Operation Baby Dive

We've really enjoyed diving in the Philippines - underwater is beautiful, and it breaks up spending endless hours on the beach (which, while great for the boys, is not really our thing).  Having really enjoyed diving our first nine months here ... the last year was a bit of a bummer since I had to give it up while pregnant.  Greg went on one trip without me, but then felt sort of guilty leaving a super pregnant wife home with two kids while he took off.  I know we could have all gone to the beach - we tried that for a day trip - but I was just too hot.  So, that was the end of diving and beaches for a bit.  Really for almost all of 2012, except for a few rare instances.

And why be in the Philippines if you're not going to the beach?  That's silly.

After our first trip out

After I returned from the US with #3, I started scheming ways to go diving again -- trick being I'm still nursing, and baby is still little, so more than three hours out gets a bit uncomfortable.  I finally came up with an idea: Greg and I would both go, splitting the dives (ie, one of us dives, while the other stays in banca with baby).  Except then Greg decided to get PRK (like Lasik) and is still on a no-swimming recovery order.  So then the plan was altered: our nanny would come on the boat with me, and Greg and his dad (visiting Manila for work) would stay on the beach.

Bummer for Greg, but more diving for me!

Chillin' on the banca with his yaya

I did a bunch of research and found a baby life vest that seemed to have good reviews (two from families living on house boats), so Ian was safe.  Our nanny was happy because sitting on a boat with a baby is infinitely easier than playing all day on the beach in the sun with two active boys.  My father in law was happy because he got to spend some great time with his son and grandkids.  I think Greg was the only disappointed one - especially when he heard that on one dive, we saw a sea turtle, a barracuda, a wall of silver jacks, and a school of mackerels.

Greg and the big bros exploring tide pools

Ian wasn't that big of a fan of the life vest, and it did have to come off when he nursed.  Otherwise, though, I think it generally went OK and could be repeated once more before we leave (if Greg gets the OK from the doc to dive again).

Side note for any other lactating-diving moms out there: I was OK to about 50 feet.  At 60 feet, I could feel the pressure (not in my ears - those could be equalized!), and 70 feet was uncomfortable.  The salt didn't seem to bother the baby, surprisingly.