"Just 'cause you got the monkey off your back doesn't mean the circus has left town." -- George Carlin

Sunday, December 30, 2007

Lil' Monkey's first big trip

The day after Christmas, we travelled to my MIL's house which is about 5 hours away (that's with one bathroom break and no traffic). Prior to this trip, I have been making a conscious effort to put Monkey in the car everyday for a ride (or two) since he HATES being confined in the car seat. Sometimes he'll cry the whole way to the store, to the mall, to my office, etc. So DH and I were prepared for the most miserable ride of our lives to DH mother's house.

We devised a plan to leave at his bedtime -- equiped with new diaper and warm sleeper and after pumping him full of milk. But as anyone knows, even the perfect plan sometimes strays when executed. And for anyone who knows DH and I, they know we ALWAYS leave late. So the 6:30 departure turned into a 7:15 departure and for the first 15 minutes, Monkey was very fussy. However, he suddenly just fell asleep and stayed asleep for 2 hours! And for each stop we made (2 each on the way down and the way back), he would wake up, get a new diaper and pretty much go back to sleep within a half hour! And during that half hour of wakefulness, he would just sit in his car seat making cute little noises! Such a GOOD BOY!

Pictured to the right is a photo of him getting an impromptu bath in Grandmom's kitchen sink. We had a little difficulty getting him to sleep in the playpen while at Grandmom's house, however, he did well considering. I'm just so proud of him and majorly relieved that this trip wasn't the complete nightmare I expected.

2 comments:

caramama said...

I'm so glad to hear it went well!

The Pumpkin also hates her carseat and being confined. We always do best if we leave at her bedtime, but hubby and I are no longer able to stay up late. So when we arrive at the in laws at midnight or later, we are exhausted and barely make it. I'm just hoping it gets easier soon...

-goofydaddy said...

glad it all went well! we will never forget our thanksgiving fiasco when the princess was not quite 2 months old. we left wednesday at 1pm on a trip that should have only taken 2.5 hours max. with rain and traffic and stops for changing and feeding. it ended up taking more than 8 hours! we were exhausted. our trip to providence, RI when she was 10 months went swimmingly. long, but swell. 9 hrs became 12, but i'll take a 133% markup over 320% anyday!

we've been blessed that she hasn't really minded travel too much-it gets bad when she's not tired and been in the seat for more than 3 hrs or so. And it got way better when the seat turned around at 1 yr!