Roadtrip with a beeb
This past week’s trip to La Jolla was our first longer roadtrip with Liv. I was excited to see how it went, as Tom and I love to travel, and we also figured it would be a good test run for a trip later this month (which will be a flight instead of drive, but just Liv and myself).
The verdict?
It took more planning and packing, but all in all, it was NBD, and we had a blast.
Things that I learned from the trip:
1) Babies need a lot of stuff! Of course there was the obvious clothes, jammies, swimsuit and shoes, but the other things added up quickly, like the pack n’ play, bottles, bottle cleaning supplies, sheets, etc.
Here’s what we ended up taking:
-Pack n’ play, plus mattress and sheets. Tom ordered a comfy mattress for her last week, and with the organic cotton fitted sheet and mattress pad, it looked like a super comfy setup. She didn’t *need* the extra mattress, but it made us happy that she would be able to sleep in a similar environment to her crib at home.
-Bottles, formula, cleaning supplies, bottle warmer. The bottle warmed ended up being less of a pain than I thought it would be, since Tom’s car has plug-in ports for electronics. At stops along the way, it was really easy to heat her bottles.
-Lots of diapers and wipes
-3 books, 2 toys, her Jewel lullaby CD
-Jammies, clothes, towels, blankets, sunglasses, hat, bath stuff, brush, nail clippers. La Jolla was cold compared to Tucson temps, so I was grateful to find a Gymboree pants outfit (it was in the Goodwill pile since it’s too hot for her to wear it here) and she wore jammies, pants with onesies and bundled with blankets. Both Liv and I overpacked on the clothes front- all of her rompers, dresses and sandals didn’t make it out of the suitcase, and I ended up wearing lulu pretty much the entire time since it was chilly.
-Jogging stroller, carseat and wrap. I grabbed the BabyHawk as a last-minute thing, and ended up being so glad we had it. It was nice to give her a different point of view as we walked around La Jolla.
-A couple of spoons and her mesh feeder thing. The mesh thing was awesome for restaurants- I could just put a few pieces of whatever we were eating into it and she could happily chomp away. She has no teeth yet, so we’re more comfortable feeding her purees, teeny bites or through the mesh feeder for now. The good news is that many restaurants have avocado, steamed veggies and sweet potatoes, so it was easy for find something for Liv wherever we were.
-Teething strips and a teether
I think that’s it?
It was a lot more than we’re used to traveling with, and I’m sure we could have packed lighter, but it was worth it to have a little bit extra instead of wishing we would have brought something.
2 ) ALWAYS have an extra outfit. I should know this, but I spaced it and paid the price, haha. Every morning, we would feed Liv and then head out for breakfast. One morning, we were at the Coffee Cup, I went to change Liv and didn’t put the fresh diaper under her fast enough. All I could do was stand there for a second, laugh, and then strip her out of her clothes, which were drenched, and go back to our table with Liv just in a diaper. I told Tom, “I think we need to get our food to-go” but instead he ran back to the hotel to get her another outfit. So we sat there at our table, getting the side-eye from everyone who walked in (as my baby was in a diaper and I wrapped her in the hoodie I had been wearing) until her new clothes arrived. All aboard the fail boat.
3) Leaving to come back mid-afternoon = not the brightest. On the way there, we left just before Liv’s bedtime, which ended up being perfection. She was awake and happy, we fed her at a stop, and then she slept the rest of the way. On the way back, we had to leave earlier since we both had to work the next day, and Liv was not a happy camper to be awake and chilling in her bucket. I can’t really blame her, since I get antsy in the car for hours on end, too. We ended up taking a lot of stops to change diapers and give her a change of scenery, but next time, we’ll probably leave around bedtime again.
4) There is a lack of changing tables in the world. Many chains have them -we had lunch at Panera one day at they had a very clean changing table- but for those that didn’t, I was thankful for restrooms that had a dresser or room by the sink to place her changing pad and change her. A few times, I ended up sitting on the floor (gross), stretching my legs out in front of me, putting the changing pad on my legs and changing her that way. It wasn’t the ideal situation (when I told Tom about it later he said it made him sad that I had to sit on the gnarly floor) but we made it work.
In the grand scheme of things, we’re lucky to have a baby who’s happy to go with the flow. She was her wonderful, happy self while we were there, and graced us with later mornings (3 cheers for sleeping in!) and patience during the many meals we ate at restaurants. I think she just likes to be a part of things, and as long as she’s in the action, she’s a happy kid. I feel a lot more comfortable about traveling now and am so excited for family vacays to come.
So tell me, friends: how do you entertain your kids on roadtrips? Any fun ideas to keep infants/toddlers from getting bored?
Friends sans kids, what’s the first family vacation you remember? My first trip to Disney World was when I was 4- I cried the entire time we were on the Snow White ride. There’s a picture of me and my aunties outside the ride, and I have blotchy eyes and a scowl on my face. I quickly forgot the trauma during the characters parade 😉
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I have very fuzzy, vague memories of a family road trip to NC from FL when I was about 2 and a half ish. I just vaguely remember playing with my cousins. But my mom always talks about how I basically refused to go potty for whatever two year old reasons for the whole road trip. NC to FL is about a 14 hour drive. 2 year old steel bladder! Hahaha.
ahaha! omg!
I vividly remember being around 4 and horribly, endlessly carsick the entire way from Pittsburgh to Orlando. Sorry, Mom!
Maybe try hanging a toy mirror in a place where Liv can see (and entertain) herself?
we have one of those, but i think she’s used to it :/
We went to Colorado a few weeks ago, and I had to change the baby on the floor of a restaurant bathroom. It was yucky but I kept saying that at least he will never remember this! When we are out at home and I need to change him, I sometimes just go to my car’s trunk and lay him on a towel. Seems cleaner than public restrooms.
Road trips and a screaming baby are my fear!
Looking up that mesh feeder on Amazon now… 🙂
There great, and you can put frozen fruit in it when there teething!
yeah, I’ve never seen those before! Kinda neat.
I will not change the girls in public places. I’m not a germ freak but that is just too gross for me. I change them in the car, always have. Its just easier on car trips to be honest. My Husband and I take turns going to the rest room, we each change one girl, then feed them both, then are back on the road. Its more time efficient and I don’t have to worry about gnarly restrooms with other peoples germs. My oldest is almost 16 months and has literally never been to the doc other than her well baby visits for shots, never sick, and so far the record is the same for our 4.5 month old.
we changed her in the car while on the road, but in la jolla (we were walking) there was a huge lack of changing tables
Ah, gotcha! I did one change on a nasty bathroom floor and that was enough for me so I feel ya!
I totally agree about the lack of change tables. I change Henry on the table we are seated at if there isn’t a change table. Then I ask for a comment card and I write in huge letters “PLEASE GET CHANGE TABLE!”. It really gets your point across because a load of places don’t like you changing the baby on the table (even with the change pad). But where else? I would have never thought to put it on the floor.
haha i love that idea.
That’s what I’ve always done too. If there isn’t a changing table in the bathroom I will change at the table. I’ve had a few people comment to me about it being gross, but once I explain to them there isn’t a changing table to do it in the bathroom they usually leave it alone. I’ve had a few people go to the management and complain that because they didn’t have a changing table in the bathroom that I had to change my baby at the table. If you have a kid’s menu you should have a changing table.
i totally agree!
This is one thing I can’t/won’t do. As gross as the bathroom floors can be, and as cute as my baby is, her pee and poop is human waste, which belongs in a restroom. I think many moms hold false illusions about their babies’ waste being cleaner than the washroom floor. Put a change pad down. Bring a second one so you can sit on it yourself. Complain to the management. But changing on tables & chairs, in a restaurant where people are eating is, yes, disgusting for people watching, but most importantly it’s highly unsanitary. at least in my jurisdiction, it’s concern for health inspectors.
We’ve taken Squishy on 4 plane rides already, which is probably more than some of my grown-up relatives have been on planes. When he was younger it was cake, he would just sleep the whole flight. This last time (at 6 months old) he was a little more demanding in the attention department. I didn’t think to bring any toys in my carry-on (d’oh) so I ended up giving him the barf bag from the seat pocket to play with. It was bright red and make awesome crinkle sounds, sooooo cool!
I know a lot of people put little portable TVs in the back of their car for toddlers. Maybe Liv would just like watching some Baby Einstein or something?
Also, if you’re going on a vacation with a group or with family and there’s a younger person also on the trip, see if they can ride with you and entertain the baby in the back. I used to do that when I was younger; my aunt would pay me $30 to ride in the back with my little cousins and read to them, blow kisses at them, and when they were older, pass them snacks and stuff. It really took a lot of pressure off my aunt.
You’re doing a great job! I love watching your adventures with your little girl!
Your baby is beautiful 🙂 I am new to your site and am just wondering your opinion on feeding your child. My boyfriend is a carnivore, and while I don’t label myself, I eat a mainly plant-based diet (other than the occasional piece of fish and on cheat days, a bit of dairy). He eats all of the veggie-based meals I cook at home, but definitely enjoys meat. I am just interested in couples who eat relatively different and have children, and what stance they take on that. If you’re not comfortable with sharing, that’s completely fine- I just thought I would ask your perspective 🙂
thank you!
welcome to the blog 🙂
for liv, she’ll probably eat some meat, but tom doesn’t eat a ton of beef and pork at home, maybe once a week. i cook mostly plant-based foods (fish and organic chicken, too) so that’s what we’ll usually eat and what she’ll eat too. i’m sure she’ll have diary and some meat, but not a ton
xoxo
When our oldest was born, we lived in Arizona (Phx) and hubs fam is from Mississippi & my fam is from Montana so we did A LOT of travelling. 2 cross country road trips and lots of plane rides. When he was really little, he did great. He went with the flow, and we found that when we were relaxed, he relaxed, if we seemed stressed (some road trips/plane rides can be) he was fussier. But for the most part he was a dream to travel with. Keeping that in mind, when he hit toddler age (about 18 mos) he needed to be entertained like 24/7.. toys would last a whopping 5 minutes and his attention span was zilch. It was kinda horrible to travel with him. haha. We ended up getting a portable DVD player and got some educational films and wa–la! New, happy baby. I’m not a huge fan of TV time for infant/toddlers, but we needed our sanity (and so did other passengers)… and he learned to count to twenty five at 22 months, so hey–not all tv is bad. 🙂 But it was just a stage. Now he’s 3 and travels great as long as there are books, some toys and lots of snacks. Darling pics. San Diego is one of my all time favorite cities in the United States.
Kayla, I was going to comment along the same lines (-: I do NOT enjoy traveling with a toddler! Especially that tricky age from when they start walking until about age 2.5ish. It’s dicey for sure!
Our older daughter is now 3, and I’m looking forward to traveling becoming easier & easier as time goes on. We’re flying later this months and it’ll be our 2 month old’s first flight. Hopefully she’ll do great like her big sis did as a baby!
Our first family trip was when I was 6 and my brothers were 9 and 11. We went to Disney World. I don’t remember the entire trip, but I do remember having to ride in between my brothers for the long drive from Ontario to Orlando and it wasn’t very fun. I also remember one of my brothers spilling their Slimer smoothie (as in Slimer from Ghost Busters) all over me in the Red Lobster. Aside from that, my memories of the trip are very vague. Now, it just so happens that my dad has suprised us all with a trip and in september, he is taking us all (with our spouses) back to Disney World then! I can’t wait to see how different the experience is now that we’re all in our late 20’s/early 30’s!! I also can’t wait to see how nice it will be to fly down vs. driving! 😉
For your plane ride, assuming you’re traveling within the US, you can save yourself some packing space by buying diapers somewhere shortly after you land. Of course pack enough for the flight, plus a bunch extra, but you don’t need to pack the full trip’s worth.
Same for the pack n play. I think most hotels offer one. I always thought they’d be really gross but (at least here in Europe), they’ve always been super clean and comfy. I just wipe them down for my sanity and use our own sheet.
I’ve run into the lack of changing tables several times. If I was lucky enough to have our stroller at that time, I’d go use that. It reclines to a lying position so I bring that into the bathroom, put the changing pad on that and change her.
Never underestimate the value of that second outfit, even if she hasn’t needed one in a long time. Just a few months ago, a tray of drinks was spilled all over Avery at a restaurant and I was so thankful for my last minute decision to grab an outfit before heading out.
Change of clothes, always…yes! And those feeder/mesh things are lifesavers for about that age so they can just gnaw. They can occupy themselves for a long time! And glad the Babyhawk was a champ…that pic the other day of Pilot and her in it was priceless!
When it was just the oldest and I, I only drove at night. I would wait until right before he usually went to bed then feed him and take off. He’d sleep the whole way to Tulsa (9.5 hours) or he’d sleep, then we’d get breakfast, play and finish the last few hours to Wichita Falls (13 hours). As he got older I started traveling during the day and we’d do dvds, laptop games, toys, road trip board games, I Spy. When #2 was born, #1 was 8.5 years old the first road trip we took to Tulsa, we had moved so it was 3 hours closer but it took the same amount of time to get there, #1 entertained #2 with toys, books, songs and we did lots of breaks. With #3, the boys entertain her, she plays with toys or board games, sometimes she watches the videos with the boys.
We have been breaking our road trips up lately though. For shorter trips (under 220 miles) we stop half way and let them get out for a bit. For longer road trips we drive about 200 miles, stop and do an activity for 2-3 hours. Usually eat, do something fun where we stop and then head back out. We haven’t done any road trips longer than 550 miles since #3 was born, that trip was awful and we swore off long trips. We’ve been talking about taking a month off for a family road trip extravaganza next year with a cap of 400 miles a day.
We did many road trips with our daughter when she was a baby. We were stationed at Ft. Irwin, CA for 4.5 years and my parents lived 9 hours north. We played and sang along with the They Might Be Giants CDs for kids. I can now sing the alphabet backwards and sing The Alphabet of Nations, one country for each letter. Veggie Booty snacks also made her very happy.
My first vaca memory was also Disney when I was about 4. I remember seeing Santa on the beach and thinking it was odd since he comes to us in the snow.
I’m the oldest of four kids so we didn’t start doing whole-family vacations until I was 8 or 9.
I think the earlist vacation I remember was going to Idaho to visit family when I was three with my mom and sister (who was only about a month old). The flight attendants wouldn’t let my mom hold my sister during take off or landing so Mom put her in the car carrier and stashed her under my seat!
Sounds like you two did awesome for your first vacay as a family!!!! Liv certainly looks happy in all the pics and its seems like you guys were really prepared!! Cheers!
Liv is absolutely gorgeous! Glad you guys enjoyed your road tripping. 🙂
In August I’ll be taking my 6 week old on a trip to the beach. I’m already freaking out! The bedtime traveling tip is a good one!
Our four month old gets very agitated in his carseat on long rides. So we started changing out the toys that we hang on it. Every couple of weeks we’ll rotate them. It has helped us out alot. He doesn’t get as bored. Sometimes if he’s just really not a happy camper, then I’ll sit back there with him for a little while. I think it will get better as they get older and can face forward and see more.
I hear ya on the lack of changing tables? I get so mad when I can’t find one and I’m just like WHYYYY?!?! &@$/&$?@;$!!!!
Hi Gina!
I was wondering what kind of formula you are using, and if you have any tips for weaning from breastfeeding? I will be attempting to start to wean in the next few weeks. Your Olivia is adorable!
Thanks!
Jennie
we’re using the similac alimentum formula. at first we though liv was sensitive to the dairy in other formulas -she was miserable and gassy- so the ped said to stick with the hypoallergenic if that was working for us. it wasn’t that hard for me to wean because i just pumped until i had nothing left, which was about a week and a half ago. it was a sad day and triumphant day at the same time
and thank you- we’re having so much fun over here <3
xoxo
Can I just say…Liv is gonna grow up to be a KNOCK OUT! Those eyes! She’s just so beautiful. I think you and Tom should make a few more pretty little people 🙂
haha you stop that! thank you- she is amazing
ahhh, we’re driving 9 hours tomorrow and 12 hours on Sunday with our 4 month old. Here we go!
I just wanted to say that it’s recommended to not use an extra mattress with a pack n play. While pregnant I listened to an episode of Pregastic and they interviewed a woman who lost her son when he suffocated while napping in a pack n play with some extra padding. Obviously you are Livi’s mama, but I just wanted to pass that along!
http://www.keepingbabiessafe.org/about_us.shtml
thank you, very good to know! i think it’s more of a concern for very young babies with weak necks. thank you for the heads up for other moms that may be reading! xoxo
I also got a pad for my pack n play but it was a pad that is specifically intended for a baby in a pack n play. i.e. not too cushy, just like the mattress pad. I think that is perfectly fine. The pack n play seemed WAY too hard on its own for her.
i felt the same way- the pad that came with it seems horribly uncomfortable
Um, portable DVD player and a fully-stocked DVD library, this is saved for as long as we can handle because eventually the “May I please watch a show?” from the oldest just gets to be worse than any crying could. Plus the usual crayons, colouring books, etc. We also just talk to her a lot.
Of course, having a second in the backseat now SHE is entertained by watching her big sister and interacting with her. Not quite old enough to colour (14 months), but old enough to play with some Little People toys and stuffed animals. She also has a DVD screen but we don’t usually turn that on (we can operate one at a time or both at the same time).
I vividly recall being given Gravol before every road trip as a child. My parents told me it would help me not get carsick (something I never had a problem with but who was I to argue, I was the child), now as a parent myself I know it was because THEY knew it would knock us kids out for a couple of hours on the drive! 🙂 Sneaky.
Looks like the trip was a success. I agree with “The Mommy”…the portable DVD player is unbelievable. We took a 12 hour road trip to Bend, Oregon when our Little was 8 months old. I would have died without the DVD player. He loved all the Baby Einsteins (especially Baby Monet). We bought the cheapest dual DVD player we could find (now it looks like it’s under $70) http://www.walmart.com/ip/7-or-9-Dual-Screen-Portable-DVD-Player-and-Bonus-Movie-DVD/17656885
but I’m telling you…this specific player was awesome because it has two players so we were able to hang one on the back seat so he could see it in his rear facing car seat and then I could control the DVD player through the second one in the front seat.
Question for you: You said you guys bought Liv a portable mattress for the Pack n’ Play? Could you tell me which one specifically (and do you recommend it)? We have a packn’play that we’ve used SO MUCH for our 2 1/2 year old and the mattress part is really worn. Everything else is in really good condition, but I usually just use the pack’n’play as a bassinet for the first month or so of the baby’s life and I’d love something softer yet safe and supportive for baby #2, who is coming to Earth on Monday…
thank you so much for the link!! i’ll check it out now
here’s the one tom ordered:
http://www.amazon.com/Dream-On-Me-Playard-Mattress/dp/B004JU0H6O
with this protector
http://www.amazon.com/American-Baby-Company-Waterproof-Porta-Crib/dp/B001KZH69M/ref=sr_1_14?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1341634441&sr=1-14&keywords=pack+n+play+organic+sheet
and fitted sheet (so soft!!)
http://www.amazon.com/American-Baby-Company-Organic-Interlock/dp/B001KZH692/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1341634441&sr=1-1&keywords=pack+n+play+organic+sheet
monday is the day!! WHOO HOO!
The older Liv gets the more toys and books you will need. For a big trip we buy new books and don’t let them see them until we are traveling. Then they are distracted/ entertained longer. For long car rides I will sometimes sit in the back with the girls to help distract them. Also portable DVD players can be a life saver, my kids don’t really watch tv so if I bring out the DVD player it usually gives us even
More calm driving time.
that’s a genius idea- we were thinking of getting an iPad, which would help serve the same purpose
That picture with the Pilot and Olivia makes me melt every time. How do you handle that much cuteness on a daily basis?
Totally unrelated to this post (sorry!), but could you maybe do a “what I wore” fashion post from your trip (like you did for Philly way back)?
it’s hard- between the two of them, i can’t stand it 🙂
what outfits are you curious about? i actually wore lulu most of the time, but let me know if you want the deets on a specific outfit!
Big brownie points for the pilot to run back to the hotel to get livi her clothes. A true gentleman!!!….I respect u!!! :
The three of u r going to be a great team, vacationing! I can already tell. Love ya livi!
Olivia photographs so well, just like the rest of the fam!!! OMG she is so sweet!!!!!! 🙂
I left a comment on a previous post but can’t find my comment for some reason…..
What jogging stiller are you using?
that’s weird, i thought i wrote back to ya!
we’re using the bob and love it
It sounds like travelling with Livi was a great success! My parents took me and my brother on loads of road trips when we were young and we have fantastic memories of them. I think it’s a great thing to do as a family! I’m sure it’s logistically tough as a parent, but definitely great bonding time and great memories!
When my kids were 2.5 and and infant, we traveled A LOT from FL to VA and back. (we’re a military family and our fam lived in VA). We traveled by vehicle…yes, by vehicle. I think I was blessed with kids who like road trips because it wasn’t really a big deal, but I DO remember all the stuff we needed for 2 little ones! We traveled with a pack and play also, but thankfully our parents got smart and bought one for their houses so we didn’t have to do that anymore. Still, the little things add up: sippy cups, bottles, diapers, all the clothes, toys, etc, etc. Now, at 6 and 4, they don’t need nearly as much stuff!
It didn’t take much to keep our kids entertained on road trips at that age…my oldest would watch something on the DVD player and my youngest (who was rear-facing) would be content watching his big brother. 🙂
Now that they’re older, its easier and harder to keep them entertained. Easier because they’ve got things to play with (iPad, Nintendo DS, iPhone, etc) and harder because when they’re done with those things, they like to get on each other’s nerves. 🙂 We actually just got a minivan (hey, don’t knock it ’til you try it!) in the last year so that they can each have their own section of the van…yes, we do road trips THAT often. 🙂
Ok, I’ve rambled enough…I love your family posts!
Can I ask about your stroller and carseat? I am pregnant with my first and confused by all the options! I was thinking maybe the Britax BReady / BAgile or the City Mini GT. Any feedback or suggestions? Thanks!
we have the orbit travel system (carseat and stroller combo) and love it 🙂
for the trip, we took the carseat and the bob stroller since it’s better for outdoor/adventure type stuff
have heard great things about the city mini, too! i think caitlinhtp has that one
xoxo