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Jack and his buddy Avery (who now lives in Paris) in front of Rodin's Thinker.
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A few months ago we traveled to Paris with the baby. It was quite the trip, one I know I surely will never forget. Last time I was in Paris, Michael and I hopped from cafe to cafe, sampling different wines and cheeses as went, having long in depth conversations and sitting in one place for hours. This time, Jack and I hopped from patisserie to patisserie sampling baguettes and pain au chocolates, putting a ton of miles on the Maclaren, seeing the city through very different eyes - a pretty amazing experience.
I want to start off this post by saying there are two things that would have made this trip infinitely easier, but were not an option for us. Both have to do with making sure that Jack is fed nutritious meals. If Jack were younger - like 3 months - and I was still breast feeding I would be in charge of Jack's food intake and I would never be worried that the milk I was giving him was not organic whole milk or whether the fries he wanted to eat were fried in peanut oil. Having a kid that eats basically all real people food can really be tricky finding that balance of nutrition and fun while on vacation (it's tricky for adults, but that's why diets and cleanses were invented). But babies grow and not everyone breastfeeds, or breastfeeds that long, that's why I think an apartment with a small kitchen and two bedrooms would have been ideal. Not that I am complaining about our hotel. Our room was spacious with a separate sitting room, but it is not the same as having a small kitchen where I could have cooked Jack something (and Michael and I for that matter) a few nights and we could have had a high chair at our disposal. Just a word for next time.
After much reflection, here are my thoughts on traveling with a little guy:
(1) Ergo: Bring it, use it, love it. I have loved our Ergo front pack carrier since Jack was born. Yes, Jack is now a quarter of my weight. I still put him in it. It helped quiet him down numerous nights and go to sleep in an unfamiliar land as I walked around the halls of the hotel humming to him. I carried it on, and good thing because Air France takes your stroller at the gate and doesn't it give it back to you until baggage claim. You try carrying a squirmy toddler and two carry on bags without it while going through customs. It is my saving grace when traveling.
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Maclaren: Stroller of choice for Parisians and Jack
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(2) Get thee a light weight stroller: The other essential item I could not have lived without while we were traveling is my light weight Maclaren stroller. It is 8.5 lbs and I can pick it, Jack and the diaper bag up in one swoop and carry it up or down flights of steps. And you will need to carry it in Paris. I have a whole new found respect for the ADA. Touring the Louvre was a workout in itself. I would wander the halls aimlessly, not sure where to look as there is so much to take in, and I would find myself at an impasse. Do I take the stairs in front of me to get to the elevator, or do I go back the way I came (do I remember which way I came?). Yes, the Lourve has stairs in front of elevators, and only certain elevators go to certain floors. And it is not just the Lourve, the d'Orsay, the Rodin, our hotel, basically you name it and there are stairs and probably no ramp. I did not even attempt riding the metro because of all the stairs...
(3) Know where the parks are: Jack and I probably visited half of the playgrounds in the 7th arr. I tried to stop at least one every day. Often as we were walking back to the hotel from an outing of my choosing, I would hit two or three, whatever I happened upon, just so he could get out and run around.
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Pigeons in Paris are more chic than Pigeons in DC
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Playgrounds are cooler if you can see the Eiffel Tower
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(4) Wipes: We went through two packages. It's not that I am some overly anal mom, fastidious about Jack's cleanliness - though I do prefer him clean. He crawls, he gets into everything and most everything he gets into is gross.
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Yes, crawling on the Champs de Mars is cool - but Jack, please leave the cigarette butts alone!
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(5) Let the little ones be your guide: But always have a plan. Each day I started out with my itinerary, what did I want to do that day. I tried to choose one or two things and would make that the goal. Between the park outings (see above), feeding the kid (see even more above), making sure if he wanted to take a long nap he got it, I hopefully got to see what I wanted to see. And if not, at least I got to see Paris through his eyes. His eyes more often than not wanting a second crepe and another turn on the slide.
