Sep 13, 201208:16 AMNine Months... and Counting
Tales from a Mom-to-be
Sun, sand and swim diapers?
It is nearing the end of my week-long vacation at the Outer Banks, N.C., and I am quickly realizing that this is my last beach vacation without a child.
The 1 a.m. bedtime won’t be an easy task to accomplish when a baby will be waking me throughout the night and into the wee hours of the morning.
There will be sand in more places than I even want to think about, and my car will be stuffed to the brim with extra junk I probably won’t need. I am excited and terrified all at the same time for the next chapter in life which includes vacationing with a kiddo.
I quite enjoy sleeping in and doing nothing all day if that is what I so choose to do! I also enjoy not being covered head to toe in sand and having it in my bathing suit. I’m not an ocean swimmer, so I really enjoy not being forced to sit at the beach if I don’t want to.
From experience though, I am pretty confident kids LOVE the sand and most enjoy the thrill of wave jumping. Thankfully, Bean Pole tolerates those things much more than I. It doesn’t make it any less scary for me though.
Kids and vacation go hand-in-hand. I’ve heard some of my friends say upon returning from a trip that they need a vacation to recover from their vacation. Is it that bad? Parents, what have been the biggest things to change for you while vacationing with your little ones? Any suggestions for a successful and enjoyable trip?
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Best advice I can give is this: NEVER forget to pack a first-aid kit full of anything and everything you can think of. This would include bug bite/anti-itch cream, TUMS, allergy/cough/cold meds, band-aids, ice pack, hot pack, eye drops and a thermometer. And this becomes more critical the older the kid gets!
On every single vacation we took for the first 5 (or 10 or 15) years after we had our daughter, we ended up in a drugstore at least once during the week. If it wasn't for the child, it was for one of us. And often, the off-name drug stores didn't have the brands of items we were used to using. I found anything else I forgot wasn't worth a trip to a store. But meds? Totally required!
Andrea, smart thinking! I keep a small kit in the car but the larger one makes SO much more sense :) Thanks!!
We just recently got back from the beach too, and I'm still in the need for a vacation. :) I told the hubby I was going back to the beach, by myself this time, lol. Things are definitely different with kids. You have to be in for the night at their bedtime, you can't do stuff they can't do, and there is no time to just relax. That's what I like about the beach, relaxing, reading, drinking, napping. Guess how much of that I got to do, lol. But it is even more enjoyable for other reasons. Watching them have fun and enjoy themselves makes me happy. Hopefully one day when they are older vacations will once again be like the vacations I enjoy. But I know they will be like this while they are little. Hope you enjoyed your last kiddo free vacation! :P
Angel17298, I really hope you can find some time to relax and recoup now that you are home! I am excited to see my lil mans face when he gets older and the pure joy that I am sure will radiate!
I highly recommend a ladies weekend getaway without husband and child. EVERY YEAR (at least)
Rochelle13X, only ONE weekend a year? Could I up it to two without my husband getting too upset?
We have decided as a family to live by the following motto...."If you live your entire life as a vacation, you can stop wasting time planning them"...There is truly nothing that we enjoy more than hanging out with each other every day (unless the kids are in school of course). Although the getaways and fun trips are certainly different than they were without kids, we wouldn't have it any other way... You as a parent have the coolest responsibility and job in the world...helping to build a legacy and lasting impression into your children that will be carried on for generations...Enjoy every step!