Adventures in Parenting: Camping with a Baby

So as I mentioned last week, we had our first camping experience with Baby J recently.  I didn't go into much detail because I figured that experience warranted its own post.  

The Hubs & I really enjoy the outdoors, and used to go camping at least a few times each summer.  Like, "real" camping. In a tent.  Okay, so we had a fan and an air mattress in that tent.  But it was a TENT.  An awesome "instant" tent that you just literally throw in the air and BAM--there's a tent.  It was easy, it was cozy, and we were usually the first ones in our group to be done setting up camp.

But last year, I was all big and preggo and constantly hot during the summer, so we didn't do any tent camping.  And now...we have a baby.  I know there are a lot of people who manage tent camping with a baby just fine, but we weren't QUITE ready to attempt that.  For one--our magically awesome instant tent is perfect for two people, but a little TOO cozy for 2 + a baby.

So, we decided RV camping (or "glamping", if you prefer) with my parents would probably be the best way to introduce Lil' Man to the Great Outdoors.  After all--we've stayed in a hotel with him before, so RV-ing would be like one step removed from that.  We've got power, A/C, enough space for a pack 'n play...it would be perfect.

Let's just say....it wasn't perfect.  But nothing is with a baby.  But you live and learn, and adapt.

So my dad is handicapped, which means he gets to reserve the handicapped camp spots.  Which are pretty sweet, honestly.  For one, the site is paved, so you have a nice level "patio" outside your camper.  Next: they're generally REALLY close to the bath/shower house.  Total bonus.

My parents have a standing reservation every Memorial Weekend at this spot, so it's pretty nice.  It's well shaded (though my parents roll out the canopy and an EZ-Up over the picnic table to add a little more shade).  There's a bare grassy spot for playing yard games like LadderBall & washers, and space on the pavement for a hammock (my parents have a folding hammock & frame which is really convenient).

So we arrived at the campsite Sunday morning, unloaded our stuff, hung out for a bit, then handed Lil' Man off to my folks, and The Hubs & I went to a nearby outfitter to do a 5.5 mile float, since we hadn't been on the water in almost a year.  It took us about 3 hours, so it was a pretty nice little getaway.  

Meanwhile, Lil' Man hung out with Nana & PaPa and learned what a hammock was.  Unfortunately, as we heard when we got back, he also found out what falling out of a hammock feels like, and ended up with a little scrape on his knee (the first of many, I'm sure).  

Also, our little observer was having way too much fun taking in all of his new surroundings to be troubled with little things like "naps".  He did take a 20 minute nap in the hammock (pre-tumble), and another 20 minute nap later in the day, but given that his afternoon nap is usually about 2 hours, that's not quite enough rest.  Add on being warmer than usual since we were hanging out outside, and he was a bit crankier/clingier than usual.  

He was also too distracted to be bothered with things like, oh, eating.  He normally chows down about 12-16 oz of formula throughout the day (not including morning and bedtime nursing), but we were fighting to get him to eat 10 oz a day.  He'd eat for a bit, and then want to sit up and see everything.  He did a little better eating his dinner in his super cool new travel high chair, but still spent a lot of time leaning over the edges trying to grab at whatever was near him.  

He got pretty tired toward the end of our dinner and started crying hysterically when one of my dad's friends (who were camping nearby) tried to talk to him.  VERY unusual for our guy who is usually a charmer. (At 8 months I realize we may be getting into his "stranger danger" phase.)

Bedtime was a bit of an ordeal.  He usually goes to bed around 8:30p, but at 8pm we had just finished eating, and needed to wash up the dishes, and then move his pack 'n play inside and set up the bassinet inside it, and then make up the hide-a-bed (since we wouldn't want to be messing with that once he's already asleep inside).  Getting all that put together meant it was about 9pm before I could get him into his jammies and down to nurse.  After that point, everything went fine--he ate like normal, fell asleep like normal, and stayed asleep until about 4:30am.  Nursed him, then he went back to sleep until 7am.

Honestly, sleep-wise it was probably easier on him than it was on us.  There's not a huge difference between his crib and sleeping in the PNP.  Whereas there's a HUGE difference between our bed and a hide-a-bed.  If ANYONE reading this has ever found a pullout couch that is actually comfortable to sleep on, please share. I woke up with a pinch in my right shoulder and along my neck, which stuck around for a few days after.  

With the hide-a-bed pulled out, you can't get to the kitchen--the end of the bed touches the recliners (barely visible in lower left).

Monday morning (Memorial Day), The Hubs fed Lil' Man breakfast of banana & cereal while I helped my mom make our breakfast (breakfast burritos).  We moved his PNP back outside and put him in it with a pile of toys while we ate.  Afterward, he was starting to get fussy, so we decided to pop him in the stroller so he could take a nap while we got some exercise and walked the dogs.  This is usually a no-fail method.  

But of course, nothing goes to plan when you need it to.  Lil' Man stayed awake in the stroller for the first 30 minutes of the walk, sullenly glaring at me, and then only started to fall asleep once we got back to the campsite.  So...we continued to walk for 20 more minutes.  He woke up not long after we got back to the campsite.  But, he'd had his power nap so he was in a much better mood.  Still didn't want to take a bottle, but better mood nonetheless.

Around noon, he still hadn't taken more than a couple ounces off the bottle, so we fed him lunch of cereal and pears.  He eventually started fussing while eating, indicating it was time to try another nap.  Nana took him inside to rock him (another big bonus of RV camping--having rocking recliners), and then laid him down on their bed.  I went inside, and decided to nap as well...but thought I should nap on the couch instead of on the bed by him so I wouldn't wake him.

BIG mistake.  When he woke up 30 minutes later, he had no idea where he was and started SCREAMING.  Took about 5 minutes to get him calmed down.  

There was a lot of calming him down.  We tried laying him in the hammock by himself a couple times, but that first tumble out of it has stuck in his mind.  He would scream every time we tried to lay him in it by himself.  He toppled over a couple times inside the PNP, and would scream.  He was hungry but didn't want to lay back to eat his bottle--more fussing.  

"Mama's gonna hold me?  Okay, I'm cool."

We had originally planned on leaving around 3pm--but at 2:30p some storms started rolled in, and were on top of us by the time we'd finished helping my parents get everything pulled in where it would be safe.  Lil' Man was a fussy mess and would only take a few ounces of milk, so eventually I just rocked him to sleep while we waited 30 minutes for the rain to stop.  He took a little more milk when he woke up, but still just seemed fussier than usual.  Once the rain died down, we loaded up the car, said goodbye to Nana & Papa, and headed back home.  I was afraid he wouldn't sleep in the carseat because he'd pretty much just woken up from a 30 minute nap, but nope--we were in the car for all of about 15 minutes before he dozed off and slept the entire 2 hour drive back home.

When we got home, I sat him in his exersaucer while we unloaded the car...I've never seen him that happy to see his exersaucer toys. So I guess he missed home, and his usual routine.  He ate about 4 oz of formula and then chowed down his dinner.  After a bath, it was bedtime as usual and he slept through the night.

Practicing his standing (with supervision--it doesn't last long).

I can't say I have any great pearls of wisdom from the experience... the biggest challenge was probably the napping.  If we had a do-over, I might have brought his bouncer, but he's getting to a stage where sometimes that doesn't help get him to nap, and he often tries to lift himself out of it (even though he's strapped in).  If he hadn't fallen out of it, I think the hammock would have been a Godsend for naps.  By the next time we camp (likely Fourth of July or Labor Day weekend), he'll be in a totally different stage, probably self-feeding more, maybe using sippy cups, possibly crawling, so it'll be a different experience. But I think we're up to the challenge.

Might need to invest in one of these down the road...

Adventures in Parenting: Month 8

Okay, no Yoda pic for this month's edition, because we are currently on our way down to the beach, and Momma was busy packing yesterday and forgot.  Beach experience will get its own post once we get back and recuperate. (12 hour car ride with an 8 month old?  Yeah...that probably warrants its own post.)

Weight: Well, my home scale says 24 lbs, but his growth chart tells me that's ridiculous.  So let's guess about 20 lbs.
Height: 27.5 inches
Teeth: Still 6, with at least one more threatening to make an appearance soon.

1) Finger Foods:  When Baby J was about 7 months, we started giving him Gerber Puffs to help develop his "pincer grasp"...and to help keep him occupied while Mom & Dad eat their dinner.  It took several weeks, but he finally got to where he could pick up the puff with his thumb and forefinger...and then it took a while longer for him to manage to actually GET the puff into his mouth.  Many of them went on the floor.

Same when we tried peas for the first time. I think of the 20 or so I put on his tray, about 4 made it into his mouth.  8 ended up in his high chair.  None ended up in the little pouch on his bib.  I'm presuming the dog got the rest.

Subseqently, the dog has figured out that underneath the baby's high chair is a prime place to hang out. :)

Soooo close.

2) More sickness:  Before I had a kid, I honestly thought I had a pretty decent immune system. I got sick MAYBE once a year.  Now I realize...we just didn't have Patient Zero living in our house.  It's like a neverending loop.  Kid comes home with a runny nose.  Kid gets fever a few days later.  Mom gets fever.  Dad gets fever.  Entire house sounds like a commercial for Mucinex for a week.  Then we all start to get a little better...  ...and then someone at daycare gets a runny nose...and it starts all over again.

On one hand, it's SO hard to be sick and try to take care of a sick kid.  On the other hand, if your kid is nonverbal, it's actually somewhat handy.  Why is the baby crying?  Well, my throat hurts, so I bet his throat hurts too.  But DOWNSIDE--there's hardly any medicine for kids under 1 year.  Can't give 'em that honey cough syrup because they may get botulism.  And how the crap do you teach a baby to actually SPIT OUT mucus when they hack it up?  Because honestly, my kid is more like *coughcoughhack* "Hmmm...there's something in my mouth...MUST BE FOOD!"  *chewchewswallow* ...Ugh.

3) Sleeping:  ...maybe we just shouldn't talk about sleep anymore.  When it's going well, and I share that, things inevitably change.  And when they're bad, it's just depressing to think about.  On those rough nights, I really do my best to keep a "30,000 feet" view on the situation:  this is temporary.  He will eventually be a good sleeper.  At least I get to kiss his little face while he sleeps in my arms.  At least I have 3 seasons of Doctor Who left to watch.

It's really like a game of Russian roulette at this point.  We know that he is physically CAPABLE of sleeping through the night. It's happened.  Even multiple nights in a row!  BUT--everything must be perfect: no teething, no stuffy nose, temperature in his room is just right, belly is full...   Actually achieving that perfect storm of conditions is REALLY tough.  For a while, he was just waking up at 12:30a & 3:30a out of habit.  We got to where we could just give him a paci and he'd go back to sleep, working under the theory that eventually when he realizes he's not getting to nurse at those times, he'll just stop waking up.  THEN he got sick, and the only thing that would soothe him was nursing.  So then you have to start all over.

And sometimes, it's waking every 3 hours.  Sometimes, he wakes at 12:30 and then sleeps til 6am.  Sometimes he sleeps til 4:30am, nurses and then would probably conk back out 'til 8am if we didn't have to wake him for daycare.  You really just never know.  But I DO know that someday I will get to sleep again, and that knowledge is sometimes the only thing that gets me through the really rough nights. Like when I have to make a pallet for myself on the floor of the nursery so I can lay beside the bouncer and rock him because it's 4am and we've already tried all our other tricks to get him to go to sleep.

Still blows my mind how much he's grown. Look how long he is!  (That's what she said.)

4) Baby Dedication - At 7.5 months we finally did the baby dedication ceremony at our church.  It was a really nice little service, and he was one of three babies (and the only boy).  Of course, our curious little man almost strangled the pastor, who had forgotten to take his lanyard off before holding our son...and then of course Ninja Baby managed to swipe a pen out of the pastor's shirt pocket while we were all praying.  Thankfully Daddy kept one eye open and snagged it away before somebody got their eye poked out.

Thankfully his lil' Easter suit still fits.

5) Mobility - We're still not crawling.  We love to stand while holding on to the couch or coffee table or someone's hands, and even love to walk across the room while holding Daddy's fingers.  But crawling?  Meh.  That requires tummy time, and we're not a fan.  He's a champ at sitting, and often lunges for toys that are slightly out of his reach, but the idea of REALLY going after them doesn't seem to have occurred to him.

There's a little girl in his daycare class who's a day older than him and already crawling all over the place.  The competitive mom in me is a little envious...however, I've also seen her almost get stepped on several times when she sneaks up behind one of the teachers.  I already trip over my dog at least 3 times a day; adding another tiny mobile being to the obstacle course that is our house...yeah, not really in a rush for that.  Or baby-proofing, for that matter.

"Why would I need to crawl?  Mom already gave me her seat on the couch. Shhh...Family Feud is back on."

6) Other Developments:  Clapping and headbanging are SO cool.  And apparently making weird wheezy noises (just because he can) that sound suspiciously like something is trapped in his windpipe is ALSO hilarious.  However, if you try to get a video of said clapping, all you will actually achieve is recording about 2 minutes of blankly staring at the camera and 30 seconds of [still amusing] poop face. I'd share that here, but we're saving that for when he's a teenager and brings a girl home for the the first time. Muahahahahahahahahhhh....

7) Nursing - We're officially out of frozen/pumped milk, so he's eating straight formula during the day, but still nursing at bedtime and in the morning.  I'm cool with keeping that up for a while since it's nice to have that time with him, and he's sleepy/hungry/focused during those times.  Mid-day, he's too easily distracted...and bitey. Chomp on those Dr. Brown's nipples all you want, kid, but that's a no-go on Mom's milk jugs.  

"It takes a bite out of Mom's skin?  Guess it gets the bottle again."

8) First Camping Trip / First BooBoo - In the grand tradition of Memorial Weekend, we met up with my folks at their favorite camping spot.  Of course, by "camping" I mean "RV-ing", but still.  You get the idea.  I'm going to save most of that for a separate post, but here's an adorable photo of him sleeping in a hammock.

This was taken by my mom--we dropped Lil' Man off at their campsite, hung out for a bit, and then The Hubs & I went canoeing nearby while they watched him.  Mom sent us this to assure us that he was safe and sound.  He slept in the hammock for about 20 minutes...and then at some point after this photo, he managed to tumble OUT of the hammock and get a little scrape on his knee.  Poor kid is now traumatized--every time we tried to lay him in the hammock after that he screamed.  So, we have our first fear:  hammocks.  He's okay laying in one while being held, but by himself?  That's probably not going to happen again for a while.

Eating in the Great Outdoors: Pork Steaks & Butter Potatoes

The weather’s turned cold here within the last week; a little early for this region, but appropriate, given that the consumer market starts churning out All Things Pumpkin around this time.

So I guess it’s a little late for a post about camping…

…but in the words of Ruby Rhod: “BUT WHO CARES!!!”

A few weekends ago (when it was NOT too cold), the Hubs & I went camping with my parents near Truman Lake here in Missouri.  Truman is normally one of my favorite spots for camping fishing because the fish are always biting…but apparently with the drought, all of the fish have gone elsewhere.  We didn’t catch a single keeper all weekend.

My Hubs, & the biggest fish of the day.  Mouth included for scale.

When the Hubs & I go “camping”, it involves a tent, an air mattress, and a magnetic fan precariously clipped to the top of the tent, so that I can spend the night praying doesn’t come loose & maim our faces.

“Camping” with my parents involves an RV, air conditioning, and antenna TV. Really, the only thing you can complain about is whether or not the pillows are too firm. It’s ROUGH I tell ya. :)

Our pup prefers the RV as well, particularly since the one time we left him in his crate outside our tent and some coyotes wandered into the area.  Hearing a coyote howl nearby as your poor pug whimpers just outside your tent? *shivers*  We threw open the tent flap and dragged the crate inside our tent, and then prayed the coyotes wouldn’t take that as an invitation to sniff around any closer.

ANYWAY.  Another benefit of camping with the ‘rents: awesome food. 

BBQ pork steak = DRROOOOOOOOOOL.

My dad doesn’t cook much, but he is the Grill Master when it comes to camping, while Mom handles the sides.

And while it sounds ridiculously simple, my favorite side dish from my mom is buttered potatoes.

Peeled potatoes, boiled ‘til tender, then tossed with probably way too much melted butter, salt & pepper.  Nothing else.  Simple and DELICIOUS.

For the ultimate in outdoor culinary elegance, must be served on a plastic tablecloth with Corelle place settings:

And only the most opulent of outdoor lighting schemes will suffice:

Helllooooo citronella bucket.

These are some of my favorite meals, y’all.  I have so many wonderful memories wrapped up in the taste buds of my brain.  As a kid, we camped a LOT.  Probably at least once or twice a month when I was a kiddo.  So the smell of a fire or citronella, or the sight of a set of Corelle plates always takes my brain back to those times. 

 

So much so that the week after we got back, we tried to replicate the exact same meal at home: pork steak & butter potatoes.

Unfortunately, my butter potatoes ended up more like “smashed potatoes” because I used red potatoes instead of regular ol’ russets.  But they still tasted delicious.

Butter Potatoes: (makes four servings)

4-5 russet potatoes, peeled & quartered

1/2-1 stick of light butter (to taste)

salt & pepper (to taste)

 

Directions:

Boil potatoes + 1 tsp salt for 30 minutes or until fork tender. Drain water, then add butter to pan and mix lightly to coat.  The exterior of the potatoes should be creamy, but don’t mash the pieces.  They’ll probably break up some as you stir—that’s okay.  Then add salt & pepper to taste.

Serve as a side with your favorite grilled foods.

 

NutriFacts:

Calories 330.0

  Total Fat 7.8 g

  Saturated Fat 2.4 g

  Polyunsaturated Fat 3.9 g

  Monounsaturated Fat 1.5 g

  Cholesterol 0.0 mg

  Sodium731.2 mg

  Potassium 1,560.2 mg

  Total Carbohydrate 64.8 g

  Dietary Fiber 8.3 g

  Sugars 2.9 g

  Protein 7.5 g