Lexi's cousins all came to visit today. They all had a great time playing and having Grandma prepare them for Santa Lucia Day. She had them all in the basement getting their crowns ready and having them practice the song.
Lexi also got introduced to Grandma's famous Chex mix, and she loved it!1. 
Make certain you allow enough time to get to the airport, check in, and get through security. If you are worried about the prospect of getting all that done, at least take 30 seconds to make certain that you don't leave your coffee cup on top of the car for the entire time you are gone!
2. The standard weight allowance for luggage is 50 lbs. However, when traveling with a baby, don't worry if you are a little overweight as you can easily distract the check-in attendant with your cute child, and they won't even bother checking the scale, so you avoid paying any overage charges. After all, you are having to haul a whole bunch of extra gear.
3. Airlines recommend getting to the airport 2 1/2 hours before your flight to allow for enough time. Most would think that if you are traveling with a child that you would want to allow for even more time. Not true, as you will inevitably be ushered to the front of the security line with the flight crew as soon as they see you with a stroller. Actually, if you are traveling on your own, I would carry a stroller and American Girl doll with you, so you always get ushered to the front every time.
4. If you are lucky enough to travel with someone, that usually helps. However, if you have a husband that on 3 of the 6 flights gets his laptop out, his bags loaded, and then proceeds through security leaving you with 3 bags, a screaming child, and a stroller to collapse then it isn't so helpful. So, you may want to consider bringing a nanny, so the security personnel doesn't have to ask you each time if you are traveling alone.
5. When the stroller gets stuck on the conveyor belt, though, the above helps, as they already feel sorry for you for having to do everything, that they don't get annoyed with the bottleneck in their system.
6. 
Once you are on the plane, make certain you switch seats, so you are seated next to the old lady on the flight, as she will be way more understanding about noises from a child than the 40-year-old who can't put his blackberry down.
7. When your child, unfortunately, decides to take care of business on the plane, if it is a short enough flight, just ignore the smell and act like you don't smell it. However, if it is a long flight and even you can't stand the smell, have fun balancing your baby on your lap as you squat in the tiny plane bathroom as there aren't changing tables. Hopefully you have plenty of practice on the Wii balance board, as you will need it.
8. During the flight, try not to let your child touch or kick the seat in front of you. However, if you successfully keep this from happening and then have the guy still turn around and glare at you when she lets out one peep, hold nothing back and let her go at it.
9. Best case scenario is if your child actually falls asleep during the flight. If this happens, and the lady behind you decides to dive into her Starbuck's muffin she bought before boarding the plane and crinkles the bag with every bite waking up your child each and every time, avoid turning around and yelling at her that maybe her muffin could wait, so the entire plane can enjoy their ride without a screaming baby. You may get arrested, as they are touchy on planes these days.
10. Before your next flight, forget all about all the inconveniences and issues, as it is worth the plane ride to see the world!
This weekend we had a lot of fun preparing for Christmas and trying to help Lexi understand what it is all about. First, Friday night, Brian and I snuck away for a date. Our neighbor graciously offered to watch Lexi, so while she played with Parker, Ian, and Ella, Brian and I grabbed a quick appetizer and then went to see The Blind Side. It was so great to get out and relax at a movie...much needed.
Sunday we went to a NICU friend's baptism celebration. Santa came for a visit during the brunch. Lexi did great with him. 
We set her on his lap, and she just giggled at all the people staring at her. She checked him out a little, but didn't get the concept of telling him what she wanted for Christmas....hopefully we can figure that out next year as well as talking soon! We spent the rest of the afternoon at the mall trying to figure out gifts for everyone.
Sunday night, we loaded into the car with our hot chocolate (for Brian and me), blankets, and Christmas music blaring and went on the lookout for Christmas lights. Lexi fell asleep before we made it to Tilles Park for their grand display, but Brian and I really enjoyed the lights. We then headed to a neighborhood that had dueling house lights set to music. It was a great end to the weekend.
