Family Outing Destination: Hyde Park Village

We've all found ourselves at home on a Saturday afternoon trying to figure out how to spend the day. As new parents, however, a once curious question becomes a frantic quest for answers: "What are some things to do with a baby?" Moreover, are any of these things free or cheap?

My search for answers is ongoing and I'll post new ideas and places as I find them. Be sure to check back often as I update my "Things to Do" page with those results!

Hyde Park Village
1602 Snow Ave.
Tampa, FL 33606
(813) 251-3500
www.hydeparkvillage.net
www.hydeparkvillage.net/eventscalendar
www.facebook.com/HydeParkVillage

Hyde Park Village is not only a great spot for shops and dining, but it's also an oasis for young families. If you're looking for a way to spend the day outside with the little ones, here's your answer.

Stay-at-home moms relish the exercise inducing atmosphere while their tots get a thrill ride in their mom-fueled jogging strollers. While the quaint streets can host a nice mid-week outing, a short drive on a Saturday afternoon will quickly answer many a new parent's dilemma: "What are some things to do in Tampa with babies/small children?"

The streets are adorned with strollers and the playground at nearby Kate Jackson Community Center is wonderful. From swings and slides to fountains spouting from the ground, this park has everything your toddlers need for a fun day outdoors.

From fresh markets to various festivals, weekends at Hyde Park Village are always entertaining. Plus, with three different complimentary parking garages, you'll have more cash to spend at City Street Sweets.

Leaving the kids with a sitter? Great; celebrate date night with a pint at Irish 31 before catching a movie at CineBistro. Day or night, this is the perfect place to pass the time. Besides, 100 stroller-lunging moms can't be wrong.

Infants and Parolees: Not So Different, After All

During their first year of life, babies are a lot like newly released prison inmates. After spending nine months in isolation, they need some time to adjust to life on the outside. And like their criminal counterparts, they've used their time getting fit.

Amniotic aerobics must really work those core muscles, because all babies are blessed with superhuman strength. Sure, it tapers off as they get older, but once the shock of birth has worn off, for a short time, they remember their training on the inside.

Some infants are boxers. Those tiny jabs to the kidneys during the third trimester suddenly make sense. With no room for an actual punching bag, your kid is nothing if not resourceful. Now free to roam the carpeted and baby-proofed world, you can't figure out why he insists on punching you in the gut when you go in for a hug.

Others prefer kickboxing. Your bladder knew which type of parolee you'd have long before she was born. Your boobs had an inkling as they withstood blow after blow of roundhouse kicks during nursing. Even your husband couldn't help but notice the bruises developing during "play time".

Luckily, your bruised and battered body has enough wear left to survive. The really interesting part is watching your sweetie harness and embrace his developing powers. Witnessing a rubber ducky as it's hurled through space and time warrants more than a "What an arm" remark.

Likewise, when your little angel realizes she can single-footedly prevent you from attaching the tray to her high chair, it's a proud day. With so much leg strength, your measly arms just don't measure up to the one-two combination of kicks knocking that tray off the tracks.

So the question is, how do you suffer injury and delay of meals with a straight face? How do you find that medium between keeping your sense of humor while showing your baby who's boss? After all, you don't want to risk becoming the "bad parent" so many people have warned you about. The answer? Here it is. Wait for it. Oh, it's coming.

All new parents are asking that same question. Seasoned parents will be happy to tell you as soon as they get the kids to bed, wash the dishes, fold the laundry... what was the question again?

The truth is, there is no magical medium. Sometimes all you can do is close your eyes and count to ten. It's just a perk that trying to stifle your laughter looks remarkably like controlling your temper. (The kids don't need to know that secret until they have children of their own.) Besides, you have his entire childhood to raise him properly, while her super strength will only last a little while.

BabyBjorn Baby Carrier Original Review

BabyBjorn Baby Carrier Original

What parent doesn't want a hands-free way to tote their tot? The BabyBjorn Baby Carrier Original is a great world- and mom-facing carrier designed to assist in hefting your new bundle around, while also leaving your arms available for those push ups you're trying to cram in. It also provides support for bobble-headed newborns who still lack the neck strength to hold their noggins on their own.


Photo by babybjorn.com

For brand new babies, it's designed for cradling against mommy's chest in an effort to promote bonding. Older tykes enjoy a broader perspective when turned outward in full view of the world. While the mom-facing design is theoretically great for eye contact and closeness, my daughter wasn't a fan of being forced to gaze at my mug. I couldn't coax her into hanging out in this carrier so long as I was the view.

Photo by babybjorn.com

For other moms who might experience this snag, don't give up. Once she was old enough to hold her head up, she absolutely loved seeing the world from the arms-waving-feet-dangling perspective offered by the Baby Bjorn.

It's easy to use and the adjustable straps grow with your child. The price can range between $60-$80 and it makes a great registry item. Even though I wasn't able to use it for the first several months, I'd recommend it as an example of delayed gratification.

She Did Just Spit Up, Right?

Babies are a lot like magicians. They begin honing their skills in the hospital with those first attempts at breaking free of the swaddle. Once home, they grow and evolve until even the Velcro blankets (specifically designed to thwart the efforts of tiny escapees) can no longer contain them. It's amazing the first time you see that tiny foot shoot through a hole that wasn't there a minute ago.

Another fun newborn trick is projectile vomiting. For any first-time parent, the sight of that milky gush is terrifying. It's so much. But when she fires a line-drive to Uncle Al from across the room and immediately giggles, she's letting you know not to worry. (Still, it's always best to mention it to the pediatrician just to be safe.)

Her heat-seeking missiles and an impressive ability to wriggle free of a burrito hold are just the beginning. As she gets older, the real trick - the one that keeps you scratching your head long into the night - is the disappearing spit up.

I'm not talking about the ever so graceful slurp of the dangling loogie. I'm talking about the ooze that spews from her mouth and miraculously disappears within seconds. Sure, you found some of it; after all, it landed in your hand (great catch, by the way). You may have even spotted a drop of leftover dribble on her chin, but there are at least two ounces missing. Gone. Vanished.

My theory? I'm convinced babies find worm holes in which to dispose of pesky upchuck. Maybe they use those passageways to another dimension to help us out. Perhaps they see us cleaning up after them all day and think, "Hey. I've got this, Mom." Maybe they do it just to be funny - fodder for the sandbox.

Whatever the reason, the fact remains: she spit up in the kitchen and you found a tiny pool in the living room. You wiped her mouth and searched the area, but none of it landed on her. So how did it pool underneath your butt? You weren't even holding her. Are the alternate universe babies rejecting it? Or maybe they're communicating through a sophisticated code of regurgitated carrots. Did it really just disappear into the abyss of the couch? Or is it traveling through time only to meet you at your ninetieth birthday party?

Regardless of how or why it disappears, only your baby knows the secret. All you can do is wipe up the puddles that surface and wear a catcher's mitt to your next few birthday bashes.

Rolling with the Punches

I wonder if there's a form of martial arts that can be converted into diaper changing defense. I'm thinking the Karate Kid crane technique combined with Tibetan monk meditation. For the first few months, any rookie can change a diaper. Fast, slow - it doesn't really matter. The baby basically just stays where you plop her.  One thing I've learned as a new mom, however, is that the art of diaper duty is constantly changing. Just when you think you're about to break your record, she discovers rolling.

Watching a baby learn and explore is amazing. When she starts rolling from point A to point how-the-heck-did-you-get-over-there, it quickly evolves into a new lifestyle for you both. Now that she's becoming mobile and learning how to move independently, those skills don't stop at the floor.

What was once a pesky interruption transforms into a game of one-on-one. It's bad enough when your little wiggler twists and turns all over the changing table as you play whack-a-mole with the baby wipe. It's another thing entirely when all you have is the floor and some good intentions.

No rails quickly translates into free reign for your twisty little mover. Your ankle hold suddenly lacks conviction. Oh, sure; it's funny until she flips onto her belly and makes a break for it - before the new diaper is in place. Now you're dealing with: 1) catching a crafty little scooter before she finds a dead bug; and 2) thwarting your escapee before she sprinkles the floor in her birthday suit.

My advice: get fast - quick. Use a toy or a clean diaper to distract her (don't get too comfortable - you may need to switch out a different object several times a day). Play with her so that you become more interesting than the box of wipes behind her head (and don't feel bad when you're not more interesting than the box). Blowing on her tummy and singing songs can go a long way to keeping her belly up. And for those messier diapers... well, hold your breath and pray.

Just Call Me "Boob"

"Mom". "Mama". "Mommy". That's my name now, isn't it? I'm pretty sure for the first six months of her life, my daughter just knew me as "Boob". While breastfeeding does wonders for health and bonding, the side effects are downright funny.

While feeding, your baby might gaze at you with unbridled adoration. She sees her protector; the one who keeps her safe and loved. Five minutes earlier, however, she was Wile E. Coyote. Face it: you were a juicy bird and she would've dropped an anvil on you for a taste.

Actually, newborns, regardless of gender, are a lot like many teenage boys. They only see what's on your chest, they'll squirm for as long as it takes to get to them, and once there, they've lost interest.

Similarly is their love/hate relationship with those same sandbags. Why else would they insist on those roundhouse kicks to your sternum as they snack? Bruises aside, one thing you can always count on (at least in the early days) is the diaper blowout five minutes into each feeding.

Being associated with a food source isn't all bad, but don't kid yourself into thinking yours are the only tater tots she's after. When it comes to other female friends and relatives, your little explorer is all about new conquests. Hopefully, your visitors won't mind an occasional roving hand or subsequent wardrobe malfunction or take offense to a little lip smacking. After all, she's just looking for an afternoon snack.