babytalk

Last week my husband and I had a dress rehearsal for a wedding we have to attend next month. We are not in the wedding, but we will be traveling with our 4 month old, who will then be almost 6 months old. This travel will include a flight with a connection, arriving after midnight (my mother-in-law used her frequent flyer miles) and a stay in a hotel room. The dress rehearsal was my husband’s business trip to a beach town about 2 hours away. He worked quite literally all day and into the evening and I spent some quality time with my little buddy. From this trip, I have learned a few things about traveling with a baby…or at the very least traveling with MY baby.

First, pack everything. I could imagine nothing worse than running out of diapers or clothes, so I brought extra. This made me a little more relaxed when my baby spewed milk all over his third outfit of the day when I met my husband for lunch. When I looked to him for assistance he looked down at his nice work attire and gave me a look that said, “I am not on baby duty.” Also, bring along any baby “equipment” that will fit in the car. For me this included his bouncy chair, his stroller and his baby pack. By the end of the week he was very over being strolled around town and I think we both missed his swing, but we survived.

Second, expect to be on baby duty and not on vacation. I soon realized my days of lounging by the pool and reading a good summer novel have now been replaced with kissing my babies toes to make him giggle and laying down with him for his naps to keep him asleep in a new environment. Fun activities for babies on vacation include strolling around town, looking at anything new and different and simply looking at their parents. I realized that he is a happy baby as long as he is with us, even if he is in a new place.

Third, relax. I was stressed about how he would handle the new place and when he would nap, eat and go to sleep. I realized at 8:30 pm on the first evening (the time formally known as his melt down hour) that his prior schedule was out the window. He was smiling and laughing, just happy laying on the hotel bed and kicking me while I tried to finish my dinner. He was confused for the first day about when things like bedtime should happen, but some familiar things guided him. He still had his bath (this required some creative thinking as I turned the marble bathroom sink into a baby safe tub with hotel towels) and he even slept in a hotel crib, even though he has only ever slept in a bassinet.

Not to say this wasn’t a stressful experience. I could have done without having to change and nurse my baby in a hotel lobby while waiting for a room, but traveling with a baby is possible…with an open mind and a lot of baby luggage.

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