Shedd Aquarium with a Tiny Tot in Tow

For our first family road trip - we traveled over the course of two days up to Chicago. Breaking up the trip to visit family in between because our little one has a history of not so-much enjoying car rides. She completely blew us away though! Did so well! But, we have gotten a little smarter and have figured out her nap times and traveled during those times only. Helped a ton!



One stop included the Shedd Aquarium - which I remember doing once or twice at least growing up myself. Funny how things are a little different when you go back as an adult. Everything seems so much smaller - I kept looking for these huge tanks where I swear you could see whales...lol. Must be the childhood memories making everything gigantic.

It was a fabulous time, though a little rough with a little one who isn't walking yet but who WANT to get down and crawl on her own (though we saw a few couples there with babies only a few weeks/months old (no other kiddos with them). We brought both the stroller and my new Munchkin wrap. There wasn't much space for her to just move about on her own. The one place zone was awashed in crazy older kiddos practically climbing the walls - definitely not the safest place for a crawling wee one. So we had a grumpy gus partway throughout the visit...she finally conked out but was awoken a lot by yelling adults and loud kids. Sigh. No quiet area anywhere to be found. We resorted to just going outside a few times - to nurse in relative and to just let her get down and crawl for a little bit without the throngs of people and strollers etc.

 (notice us sitting by the elevators on the floor - trying to give her a chance to be active while out of the way - oy! by this point she didn't in the stroller at all or carried at all - she wanted DOWN)

I think we are a little (ok - a lot) accustomed to all the small-child friendly facilities at the Indianapolis Children's Museum. Complete with a large, comfortable, clean and quiet family room where you can nurse or nap in a fair amount of peace. And their age supervised play zones for little ones 2 and under - they monitor how many people go in at a time - limiting it so that the little ones are not overwhelmed. LOVE IT! Not to mention that almost every exhibit is pretty baby (crawling and learning to walk) friendly. Each one has interactive areas that are low to the ground that a baby can crawl over or touch etc. Very nice.

She did love taking it all in though - the kid watching at the huge tanks where she could get up close and see right her face - big fish etc! So cool on that aspect. Will definitely have to go back when she is older!

Ode to the Hospital Blanket

We no longer swaddle our little on each night like we did for the first 6+ weeks, but we still keep these around for diaper changes and a soft place to sit. Do you have some of these in your baby's dresser drawers or closet?

NPR is doing a story about the iconic blue and pink hospital blanket and wants photos of babies wrapped up in them! Click here for more on that...

I went digging through my archives and here are *some* (not all) of the pics we have with our little in her hospital blankies!

Web Finds Wednesday

Why All Kids Need to Play In the Mud

Recycle Force - New Indianapolis recycling initiative

Felt Food Patterns

Spare Medela Parts

Aha! Parenting

Google to Rebrand Blogger and Picasa

Homemade Barbecue Sauce

Pineapple Mint

Web Finds Wednesday

Fruit & Veggie Dip Recipes to Try (from Brown Paper Packages)

10 Uses for Ripe Bananas

Hair Romance - love

Raspberry Cheesecake Bars

U Pick Blueberry Farm - Lafayette, IN (on my "to-do" list for the summer)

The Milk Truck

Tiny & Cute

Adorable onesie from Target! Definitely going to be a summer favorite!

Bubbles My Bubbles

Ah, another Nemo quote! :)

Laney Lou trying to catch bubbles in the pool! :)

Smores with Friends

Nothing beats an evening with good friends. Dinner and smores to finish off the day while our babies play in the grass. :) Ah, this is the life!

P.S. That is a FOUR marshmallow smore - yum yum! Though I was a little impatient with my marshmallow toasting as you can see from my poor burnt edges.

Muah ha ha ha!

How baby takes over the world. With cute!

Hello Friend

Another shot of our little one at the public pool. So glad she loves the crowds, the cool water and the sunshine! Whenever we go out people are drawn to her - must be a baby thing! :) That day she made a little pool pal - an older girl who kept visiting the kiddie pool and singing silly songs to our little one and complementing her bitsy toes and bathing suit. So cute! Even ran up to us as we were leaving because she wanted to say goodbye! And of course Delaney just soaks it up - so enthralled with watching other kids!

I have never seen her sit so still as when she is watching other kiddos run and play. :)

Web Finds Wednesday

Babies' Before Birth Personality

DIY Pantry Dividers (tension curtain rods - brilliant!)

On-The-Go Self-Inflating Booster Seat

Caramel Pecan Monkey Bread

How to Connect with your Misbehaving Child (reading up now so I am ready for the future :))

Under the Sink Curling Iron Holder

Surviving the Toddler Years


First Birthday Invite Idea

Pool Baby

Introduced our baby to the public pool for the first time a few weeks ago. So glad she loved it! :) The last time we were here I was nearly 7 months pregnant! Trips to the pool are a little different now - I almost have spazz attacks with the water being so deep even in the kiddie pool. Not quite relaxing like it used to be haha! :) Mama on high-alert time! It is so nice to get out in the sun though and away from the house that needs cleaned and the garden that needs weeded and the computer that calls your name - ah the sounds of splashing and kids playing and that summer warmth just soaking into your bones - feels so good! :)

We ARE Smiling

Oy, this is what I get after 10 tries...haha! So much for a cute posted pic.

Oh Hail

My garden has a sad.





This spring has been a crazy one full of extremes. Both hot and cold...not to mention the resulting storms. Quarter sized hail!

I'm Obnoxious

Yes, we quote Disney movies quite regularly around here! :)

Showbiz "helping" me take pictures in the yard.

Web Finds Wednesday

In a strange land... (great read - especially after just having gotten back from the dentist for a filling :))

Practice Positive Discipline

Dark Sky Park (things to do in Michigan)

Coxhall Gardens (things to do in Indiana)

Frozen Lemonade Pie

Amber Teething Necklaces Inspired by Finn

Summer Sangria

Happy Father's Day!

Want to wish an extra special Happy Father's Day to my wonderful hubby! Hope your first father's day is fantastic! Your love and support means the world to me and Delaney couldn't ask for a better Daddy! Love you!

Envy: Garden Geek Style

Not my blooms but I wish they were!

Stair Master

Oh that face! So happy with her accomplishment in elevation! Look at what I can do!

Web Finds Wednesday

Rosemary Lemonade

Raspberry Beer Cocktail

Homemade Hot Dog Buns


Strawberry Ricotta Popsicles

Pioneer Woman's Flour and Sugar Drawers - swoon

Grilled Banana Smores

15 Ways to Grow Closer Together as a Family

What To Do Summer Fun: Feed The Ducks

I swear there is at least a 10 degree difference in the air temp just by stepping near this little shady creek...duck food is 25 cents...cooling fountain mist on a 90 degree day is free. Memories are priceless.

Dust Go To Sleep

Song For a Fith Child, by Ruth Hamilton. 1958

Mother, oh Mother, come shake out your cloth
empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
hang out the washing and butter the bread,
sew on a button and make up a bed.
Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She’s up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I’ve grown shiftless as Little Boy Blue
(lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
(pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo).
The shopping’s not done and there’s nothing for stew
and out in the yard there’s a hullabaloo
but I’m playing Kanga and this is my Roo.
Look! Aren’t her eyes the most wonderful hue?
(lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).

The cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,
for children grow up, as I’ve learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down, cobwebs. Dust go to sleep.
I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.

Found posted at Harry & Rosie

Our household lives by this poem - so if you see the dishes in our sink, or the muddy paw prints by the back door, the dog nose prints on the glass and the toys strewn about....

First Visit To Mrs. Curl's