Barbados Pre-Babymoon, Looking Young!
These days it’s called a babymoon, or maybe it’s baby moon? When you head out on a little vacay before baby comes to enjoy and savour those last moments as a couple before you officially become a family of 3. We had our baby moon before we were even expecting! My uncle is a huge Barbados advocate, so that’s where we went.
I vividly remember our last trip together before I became pregnant with our daughter. We had already started trying to start a family, and I knew this would probably be our last getaway as a couple. So of course, we whooped it up, went out for lavish dinners and hit the clubs until dawn every night, right? Actually what’s funny is we traveled very similarly to how we travel now as a family of 4!
It was a week in a self-catering studio across from a beautiful beach in Barbados. We ate simple breakfasts on our balcony and then headed straight to the beach. My wonderful husband would go back to our room at lunch time and bring back sandwiches, fruit, and water for a lovely light lunch on the beach. We’d slink back to the room around 4 or 5 to get ready for dinner. Then, it would be a casual meal within walking distance before hitting the store for a few drinks to enjoy on our balcony. Aside from a SCUBA trip, a white-knuckled drive around the island, and a fun night out at the local fish fry, it was a totally relaxed and relaxing trip.
While we were there, I noticed families everywhere… Toddlers bathed in sunscreen made sandcastles with their mamas. Sun-kissed preschoolers splashed in the waves with their dadas. Little tiny babies were hidden under hats and sunveils while saucy tweens pouted in their bikinis (God, help us!). This, I knew, was our future.
I sobbed at the airport when we were heading home. I sobbed because it was the best week of my life and I was afraid that we would never be able to do it again, at least not for a long, long time. I sobbed because I knew our life was going to change and I wasn’t sure I was ready to say goodbye to the relatively carefree way we lived our lives. I sobbed because even though I was excited about the step we were taking together, I was really, really scared.
Our daughter was conceived a month after our return from Barbados, and we took our first trip with her before my maternity leave ended. Did we have lazy days by the beach? Yes. Did we have drinks on our balcony? Yes. Was it the same kind of trip? Not at all. It was a lot of work both planning it and doing it but I wouldn’t change it for the world. There’s plenty of time in the future to travel as a couple again, right now I couldn’t imagine going anywhere without my kids. I can’t wait to bring them to Barbados!
Our pre-babymoon was amazing! I also got pregnant the month that we came home.
So happy to have had that experience – and I think the relaxation helped with trying to get pregnant!
We still travel (much less frequently) as a couple as well as a family of five. When we don’t have the kids, we point out all the things we would do with them if we brought them. When we do have the kids, we think about all the things we will do someday when we go back on our own. Both are such rewarding experiences. We also traveled during both of my pregnancies, and I have to say, going before you are pregnant seems like a much smarter idea. 😉
Still haven’t traveled without the kids. Were planning to this summer and now I don’t think I can do it just yet!
Awwww… Sad that you balled at the airport! I know what you are talking about, but life gets better with the babies! And it’s fun to take them on those kind of vacations and do other things too!