traveling with a baby

Since we are only here in Germany for a couple years, Rob and I have been trying to travel as much as we can. Our family and friends think we are nuts and sometimes, we think we are too but sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do! During our travels,  we get lots of funny look and get asked numerous times" how do you travel with a baby?" 

I have to say at first, it wasn't easy and it takes lots of practice but it is worth it. I don't know if we just lucked out or if it is because we started traveling with Rand from the get go, but he is a perfect little traveler. 

Our first trip was a day trip to some castle ruins a few hours away. I think Rand was only a few weeks old at that point. I wore Rand in the Ergo and walked all around. He slept a good part of the day, except during the drive. I always nurse Rand whenever we first arrived somewhere along with changing his diaper. 

Our second trip was to Austria with my parents. I knew we would have to stop every couple hours to nurse Rand so I made sure I pumped a bottle so we didm t have to stop for the first feeding. I also brought my pump so I could make a new bottle while on the road. We still stopped every couple hours so I could change a diaper.

Minus the common sense stuff like diapers & wipes, toys, clothes and stuff like that; 

here is a little list of my favorite travel essentials to make life on the road a 

little easier for you and baby.

1. Ergo (with infant insert)

I LOVE my Ergo! I use this thing for everything, from grocery shopping, to traveling, also to help get my baby to sleep at night! Seriously, the best thing I got for a baby gift!

2. Jeep Liberty Limited Urban Terrain Stroller

Even though this thing is a bit on the bulky side and heavy, it is awesome!!!! I don't care about the iPod hook up and speaker but the tires on this thing are amazing! We get comments all the time on this stroller bc it is a breeze on these old cobblestone streets and stairs. 

3.BRICA Fold N' Go Travel Bassinet

I would say about half the hotels we stay in do not have cribs so this is where this thing comes in handy. It is very small and compact and takes up little to no room in your trunk. 

4. L'ovedbaby Nursing Shawl

Another great baby shower gift! I love this lightweight nursing cover! It is like a poncho so no one can sneak a peak from around the corner. It can also be used for a canopy for stroller/car seat and a lightweight blanket.

5. Bum Genius 4.0

I have cloth diapered Rand since we got home from the hospital but I do not cd when we travel for more than 2 nights. BUT I do use them as covers over my disposals. I hate disposals because they leak all the time, hence why I use a BG cover! I love it, especially when we are in the car and I can't change a poopy diaper right away.

6. Coach diaper bag

It is spacious, has tons of pockets, well made, comes with a changing pad and just looks good.

7. Dream Baby Stroller Fan

This is a great little fan! The blades are foam but the fan produces a pretty good breeze. It is very easy to position the fan to any angle you need. 

8. Boppy Noggin Nest Head Support

This is a great head pillow for long car car rides. Rand was starting to get a flat spot and this really helped round his head out.

9. a hat

My favorite for Rand is this straw fedora I bought at H&M but any hat with a brim will do. I believe no matter what the weather is, all babies should have something on their little heads. 

10. Peekaru Original Fleece Baby Carrier Cover

Like I said before, I use my Ergo for everything but it does get pretty chilly in the evenings so I bought this one on Amazon. My only regret was not buying it sooner. It keeps Rand so warm and snuggly. It can also be worn backwards when you wear the Ergo on your back.  

    

Four months old

It has been pretty quiet since my Mom and Dad left to go back home to the States. I know Rand is definietly missing all the attention & extra kisses. 

Our little chunker is starting to get really strong. He loves to kick and has a lot of leg strength. He loves spending time in his jumper and kicking his little piano. We are still working on having Rand sit up on his own and he can do it for a few seconds but quickly falls back. He is still hating tummy time so I have to start getting more created with it.

Here are a few of my favorite pictures of Rand this month, including a picture of us 

at the Triberger Waterfall in the Black Forest .

The Black Forest

We easily could of made our trip to the Black Forest 

a day trip but we wanted to take our time, especially 

with a baby. After a two hour drive, we first stopped at Baden-Baden to have lunch and walk around the city a little before we 

headed back on the road for another hour so drive to Triberg.

We stayed at a little place off the beaten path past Triberg that looked over the Black Forest, called Hotel an der Sonne. The owner was very nice and the breakfast was delicious! He had a great little garden and a very sweet dog.

After a good nights rest we headed out to the Triberger Waterfall. There was a small entrance fee, 3.50 Euro per person. They had two different paths (easy and difficult) up to the waterfall and lots of benches along the trail and near the waterfall. After we took tons of pictures, we decided to take about a 45 minute hike through the forest. It was beautiful and we even saw some woodland creatures. 

After the hike, we had a quick bite to eat then walked around Triberg for a bit to look at all the cuckoo clocks in the shops. Be sure to stop into House of 1000 Clocks and Oli's Schnitzstube to look at all the beautiful handcrafted cuckoo clocks.

Next, we went out to the German Clock Museum. They had tons of different kinds of clocks (not just cuckoo clocks) from the 19th and 20th century. It was definitely worth an hour of our time and loved the demonstration they give in the final clock room. 

Before we headed to dinner we went on the search for the biggest cuckoo clock. Apparently, there are two but we just found one.