That’s my wife–the only person on any St. Thomas beach, wearing a flannel shirt and leggings. Gotta love her.
We got back from our first Caribbean trip with Finn late Saturday night. Despite a few hiccups, the trip was–mostly–a success. At least, he made it home alive (and so did we).
We got into St. Thomas early in the evening, last Friday. Of course, the first thing I wanted to do was rip off our travel clothes, put on our swimsuits, and introduce Finn to the ocean, despite Sona protesting that he desperately needed a nap. He did, but I pushed on. “Just a few minutes!” I begged.
I love this photo: Me. My son. The Caribbean. His first ocean experience. Sunset.
About two seconds after it was taken, though, Finn and I were both stung by a jellyfish. MOM FAIL. How’s that for luck? I’ve spent countless hours of my life in the ocean, and I’ve never been stung. I take my infant son in for five minutes, and he gets mauled!
I felt a strong burn on my arm at about the same time Finn started screaming, madly. I rushed him to the shore, where my parents and Sona looked on, and told them that I thought we’d been stung.
Panic ensued. Sona’s mama bear instincts kicked in HARD, and she was ready to end our trip to the Caribbean the same day it started.
An hour of screaming later, a leg doused in vinegar, a rushed trip to a drug store for baby Benadryl, and a call to our pediatrician’s emergency line, we were able to settle Finn down for a nap.
Our nerves were fried, but we rallied.
The next morning, Finn was back to his normal self. And, from that moment on, you’d never know anything had happened. He rocked a pretty gnarly scar for the whole week. “Chicks dig scars,” Pops kept reminding him.
He was fine. I think Sona and I may have lost a few years of our lives, though.
After a lazy morning in St. Thomas, we boarded a ferry and headed to Virgin Gorda. We were all happy to leave STT behind!
Finn slept the entire ferry ride. Mimi got sea sick. Sona and I ate snacks.
Despite being a little unsure about the water the first day (a hesitance he’d earned rightfully, I guess), Finn really took to Virgin Gorda–as did we all. The island is a beautiful tangle of wild, empty beaches, lush hilly landscapes, and water views around every single corner. I’ve never seen so many shades of blue. It has also resisted commercialization, which was the largest appeal for us.
We rented a villa in Mahoe Bay, which proved to be a great home base with a baby. Finn felt immediately comfortable, and he slept even more than he normally does while on the island. (And he normally sleeps A LOT.) It was nice to have a “home,” complete with a full kitchen, a shaded outdoor space, a private pool, a high chair, and a pack ‘n play.
While Finn napped, we could hangout at the pool, which was within earshot. If he got a little fussy, we didn’t feel like we were ruining anyone else’s vacation. For dinner, we mostly grabbed some takeout and dined al fresco. Sona could pump at the pool. We could make our own fruity drinks and not feel judged for sipping them with our baby in our laps. Finn took quite a few naked dips in the hot tub.
The benefits of renting a villa, especially with a baby in tow, are really endless.
He did eventually warm up to the water, and we spent pretty much all day at either the pool or the beach. That is, when Finn wasn’t napping.
We were super cautious about the sun, dousing Finn in baby sunscreen and dressing him in granny-appropriate swimwear. He’ll hate us for these photos, one day, but we think he looked hilariously adorable.
Being overseas with a baby wasn’t nearly as challenging as we’d expected, despite the exhaustion that comes with long travel days (the trip home was especially brutal) and the unfortunate run-in with a jellyfish. Having my parents around really helped, as Sona and I got to take off a couple days and explore the island on our own. “Like old times,” we reminisced. Of course, a part of us missed that freedom, but the ability to share our travels with Finn overshadowed that nostalgia.
We went into the trip with reasonable expectations of what we would–and wouldn’t–be able to do with a baby, and I think that was key.
More about our trip–and a lot more photos–coming, soon! I’ll also be sure to post advice on what to do, where to stay, and what to eat while in Virgin Gorda, next time.
Coming over from the TA forum.(cleobeach1)….as a parent that took our baby everywhere, I love reading about others that enjoy doing the same.
The nursing pic brought tears to my eyes, so beautiful! I wish I would have asked my husband to take more pictures of me nursing, I only have one. I have so many great memories of nursing our son to sleep in the beach. In some ways, the baby trips were so much easier that pin the later years :).