I don’t know what I was thinking when I promised my husband that we would go on our first epic RV trip when our daughter was two months old. Let’s just blame it on “pregnancy brain”.
I was just starting to feel like myself again when she was a month old. And then it hit me. We have four weeks to get the RV ready for our trip, including moving all of our new baby furniture and supplies into the RV.
We somehow got it all done and we were off. We drove from the San Francisco Bay Area, through Nevada, Idaho, and Washington, and with week-long stays in Wyoming, Montana, and Oregon.
During the first leg, we had three travel days in a row. By the third day, we figured out the best routine to give us plenty of time that was comfortable for us and Caiydnn.
1. Realistic Time Frames and Distances
Cory did not want to drive the RV in the dark, and I also felt more comfortable settling into our campsite before dinner time. We only drove three to four hours a day, which came out to an average of 200 miles per day.
2. “Breast Stops”
I like to stop and park under the shade, preferably near a grassy area with trees. Rest areas off highways are perfect for this. I’ve also found that the front of large parking lots in shopping areas are often tree-lined and grassy. I can change and feed Caidynn in the car. (If it’s hot, I’ll leave the air conditioning on.) And afterward, we can walk Pongo, our dog.
3. Changing Station
I set up a changing station in the backseat of the car. There’s a dip at the back of the seats, so I partially rolled up a towel to stop my baby from rolling into the crack. The rest of the towel I used as a changing pad, which was perfect for catching any accidents.
I bought a car backseat organizer to hold the changing supplies, though I wish I bought a bigger one to fit my seat. I found it’s much more convenient to fully stock the backseat organizer than try to dig for diaper cream, wipes, etc. from my diaper bag. As soon as we stopped and she woke up (or I woke her up if it’s been two hours), I would change her.
4. A Fed Baby is a Happy Baby
My daughter operates like clockwork and gets hungry every two hours. And when she’s full, she will sleep longer.
We breastfeed and bottle-feed, so at every stop, I did both until she’s full. When she was a newborn this could take 45-minutes, but now at 4-months, she’s done within 15 minutes.
I prepare her bottles in the morning and I keep it in a small cooler bag. I also have an extra bottle, water, and formula in her diaper bag, just in case.
5. Playtime and Stretchtime
I, of course, start talking and singing to her as soon as she wakes up. But after she eats and burps, I wear her in the baby carrier and we go for a short walk. She loves looking at the trees while we walk Pongo. The stimulation is enough to tire her out.
6. Her Blanket and Her NubNub
After a nice walk and stretch break, it’s time to go! I place her in her car seat and buckle her in. I roll up her blanket and tuck it in along her right side, where she tends to rest her head.
We bought this activity bar for her car seat, but she seemed to not like it so close to her. I attached one end to her car seat and the other end to the car’s shoulder belt.
Sometimes, I attach other toys to the activity bar or her car seat. But most of all, I make sure she has her “WubbaNub,” this wonderful toy with a pacifier attached to it. It’s big enough for her to hold herself, even though she prefers to chew on the stuffed animal more than the pacifier.
Noise Machines and Fans
I can hear her play while I’m driving. After about 10 minutes or so, she starts to fuss and then I know she’s sleepy. At home, we sleep with a white noise machine on. To mimic that, I turn up the air conditioning fan in the car. Within 5 to 15 minutes, she’s asleep!
Our First Family Trip
Caidynn will not remember this trip, but our first trip as a family is forever etched in our hearts. We spent almost six weeks together, 24/7, and I will always be grateful for being able to spend it with our baby girl. Our routine helped make our RV road trip fun and relaxing, and most importantly, comfortable for my daughter.
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