Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Flying to Taiwan長途飛行

I have been having contractions here and there.  But that's not what has kept me so distracted.  I am NESTING like a crazy person.  It's supposed to be a sign of labor when you just want to clean, clean, clean.  That's all I want to do!  I'd rather clean than blog.  Who am I?! Haha. 
最近常常感到肚子一下這裡一下那裡的在收縮。不過,這不是造成我心煩意亂的原因。我覺得自己像一個瘋子一樣愛清理東西。這應該是要生產的前兆…你只想整理,整理,整理….這是我目前唯一想做的事。我情願花時間整天整裡也不寫我的部落格。我到底是誰?哈哈。

I have had lots of requests to write about my experience flying long distances with my children.  I have done it quite a few times, including one time alone with Malakai, from Taiwan to LA and then straight to Utah, when he was about 7 months old.  

許多朋友要我分享我帶孩子長徒飛行的經驗。這種經驗,我有許多次。其中還包括我一個人帶著七個月大的凱凱從台灣飛到洛杉磯再轉機的經驗。


Here are some things that I learned from my experiences that may be helpful for those of you who might be doing the same.

我有一點心得,可能對也要帶孩子長途旅行的 妳有一些幫助。



1.If your baby is still nursing or taking a bottle, wait until the plane is taking off to feed them.  That will help with their ears, and it will also help them calm down.  

如果你的孩子還在哺乳的階段,請等到飛機起飛時再喂他(她)喝奶。這樣既可以避免孩子耳朵不舒服又可以安撫孩子度過起飛時的不穩定。

2.Bring a few new toys they have never seen before.  They don't have to be expensive, or even new.  Perhaps just something they haven't played with for a while.

帶幾樣他們沒玩過的玩具。不需要是甚麼昂貴玩具,甚至可以不要是新的,只要是他們有一陣子沒玩到的東西即可。

3. Bring treats that they haven't eaten before (if they are old enough!).  It could be a new kind of cracker or snack if you don't want your kids to eat candy. 

帶一些他們沒吃過的糖果(孩子夠大的話)。如果你不想給孩子糖吃,可以帶一種新的餅乾或點心。

4. Don't stress.  I know you don't want to disturb other people on the plane and are afraid your baby will bother them, but believe me- your baby's cry seems MUCH louder to you than it does to other people.  Besides, the plane is pretty loud anyway, and people also have headphones.

不要緊張,不要有壓力。我知道你不想打擾到飛機上其他的客人,所以擔心孩子吵。相信我!孩子的哭聲對父母而言感覺很大聲,但是對其他的人卻不是那麼大聲。此外飛行時機艙內也會有吵雜的聲音,再說,乘客們也都有耳機。



5. Another reason to not stress is because if you stress, your baby will sense something is different, and they may stress too.  Just try not to worry.

另一個不要有壓力的原因是,如果你有壓力,孩子會感覺到有事不對勁,他們也會緊張。試著不要擔心這個擔心那個。

6. The plane is not the place to discipline your child.  If they are toddlers, they will not be spoiled forever if you let them have candy or snacks one time on the plane.  You may just have to let them do what they want just on the plane ride.

飛機上不是管小孩的地方。你的孩子不會因為在一次的飛行中吃了糖果或餅乾而被寵壞。飛行中,你可能需要讓他們做自己喜歡的事。



7. Ask the flight attendants for help.  When I was flying alone with Malakai and they saw that I was holding him, they were very nice about serving me a meal later.  

請空中服務員幫忙。我單獨帶凱凱回美國那次,空服員看到我抱著孩子,他們在其他人都吃過飯後才送來我的。

8.  Don't expect anything.  You will probably stay up a few nights before the big trip, worrying about what to pack and what's going to happen, but you really just have to do your best to go with the flow, and play it by ear.
  
不要想著要去預測出所有可能發生的狀況。你可能在出發前的幾個晚上都因為擔心有甚麼突發狀況而東西帶的不夠…
真的不需要這樣,只要把你想到的都帶好了,其他的就隨機應變囉。



9.  I don't know if this counts as advice, but I think flying red-eye is the best choice.  They will be tired, and you will be tired, but least sleep might be more of a possibility! 

不知道這算不算一個建議。我覺得能在晚上飛行應該是最好的。孩子應該會比較累,大人也會累,所以大家都能睡覺的機率較高。

10.  You can do it.  You are a great mom/dad.  If you are there, your baby will feel safe.  

你一定能辦到。你們是最棒的爸爸媽媽。只要有你們在,孩子都會有安全感的。
Well, that's all I can think of right now.  Hopefully that helps a little! 

這些,是我現在所能想到的。希望能幫上忙。

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Just Some Thoughts 一點感想

I have been really distracted lately.  I know it's because of the baby's pending arrival, but I can't seem to turn my brain off.  I think about labor all day long and a very LONG list of things I still have to do grows longer and longer.
最近的我實在是有一些心煩意亂,思想不集中。我知道原因是這個即將來臨的小baby,但是我就是無法讓我那想東想西的腦袋休息。總是想著生產和不斷增加待辦事物的一條長單子。


Being a mother is hard work.  I know everybody knows that, but I often wonder if people REALLY understand how much work it is to be a mom.
做個媽還真的不容易。我想大家都知道,但是我也常常在想大家到底是不是真的了解一個媽媽所擔負的工作量有多大。

Besides the physical things I do each day (cook, clean, grocery shopping, laundry, run around with kids, cook more, clean more, answer questions, get juice, etc. etc. etc) mentally and emotionally motherhood is hard work.
除了每天的體力勞動(煮飯,打掃,買菜,洗衣服,跟在孩子後面跑,還要…….繼續煮飯,繼續打掃房子,回答問題,拿果汁…….等等等。)
不管是心理上,情緒上,母職都是一項艱難的工作。


I am constantly thinking things like "is this the right way I should handle this right now?"  or "am I treating both kids fairly?"  when I only had Malakai, discipline was easy. Well, easier.  He listened to me and his dad.  Two sources of right and wrong.  But Eli gets a 3rd source, his older brother.  Malakai is not perfect and he is, in fact, a 3-year-old.  But he is WAY more fun than mommy, so Eli tends to copy him more often.  It has been mentally exhausting trying to discipline both equally, fairly, and yet still try to teach them differently because they are very different boys.  I feel like I have to be "on the ball" with parenting 24-7.  It doesn't end when they go to sleep because I think about how to handle a question Malakai asked me, or I wonder if I should be doing more with Eli.
我現在這樣做對嗎?""我對兩個孩子公平嗎?"這樣的問題時常浮現在我腦中。當我只有凱凱一個孩子時,管教是一件好容易的事。不,不能說好容易,只能說容易些。他總是聽我和他爸爸的話。對凱凱來說,只有兩個聲音,告訴他。但是對凱弟來說,卻有三個聲音媽媽,爸爸,和哥哥。凱凱不完美,而且,事實上他只有3歲。但是他比媽媽有趣多了。所以凱弟總是喜歡模仿哥哥。
要對待這兩個孩子公平,又要對兩個完全不同性格的個體因材施教弄得我精神上非常疲累。感覺上我一天24小時,每週7天無時無刻都站在"做媽媽"的崗位上。就算是孩子們睡著了,我還在想著要如何回答凱凱問的問題,或,猶疑是否給凱弟的時間太少…..

And I'm going to throw another baby into the mix! 
在這樣的混亂中,我的第三個孩子即將加入….

Don't get me wrong.  I LOVE being a mom.  But it is definitely hard work.  Rewarding, but exhausting.
請不要誤會,我非常愛做媽媽。
只不過這真是個艱辛的工作。
雖然有很大的酬賞,
但是…..累斃。

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Pregnancy Photos懷孕攝影

Here are some pictures that my very talented friend Alana took for me. 
這幾張相片是我一位對照相非常有天份的朋友拍的。







I'm 35 weeks, and I can't believe baby girl is coming so soon!  154 pounds and feeling very big. 
我現在是35週。真的不可置信,我的小女兒就要來了!
目前體重是70公斤。感覺自己好龐大。

My doctor took a random blood test to test my sugar levels and she said I'm doing fine.  She told me to still stay away from eating large amounts of sugar. 
醫生替我做了一個隨機抽血的血糖測試,結果正常。
她要我持續遠離含糖太多的食物。

I am so tired but I am getting excited! 
真的很累。
不過,非常興奮!