I've been fortunate enough to visit Paris three times in my life now--once as a newly graduated 22-year-old, next as a blissful newlywed, and most recently as a new mom with baby in tow. Each experience was unique and wonderful in its own right. My first visit to the City of Lights was during a quick three week bus tour of Europe with one of my best friends following college graduation. As far as my memory can recall, we had only one full day in Paris but we still managed to check most of the touristy things off the bucket list. We went up the Eiffel Tower, saw the Mona Lisa at the Louvre, tried esgarot, saw a show at Moulin Rouge, and took a bike tour of all of the highlights of the city. What a whirlwind. Looking back on this experience now, I have no idea how we managed to do all of this in just one full day. Add almost nine years of life, plus a baby, and there's just no way I would even attempt to squeeze all of that into a single day of travel.

My second experience in Paris was with my husband for our first wedding anniversary. Back in winter of 2016, when we first learned we would be moving to a place in Germany that was only roughly a four hour drive from Paris, I very quickly insisted that we must spend our first anniversary here. (Disclaimer: I promise I don't always get my way in these matters, but my persistence paid off in this case!) This time I got to spend three days in Paris with my love in October of 2016. Well, and the in-laws came too so it wasn't total romance the whole time, ha. But they let us spend the day together alone on our actual anniversary. And as a bonus, we always had a photographer on hand. We never would have these great pictures to look back on had it not been for my mother-in-law. Photo cred to Maureen!

This picture is almost comical because it looks photoshopped. This just goes to show that Paris at night is arguably more enchanting than it is by day. At the top of every hour the entire Eiffel Tower sparkles, which is a sight not to be missed. Our hotel was an easy walk from the tower, so we had the luxury of enjoying this sight after dinner almost every night.

So since I had already seen the main tourists spots in Paris once before, I was more interested in discovering some of the hidden gems of the city this go around. On our first day we made the long walk from Invalides to Monmatre, which is where our food tour would take place that evening. When I say long, I think it took us about an hour and a half. Monmarte is way the heck out there. But the weather was beautiful, and there was no shortage of fascinating sights along the way.

Monmartre is one of my favorite districts in Paris. We didn't get a chance to go back here on my last visit. (You accomplish a lot less per day with a baby, so I have learned). But from what I remember, it had a somewhat gritty yet inviting Bohemian vibe. Also, its position on a hill lends itself to fabulous views of the city. By the time we finally reach Monmartre, we were definitely in need of a rest. So we snagged a table at an outdoor cafe for some hydration, and of course red wine counts for that on a crisp autumn evening in Paris.

Our food tour was fabulous and even brought us to some interesting non-foodie places that we may never have discovered or known about on our own, such as the Wall of Love. Here the phrase "I love you" is written in 250 different languages.

And Le Bateau Lavoir, which was a place where many famous artists, including Picasso, lived and painted in the early 20th century.

And we caught a glimpse of one of the two surviving old windmills of Paris.

Oh and then there was the food, of course. We stopped with our guide at various places to collect cheese, meat, baguettes, and macarons to enjoy in a cellar with red wine and great conversation.

Random insert here. I just love these Metro signs. They remind me of something out of an R.L. Stein book.

The next day we climbed up the Arc de Triomphe.

This was another one of many steep, narrow staircase climbs during our travels in Europe. Not a bad view though, right?

And then we did a bike tour that evening. I'm a huge fan of bike tours, especially in a city as spread out as Paris. This particular tour took us not only through some of the main tourist attractions, like the Louvre as pictured below, but also some very interesting more off the beaten path places.

Here we are biking through the Latin Quarter (I think).

And this was where a guillotine once stood.

Did you know there are ancient Roman remains right in the middle of Paris? I wouldn't have known either had it not been for this tour. This stadium used to seat 15,000 people, and was constructed in the first century for gladiator fights. Now it seems to be a pretty great place for kids to come play soccer.

Then on our last day we toured Notre Dame.

Notre Dame was pretty amazing, but the highlight of the day for me was picnicking along the Seine.

We bought some wine, cheese, fruit, and a fresh baguette and found a bench on the river to enjoy our provisions. Who doesn't love a good picnic? Especially with these views.

Oh, and that night Thomas surprised me and we had dinner INSIDE the eiffel tower! I didn't even realize there was a restaurant in there, but there are actually two. We had champagne and dinner overlooking Paris while seated inside the city's most iconic piece of architecture. This was the perfect way to round out a pretty unforgettable anniversary trip.

Alright, so how could that Paris trip ever be topped? I'm not sure it could, but Paris certainly got a lot cuter this past time around.

Paris, I'll take your Arc de Triomphe and raise you one adorable baby! Doing Paris with a baby was definitely quite a different experience. This was a girls trip with my mom and sister (plus one miniature boy tagalong of course). The plan for this trip was two full days in Paris and one day in Versailles. I was surprised by how much less we got accomplished per day with Theodore in tow. I knew we'd have to make some adjustments, sure, but this trip really put into perspective just how much travel has changed. On our first day we walked to the Eiffel Tower, of course. Might as well check that off the list right away. Then we lunched at a cafe and headed to Musee d'Orsay. I thought this was a great idea. I had already been to the Louvre and I found it quite overwhelming. So why not check out Musee d'Orsay? I imagined how exciting it would be to view Monet's famous water lilies inside an old train station converted into a museum.

I think I can honestly say I was more fascinated with the beauty of the building itself than the artwork it contained. Also, I completely underestimated the size of this museum. So much for not being overwhelmed. My mom and I spent a good 30 minutes just trying to find a bathroom with a changing table, and an elevator to take us to said bathroom. Suffice it to say, I ended up just carrying him down some stairs while my mom waited on the top floor with the stroller. After the diaper change mission was accomplished, we then began the quest to find the water lilies. We finally found the elevator and made it to the fifth floor, where the impressionist works were located. We maneuvered through thick swarms of tourists, which is always extra fun to do with a stroller, and completed a loop of the entire floor. No water lilies. Turns out they're in an entirely different museum. Oops. (Musee de l'Orangerie, in case you're curious).

After this enthralling yet exhausting experience, I relished in a stop at the Tuileries Gardens. My romantic wine and cheese Parisian picnic of yesteryear was lo and behold replaced with a breastfeeding session, a package of peanut butter crackers, bottled water, and playtime with this cute little guy. But really, it was just as glorious in its own way.

Then little guy decided he had had enough of this, and it was time to go. We took a long but very lovely stroll along the river (luckily he fell asleep in the stroller for about 30 minutes) and we headed back to our apartment to finish off our day at about 5:30 pm. That was truly the latest we could possibly stay out with him every day. After all the excitement of the day, he was just DONE by then. Fortunately, between the three of us, we each got to experience a night or two out for dinner while one of us stayed back so TJ could get his beauty rest.

The next day was a little more relaxed so we could ensure TJ had two good naps at the apartment. We tackled Champs Elysees before lunch and did a little shopping in the afternoon. And that pretty much concluded day two. On our third and final day, we visited Versailles. My mom had the brilliant idea of booking a chartered bus tour that would take us there, but I was like "No, it's okay we can just take the train." Always listen to Mom, people. This rule applies even when you become one. There was a train strike on this day in Paris, so a journey that should have taken us a little under an hour took well over two hours. And here's another word of advice. If you are going to Versailles with a kid, DO NOT bring a stroller. There are no elevators at any of the metro stations, we were packed like sardines into the train to Versailles, the cobblestone leading up to the palace were basically boulders constructed by giants, and they don't allow strollers inside the palace. Granted, I knew this last part ahead of time, but I thought we might want the stroller when we toured the gardens. Well, unfortunately we exhausted so much time and energy getting here that we didn't even tour the gardens afterward. When we finally arrived in Versailles it was meal time for TJ. So when we got off the train we decided to make a pit stop. Like a Siren, that illuminated crowned lady with the green flowing hair called out to us, beckoning us to come in and double shot espresso our way to better moods. I tend to try to avoid Starbucks on trips, knowing I can undoubtedly get a tastier and more authentic java experience somewhere else, but sometimes you just need comfort. This definitely applies when breastfeeding. So my sister stood in line for us while my mom and I grabbed a table. And just to liven up the morning even more, as I am feeding him I suddenly feel an expanding sensation of damp warmth on my stomach. Oh great. He just peed on me. Better than poop I guess!

So after lattes and an outfit change for TJ (and apparently an outfit change for mom will be a new diaper bag requirement) we finally set off to tour the palace of Versailles. Luckily my dress concealed the pee spot well, and dried quickly. And we had purchased tickets in advance so we didn't have to wait in the massive line to enter the palace. So aside from a pretty rocky start, the rest of the time was smooth sailing, and he even slept through most of the palace tour.

TJ was obviously very impressed with the famous Hall of Mirrors. But don't worry, he did see some of the palace. In true boy form, he woke up in the War Room, and gave it a thumbs up.

So was it worth the hassle of getting here? Yes and no. Sure it was beautiful, but as far as palace/castle experiences go, I was a little underwhelmed. Most of the rooms were just crowded, empty rooms with paintings on the walls. You don't actually get a sense of what life was like was here when you walk through the rooms. Perhaps if we would have used the audioguides it would have been more interesting, but I've heard from a few people that there are better, not to mention far less crowded, chateau experiences in other parts of France. I have no doubt that this is the case, but at least now I can say I have been to the famous palace of Versailles.

In conclusion, having three trips to Paris under my belt, here are some final thoughts on things I have learned.

1. Wear some good walking shoes and walk as much as you possibly can. There are metro stations everywhere but the best way to experience Paris in my opinion is on foot (or on bike). But if you're pressed for time, I would definitely utilize one of the hop on/hop off tours because its nearly impossible to traverse most of the city in just a day or two (especially if you have kids with you!).

2. Eat all the food, especially the carbs. There is probably no better place on earth for pastries, baguettes, and croissants. And do a food tour!

3. Go in the fall or early spring, before May even. Summer is just too hot and too crowded.

4. Only go to art museums if you actually enjoy art museums. I try to like art museums. I really do. But unless the weather is just miserable, each time I go into one it seems I'm itching to escape within ten minutes. So if you're like me, don't waste your time in one just to say you did it. Simply wandering the streets of Paris is a beautiful experience. The sidewalk cafes, rod iron balconies lined with flowers, and the enormous ornate doors are enough to make you feel as if you are actually living inside a painting. So see, why look at art when you can walk amongst it? That's my take anyway.

Well, I'm sure I could say a million other things about Paris if I had the time. But little guy will be waking up from a nap soon so I'll just wrap it up now and say "au revoir". Hope you enjoyed my take on the city of love and lights.