Keeping You and Baby Happy While Traveling

It has been a while since i posted and I have so much to share. I just returned from a trip back east to see my family in Nebraska. Flying with my daughter and staying with my parents I learned a lot about adjusting your lifestyle when you aren't in the ideal situation. This includes for myself and my healthy lifestyle as well as keeping life easy and comfortable for my 9 month old while traveling.

The following is my list of major do's and don'ts when traveling with a small child. Not all of them are things I did right. Many of them are things I would have done differently.
1.) Do not over pack!
   I definitely over packed and it made my life a lot harder than it needed to be. Over packing your checked bag isn't really a big deal so long as you don't go over your weight limit but over packing your carry-ons is a huge no-no in my book.
   With an infant you are allowed your carry-on and a diaper bag. I stuffed both full! The only thing I used out of MY carry-on was a blanket for her to crawl around on (a must) but other than that it was just one more thing to tote around the airport while I carried my daughter.
2.) Check your stroller, car seat and base at the check in counter
  Send all that bulky stuff away as soon as you get there. When traveling around the airport with baby, less is more.
3.) Carry your baby on you
   I used The Chicco Ultrasoft 2 way baby carrier. I carried her facing me which was super helpful if she got scared. She would just bury her face in my chest and hide. Honestly though i think being close to me gave her the confidence to take it all in and be friendly to passers by.
   I enjoyed having my hands free and allowing my baby the ability to move around with out compromising my hold on her. She loved it.
   Once we were ready to board I just took her out and held her on my lap while we flew and stowed the carrier until landing.
4.) Bring a separate blanket only for the ground
  Babies get cooped up and cramped just like us during a long flight. Get to your terminal early so that your little one has the chance to crawl and move around. My daughter was super happy to have the chance to get the wiggles out after a long drive through the airport.
  I think it helped the other passengers be patient with her during the flight. While playing on the ground she was able to give everyone smiles and make everyone laugh, essentially making everyone around her fall in love. :)
5.) Hold on to that boarding pass

   I kept the boarding pass from each flight as a reminder of her first flight. It is something fun to show her someday and is a nice reminder to me that "We made it!"
  The flight attendants were even kind enough to give us her first "wings". :)
6.) Avoid the airport bathrooms at all cost!
   My daughter dad a wonderful trip to the airport, to the gate and then on the plane. We landed and headed to the bathroom to change her. the sound of the driers and the toilets was deafening. it scared the heck out of her and turned a peaceful trip into a disaster. Change your baby where ever you want. it isn't worth freaking them out.
7.) New toys are a must

   I had new toys for the flight there but not back and I could tell a big difference. the toys i brought for the trip home were given to her at my parents so they were new but i think that they need something they have never seen before. And keep it simple. Beads worked better than the fanciest of toys. Let their imaginations go wild and they will stay occupied longer.
8.) Try to get baby to sleep before you land
   My little girl's ears really bothered her during and after our first landing. Sh was awake and drinking a bottle then she had her Binky in but it didn't matter. the second time she was asleep with her Binky and we had no ear problems whatsoever.
9.) Be nice!
   The nicer you are to those that have power over your trip the better your trip will be. I just let everyone know it was her first time flying and I was super nervous. People helped my cover my stroller for storage under the plane, the TSA was super patient of me and demanded other travelers be aware of us. I wasn't even required to remove my belt and shoes at one airport.
   The flight attendants were great too. They even filled my bottles with warm water for me during the flight. :)
  They only make you go through a metal detector, don't pat you down, allow you to bring baby food and even water for baby through security, and they only check your hands for residue. Be kind to them and they will be kind to you.
10.) Relax
   Baby knows if you are stressed. If I was calm, my little girl was calm. If I smiled about something so did she. If you are friendly to people so will she.
   No one likes a crying baby on the plane so just keep calm. Hopefully you being relaxed will translate to a nap for your little one on the plane. It did for me!!

Overall Sophie and I had a great trip and I would fly with her again in a heart beat :)