We’re on vacation.
With a toddler and a 9-week old.
We must be crazy.
B is always (ALWAYS) saying he needs a vacation. Before Matthew was born, we booked a trip for when he’d be 8 weeks old exactly, and we hopped on that plane at the end of August, and off we went. Just like that, for four nights to Colorado springs, complete with super fancy meals and busy activities at the Broadmoor. It was wonderful. Traveling with a baby was EASY!
This time, we said we’d take a vacation when “the new baby” was 8 weeks old but we didn’t book it. Bryson is a fussier baby than Matthew was (Bryson is sooooo gassy) and 3 weeks ago, there was no way I thought we’d make this happen. But B said he needed a vacation, so I started planning.
Vacationing with a toddler is hard. Not the baby – but the toddler. Bryson goes wherever we go, just like Matthew did 2 years ago today. Matthew, however, has opinions about what we do, and don’t, do. Matthew has a shelf-life at restaurants of about 45 minutes. Matthew NEEDS his daily nap. And now, Matthew needs an adult beside him in the big bed. Bryson’s quirk right now is that at night, he’s too gassy to sleep. That’s not a big deal… I can function on little no sleep.
We’re in a two bedroom townhouse and B is sleeping in one room with Matthew, and I sleep in the other room with Bryson. We come back for naps, eat quickly, trick Matthew out of the pool to avoid crazy fits, and I nurse very publicly in 95 degree heat. This is hardly a vacation!
So why are we doing this? To get away from it all? No – we brought “it all” with us. To relax? No – no one besides the boys are relaxing. To spend quality time together? No – we’re doing a lot of “dividing and conquering.”
We do it so that our boys learn to adjust away from home. We do it so the boys can learn early what it’s like to see, and experience, different places. We do it for our own sanity, because even with the chaos, we’re not bored at home. We do it so that we can say we did! And we do it for moments like these – the moments that become family memories.
All the Sun For You 
August 26, 2013 at 4:18 pm
I love this. 🙂 I totally want to be like this as well!
August 26, 2013 at 5:40 pm
You are so much braver than me! We are doing good to leave the house to run errands as a family of four. We did a lot more with chloe when she was a baby, but she was our “easy baby.”
August 26, 2013 at 7:52 pm
Looks like you are having a great time in spite of the craziness. I so admire you !
August 26, 2013 at 9:06 pm
I wanted to take a pre-baby vacation with just Raegan Babe and I. We haven’t done anything just the 3 of us, but Babe wouldn’t agree 😦 I’m so jealous you got to do something like this. I wish I could convince Babe it will be worth it. And vacationing with children is never a real vacation. My sister has said this for years and I’m now in full agreement, but the memories are SO worth it! I love that you did this!
August 26, 2013 at 9:10 pm
I think you are amazing! I wish we had done more traveling with Aiden when he was little. I feel like he’s a rough car traveler because we always were worried about how much “work” it would be. He’s getting easier to travel with, but I wish we had made some memories together like this when he was younger too. Who knows, maybe you’ve inspired me to try a trip when our 2nd comes! Such a great idea you guys!
August 26, 2013 at 10:43 pm
WHOA, girl! I wouldn’t have the guts 🙂 good for you guys to be out and doing this with a toddler and a newbie! Hope to hear some great stories when you return!
August 27, 2013 at 5:50 am
Good for you! I definitely think this is important, because the kids really do need to learn to be adaptable, especially with the gift of travel! But you’re right, it’s not easy! It was so much easier travelling with Sofia when she was younger. Now it’s exhausting! After our trip to Portugal in June with Sofia and her 3.5yo cousin, I needed a whole other week off just to rest up!
I hope you do get a bit of rest and quality time in!
September 6, 2013 at 9:00 pm
OK I am loving that you think travelling with an 8-week old is easy! We really want to attempt a March Break trip with our little one, who would be 4 months by then and some people say we’re crazy but the folks with kids say travelling is a cinch before the 6-month mark. But yeah… toddler travel… can’t help ya there. 🙂
September 6, 2013 at 9:29 pm
I think travelling before 18 months is great, actually. I would not hesitate to travel up to that age, and honestly – you just have to keep doing it! It’s not always easy, but it gets easier if you keep doing it. Practice makes perfect… err.. I mean “tolerable!”
September 8, 2013 at 1:20 pm
Good for you! I really admire your courage! Looks like it’s been worth it!