Well, after a whirl-wind weekend long trip down south to visit my family, and meet our new nephew, we made it back alive. Traveling long distances with Autumn is always unpredictable. She doesn't mind riding in the car, and will often fall asleep when driving around town running errands, but longer distances are a different story. We have learned that two hours, whether asleep or awake, is her max. My family lives four hours away.
Finding ways to occupy Autumn for those two additional hours can be a challenge. We have tried breaking the trip up by making a pit stop at a rest area, to give her a chance to stretch and get out of her car seat. The problem is, once out of the seat, she doesn't want to get back in. So after several parking lot meltdowns, we decided to only stop when it is a necessity.
I have started packing several of her favorite-at-the-moment toys and books, along with several different types of snacks. When put on a rotation, these will usually provide an hour of entertainment and when all else fails, my trusty friend "Mickey Mouse" never lets me down. We have him playing on the portable DVD player. Yes, we are those parents.
She actually traveled pretty well on this trip. She slept a bit on the way down and only got stir crazy right at the end. There was one throw-up incident on the way home, but nothing that an outfit change and a couple baby wipes couldn't handle. Cleaning up a little throw-up and watching "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse" for four hours straight is a small price to pay for moments like these.
"Cleaning up a little throw-up and watching "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse" for four hours straight is a small price to pay for moments like these."
ReplyDeleteThat alone tells me you're a wonderful mama!!! You're doing great!