Beach Baby

We took Henry to the beach for the first time while we were in Hawaii.  It was really fun to play in the waves and sand with him.  Going to the beach with a baby in tow is a little different than just as a couple. There were fewer pina coladas and more naps. Which was fine by me.

There are a million What to Bring to the Beach with kids posts floating around the Internet. I read some of them and found some helpful tips (who knew baby powder was magical sand remover, too?). A few things I would add are: 

Be flexible. Before I was a mom I couldn't get out the door fast enough to get to the beach on vacation. I loved staking out the perfect spot where we would hang out all day. This time we only spent 2-3 hours at the beach each day. It was too hot for Henry to nap at the beach, so we would go between nap times. Honestly, this was the perfect amount of time at the beach for me. We spent the whole time playing with Henry and trying to keep him from eating the sand. Between the sun and chasing a baby around, I was ready for a nap after a couple of hours. 

Baby cabanas are super practical (and cute, too!). We brought this awesome cabana to the beach everyday. It was perfect for Henry to play in while we were laying on the beach. It kept him out of the sun and he thought it was pretty cool too. 

Your baby will try to eat sand (and everything else at the beach). Once babies figure out they can put things in their mouth, everything is fair game. A friend told me that for a baby something doesn't exist if it doesn't go in their mouth. Henry got a bit lot of sand in his mouth. The look on his face as he swished it around was hilarious. By the third day the novelty has worn off and he stopped trying to eat is by the fistful (although he still did shove some in). I'm sure sand wouldn't be on one of those "Top Ten Baby Foods" lists, but a little can't hurt too much. 

Have fun. You're on vacation! Try to relax and enjoy it! We played in the water with Henry and he loved it! Whether he was floating in his little baby raft or one of us was holding him, he thought it was pretty cool to splash around. He also liked sitting on the shore and having the waves wash over his toes. Most importantly, we all enjoyed time together as a family.