Photo(s) of the week- Leprechaun photo shoot!

Ok, ok I know I started doing the "Photo of the week" because I was trying to limit myself to posting my (one) favorite photo of the week. But, this week, I just couldn't stick to one.

Freddie's Nana got him an adorable Leprechaun outfit to celebrate his first St. Patrick's day and tonight we had a Leprechaun photo shoot. Freddie has had a fantastic Paddy's day- he had swimming lessons this morning and he dove (leaned) off the edge on his own. His teacher said it was the first time she had a baby dive in on their own! He moved his arms when he was under water and once William brought him up he was full of smiles- so proud of himself!

Then this afternoon we played on the playground in the meadows in the sun. The big hit was not the swings, slide or merry-go-round but the...woodchips! He couldn't get enough of them! Only problem was he wanted to eat them. When the temptation became too much, we headed home for dinner.

Trip to the museum

Freddie and I usually go to the National Museum of Scotland at least once a week. It's a massive museum with just about anything you could imagine in it. We  usually just walk around the main floor for a few minutes and then head to the kid's area but there are actually floors and floors of exhibits just waiting for us.

The museum was remodeled a few years ago and, although I can barely remember what it was like before, I'd say it was well worth the millions they put in to it. The ceilings are incredibly high so there's a very spacious feel, every room seems very well-thought-out and it's really somewhere where I think all ages- baby, toddler, kids, teens and adults can enjoy. It was also recently picked as one of the top ten visitor destinations in the UK. So, if you live in Edinburgh or are visiting- be sure to check it out!

We went yesterday and met two of my friends and their babies there. As always, it's so fun to watch Freddie interact with others close to his age (one of the girls is a month older than him and one is only four days older). They crawl all around and really love to explore. There are musical instruments that they can grab (positioned right at their height- great design!), books they can pull off the shelf, hand puppets, blocks, drums and mirrors. Freddie cannot get enough of the place! His toes are always filthy with dust and he usually falls asleep the second we leave- both good signs he had a good time. :)

Here are some of my favorite pics from the outing.

The impressive Millennium Clock Tower (above) chimes very loudly every hour and always attracts a large crowd. It had just started to chime for 11am when we got there so I pulled Freddie up in front of it and pointed it out to him. I'd like to say he was blown away by the intricate sculptural details but in reality he just stared at the nearby escalator the entire time. Couldn't take his eyes off it! Ha. We'll have to go on it soon.

Freddie taking it all in (above) when we first got to the kid's room. He soon got moving and started exploring and pulling books down off the shelf.

Then it was off to the musical instruments to play a little tune. It took all his strength to reach some of them but when he did, it was well worth it. 











And oh what luck- a random piece of foam right next to the instruments! What a day! This was a huge hit- a lot of kids kept finding it, having a chew and throwing it aside, only for someone else to quickly pounce on it. I'm not sure if it was actually there as part of the toys or if it fell off someone's stroller or something (I'm thinking the latter).

Freddie attempted to escape at one point. Enough of that kid's stuff! He wanted to check out the rest of the place, too. After we played for awhile we took the kiddos up to the cafe for lunch and then it was a walk/run home to get him in bed for his nap. All in all- such a fabulous day!

Traveling tips?

Or "travelling" if you're from the UK. Either way- I need tips! Freddie and I are going to be making our way to Seattle in a week and a half. We are flying first from Edinburgh to Newark, New Jersey, and will have a 4 hour layover there before continuing on to Seattle. The first flight is around 7 and a half hours I think and the second is about 6 (I think- after a few hours you just try to blur out the rest).

I know some of you have flown with babies before and I'd like all the advice, suggestions and tips I can get. The two of us flew to Seattle last year when Freddie was 3 and a half months old and it went very well- he was a dream despite the fact that the airline broke our stroller and I had to spend our 3-hour layover carrying him (on me in the ergo), a backpack and pushing the broken stroller around. I was a sweaty mess to say the least. Freddie didn't seem to notice- he slept a lot of the way and when he was awake, he spent that time smiling and staring at everyone. 

He only drank milk, slept in the plane's bassinet and enjoyed going to the bathroom to lay on the mini-changing table and stare at the fluorescent lights. Now he's 10 months old, eats three meals a day and hates getting his diaper changed. Not to mention I'm skeptical he'll even fit in the bassinet! Anyway, no matter how crazy the trip there is, we can't wait to see our friends and family in Seattle, Kenmore, Vancouver and Portland. Freddie's been wearing his stars and stripes in preparation.

Seriously- if you have any advice, leave me a comment!!!!!!!!!!!