Maui Family Vacay

We just spent seven lovely days in Maui on our first "real" vacation with Owen.  We've done multiple long weekend trips but this was our first vacation that was just the three of us and required traveling via plane.  As we prepared for our trip I was told over and over again how traveling with a baby isn't really a vacation.  You're still a parent and therefore don't really get a break, they said.  I was anxious to see how it would turn out because I can't image going on a trip without my little love nor can I imagine not wanting to get away for the next ten years.  I wasn't too sure about the six hour flight with a little guy who isn't crazy about sitting still or napping outside his crib, how the time change would effect Owen's schedule and whether or not there would be a whole lot of relaxing.

Our trip with Owen was much different than the ones we took before he was born but it was equally wonderful and definitely still a vacation in my book.  It was incredible to have seven uninterrupted days of family time, to watch Owen explore and to be in the sunshine.  Owen had a blast and loved playing in the sand, wading in the ocean as the waves came in and swimming in the pool.  My days didn't consist of napping and reading in the sun like they did before, but walking along the beach with Owen and obsessing over how adorable he is.  There is seriously nothing cuter than him him wearing his little swim trunks with his face covered in sand, smiling from ear to ear as he runs toward me.  One of the most incredible things about being a parent is experiencing the world through your child's  eyes.  We were enamored with watching Owen enjoy his first tropical vacation.  He toddled around in his miniature flip flops and took it all in.  He was super awesome on the plane, slept well and adapted to the changes in his schedule without a problem.  Every time we try something new and big we are surprised by how much easier it is than we expect.

Ty and I realized that he hasn't been off work and with Owen for a full week since paternity leave.  The two of them had a blast together.  They swam, built sand castles, dug holes, waded in the ocean and walked up and down the beach.  Maybe that's why I felt like it was a relaxing vacation, Ty provided the majority of Owen's entertainment and we tag teamed the parenting responsibilities.  I love watching the two of them together.  As I sat on the sunny beach and watched them play I was completely content.  I am crazy about both of them and being away from the daily grind was such a great reminder of why.  Ty also got up with Owen who was awake at five am every morning thanks to the time change.  Ty is the morning person of our duo and for that I struck gold when I married him.  I really wish I could jump out of bed early in the morning with a smile on my face but it has never happened and I have finally come to terms with the fact that it never will.  Ty, on the other hand, is always up with the birds and ready to roll.  So he takes the morning shifts and I love him so much for it.  I think it's one of the many reasons we make a great team.

In our previous life Ty and I loved cooking while on vacation.  We would stay in condos for the kitchen and make trips to the grocery store everyday.  Not this trip.  By the time we made it to Safeway we had already been there for over 24 hours and were so starving that we came home with a cart full of junk, hoping we remembered everything and wouldn't have to go back.  Our dinners consisted of pizzas, hotdogs and tacos.  In the evenings we just wanted to relax and sink into the couch.  We learned that maybe a condo isn't the best place to stay with kids.  It worked out well this year but in the future I think a hotel with a kitchette is going to be the best way to go.  The amenities that come with big hotels-- the pools with water slides and kids club actives would be awesome for Owen.  He flies free until he's two so hopefully we can get away for another vacation before the end of November!  Aloha!