Bailey's First Trip to Disney World

When is a child old enough to get excited about Disney World? If you're talking about me, I was probably ready in utero. But then, Disney has always held a special place in my heart.

Unfortunately, with today's theme park ticket prices, a parent has to make sure their kids are old enough to actually enjoy it. After all, we can't all afford another monthly bill (after down payment) to bask in the glow of the annual passholder. While kids under 3 get in free, ticket prices for older kids and adults are a big consideration when planning a trip.

So when Bailey, now a year and a half (really?), waved her arms and bounced around at a recent Disney World commercial, we decided it was time. Now that Christmas is just around the corner, we opted for the discounted tickets to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party at the Magic Kingdom.

Bailey's first trip to the Magic Kingdom!

Even though our little chatterbox was silent for the first few hours (taking everything in, no doubt), she eventually became more comfortable and started uttering "Whoas" and "Oohs" as we strolled along the streets.

As the parent of a toddler, you may or may not yet realize that visiting a theme park with a child in tow is very different from your pre-spit-up trips. Generally, you're lucky if you make it to two different areas of the park. I can definitely tell you that Fantasyland and Tomorrowland are still top-notch, but that's as far as we made it.

Being pregnant, I wasn't able to go on any rides, but I did (a lousy job of) videotaping my husband and Bailey soaring through the air on Dumbo. (I'll admit the first 30 seconds of airtime featured some friendly looking strangers since not only were my stars still in line, but they were actually headed for the set of Dumbos behind me.) The ride even has a pretty neat indoor playground for kids to burn some energy as you wait in line. We circled back to it post-elephant flight since the line was pretty short.

The indoor playground at Dumbo the Flying Elephant.

Now that she's old enough to recognize her favorite TV characters, the most exciting part of the trip for Bailey was getting her picture taken with Minnie Mouse and Winnie the Pooh and his friends. While she was pretty star-struck seeing them up close, there were plenty of waves and blown kisses as we walked away.

Bailey meeting Winnie the Pooh and friends.

Aside from Dumbo and character meet-and-greets, our experience mainly focused on the Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor and Mickey's PhilharMagic 3D show which our toddler enjoyed.

For the Christmas party, candy cane signs sprinkled the park indicating areas boasting free cookies and hot cocoa. This was a much appreciated perk by the end of the night when we were tired, hungry, thirsty, and broke.

Tomorrowland's Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe also transformed into Club Tinsel where Goofy (dressed as Santa), Pluto, and the chipmunk duo, Chip and Dale, raised the roof with dozens of dancing tots. That was both fun for the kids and adorable for the parents.

Main Street, U.S.A. was adorned with festive decorations and Christmas music could be heard nearby. We only caught the end of the parade, but it was great timing since we arrived minutes before Santa Claus made his appearance.

We all had a wonderful time and I can safely say the Magic Kingdom offers enough in the way of toddler entertainment to make it worth the trip. Now if we can only get the folks at Disney to reevaluate their adult ticket prices...

LifeChoices Women's Care - Pregnancy Support

As an expectant mom, there are few things about pregnancy that are more exciting than getting to peek inside and see what your little acrobat is up to. Since many doctors only perform a couple of ultrasounds during a healthy incubation, I jumped at the opportunity to get a free sonogram from a local women's care clinic.

LifeChoices Women's Care, part of the Florida Pregnancy Support Services program, is an amazing resource for pregnant women who need help, support or just someone to listen. Located in Lutz, Florida, they provide free services such as pregnancy testing, limited ultrasounds, prenatal vitamins, and counseling and they understand that for some women, pregnancy is both exciting and difficult.

"Offering free limited OB ultrasounds gives women in unplanned pregnancies the opportunity of bonding with their babies at a very early start of their pregnancy," said Ana Hidalgo Stooks, Executive Director at LifeChoices Women's Care.

Through counseling, they provide the support many don't have when it comes to an unplanned pregnancy. Others may be struggling financially and LifeChoices offers a helping hand throughout their journey.

They have a Mommy Boutique filled with baby and maternity clothes, diapers, wipes, and more. With their Earn and Learn program, women can watch informational and instructional videos to prepare for pregnancy and motherhood. Moms-to-be earn "Mommy Bucks" each time they complete one and can then spend them in the boutique to purchase necessities that can otherwise be expensive.

When I heard they were looking for ultrasound models during the training of new RNs, I scheduled my appointment right away. The staff members (mostly volunteers admirably donating their time and expertise) were friendly and professional and I was blessed with almost an hour of viewing time as my little one waved and rolled. It was wonderful.

They're still looking for pregnant women to serve as ultrasound models, so if you're in the Tampa Bay area and want a free ticket to the best show this side of the womb, call Brenda at (813) 948-7734.

If you're not in need of their services, but want to assist in their cause, they're always accepting donations. Give them a call today to find out how you can help.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, visit www.lifechoiceswc.org, call (813) 948-7734 or text (813) 438-3183. Hours: Monday, 10:00 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. You can also like them on Facebook.

Exciting New Journeys

I know I've been slacking a bit on my blog posts lately, but I have lots of exciting news that should explain my absence.

I'm pregnant with my second child and due in March of 2014! My husband and I have been blessed again and we're so excited to welcome this new addition to our growing family. Getting pregnant this time around was considerably less difficult than the last time. (Click here for the whole story on my struggle to conceive the first time.) 

Make room for one more!

Bailey doesn't completely understand just yet (she's only 15 months, after all), but she does point to my belly and say, "baby", so maybe she knows more than we think.

Following this pregnancy will be exciting since now I'll know when to freak out and when I'm experiencing completely normal (albeit annoying and embarrassing) symptoms.

I'm 12 weeks along now and so far the "morning sickness" (I use quotes because we all know the queasiness doesn't limit itself to mornings) hasn't been as bad as it was the first time around. With Bailey, I was nauseous all day every day for several weeks. I couldn't keep anything down except macaroni and cheese and nothing eased my stomach except lying on my side.

So far with this pregnancy, while nausea has definitely stopped by for some surprise visits, it tends to come on suddenly and dissipate quickly so long as I eat the right snack fast enough. (Note: chocolate pudding is not the right snack. I learned that the hard way when it came back to say hello.)

The fatigue has also hit pretty hard (just ask my husband), but otherwise I'm feeling great and am just excited to find out the sex of the baby. (Not that it matters; we're just praying for another healthy child.)

But wait! That's not all! I'm also happy to announce that my children's books, Four Lucky Leaves and Hi, God, have been published by Tate Publishing! They won't be officially released (i.e., in bookstores) until this November, but they're both available now. Check out my Children's Books page for more info.

Stay tuned for more details about book signings, book readings, and fundraisers in the coming months.

I'm so excited for both of these new journeys and I can't wait to share them with you all.

I'd love to work with you! Any businesses or charities (especially in the Tampa Bay area) interested in hosting book signings, book readings or fundraisers are encouraged to contact me at kdbrown341@gmail.com for more information.