Evelyn’s 10 Month Update & How We’re Doing Traveling Full Time with a Baby!

Hey Mommas and MTB,

Before I hop into this two things – 1) I don’t have her weight and inches because we don’t have a scale or tape measure in the trailer and 2) I am SO BUMMED because I couldn’t get the consistent photo of her on her back, on her blanket with her bunny. I wanted SO BADLY to have the same backdrop for all 12 months to be able to put them side by side to see how much she’s grown. Maybe this was a first time mom mistake. I now understand why some mom’s take the photos of their baby sitting/propped up in a chair. So here is the best I could get and I’m including some candids at the end of the post. I’m seriously so disappointed. Not for the blog, but for me. I really wanted to have those photos to look back on. But that’s motherhood isn’t it? You think you have a plan and then your baby bulldozes it and you have to let go of any preconceived notions of how things would be or should be or could be.

This is my first baby update while living on the road full time. We’re a little over 1 week in but it feels like it’s been so much longer. I’m behind on getting this post up because she’s been so difficult and I feel like it will be impossible to get her to hold still for her monthly milestone photo. There’s been a lot of changes with Evelyn and we’re adjusting to finding a new routine for living on the road that works for us. More on that in a minute but for now:

Milestone Updates:

• Evelyn’s starting to learn sign language! She’s been signing “all done” for a few months now but she’s finally starting to mimic back “Eat,” “Sleep” and “Book.”
• Her new favorite past time is sticking her fingers or a toy down her throat to gag herself. She does this constantly and I don’t know how to get her to stop! A few nights ago she did it to the point where she made herself throw up.
• She loves to put my phone to her ear and pretend to “talk on the phone.”
• She’s learned to screech and loves to do this constantly- whether happy, mad or bored. She especially loves to do this in public.
• She has 4 top teeth and 4 bottom teeth.
• She’s starting to take independent steps. Every day she’s getting a few more steps down in a row and standing for longer periods.

Likes:

• Gagging herself
• Ripping out fistfuls of Mommy’s hair
• Giving Mommy love bites (that are more painful than loving)

Dislikes:

• Having her diaper changed
• Anything other than meat or berries
• Being in her car seat

Also worth noting – We specifically looked for a “back bunkhouse” style travel trailer. It’s a back room with a slide out to make it extra spacious. She has a foam floor mat, activity table, activity cube & pushcart, several toys and books. She has a large bottom bunk to play/snuggle/read with mommy and daddy. We did this specifically so she would have a safe place to play. We bought one that had a clear line of sight so I could see her and she could see me while I’m cooking or washing dishes. However, does she like her new room? Nope. “What are her favorite toys?,” you ask. They are, in the order – the fire extinguisher mounted into the wall, the screen door which could easily be pushed through and have her toppling down the stairs and the keys & cords in the entry way. Special mention to the toilet and kitchen trash can as well.

This 10 month milestone update isn’t coming off too well is it? Mammas, i’m struggling. For so many reasons. I feel like we’re pushing her with being on the road and I just don’t know what to do. We are currently staying at an “RV resort” with all the amenities. We’re taking a week “off” from exploring to keep her schedule consistent, giving her a chance to play at the lake (she LOVED it) and take it easy and slow for a few days. Today went well (minus the grocery store screeching). I finally had wifi and cell service to research ways to make long car rides more manageable for her and just ordered a ton of crap on Amazon  (which goes against all my minimal goals) that came highly recommended to try to make things easier on her.

We were going to go into Canada this week but are staying closer to home while we get our sea legs and to give her some more time to adjust. If you follow me on instagram you saw that within the first week of us being on the road she got her first ever fever and a rash.

Aside from this whole full time traveling variable, she’s just becoming more like a toddler. With preferences and options (strong ones). And i’m torn between – do I start disciplining or is she struggling with all the change and I need to cut her slack? Or something in between?

I feel like i’m a pretty stable person who doesn’t have crazy mood swings but motherhood feels like a bipolar cycle of the most amazing highs and the most soul crushing, nipple pained lows. And the days just blend together of “when will she finally sleep through the night” or “when will I finally be able to stop putting breast pads in my bra” and then all of sudden your baby is almost a year old and you’re like “how did this happen?” I feel like I was finally starting to get the hang of this baby thing and now she’s changing again and i’m back at square one.

Even though it’s been hard, I’m happy. We’re getting so many great moments together. Every day there’s a melt down but I also get to experience so much joy with her as she notices more and more each day. And those are the memories I know I’ll hold on to. I’ll forget about the car melt downs, or at least it’ll be more of a “funny” story down the road. But the moments of her splashing in a lake for the first time, or starting to take steps or snuggling up to read books – those make it all worth it.

Xo,

M