Traveling with A Baby

We are 3 weeks away from our big trip to Bermuda with the baby. I am hoping that with enough planning (yes 3 weeks out I am planning what to bring already) I will be able to prevent any major catastrophic hiccups that we may have (I know there will be small issues- it's inevitable).

The following is a list of advice I have compiled from others and is meant to help any other mothers soon to be traveling or with future plans to travel with a baby in tow, specifically by plane. It is also meant to serve as a place for any readers to tell me what I have not thought of. Please please please tell me if you know something I have not thought of.

At 4+ months old, we hear that Mason is a pretty good candidate for travel. He is not nearly as fragile as he use to be, and he can't run around yet and get into trouble. Once he starts scampering about, travel becomes a far greater challenge. Here is what the "Internet experts" have to say about bringing baby boy with us:

To prevent upsetting your baby's schedule, take steps to fight jet lag by shifting your baby's sleep hours for the few days leading up to your departure and exposing him to sunlight once you reach your destination.

Luckily we are only 2 time zones away, so only a 2 hour difference. I don't think this should need any major adjustments.

Travel with a blanket so that when you're stopped in a park, a hotel, or an airport, you can offer your baby a nice spot to lie down, crawl, roll, or otherwise stretch his little limbs.

I don't know how much time we will have in the airport, but I can foresee needing a blanket for the beach, etc.

If you'll be staying in a hotel, request a crib when you make your room reservation or you may be out of luck when you arrive.

We have already reserved a crib and a refrigerator in our room for storing milk.

Pack at least 50% more diapers than you think you'll need, and extra wipes - air travel has a way of clearing out little guts. Wrap them in plastic bags and throw a bunch of rubber bands around them to save room in your carry-on.

Get to the airport early. Allow at least an extra 45 to 60 minutes for last minutes feedings and diaper changes- plus, getting through security is a time-consuming nuisance, especially with a baby.

As far as the ears go, offer your baby a feeding during take off and landing if he is crying, but some experts suggest letting him cry. Crying is his way of trying to relieve the pressure, it opens up his ears and often will cause them to clear. If your baby's sleeping soundly, leave him be and he might get through the takeoff or landing without any trouble. (He'll wake up and show his discomfort if he's bothered.)

I would love to hear any experienced travelers' thoughts on this.

Bring your car seat to the gate, ask if the flight is full. There is always a chance you can get your baby in his own seat. Also, this way if you don't manage it, they will "gate check" your seat, sending it down with the strollers and wheelchairs. This is gentler than checking it in at the desk.

Roll up a cloth bag, the kind they sell in grocery stores, inside of your carry on. Once on board, remove what you need for the next few hours such as wipes, a couple of diapers, perhaps a few toys, and put them in this cloth bag, then get the rest of your things out of the way (overhead bin).

Be prepared for leaky diapers and baby spit-up on the airplane: Tuck an extra outfit or two for your baby and an extra shirt for you into your carry-on bag.

Take the phone number for your baby's health care provider in case you have questions while you're on the road.

In a "prepared emergency landing", the parent is suppose to wrap the baby in a blanket and place the little ones on the floor. If you are flying a U.S. registered company and your child has his or her own seat and you brought their FAA certified car seat, it is your right to use it on board which is protected by law. Please note that if a car seat is FAA approved, it does not automatically mean that the seat will fit on all aircraft seats. If you are worried that it will or won't fit, measure the bottom, or at the widest point, and call the airline. Have your exact flight number and they can look up the width of the airplane seat.

Keep two diaper pins attached to your diaper bag. If you can get a window seat (most people will trade you) you can take a blanket and attach it to your seat and the seat in front of you for a privacy screen. People may even help you attach the pins when you're flying alone.

Call the airline and request the bulkhead seats on the plane. These are the seats at the front of each section of a plane and have more leg room, so you can spread a blanket to change baby there.

Checklist:
Car seat, diaper bag, blankets, plastic bags for storing soiled diapers, diaper rash cream, wipes, disinfecting hand gel, baby wash, baby lotion, nasal aspirator, saline, q-tips, extra pacifiers, a few of your baby's favorite toys, clothes, socks, shoes (one to two outfits per day is a good guideline), bibs, burp cloths, sun hat, sunscreen, swimmer diapers, bottles, bottle warmer, bottle brush, breast pump, pumped milk, formula (in case of an emergency), First-aid kit, baby pain reliever and supplies for treating minor injuries, wrap or front carrier, inflatable baby bathtub?, collapsible stroller (gate-checked), camera, charger, cell phone (verify service where you are going), charger, electric outlet adapter.

I found the following website especially helpful:
Flyingwithchildren.blogspot.com

 After all of the planning and reading, I still have some questions:

• How do I wash the bottles in a hotel room?
• If our baby is a "lap baby" on the airplane and falls asleep, how long will I be able to hold my full bladder?
• If my baby is crying on the plane and the "fasten seat belt" is on, will the stewardess allow me to walk my baby around to avoid pissing off the entire plane?

I am really excited to get to experience Bermuda with my amazing husband and baby, and I really think all will go well as long as I don't forget anything!

Anybody else planning a trip soon or been on one recently? Any advice? For all of you without kids are you suddenly incredibly grateful you can plan a trip right now and leave today without having to worry about A, B, and C mentioned above?

Words To Live By:

Happy Friday everyone. Here are some great words of wisdom from the web. Hope you find strength, encouragement, or happiness in them.

Source: thecolorfullivingproject.blogspot.com 

 Source: conflictingheart.tumblr.com

Source: yum-and-yuk.blogspot.com

Source: icecreamisbetterwithafork.tumblr.com

Source: mila-loveology.blogspot.com

Source: propertopper.com

 

Source: gracieava.tumblr.com

What I've Learned

It's no real surprise that the learning curve to parenting is steeper than any mountain I have ever climbed. What I have learned in the last 3 months (well, really 12 months if you count pregnancy), far exceeds all 17 years that I spent in school. Most of it cannot be learned from reading a book, and sadly most of it will be forgotten once our kids are grown, but hey, that's what blogging is for.

So, while the last few months have been crazy- crazy fast, crazy busy, crazy tired, and crazy good of course- they have also been extremely educational. Mostly, I feel like every day of this parenting thing is a series of best guesses. And the process of elimination. Here's my version of newborn slash parenting one oh one (not an expert opinion by any means!):

I learned that you have to be careful when changing a baby boy's diaper, because if you are not fast enough, you will be washing the curtains, couch, and all by-standers.

I learned that  Pee Pee Teepees are a great product in theory, but really a big rag works much better.

I learned that  Designer Gowns might sound appealing for your hospital stay, but trust me, you don't want to spend money on this piece of clothing.

I learned that even though bumpers are supposively a big No No, Mason loves to snuggle up next to his at night and without one he would most definitely bang his noggin against the crib railing and wake himself up or worse, get his arm caught in between the rails since he is a very active sleeper.

I learned that, surprisingly, early to bed does not necessarily mean early to rise, and a good night's sleep often results in later wake-up times. After weeks of keeping Mason awake until 9 or 10 o'clock when he was suppose to eat and then putting him to bed we realized he needed to go to bed earlier, and low and behold he slept even longer. It was sort of an embarrassing realization that he had probably been asking (in his, you know, screamy non-verbal way) to go to bed earlier for weeks, except I thought he was just fussy or had gas or possibly even colic. Experts say the ideal time is 6:30 to 7:00, but Mason sleeps through the night when we put him to bed at 8:00 and we get to spend a few hours with him when we get home from work.

I learned that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends keeping the temperature in your baby's room between 65 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent SIDS. However, our child will not sleep AT ALL in a room colder than 75 degrees without wearing several layers of clothes and a blanket which he will inevitably kick off and wake up cold.

I learned that believe it or not the small things can keep them from sleeping through the night. If their pacifier falls out, sometimes it startles them, then they will wake up and often realize it and not be able to soothe themselves. A good tip- once they fall asleep, go take it out of their mouth to avoid it falling out and startling them. Even though nightlights are good for Mom and Dad to peek in, some babies will focus on the light when they resettle themselves at night and will not be able to fall back asleep. Finally, don't have your sprinklers go off at 4:30 in the morning. It took me two weeks to figure out that is why Mason would wake up every morning at 4:30 even though he wasn't hungry and was most definitely still tired. Once we changed the sprinklers it has been smooth sailing. Who would've thunk he could hear the sprinklers?

I learned that naps are also important to your baby's mental and physical growth. Don't omit or shorten naps in hopes that your baby will sleep longer at night, as the opposite is usually true. Keeping your baby awake for a certain length of time is good to ensure they are tired at night, but we have found no correlation between length of naps during the day versus nighttime sleep. Some days they are just a little more tired, not all that different from adults.

I learned that our baby sleeps through wet and dirty diapers but not through sprinklers going off outside. So whatever people tell you as absolutes are never absolutes.

I learned that consistent nighttime routines can help your baby understand that it's time to sleep. Choose a soothing ritual and stick with it. Consistency is key. We love our bathtime, story time, and dance time each night. Mason just lights up when I start to fill up his bath tub.

I learned that babies love eye contact- both animated and soothing. Make contact while singing, reading, or talking to your little one and they will love to watch your eyes and listen.

I learned that each baby has different cues. I don't know what your kid's cues mean, but I can tell you to a T before Mason is about to have a meltdown versus just talking out loud in a discerned manner. The key is preventing the meltdown but not rushing to their side unnecessarily when they are just talking.

I learned that Shhhh-ing really does work when your baby is upset. Try some gentle touches and shhhh-ing to calm them down and redirect them to something fun or entertaining.

I learned that even though we loved the bassinet, and even more so the idea of it since it was mobile, small, and appealing to the eyes in our bedroom, we should have bought a pack 'n play because Mason outgrew his bassinet within the first month. He did not like being able to touch the sides and would grunt all night long. He still had a lot of wiggle room, I mean a lot, but this kid was not having it. I hear some kids can go for months in a bassinet, but again there are no absolutes. Even though Mason had moved to his crib after 5 weeks, using our bassinet for travel was no longer an option so we have resorted to a pack 'n play.

I learned that you almost need a cover for the changing pad cover, so have at least one extra cover for those instances.
 
I learned that  Dr. Brown's bottles are annoying to clean, just like you've heard, but well worth it, they work.
 
I learned that babies do have preferences. Preferences for a particular pacificer, preferences for certain toys, preferences for being rocked versus walked around. And you will spend hours and lots of deniro trying to figure out which ones make your baby happy. Some insist their babies preferred certain bottles too. Luckily we did not have to try more than one, but again nothing is absolute.
 
I learned that you need to do the research on the baby equipment that you buy (stroller, swing, bouncer, jumper, etc.) because the one thing I did not reseach well is the one thing I am not happy with.
 
I learned that cheaper is sometimes just better. In the case of warmers, we like our less expensive one over some of the more expensive ones .
 
I learned that  Desitin is much messier than Boudreaux's and we're convinced it doesn't work as well either.
 
I learned that babies grow fast, so don't buy too many newborn sized outfits. They won't need many if any at all.
 
I learned that the temporal thermometer really does work, and we can use it too.

I learned that everyone was right...despite my inability to wake up with an alarm clock or the loudest noise, a slight whimper from my child can wake me up.

I learned that sleep is not nearly as important as I once thought it was.

I learned that breastfeeding does not come as naturally as you'd think at the beginning, but once you and baby figure things out, it comes as naturally as walking.

I learned that it IS possible to truly unconditionally love someone.

I learned that, even as a human and therefore selfish person, I would absolutely die for my child.

I learned that you can do a lot of things while breastfeeding, but you cannot wear dresses anymore.

I learned that you can make up a lot of ridiculous songs to entertain your child on the changing table and that my memory of nursery rhymes is truly, utterly, pitiful. I get one line in and can't remember anything else. "This little piggy went to market, this little piggy...uh-oh. Let's try another!" And does "You Are My Sunshine" have any other verses? Please? Because we are singing things like, "oh you should sleep now, should really sleep now, please take a nap now, just close your eyes," and I'm pretty sure that's not an official verse.

I learned that about 90% of me loves nursing - the bonding, the fact that my body is able to do something it was intended to do- and the other 10% of me will happily give it up when the day comes, and go back to normal bras and a pump-less lifestyle and shirts that fit again (hopefully).

Anyway, there are still a million things I do not know. Like how to create a nap schedule. (Schedule? HAHAHAHAHA) And how to tell the difference between "high-pitched-scream-indicating-need-to-fart" and "high-pitched-scream-indicating-need-to-sleep". How to balance work and parenting. How to still have energy for a meaningful relationship with my husband after giving so much of it to work, our son, our home, our friends, our families, and all of the responsibilities that come with this thing called life. Wow, I sure have learned a lot from someone that cannot adequately communicate to me in a way that I can understand.

And as I am writing this I realize the same is true of our Father in heaven. We cannot audibly hear him or visually see him (at least most of us cannot), but he has so much to teach us if we are willing and ready to learn. A valuable lesson for sure.

Guess what?

We are going to Bermuda in August!!!

Remember when we went to Ireland? Well my amazing husband did it again! He made President's Club at work so we (and by "we" I mean all three of us!) are getting an all expense paid 5 day trip to these beautiful islands! Can you tell I am excited? I haven't given much thought to traveling with a four month old, so for now let the excitement continue. :) I better get to working on my tan so I don't blind the locals...

Three months old!

Life keeps getting better and better for our family of three. As Mason grows and develops more and more each day we are in awe of God's perfect work.

Since I never did the first and second months justice, I will try to recap the first three months now (this very long post is mostly for us, but for anyone that is curious, enjoy)- oh how far we have come!

Month One

Weight:

9 pounds 8 oz. (birth: 8lbs .3oz)

Length:

22 1/4  inches (birth: 21 inches)

Diapers:

Newborn Size 

Clothes:

Mason was never able to wear the newborn size clothes.

0-3 month

Feedings:

Every 2 - 2 1/2 hours. All breast milk.

Mason has always been a great eater. In the beginning, as with all newborns, we fought some sleepiness from time to time, but the boy could eat for an hour straight if you let him, and at that age it was hard to turn him down. Nursing was REALLY hard in the beginning. I wish I could have put words into how I was feeling during this first month, but there are no words. Being able to read back over those thoughts would have been nice. Even now at three months, I have already started to forget what the beginning was like and why it was so hard. I am convinced that God takes that feeling away from us so that we will one day want to have another child and so that we will encourage others to nurse too. :) The same was true for my own postpartum recovery. Week one was incredibly hard, but each day became easier and easier. Now it is hard for me to remember exactly how painful it was. My mind tells me it was very painful, but my body cannot remember what exactly it felt like.

Thankfully Mason had no confusion between nursing and the bottle, so we started introducing the bottle at three weeks so that I could have some relief and get Mason use to the bottle before returning to work. The small relief that I had was a life saver. By week five things had gotten MUCH easier and we had finally settled into a routine that was relaxing and manageable.

Nights:

The first two nights we were home Mason had his days and nights confused. He wanted to sleep all day and enjoy mommy and daddy's company at night. With a little effort during the day, we kept him awake for several short periods of time and he started sleeping in four hour increments on the third night. For the first few weeks we swaddled Mason which really seemed to keep him happy and warm while he slept. Then suddenly he began grunting and inching out of the swaddler at night, so we had to transition to some pajamas. I used the gowns instead of footed pajamas at first since Mason was still getting up twice during the night to eat and get his diaper changed, so not having any buttons on his clothes made those night time diapers a breeze.

Mason made a lot of noise in his sleep while in the bassinet in our room during this first month! So by week five we had moved him out of our room and into the nursery. He absolutely loved having more room in his crib and we loved not having to be sooo quiet at night for fear of waking him. The transition was great for everyone, even Dusty who had chosen to sleep on the other side of the room after Mason's arrival. And the trek upstairs in the middle of the night was not nearly as bad as I thought it might be. So far I have not fallen once- which I must say is impressive considering how sleepy I am most of the time!

Solid 4 -5 hour stretches of sleep and 2 night feedings.

Down at 9-10, up at 2 and again at 5

Personality:

During the first month Mason also had a nasty eye infection that started as a blocked tear duct in his left eye and spread to a sinus cavity infection. After treating it with eye ointment and not getting any better our doctor took a more aggressive approach with both oral antibiotics and eye drops. Within a few days the infection was completely gone and Mason had become a different baby. During the two week period that Mason had the eye infection we were wondering if he had developed colic because of his dramatically increased state of fussiness. He was completely inconsolable at times. Once the eye infection was gone, we immediately knew it had been the sole cause of his fussiness. Shortly after, Chris caught the eye infection from Mason and was incredibly sympathetic towards poor Mason because he knew how uncomfortable and painful it was. Ever since we have had a happy and healthy baby.

His first bath was a moment of shock, but every bath that followed became a moment of peaceful relaxation that Mason, mom, and dad have grown to love and look forward to each night.

During the first month, Mason's entertainment consisted of time with mom and dad, watching the fan, and staring at the curtains in our kitchen (he must have spent hours each day doing this- if we walked by them his head would immediately turn to face them and we thought this was so strange, but so fun!). At this stage I was nervous to go anywhere, and often resorted to only going places with drive-thru windows.

Mason loved his swing during the first month and took naps either in the swing, on his boppy, in his bouncer or on a blanket. He rarely took naps in his bassinet or crib. His wind-up giraffe is one of his closest companions. He loves listening to Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and touching his soft head.

Mason did not like tummy time at all during this first month. Placing him on his tummy set Mason off on a frustration frenzy where he was trying his hardest to move every inch of his body and moved to... no where. Poor guy, I would have been frustrated too.

Development:

Smiles, probably involuntary.

Mason's umbilical cord was taken off by the doctor at two weeks and his circumcision was almost completely healed by then too. The gauze and vaseline was tidious and time consuming, and talk about making parents paranoid! I have never felt so much pressure to keep something clean and healthy in my whole life. Glad that is over with. :)

Month Two

Weight:

11 pounds 3 oz (birth: 8lbs .3oz)

Length:

23 1/2 inches (birth: 21 inches)

Diapers:

Size 1

Clothes:

0-3 months and 3-6 months

Feedings:

By five weeks Mason had had a growth spurt and was eating at three hour intervals instead of two and had started sleeping in five hour intervals at night. At seven weeks Mason had another growth spurt and started eating at four hour intervals and had started sleeping in six hour intervals at night. His naps were not on a consistent day to day schedule but Mason was great about taking long 1 and 1/2 to 2 hour naps.

All breast milk.

Nights:

Solid 5-6 hour stretches of sleep and 1 night feeding.

Down at 9, up at 2-3 and 7

Personality:

Mason is so happy! He sometimes fights sleep, so when he gets tired he fusses. Sometimes he just gets bored sitting and wants a higher elevation, that usually does the trick.

Development:

At his two month appointment Mason was given 3 shots and one oral medication and while he did cry for about a minute immediately following the shots, he handled it like a champ and was a normal happy baby the rest of the day (with an initial dose of tylenol just in case of course).

Not much had changed in the area of entertainment, but Mason was becoming more and more aware of mom and dad each day. His smiles and laughs increased dramatically during the second month and by the end of the month he had started to intentionally laugh and smile at us. During the month Mason suddenly became aware of his hands and would watch them for hours, often hitting himself in the face with them. .

Month Three

Weight:

11 pounds 11 oz (birth: 8lbs .3oz)

Length:

24 1/4 inches (birth: 21 inches)

Diapers:

Barely still in size 1. Believe it or not at first his dirty diapers did not stink, and now they do! He has at least five "soiled" diapers each day which I hear is a lot! His eyes are still really blue and we have had to cut his finger nails three times since he was born because he has scratched his face several times. We have not had to cut his toe nails yet, which I find very strange.

Mason does not like his diaper changed and has a fake cry at nearly every diaper change. We have begun to skip the middle of the night diaper change since Mason only wakes up once, if at all, around 4:00 a.m. now.

Clothes:

He is wearing mostly 3-6 month clothes, but still can squeeze into a few of his 0-3 month clothes. We have noticed he is very long but not quite as "thick" as most of the clothes for his age.

Feedings:

Every 4 hours. All breast milk.

Nights:

At twelve weeks Mason had had another growth spurt and had several nights of uninterrupted sleep, but is consistently sleeping at least eight hours with 1 night feeding some nights.

Down at 8, up at 4-5 to eat

Personality:

Mason is an unbeliavably happy baby. We know without a doubt we are so lucky to have such a content baby that falls asleep on his own in his crib at night and only wakes up if he is hungry. He loves doing chores in the Baby Bjorn and doesn't mind long road trips either. His only complaints are being cold, being hungry, and being late, haha, just kidding that is mine.

Development:

At ten weeks Mason suddenly rolled over from his back to his front. One day he started arching his back and kicking his right leg over and within a couple days he had rolled all the way over to his tummy. He became obsessed with rolling over. So much so that at night he was rolling over in the middle of the night and not sleeping. After two weeks of this he finally settled down and basically stopped rolling over cold turkey.

Mason's nap times are very predictable now and still sleeps pretty much anywhere we put him.

At the end of three months Mason is now holding his head up while on his tummy, a big improvement over burying his face during tummy time like he was doing at the beginning of the month, and Mason has begun to try out his jumper. Even though he can't sit up on his own or touch the ground, he really enjoys being bounced and plays with the toys surrounding it. His primary entertainment during the third month was his Tiny Love playmat with zoo animal friends. He giggles and smiles as he grabs on, shakes, and listens to them rattle. He also enjoys tummy time a lot more where he shows off his mini push-ups, but still has his moments of frustration when his legs move frantically and of course he still moves no where. Mason laughs and smiles at mom and dad, and even strangers, at all hours of the day now. He loves being read to and will watch your mouth as you read to him while smiling and listening intently. Mason has been swimming now nearly a dozen times at the lake, the river, and the pool and really enjoys "flying" across the water and looking into the water. He is going to be a water rat just like his mom and dad.

Meanwhile Mason has become more aware of Dusty now too and watches him and occasionally smiles at him. Dusty has grown to love Mason as well. He gives Mason kisses on his head and is careful not to step on him or wake him while he is sleeping.

Mason "talks" a lot more these days and will even talk directly at us or at his toys. He loves looking at himself in the mirror and will even talk and smile at himself or other babies.

These last three months have been a whirlwind and even though life with a three month old is hard at times and completely different from married life as two young adults, we cannot imagine it any other way. We love him more than we ever could have imagined loving anyone and are constantly on pins and needles waiting to see what each new day brings. We cannot wait to see what the next three months have in store, stay tuned!

Kaylee Jo!

Mason's 4th cousin, Kaylee Jo Castro, was born today. We cannot wait to meet her this weekend! Congratulations Dana, Jeremy and Kirsten.

Kaylee Jo Castro

(and proud dad)

8.6 lbs 20 inches long born at 4:06 p.m.

Good thing Mason has had lots of fellow boys born lately because all of these girl cousins are going to have a field day with him! Cayley (2 years old), Chloe (3 months old), Kirsten (8 years old), Kaylee (born today), and Tatum (coming in August)! Fun fun fun!

Change- For better or worse?

Well the dreaded day came and went. I boohooed all the way to work, a little while at work, the entire way home from work, and even later that night as I layed Mason down to sleep.

What did I learn from this first day of life as a working mom you might ask?

Don't go back to work!

No, not really, but at the moment that is how I am feeling. It is just feels so incredibly unnatural to leave your child with another person while you go sit in traffic and slave away at a computer all day. The truth is it was the little things that really got to me throughout the day. Not getting to hear Mason laugh and giggle because he was already tired from the long day when I got home. Having another person's smell on Mason instead of his own unique scent that I had grown to love. Not being old enough yet to appreciate when mom walks through the door after a long day away. Wasting hours in the car driving to and from work when I could be soaking up every second instead with my son. And all the while knowing that someone is taking care of him and doing things their own way after months of trying to get the hang of being a mom.

Yes all that ran through my head last night as I layed in bed. Which made day two way worse than day one. How ironic it is though that a two day growth spurt before I went back to work led to Mason sleeping through the night after my first day back at work. I put him down to sleep at 8 o'clock and had to wake him up at 5:30 this morning to eat before I left for work. So bitter sweet. Now that I am quenched for time with my son he decides to sleep through the night and take another half hour of precious time away. Change is good, change is inevitable, but change is hard.

Mason is 12 weeks now. I dare to say he is sleeping through the night (one night doesn't really constitute a trend yet), rolling over, grabbing objects, following people around the room with his eyes and getting stronger and stronger each day.

As the 3 day weekend approaches I am anxious. Anxious for the time I will get to spend with Mason. Anxious that Monday may come way too soon and that I will again not be able to handle the separation. And most of all, anxious for even more changes that are headed our way.

Change. Maybe change is good for me... but only in small doses and right now I feel like I have had a giant serving of it.

Only time will tell what lies ahead for our family, but please pray that my heart will be calmed and my mind will be eased. This too shall pass, it has to.