which turkey?

last week we spent six days in durango for the thanksgiving holiday.  although we had planned to spend much of our time outside, we hadn't planned on the cold weather.  we had enough forethought to bring kota's new snowsuit, but on our first outing we discovered that he is already too tall for it!  he was a good sport and he walked around in the snow for a good ten minutes, but we couldn't stop laughing because he looked like a bright red starfish.  he couldn't bring his arms down and he couldn't get his feet together!  but he was warm and that was the important part!

so, we learned that kids have a much lower tolerance for and excitement about snow than us adults.  notice kota's lack of excitement after ten minutes of play.  why is that?  is it mental or is there some physiological reason?

here are a few pointers about babies and cold:
-your baby will generally need more layers than you will, since he or she is not as active, therefor not producing as much heat
-humans lose more heat through their heads than anywhere else.  this is especially true for babies, who have proportionately bigger heads than adults.
-babies and toddlers need extra layers on their legs since they don't move at all, or, in the case of toddlers, they don't move very fast
-glare can be especially bad on snow, so consider a pair of sunglasses for your tot.
-periodically test your baby's warmth by touching his nose, cheeks, or fingers.  at the end of each adventure, as you unbundle your child in indoors warmth, immediately test his hands and feet, particularly to see if he's dry and warm.  this is the test of whether your outing has been successful and will give you clues to what may be needed on your next winter trip.


as in all cases, babies need special care and attention in the snowy world.