Baby Steps

At the Coop Mall

This time some random thoughts about taking a baby to Italy. Warning: Information may be very boring to people who actually are planning a trip without a small child.

1. Think about it twice and rest up before the trip. This is lots of fun but not of the feint of heart.

                                                                

Grape smashing tub is a wonderful pool

2. Let the baby crawl around at every opportunity whenever it is remotely safe from being trampled by our tourists. Yes, the child will get pretty darn dirty but that's why you bring along lots of wipes! (readily available at the grocery stores here too) The best places for crawling we've found are cathedral floors and wide steps at public buildings. Rider is a good sport but is spending hours in the car seat and in his stroller and needs to move! He has had numerous pictures taken of him by other people as he tours from such a low vantage point. I'm thinking there will be people all over the world talking about the crazy American woman who allowed a baby to cruise the cool, marble floors of Europe.

On the steps of San Miniato Church in Firenze

                                                      

3. Anticipate hunger and feed the baby before the meltdown and certainly before trying to fit in a meal in a restaurant. Betsy brought many packages of the squeezable baby food and the food in packets. They are so much easier than the jars so we use jars or regular table food at home and the prepackaged food on the "field trips". We have not found this packaging of baby food here but it is relatively light to pack. We did run out of formula about 10 days ago and switched to the Italian Mellin 2 for Rider with no known repercussions.

4. Buy bottled water at the supermarket and always carry some with you. Not only is it
considerable cheaper ( 40 cents versus 1.5 euros or more)but you need it to make up formula
and generally hydrate the little ones. Sometimes you can find a drink machine near the
bookstore or bathrooms in the cathedrals etc. The prices are more reasonable from the
machines.

Empty water bottles are a fascinating toy

                                                                                  


5. Keep some small change handy for the bathrooms. A Euro is usually the going rate in Europe  and it is not uncommon to have to pay to use the toilets.  It's prudent to change the baby whenever you find a clean bathroom.

I need just a little toilet paper



6. Don't count on having a high chair but , if there is room in the restaurant, you can leave the child in the stroller.

This gelato is great! My favorite flavor today.

7. Who would have guessed? In Italy you can buy chocolate teething biscuits ( with added
minerals so they say) for babies. Probably brought to you by the same folks that make Nutella.
I say hooray for the Europeans who love chocolate as much as I do.

8. Italians ( and almost everyone else ) loves to smile back at a smiling baby. Rider hasn't met a stranger yet and we have talked with many people because of him. He particularly likes
pretty girls and other small children!

Nothing like a naked baby to elicit a smile

Why couldn't I have read this trivial information before we came over? I don't know but I'm just putting it out there.

Next post will be about our trips to Pisa and Siena.