In case we haven’t mentioned it, I’m very pregnant, with TWINS. I’m now 33 weeks along and before I know it, our little ones will be here. Considering the fact that I’m having twins, I’ve been lucky to be fairly active throughout my pregnancy. I continued to camp up until 22 weeks when I realized I couldn’t deal with sleeping on the floor anymore.
Last week, my doctor put me on bed rest because my blood pressure is creeping up on me. Now I’m being forced to slow down (ha- I say that as if my giant belly wasn’t slowing me down already). As frustrating as bed rest is, it’s very clear to me that my number one job is to just bake these babies in my tummy as long as possible. If that means primarily lying down for the next month and a half, I can do it. There will be plenty of time for adventure after the babies come.
We’re really excited about raising our kids with an appreciation for the outdoors (and I’m not just talking about Kismat and I- happily, Emily and Mai-yan are ridiculously excited too). I’d love to hear from any parents who’ve taken their little ones camping and adventuring. Did anyone take their babies hiking in wraps or other carriers? How old were your kids when you started? When did you take your kids on their first camping trips? How did taking babies change what gear you brought and how you planned your trips? Please share!
Just for fun, here’s a video of my aliens babies kicking. You’ll see the first kick about 10 seconds in. Yes, that is Antiques Roadshow in the background.
I hope your delivery goes or has gone well. I am enjoying a little bit of time with my first Grandchild. Love the recipes.
Rick
Congrats. We started camping with our kids when they were two and one. They are now five and six and they beg us to go. If we can’t that weekend we at least go hiking or kayaking. Start as early as possible and make it fun. We had to condition the kids over time to hike with their own camelbacks and they are up to three miles. I love their enthusiasm for the outdoors…it’s never too early to start.
Just discovered you page, some great recipes, congrats on the babies, we have two boys and have taken them on various outdoor adventures (camping and hiking) since they were very young, in fact because our first son (now 11) was two weeks late we were at the beach and stayed in a cabin when he was 2 days old. I know kinda crazy but we have wonderful pictures. We found the hardest time is potty training, it is no fun to clean up potty acidents while camping, we have also had our share of kids eating too many s’mores before bed and waking up sick in the tent, no fun either. Car camping is definitely the way to go until they are potty trained, but otherwise kids are pretty hearty. My best advice is to always have extra clothes, while dirt is no big deal kids tend to get clothes wet and sticky, so you always need extras. Best of luck!
Yay! Congratulations! I’m actually pregnant too (31 weeks, a singleton) and was just today looking at kid carriers in REI, as we want to be back camping as soon as possible. Look forward to hearing your experiences as they happen.
My parents took me camping when I was 6 days old, along with my 3 year-old brother. I am 35 now, so that was quite a while ago. My mom says she carried me in a sling and it worked very well. I suppose it all boils down to whatever feels right and comfortable!
Thanks you guys!
@Crystal- I am also so excited for all the kid-friendly recipes to come.
@Denise- Your story makes me sooo excited! Can’t wait to have cracker crumbs in my hair.
I am SO happy for you and Kismet… Raising a little one is an adventure and you’re doing it times 2!!! Anyway, here are my words of wisdom… We took Jason to Kennedy Meadows for the first time when he was 6 weeks old. Had a small sleeping bag and a carrier that I wore with him facing my chest. It was a very bumpy road in and he did great and was we protected. Took a bouncy chair, lots of blankets and the usual “stuff”. He’s still camping so we must have done something right! We did find that between from 6 months to when he started walking we had to take LOTS of things – port a crib, high chair and that was kind of prohibitive so the camping stopped for a little while. When he was walking it was a lot easier and we needed less “stuff”.
Wishing you, Kismet and your new little ones lots of love and I cannot wait to meet them…..
Congratulations!
Having hiked and backpacked all my life I was eager to share the outdoors with my new baby daughter, Indigo. I quickly adapted to being Sherpa Mom: Baby carrier on my back and daypack on my front. What a great workout! She would hold my hair like horse reins as we sung our way up and down trails and she dutifully sprinkled cracker crumbs in my hair as she giggled. Once she was too big for the carrier I was excited for one of her many rites of passage: her first pair of hiking boots (that I still have, of course). What was once 10+ miles a day with her at my ear level marveling at the birds, the moss, the sounds, and everything in between, now became 2 miles in the same time frame. Finally down on the trail herself, she stopped to pick up every bug, twig, leaf and at times, even animal skat during our “Poop Hunt” while potty training her. It was a bit frustrating at first, not getting the marathon 10+ miles per day in, but clearly she had imprinted on the wild just as my dearest wish for her was settling into her heart. She’ll be 15 in a few weeks and for a time now, doesn’t have much interest in backpacking. Word has it that there’s dirt up there…(?) None the less, she’s still the first one who hears the birds call and points out the beauty of moss on our travels. Good luck and happy beautiful trails with your new family!
Aim, I love this post and I’m SO excited with you! Not that I have any personal nuggets of info to share, but I can’t wait to learn all you learn about adventuring in the wild outdoors with your twinsies! As Crystal’s post above suggests, this is obviously a hot topic!! xo
I love to see the ways Dirty Gourmet continues to evolve as your lives evolve. Congrats! I am looking forward to seeing more kid-friendly recipes on the site. As someone who hasn’t taken the plunge with children yet, I always wonder how folks keep their outdoor lifestyle with children!