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We just came back from a cruise vacation with our nine month old daughter. We had a great time on the trip. We did a lot of things very well which contributed to the success of the trip, and there a few things that we will do different the next time so that our next trip will be even more spectacular.

People with young babies may wonder like we did what would it be like on a cruise vacation with a young baby - so I thought that parents like us would be interested in reading what our typical day on a cruise ship was like.

Our typical day started at 7:00 a.m. when our daughter woke up. We would take her out of the playpen that was provided to us by the cruise company and bring her into bed with us for a few minutes to play with her as we all woke up.

We changed her into some dry clothes and then my hubby would get out the stroller that we brought with us on the trip and take our daughter to the wrap-around promenade deck of the ship for a half-hour or so stroll. During that time I would clean up the cabin a bit and then get myself ready for the day - have a shower and organize the diaper bag for the day. 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.

When we finished our breakfast we went back to our cabin and changed into our swim gear. Our daughter wears swim diapers under her bathing suit. Off to the kid's pool where on the Crown Princess children are allowed if they are wearing a swim diaper.

After swimming it was nap time for our girl. Either my husband or I would stay in the cabin while she slept and the other one of us would go off and have some solitude time. It was very important to us that the child-care responsibilities be shared equally - so we made a point of taking turns staying with our daughter during her nap periods.

Once our daughter woke up from her nap we would get out the stroller, put her in it and our family would head off exploring the ship. Eventually, we would stop in the buffet for lunch - after lunch maybe more swimming - or more exploring - and then it would be afternoon nappie time.

The best part of the day was getting all dressed up for dinner and then having dinner in one of the formal dining rooms. We would leave our cabin and go to one of the bars on the ship (there are lots of them) and have a cocktail before dinner. After our drink we would go to the dining room around 6 pm. 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.

When we were seated at our table in the dining room (again there are plenty of high chairs available) my husband and I would look over the menu, place our dinner order (we loved the food on the ship) and our daughter would munch on her fruit, some pieces of bread and on some other snack food 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 we had our dinner and our daughter finished her bottle we went back to our room. Our daughter has a bath every evening - it is part of her getting ready for bed ritual. Most cabins on cruise ships don't have bathtubs they only have showers and ours was no different. So what we did was 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 enjoy watching all that was going on around her. After 30 minutes or so she would fall asleep in her stroller. We adjusted the stroller seat so that she was reclining as she slept.

With our daughter now fast asleep in her stroller my husband and I would continue doing things until we 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.

Going on a successful cruise vacation takes some advanced planning. For us cruising is a wonderful way to have a stress-free vacation, enjoy our daughter and enjoy being a family.

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Flowers add a special touch to any event, especially celebrations like baby showers. While some choose a type of flower to match a color scheme, others like to use the baby's predicted birth month flower, or even the flower of the month in which the baby shower will be held. Whether you decide on flowers according to the baby's birth date, or simply pick the ones that you love the most, this article will break down the significance of each month's flower.

A great idea might be to choose different flowers based on their meaning and make a beautiful flower arrangement pattern for the shower. There are beautiful baby shower centerpieces that are made from baby clothes called baby bouquets that have to be seen to be believed make unique arrangements. These are some of the best baby shower ideas to be invented in the last few years.

January's flower is the sweet and sassy carnation. The carnation exerts beauty, distinction, gratitude, fascination, and admiration; the pink carnation in particular represents "a mother's love." Soft and gentle on the outside but strong and durable on the inside, the carnation is the perfect flower to represent the bittersweet paradox relating to the first month of the year. The carnation's scientific name, Dianthus, directly translates into "flower of love." This flower is one of the oldest cultivated flowers in the world, yet one of the most popular today.

February is the month of love and warmth, and this month's flower, the iris, denotes deep and profound notes. The iris' three upright petals each have a meaning; the first is faith, the second is valor, and the third is wisdom. Gracefulness, majesty, and dignity characterize the iris' presence. Purple, the color of royalty, makes February's birth flower extravagant and majestic; the iris is truly the flower of splendor and grandeur.

In March, spring begins to arise with bright cheers and rays of sunshine. The daffodil is dainty and yellow, and is the flower that follows after and breaks winter's cold atmosphere, bringing warmth and joy to the world. The daffodil is the symbol of rebirth, new beginnings, and a fresh start. Daffodils exert happiness and exhilaration to the world, and fill the earth with light and brightness.

April is a paradoxical month, with both rain showers and sunlight. The daisy's character parallels this paradox, in that it is a feminine yet childlike flower. The legend of the history of daisies is that this precious flower originated from a nymph who transformed herself into a cute-but-not-loud flower, in order to run away from unwanted attention. The daisy is symbolic of eternal youth, playfulness, and a charming child-like character.

The best things about May are the beautiful lilies that decorate beautiful landscapes of the earth. Lilies are sweet and humble; they do not ask for attention but their unconventional beauty inevitably gets compliments and praise. Lilies symbolize virtue, purity and honor.

The middle of the year calls for June's sunshine, warmth, and gorgeous roses. Roses are the universal icon for love and passion throughout the world. Roses depict beauty and perfection, and they reveal a touch of mystery. Each and every petal is as gracious as the next, and the rose surely stands out in a bouquet.

Whichever flower, month, color or any other category you choose for baby shower planning, you are assured to have a colorful, fun event for celebrating the newborn baby's birth!

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