Emerson Goes to Kiawah
Emerson goes to Kiawah!
Mike, Emerson and I went to Kiawah Island this past weekend which meant out first time flying with girlie! Flying to Charleston is always two flights from Lexington so the Doona proved to be invaluable getting to and from gates. Plus, it meant we already had her carseat. We are knee deep in all things baby that you forget not everyone has heard of or seen a Doona in action. So many people were enamored with its functionality when Mike would pop it up or down.
I do recommend a padded carrying case. Initially, I purchased the carrying case from Doona but was sent this padded bag as a recommendation and it was cheaper! We didn’t ever have to use it as a backpack but the padding makes it much easier if doing so. When it wasn’t gate checked, it was rolled up and I attached it to the handle. The velcro strap is super tough! I also heard the gate agents can be finicky about putting anything in a stroller/car seat bag but no one said a thing or even noticed we had some tennis shoes and extra diapers in there.
Blowouts were my main worry for the travel day so I purchased puppy pads to have in the Doona and extra if I needed to lay her on the floor. Pro Tip: puppy pads are the same thing (IMO) as “disposable changing pads” but are cheaper. Go with the puppy pads!
Since I am still exclusively breastfeeding, I invested in a Ceres Chill for our upcoming travels. It is a Yeti on steroids as you can not only bring up to 32 oz with you, but you can pump directly in it, turn the cap and/or inner chamber into a bottle (with an adapter that they sell for cheap) and keep milk safe and chilled for 20 hours. I mainly needed it this trip to bring extra upfront since I don’t produce the 7 oz at night that we give her at bedtime. Sadly, I put one of the lids on upside-down and the seal wasn’t correct so I spilled almost 15 oz. Crying over spilled milk is definitely a thing. But I will never make that mistake again and we still had enough to get us through the first night and on.
We rented a mini crib from a local company and found a great sitter through a friend to watch Emerson and her cousin one night and day so the adults could have a pool afternoon. Once I understood that naps wouldn’t last as long and thus nursing would have to commence earlier than our typical schedule, we were smooth sailing. At one point, we were nursing behind a random building in downtown Charleston because it had stairs. It is amazing the things you never imagine yourself doing. I will say, the Amma Cocoon wrap was worth the money. It looks like a normal piece of clothing, was easy to use when I nursed her on every single flight and also covered her during naps on the plane when the lights were on. We also use it to cover the Doona when she is napping on the go.
Overall, we loved our first trip as a family of three and thought Emerson did so great!
Below are a few other items I purchased for travel purposes and would use again.
Stroller Cup & Phone Holder - $10 - I loved this for our Uppababy and always feel like I need one with the Doona. You do have to take on and off when you collapse from stroller to car seat (unless you want your coffee super low) but worth it.
Travel Size Drying Rack with Brush - $14
Slumberpod - $180 - (borrowed this from my sister and it is the old one without a fan which I felt was fine!)
Wyze Camera - $32 - Great quality and easy set up!
Donna Sun Shade - $40 - Super helpful for walking around sunny Charleston with naps on the go.
Hatch Rest Go - $35 - Hatch’s new version of a portable sound machine. I wanted two in case we were out and one died. We ended up using both at night. One was plugged in and one was in her crib and typically would die by morning. So, it was nice having a second.
Disposable Diaper Bags - $10 - I keep these in my diaper backpack already but was nice at the airport to use until we found a trash can. Would be more helpful if you needed on the airplane in your seat.
Inflatable Bathtub - $13 - Also borrowed from my sister. Since girlie cannot sit up yet on her own, it was a 2 person job to really give her a bath. But we do bath every night as part of our bedtime routine and I wanted to keep that going.
I feel even more prepared for our next vacation to Nantucket in two and a half weeks!
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