would go to the kiddies pool. On our ship young babies are allowed in the kiddies pool if they are wearing a swim diaper.

Our daughter needs and I think actually enjoys napping - so after swimming we would go back to the cabin and put her down for her nap. Before we left on our vacation my husband and I talked about how important it was for us to share the child-care duties during the trip. So when our daughter napped we would take turns staying with her. If it was my turn to stay with her while she napped - hubby would head of for some time on his own, and then the next time we would swap - he would stay with her and I would head off. It worked out great.

When our daughter woke up for her nap we would put her into the stroller and the three of us would walk around the ship together. Back to the buffet for lunch together - more exploring - maybe some more swimming - and eventually it was afternoon nap time.

For dinner we always went to the formal dining room. It was the highlight of the day. We would all get dressed up for dinner, and would head off for a pre-dinner cocktail at about 5:30 and then go for dinner at about 6:00 p.m. Every dinner was spectacular and the service from the dining room staff was excellent. All the staff loved talking to our daughter.

Right before dinner my husband and daughter would go to the buffet and gather up a few pieces of fruit to take with us to the dining room for our daughter to eat during dinner.

The two of us would order off the menu while our daughter would snack on fruit, small pieces of bread and other snacks that I brought with us.

At some point during dinner our daughter would be ready for her dinner. Before we left to go on the cruise (about a month before) I had pre-ordered baby food from Princess. At dinner when she was ready to eat I fed her a jar of baby food and some cereal mixed with water. When we were all finished eating our little family would sit and relax and enjoy being together as our daughter had her bottle.

After dinner we went back to our room. Our room did not have a bathtub it only had a shower. We would plug the drain in the shower and run some water into the shower and it was plenty deep enough for our daughter's bath.

After bath time we put her in her sleepers and we put her back into her stroller and off we would go to a show, to see a comedian, listen to some music, or just walk the ship.

Our daughter would laugh and smile at all the people and the excitement that surrounded her - but it wasn`t long - maybe 30 or 40 minutes before she would fall asleep in her stroller. We adjusted the stroller seat so that she was reclining as she slept.

We would continue doing things until my husband and I were ready to call it a day. We would back to our cabin, tuck our daughter into her playpen for the night, and then tuck ourselves into bed as well.

Cruising with a young baby is wonderful (at least in our experience) - it does take some advanced planning. It is a wonderful way to have a stress-free vacation, enjoy our daughter and enjoy being a family.

No Comments »

For a new mom (or new dad!), buying a diaper bag can often be as overwhelming as buying a new car! She has to make nearly as many decisions, as there are almost as many options in diaper bags as there are when purchasing a new vehicle. The new mom has to make decisions based on both functionality and fashion. Here are a few tips to help get you started:

1. The diaper bag is for you, the mom, not the baby. Even if you have four boys, it is completely acceptable to purchase a pink diaper bag, if that's what you want to carry. The bag should be something you not only feel meets your need, but represents your style in a unique way. Designer Diaper Bags are a great way to maintain style while having a bag that functions as a diaper bag.

2. When I chose my first diaper bag, I wanted to pick something that my husband would also carry. This was a bad idea! He's carried it from the table to the bathroom four or five times when one of my daughters needed a diaper change, or he would carry it out of church when I had too many things to carry. He never wore it as a diaper bag, but carried it as a man would if he were holding a woman's purse outside of a bathroom for her. That diaper bag didn't last long, as I soon realized choosing it based on his opinion was much like choosing a shirt he would like to also wear. The diaper bag needed to represent MY style. We eventually chose another (small) diaper bag for him that he would feel comfortable taking if he was out with the girls for longer than a few hours.

3. When choosing your Diaper Bag, it's important to know your style of organization. Do you like the idea of lots of pockets and "cubbies"? Do you like a large, open bag that gives you space to throw things? Do pockets and cubbies annoy you? Or do you like to have special places to put bottles, pacifiers, keys, and other belongings? Understand your style and your degree of organization to allow you to choose a corresponding bag. It's even a good idea to talk to a few friends that share your general level of organization to see what they find helpful.

4. Don't purchase a bag that you will see over and over when you leave the house! Get something that really reflects you. One great way to do this is to have the bag personalized with your monogram, or the baby's name. The personalization options are endless, so allow yourself to show off your style with a monogram!

5. Choose a bag that will last years for you. If you purchase one that is quality, you can reuse it long after your child is out of diapers. You can use the bag as an overnight bag, a laptop bag, or gym bag. Make sure it is made well, so you are not having to replace the bag while you are still carrying around diapers!

6. How do you want to carry the bag? Is it important you to have your hands free, so you would prefer a backpack diaper bag, or a stroller diaper bag? Or would you prefer to have a tote diaper bag to wear over your shoulder so you can reach in and quickly grab for whatever you need?

7. The appropriate closure system is a very important decision in picking the right Diaper Bag. Do you like to have a securely fastened bag? Would you like to be able to get into your bag with one hand while you're driving? Some bags have zipper closures, some ribbons that tie or magnetic snaps. Some have flaps that go over the top for added security. Each has it's own set of positives and negatives, so choose the one that is right for your style.

8. Think about ordering a custom diaper bag, especially if you see elements of many different bags that you like. You may like the closure of one, but prefer the fabric of another, while you appreciate the number of pockets on a completely different one. On our site, we offer the option to have a seamstress make you a custom bag, that will fit your specifications exactly.

9. Decide what size of bag you need. Are you looking for something for quick trips out of the house, or would you prefer to keep everything you need with you for a whole day out (or are you like me, an over packer in general, so you need a huge bag even for quick outings!)? Check out our diaper bag packing list for ideas of what you might need to bring.

10. Finally, (and this one is critical to me) consider who made the bag you are buying. It is easy to find a $30 bag at Walmart or Target that you may have to replace quickly because it is either poorly made or does not have the elements that are important in a diaper bag. Each of our handmade diaper bags are designed or made by moms who know what you are looking for in a diaper bag. You can always be sure that our bags will be well made by someone who has considered your unique needs as a new mommy.

We hope you enjoy your shopping experience as you search for a designer diaper bag. Feel free to contact me with any questions you may have!

No Comments »