First Camping Trip

I rolled over in bed and opened my eyes to be startled by Owen. "Mama, it's time to go camping!!" I looked at the clock: 5:15am.

I convinced him to get into bed for a snuggle, that it was too early to be awake, and besides the ferry wouldn't be leaving for hours. He was too excited to fall back asleep and was fidgeting so much, neither did I. But that's OK because at 5:30 Alex woke up too. Maybe she was excited about her first camping trip too.

When we were finally all getting into the Land Cruiser I looked at the truck, completely loaded in the back, double kayak on the roof, pulling a trailer that was also completely loaded. All this for a two night camping trip? Long gone are the days we could load all our gear into two single kayaks for a week-long trip.

I planned it so that Alex would need to nap on the drive to the ferry terminal. She did - but for only 20 minutes. It didn't help to have Owen in the back with her. He can't keep quiet for 2 minutes and doesn't quite get 'using your quiet voice'.

Finally we arrived at the campsite at Montague Harbour on Galiano Island. Naturally Alex fell asleep on the 10 minute ride from the ferry and woke up when I moved her car seat. I managed to get her to sleep in her stroller (oddly enough along the side of the road) and she had the best nap she has had in weeks; a whole 1.5 hours. We were able to have lunch and set-up camp.

In our monster-sized tent we set up her Pack N Play for her bed. I brought her Agoo sleep sack that has a down insert (which worked wonderfully as a sleeping bag); her white noise machine that thankfully runs on batteries; and the little bunny book I read to her before each and every nap. A home away from home.

My biggest worry was that she would wake to nurse and not go back to sleep. I have been camping when some baby has cried all night, and I did NOT want to be that person. Why did we decide to camp on an island with no escape?

The first night was great. Alex woke twice to nurse and went back to sleep right away both times. She was toasty warm in her fleece PJs, hat, and sleep sack. The sleep sack allowed me to pick her up and nurse her without her getting cold. I, on the other hand, froze. I was so concerned about waking up others that I sat up really fast and grabbed her without thinking about keeping me wrapped in my sleeping bag - and once I got started nursing I didn't want to interrupt her.

The second night she woke three times, but still went back to sleep right away, and I managed to remember to keep a fleece blanket nearby to wrap over my shoulders.

Both mornings we were up and out of the tent by 5:30am, wandering along the beach, so that both kids wouldn't disturb anyone. It is quite beautiful at that time of the day, but a little too early for my liking.

Both mornings we met another mother with her 5 month-old (Riley) doing the same thing. That made me feel better! I was also told that there was another baby at the campground who did cry all night on Friday (we didn't hear him), and that made me feel relieved that it wasn't us!!

There were lots of dead Lion's Mane Jellyfish on the beach in the morning, and the other mother commented that they looked like a placenta. I hadn't thought of that before, but you know - she was right!

The days were good. Alex was pretty content to be carried about and take everything in. She did want to roll about sometimes too. She micro-napped (30 minutes at a time) in the tent, in the Baby Trekker, or in her stroller. All in all she did great for her first camping trip! And Owen had lots of fun too.

Will I be running out to go camping next weekend? Nope - I think one trip is good enough this summer. I am glad we went though and am looking forward to camping next summer.