Family-friendly Germany

Despite having to struggle over carseats and jetlag, Germany will always be memorable for us.  My Lola is actually part-German (her mom's surname is Hayden); and when Leji found out, she claimed to be part-owner of all the castles we visited saying she has German blood :p.  

It's the little details that matter and honestly, it's hard not to fall in love with Germany.

1. Family-friendly airport

In Frankfurt, they have counters that prioritize families with small children.  Most of their washrooms have diaper-changing areas equipped with liners, toilet paper, and soap/disinfectants. & McDonalds has a huge play place in the middle of everything :p. Leji & Leon were spoiled. 

2. Family-friendly parking 

Except for rural truck spots without toilet paper and several highways without proper washrooms, Germany is super conducive for travel and sight-seeing.  We took advantage of women's parking spaces that double as family parking areas specially designated near exits to increase the safety of women. The concept of Fauenparkplatz started in 1990 to reduce the risk of sexual assault in private parking areas.  This made lugging around two strollers & bags a whole lot easier.

3. They anticipate your baby's needs

Leon got a free crib at Schloss Lautrach, Bavaria

Schloss Lautrach, the castle where we stayed in at Bavaria, was totally awesome. It had sprawling gardens, art everywhere, and magnificent staircases.  They lent us a decent crib even if we didn't request for any.  They even had sparkling water & pear-flavored gummies with a welcome post card.

 4. Kid-friendly food

Leji, like most toddlers, loves pasta (spätzle), sausages (bratwurst), cheese (käse) and potatoes (kartoffeln).  Oh how she loved German food!  Most restaurants serve her favorites :)  They're very fond of using glass bottles so Leji enjoyed grape and raspberry juice like wine.  We also liked their sour cream chips and dark chocolate milk found in most convenience stores.

5. Smooth roads

Oh how we wish we also have picturesque roads splattered with castles and organic strawberries here, there, and everywhere in the Philippines.  We wouldn't mind the traffic if that ever happens in this lifetime.

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Plane Bassinets: heaven-sent to sleepy parents on long-haul flights

I never had problems carrying my daughter when she was an infant.  Born premature at 34weeks, Leji has always been lithe and easy to carry.  Just make her latch directly and she wouldn't mind even the shakiest turbulence. 

We had our first domestic flight when she turned one; we had two short international flights before she turned two.  Cebu Pacific, PAL, and United Airlines never offered to sit us in bassinet seats for flights 3 hours or shorter but it was never a problem. Cebu Pacific allowed us to gate check our stroller on our flight to Hongkong so I think they're cool with babies; but it still would have been more efficient if we opted for PAL or Air Macao on our way home..but that's another blog post :p

We've had our first bassinet experience with Singapore Airlines two years ago.  It was awesome. They handed a Finding Dory plush toy and a padded waterproof bassinet protector for us to take home.  Leji loved the stars on the bedding liner.  She just played on the bassinet as she couldn't keep still but she enjoyed every minute of it.  They even served ice cream after dinner! It was her first taste of ice cream (at 14 months).  Singapore Airlines really knows how to take care of babies. Although I hate it that our stroller got dumped at NAIA and lost a screw :/  At that time I didn't know you could actually complain about damaged strollers and request for a refund. Too bad.

We weren't able to join my hubby's business trip to Hawaii when Leji was only four months (DFA wouldn't release her passport before the actual release of her NSO birth certificate; her US Visa application got delayed) so he promised us a US trip soon. 

 

Leon lounges in an Asiana plane bassinet

When we were finally ready with her visa, we found out soon after that I was pregnant with my second child. He was almost as heavy as his sister at five months so we really request for bassinets each time we fly. 

Our first long-haul trip as a family was for our cousin Dennis' wedding in Vegas last May.  People with babies rave about Incheon Airport so we opted for Asiana.  Their airport deserves another blog post but I was hardly able to take any pictures as I was busy running after my toddler who was so excited with the quality of rest and play areas in that airport; they even have a UV sterilizer and a distilled water dispenser in the nursery!  We even took a free shower, toothbrush, and tour. I realized we should have stayed longer as they gave us a 30-day transit visa.  We'll come back when the kids are a little older :)

The MNL-INC and INC-MNL flights were amazing; the pilots were great and the flight attendants were really friendly.  But it was hellish when there wasn't a bassinet seat available (where I could also sit near my toddler and hubby) for our INC-LAX flight.  Asiana squeezed us in a code share flight with passengers from other airlines.  We didn't realize early enough that the layout of the plane also changed when they moved us to an earlier flight.  Horror of horrors, our seats wouldn't recline properly and it was so hot and cramped in the flight; the kids weren't able to sleep at all.  

Going home, we thought everything would be much better as we would get to ride their newest airbus.  Turns out, the flight was so slow and turbulent despite its flight height.  Our toddler was restless and cranky.

For our trip to Europe, we decided to try Cathay Pacific. They're awesome with kids. Their baby cot looked flimsy (compared to the other airlines' bassinets with nice zip-up designs and quality stitching/materials) but it served its purpose with a convenient canopy which shaded baby from harsh reading light.  For our HKG-FRA flight, I insisted on having the bassinet seat even if we weren't sure if someone else would sit beside me.  Hubby decided to sit with my toddler on a row behind.  Turns out, that was the best game plan as my daughter was able to stretch and sleep adequately.  The passenger who was supposed to sit next to me moved to another area so hubby had the option to move forward each time I required assistance (i.e. changing his clothes, feeding, etc.).  Thank you, Lord! 

We weren't able to request special meals for our baby on our flight back but there were free flowing drinks and snacks for everyone during the long haul flights. When my toddler had a tantrum on our flight back (she couldn't poop in the potty properly during the turbulence), a flight attendant comforted her with a Frozen activity pack and a cup of milk. They even provided us extra diapers (she wouldn't use her pullups again after the drama in the lavatory). We three weren't able to sleep well but baby Leon was able to rest soundly thanks to the bassinet. 

On a side note, Cathay Pacific is great with kids but weird with PWDs. We travelled with my 5-month pregnant sister-in-law who has spine implants and there always seemed to be an issue with her wheelchair request. In Frankfurt, a flight attendant even told her on the plane while waiting for special assistance: "Get up now! You could walk." In HK they even asked her to get up from a wheelchair to give way to a PWD business class passenger to her dismay. 

When we landed in Manila, we allowed everyone to go ahead of us as usual as we had 2 senior citizens, 2 babies, and a PWD with us. A flight attendant said: "What are you waiting for? Everyone has left! Get out!" So I guess that's really how they treat guests who need special assistance. They were quite consistent in being rude to her.  

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Tandem Feeding Diaries: Months 4-6

Leji loves travelling with her brother

Despite all warnings, we braved the odds and decided to take the kids on multiple trips this summer. It's a bit crazy but you only live once, right?

Travel with Bender makes it look so easy; but we realized we're not ready to sell everything and take on a nomadic life at this point so we just took on a series of trips. 

We lugged a ton of bags (plus strollers and carseats) with us so I didn't bother include my laptop in the production number. I don't know how other blogger moms do it, but it's harder to convince my toddler to sleep/nap when I have my computer on.

What's so challenging about road trips?

1. Kids refuse to sit and remain strapped in their carseats for long periods of time. 

2. When they're too tired, too hot or overly stimulated they just cry non stop.

3. Some people think you're bad parents when the little ones cry so much. They stare.

4. When baby poop or spit explodes all over you and your backup clothes are stored in a far-flung bag. If the baby is consuming solids already, its nasty smell diffuses oh so quickly. It's embarrassing.

5. Adjusting your body clock becomes even more tricky as toddlers totally redefine jetlag. Dear God. Hubby required extra potent coffee to get to drive after long-haul plane rides.

I tell people I tandem feed; but during roadtrips it's quite impossible to make them latch at the same time.  The carseat requirement in first world countries make it even trickier.  My dear toddler hates pumped milk so we opt for cookies or granola bars plus flavored or almond milk while on the road. When I get stressed, I grab a bag of chips.

There are times when she insists on latching for comfort & throws a fit when she sees me prioritize her baby brother. We tried distracting her with toys and gadgets but after all the hullaballoo we realized it's much simpler to rush back to the hotel before she gets overly tired.

I usually allow her to latch once we get to the hotel room except when I have to put her brother to sleep.  They usually tease each other when they're face to face; he even grabs her hair and pokes her eye :/ So they take turns. I usually encourage her to drink milk from a sippy cup while her brother is at it. Before I tried making her drink the let-down milk from our Hakaa; but she said it's gross even after transferring the milk to her sippy cup. I figured she didn't like the smell of UV-sterilized Hakaa.

When she is too tired to wait, she would demand: "Alright, I just need a hug!!!" Most of the time with tears. She often tells me she can't wait for her brother to turn two.

No regrets; my children seem to have gained more self confidence after everything.  My daughter rushed to my grandma as soon as we got back. She showed our phone photos and even enacted some of the events that took place. "Gramma, we went up a huuuge castle. It was mine for a day! It had a lovely garden with pink flowers and other colors...and we rode a gorgeous train!" I was shocked to hear her say gorgeous. She gushed: "Lolo, Lola, Tito Niki & Tita Abby went there with us. You know them, right? Complete family! It was really fun, I wish you were there too."  She's so cute when she's not overly tired.

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