Does it feel like you have to take the whole house? I can't imagine having 2 kids. We are leaving Saturday for Williamsburg and Va Beach, and I feel like I have to pack the whole house up. We used to share one carry on size bag, and now I am at 4 bags, and that is without half of the baby stuff I need(formula, diapers, bottles, wipes, bottle cleaner, gas drops, sound machine)...I am packing today and tomorrow, and then packing the car tomorrow night. Oh how I long for the days of throwing some things in a bag and hitting the road!!
And we are staying at my parents, who have a crib, highchair, exersaucer, bathtub, stroller, etc. I don't know what I would do without them, we'd have to rent a u-haul!!
Re: When you pack for a trip..
This is going to sound backwards, but with 3 kids, we have found we actually pack LESS then when the girls were babies. Partly because the girls are older now, but I think partly because we've figured out that we don't have to take everything for Jeremiah like we thought we did for the girls. As you travel more, you'll find yourself taking less and less with you. LOL!
But, I do agree how it feels like you're taking the entire house. When the girls were babies, my inlaws used to joke that we needed to rent a u-haul just to come visit them. And coming home was even worse because of all the stuff my MIL would buy for them. Don't forget you can buy some of the stuff once you get there if you don't want to have to pack it...diapers, wipes, formula, etc.
Good luck!
I pack ALOT less for myself nowadays. AT has his own suit case, and then I put all the form, bottes, etc in a paper grocery bag....easier to pack it all.
I also use the bumbo for a lot of stuff.....like a highchair if there isnt one. I also just take a whole pack of diapers with me just to be safe. GL!
Yes, we pack a lot of stuff! None of our parents have baby items, so we end up packing the PNP, high chair, stroller, not to mention an endless number of diapers/wipes/clothes, etc.
My 2 bags have now been dwindled down to a half a bag b/c DS needs the room for his stuff. Not to mention a 120 lb dog that travels everywhere with us!
DH keeps kidding me that when we have another one kid, we will have to get a mini-van. I don't want to cave (and I'd never tell him this) but I think he's right!
I totally agree -- the more you travel the less you pack. My last trip with Alex we took his pack-n-play and a diaper bag that had his beach toys and we also took his wagon. His clothes fit in the suitcase with mine and he eats people food now. That was ALL I took. The red wagon could have easily been left behind - but it was the beach and we planed on taking lots of walks.
You will also find that they are in a new place they dont get as bored as easy (at least at this age) because everything is new to them.
The only "extra" stuff I am packing is the play mat and the bouncy seat and a few toys. Everything else is just her "stuff" it is crazy. Diapers, wipes, formula, bottles,bottle brush, teething tablets, tylenol, gas drops, clothes (several outfits, onesies, pjs), bathing suit, hat, sunglasses, hooded towels, wash clothes, soap, powder, lotion,baby sunscreen, bulb syringe, saline spray, hair brush.
Then you've got the sound machine, the swaddle, the soothing doll, extra blanket. Spoon, rice cereal. Ugg. Pure craziness. I got her her own bag and now it is just the food items and bottles I need to pack.
when she gets a little older/you travel more, you'll definitely pack less.
henry and i are at my sister's for a week, and i brought 4 outfits, 4 pairs of jammies, his sound machine, a few toys, a booster seat and his cloth diapers/wipes. i packed for the 2 of us in 1 carry-on size bag. it used to take the whole trunk! we've been traveling at least once a week for the past 2 months, and every time i pack less. it's awesome now!