![\"Sarah](\"https:\/\/www.carnival.com\/awaywego\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_7224.jpg\")
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Here are the stages I went though from the beginning to end that I think all moms can relate to\u2026<\/p>\n
1. \u201cI can\u2019t believe I\u2019m leaving my baby for 6 whole nights! I\u2019m going to miss him so much, I\u2019m going to cry.\u201d<\/p>\n
This was how I felt leaving at 5 am the morning I left for my cruise. Tommy nursed before I was picked up by a cab and wouldn\u2019t go back to sleep so I left the house with him hysterical in his crib. I was heart broken and wondered if this was a bad idea.<\/p>\n
2. \u201cI can\u2019t believe I had to waste so much room in my luggage on a stupid breast pump.\u201d<\/p>\n
The most annoying part about traveling away from your child when nursing is having to pump. The pump and accessories take up so much space and are heavy. I originally had hoped to be done breastfeeding by the trip, but at least maybe Tommy would wean himself by the time I got back. It\u2019s also a huge pain to factor in the 15 minutes of pumping first thing in the morning and before bed.<\/p>\n
3. \u201cI can\u2019t believe I can have a margarita after lunch AND be able to take a nap afterwards if I want? Helloooo vacation!\u201d<\/p>\n
As soon as we got on the ship, I indulged in a margarita from the BlueIguana Tequila Bar<\/a> and laid out by the pool. It was marvelous to be able to relax and have the luxury to take a nap during our regular playground run or, alternatively, not have to worry about being tipsy for a bed time routine.<\/p>\n 4. \u201cDid I just get 9 hours of uninterrupted sleep? Oh my gosh, I feel like an entirely new woman.\u201d<\/p>\n The beds in our cabin were so comfortable. I slept like a baby who has been properly sleep trained, not my son. After our first night, I quickly realized that although I was invited on the cruise for work, it was going to feel like a vacation with the extra sleep alone.<\/p>\n 5. \u201cI wonder what Tommy is doing???\u201d<\/p>\n I couldn\u2019t stop thinking about Tommy on day 2. How did he sleep? Did he wake up early or sleep through the night? Is he drinking whole milk? On the ship we had wifi so I could text and video chat him at home, but our schedules never were in sync and I would have to wait until day 4 to finally see Tommy\u2019s face. He did not care to see me in case you were wondering.<\/p>\n 6. \u201cI will lie here in this beach chair or float and I will relax. Please do not disturb this momma. I plan to do absolutely nothing for the next 4-6 hours except eat and drink. \u201d<\/p>\n As a mom, you never get to just \u2018be\u2019 unless it\u2019s after your child has gone to bed and you are home on your couch. You\u2019re constantly moving, playing defense against all objects entering the child\u2019s mouth or falling off some random structure they have managed to climb. On the cruise, I seriously just laid out basking in the sun or floated in the water. It was prime relaxation. I didn\u2019t have to think about making dinner reservations, I didn\u2019t have to worry about traffic or any logistics for the next day. Cruises I learned are great for removing any required planning in advance once you\u2019re on the ship. It\u2019s quite nice!<\/p>\n 7. \u201cI want to stay up late because I can sleep in!!! But oh my gosh I\u2019m so tired and<\/em> I can go to bed whenever I want\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Oh the bed time dilemma. At home, I hate staying up late because regardless Tommy wakes up early! On vacation, I could stay up late and go out to the clubs onboard, but I was always so tired and didn\u2019t want to get too off schedule because I knew as soon as I\u2019d get home, I\u2019d have to jump right back into the routine.<\/p>\n 8. \u201cAm I a mom? Do I have a child back home? Who am I? I feel like a different woman.\u201d<\/p>\n After about 5 days on the ship, I was back into a routine of waking up, working out, eating breakfast, laying out, etc\u2026 I honestly felt like my pre-mom self. I almost forgot that I usually have a small child to take care of with me 24\/7. This was partly because I hadn\u2019t heard much from back home. I was given a serious lack of updates for better or worse.<\/p>\n My favorite part was being able to wake up and go to the gym<\/a>. It reminded me of how easy mornings used<\/em> to be! I was even able to put off pumping until after my workout and by the end of the trip, the amount of milk I was producing was cut in half. It\u2019s amazing what a little sleep, relaxation and fun can do in such a short amount of time.<\/p>\n 9. \u201cOh my goodness, he looks about Tommy\u2019s age! Tommy would have loved this! I miss him but I\u2019m also so glad he\u2019s not here\u2026 hehe ? .\u201d<\/p>\n Ok, so Carnival is a family friendly cruise and there were a ton of families on the ship. I saw a few kids around Tommy\u2019s age (maybe 2-5 max) and while at times I did think he would have enjoyed certain pools and beaches, I was pretty pumped to be child-free. Personally, I would suggest waiting until kids are potty trained to take a cruise as they can\u2019t go swimming in the pools on the ship and the babysitting at night starts around when they would be going to bed. They have a kids club but I think older kids would get more out of it as they like to play with each other more than little guys who still play side by side. A cruise is definitely an awesome family vacation opportunity once kids are past infant\/toddler phases.<\/p>\n 10. \u201cI need to do this more often but I\u2019m ready to go back home!\u201d<\/p>\n Seven days was the perfect amount of time. Any less and I would not have felt fully rested. I was excited to see my family and be a full time mom again! Seriously though, I could not wait to see Nick and my munchkin. I even offered to do bedtime routine as soon as I got home, my least favorite \u201croutine.\u201d<\/p>\n I think it was really great that I was able to get away and recharge my mom batteries. I\u2019ve travelled without Tommy for work but never this long and never having this much fun. Carnival knows how to have a good time and I honestly felt like I was on Spring Break. It reminded me that being a mom doesn\u2019t mean losing your identity. So often I\u2019ve taken vacations and come back home feeling exhausted and needing a detox. I returned home feeling excited to be back and enthusiastic about my career and spending time with my family. Thank you, Carnival, for this amazing opportunity and showing me how wonderful a cruise vacation can be.<\/p>\n This post was created for Away We Go with Carnival<\/a>, the destination for getting in the getaway state of mind.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"Hand](\"https:\/\/www.carnival.com\/awaywego\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_7271.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Screenshot](\"https:\/\/www.carnival.com\/awaywego\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/fullsizeoutput_1f95.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Sarah](\"https:\/\/www.carnival.com\/awaywego\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/fullsizeoutput_1f97.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Sarah](\"https:\/\/www.carnival.com\/awaywego\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_7129.jpg\")
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<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When I first was presented with the opportunity to go away for a week on a Carnival Cruise without my …