At the beginning of October we took our first vacation as a family of four. Embarrassingly, it was the first vacation my husband have ever taken for pleasure rather than a trip to visit someone. Throughout our relationship we have never taken a real vacation…now for our first one we have a twelve year and 6 month old in tow…haha. Our trip was to the Pacific Ocean and we rented a vacation home right off the water. It was a beautiful view of the beach. There were plenty of windows and balconies, we could smell the ocean and hear the waves. My husband and I knew it would not be especially relaxing but it was important to us to take a trip as a family. As time goes on we are being very intentional in making memories and taking pictures. We understand the value of looking back at pictures. Although the baby will not remember the trip, he will be able to look at the pictures of all of us together, exploring. Our twelve year old loved the house, it was quite an experience for him- not one that he will forget anytime soon.
Traveling, driving eight hours, with a six month old is NO JOKE. He is a pretty easy baby but is not a fan of the car seat. I am glad we took the trip but I was definitely not rejuvenated upon return. There are a few things that I learned/realized during this vacation:
-A baby requires a lot of packing…clothes, play gear, stroller, carrier…etc.
-Trying to nurse a baby on rest stops during the drive can be awkward, sweaty and very unsuccessful…
-Some parts of a vacation should be electronics-free
-“Mom” is expected to come up with meal plans and packing
-Sunscreen and hats are a staple
-Adjustments in expectations need to be made
-You will come back more tired than you left
Overall it was worth it. Anything of value takes time and effort. Spending time together as a family, making memories, experiencing new things are all valuable and worth it.