Diaper Dilemma

"Poop happens. It happens daily. Everyone does it (so goes the book) but babies are especially great at it." We obviously don't want to be carrying around days and days of crappy diapers during the hike, so the solution is... biodegradable diapers (for #2 only).

We are in the experimental stages of this, since we have 3 months until the hike. We do use cloth diapers a majority of the time (except at night), but we are able to throw them in the washing machine (after some hand cleaning and rinsing) every other day or so. On the Long Trail... obviously not possible. So again, biodegradable diapers are in our future. We found these the other day at our local City Feed grocer.

And the little gpants come in a good assortment of colors.  Parker will be happy about this.  Currently she has 2 pair - 1 in guppy green and 1 in great orange...

We'll have to predict when, ahem, Parker needs to empty her bowels, but over this past year, we've learned her habits ;)  Which reminds me, she turns ONE this Friday March 30!


Chris

Little Blue!

Big purchase this weekend. The new Osprey Poco, the baddest of the kid carriers out there. This thing has pockets galore, a torso super easy to adjust, a seat easily adjustable to the height of the kid, a sun/rain hood that comes with it, and it's decently lightweight.

We took her for a test spin in the Blue Hills Reservation on Sunday. Since Emily will be the primary Parker-carrier during Long Trail 2012, she had her on her back for the entire walk. Which made me look like a slacker, with nothing but my REI Flash on my back (with water and warm clothes).

But that's OK. It was a successful hike, on a beautiful sunny winter day in Canton... with a view of Boston on top of Rattlesnake Hill.

Oh, and of course we had to give the new pack a name: Little Blue!

Food for Parker

Problem #2 (#1 being rain) is what to feed her while in the woods. She's no longer taking boob. By June she won't be drinking formula anymore. So, what will she eat, that won't spoil in our backpacks? The answer: Peter Rabbit Organics... we sell it at REI, and it's pouched pureed food that does not need to be refrigerated until opened. Perfect!

Staying Dry

Emily said to me the other day, "What do we do with Parker if it rains while hiking the Long Trail?" Well, buy her rain gear of course! She'll be sporting the REI Cascade rain jacket and rain pants, which I picked up yesterday (in 12 mo size):

Long Trail 2012?

Well, Parker is 8 months old now. Time to rejuvenate the blog. You ask why? Because we have begun to think about finishing up the Long Trail!

Parker at Blue Hills Reservation in Canton, MA

You may remember that we hiked the northern 1/3 (~90 miles) back in 2008. Then the middle 1/3 (~80 miles) in 2010. Only seems obvious that we would finish it in 2012, right?

Parker will be 1 year old on March 30, and we'll probably try to do this hike in the early summer months (June or July), which means she should be at a good age... and not too heavy, so time to start planning!

-Chris