Category: Family Life
Beach Fun at Kapiti Coast
The sun shone and the tide was high when we went to the beautiful Kapiti Coast for a day of running on the beach and jumping in the sea. Imogen loved it and ran freely into the ocean, so fast that we had to be quick to scoop her up as the waves splashed over her chest.
I’m writing this with sadness as I think about leaving my parents, sister and family in beautiful New Zealand. We make our return to London in 10 days time. The last seven weeks have literally flown by. My parents have loved every second with their grand-daughter and it’s going to be so hard living half a world away, the bond they have formed is immense.
As well as Kapiti’s stunning coastline the region is also famous for amazing ice cream and this is where Imogen tried her first ice cream cone.
Kapiti Island Nature Reserve lies in the background where you can visit little spotted kiwi which are now extinct on mainland New Zealand. It’s an amazing nature reserve which is doing a great deal for bird recovery, especially since rats were eradicated from the island.
The Photo Gallery: Girls
I love my little girl. She is pure and eternal sunshine with the cheekiest grin and a loud giggle.
We play, we sing, we dance, we paint, we love, we walk, we share, we read, we have fun, we hug, we talk, we laugh, we cook, we run, we dress up, we swim, we eat, we learn, we draw, we shop, we travel, we have the same curls in our hair, we enjoy every day together.
We’ve almost come to the end of our eight week holiday visiting family and friends in New Zealand. We’ve had an amazing time and our bond has grown even stronger, if that’s at all possible. This week’s Photo Gallery is Girls and I’ve loved being able to spend time here with my little girl, my mum, my sister, my niece and some of my best girlfriends.
Girls just want to have fun, right?
Travelling with a Baby
My baby and I travelled all the way from London to Auckland. We flew across the globe together and had a stopover in Hong Kong for a night to refresh ourselves and catch up on a few hours of sleep.
The build up to our flight from London started a couple of weeks before our departure. I didn’t want to think too much about the flight as it would kick start butterflies in my stomach, whilst I wondered how I was going to manage such a long journey on a plane with my baby.
The very thought of leaving hubby behind in London for 8 weeks was daunting. Knowing how much he’d miss us and how much we’d miss him made it almost impossible to fathom. On the bright side we’d Skype daily and Imogen and I would be spending Summer with our family and friends in New Zealand whilst hubby was busy at work in London during the coldest months of the year.
It was the bit in the middle, the journey, that I didn’t want to do. I tried to keep as calm as possible. I was going to travel across the world with my baby. Just me and my baby! I found it easier not to dwell on it too much and put all of my energy into the preparation of fun activities for us and what we’d need to pack in our on-flight luggage.
Here’s my list of on-flight essentials that I’d travel with again:
Fun Activities
- Samsung Galaxy Tablet with CBeebies episodes downloaded from iPlayer
- John Lewis Shape Sorter and Stacking Cups
- Baby Book Sets
- Farm Sticker Book
- The Gruffalo Colouring Book
- Crayola Coloured Crayons Pack of 8
- Soft Toys
- Favourite Toy Charley Bear
Food and Drink
- Organic Baby Pouches and age appropriate baby snacks
- Formula Milk Powder in formula pots
Essentials
- Nappies
- Nappy Bags
- Sudocrem
- Baby Wipes
- Sachets of Calpol and Nurofen, should they be needed
- A change of clothes for you and your baby
- If your baby is walking Baby Reins are brilliant when you’re at a busy airport and queuing for check-in and security
Knowing how hard it was travelling that distance myself made me realise how important it was to make it fun experience for my baby. And last but not least a positive attitude, a strong resolve and a calm approach all helped.
What are your tips for flying with a baby or toddler?