[Corolla]

Hi Guys
9 days from today, I get to hug and kiss my baby girl for the first time. I'm travelling alone. I'm so excited and a bit queasy at the same time! I have a lot of stupid questions for you seasoned moms (and dads) out there...

1. Can a 16 pound, 62cm long, 4.5 month old sit in a umbrella stroller with a 5 point system or use just bring a snuggli?

2. What diaper size? How many per day? Does the maid come in daily?

3. Can I feed her rice and juices?

4. Is the formula warm or cold for a 4.5 month old? If warm, how did you warm the formula in the room with bottled water. Is there a microwave in the rooms?

5. What type of toys or entertainment devices did you bring at that age?

6. What size clothes does a 16 pounder wear?

I'm sure I will have more questions. I'll see how much snickering I get before posting more

[MammaLo]

Okay, a gentle snicker! Seriously, take a deep breath and relax. I'm just giving you advice from MY experiences.
1. For a 16 pounder, I wouldn't use a snuggli, very hard on the neck and shoulder muscles. The use of an umbrella stroller with a head support is advisable.
2. Size 2, and remember, you can always have the concierge get you more;; the same for formula.
3. Pediatricians recommend not introducing foods (unless Rice cereal) before the age of 6 months, but in an aside: We all do it (whisper).
***Don't introduce her to new foods, juices or a formula while you are there visiting. It messes up their schedule and can make them have upset stomach.
4. At 4 months of age, just room temperature, but there should be a microwave somewhere. Ask the foster mom if she's been warming the formula; trying to stay with what baby is used to is always best, until you get home and can change the routine permantly.
5. Bright colors
6. 6 to 9 months
Hope you enjoy your trip, tell us all about it when you get back, and remember, these are just my experinces as a professional and as a mommy. LOL. Good luck!

[kady2004]

No snickering here... parenting is one of those things you learn on the fly LOL..... sometimes its just trial and error...
Anyway, and I will just post my experience with our son and (our soon to be home we hope) daughter.
Both my children have used the umbrella stroller, not super comfy for a baby who doesn't sit up but ok in a pinch, the snuggli will work for your baby too... but for meals we used the stroller (pad around their head so they don't slip down/sideways) or if the restaurant isn't busy they don't mind if you push two chairs together and lay your baby down while you eat.. sometimes you just need two hands
Diaper size - we buy them down there - we take a small packet (yours would be size 2's I think, maybe 3's - look on the packet it gives you a weight range and its always been pretty accurate for us). Someone at the Marriott will run out and get them for you - just ask the concierge. We ran out of wipes with one day to goso we went to the hotel store - my advice don't buy the hotel gift shop ones unless you are REALLY stuck! Average number of diapers a day we used - hmmmm maybe 1 every 2/3 hours.
Yes the formula was warm for both of them, we had a flask that we would fill up in the restaurant, then we would mix bottled cold water and some hot to make the bottle warm. No microwave.
Neither of my 4.5 mth olds were /are (my daughter is 4.5 mths old right now) really eating anything but formula, but I think Will did start on rice cereal around 4.5 months. & I never give them juice... (mean Mummy LOL) I'm not sure but I think 4.5 mths old is too young for juice.
We took a activity gym with us, it has a material base that goes down on the floor and then bars above the babies head - it plays music and has toys hanging that they can grab, Will loved it, Angelica was only just getting into it at our last visit.
For clothes, check out the sizes again in the clothes.. for us Sprockets (Mervyns) are awesome, fit great, wash, and wash and wash, we don't have much luck with "The Children's Place" clothes (we have to buy bigger than the size suggests) or "Carters" (they always seem to be cut too small - width wise I mean)... Old Navy are great, GAP OK..
Just take a variety maybe some 3-6mth clothes and maybe some 6-9 mth clothes....
Hope that helps...
Oh and don't forget to pack a Childcare book (trust me we used it ALOT the first couple of times LOL) and a thermometer, both my kids get really sweaty when they sleep but are perfectly fine, if I didn't take their temperatures I would have been freaking out a little.. (oh and we always take powdered pedialyte - available at BRUS just in case)
Good luck and have a BLAST....

[Annee]

Bless your heart...I love your questions because they were exactly like ours before we went to visit.

Our son was older but about the same size (almost 7 months and probably just above 16 pounds - two months later he hit 18 lbs, 1 oz). I am not an experienced parent, but here's what a grand total of 3-1/2 days of parenting at the Marriott taught me

-we used the coffee pot to heat the bottled water (we used it to rinse out the bottles after washing them and also a little to warm up his formula because he didn't like it room temp). We did not have a microwave in our standard room.

-housekeeping came in daily to clean

-we brought size 2 diapers with us, and the foster mom left a small pack of size 3 diapers. The 2s fit better, but we could make the 3s fit okay, too. I can't remember how many diapers he went through per day - it was less than we'd estimated and we gave the foster mom a big pack of them when we left. I think maybe he went through about 6 diapers per day...? A younger baby maybe would require more.

-re clothing size: he was about the same size as your daughter, so maybe this'll be relevant: the clothes his foster mom left with us for the visit ranged from 0-3 months up to 6-9 months! We brought 6-9 months stuff with us. Anything with feet in it required the 6-9 months because his legs are pretty long. She brought him to the Marriott in a 0-3 months onesie - it was kinda stretched out but, hey, it worked! He's pretty slender, though.

-we brought both an umbrella stroller and a baby bjorn carrier and alternated those with just carrying him. He liked the variety and our tired biceps and backs liked the variety as well! We left our umbrella stroller at the Marriott and have since learned that they've been renting it out for $5/day. It was a cheap-o with little support and not as comfortable as others I've seen.

-I'm hoping somebody will answer your question re what to feed. I've heard no juice at that age unless they are constipated.

Have fun getting ready for your trip. I'm just so excited for you!!!

[avoel]

I just picked up my 16 lb nearly 5 month old 3 weeks ago and I took size 2 diapers with me and they were a bit snug!!! After she wet through them a few times we went and got some size 3's. 6-9 month clothes definitely. Stick with just formula while you visit...if the baby is getting something else the foster mom will likely bring some or let you know what to get. I only took a baby bjorn for bonding purposes but a stroller would have been nice, at least for the trek home. 16lb gets pretty heavy!
Have fun...and the powdered liquilyte solution is a good idea! Take some infant tylenol just in case too! For toys, a few rattles, especially soft ones, anything with tags on it (those are the best part!) something that squeaks, easy to hold toys--just enough to rotate them a bit if baby gets bored. Mine was happiest with a hotel washcloth...go figure!

[readytobeamommy]

1. I would do a umbrella stroller or a carrier but not a snugli for the hotel.........


2. What diaper size? I would do size three, look on the package to decide.... How many per day? 8-10 per day........Does the maid come in daily? Yes.....

3. Can I feed her rice and juices? No, not unless the FM is already, do NOT change the babies diet do what FM does.............

4. Is the formula warm or cold for a 4.5 month old? Do what the FM tells you. My baby likes warm bottles and I brought an electric teapot to heat them and clean them. Do not use a microwave because it can put hot spots in the formula (the don't have them anyways)

5. What type of toys or entertainment devices did you bring at that age? We brought a bouncer seat that cost $20 and we put it together in GC and left it for the FM

6. What size clothes does a 16 pounder wear? size 6 months maybe 3-6 months...........

Have a great time! I would bring a recieving blanket and sleep with it and then leave for the baby (buy two for your return trip/home) in case you don't get it back.

[BebitosMama]

Just for the record --

You are NOT clueless. You had the tremendous good sense to embark on adopting your sweet little pumpkin from Guatemala, which, as we all know, is quite a CLUED IN thing to do, because these are GREAT babies, and pretty much the cutest little bebitos and bebitas out there!!

Everyone's advice above was great, so you'll be fine!! Besides, you got the most important part down pat -- wanting and loving that baby!!!!

So, our very SMART, and CLUED IN friend, have a GREAT trip!!

[Corolla]

Thanks Guys for all the great posts! And for keeping the snickering down

I'm going out shopping tonight, tomorrow, Monday, Tuesday,...You get the idea! Fun, fun fun

BebitosMama-I got the baby goods(logos) in the mail the other day. They are soooo cute! I plan on taking my laptop and posting pictures of the outfits on my pumpkin-head while in GC...I also love my mouse pad with the Ps!

[BebitosMama]

I can't WAIT to see pix!

Yours will be the first action shots of the outfits!! And with your sweetie pie in them, I have no doubt it'll be doubly cute!!!

[Princesa's Mama]

Sarah was about 12 lbs at 6 months when we visited.
We used 47 diapers out of a 48 pack--she had tummy trouble and almost every diaper was a "big job" diaper!!
We stayed at the Radisson and the maid came every day but based on the face, you are probably wondering about the smell factor!! You can always leave it outside of the door of some other unsuspecting adoptive parent, knock on the door and run!!! JUST KIDDING FOLKS, OK!!! LOL!!! We had a balcony which we used as the "toxic waste dump"! We secured the offending diapers in a plastic grocery bag and put them out there. In the morning, we brought them in and put them in the trash can for the housekeeper to haul away!!

My last update on Sarah said that she was 16 lbs so I am getting 9 mo. or 12 mo. clothes--I am going by the weights posted on the labels. At 12 lbs she was into 3-6 months nicely. 6-9 months worked but I had to roll, roll, roll! Come to think of it, I had to roll the 3-6 month clothes too--she's a short peanut!!!

I heated my water up in the microwave in a coffee cup (the family floor of the Radisson had them), then I transferred the water to the bottle and added the formula and shook it well. I figured the the hot spots would be all mixed up by the time I did all that! I know, I am a bad mommy. I tried all kinds of different techniques and this worked best in the middle of the night with a crying baby! I like the thermos idea, though. Sounds super handy!!!

Sarah loved this butterfly (Carters 1st year) that I got at Target. The wings crinkled and she liked that. She also liked this star with a mirror on one side and a face on the other. When you press the nose on the face it says, UH OH, Whooeee, and giggles. It had lots of "tasty spots" on it for her to chew! LOL!! I think it is a Bright Starts toy and I got it at Babies r Us.

I like reading the ideas on this thread. As my teachers always said, "the only stupid question is the one not asked!"

When all else fails, reach into your bag of tricks and pull it out. Somehow you figure out what works and your baby will survive.

Happy hugging!

[cshefts]

Hi - we are going to be at the Marriott when you are! We are going June 23 - June 28. My husband and 2 boys (ages 9 and 6) are also coming. Maybe we can get together!

You asked great questions! Don't feel silly. The replies were great. I'll pm you a list of what I'm taking if you'd like. I've heard to take a thermos to put in hot water (from coffee pot) for late night feedings - I thought that was a good idea. I've also heard you can rent strollers at the Marriott.

You'll be fine - your instincts will kick in.

[DPline]

Originally Posted by cshefts

I've also heard you can rent strollers at the Marriott.

Just an FYI, for what it's worth. When I was there the first time (May 2004) and asked about renting one, I was told it was $10/day. I just couldn't bring myself to pay that and toughed it out. (My lower back was killing me!) The next time we visited, I just brought a $10 umbrella stroller and left it with Daniel's foster mother.

Corolla - Have a wonderful trip! You'll do great!

[egrace]

If you are traveling by your self, I would definitely bring a sroller. You need somewhere safe to keep the baby when you have to use the restroom at the airport or want to change a diaper. Also a regular stroller that reclines worked better for us. It's easier for them to take naps and easy to change their diaper when the stroller reclines or lays flat.
You can check the stroller at the gate before you board the plane and then get it first thing when you exit the plane. It was a long walk to get through customs in Atlanta and I was glad to load our daughter in the stroller as well as wipes, toys, etc.

Best of luck.

egrace

[DianaPrince]

No advice since you've already received some of the best . . . I'm just SO excited for you!!! Have a wonderful trip!

Valerie

[Princesa's Mama]

I thought of one more thing that I did not do and it caused me quite a bit of hassel, and may have caused poor baby some tummy upset. Be sure to ask the FM how much formula she mixes into the water. I did not and after she left I found out that the instructions were in Spanish! DH went to the front desk and they translated for him. Shortly after we gave Sarah the first bottle mixed from those instructions, she S-P-E-W-E-D the entire contents of her stomach (poor baby). I then went online and typed the instructions into the Spanish to English Translation service and figured out that we HAD mixed the bottle according to directions. The next morning I contacted the woman who translated for us who contacted our attorney's assistant who called us back and said that Sarah was fed one scoop/oz. of water instead of 2 scoops/ oz. of water (as the directions said). This did not seem right either as the formulas seemed too "thin" and she seemed to get hungry more frequently. Perhaps her tummy troubles were because of her vaccination, given the day before, or because she was teething--we could hear her grinding teeth together at night but only the lower teeth were poking through.