Should I take my baby on this trip?

I think you should take your baby and go. He's at an age where it's good to shake him up a bit, he might really enjoy getting out and seeing all kinds of new stuff. Be sure to bring things that are familiar to him, his stufties, his blankie, whatever it is that comforts him. He'll probably sleep in the car, but a portable dvd player with his favorite shows will serve you well too. Stop frequently and run him around to expend energy. You can start getting him used to the car by taking some long drives. I don't recommend driving in NYC, unless you're really comfortable with one-way streets and insanity. I am, but I have nerves of steel. Maybe take him to a park and let him do kid stuff. Then walk a bit. Then lunch. Then more walking. Then another stop at the park. Then back on the train. Personally, that all sounds exhausting. I do think that this would be a perfect time for the little dude to go to grandma's for a sleep over. NOW you can go and do adult stuff. Catch a matinee, walk to your heart's content. Look at some art, whatever it is that you want to do. You can enjoy some time alone with your husband. A meal without someone throwing cheerios will be good for you. It's two nights, and he'll be fine and you'll be fine. In fact, of the two ideas, I like this one the best.

Option A, no question! It's two nights! You will both survive.

We have put Toddler Murrey through much, much "worse". 13 hour road trips, 8 hour flights, NYC in the middle of a heat wave, 2 hour train rides. He never batted an eye and had fun. I say do it..all of it. You never know how resilient these little people are are until you let them have something to be resilient about. I mean the following with all the love a fellow mom can give...your fears seem way more about your ability to handle it, rather than your little guy's. If he is half as good natured and tolerant as mine is, none of the things you are throwing out there will remotely affect him. Get both of you out there in the world and have fun exploring together!!

"8 hour" car ride? Where in MA are you traveling from? Boston is less than 5h to Morristown. Even if you're driving from the tip of Provincetown, it's only 6 hours. Of course, the baby adds time, but it's certainly not an 8 hour drive straight through. I definitely, definitely vote for B. Having a kid is a little daunting in NYC, but I think the kid will totally love it. Hell, our then-3-month-old loved the city, even though he couldn't really process it (being a country boy, we like to think that he thought the buildings were really big trees). There's so much to see - so many people, so many buildings. Take him to the parks (e.g. Central, The High Line); take him to a museum; take him to Time's Square. He'll have a blast. Stairs in public transit are a pain, but if you're viewing it from a tourist perspective, you don't have any place you need to be so you can just take your time. It'll be annoying, but there are elevators (that sometimes even work!) and people are generally helpful if you ask for help getting a stroller up stairs. So, take the kid, take him into the city on NJ Transit and take him wherever you think would be fun for him. I wouldn't recommend this if your son was grumpy or not good-natured, but it sounds like he has the ideal personality to take on this new adventure.

I think you should do A. I really think you should do A. You'll be close enough that if the first night is Toddler-pocalypse and you, your parents, or the kid freak out, you can hop a plane and be home fast. That's your emergency backup plan. Keep it in your pocket. He's old enough that a little flexibility is good for him. And that you can use some time to yourself. I say this as kind of an attachment patenting hippie who (surprising even myself) left my 9-month-old for 48 hours pretty recently. It was fantastic! He is a determined, fickle, demanding baby and it went great. We were thrilled to be reunited. I really think you should do A.

Aww. You're so sweet. There's no reason why you can't do *any* of these options—my first choice would be to skip out on the kiddo and go have fun!—but there's most of all certainly NO reason the kiddo should hold you back from any of them. He's 18 months! I know plenty of kids who've been hauled around foreign countries, who've gone back and forth repeatedly from the U.S. to China, who've been carried up mountains in Ireland. Certainly I know a bunch who've been schlepped around New York City. A little New Jersey Transit into NYC is not going to do either of you in. (You could also drive, literally thousands of people do this every day, but I think you'd find that more taxing and stressful.) GET INTO TOWN AND HAVE A BLAST. Treat yourself!

Option A. The kid will be fine at his grandparents', they will probably love to have the opportunity to spend so much time together, and you will enjoy a day of exploring NYC, and some time with your husband. It'll be good for all.

If you want to take the baby (I'm opinionless on that) NJT is an easy hour train ride no changes or transfers from Morristown. Penn Station is very Stairy, but as long as you leave post rush hour I think you can handle it and I suspect people will help with the stoller if you can't find the elevators. Once you are at street level it is a question of how far you think you can walk with the stoller. The heart of midtown is about 8 (times square) to 20 blocks north (moms). Downtown is 20 blocks south. Assuming you don't want to screw with a cab.

You should definitely come! And I promise, whether you leave the baby with your parents or you bring him with you on day trips, either way it'll be fine. We took my (then-nursing) toddler daughter with us on a few business trips at that age, and it was perfectly manageable, even with planes and security to deal with. You do need to be willing to let go of your schedule for a while, but if you're a stay at home mom, then you can likely afford a few weird days to get back on track with your schedule after you get home. Road trips are better if you can drive when you expect the baby to be sleeping anyway. Otherwise, it would be kind to plan on spending some time in the back seat playing. Eight hours is a long time. I've also taken toddlers into the city before. 74 minutes by train is fine, trust me. If you bring a baby sling or carrier instead of a stroller, you'll have a much easier time of it. If you absolutely must bring a stroller, bring a light umbrella stroller. The subways are terrible about accessibility, and hauling baby + diaper bag + stroller up and down the stairs by yourself is a real trial. Pack lots of snacks, for you and for baby. But, hey, go have an adventure! It'll be fun!