The Stages of Travel

Did you know that you go through "stages" as you travel with your child? I have no idea how many stages exists, but I have a feeling we have a few more to go through.

Stage 1:

Typically occurs in the newborn/infant time frame. You spend days planning and deciding what you should take on your trip. After careful consideration, you decide to take, well, everything that is not bolted to the wall. Actually, you would take everything bolted to the wall, but you can no longer see out your back window. All this for a child who will probably never leave the house/hotel that you are staying at.

Mac's first trip was to College Station when he was two weeks old. It was a short trip (Friday afternoon through Sunday morning) for our friend's wedding. We took 2 unopened packs of diapers, a few packs of wipes, a stack of blankets, every outfit that your child can fit into, every bottle in the house, the pack n play, the stroller, toys (just what every two week old wants), 15 pacifiers, the all important electric breast pump and accessories, baby monitor (even though you've never really left the baby unattended in a room for more than 5 minutes), 25 burp cloths, 25 bibs, bathing essentials (plastic tub included), wash rags and towels (because my babies skin was too delicate to use anything other than "baby towels"), a Boppy, oh...and I decided to packed my sister too! Keep in mind we have yet to put any of our bags in the car. After a few failed attempts to fit everything in the car we finally all squished into my once large-feeling SUV. Sitting by Mac required you to sit straight up for the whole trip because there was luggage occupying all uninhabited space.

Stage 2:

This stage starts around 3-6months of age. You start to realize that you are not going camping in some remote part of the country and there will be stores where you can purchase items. You do not have to bring everything the child owns with you...but yet, you probably will.

Mac was right at 6 months old and he spent 3 nights at my Dad's house while Eric and I took a belated anniversary trip to Mexico. Keep in mind, my Dad lives in the same city, and can get into my house (or go to the store) if I forgot something. Toys are a reasonable thing to take with you at this point. We took his activity mat, stuffed animals (that he had never even looked at...but who knows, he might get lonely), pack n play, stroller, every clean piece of clothing that fits, matching pajamas, partly used pack of diapers, one pack of wipes, all the bottles in the house, baby monitor, formula, baby food, 10 spoons, 5 burp cloths, bathing essentials (minus the tub), Boppy, and 2 pacifiers. On the drive over to their house it still looked like we were leaving the country for at least half a year.

Stage 3:

At this point your child is somewhere around 1 year of age. You have come to the realization that not only are there stores where you can purchase items for your child, there are also these magical machines that you can put your child's clothes into and they come out smelling nice. Yes, washers and dryers. You do not have to pack every article of clothing that fits; half will do.

Mac was 11 months old when we went to Louisiana for my little brother's 21st birthday. Eric didn't come and we rode with my sister and brother-in-law. Thinking there was a pack-n-play at my Aunt's house, we didn't bring it (which turned out to be a mistake, FYI). We packed about half of his clothing (who knew what the weather would be like), 5 bowls, 5 spoons, bags of baby food, half a tub of baby formula, any toy that made noise for the car ride, monkey pacifier, one blanket, two PJ bottoms and one top (none of which matched), how ever many diapers I could squeeze into the duffel bag (like I said, we could always buy more), baby shampoo and soap (towels are towels, right?), 5 or 6 containers of baby food, and all the bottles in the house. The load of getting lighter. And when Mac ran out of formula that weekend...I decided it was time to switch over to real milk. No need to carry a whole tub of formula back when he was about to switch over anyway.

Stage 4:

Here is where we find ourselves today. Not only do they washers and dryers, but they also have dishwashers! No need to bring every sippy cup! And I'm sure we can find someone his age there that has toys, right?

Mac is 17 months old and we are heading to Homer, Louisiana for my family's annual rodeo. After a few days there, we are heading to Little Rock, Arkansas to spend some time with Eric's grandmother. And from there we Mac and I will set out on our own little adventure (cue the scary music)...Mac's first plane ride. Here is what we are taking: pack-n-play, stroller, one "pushable" toy (only because there are no toys for him in Little Rock), 1o outfits, whatever diapers are left in his diaper bin, 2 pair of mismatched PJs, 2 pacifiers, one blanket, bottle of Tylenol for those pesky molars, 4 sippy cups, bag of snacks for the car ride, and the key to success when traveling with a toddler...the portable DVD player with Yo Gabba Gabba discs!

Like I said, I don't know how many stages there are, but I think there may be a few more. I'm assuming if you get to stage 10 you just throw your kid in the car, grab an extra change of clothes, whatever is in the diaper bag, put on a DVD and hit the road!