We survived!!

Well, we're home! We survived!!👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

And now we need a vacation from our vacation.😩

You fellow mamas know the feeling of sheer exhaustion vacationing with your little ones evokes, the kind that cuts deep into your core and makes you want to hide under the covers.😩😩

Yes, I feel your pain, and yes, traveling with a toddler, newborn, and dog is NO JOKE. We were tested to the limit every day, and despite it all, we wouldn't trade this vacation time for anything else. We LOVED Deep Creek, made memories that will last a lifetime, and cannot wait to go back!🎉🎉🎉

For those of you looking for traveling advice with your littles, please take the following words to heart: 👶🏻👶🏻👶🏻

1. Less is more. Over planning and overpacking your day with endless outings and activities is a sheer disaster waiting to happen, for both you and your kids. 🤗

2. Go with the flow. Things will not go as expected, and someone will have a meltdown or a blowout diaper when you least expect it. Breathe. You will laugh about this in a few years, maybe even sooner. 😝😝

3. Keep your kids to a schedule. We had a rough plan for what we hoped to do every morning and afternoon but let the kids' moods and needs guide us. Ensuring Will had his midday nap was a must and kept him much happier and calm.💤💤

4. Figure out a method of organization that works for you. We went to Deep Creek with a loaded minivan, but every bag had a purpose. We kept bags and supplies for the beach in the van and minimized what we dragged back and forth in and out of the house. When you've already got a car seat and toddler to carry, this is key.👏🏽👏🏽

5. Have a bag of snacks, wipes, bottles, sippy cups, plastic bags, and versatile toys on hand at all times. Consider keeping this in the car along with a ready-to-go diaper bag. You will thank yourself later, trust me.👍🏼👍🏼

6. Baby wearing is an absolute lifesaver. My favorites for newborns are the Baby Bjorn and Nesting Days baby carrier. Both are sturdy and easy to figure out. The Bjorn was comfortable to wear during our hiking adventure to Swallow Falls and allowed me to remain mobile and wade in the water at the beach while watching Will. I never used carriers or wraps much with Will, but I'm seeing what a necessity they are with subsequent children. #musthave 🏊🏻🏊🏻

7. Yelp was an amazing resource for us to find kid-friendly eateries, even in the middle of nowhere.🍴🍴

8. As you can, divide and conquer kids and responsibilities with your spouse or partner. Greg spent much of his time with Will and me with Dan, for obvious reasons.🍼🍼🍼

9. Organize as much as you can for the next day the night before, even if it's the last thing you want to do. Believe me - it will make your mornings 10,000x easier, especially on the last morning of your trip when you're trying to load the car while your newborn wants to comfort nurse and toddler is having a hysterical meltdown for no apparent reason.  😩😩😩

10. Don't forget about your significant other. Show and tell them how much you love and appreciate them. Every day. Be kind and patient with them, especially when your kids are being particularly impossible. Yelling and getting impatient and angry with each other solves nothing. A little understanding, empathy, and support goes a long way.💗💗

Yes, we learned a lot this trip, especially about how strong Team LaBanca is. We also gained a bit of confidence in our ability to travel with 2 boys under 2.5 -- and a dog. We both feel strongly about exposing our sons to new places, experiences, and cultures early on. ✈️🚤

And this past week was certainly a step in the right direction.💞💞👏🏼👏🏼