Last week we ventured out on our first family vacation. It was Kennedy’s first commercial flight, first international journey, and first wedding! Overall, I’d say it was a huge success. Of course I was stressed about it, but EVERYONE I talked to said the same thing, “This is the best time to travel!” So travel we did, 4 flights, 2 layovers, multiple cab rides, and only a few tears (probably more on my part than Kennedy’s, but that’s not important!)
We decided to leave the stroller at home so we could check the carseat and use the carrier through the airports. For her at this age and me with Nate as an extra set of hands, this was the perfect choice. We brought lots of extra outfits (that we used all of, thanks blowouts), a few pacifiers, toys, and a blanket so she could stretch out on the floor during our layover. We kept it as minimal as possible and I really felt like we moved through security, the airports and customs on both ends with ease.
She did great on all of the flights on the way there, slept almost the entire time. The way home was a little bit of a different story though. The first flight from Cabo to Houston she screamed harder than I’ve EVER heard before. It was so sad. I tried feeding, swaddling, pacifier, walking, and nothing would help. She cried, I cried, and I’m pretty sure the passengers around us wanted to cry. Finally Nate took her and bounced her a bit and magically she went to sleep. Dad FTW! She did awesome 3 out of 4 flights so I really can’t complain.
While in Cabo we stayed in a beautiful Airbnb with friends. Staying in a house was crucial with Kennedy still being so young. It allowed us to keep her on a semi normal schedule while still getting to sit out at the pool and hang with everyone. We brought the Dock-A-Tot for her to sleep in, but there ended up being a Pack ‘n Play for us to use anyways which was great. The house was amazing and we checked in to fresh salsa, guacamole, and margaritas waiting for us! Doesn’t get much better than that.
We rented the house with a group of friends from Wichita. It was so nice to catch up and lounge for a few days with everyone. It also reminded me how much I miss living in a house full of girls, SO much fun jewelry to borrow! All of these girls are mamas and I’ve had the joy of watching their babies grow up, and now they were able to meet my baby. Thanks to all of their help and support, I felt comfortable traipsing through the streets of Cabo with Kennedy as we ate all of the amazing food and drank all of the margaritas!
Obviously we were there for a wedding and it was definitely the best part. Set against the backdrop of the Gulf of California we celebrated two of our friends’ marriage. I kicked off my shoes as soon as we got there and they never actually went back on. They arranged for a babysitter to watch the younger kiddos for the night which was so nice! I was able to go up and check on Kennedy as needed, but still enjoy the night. It was our last day so we watched the sunset and danced the night away.
Fortunately and unfortunately this trip went really well. I’m so glad it did, but now I have the travel bug again knowing that we can do it! We don’t have any other trips planned at the moment, but I know each time we will hopefully get better and better at it. I’d love to hear any travel tips you’ve learned throughout your experience.
