There are life experiences that everyone must eventually face, that no one looks forward to. Getting your driver's license, getting married, your first day at a new job... As a parent, one of those experiences is your first trip with your baby. Braver people take their little ones onto planes, but starter parents, like us, opt for wheels over wings. The way I see it, one less cranky baby in an airplane makes one more airplane in the sky a happier place.
Every trip starts with the packing. Mommy's counting diapers and measuring food and formula, matching onesies with socks, while Daddy outfits the stroller to match the weather, and fits all the hardware and accessories into the trunk. We usually leave the house with one diaper bag, one random bag of stuff, a stroller, a booster seat, blankets, and double of anything he's actually wearing. And that's just going out for the day to visit Grandma. This was a four day trip to Boston we were making, which involved basically too many diapers to count, and a separate bag dedicated to food. Luckily, we were visiting friends who were generous enough to lend us their playpen
for Baby to sleep in at night, saving us about a fifth of trunk space. (Thanks, NY!)
"I want my Playpen back in one piece, capiche?"
The things that we found to be the most essential (and convenient) for for this trip were disposable accessories. Not having access to laundry meant every meal could result in a bib covered in a thicker and thicker layer of sweet potatoes and peas after every meal, so a pack of disposable bibs
saved a lot of time and trouble. And not being home meant changing him on the go, mostly in public restrooms of shopping centers, so disposable changing pads
kept him protected from the previous babies who peed on the changing tables before us.
Timing is essential for the drive, when time on the road is in line with his nap time. Keep baby dressed light in the auto, or else you'll be peeling him out of the car seat later. Frequent rest stops are good for both the baby and the parents. And make sure directions are mapped out clearly - getting lost means extra stress, and that car cabin needs to be free of stress to keep you straight on your course and steady on the highway. (This is what I've heard; for the record, I never get lost myself.)
The hotel supplied cribs, which we requested, with the aforementioned playpen as backup. Good thing we had that backup - The "crib" they provided was a collapsible steel trap* on wheels. Apparently, whoever put the crib together hadn't considered gravity, because when we put Baby in it, the bottom fell out. We gave it back to the hotel and unfolded the playpen. In retrospect, sacrificing some trunk space to ensure Baby retains all his limbs is always preferable, so make your own sleeping arrangements when you're on the go.
"I'm on vacation. I get the King bed - YOU take the playpen."
Something else you'll learn by the first night: if you're in a hotel room with your baby, that's the equivalent of you sleeping in his own room at home. He'll see and hear everything you're doing, so if your baby's bedtime is at 6 PM, your bedtime for your vacation is now 6 PM. Since you can't exactly leave your hotel room, if the option is available, you can try to book a multiple room suite so baby's got their own space. Then you can make as much noise as you want watching free cable and crinkling wrappers from $8 candy bars from the mini bar, and your baby can stick to his sleep schedule.
"A bottle of milk delivered to my room for only $12? I don't ever want to go home."
If you decide to take your baby for a trip in the near future, you can follow everything I've written here, but your experience, like your baby, may be entirely different. Regardless, safe travels to you - and lots of luck.
We're talking about taking the next step and hopping on a plane for our next trip... any suggestions on where to go?
*Image courtesy of http://www.bolgernow.com
Every trip starts with the packing. Mommy's counting diapers and measuring food and formula, matching onesies with socks, while Daddy outfits the stroller to match the weather, and fits all the hardware and accessories into the trunk. We usually leave the house with one diaper bag, one random bag of stuff, a stroller, a booster seat, blankets, and double of anything he's actually wearing. And that's just going out for the day to visit Grandma. This was a four day trip to Boston we were making, which involved basically too many diapers to count, and a separate bag dedicated to food. Luckily, we were visiting friends who were generous enough to lend us their playpen
for Baby to sleep in at night, saving us about a fifth of trunk space. (Thanks, NY!)
"I want my Playpen back in one piece, capiche?"The things that we found to be the most essential (and convenient) for for this trip were disposable accessories. Not having access to laundry meant every meal could result in a bib covered in a thicker and thicker layer of sweet potatoes and peas after every meal, so a pack of disposable bibs
saved a lot of time and trouble. And not being home meant changing him on the go, mostly in public restrooms of shopping centers, so disposable changing padskept him protected from the previous babies who peed on the changing tables before us. Timing is essential for the drive, when time on the road is in line with his nap time. Keep baby dressed light in the auto, or else you'll be peeling him out of the car seat later. Frequent rest stops are good for both the baby and the parents. And make sure directions are mapped out clearly - getting lost means extra stress, and that car cabin needs to be free of stress to keep you straight on your course and steady on the highway. (This is what I've heard; for the record, I never get lost myself.)
The hotel supplied cribs, which we requested, with the aforementioned playpen as backup. Good thing we had that backup - The "crib" they provided was a collapsible steel trap* on wheels. Apparently, whoever put the crib together hadn't considered gravity, because when we put Baby in it, the bottom fell out. We gave it back to the hotel and unfolded the playpen. In retrospect, sacrificing some trunk space to ensure Baby retains all his limbs is always preferable, so make your own sleeping arrangements when you're on the go.
"I'm on vacation. I get the King bed - YOU take the playpen."
"A bottle of milk delivered to my room for only $12? I don't ever want to go home."If you decide to take your baby for a trip in the near future, you can follow everything I've written here, but your experience, like your baby, may be entirely different. Regardless, safe travels to you - and lots of luck.
We're talking about taking the next step and hopping on a plane for our next trip... any suggestions on where to go?
*Image courtesy of http://www.bolgernow.com
