When can you say X is IX... revisited

While we were in Paris, Baby X turned IX.  that's nine, in case you don't know your roman numerals ;-)
I vowed to spend a post putting the focus on her upon our return to my photo archives.

Here is my SuperGirl's Happy Birthday post... two weeks late!

I remember vividly the night you were born.

I had started labor that afternoon and was annoyed and needing distraction. I insisted on going to a movie...

"What if your water breaks in the theater?" daddy asked.

"GOOD!" was my reply.

Clearly, I was ready for you to make your arrival ;-)

I went to see The Sweetest Thing starring Cameron Diaz and Christina Applegate and laughed my butt off... which makes contractions extra painful as I found out, but I didn't care as much because something was funny.

I had forgotten how much childbirth hurts, even though I had vowed to NEVER forget. 

I would be different from other women... I would NOT forget the pain.

Ha!

It was a little before 3 a.m. when you came into the world... April 14, 2002.

I finally had a little girl...

my daughter.

You were sweet, easy and happy from Day One.

Everything a mommy could hope for :)

Like nearly every baby, you took a few baths in the kitchen sink!

You loved to hang out with daddy...

and to dig around in drawers.

Everywhere you went, you made friends easily :)

And you slept like an angel.

With an engaging smile on your face, you turned

 ONE!

And continued to be a sunny, happy, joyful girl...

loved by everyone.

A Dora birthday delighted you when you were

TWO!

Nearly bald for the first few years of life, you were a real curly girlie by the time you were

THREE!

A globe-trotter at an early age, you spent your birthday in Paris when you turned

 FOUR!

In a year of upheaval, you demonstrated courage and strength beyond your years

before the fun-filled day you turned

FIVE!

The Birthday Harley ride...

Later that year, you also learned to ride a horse...

And then a two-wheeler!

Surrounded by friends, you became

 SIX!

You continued to be vibrant, enthusiastic and amazing at

SEVEN!

You found your inner athlete and turned

EIGHT!

You opened your birthday presents in sheer delight :)

And now you are

NINE!

Happy Birthday to my wonderful, sparkling delight of a girl :)

You inspire, you ground, you give...

you LOVE.

I love you with all my heart.

Love,

Mommy

Vecchio Venerdì... Baby as Carry-on?

Before your child turns 2 years old, you do not need to pay for a seat on the plane...

They don't really meet the dimension requirements for storing under the seat in front of you....

So it is really best to try and board early so that you can find them a spot in the overhead bin!

Big G upon arrival in Paris... March 2000

do not dwell on my greasy hair and shiny face... 

we'd been on a plane forever... 

with a 6-month old who knew how to crawl

Baby X upon arrival in Florence... March 2003

I chose to play photographer this time because

i probably looked even worse than the last time...

traveling with a nearly-walking 11-month old

and a cranky 3-year old

Q-Man upon arrival in Paris... August 2005

i think he was trying to get out :P

but i look pretty happy (even in my glasses)

so i doubt he was trying very hard

Miss C upon arrival in Boston... October 2009

the girl has not yet flown internationally :(

but she'll get her chance soon!

We used to do a lot of traveling with the kids. What do I mean by 'a lot' ? Well, Big G's passport was full before it expired when he turned 5 years old. Travel used to be pretty cheap. The deals were not hard to find.

It was a challenge. 

And you know me and challenges ;-)

The "baby in the overhead bin" photo is obviously a tradition in our family :P  No, we didn't ever close a child in there!  And no coercion was ever used.

And the flight attendants never got pissy, either :)  they always thought it was cool!  Even after things got really 'secure' on planes.

What's the oddest thing you've ever put in the overhead bin?

How about under the seat in front of you?