Adventures

Caitlin and Dave in the casino lobby

When you first have a baby getting out of the house is an adventure. You are sleep deprived and if you stay home you feel isolated. When I was having a bad day with my daughter I would pack us up and go an adventure. The adventure could be any trip out of the house. We spent lots of time walking the aisles of the grocery store. She loved looking at the lights on the ceiling and seeing different surroundings. We went on lots of walks around the neighborhood with Maxiumus the wonder dog in tow. Walking the 100 lb yellow lab is always an adventure. We went to story time at the library, gym classes, mom and me pre-school classes, and playgroups.

When your baby is very young, these outings are mostly for you, the mom. It is so important to get out of the house. The babies enjoy a change of scenery but I enjoyed meeting other moms and having adult conversation before my husband got home. While it is great to enrich your child's life and expose them to different experiences it is vital to be good to yourself too.

That brings me to the weirdest place I ever took my new baby. It was a bachelorette party at a casino. One of my best friends was getting married a couple months after I had my daughter. The bachelorette party was 6 weeks after I had Caitlin. I didn't want to miss my friend's party. I was feeling like I was missing out on social stuff. I was still adjusting to my new life, which I love now. With my very understanding husband we packed the car with all the baby gear and started the hour and fifteen minute drive to the casino. I felt like a bit of a creep walking into the casino with a baby but I had a great time. Dave and Caitlin stayed in the party room while I was partying with the girls. I came back to breastfeed between activities. (Caitlin wouldn't take a bottle yet which was the main reason Dave and Caitlin made the trip.) Dave played with Caitlin in the room. He did venture out to get some dinner so she got to see the casino too. The trip made me realize that although my life had forever changed, it didn't mean I was going to miss out on fun stuff like a bachelorette party.

I found the website Rookie moms after I had Caitlin. It is full of great ideas to entertain your baby, get out of the house, and stay sane. The Parents Blogger Network is having a blog blast to celebrate The Rookie Mom’s Handbook and encourage moms to do fun stuff their first year on motherhood. They are giving away some cool prizes so be sure to post this weekend.