TRAVEL TIPS NEEDED: 13 MOS OLD. HELP!

I am starting to freak out that we signed oursleves up for a 7 day vacation to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. We are traveling with 3 other familes, but their children are older - 5 years pre-teen.

Tons of questions!!

- Sit and stroll -do you recommend? Or is a lightweight umbrella stroller best?

-If you're not renting a car, what do you do about a car seat? Esp if you may be taking taxis/shuttles periodically?

- Ideas/Tips for keeping them occupied on a plane. What should the carry on consist of?

- I guess I can call the airline, but how do you get baby food/drink on a plane?

- Ideas/Tips for diaper bag and/or purse when leaving hotel premises to do sightseeing or dinner.

- Ideas/Tips for daily activity if most of it is centered around pool...almost more of an exlusive honeymoon spot than a "Family" all inclusive. Will he be happy in a tube the whole day?

- Ideas/Tips on what to pack vs what to buy once there...I know we're going to hit a Costco 1st.

- Ideas/Tips on what to feed - he is almost on exclusive "table food", but we still rely on baby food to get well balanced diet in (ie veggies). Should I pack whatever baby food I may need for the week?

- Did anyone bring a monitor? Is is completely insane to bring a monitor and let that be your "eye" while they sleep in the hotel room? Did you do shifts w/ DH while they slept so someone was always in the room while they slept?

just starting to feel like we are going to be downers for the other familes who may want to stay out late after dinner. Jake is a very good/content/social baby, as we do take him out a lot here, but I fear the unknown when we will be in a completely foreign sopt for a week.

Looking for BTDT moms who have traveled with a non walking one year old. THANKS!

Re: TRAVEL TIPS NEEDED: 13 MOS OLD. HELP!

ok...it will all work out...and you will have lots of fun! Dont stress too much! =)) went to Aruba with my 11 month old and there was 12 adults (my 2.5 yr old and 11 mo old were the only kids)I wills hare what I did and hopefully it will help you a little:


Tons of questions!!

- Sit and stroll -do you recommend? Or is a lightweight umbrella stroller best? - we bought a jogging stroller this time, last time an umbrella...and the jogging stroller was sooooo much better...bec it went over the sand nicely...AND it fully reclined so they took naps on the beach and at the restaurants at night..and he could eat his lunch on the tray

-If you're not renting a car, what do you do about a car seat? Esp if you may be taking taxis/shuttles periodically? they are not as strict in these islands/vaca spots and I was fine with my boy in the baby bjorn which btw was a huge help in the airports going thru security as well

- Ideas/Tips for keeping them occupied on a plane. What should the carry on consist of? snacks, lots of quiet toys, binkie..hopefully they will sleep for a bunch of it too!

- I guess I can call the airline, but how do you get baby food/drink on a plane? they dont question baby foods and their quantities....I had no prob..with baby foods, snacks and milk

- Ideas/Tips for diaper bag and/or purse when leaving hotel premises to do sightseeing or dinner. I used a LLbean bag (little bigger than a diaper bag) that I carried toys, activities, change of clothes extra binkies, snacks while we waited for food to be served, bibs, etc...it is thick and durable that I took on the plane, down to the beach, and out to dinner every night!

- Ideas/Tips for daily activity if most of it is centered around pool...almost more of an exlusive honeymoon spot than a "Family" all inclusive. Will he be happy in a tube the whole day? floats with shade and I bought toys that wouldnt get ruined in the sand like little trucks, shovels, balls, little people (he liked these int he sand)...again more snacks..., hopefully yours will be like mine and they they will mostly eat,nap, play and sit in the float with you at the pool or ocean

- Ideas/Tips on what to pack vs what to buy once there...I know we're going to hit a Costco 1st. i checked a bag just of stuff for the baby--diapers, animal crackers, goldfish, 2 baby fruits (lunch & dinner) and 1baby veggies (dinner) for each day, 1 fruit cup for each day and I bought yogurt and cheese down there

- Ideas/Tips on what to feed - he is almost on exclusive "table food", but we still rely on baby food to get well balanced diet in (ie veggies). Should I pack whatever baby food I may need for the week? like I said before I gave yogurt, cheese baby veggies baby fruit or fruit cup for the meals but dinner I would give what we were having or my 2 kids would split a meal...I bought the disposable table mats which were great bec i dont trust my son with plates just yet and then he could eat off the table and plastic bib def needed as well

- Did anyone bring a monitor? Is is completely insane to bring a monitor and let that be your "eye" while they sleep in the hotel room? Did you do shifts w/ DH while they slept so someone was always in the room while they slept? I dont think this is needed...at night you are right there and I refused to go up stairs and ruin my vacation for naps...he napped every day in the jogging stroller in total shade....he actually slept better down there than he does here...everyone swore it was the salt air...and that was when i got to really relax and take turns in the water with DH

just starting to feel like we are going to be downers for the other familes who may want to stay out late after dinner. Jake is a very good/content/social baby, as we do take him out a lot here, but I fear the unknown when we will be in a completely foreign sopt for a week. dont restrict yourself..my kids were very resilient they napped at dinner if they were tired in the jogging stroller and again this way I could enjoy myself too!

Good luck...please feel free to ask any questions...hopefully this helped get you started....enjoy it! it is DEF possible

Message edited 1/21/2010 1:04:53 AM.

Re: TRAVEL TIPS NEEDED: 13 MOS OLD. HELP!

BUMPING!!

Re: TRAVEL TIPS NEEDED: 13 MOS OLD. HELP!

Sorry to be bumping my long @ss post again, but could just use some more tips. Any feedback is appreciated! TIA!

Re: TRAVEL TIPS NEEDED: 13 MOS OLD. HELP!

Re: TRAVEL TIPS NEEDED: 13 MOS OLD. HELP!

We took DD to the caribbean when she was 11 months old..no car seat we either held her or bjorned her in taxis...airlines will allow any food for the babies, I packed two days worth of food for her, they had no problem with me bringing it on (we flew AA). We brought a ton of books, games, toys for the plane...
We brought our own crib sheet to use with the hotels crib, that was a good idea I got on here!

HTH!

Re: TRAVEL TIPS NEEDED: 13 MOS OLD. HELP!

Message edited 1/21/2010 4:14:19 PM.

Re: TRAVEL TIPS NEEDED: 13 MOS OLD. HELP!

My bad...the Sit N Stroll is actually $250. I still feel it's worth it - I've just heard people RAVE over how great it is to have on a trip. Especially on a plane. I know one family who all chipped in for it and everyone shares it. Loans it to friends - it's great to have.

Sit N Stroll at BBB

Re: TRAVEL TIPS NEEDED: 13 MOS OLD. HELP!

Sit and stroll -do you recommend? Or is a lightweight umbrella stroller best?

I would use one with good wheels. we brought our umbrella stroller to Puerto Vallarta and it was tough on colbbestone roads.

-If you're not renting a car, what do you do about a car seat? Esp if you may be taking taxis/shuttles periodically?

I am bringing my son's infant seat this time- we didn't bring one when we went when my DD was 13 months and I was terrifed in the cabs every time we took one. He doesn't fit it really well (half an inch too big) but well enough to keep him safe.

- Ideas/Tips for keeping them occupied on a plane. What should the carry on consist of?
I bring tons of little toys.Snacks are great too- goldfish and crackers are good. My DD didn't like the DVD player yet at that age. We only started travelling with one when she was two.

- I guess I can call the airline, but how do you get baby food/drink on a plane?
I have never had a problem bringing stuff on. I show it to TSA and wave it through. They will test open bottles of formula occasionally. But I never had a problem.

- Ideas/Tips for diaper bag and/or purse when leaving hotel premises to do sightseeing or dinner.
I bring a small diaper bag that I use as a purse as well.

- Ideas/Tips for daily activity if most of it is centered around pool...almost more of an exlusive honeymoon spot than a "Family" all inclusive. Will he be happy in a tube the whole day?

Our hotel had that area where the chairs sit in the water- the water was only 6 inches deep. She loved climbing on the chair and into the water(with supervision of course). I would see if your pool is set up that way- a great deal of them are in Mexico. I can't wait to go back to this resort for that reason. Usually they have this in "non-family" resorts.
They are usually only happy in the float for a half hour or so.


- Ideas/Tips on what to pack vs what to buy once there...I know we're going to hit a Costco 1st.
I WAY overpacked when we went with my DD. This time I am just bringing clothes. I even brought pedilite- four HUGE bottles.
They have huge mega markets near the resorts that you can get ANYTHING. The only thing I would bring is sunscreen. It tends to get super expensive near the resorts.

Ideas/Tips on what to feed - he is almost on exclusive "table food", but we still rely on baby food to get well balanced diet in (ie veggies). Should I pack whatever baby food I may need for the week?I would bring maybe 4 or 5 of those Gerber meals but that's it. We fed her mostly table food and I brought so much babyfood that I just had to cart home. We also had a condo that had a kitchen and I just borrowed a high chair from the hotel restaurant to use. They were super nice about it. l

- Did anyone bring a monitor? Is is completely insane to bring a monitor and let that be your "eye" while they sleep in the hotel room? Did you do shifts w/ DH while they slept so someone was always in the room while they slept?
We took turns for naps with my DD- she only slept for two hours once a day though so I don't know about this time. It actually was nice to lie on the patio and read so I didn't mind.

just starting to feel like we are going to be downers for the other familes who may want to stay out late after dinner. Jake is a very good/content/social baby, as we do take him out a lot here, but I fear the unknown when we will be in a completely foreign sopt for a week.

We had the BEST trip with my 13 month old DD to Mexico and you will too. We are going back next month with our 12 month old and now 3 year old and I can't WAIT. Remember that you usually don't have really late nights- everyone is drinking in the sun and have kids too so I am sure it will be lights out early anyhow.

Message edited 1/21/2010 4:16:24 PM.