It’s literally wonderful … as in full of wonder… a total awareness-amplifier.
The birds, the sand, the sea life, the people… everything is an exciting new curiosity. Everything is something to point out or touch or taste. If it were just Brandon and I, we would miss 99% of what Hayden has taught us and shown us this trip.
But day to day life is like juggling or plate-spinning… 24-hours a day. If one of us wants to go for a 2-hour paddle, or climb out of the tent to go for a pee in the night, or just grab a drink from the cooler… the key phrase is “Can you watch the boy?” At least one of us is always “on”, which can be exhausting!
We have, however, discovered a few key items and ‘structural concepts’ that have made Hayden a happy camper! The biggest being that babies – or at least baby Hayden – loves routine. When we were driving to new camps and new destinations every day or couple days, we found Hayden was tossing and turning and what we call ‘sleep crawling’ in the night. He grew anxious any time we got near the van, screamed in protest if he was put in his car seat, and needed Mommy nearby for security ALL the time!
Once we started setting camp for a week at a time or more, our happy, easy going little boy returned. He is on a 3-meal a day schedule and has a regular bedtime and morning routine. He sleeps well, only waking up to nurse. And, to our great relief, when we put him in the car seat for day trips, he happily babbles and amuses himself the entire drive!
In addition, there are some items that, time and again, we are so grateful to have! Some we brought, some we discovered and picked up along the way.

Here, Hayden shows his new friend, Faulker, a correct Forward Stroke technique…

and discusses properly outfitting the cockpit of your kayak.

2. Pack-N-Play – Sometimes we need to contain Hayden somewhere he can’t get into any trouble for a few minutes. He can amuse himself in his Pack –N – Play for about 30 minutes – long enough for one of to do something like prepare a meal.
3. A BIG tent – Before we left home, we bought a 7 x 12-foot tent. There is plenty of room for all of us, our clothes bags, toys, books, and the Pack-N-Play! Or, during the day, sometimes we clear it out and use it as a giant rec room for Hayden!
4. A 2-month supply of Cheerios – One of Hayden’s favorite pastimes is eating Cheerios one-by-one and feeding them to Mama and Papa. They are definite lifesavers in a pinch, like when Hayden is melting down towards the end of a long drive. I have not seen them in any of the markets down here yet, so I’m glad we brought plenty from home. Above, Hayden proudly shows off his special ‘O container.

Below, Hayden shares a Cheerio with Mama.
5. ERGO Baby carrier (Let’s Mama wear Hayden front or back like a backpack) – Hayden and I walk… A LOT! He is often up by 5:00AM, ready to play. To keep him from waking up the neighbors, I load him up and we go exploring. Also, grocery shopping, packing the van, hiking, doing dishes, nursing… I would be lost without the carrier! Hayden, sleeping in the ERGO on my back while I enjoy the view of Bahia de Conceptcion.

6. Tub – We bought a little $2 dish tub, just big enough for Hayden to take a bath in. We warm the water with our solar sun shower, then dump it into the tub. Hayden loves playing with his toys in the bath!
7. Diapers and wipes from home – Hayden’s little bottom is important to us! We brought a brand of diapers from home we knew worked and
that didn’t give him diaper rash.
8. Safety 1st Folding Booster Seat and extra beach chair – We have all our meals together, and having Hayden in his booster seat, the tray filled with finger foods, is just precious. We also bring the booster seat to social functions or to restaurants so he can eat in style! Hayden’s, like Mama and Papa, LOVEs to eat and gets giddy when we put him in his booster seat!

9. A First Aid and Toiletry kit from home – Good sunscreen, teething medicine, his little toothbrush, nail clippers, baby Tylenol, shampoo, Q-tips, … it feels good to know you have what you need when you need it.
10. Flap Happy and iPlay sun hats – they have been awesome! They stay on in the wind (if Hayden doesn’t rip them off himself just for fun!) and cover his ears and neck.

It wasn’t hard paring down the list to come up with these essentials. Hayden uses them every day and they’ve added to the enjoyment of the trip immeasurably. If we were to do this trip again, every one of these Top 10 items would be coming along!

~In the Spirit of Compassion and Adventure~