We live very close to some amazing national parks, one of which we go to a couple times a year. This last month was my husbands birthday and I surprised him with a night stay in a hotel {see…not so rugged, but that’s how we roll in our family, especially with a newborn} in Springdale {the city right outside of Zion} and a day of hiking and fun in Zion!
Now the reason I titled this post “Are you Crazy?” is because I know that is what people wanted to ask us during our time in Springdale and Zion. Now if you have ever been to Zion you know that it isn’t swarming with Utahans. It’s actually swarming with foreigners from all over the world. It’s pretty cool to hear all the different languages while riding on the shuttle. Anyway, having four kids, and one being a one month old, I think most people thought we were pretty crazy to be hiking around in Zion. We felt like celebrities having everyone looking at us and asking us questions. We had many comments from people like “Wow are they all yours?” or “How old is your oldest?” to “Wow, that is brave of you to bring all these kids on a big trip like this” {little do they know we don’t live very far away} and “Wow how old is your baby, I can’t believe you brought him”.
Funny story - One time during the day on our way back on the bus my husband had all four kids and I had ran to the bathroom. When I walked on the bus I heard this big group of people shout out, “And there’s the mother!” in a very excited voice. I guess when my husband walked on the bus they were in awe that we had SO MANY kids and were traveling with a 1 month old! As I walked down the aisle to my seat I had all these old couples tell me how cute my kids were and that I was a brave mom to get out and come to Zion! I just smiled and said “thank you”. So I guess the answer to the question they really wanted to ask us is…”Are we crazy? Yes, I guess we are, but at least we have fun together!”
We only ended up doing two hikes. The River Walk {which the river was actually closed..bummer}, and the Weeping Rock. While on the River Walk my husband was carrying our baby in a snugli pack. And about 10 minutes into the hike our baby totally pooped out the side of his diaper and all over my husbands shirt, shorts and shoes. I could not stop laughing. If it would have happened to me I would have been ticked :)
So here is the extent of our ruggedness…How to change a blow out diaper in the middle of the hike, with a SCREAMING baby and TONS of people walking past you giving you bad looks for even bringing a baby that small out in the wild.
- Lay him on a rock on his Snugli,
- Wipe him down with wet wipes and then completely run out of wet wipes :(
- Pray you shoved an extra onsie in the backpack…Yeah we did!
- Tell the people walking by, “Sorry for the screaming child, he had a blowout” {You would cry to if it happened to you}
- and be glad you brought the other pouch just in case.
- Then nurse the baby and hike on!
Yup I totally nursed and hiked, there was no place to sit down and he was screaming so I had this sling that I carry him in a lot, but never thought I could nurse in it, but then realized I could. I had a tank top under my shirt so I could stay modest! It sure was an adventure with a 1 month old, but we did have a great time and will definitely go back again!!
Here is my son becoming “one with nature” on a rock!
And here we are finally at the river, the kids threw rocks in the river for almost an hour. They LOVED it, what kid wouldn’t?
So there you have it. You see, we can Feed the Fire, even with a one month old!
