Day 3: The Amazing Race with baby (Beijing)

September 3, 9:52 AMTravels with Baby ExaminerShelly Rivoli

You’ve survived the first two days of your Amazing Race with baby, and ended up the third family on the mat—safe from elimination. Exhausted from two miles of speedwalking atop the Great Wall in search of a roaming gnome, and weary from jetlag and round-the-clock feedings of your little one, you happily retire for a Pit Stop at your hotel.

Unlike you and your partner, however, your baby has no interest in putting his feet up. While you rushed around in search of clues and cultural icons, he was snoozing in the baby carrier. What can you do with a wide-awake baby who just wants to exercise at midnight? And you have only six hours before you embark on the next leg of your journey?

You pause a moment to laugh at the you who once lived out of a backpack for three long months of traveling solo on the subcontinent, and now finds herself suddenly homesick for an enormous plastic exersaucer.

But what’s this? Your partner pulls from the depths of his backpack the Evenflo Classic “Johnny Jump Up. “Surprise!” he shouts, as you suddenly apologize for the harsh words spoken while lost in the rickshaw earlier and remember why you married him in the first place. Moments later, the jumper is secured in the doorway to the bathroom of your hotel room, and a few favorite toys are linked onto the toy loops.

Baby jumps and jumps working all his leg muscles while chewing on teething toys with delight, as you smile and watch him from the comfort of your nearby bubble bath. As you close your eyes, a sudden vision of Mary Tyler Moore chucking her hat into the air appears before you and you sigh, “Yes,” realizing that you’re gonna make it after all—and quite possibly to the finish line.

Stay tuned for more of “The Amazing Race with baby,” as I count down the days to the season premiere of CBS’s The Amazing Race. 

Previous epsidodes of The Amazing Race… with baby:

Day 1: KangaKid goes shepherding - See how it all began!

Day 2: Taking orders in Hong Kong with Me Too!

For more info:  Click here to see more of Shelly's recommended gear for travel with babies and young children, and subscribe to this column to get updates on The Amazing Race with Baby.

Shelly Rivoli has changed diapers on four continents and is the author of the award-winning guide Travels with Baby: The Ultimate Guide for Planning Trips with Babies, Toddlers, and Preschool-Age Children. Find her online at www.travelswithbaby.com.