Part One: Getting our Baby Travelling Feet Wet at the Cottage
Travelling is something my husband and I
love to do, and to be honest I can’t get enough. The travel bug bit me years
ago and I think I may have a small case of wanderlust. Every time we come home from a
trip, all I can think about is where we should go next. Our last big trip was
to England and Ireland just over a year ago and even though we splurged on that
trip, thinking it might be our last one for a while, I’ve been reading up on
how to fly with a little guy. So, in order to prepare for another potential skip
across the pond with Benjamin we are going to try a few mini vacations first.
First Stop: The Family Cottage in the
Kawarthas
For our first trip with Benjamin we chose
to try the family cottage; a place that feels like home away from home. It
took a week of convincing, as I was worried about Ben’s sleep patterns in a
foreign place, but after a few lengthy dinner discussions I gave in and we
decided that it was time to give this mini vacation thing a try.
Here are a few things that we learned from our first mini vacation with a baby:
1.
Plan your Packing
Try to keep track of diaper counts and
clothing changes a week before you leave in order to plan your packing. We did not do this and ended the weekend
with only two diapers to spare. Now that the cottage has road access, we could
have gone into town for more diapers, but it was close.
2.
Pack a Bottle or two for the
Road
If you are breast or bottle-feeding, this
plan works! Even though I did a feeding right before we left the house and the
trip was only two hours long, Ben still got hungry on the highway and I was
able to feed him while we were driving, which put him back to sleep right away.
3.
Backseat Diaper
Changes are Best
After two experiences with no change
stations in public bathrooms, I decided that the backseat change is best. Being
a bit of a germaphobe, this option has now become my preferred choice even when
a gas station change table is available. The Brica
goPad Diaper Changer is
perfect for these situations.
4.
Invest in a Travel Bassinet/Playpen
We put the Graco
Travel Lite Crib on our shower registry mainly because our house is so small that
this was the best playpen option we could find. It turns out this is also a
must have travel item! It pops up and folds down in seconds, which makes it
perfect for packing. It also offers three stages depending on the age of your
baby: giving you sleep and play options. I never thought I would say this, but
it’s a travel mom’s dream.
5.
Consider the Elements (weather,
bugs …both)
Knowing that May is black-fly season, we
brought a baby bug net with us up North. This was also another great shower gift. It comes
in handy at the cottage and in the city, there are some serious bugs in the
city this year (or having a baby makes you more aware of them) and this allows us to go on walks or just hangout on the back deck without having to worry about them. Either way, no
bug bites for baby Benjamin as he practically lived in this bug net. I also
just found out that sunscreen is not recommended for little ones (infants), so a good sun
hat and a baby tent are necessary for those sunny days. The Travel Crib/Bassinet has a
tent-like attachment, which is perfect for this as well.
6.
Don’t Forget to Take Some Much Needed Mommy Time
While we were away there was plenty of
family around to play with and look after Benjamin, giving us one of the
mornings to enjoy a little time to ourselves. This is something I still find
hard, but I have to admit, it was really nice. Take a bit of time to enjoy the holiday,
if possible have your morning coffee before the baby wakes-up, or take an early
morning stroll while daddy’s on baby duty. You want to make memories with your
family while away, but also take a breath and enjoy.
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