Singapore Airlines - Bassinet Seat

When we made our air reservations on Singapore Airlines, we made sure to request a bassinet for Baby. Baby bassinets can be secured to the wall in front of the bulkhead seats, and since there are only so many bulkhead seats available, there are a limited number of bassinets. According to the SA website, the dimensions are 768L x 298W x 158H, and can support a maximum weight of 14kg (approx. 31 lb). The bassinet comes with a wide zippered "belt" used to secure the child - you're obligated to secure the child with the zippered belt whenever he/she is in the bassinet. The bassinet was brought out to us when we reached cruising altitude and was packed away by the flight attendants before we the final landing procedures.

Having a bassinet was nice, because we could put the sleeping baby in the bassinet and relax, eat our meals peacefully, etc. However, the most annoying thing about the bassinet was that whenever the seatbelt sign was on (for example, during turbulence), we were obligated to take Baby out of the bassinet. Invariably, this would wake him up, and we would have to go through the whole process of lulling him back to sleep again. And there were a few spots of turbulence during our trip, so we had to take him out of the bassinet and put him back in multiple times. (However, using the bassinet as storage during these times was nice.) So some considerations in choosing the bassinet seat:

• If your child is a light sleeper, or if it's difficult to get him/her back to sleep, you might not even want the bassinet because of the possibility of having to take him in and out of the bassinet multiple times.
• Since bassinet seats are in the bulkhead, you won't have any storage at your feet. All diaper bags, toys, etc. will have to be stored in the overhead bins.
• The plus side to the above point, however, is that there's plenty of leg room and plenty of space if you are willing to plop your child on the carpeted floor (the cleanliness of which is questionable) to play or entertain him/herself.
• Yes, you can reserve a bassinet and the bulkhead seat even if you don't plan to use it, but please be considerate of other families who are on the flight who could really make use of the bassinet.
• If your child tosses and turns a lot in his sleep, having a bassinet might not be a good idea - it's very small, and your child might not like to be confined.
• Make your decision about choosing the bassinet seat based on your child's sleep patterns. If your child is unlikely to sleep most of the plane ride due to the time of flight or excitement or whatever, save the bassinet seat for someone else who has an infant who would plausibly sleep most of the way.

Having the bassinet was a nice perk since our son did sleep most of the flight, but given the cons as expressed above, I wouldn't be too heartbroken if I were not able to secure a bassinet seat. If your child sleeps well in a carrier like the Ergo or the Kangaroo carrier, you might be able to strap him/her in the Ergo for most of the flight and leave your hands free and arms unencumbered. However, note that since child carriers are not approved child restraint devices, you will have to figure out someway to buckle your child in while using the carrier, or take your child out of the carrier and buckle him in whenever the seatbelt sign is on.

One tip - we didn't want the cabin lights to wake up our son, so I made sure to bring some clips (clothespins will do) in order to pin the blanket to the bassinet. By pinning the blanket, I was able to make sure Baby had enough air circulation, but his head was shaded so that the cabin lights wouldn't disturb him.

Flying with an infant on Singapore Airlines

When booking our airfare, I was fortunate enough to find that the lowest airfare from San Francisco to Hong Kong on my desired travel dates was on the highly-praised Singapore Airlines. I had heard stories about the high level of service on Singapore Airlines, the above-average food (even in economy class!), and the baby-friendliness of the flight attendants. I had flown Singapore Airlines on this particular route many years ago when I was a young child, but I was too young to really appreciate how nice Singapore Airlines was in comparison to other airlines. (Then again, when I was young and traveling, most airlines - even the US-based airlines, had great service since this was before the whole decline of air travel.)

The flight was also perfect because it was a redeye flight. My hope was that because of his own sleep schedule, he would sleep through most of the plane ride. For the most part, this held true, and my husband and I were able to enjoy some of the on-board entertainment and were able to enjoy some of our meals in peace. We were very lucky parents, indeed.

About a half hour before we were scheduled to board, Singapore Airlines (hereafter SA) staff members circled the gate to make sure everyone was appropriately accommodated. They noticed that we had a child and a stroller. They asked if we were ready to relinquish the stroller, which we were, and they tagged and bagged it, and took it to be gate-checked themselves. (For those interested, they do have the large plastic bags for strollers at the gate - you just have to ask for one. They don't have them at the primary check-in area before the security area.) So we didn't have to deal with a child, carry-on luggage, and with folding up a stroller at the end of the jetway ourselves. This made our whole boarding experience much nicer. They also informed us that there was priority boarding for families with young children and directed us to sit in the section near the boarding doors so we could be whisked away into the plane promptly. Having priority boarding again was a nice change from Southwest Airlines.

After we had boarded the plane and had settled in, we were handed the typical "spoils" - a menu, headphones, an amenities kit with toothbrush, toothpaste, socks, etc. Our son was given a toy - a stuffed dude in a plastic bag. Our son enjoyed nomming on the plastic bag. We were then offered a pre-flight beverage - we were given the choice of water, orange juice, white wine, or beer. I'm sure we could have requested another beverage, but we chose the beer - a fitting nightcap at 1am, don't you think?

Since we had not purchased a separate seat for our son, we were given a special seatbelt for him that would attach to my own seatbelt. It was a bit useless, in my opinion, since it was a bit loose and it could also be difficult to confine a squirmy kid with this strap of fabric. However, it works fine if you have a sleeping child in your arms! I was able to nurse my son while he was strapped in with the seatbelt. Once we were in the air, however, and the seatbelt sign was on, we were able to put him in the bassinet. For a review of the bassinet on Singapore Airlines, see my post here.

When you make your air reservations, you can also request baby food. During dinner, a flight attendant brought us a small tray with three jars of baby food and a plastic spoon to show us what the tray was. Since our son was sleeping at the time, she told us to just call a flight attendant at any time to bring us the tray of baby food. The brand of baby food was Heinz, and it was made in Australia. (Since we were traveling to Hong Kong, I had some concerns that the baby food would be made in China or something. This turned out not to be the case.)

At any time, you can also ask the flight attendant to heat up a bottle for your child. However, you might want to specify how you want the bottle warmed and how warm you would like it - after all, not all flight attendants have children or now how to warm up a bottle! They initially asked if we wanted it microwaved, and we politely declined and asked for it to be warmed in hot water. However, they made the bottle of milk way too hot. So next time, I'll have to be specific and ask for the bottle to be warmed in hot water and only to a temperature slightly above room temperature or whatever.

When (not if! It's a 15 hour flight, after all.) you need to change your child's diaper, there is a changing table in the bathroom. But it's an airplane bathroom, therefore it's very cramped. We ended up changing our child in the bassinet (and the couple next to us did the same). There was a lot more space, and it was much more convenient for us.

The flight attendants were incredibly gracious and helpful. Their friendliness made traveling with a baby so much easier. If you're traveling alone with your child, they'll go out of their way to help you (though, do understand that they have many other passengers to take care of, so keep your requests for help reasonable). They're willing to hold your child if you have to go to the bathroom, etc.

Overall, I would highly recommend Singapore Airlines, whether or not you're traveling with a child. The food was indeed good for airplane food (they offered a Western option and an Asian option for each meal. I always chose the Asian option, which was consistently nice. They also offer snacks throughout the plane trip, such as a baked cha siu bao or chips or crackers.), the flight attendants were nice (and man, the uniforms for the female flight attendants were really nice - my son flirted with many of them), and the overall level of service was so much better, especially in comparison to domestic flights on US-based airlines.

Stroller or Carrier in Hong Kong?

Before our trip to Hong Kong, I decided that I wanted to buy a "new" stroller for our trip. Sure, I already had four strollers at home, but none of them would be suitable for Hong Kong. The Graco travel system was too bulky, the umbrella stroller had no canopy or recline function, the Snap n Go was obsolete since we weren't using the infant seat anymore, and my Inglesina Zippy stroller was just a little too heavy. What I wanted in a stroller was something that could recline (at least a little), had a canopy/sunshade, was lightweight (ideally less than 13 pounds) so we could carry it long distances if Baby wasn't happy in the stroller, and most of all, I wanted it to be cheap. This last requirement was most important to me because I didn't want to be heartbroken in case my new stroller got lost, stolen, or dinged up in our travels.

With this checklist of requirements, we went to Babies R Us to check out their inventory and test drive their strollers. We loved the McLaren strollers - but they were far too expensive. I also liked the Chicco Capri stroller, though I still wasn't willing to spend $80 for a stroller that might get damaged in its first few weeks of life. So we returned home from Babies R Us empty-handed, hoping that something would come up on Craigslist.

About a week before we left, and after I started getting a little desperate, I found the Chicco Capri stroller on Craigslist for only $35. I jumped on the deal. I was a little sad at first that I couldn't find such an amazing deal on a MacLaren stroller, but it turned out to be a good thing, because of the recent recall on MacLaren strollers. So for $35, I purchased an almost new red Chicco Capri stroller. It weighs only 11 lbs., has a detachable carrying strap, a travel bag, 2 position recline, 5-point harness, and an adjustable canopy. It also has a really small basket underneath the stroller (too small to be really useful, but good for small things like a jacket or blanket).

Unfortunately, we didn't use the stroller at all in Hong Kong. During our travels, we stayed mostly in busy districts such as Mong Kok, Tsim Sha Tsui, Central, etc., where the streets are crowded and using a stroller would have been very inconvenient, if not dangerous. Since we walked a lot, we dealt with a lot of pedestrian traffic and also automobile traffic. The drivers there aren't very considerate of pedestrians (it's like there's a war between pedestrians and drivers over the roads), so I didn't like the idea of pushing a stroller with a defenseless baby in front of me while crossing the street, hoping that drivers would obey the red light.

Another reason why a stroller might not be the most convenient option - we used the MTR, or subway, a lot, and I noticed that elevator access to the subway station itself from the city level was either nonexistent or very well-concealed. The usual access to the subway station from city level is via flights of stairs, and having to carry a stroller and baby (and various other baby equipment like a diaper bag) would have been a pain, especially if I were traveling by myself.

We relied heavily upon the Ergo Baby Carrier - because of its design that distributes baby's weight evenly, I didn't experience any back pain. Baby was able to see the world in the Ergo and also fall asleep (and the attached hood helped him to stay asleep), and I even learned how to nurse with the carrier so that I could walk the streets of Hong Kong while nursing discretely. (I loosened the straps of the Ergo so Baby could nurse, and then I wore the Hooter Hider and draped it over the Ergo so nobody could see that I was nursing.) I felt like I could better protect Baby since he was so close to me.

I did see some locals use strollers in Hong Kong, but the norm seemed to be to either carry the child in one's arms or to use a carrier of some sort.

Breastfeeding/Nursing in Hong Kong - My Observations

In my 11 days Hong Kong (well, more accurately, 8 days in HK, 3 days in Macau), I don't think I saw anybody else nursing in public. (In fact, I didn't see many infants out in public either..., which is not to say that there are no infants in Hong Kong - there may be a many reasons why infants weren't more prevalent in HK, like the swine flu scare, cultural norms that encourage keeping babies at home and away from crowds and strangers, parents work during the day so helpers take care of children at home, I was just in all the wrong places, etc.) Like I mentioned in a previous post, Hong Kong has been trying to do a huge public awareness campaign about the benefits of nursing, and from what I heard from my "aunties" (my mom's friends), doctors are really encouraging women to breastfeed their babies.

So nursing in itself isn't shunned in Hong Kong, and from my own personal experience, neither is nursing in public, although not many women do it. Whenever I nursed in front of them, my aunties always commented about how nursing is always best for mom and baby and agreed that nursing is a lot more convenient than carrying bottles and mixing formula. Nobody seemed uncomfortable by the fact that I was nursing my baby in public (though discreetly under a Hooter Hider), and conversation simply carried on. No gawkers, no rude comments, nothing. Also, I do speak Cantonese, so I listened intently to make sure there were no rude comments about my nursing in public - and I'm happy to report that there indeed were no rude comments. So ladies, if you're used to nursing in public and are planning on visiting Hong Kong, by all means, go for it.

Now for a few tips. I was using my Hooter Hider the whole time, so I'm not sure if reactions would have been different had I not been using a nursing cover. I imagine that the reactions would have been much different, especially given that nursing in public doesn't seem to be very common. I would recommend using a nursing cover for discretion, however. In fact, when I nursed while using the cover, most people simply assumed I was trying to lull my baby to sleep or keep him asleep - not many people realized that I was nursing my child (once again, perhaps because nursing in public is so uncommon).

On the very few occasions that I was not already sitting down in a restaurant and need to nurse my son (I admit, a large chunk of my time was spent in restaurants since there's so much good food in Hong Kong!), I would just duck into a nearby cafe or fast-food restaurant that looked somewhat comfortable, would order something small to drink or munch on, and carry on with nursing. While there, I ducked into a McDonalds a couple times to nurse (and my husband ordered coffee), went to a few dessert cafes, etc. I avoided places that were really incredibly busy not only to avoid distracting my son while he was nursing, but also because I didn't want to annoy proprietors who wanted a high turnover on their tables. The great thing about Hong Kong is that there are so many restaurants - finding a somewhat comfortable place to sit and nurse and also have something appetizing to snack on is not a difficult task.

And of course, just in case, I always carried an empty bottle, some formula, and a bottle of water in my diaper bag. We never used the formula when I was present with my son because of the ease of finding a place to sit down and nurse, but bringing the formula was a good backup plan.

Back from Hong Kong!

I've been back from Hong Kong for a few weeks now, though I'm just now getting my life back in order. We had a fabulous time, and Baby was miraculously very cooperative during the trip. He adjusted so well that I'm thinking that taking more trips (even international ones) with him will be a genuine possibility.

Now that I'm back from Hong Kong, I'll start a series of posts about traveling with a baby in Hong Kong. Stay tuned!

Ergo Carriers on Sale - $85

I really love my Ergo carrier - it's really comfy for me, my husband (when it's not too warm for him to use it, since he's a human furnace), and Baby. They're incredibly convenient, especially in crowded areas, such as malls or cities, where strollers may be a bit difficult to navigate. They usually retail for over $100, however there are some on sale for $85 (+$8.50 s/h) here: http://www.yellbaby.com/ergo-baby-carriers.html. Sale is limited to supply on hand, and they're not going to get any more carriers in stock.

Flu Shots

I just took my son in to get his flu shot today at Kaiser. I wanted to get him his flu shot weeks in advance of our upcoming Hong Kong trip, in case he suffers any reactions. The flu shot clinic was surprisingly efficient! There were no tears during the injection; in fact, Son just gave out one loud squawk, and that's it. After the flu shot was administered, we were asked to stay for 15 minutes so the nurses could monitor any reactions to the injection. It was a good thing that we stayed, since Son experienced some slight swelling at the injection site - nothing too serious. The Kaiser nurses promptly noted the reaction in his medical record, gave us an ice pack, and sent us on our merry way.

Since Son is under 9 years of age, it's recommended that he receive 2 flu shots, 1 month apart. Given his reaction to the initial shot, it'll be up to the discretion of his pediatrician as to whether or not he should receive the second shot. He has a doctor's appointment in a couple of weeks, so we'll see what she says.

I'm hoping that the H1N1 vaccine comes out soon so he can get the shot before we leave for Hong Kong.

Relevant links:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Information about H1N1 Vaccination

BebePods

Since my son is on the small side, he doesn't really fit in restaurant high chairs - this really is a drag if my husband and I actually want to eat our meals at the same time, without having to hold a baby. We've figured out a temporary solution, however. We just lug our BebePod around with us. Actually, we've just been leaving ours in the car, and bring it with us to restaurants. We have the fancy version with the seatbelt, so Baby stays pretty secure in the seat so far. We've learned that placing the BebePod on bench seats, in booths, or on banquettes work the best, since it's less likely for the BebePod to fall of the chair. When we have to put the BebePod on a chair, though, I usually keep my left arm on the chair (because of new-mother paranoia) and am still able to eat with my right hand. After all, new parents learn pretty quickly how to do all sorts of things with only one arm.

There are plenty of travel-friendly high chairs on the market. The ones that I've seen clip on to the table (for example, the Chicco Caddy Hook-On Chair for approx. $40 or the Phil and Ted's Me too! Travel High Chair for approx. $50). I've refrained from shopping for one of these chairs because we tend to frequent hole-in-the wall Chinese restaurants with unstable tables, so hooking on a high chair to the table isn't safe at all. (Another plus of the BebePod option at these venues is that the high chairs at a lot of these restaurants look absolutely filthy. At least if my BebePod is filthy, it's my baby's filth, and that's always okay.) And further, I already had a BebePod, so spending money on an additional baby item just doesn't appeal to me.

Ikea!

There's a great song about Ikea from Jonathan Coulton (you can find it here, just search for "Ikea"). Seriously, this song runs through my mind every time I'm at Ikea, and sometimes upon noticing that people are giving me strange looks I realize that I'm singing the song.

Anyway the point of this post is not to plug Jonathan Coulton (who also does a great cover of Baby Got Back, found via the same link posted above), but to discuss Ikea. Ikea is incredibly baby-friendly, which is surprising, given Sweden's low birth rates.

The Ikea in Palo Alto, CA has these great baby care rooms. There's one on the lower level when you first enter the store, and another on the top floor near the cafeteria. These baby care rooms are stocked with baby wipes and even diapers (size 3 only, but still...)! There's a changing table, a sink, and an Ektorp chair for nursing. They also have these strategically placed speakers next to the door so that the music that they pipe in covers up most of the sound outside. It really helps when you're nursing so that Baby doesn't get distracted by loud and sudden noises outside. My only complaint is that they should put another chair (even a simple wooden chair) in the bathroom, in case husbands, partners, family members, or friends are in the baby care room while Mom is feeding Baby.

The cafeteria also has bottle warmers in case you need to warm a bottle. I tried it once, and I couldn't seem to get it to work - it took a looooong time for the water in the bottle warmer to heat up. Either the bottle warmer sucked or it was broken. I just ended up filling a cup with hot water from the hot water dispenser attached to the coffee machine and warming up the bottle that way. (Caution: that water is HOT - you might want to mix it with some cold water so you don't melt the baby bottle.)

I believe all Ikea stores have these great amenities.

Nursing in Hong Kong?

We'll be going to Hong Kong at the end of October, and I'm excited... though anxious. I've been to Hong Kong many times before, but never with a baby. One of my big concerns is nursing Baby. Is nursing in public common? Encouraged? Taboo? I had read an article from a while back stating that nursing isn't very popular in Hong Kong, although the government is taking steps to encourage mothers to breastfeed babies. If breastfeeding isn't common in public, are there stores/malls/restaurants that are more or less nursing-friendly?

While doing some research on this issue, I stumbled across this article that gives a list of places in Hong Kong with nursing rooms and changing rooms. It's quite helpful.

To encourage nursing, the HK government has also provided baby care facilities in some government offices/premises. They've published a list of these facilities here.

Gate-checking car seats and strollers

On the few times that we've flown with Baby, he still fit his Graco Snugride car seat. Since we were renting a car and driving at our destination, we took the car seat along. We have three strollers at home, and the stroller we chose to bring with us was the Snap n Go stroller - it folds easily, has a metal frame that isn't likely to get crushed or damaged easily, and is easy to use with the Graco Snugride.

At the airport, we simply took the carseat and the stroller all the way to the gate with us. (You'll have to take the baby out of the carseat, put the car seat and stroller through the x-ray machine, and carry your child with you through the scanner machine thing.) At the gate, we told the employee that we were gate checking the stroller and the car seat, and they printed up Gate-Check tags for us. Upon boarding the plane, we simply left the car seat and the stroller at the end of the runway, and then picked them back up at the same place when we arrived at our final destination. All in all, it was quite convenient.

I highly recommend gate-checking any car seat you might bring - there's a greater likelihood that it'll make it on to the same plane as you do, and you don't want to arrive at your final destination without your car seat if you have somewhere to go immediately. If you've gone through the trouble of lugging your car seat along, I don't think you'll be very happy if you have to use a loaner car seat from the airline or from the car rental company.

Now, I've seen big glorified red bags out there that claim to protect your gate-check items. Sure, they might work, but rather than spend the money, we simply asked for a couple of the airline's complimentary large plastic bags when we checked in at the ticket counter. These plastic bags were large enough to hold a car seat or a stroller, and they were sturdy enough to survive a round trip flight.

Note: these comments are based on my experiences flying with Southwest Airlines so far. Policies and procedures with other airlines may vary.

Southwest Airlines

I used to hate Southwest Airlines. Okay, maybe hate is a little too strong. But I wasn't a fan of their boarding procedures - I always felt like the passengers were cattle, being rounded up into a small pen. But I must admit, now that airlines are charging fees for everything (even for using the bathroom!!!), Southwest is looking better and better. Not only are the first two checked bags free, but if you wish, you can check in two baby items (such as a pack n play) in place of one of those free checked bags. (See the policy here.) This is great for parents, since babies require lots of gear.

Now some may grumble at Southwest's boarding policy for families with small children - if you have small children, you don't get priority and don't get to board first. Apparently there was too much complaint from Southwest's frequent fliers. So the policy is that families with children under 4 board between boarding groups A and B. If you're assigned boarding group A, then of course you board the plane during your assigned time. If you're in boarding group B or lower, then you would board between groups A and B. Because I'm the anal-retentive paranoid person that I am, I'm always afraid that if I board between groups A and B I won't be able to get a seat next to the window for privacy during nursing. So I always make sure to set my alarm for 24 hours before flight time so I can be assigned the first boarding group.

Something to remember: if you're not purchasing a seat for your baby and he'll be a lap child, remember to bring a copy of his birth certificate. I know it may be obvious that the child is under 2 years of age, but the check-in people may request to see a birth certificate anyway. I've read horror stories about parents who have had to buy a last-minute seat for their baby because they didn't bring the birth certificate. You can find more information about Southwest's baby on board policy here.

I never had to make use of the changing table on board the plane, but the flight attendants informed me that the lavatory at the front of the plane has a changing table. And I also asked them if they had any recommendations on the best place to sit with the baby. Responses varied, ranging from "near the front bathroom" to "in the middle near the engine" so the vibration might lull the baby to sleep. So I haven't heard any consensus on the best place to sit if you have a baby with you on board. If you have any advice otherwise, please comment!

But seriously, if RyanAir implements that rubbish about charging for toilet use, that would make them a seriously baby-unfriendly airline.

Hotel Max - Seattle, WA

While in Seattle, we also spent one night at the Hotel Max. It's located in Seattle's downtown area, in the midst of lots of great shopping and dining. It's also within walking distance of Pike Place Market.

The Hotel Max is a great modern hotel with hip decor, boasting modern art from artists and photographers from Seattle. If I didn't have a baby and were a lot cooler, this would have been a great place to stay (attached to the hotel was the Red Fin Restaurant, which looked like it had an interesting menu and boasted an intriguing happy hour which I never got to try).

One of the first things I noticed was that the elevator and the hallways leading to the hotel rooms were very small and narrow. If you have lots of baby gear, you might have to take a few trips up and down the elevator. And my memory is a bit fuzzy, but I'm not sure that a double stroller could fit down one of those hallways.

The hotel room wasn't particularly baby-friendly either. The rooms were a little cramped, so if you have lots of baby gear, you might struggle for space. Also, the bathroom sink had one of those modern flat bowls (...so would it be called a plate?) on which it would be utterly impossible to bathe a baby. The "refrigerator" was a beverage cooler that was filled with mini-bar goodies. We had to take a few mini bar items out of the cooler in order to make room for bottles of milk. Also, the beverage cooler didn't seem to be that cool, which is another negative.

Like I said, if I didn't have a baby and were a lot cooler, the Hotel Max would be the place for me. But I do have a baby and am decidedly uncool, so I wouldn't recommend the Hotel Max for families with babies or small children. So why did we stay there? They had a great package deal for my stay date - $99 for one night, including valet parking. And if you've looked at prices for downtown Seattle hotels, you'll find that parking is outrageously expensive.

Hotel Max

620 Stewart Street

Seattle, WA 98101

Reservations 866-986-8087

www.hotelmaxseattle.com

Seattle Marriott Waterfront Hotel - Seattle, WA

In May, we took a family vacation to Seattle, and stayed in the Seattle Marriott Waterfront Hotel. The hotel is in the perfect location if you're in Seattle to catch a cruise, since it's located right across from the cruise terminal.

Our room had two double beds, and even with the double beds, there was plenty of room for Baby's Pack n Play. There was also a refrigerator for baby food/breastmilk storage.

We didn't give Baby a bath in the sink, so I can't comment on how (in)convenient that is.

The lobby of the hotel has plenty of comfortable seats in case you need to nurse while waiting for somebody. They also have a huge pitcher of ice water to keep you hydrated!

Within walking distance of the hotel, there are plenty of family-friendly restaurants. Sure, you're not going to find any 3 Michelin star restaurants, but those places probably wouldn't welcome your baby anyway. So loosen up a bit and be resigned to the fact that you'll eat at chain restaurants more often than you'd really like. Also, there are wide sidewalks up and down the waterfront, so strollers of all shapes and sizes can be accommodated. The hotel is located within walking distance of several famous sites, such as Olympic Park and the Space Needle, so you can take a leisurely walk with Baby if he gets fussy. Also, there's a free shuttle (with a stop right in front of the hotel) that will take you to surrounding areas such as Seattle's Chinatown.

Seattle Marriott Waterfront

2100 Alaskan Way

Seattle, WA 98121

(206)443-5000

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/seawf-seattle-marriott-waterfront/

The Ivy Court Inn and Suites - South Bend, IN

Back in March, we traveled to the University of Notre Dame for a week and stayed at the Ivy Court Inn and Suites, located next to the University's baseball field. Sure, if you're there to visit the campus and are there mainly to hang out around the University, then it would probably be a lot more convenient just to stay at The Morris Inn. But most people with babies are pretty price-conscious, and let's just say that the Ivy Court Inn and Suites is much more economical. If I recall correctly, I believe the rate we were quoted was something like $69 per night in a king suite (granted, we were staying during the low season, that is, not during football season). Still, it would have cost us three times as much to stay at The Morris Inn.

What did the rate get us? Amenities included high-speed wireless Internet in our 2-room suite and daily breakfast buffet. And they had coffee and cookies available in the hotel lobby throughout the day. The hot breakfast buffet was decent enough - scrambled eggs, sausage, hash browns, in addition to the usual continental breakfast fare. They advertised that you could request eggs made to offer, but we never tested that out.

But on to the important stuff: how baby friendly was the hotel? We brought our own pack n play, so I can't comment on whether or not they provided cribs and if so, what condition they were in. But the 2-room suites are fairly baby friendly. Upon entering the room, you stand inside the sitting area, which is closed off from the bedroom area by a set of double doors. So, for naps and at night, we put Baby in the Pack n Play in the sitting area. When we closed off the double doors to the bedroom, it got really dark in the sitting room area, perfect for bedtime. Having a separate sitting area was great so that Husband and I could work in the main bedroom area or watch TV or whatever without bothering Baby. The only downside was that the doors (both the entrance to the hotel room and the door separating the sitting room from the bedroom) were a bit thin. So we had to be a bit careful to not turn the TV up too much or talk too loudly. Also, since the walls and doors were thin, we could hear people outside in the hallways walking around and talking. Our room was right near the elevator, so we heard the elevator go up and down. Luckily, none of this disturbed Baby while he slept. Our room was located on the 2nd floor, but we didn't hear anyone above or below us - and supposedly the hotel was full while we were there.

The bathroom was quite convenient - the vanity area is located outside of the bathroom where the tub/shower combo and the toilet are located. The sink was large enough to wash pump parts if necessary and also to bathe our son, who was 3 1/2 months old at the time. However, our son was small for his age, and if he were any bigger, I don't know how well he would have fit in that sink.

Lastly, there is a refrigerator in the sitting area, should you need to store baby food or breastmilk.

Overall, the hotel was remarkably baby friendly. Now, if you're staying there in the winter and need to get to campus often without a car, note that there's no shuttle to take you to and from campus. Although it's a relatively short walk, it's important to plan ahead if you'll be walking with your baby - as you probably know, it gets deathfully cold and snowy at Notre Dame. Make sure you bundle up baby and be careful that the sidewalks can get icy. We were there in late March, and it was chilly. We carted Liam around campus in his Snugride carseat and the Snap n Go stroller. We found that an infant car seat cover (we had the Baby's Cozy World Microfiber and Fleece Cover from Target) worked wonders.

Ivy Court Inn and Suites

1404 Ivy Court

South Bend, IN 46637

574-277-6500

http://www.dorahotels.com/IvyCourt/IvyCourt.htm

Welcome!

I love to travel. Growing up, my dad worked for United Airlines, and boy did we take advantage of those flight benefits. The frequency of my travels has decreased in the past couple of years, mostly because I no longer have those flight benefits (damn you, 25th birthday!). Further, my husband and I just had a baby, and traveling with a baby is difficult - not only because of the obvious logistical hassles associated with a baby's feeding/changing/sleeping demands, but because of the lack of readily-compiled information on the Internet. There's a noticeable lack of information about traveling specifically with babies and infants, whereas there are plenty of sources for information about traveling with kids and teenagers. Really, I'd love to find out information about how practical a large Inglesina stroller is in a busy city like New York, or where to buy good and cheap diapers in Malaysia, or whether or not it's taboo to nurse in public in South Korea.

My aim in creating this blog is to compile useful information about traveling with babies to local and international destinations in the form of links to other sites or articles and also personal experiences. I'm also hoping that readers will post their own tips about traveling with kids and comments about particular locations/hotels/cities that are or are not baby friendly.

My son just turned 8 months, and in those 8 months, he's done quite a bit of traveling - he's been on multiple plane trips, long and short road trips, camping, numerous hotel stays, etc. In the near-ish future, we're planning trips to Hong Kong, Rome, and a European cruise. I'm hoping that my chronicles of our travels with Baby will prove useful and, dare I say, even entertaining.