So, in August 2019 we travelled all the way North over 300 miles to visit Mark’s family. It took 8 hours. In a car. With a 10-week-old. To say my nerves were shot to sh** is an understatement of epic proportions.
I figured my confidence would return for the journey and it would be a breeze. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Not only was I highly anxious but my hormones decided to play complete havoc with my emotions, coupled with what can only be described as super exhaustion.
Carter didn’t sleep through the night. It had started to do damage the whole sleep deprivation thing, I was absolutely knackered and dehydrated and quite simply starving. I’m lucky if I manage tuna and rice for lunch most days, or if not then it’s a protein shake and toast if Carter has a nap.
The trip was awful. Not for him. Not for Mark. For me. For my mental health. I was absolutely and completely wrecked before we even set off, let alone taking half the drive that turned out to be 8 hours instead of 6. And yes, I kicked off at the joke of an excuse of a bypass that is the new Edinburgh bridge. What a complete joke that thing is.
By the time we arrived at 9:30 pm Friday night, I knew the weekend was going to be a write off. I just wasn’t able either mentally or physically.
That did change however when Carter slept 6 hours straight Saturday night.
If the trip has taught us anything – babies travel exceptionally well. In fact I think I would have been calmer on a flight to Majorca. Carter did really well.
It was an amazing trip in terms of Carter meeting his extended family. It was good for him. And we will be returning again next month.
For now however….. we aren’t travelling anywhere.
The changing facilities on the road are a joke, and the ability to feed him anywhere that doesn’t require a £20 spend just to sit down… costa and the likes got a fortune off us. The journey alone cost £100 in fuel and another £50 in snack stops as we stopped every 2 hours to give Carter a break from his car seat – as per the recommendations.
It was a long weekend. A very long weekend. But his first long journey is out of the way and we can look forward to the next one and then Christmas after that…
Overall, lessons were learned.
Don’t for example put a 10 week old in fancy leggings for travelling, he will piss all over them in a McDonalds change room at the earliest opportunity.
Do pack plenty change of the baby’s items in the change bag for the multiple piss events resulting in your child stinking and requiring a clean down with a karcher pressure washer.
Pack the room thermometer, pack the baby monitor – you will need them.
Take plenty bottles for sterilising. Don’t presume everyone will have what you have.
3 changes of clothes for 1 full day was extreme, however would have been better packed in the change bag as mentioned earlier rather than the strategically packed suitcase wedged in the boot with the fancy must-have pram.
Don’t visit garden centres. They are cry inducing awful places designed to test you to the absolute limits of your patience. The one we frequented was hotter than the hottest day of the dead in hell and had staff which literally moved slower than the most obese of snails. Plus factoring in a trip to france to get some cutlery – we will be finding a new meeting place. Carter hated it. I despised it.
Can’t wait for the next travel adventure…
Weekend JollyBlogs 
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