Last Sunday we left for a week long vacation in Cape Cod with some friends at a house we rented. It was a much needed change of scenery and overall the babies did very well. Marcus and I were both really nervous about taking them, debated it forever, talked to our pediatrician (who okayed it) and so we decided to go for it. Traveling with babies is definitely a new adventure. We packed Sunday morning and in all it took us 4 hours to get ready to leave. We fed the babies, then one of us entertained them while the other ran around trying to remember everything. Diapers, bottles, wipes, bibs, etc. etc. For such little people they sure do require a lot of things. Then we had to feed them again, I had to pump, and finally we left.
The drive was relatively uneventful. The babies slept until it was time to eat, and then we pulled over to feed and change them. Luckily the drive was only about 3 hours with traffic. We were worried about how the change would affect the babies, but honestly if anything they did better at the Cape. Perhaps because there were any number of individuals who were more than willing to hold them all the time (which is their preference and an impossibility when I'm at home alone). They also slept great as we worked very hard to make sure their nighttime routine went uninterrupted.
Emerson was exhausted from the drive up it seems.
The other nice thing was Marcus and I were able to get away without the babies a couple of times. The house we rented had a private beach so we went swimming while the babies slept at the house under the supervision of friends. It was nice practice for when I return to school in a few weeks and others will have to watch them occasionally, and every one was very vigilant about always washing their hands before touching the babies. (I might have given a little bit of a speech about it when we first arrived).
Marcus and I also went to see Funny people at the movie theater. We put the babies to bed at 9, and went to a 9:55 showing. The babies slept the entire time we were gone, although I will admit I was a nervous wreck the entire time we were at the theater. With the beach we were right outside the house, the theater was further away, but the babies did great.
We mostly stayed at our rented house, but we did go to the town of Sandwich one afternoon for a few hours.
All in all it was nice to have a change of scenery and some extra help with the babies, and we experienced some more of the east coast.
I'm also proud that we actually managed to take the two babies somewhere for a week, and did so successfully (I even kept up with the pumping 8 times a day). Not to mention all of the extra help was so nice. They held the babies, watched the babies while I napped, and I had three solid meals each day I was there (a rarity when I'm on my own). My friends are my support system since we live 3000 miles away from family, I'm so grateful for their willingness to help us with our cute screaming babies.
(They seemed pretty relaxed on vacation too).
Now we're back home, Marcus is back and work, and I'm alone with them again. Trying to manage and balance their screaming fits. It really is best to outnumber the babies, if only it could be that way all the time.
4 comments:
Sounds like you guys had a great, and much needed, time away. The cape used to be Matt and my old stopping grounds (he went to Massachusetts Maritime Academy in Buzzards Bay)!
I'm glad you guys all had a good time!
Wow, I am SO impressed you managed to take them on vacation! Good for you! I am still dreaming of the day (and also dreading it to be honest) when we'll take them anywhere. Isn't it so true that that extra help makes such a difference. I can tell for sure that the days when I have at least one other person here are SO much more manageable than when I'm by myself (which, just like you, I do not enjoy yet). Has their fussiness gotten any better? They should be over that 6-8 week mark (corrected), right? Please tell me it actually does get better ;)
Yay! That must have been really nice to get out of the house and have a change of scene. When James was that age, I really treasured simple things like trips to the grocery store, or the pharmacy, or anywhere. I noticed, actually, that he was less fussy if we got out of the house - I think because the new environment distracted and fascinated him. I still try to go somewhere every day, even if it's just Walmart to buy dishwasher detergent, because he's so much less fussy and takes a great nap afterward!
I'm so glad that you had a nice vacation, and also so glad the two of you got to steal a few moments away that were just the two of you. What great friends you have!
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