Babymooning

I had never heard of a babymoon until a few years ago when a close friend and her husband planned a trip to the Carribean during her pregnancy as one last getaway before their little girl was born.

“I don't get it,” I thought.”Why would you want to go on a beach vacation when you can't really be active on the beach, drink alcohol, or even go in the hot tub?”

A year later, I got pregnant myself.But my husband and I were too busy renovating our new house and getting ready for our new little one to really think about a vacation away together.And, to be honest, I still didn't get the point.Wouldn't it be more fun to go on vacation when I wasn't pregnant, even if we brought the baby along?

But this time, I get it.Being a parent is awe-inspiring and rewarding and really fun.But it's also a lot of work.And it's one job that you don't get a break from – even when you're on vacation.There are always still meals to prepare or restaurants to navigate, diapers to change, and lots of gear to lug along.Of course, there's always the option of leaving your children with relatives or close friends to steal away with your husband.But even that requires a lot of extra planning and – for me, at least – some extra worry as well.

So this time, I'm on board with the babymoon, albeit a mini one.The idea had been in the back of my mind for a while, but I wasn't sure if I could make it happen.Then I got a fun call from some friends, who are meeting up on the east coast for a weekend away.I checked some travel web sites and voila!, flights from our little airport were discounted for some reason.My mom graciously agreed to host Aaron for the weekend.So a few clicks of the mouse later I had booked two plane tickets for my Paul and me.

I kept Paul’s ticket as an extra surprise for his Christmas stocking, but now that Christmas is past, I can share the fun news with all of you.We'll only be gone for three days, but I'm beyond excited!Having been through this once already, I know it will be quite some time until Paul and I can get away for a couples-only weekend.And I realize now that time without the kids is so important – not only for our marriage, but also for our job as parents. It is amazing how a little adult-time can improve my patience during a marathon temper-tantrum, or help me laugh a little more easily at the spit-up all over my freshly-laundered sweater.

So my advice to anyone newly pregnant:Think about getting away for a few days, even if it's just a short drive to a bed and breakfast or a fun hotel in your town.You'll appreciate it in the long run!