Raising Gracie: Traveling Tales

When I first embarked upon the parenthood journey, I was determined not to let having a baby infringe upon the activities of our lives (I say this in the most unselfish way possible). I wanted Gracie to have life experiences and learn to be flexible with change. That said, our first trip was from Chicago to LA; Gracie was 2 months old. I was determined that, even as a new mother, anything was possible, and I wanted to prove that I could do this trip on my own. Grace was an angel and slept the entire 4 hour flight. We had a wonderful vacation and the return trip was just as uneventful as the one there. Our next adventure was a 14 hour drive to Tennessee with the whole family, including Izzy (the dog). Our trip began on the busiest travel day of the year, the day before Thanksgiving. Leaving Chicago at 4pm, we were in endless traffic, but we finally arrived at our destination at 6 am the next morning. Grace did wonderfully in the car and was wide awake once we arrived. Her dad and I were not. Despite parental exhaustion (nothing new), we had another wonderfully successful trip. Proud of our amazingly laid back daughter and feeling that there is nothing we could not do, we planned another trip. This time we travelled to Florida for a spring break get away. Gracie was now 7 months old and, as Chicago native, was not used to the Florida heat. This caused a bit of disruption, but she still enjoyed the vacation where she experienced her first swim in the pool and sported her new summer clothes. On our way to the airport, ready to return home, my husband and I were congratulating ourselves for a job well done. With our good sense and perfect parenting skills, we had thought ahead and booked a flight time that would coincide with Gracie’s nap time, anticipating she would sleep a majority of the flight. Had our flight not been delayed 4 hours, I truly believe our plan would have worked. Instead Grace slept the entire time at the airport and was wide awake on the plane. A wide awake 7 month old does not want to sit quietly for 3 hours, however we made it home and received a voucher for our inconvenience. Chalking this less than pleasant flight up to 'the airlines fault,' I was happy to book our next trip. Over the next few months, we took a few more side trips here and there close to home that all went well. It was not until our most recent trip to LA that everything changed. Gracie was 16 months and we were going to take another girls only trip (no dad). We were both excited for the warm air and beaches (at least I was). I prepared for our trip buying all the essentials: new diaper bag, car seat bag, and of course new sandals for us both…any excuse for bags and shoes! A hands free diaper bag is a must when traveling solo. The car seat bag was great for both carrying on the plane or checking, and the shoes… well, they were just cute. As Gracie and I are sitting at the airport having dinner, I am thinking to myself how much fun this trip is going to be. I am mother… I am invincible... I am naive! On the plane, ready to read some books and go to bed, Grace throws up all over her clothes and seat. Unfazed, I quickly change her clothes (always keep spares in the diaper bag) and clean up. We settle back into our seat again, this time Grace on my lap as we prepare for takeoff. The plane is not 10 feet off the ground when Grace throws up again, this time all over me, herself, and the poor man next to us. I was in shock! This was a parenting moment I was not prepared for. I tried to clean up as best I could, but I was not prepared with a change of clothes for myself. Grace continued to throw up every 30 minutes for the remainder of the 4 hour flight; my poor baby had the flu. By the time we landed in LA, we were both practically naked having run out of all spare clothes and blankets. The remainder of our trip was pretty much the same. Grace would rally during the day and got to enjoy the warm air, had fun shopping, at the pool, and at the beach, while mom got to enjoy sleepless nights and periodic vomit. We got back home to Chicago just in time for me to catch the flu as well.

So, moral of the story... I no longer feel that a toddler needs to experience the world before her 2nd birthday and while we will never pass up a great opportunity, our family will be enjoying the wonders of the world in a 5-10 mile radius of our home, for now. I reserve the right to completely change my mind once the horrors of this latest trip escape me.

The best purchase I made! This diaper bag is great, stylish, and with the adjustable strap can be worn over the shoulder (hands free... a must when traveling alone).

Oi Oi Diaper Bag Pink Herringbone Hobo via Amazon.com

The picture of this is completely rediculus, but this bag actually worked great. It is very inexpensibve and works great for checking or carrying on the plane. I was able to carry the diaper bag, this car seat bag (with car seat), and Gracie on the plane.