This is the final post in the traveling with baby series.
To catch up on the other posts:
By now, you have smartly packed your bags, endured the flight, and it’s time to enjoy your trip. It might be tempting to spend a day recuperating but you have made it this far! Get out, explore, and enjoy yourself!
We are lucky in that Joy loves a good schedule and usually sticks to one at home. Well, when we travel, sticking to a nap schedule is just not always an option. My advice would be to relax your schedule a little and see how they do when you go along with the flow. I would suggest a good stroller (one they can sleep in as opposed to some of the umbrella strollers). This allowed the husband and I to do some exploring without fear of an overtired baby. She loved the scenery and when she got tired, we slipped her a bottle and she slept for about an hour. If this doesn’t work for you, maybe head back to the room for a nap and get some rest yourselves. That way, you can hit the ground running when they wake up. 
Our biggest challenge when traveling with Joy now is feeding her a somewhat balanced diet. She was over purees pretty quickly and its quite the independent eater. She likes to feed herself. We found it easier to feed her before we went to lunch or dinner. That way, when we got to a restaurant she was mostly full and would gnaw on some bread or sip her bottle. Depending on where you are, you can always find a grocery store with a hot food section. We would pick up a piece of rotisserie chicken and two vegetable sides. When that wasn’t an option, just do your best to select something on the menu. Don’t be afraid to ask for modifications. Sometimes we would order plain pasta, and a piece of plain chicken. Joy has also had Chic Fil A Nuggets and Mac and Cheese off the kids menu. It’s not the end of the world and my baby is fed. We just make sure to get some veggies in some form or fashion to not mess up her digestive system. I did have a slight panic attack though. She LOVES broccoli, but refused to eat it on vacation. I was worried she was over veggies and turning into a picky baby. Don’t worry mamas; as soon as we got home and back on track she started eating broccoli again. Feed your babies and enjoy your trip, it will all work out!
In Hawaii, there weren’t a ton of excursions we could go on but we still had a great time. It was a different type trip. We were able to introduce Joy to the beach (She loved it), take her to the pool, walk in the lush grass, and just drive around the island. We still had some tasty meals, just try to avoid the dinner rush.
We were also fortunate enough to have Joy’s granny join us on the trip. This isn’t something typical for us but Joy appreciated the extra attention and Jeff and I were able to celebrate my birthday over a romantic dinner overlooking the ocean.
If this is a really special trip, consider hiring a family photographer. The site flytographer.com was a great resource! We were able to get some family portraits done on the beach— something we can’t get here in Houston. I will treasure these photos for ever. Can’t wait to get them printed and displayed in our new home. Shout out to Chelsea Abril Photography for the amazing shots.
In the spirit of making summer travel as easy as possible we LOVED our SwimZip.
It comes with uv protection, a super easy zipper, and was perfect for our trip to the beach.
I’m so thankful for a mama that saw a need and created the solution. For more on Betsy Johnson, creator of SwimZip, check out their website, here. SwimZip let my family enjoy our first trip to the beach without sunburn, fear of a rash, and provided absolute comfort for my baby as she experienced the ocean and sand. An added bonus was the quick drying time. I didn’t have to worry about sopping wet suits or peeling off a traditional suit full of sand. One zip and that’s it.
I can make these claims with confidence as we did one day in a traditional suit and one in our Swim Zip. I will definitely be packing it with me every trip!
There is something for everyone by SwimZip, they have modest suits for women, beautiful round beach towels and some cool shorties and full zip suits for little boys as well!
I hope this series helped ease some of the fear that comes with traveling with infants! If you have any questions of great travel stories, please share them in the comments below. I love chatting with yall!
Marissa
Marissa is a wife to Texans Offensive Lineman #79, mother to a baby girl named Joy, a baby boy named Jeff, and a lover of food . She loves to feed people on game day and try new recipes during the week. 
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