The Balancing of It All

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I practically laughed out loud at the fact that I included the word “balance” in this blog post.
That’s always the goal, isn’t it? At least for me it is.
I thought I could pretty much keep going at the same pace that I was operating in prior to David being born. I wasn’t working behind the chair anymore, so surely I’ll have more time, right?
I learned early on that newborns and work are a hard combination.
So I started to evaluate the situation.
And after much thought a lightbulb went off in my head.
“Hire a babysitter you dope.” 
And so I did.
She comes on Wednesdays for about 4 hours while I power away at blog-work upstairs in my office. It is, by far, the most productive 4 hours of my life.

 photo David-1.jpg

And the best part is that it freed me up to enjoy just hanging with David during the day, instead of eagerly anticipating nap times so I can get work done. I can honesty say that I love staying home with him. I love getting him up in the morning and feeding him his bottle while Justin makes my breakfast for me. We have a little groove on weekday mornings that I so enjoy.
David will be four months old on Sunday. We’ve officially stopped referring to him as “__ weeks old” and are now saying months. It was time to stop. I would tell people how many weeks he was and they would give me a blank stare trying to do the math in their head.
And coming from a girl who still counts on her fingers, I felt inclined to do them a favor and simply tell them the months.
He’s grabbing toys and becoming very chatty. He likes to straighten his legs and “stand” with assistance, but hates sitting in the Bumbo.
He’s also seriously chunky. He has too many thigh rolls to count. It’s adorable.

 photo David2-1.jpg

He has started to suck his thumb and it’s heart-meltingly sweet. He never really took to the pacifier, so I’m glad he’s found something to soothe himself. I’ve heard that thumb-sucking can lead to a pretty jacked up grill, but if you had seen my teeth prior to getting braces you would know that I’m already planning on his teeth being jacked up. Of course, if he gets my husband’s teeth that wouldn’t be a problem. But come nap time, if he’s sucking his thumb and sleeping, there’s no way I’m going in there to pull it out!

We are taking a short road trip up to Virginia this weekend. I’ve flown with David 4 times, but I’m nervous about driving a long distance with him. Once he’s “done” with being in the car seat, he will let you know about it.

We might be making a few pit stops just to give him a breather from the car seat. Have you traveled by car with an infant? Do you have any tips for me?

I really love sharing little details about our life with you on Wednesdays. Thanks for reading! 

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Kendwy Valdez says · 04.09.14

Those rolls don’t need counting. They need to be respected. Lol I love it!!!
Nice that you have some time now to work and know that the baby is being watched and is safe.
We took a road trip to Georgia when our baby was 4 months old. It was a 24 hour trip. We made a lot of stops for diaper changes and to fuel up, but honestly she was an angel. She never really cried. Everytime we would stop, she would regain energy and was able to stretch and then back in the car she would sleep for hours! We were SHOCKED! She hated the car seat in general so this trip was miraculous. Hoping the same happens for you.

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Kate says · 04.09.14

Respect the rolls–haha! Glad to hear your daughter did well in the car! That gives me hope!

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Isla Grace says · 04.09.14

Hope David gets on well in the car for you! 😀

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Kelly says · 04.09.14

leave right before his normal nap schedule. Bring his blaket or whatever he’s in the crib with…open the window a hair so that it makes a white noise, feed him and let him sleep most of it….you will enjoy the time with your husband just being able to talk….I say this with complete confidence that if you totally WANT your baby to do something – sometimes they don’t. It’s a real bummer. But if you set him up to win he can…lol so if he takes 3 naps a day or so go in the morning if you can or right after his lunch and just let him sleep….it’ll be so much more relaxing than flying I will tell you that much! also get gas BEFORE the baby falls asleep…the car slowing down or stopping usually wakes a babe…so all snacks, drinks and chick- fila must be purchased BEFORE baby nods off:)

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Carrie Heider Grant says · 04.09.14

Windows instead of a white noise cd! Genius. Can’t wait until it’s warm enough in Michigan to make this happen.

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Amber says · 04.09.14

Totally agree with the gas before he’s asleep! Made that mistake one too many times 🙁

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Liz @ iheartvegetables says · 04.09.14

Awwww he’s such a cutie! And that’s such a great idea to hire a sitter for a few hours, just to give you a little break so you can plow through work! I’m sure you’re super productive when you have that time!

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hcholloway says · 04.09.14

We took our first road trip when my son was about 6 months old. We drove from Missouri to southeast Texas (about 9 hours without a baby, 10-11 with mine). We had lots of toys on hand and one of us was sitting in the backseat with him at all times to try to head off any issues. We scheduled in stops about every 2-3 hours, unless he was napping at the time. I had an insulated bottle bag with a couple bottles pre-made, plus extra supplies (pre-measured formula and bottles already filled with the correct amount of water) within reach to avoid digging through the trunk on the side of the road. The same goes for burp cloths, clothes, etc. Have all that handy to save time and frustration. Maybe even a tube of teething gel or a teething ring- He’s about that age and it’s just possible he could start teething on the road. Hopefully not, but it never hurts to be ready!

I would also suggest a sunshade of some sort. At times the sun was shining right in his face (sometimes during a nap!) and we had to drape his seat with a receiving blanket. He did much better than expected. It was only during the last 2 hours that things got a little hairy, but we made it!

Hopefully your trip is an easy, stress free one. Wishing you luck!

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Mary Catherine says · 04.09.14

David is so stinkin cute! That smile is adorable. Last year when my daughter was around 5 months old, we took a trip to Disney World, which is about 8 hours from my house. She did very well on the way down, and had only one minor meltdown on the way back. She slept a bit, but I found it helpful to have someone in the back with her to interact with when she got bored. We also made frequent stops to eat and/or stretch our legs. Good luck with the road trip!

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Heather Ann Johnson says · 04.09.14

“Balance” is a tricky thing when you become a mommy! I read this article a little while ago and much prefer the word “tilting”. 🙂 (http://www.raisinglemons.com/motherhood/tilting/) That being said, we’re all glad that you’ve found a balance without giving up your blog! And, especially glad that it’s a solution that’s fulfilling for you as well.

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Sherry says · 04.09.14

That smile on David’s face is priceless…….what an adorable little boy. Have a safe fun trip this weekend. Keep on writing so we can all keep on reading. You have lots of followers who love hearing your stories.

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collettakay says · 04.09.14

I agree about the awesomness of hiring a babysitter! As for the trip, plan on it taking longer than you might expect 😉

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Jamie Remic says · 04.09.14

We have traveled the same distance multiple times with my son who’s a year old. He always does really well. We tried to plan leaving around nap time so he’d sleep for part of the trip. Also like you said making a pit stop really helps. Hope all goes well with the trip! Love your blog!!

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Cynthia says · 04.09.14

My husband and I have three kids and we decided to do a New England road trip last September, so we had a 4 year old a 2 year old and a 4 month old. My 4 month old hated the car seat, so I was really nervous about taking him all over New England for almost 3 weeks. The first day or two were cranky days, but then he finally came to realization that this was his life, he got quiet and started planning his revenge on us (which I’m sure will come into play when my husband and I are in wheelchairs and can’t escape the car, he’ll take us in a lovely road trip).

Anyway, if he gets too fussy I’d try to sit in the back with him. Seeing your face will probably make him happy. I’d plan on stopping a few times too. Take a look to see if there are any cool stops along the way and stop as often as your day lets you… Every time you stop, pull him out of the car seat to see everything and to stretch. Also, if there are any toys you haven’t introduced him to, bring them with you, or pick up a few new ones–New toys are a good distraction. Also, all of my children loved chip bags, they make that delightfully crunchy sound and if you’re really awesome, you’ll turn them inside out so he can see the shiny part… Obviously, make sure you’re sitting in the back with him when he plays with a chip bag.

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Melanie says · 04.09.14

This won’t sound like good advice, but I have found with both my kids that pit stops are the worst idea ever =). We used to stop on our way (we lived 12 hours from family) and taking them out was fine…. but putting them back in….. not so good. It was like they were way worse AFTER the pit stop because they thought we played this terrible joke on them. =) HA! So, we started just leaving them in… and it went much better. It probably depends on the kid, but I really found just getting there is the better idea. Hope it goes well for you!

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C says · 04.09.14

I totally agree with this 😉 haha

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M Martel says · 04.09.14

I also agree with this! My mom lives 8 hours away and with our firstborn, we would stop for breaks but end up having to deal with an even bigger crisis afterwards…starting with having to get him to settle so we could strap him back into his car seat. Now, with 2 kids in tow, the goal is always to get to destination as quickly as possible with only the necessary (i.e. eating, diaper changes, feeding) stops in between. Have a great and safe trip!

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Meredith says · 04.09.14

I could not agree more, I was just about to post this. When my son was an infant and we went on 6 hour drives, the only time I would take him out was to change his diaper. I would do it on the back seat and pop him back into his carseat without holding him or letting him stretch. Sounds mean, but it led to a happier baby. He was always happy on the long trips.

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Lindsey says · 04.09.14

I also agree! When they get the taste of freedom they don’t want to be strapped in again! I sit in the back with my baby and do hand motions while singing… Itsy bitsy spider and signing the ABCs are my LO’s favorite! Good luck 🙂

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Shannon says · 04.09.14

I just posted about road trips with babies on my blog yesterday ———> mickadventures.wordpress.com

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Nora Rose says · 04.09.14

My brother sucked his thumb for yearssss and every said he would need braces, my mom always tried to get him to stop. Fast forward, my sister and I both got braces to fix our teeth and his teeth are perfect, no overbite or anything. I think it’s totally random how it impacts it!

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Our Little Family says · 04.09.14

We drove 5 hours with our son at 8 weeks old (2 months…haha) and it went great! Our next road trip is in June and this time I’ll be going by myself with both our boys. A little nervous! My family lives 5 hours a way and it’s a trip we take frequently so I feel so blessed that our boys are good travelers!

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Julie Arthur says · 04.09.14

THANK YOU for not saying weeks. I hate it when people do that. Also it really annoys me when people say months when they’re over a year, for example “he’s 16 months old.” I have to take like two minutes just to figure out what that means… just says “he’s almost a year and a half.” or he’s a year and 4 months. Maybe my mind will change when I have a baby, but for now, it’s annoying! 🙂

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Kelly (She Wears a Red Sox Cap) says · 04.09.14

Yes! my baby is almost 3 months and I’ve already stopped the weeks… so many blank looks lol.
I’m so glad you hired a babysitter. I will be returning to work next week and I’ve been trying to work on this small project for the last month just to get myself ahead when I return. It would probably take me 3 hours total if I actually had a reasonable length of time to work on it… but I don’t haha.

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Statements in Fashion says · 04.09.14

Hi Kate, My kiddos are much older now, but I have to agree with the above poster on the thumb sucking. Everything has its “good & bad”…….I just know that while some of my friends were frantic looking for lost pacifiers maybe left at Grandmas, I knew my sons thumb would never be lost or discontinued lol:)
Its hard to just load the dishwasher with a new baby, let alone sit behind a computer, good for you on the babysitter too!

A Lifestyle Blog where Fashion, Decor & Cooking “connect”.
Statements in Fashion Blog♥

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Claire says · 04.09.14

I have a 1 year old and a 3 year old and we drive up to Virginia and NY to visit family frequently (from NC). What works best for us on long drives is driving during the night. We drink lots of coffee, and it’s so peaceful knowing the kids will sleep the whole way. Then our parents or family watch the kids while we nap! For the shorter drives, we always take along some toys and snacks and between that and napping, the kids do OK. Good luck on your trip!

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R2P2 says · 04.09.14

Can I say that admitting you have a sitter makes me feel a little better? I was in awe of how you were able to post so much and still keep David a happy lil kiddo. I couldn’t believe how much I CAN’T get done day to day (note to self: reading blogs probably doesn’t help this process). Is this a friend or someone you had to interview & hire? If it’s the latter, I’d be interested in a post about the process!

My mom lives in VA (we are also in the Raleigh area), and it’s about a 3.5 drive to her place, which I’ve made with our little guy several times. Just to be safe, plan to take an extra hour longer than usual — that way if David does get fed up with the car seat, you can stop & play at a rest area without worrying about getting somewhere on time. Plan to leave around naptime and right before you get in the car, change him and then fill him up with food to encourage the sleepiness. Our guy will wake up if we slow down to swing through a drive-thru, so we have to weigh that option carefully. Our carseat has a canopy, so I pull that over him to get some shade to help encourage the sleep. You might want to get something to keep sun out of his face if you don’t have a carseat canopy. I remember you have one of those car mirrors, which is great to give him a face to “talk” to if he wakes up. For awake times, I hang a toy from the handle and place another in his lap to give him something to look at/play with if he does wake up. Have the diaper bag within arm’s reach and stocked with an extra outfit and favorite toys/fuss-busters. I always keep an extra shirt (for myself), paper towels, & Clorox wipes in the car in case of disaster. I’ve never needed to use it, but better to be prepared, right? Good luck!

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The Domestic Fringe says · 04.09.14

The only time my son ever slept was in the car, so roadtrips were a breeze. Now, if you want to talk regular nights at home in bed, well, that’s another story that ends with me being a half-crazed, sleep-deprived mama. 😉

I’m sure your little doll will be a gem. Enjoy the trip!
~FringeGirl

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Sheri says · 04.09.14

I took a bunch of trips solo to see Grandma and Grandpa when my little girl was an infant! Leaving around nap or bedtime is a great tip. When she was sleeping, I wouldn’t stop for anything but gas (and put that off as long as I could to keep the sleeping going)! We did take a couple of pitstops to manage diapers and feedings, usually at a rest stop. My kiddo appreciated a little time to crawl around in some grass and sit in the sun, if the weather was decent.

The other thing that really helped me was keeping a little basket of her favourite toys in the passenger seat. If I heard a fuss stirring up, I could pass something back to her as a distraction. If that toy fell, I had more to pass. We also did a LOT of wacky rounds of songs like Old MacDonald… who knew a hippo could live on a farm and what does a hippo sound like, anyway? =) She also had this light up star that attached to the handle of her carry-along carseat. It would flash and play music whenever we would shake it a little bit – a BIG distraction during night drives!

Good luck! I hope it’s a great trip!

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C says · 04.09.14

I wont lie, taking trips with a baby is so much easier then with older kids. We traveled 9 hrs when our oldest 2 were 6mo and 18mo and they did so well. now they are 6 adn 7 and we have a 3yr old and they pest the whole time when are we gonna be there…. ever kids is different tho 😉

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Kylie Jones says · 04.09.14

My little could handle about 2 hours then we would get out cuddle walk around and stretch our legs. Giving him a mirror to look in helped too

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Kylie Jones says · 04.09.14

My little could handle about 2 hours then we would get out cuddle walk around and stretch our legs. Giving him a mirror to look in helped too

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Ashley Mione says · 04.09.14

My husband and I have taken our twins on car trips several times (two 12 hour trips and several 2-3 hour trips) and we either drive at night or during nap time. It always worked out really well for us!

Hope it’s a great trip!

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Catherine Ray says · 04.09.14

When we traveled with our little boy at that age we scheduled stops to stretch our legs and such around his feeding times. He ate every 3 hours at 4months old. I was nursing him so we would try to find a nice rest area so I wouldn’t have to feel like everyone and their mother was staring at me as they walked into the gas station haha. It was a pretty good rule of thumb for us. He pretty much needed his diaper changed immediately after eating so we did that and played with him for a while and then he was good to go. If he was completely knocked out asleep then we would keep driving until my boobs were screaming though! It’s not so bad. Long distance tends to make them sleepy.

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Rebecca Davidson says · 04.09.14

Drive at night while he is sleeping.

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Julia Haupt says · 04.09.14

OMG I have to see that thumb sucking!!! No really. I do. Now!!! And you can do four hours! We took many many road trips with C. Around the same age we took him on a little trip that was about the same length. We did one way early in the morning and the other one later in the evening. Each time I fed him and kept him up for a bit while loading the car and getting ready and such. Then when we put him in his car seat we used our car seat cover to cover the car seat and make it dark. And we sat a little travel/battery operated noise machine (not too loud) by his seat. He fussed as he was settling but after a few minutes he was asleep and slept most of the way.

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scallboyz says · 04.09.14

We’ve traveled 16 hours with infant triplets (straight through I have a husband that goes on autopilot when on a road trip) and best word of advice is to travel during nap/bedtime. We did their normal bedtime routine, gave them their bath, put their pj’s on, fed them, then in the car we went. They did awesome and slept until our first gas fill up at which we took them out, let them “stretch” a little, diaper changes, feedings etc. Try not to alter their sleeping time as little as possible and the transition should go smoothly 🙂 Happy road trip!

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Natalie says · 04.09.14

we still plan travel time around nap time. We get the car ready to go and then when nap time arrives we stick our twins in the car and let them fall asleep in their car seats. When bottle time came around we would stop at a gas station and get some hot water. We never once had to pay. People are so nice when you ask nicely. Bringing our own cups also helped. We knew exactly how much water to put in so there would be enough but not too much. We now make sure to have extra snacks and bottles ready to go in a cooler. My guys drink cold milk from sippy cups so no more bottle warming. They also enjoy watching DVDs, especially the movie Planes, so we always have a couple of those ready to go if they wake up early or our trip is longer than their nap.

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Jessica Gobbo says · 04.09.14

I am expecting in July and am tentatively planning a road trip from Michigan to Connecticut for my cousins wedding when he will be about 6 weeks old. (As long as I am feeling well and I think he can handle it ok) im already a little nervous about it but newborns sleep so much so hopefully we will be able to go and it will go smoothly!

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Hannah Crane says · 04.09.14

17 hours with two kids under the age of two. we drove through the night and they slept the whole way! start driving early in the morning and he’ll sleep a bit of the time away 🙂

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Hannah Crane says · 04.09.14

17 hours with two kids under the age of two. we drove through the night and they slept the whole way! start driving early in the morning and he’ll sleep a bit of the time away 🙂

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Ashley B. says · 04.09.14

Awwwwww he really favors you. 🙂

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Flossie says · 04.09.14

Bravo for you for just hiring a babysitter. My oldest is 3 years & it took me until about the last year or so to just hire a sitter on a day off now & then so I can run & do errands. Sounds like you’re much more ahead of the game than me.

Also…those thighs?! Love them!!!

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Bretta says · 04.09.14

Thank you for posting this! I have an almost 6 month old who hates the car and we have to travel 5+ hours for a wedding. He will not fall asleep in the car anymore and he gets bored easily. It’s hard to make a 30 minute ride to my parents house without him screaming bloody murder.

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Ashley Beth says · 04.09.14

Such a cutie! My firstborn also didn’t like his car seat and would cry so hard that I just stopped going places for the first 4 months. Two things helped:
1. We moved him from his infant carrier car seat to a Britax that was larger & more comfy for him (at about 4 months).
2. I bought some inexpensive but colorful, busy 1/4 yards of fabric. When he got fussy, we’d stop real quick & throw fabric over the seat he was looking at. It seemed he was mostly just bored back there! He’d stare at the colorful patterns for a good 45 minutes before we’d have to switch fabrics to keep him “entertained.” He also loved black & white fabrics as well. Just a thought for your trip. I hope it’s a lovely time away for you guys and that David is a little gem for you. 🙂

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Carrie Heider Grant says · 04.09.14

We time our departure for nap time, feed him RIGHT before carseat (with maybe 5-10 minutes of cushion to give him time to digest–he’s a major post-meal spitter), and turn on the white noise CD until he’s out and we are desperate for anything other than “Mountain Stream.” We also grab his favorite toys and hook them to his car seat with rings. Happy traveling!

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Megan says · 04.09.14

I havent traveled with a baby in the car, but in a few weeks I am relocating to Georgia from Chicago with my lab and am very nervous about that trip!

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bonnieshee says · 04.09.14

I think most babies discover they have hands around that age. The thumb sucking was just a short phase for us. It doesn’t impact their teeth until they are much older and most kiddos drop the habit before then, so don’t let people start in with the horror stories. Now at six months, he no longer sucks his thumb and no longer uses the paci, so we’re chunking that, and it feels good 🙂 I was very determined not to create a paci dependency because it can definitely wreak havoc down the road. I much preferred the thumb. Good luck on your road trip!

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ktcupoftea says · 04.09.14

4 months! I think this was when it got to be a hoot for us and our daughter. She started laughing a ton and “spitting” 🙂 She’s 6 months old now.

We’ve done road trips from Durham to VA 4 or 5 times now. The key for us was timing it around our daughter’s nap or bed time. Does David sleep ok in his car seat? If our daughter does start to get fussy, we just pull over at a rest stop, pull her out and let her “jump” for a while. Then she’s pretty content to get back in. But timing the trip around a nap has worked for us. Good luck!! The nice thing about a car trip is you can always pull over for a few minutes.

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Stacey Edwards says · 04.09.14

After reading this, “It is, by far, the most productive 4 hours of my life.” and how you regard blog work, I felt prompted to encourage you. You keep a human alive during the other 20 hours of your day- that’s productive! Your job as a mom is work, and just because it doesn’t always seem like it (or pay the bills), it truly is more than a full-time job.

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Michele Oates says · 04.09.14

We took a nine hour road trip when my daughter was four months. I was stressed to the max. She was perfect. I pumped in the front seat and climbed in the back and gave her a bottle. It was the easiest road trip of her life. Good luck.

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Amber says · 04.09.14

Traveling by car with a baby gets easier the more you do it. I work from home and have to go to the office every once in a while when my husband is working (he’s a firefighter so he’s either still at work when I leave or not getting home till after I’m gone), so unfortunately the little man has had to make the hour and a half trek with me very early on! The first time he screamed for 20 min then went back to sleep! (It was the longest 20 min of my life). Although from having to make the drive with me so much he’s much better with car rides and doesn’t hate it so much any more. A few tips for road trips: leave around his nap time. That way he’s sleepy and will go to sleep instead of fighting you at the beginning of your trip. Also, get a sleep sheep! They’re awesome and perfect for a little white noise on the go. Keep diapers, burp cloths, chew toys (like sofie!), and other essentials within arms reach so you don’t have to search for it when you need it! Block the sun- I just have a blanket or his car seat cover that I roll up into the window, but I’m sure the shades actually made for that purpose work too 🙂 lastly if he starts crying- stay calm and don’t worry about him till you can safely pull over. While you think you may not survive with his screaming protests- he really is ok 🙂 good luck!!

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Jade Morriss says · 04.09.14

Ahh, David is just so cute. My little one (five months old) is a little chunkster too – he moved in to size 6-9 month clothes at just under 4 months! He is oh so cute and the health team have no concerns so that’s fine!

Good luck with your road trip!
🙂
Bits & Bobs

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Elecia says · 04.09.14

I have made a 12-14 hour road trip with a baby multiple times now. And mine all nursed, and would not take a bottle. I have learned a few things along the way.

1. The movement of the car makes them sleep more often. If you travel during the day, it makes for an interesting night, but it is a small price to pay 🙂

2. Little toys he can play with in the carseat. Give them one at a time to stretch them out and prevent boredom.

3. I will climb in back and sit next to the baby for a while. So he can see me, hold my finger, play, eat…

4. My kids are music lovers. So I play music all the time (and not kid tunes- i am not trying to forgo my own sanity. haha!)To this day, if my five year old starts to have a fit, i turn on music. She stops everything to listen and sing along.

I have only had to stop twice with any of the three of them. I will say, this last time i had a very sad 3 month old. I ended up having to climb back and sit next to him with an episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on my phone for the last 30 minute stretch. Whatever works, right?

Oh! and bring some disposable changing table covers (or a changing pad), and some antibacterial wipes (for, like, EVERYTHING at the rest stops) 🙂 Good luck!

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HLane says · 04.09.14

I have traveled a 16 hr roadtrip with my son about a week before he turned 1 and a 3 hour road trip when he was 8mos.. As they get older they are a lot more wiggly, but when they are a little older, they can be distracted a little easier.

1. They will cry, but that may lead him to sleeping. Sleeping babies during road trips are great.

2. Be prepared to be in the back seat with him possibly, and bottles will help pass the time.

4. If he is into any Baby Einstein DVDs, he may enjoy some with shapes and colorful objects to help pass the time

5. Make sure to bring an extra blanket. You may want to play peek-a-boo.

6. Have patience and roll with the punches. It is so easy to get stressed out while traveling with a baby, but just see what works and then go with the flow. You will enjoy yourself so much more.

7. Get ready to sing. If singing calms him down at other times, the car ride will be a great time for that. Especially the “Itsy Bitsy Spider” with lots of arm animations when you wash the spider out. 🙂

Have fun! It will go well. 🙂

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Tara says · 04.09.14

Oh, he is just adorable! Chubby babies are the cutest. One thing we always do on road trips with our babies is play radio static. We just turn the car radio to static and it helps them be super calm and usually lulls them to sleep pretty quickly.

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Jen says · 04.09.14

I’m 16 weeks pregnant now with my first, and I AM LOVING your Wednesday posts! They are just so real, and they help me to be excited for all the snuggles, but be realistic about how exhausting it call all be. Sometimes thinking about it is quite overwhelming, but I am super excited! Thanks and keep the posts coming!

Xo
Jen
http://www.ThreeSweetPeasBlog.com

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Sarah says · 04.09.14

We take our daughter (now 6 months) on a 5 hr trip home to see family about once a month and have since she was 4 weeks old. Honestly I think babies are either going to be good in the car or not, but she definitely got easier to entertain around 4 months. Bring a bag of toys and give him one at a time, our daughter also likes the mirror on the back of the seat and sometimes just a blanket to cuddle with. It IS easier if you plan to leave at a time when he would be napping or sleeping anyway. Plan a spot to stop half way – it would probably be a good idea to know of a few decent rest stops or towns to stop in along the way so you know ahead of time where the good spots are to stop, that way when he wakes up or gets fussy suddenly you have a plan. A nice rest stop is so much easier to regroup in than a gas station parking lot! Last piece of advice I have is, it is OK if he fusses or cries, it took me awhile to learn this, but if you start a timer or look at the clock and say, Ok if he cries for ten minutes straight we will make plans to stop and give him a break, but if he settles himself before then you’re good to go. Good luck!

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Sarah says · 04.09.14

Oh yeah, one more thing, our daughter is actually better if she is alone in the back seat, not with us. I found if one of us was back there she was generally fussier … I think if she sees us she thinks we should be paying attention to her or picking her up, whereas if she’s back there alone she tends to fall asleep.

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Mishelle O says · 04.09.14

The whole using a pacifier will make yoru teeth “jacked up” is a complete myth. My teeth are straight as can be, without braces, and I used a paci until I was nearly 4…

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Lisa Abernathy says · 04.09.14

We just returned from a road trip from MN to TN and I thought surely this was going to be a road trip from hell with a 10 month old and a 4 year old but the 10 month old did just great in the car seat, I was surprised. On the way down he slept most of the way (more than I thought he would) and when he wasn’t sleeping he was playing with a taggie animal or looking at one of those hard baby books that had lots of colors and shapes in it. So I would for sure have whatever toys he likes or can keep busy with! I did also feed him in his seat while we were driving which was not my first choice but it kept him happy and it helped us stay on the road rather than stop more frequently. We didn’t drive straight through but did about 8 hours a day so he was champ considering how long that is to him! Good Luck!!!

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Jessica Howe says · 04.09.14

Hi Kate! Love your David posts… My son was born on December 12th so it’s fun seeing David grow along with my son. I know every baby is different, but would you mind writing out what his typical routine/schedule is every day? Thanks so much! 🙂

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Kim Almonroeder says · 04.09.14

Hi, Kate! Love this post! I had to comment because I took my son (now 6mos) for a 8 HOUR car ride when he was about David’s age. I was a nervous wreck! I debated leaving in the middle of the night so he could “sleep” but we ended up going first thing in the morning and he still slept a ton! He did great – but a few things really helped:
1) Light/loose clothing so he didn’t overheat in his car seat
2) Sitting in the back with him while feeding (and husband kept driving) It helped to not have to stop and take him out every time he needed to eat…we got to our destination so much quicker!
3) The infant zoo app for iPad. I’m not thrilled that I’m already using “technology” but it was a life saver during the fussy moments!
Hope all goes well!

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Bobbi says · 04.09.14

Once he’s over it, sit in the back with him. If he can see you if will keep him happy for longer than if he’s by himself.

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PolkaDottyPlace says · 04.09.14

Thanks for the babysitter tip! I definitely would enjoy having some work/alone time 🙂 My baby has logged over 11,000 road trip miles in her 10 month life and she travels like a champ. I wrote a post with my tips for traveling with her when she was David’s age. http://polka-dottyplace.blogspot.com/2013/10/baby-roadtrips.html Hope you all enjoy the trip!! We are flying with Olive for the first time in a few weeks so I appreciated your tips for flying with a little one.

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Meggie @ My Grace-Full Life says · 04.09.14

Chunky little baby legs are just the sweetest thing!
We had a rough road trip with my daughter when she was around this age (4-5 months). Came to find out she was hot in her rear facing carseat. Just something to be aware of- adults stay much cooler facing forward closer to the vents. We put a window shade up and cranked the ac and it helped! It also helped when we took that extra newborn cushioning out of her carseat- we didn’t realize it was making her uncomfortable (and hot!) at that stage. It seemed to be better when she was back there alone too- she went to sleep easier without being distracted by me waving toys at her :). Best of luck to you- have a safe trip!

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Brooke says · 04.09.14

LOL @ “pretty jacked up grill”…..Hope your trip is nice, and David is comfy in his carseat!!

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Paige Allison Leitch says · 04.09.14

Have faith Kate! I sucked my thumb UNTIL I WAS SEVEN YEARS OLD and my teeth pulled through! I’m also rooting for our son, with whom I’m 31 weeks pregnant, who has been sucking his thumb in every sono picture that has been taken to date. Like mother, like son? Maybe we should just start saving for braces now… 🙂

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Meg O'Brien says · 04.09.14

Oh my goodness, he is so adorable!! That smile and those rolls are so cute!!! I sucked my thumb until I was around 7 years old… I definitely had to have a full set of braces for 2 years… but as long as it soothes him! 🙂

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Alli says · 04.09.14

Love it!! We have done 8 hour long road trips with both of our kids, at 3 months and 4 months. It was totally not a big deal- maybe we got lucky, but my babies LOVE to sleep. We always tried to leave when I thought they’d be ready for a nap or bedtime and knew what would normally be a 2 hour nap could stretch to 3 hours if they had full bellies. I honestly tried to get them out of their seats as little as possible- it was worse getting them back into the seats once I gave them freedom. Stopping more than twice in a 8 hour trip makes me start to twitch. We bring obnoxious toys we know they kids will love, have a few “new” things, and I’m climbing front to back about 5 times. I find that my kids do better with me in the front seat- out of sight out of mind, maybe? As soon as I’m back there they beg to be held, picked up, etc. I have also fed my babies in the carseat as we drove- I can get them out in plenty of time if they choke so it is worth it to us if we’re all happy to keep going. (I burp them like crazy when we stop 🙂 Good luck! I am sure it won’t be a disaster!

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Sage says · 04.09.14

I love your writing and David! Seriously amazing stuff you’re putting on your blog! 🙂

http://www.ahintofsage.blogspot.com/

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Hannah Wiggins says · 04.09.14

Ok Kate I can’t believe I’m telling you this but I sucked my thumb until I was 13! Yes I said 13! I never had to have braces and dentists tell me I have nearly perfect teeth. My sister had the most atrocious grill you’ve ever seen and a dentist told us when she went to get her braces that if I hadn’t sucked my thumb so long that my teeth would’ve looked just like hers! Yikes. She actually looked like she had fangs. By sucking my thumb it stretched my palette out and made room for my teeth. So there ya go. Maybe David’s little thumb will help him out too:)). His rolls are so cute I wish I could squeeze them! 😀

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Jeff and Alexia says · 04.09.14

My little guy has been dealing with long car rides since he was a couple months old. One set of grandparents lives ~3 hours away. The other set lives ~7-8 hours away (by car). Also, we have about an hour commute between home and daycare each day. The poor kid never had a chance to not like car rides. When he was small, it was pretty easy. He’d just sleep through it but we did have to stop for feeding and diapering breaks. Full tummies and clean diapers usually make for happy, sleepy babies. Also, have some fun toys on hand and consider someone sitting in the back with him for part/all of the trip. Make sure he gets plenty of tummy time before and after the car ride so his little bum doesn’t hurt from sitting too much (I mean, mine does if I sit too long so his might too, right?) You’re going to do great but I know how it works… worrying is what we do best 🙂

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Laura Fairchild says · 04.09.14

We’ve done short little trips with our 7 month old (about 3 hours long). We find it very beneficial to leave shortly after feeding. She generally starts to get tired about an hour after eating so we feed, get ready and then go. She’s up for about a half hour in the car and crashes for about 2 hours. We make sure we have room in the back seat in case I need to sit with her. Sometimes she just likes to see your face. We always schedule enough time to make pit stops in case a diaper needs to be changed or she needs to stretch.

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pfeifferdawn says · 04.09.14

Our family lives about 8.5 hours away, so we’ve done many road trips with my now 2.5 year old. Keeping as close to a normal schedule as you can is helpful. Have an extra set of clothes, along with a roll of paper towel and some plastic baggies you can trash if need be…for any unexpected accidents. When weather permits, we would pack lunch and have a picnic at a nice rest area. It was refreshing to be out in the nice weather instead of going from sitting in the car to sitting in a fast food joint. My daughter has always been a pretty good car sleeper, so if she was sleeping we just drove (and held it if anyone else needed a potty break!) We’ve never flown with my daughter, so I’m amazed at your flying prowess with David!

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pfeifferdawn says · 04.09.14

I would also always pick up a new toy, something cheap or from the dollar aisle, and wrap it up. Bonus entertainment points for feeling like my daughter got a present and the time and fascination it took to unwrap it. 🙂

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Jennifer Young says · 04.09.14

Those rolls are to die for. That’s how all 3 of my boys were: chunkalicious. I wish rolls like that were as cute on a 38-year-old woman as they are on a baby. 😉 As for the car ride, just be prepared to stop whenever he needs to. The ride will take longer, but you’ll be a lot happier!

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Angie Barefoot says · 04.09.14

A very handsome little boy. Thank you for sharing your experience with us all.

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Angie Barefoot says · 04.09.14

A very handsome little boy. Thank you for sharing your experience with us all.

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Anita Finn says · 04.09.14

I hear you on the nervousness of driving a long distance with a baby! My oldest always did great on car rides. Never a peep and at 8 months old we took our first long trip to visit my family 12 hours away. It worked beautifully! She napped right along when she was supposed to. We split the trip up and spent the night halfway because although she would nap in the car when it was time for bed she wanted to be in bed, not the car seat.
Then came Audrey Grace…the spit-fire, angel-faced, baby doll…seriously I get told all the time she looks like a porcelain doll…we couldn’t drive 30 minutes without her screaming her head off. It got a bit easier as she got older but at 1 year old we had to turn the car seat around. Some people disagree with this but they are not in the car with a baby wailing either. We had became hermits to our town and made very short trips until that point. Once she was turned around we haven’t had a bit of trouble! We went to visit my family again and she did great! Better than her sister!
All this to say, every baby is so different!! My suggestion is to take stops along the way and give him some cuddle time. If getting back into the car he seems to get upset, sit in the back with him. Let your husband be your chauffeur for the drive. Babies are fun loving little selfish beings who desire attention and want to be entertained. Find what works for you and go with it. Don’t set any expectations just go with the flow. It’ll keep you from getting stressed out and help keep David calm.
Sorry for such a long post. Best of luck and safe travels!!

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Angie Barefoot says · 04.09.14

A very handsome little boy. Thank you for sharing your experience with us all.

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Christina Williams says · 04.09.14

We took our (now) nine-month old on a six-hour road trip when he was two-months! I was nervous as well, but thankfully he slept almost the entire time. Ever since then, when we make that same six-hour trip to see the in-laws, he sleeps like a log almost the whole way. There’s just something about packing up the car and him either consciously or unconsciously knowing we are about to make a haul that knocks him right out! I hope you have the same luck 🙂

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Brandi says · 04.09.14

He is seriously too cute!! I have taken my kids on several road trips and find that it’s better not to stop until you absolutely HAVE to. Once mine was out of the seat it was hard to get him back in. So when you do stop and stretch don’t be surprised if he refuses to get back in there. We would always let him wake up and wait until he got fussy, then get him out stretch, play, eat, get him back to sleep then put him back in and go. Hope it all goes well.

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JakeChristine says · 04.09.14

When we took our 3 month old on a 4 hour car ride, we plan enough time to stop each hour. We would get her out of her car seat and love on her, feed, change diapers, etc. If she was asleep when we were about to stop, we would just keep going until she woke up. It was not at all unpleasant for any of us!

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Amanda says · 04.09.14

He is getting so big so fast! Cute Cute rolls! I’m due in July with our 3rd and can’t wait to enjoy a little baby again. I would suggest getting started on your road trip as early in the day at possible. As they day gets longer they get more tired and over stimulated so you’re most likely to get a crazy long nap in the car if you start right after his breakfast. We used to just drive till the baby would wake and we’d be do uncomfortable needing to use the bathroom but we wouldn’t dare stop as long as the baby was sleeping 🙂 Good Luck!

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Noelle says · 04.09.14

I look forward to Wednesday every week so I can get a “David update”! I love hearing about him weekly!!

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Michelle Cyprus says · 04.09.14

I’m glad you found a way to balance (ha) both work and baby! So inspiring… I don’t have kids (yet) but when I do I hope I can find a solution to making both work and kids work together. 🙂 Cheers.

– Michelle at PermanentDaydream.com

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Hausfrau says · 04.09.14

My little guy hates the bumbo too. Here is a seat he loves:http://www.target.com/p/fisher-price-sit-me-up-floor-seat/-/A-14977542#prodSlot=medium_1_2&term=fisher price seat

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katherinetruby says · 04.09.14

We just did a 12 hour drive to Chicago with our 2 and a half month old. He was a champ! We took about 4 stops along the way for feeding, diapers, and a breather. He slept a lot which made for a difficult night, but I will take that over 12 hours of screaming in the car 🙂 we also used a premade formula (he’s on similac) which just made things a little easier and wasn’t too pricey. Have fun!

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Jessica Holmes says · 04.09.14

Wow I am loving hearing about your journey of motherhood Kate. I am yet to be a mother, but find it fascinating to hear how other mum’s ‘balance’ everything. Its a tough gig! I love the idea of a baby sitter though, fantastic idea for everyone involved.

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katie says · 04.09.14

Hi Kate! I adore your blog. My baby boy is a few weeks older than David so I enjoy hearing your advice and point of view every Wednesday! Myles is not a big fan of the car and I have found that cracking the window makes some good white noise to help him sleep. I also bought a mirror that does a light show with music that he enjoys. Best of luck on your road trip!

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Karrie Martin says · 04.10.14

My first long car trip with our first was a 6 hour drive, and she was about a month old. She was still nursing every 2 hours, but would sleep from about 8 p.m. to midnight. We left the house about 6 p.m. so that we could stop around 8, feed her, then she would sleep the bulk of the rest of the drive. Worked out pretty good. That’s if you son’t mind driving at night. We also did an 8 hour by car trek when she was about 10 months old. Did the same thing. Left after dinner, fed her once at night, and let her sleep most of the drive. Worked for us. I would pack the car while my husband worked (I stay at home too). Then we’d have a quick dinner and hit the road. We traded driving time too. Made it easier. And at night, we avoided all traffic. This was most important, because we were going through L.A. traffic, horrible!

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dxeechick says · 04.10.14

oh the solo car trips. just be prepared at some point in the drive to pull to the side of the road and sit in the back seat crying with him. haha 😉 good luck mama
http://www.thismomsgonnasnap.com

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JAK says · 04.10.14

Yes. Leave at night or nap time so they sleep most of the way. Also there is a car seat safety group on FB you might be interested in. It talks about car seat safety and flying with infants. Its called car seats for the littles. I am just a member of the group not an admin. I have learned so much. Like rear facing until age four if you can and flying with a car seat.

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Carrie T. says · 04.10.14

New reader here! My 4 year old never took a paci either and started sucking his thumb at around 10 months old. I much prefer it to pacis because they never lose it in the middle of the night! my kiddo really just does it when tired or falling asleep, then humb falls out of his mouth after he drifts off, so I don’t worry too much about dental issues. As for the car trip, I agree with try to make less stops and get him out less! We took a 10 hr car trip that ended up being 13 when my son was 4 mos old. I was breast feeding so had to stop and take him out to feed him but on subsequent trips when he wasn’t breastfeeding I would leave him in except for a diaper change or two. Also second the sun shade! Unfortunately there isn’t much to do to entertain a 4 month old but maybe get a few new interesting toys to busy out in the car. Also, just be prepared to steel yourself against at least some crying/screaming! It’s not fun but will probably happen at least once! Good luck!

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Lacey says · 04.10.14

He is seriously cute! He looks like a little baby doll. Just perfect.

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Jordan says · 04.10.14

I’ve done the opposite route you’ll be taking – from Virginia to RTP – and my 6 month old has always hate the car seat. Time it with his nap schedule, drape something with a cool pattern on the seat for him to look at, have a couple noise-making toys (our boy particularly loved THIS one by Lamaze:
http://www.target.com/p/lamaze-soft-chime-garden/-/A-13845973?ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001&AFID=Google_PLA_df&LNM=13845973&CPNG=Baby&kpid=13845973&LID=PA&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=13845973&gclid=CMaCw-6M1r0CFWuhOgod5UUA1A ,

he always smiles back at the flowers, and it was easy for me to reach back at stoplights and make the music play!), and just know that crying won’t hurt them… go to a happy place in your head and try to tune some of it out! Good luck!!

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by Caroline says · 04.10.14

We drove Georgia-New York with our 5 month old. I also had a 3 year old (who kept her entertained) but it wasn’t bad. She doesn’t particularly love her carseat, and there were times of her screaming, but as long as she was fed (and burped) and we stopped to stretch every so often it helped. We also go to Florida and Arkansas just about every year so our kids just have to get used to the car!

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Theresa says · 04.10.14

Look at your route and plan your stops in advance.

I’ve had a few bad experiences having to stop in creepy areas because the babe was screaming on during my many road trips to Raleigh.

Now I have my nice rest stops planned, so we get out, stretch, eat and I am not surprised when we pull off the highway.

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Abigail Cooke says · 04.12.14

Kate, I have twin girls who are 2 weeks younger than your sweet David!! We live in Virginia and before my maternity leave was over we took a trip up to visit my parents in upstate NY (10 hour trip). Yes, I thought we were crazy too… but we did it! The best piece of advice I can say is plan your stops around feeding times. Before the girls came we did really quick pit stops so we could get to our final destination as quickly as possible, but with the girls we took a little longer stops, got them out of their carseats and just enjoyed loving on them for a little while before jumping back in the car. Keep your positive attitude- and if the drive takes a few extra hours than planned thats ok! A happy baby makes a world of a difference during a car trip 🙂 I hope it goes smoothly for you and I look forward to the update after your trip!

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Elizabeth Anne says · 04.14.14

I am just jealous of the lucky girl who gets to watch your adorable David! While you work!!! Cute baby for four hours a week! Heck yeah! I am glad you found that works for you. I think it usually works out best for both momma and baby that way. Your focus is him and that is a beautiful thing!

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hello obsession says · 04.16.14

Don’t worry about the thumb-sucking at his age. I’m a dentist, and we recommend stopping the habit before kindergarten. Most of the time, it won’t affect his teeth if stopped by then (or the teeth will shift back into position after quitting the sucking habit). Of course, if occlusion issues run in your family and he inherits your teeth, stopping thumb-sucking won’t make much of a difference! Love seeing pictures of your sweet little one!

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Laura says · 05.06.14

My advice for taking your baby on a road trip? Benadryl. KIDDING!!
However, when my kids were babies, we would either drive during the night or leave right before nap time. We also propped up a mini-TV with videos (course, this was before DVD’s). Your little sweetie is absolutely adorable! My Dad always says that it takes a lot of lovin’ to make a pound….and David looks loved…which is exactly the way it should be!!

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Melissa says · 06.13.14

You’ve got such a sweet little guy on your hands there! He’s adorable, really 🙂

Good for you on getting a babysitter. It’s so nice to have designated time where you can really plug away at things you need to do without feeling guilty that your baby isn’t getting enough attention. Plus it helps with your personal sanity!

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