She Needs Wide Open Spaces

Before we had Baby Bug people always told me how challenging it was to travel with a baby. Whether you are going on a quick trip to the grocery store or traveling 12 hours to visit family, going places with a baby takes planning and fore thought to avoid being caught without the essentials!

I learned my lesson the hard way to always over pack the essentials so that you are never caught without! Long story short, Bug had a blow out and I only had one wipe. I had to use lemon scented moist towelettes to clean her bum!

We have also learned how to pack the essentials in small spaces so that we can go places like hockey games without having to carry around the entire diaper bag. 

In her short 10 months we have successfully, but not without stress, gone to see Jeff Dunham, a hockey game, visited a haunted forest (well she and I just rode to the entrance of the forest and back while the rest of the group did the walk), went to an amazing wedding, visited the art museum and attended pride, the Columbus Arts Fest, and ComFest. We also survived our first hike in Hocking Hills, OH, went to her first concert (Jim Gill), and a 13 hour drive to and from Virginia Beach. 

A collage of our many adventures!

Each of these has been an adventure and all have been more than worth the stress that they caused for the memories and time with family and friends. 

Tips for exploring with baby:

• Invest in a formula dispenser for bottle fed babies. The 3 compartment munchkins are nice for trips when you are going to take the diaper bag. Ziploc bags are great when you have limited space.
• Save wipes samples for times when wanting to take as little as possible. See the freebie post for more info on where to stock up on these!
• When going to a house that is not home to a baby, be sure to bring your own stash of toys to entertain baby. And be ready to quickly baby proof everywhere you go!
• Finally, don't set your expectations too high. Be ready to leave early, take a walk with baby during portions of the event if at a concert or similar event that involves sitting, and don't push your self too hard. Stop to sleep if you're on a roadtrip, leave early if baby is losing it, and get creative in how you enjoy the event (stand in the walkway if you can, find a place that allows you to stand, or a grassy space for baby to explore and move)

Most importantly always remember to have fun with baby and don't worry if you don't make it through an entire event or outing. Each baby is different and not all do well going out for long periods of time. But I was given the advice that if going different places is something you are going to do with your child, you should start doing it with them now and I am forever grateful for that advice.