Hellobee

We just got back from our first family vacation to the beach.  It’s about an eight hour drive, which is easy-breezy for Mr. Jumper and me, but we weren’t sure how Baby Jumper would feel about being in the car for so long.  Lots of other mamas gave us the advice to drive when the baby was sleeping.  As great as that sounded, it wouldn’t work for us.  We couldn’t get into our beach house until noon, and Baby Jumper is wide awake at 7am.  Driving while she slept meant leaving in the middle of the night, meaning we’d get to the beach around 7 or 8am, and we wouldn’t be able to get in the house.  Instead, we turned our normal one day trip into a two-day adventure with frequent stops along the way.  It worked out perfectly for us, and we’ll probably make long distance drives this way in the future as well.

We left Saturday morning around 10am, after a big breakfast.  We’d packed the car the night before, so we hit the road as soon as we cleaned up and did the dishes.  We stopped two hours later for a bathroom break, a stretch, and to have some lunch.  Baby Jumper fell back asleep, so we drove until she woke back up about four hours later.  We stopped at a rest stop to stretch, let Baby Jumper play for a bit, and have a snack.  The Gerber Pouches we brought were great, and Baby Jumper loved them!  We got back on the road about an hour later, and drove the final two hours to our hotel.   We had a three hour drive ahead of us the following morning, but it was nice to be able to relax for the evening and explore the town we stayed in.  Baby Jumper did a great job throughout the entire drive, but we are definitely glad we made it a two-day trip instead of one.

1.  Gerber Organic Squeeze Pouches – We bought these for a quick lunch/snack if we stopped at a rest stop.  I bought several different flavors and crossed my fingers that Baby Jumper would like them since she isn’t a big fan of purees.  Much to our surprise, she LOVED them and devoured two whole packs when we stopped to stretch and have a snack.  Super easy clean up, and I’ll never travel without these again!

2. Ready to Feed Formula – I bought these for our road trip, and made sure to have enough for four 8-oz bottles to and from the beach.  I purposefully bought the 2-oz bottles, instead of the 8-oz bottles, because these need to be refrigerated after opening — and if Baby Jumper didn’t finish an entire 8oz bottle at once, I couldn’t refrigerate the leftovers.  I’d rather waste an ounce or two, instead of an entire 8oz bottle!  The 2-oz bottles also come with disposable nipples that attach directly to the bottle, which meant I didn’t need to keep as many bottles/liners/nipples in the car.

3.  Diapers – We packed a week’s worth of diapers in a storage container, but I also had some in my diaper bag.  We changed her diaper several times throughout our drive.

4.  Baby Wipes – I also packed a week’s worth of wipes in a storage container, but always have some in my diaper bag as well.  These were great for diaper changes, but also for wiping her face and hands at lunch time (and for wiping down the table when we stopped to eat!).

5.  My Pal Violet – Violet is Baby Jumper’s all time favorite toy, and I wouldn’t dare leave the house without taking Violet along.  Our vacation was no exception, and Violet provided hours of entertainment for Baby Jumper while we drove.

6.  Storage Baskets – Our house has poor closet space, so we had to get creative with organization when Baby Jumper was born.  I use storage baskets for everything from her bibs and blankets, to toys under our TV stand.  I packed three storage baskets in a large plastic container that doubled as a toy box while we vacationed.  Each basket was filled with her favorite toys.  I kept a fourth basket filled with toys in the backseat of our car, which was easily accessible, and a fifth larger basket that I filled with her food, snacks, two bottles and a few nipples/liners.

7.  Travel High Chair –  We take this with us every time we go out to eat, or even over to my mom’s house for dinner.  It folds up easily, is very compact, and means I don’t have to worry about Baby Jumper eating directly off a dirty table at a restaurant.

8. Teether – Baby Jumper is teething, so we packed a few teething rings and Orajel for the trip.

9. Sippy Cups – I always carry one in my diaper bag!

10.  Books – We packed Baby Jumper’s favorite books to read to her while we drove, or stopped at a rest stop.  She also liked to hold them herself, and “read” to herself too!

Have you taken any long-distance road trips with your LO?  How did you manage the long drive?