First Airplane Ride

Last week, Bryan, Sean, and I flew out to Southern California for our first trip as a family. While at the time, I was nervous (What if he cries the entire flight? What if we forgot something important? How will we handle his eating/sleeping schedule and the time change?), it wasn't that bad. But traveling with an infant does introduce a new layer of complexity. No longer can we just throw some clothes, socks, and undies in our small carry on bags and head out the door. We have to think about where we're going and what we'll need for Sean when we get there. Everything else is secondary.

For instance, since there is not a crib at Grandma Leslie's house, we had to bring the Pack 'n' Play so Sean would have a place to sleep. It took me three tries to get it packed up correctly in it's canvas sack, which then took up about 90% of our largest duffle bag. We also needed a car seat so Sean could safely (and legally) ride around town. So, out came the large suitcase, where the car seat base took up about 70% of usable space. And then we had to make sure we had diapers, wipes, swaddling blankets (Sean still won't sleep without them), pacifiers, Baby Bjorn, diaper rash ointment, and all the other baby "stuff." And, being the overly paranoid worried prepared mom that I am, I also had to make sure we had a our baby first aid kit (We can't forget the nail clippers! If his nails get too long he'll scratch his eyes out!! And the booger sucker! Even though we've hardly used it at all, if we don't have it he'll get a giant killer booger and stop breathing! And the Baby Tylenol just in case! Oh, and here is the 6 page list of all the pediatricians within a 15 mile radius of Grandma's house because what if he gets sick?!?!). (Have I mentioned that Bryan is an awesome husband and dad who totally humor's me in my maternal paranoia preparedness?). So, once all that was packed, we had 10% of the duffle, 30% of the suitcase, a small carry-on, and a shoulder bag to pack the clothes, toiletries, etc. we'd need for our week-long trip.

Once we conquered the logistical and spatial reasoning challenges of packing, we left for the airport, and ran into "Infant Traveling Challenge II:" How to get our large duffle bag, large suit case, small carry on, shoulder bag, car seat, and baby from the car (In the economy parking lot) to the terminal. Deciding we'd finally reached the critical mass of baggage to make it worth paying $3 to use a luggage cart for 15 minutes, Bryan went off to go get one. Only to find that the rack was broken. On to Plan B: figure out how to schlep all this stuff ourselves. So, I put on the BabyBjorn and strapped Sean on, and grabbed one rolling suitcase and the car seat. Bryan had 2 rolling bags and the shoulder bag, and off we went.

After checking in, we got rid of the two largest bags at the baggage check, and headed to security. The unusually friendly TSA agent who checked our tickets and IDs suggested that I leave Sean in the carrier to go through security. He said often baby carriers make it through with no trouble, and why take him out if we don't have to. So, I followed his advice, and made it through security with no problem! It couldn't have been easier! We grabbed some dinner on the way to the gate, and then took turns holding Sean while the other ate...just like we do at home.

After we boarded the plane and got settled, I started feeding Sean. I'd read that it's a good idea to nurse babies on take-off and landing because the sucking and swallowing helps keep their ears from hurting. It worked like a charm. By the time we'd reached altitude, Sean was sleeping with a full tummy. He woke up again three hours late for his next meal, but other than that, he slept peacefully the entire way. When we got to Grandma Leslie's house, it was late (10:00 Pacific Time, so 1:00 am Eastern Time). We put Sean right down and bed and he slept through the night.

While we were out in California, Sean was a big hit with all of Bryan's family. He did lots of smiling, flirting, laughing, and giggling for everyone. We just kept him on East Coast time for the week, and that worked really well. At the end of the week, the plane ride home was just as uneventful as the ride out. Sean slept the entire way. All in all, Sean is a great traveler, and adjusted really well to spending a week in a new place with lots of new people. And now that we have our first "big trip" out of the way, I think we'll be much more confident and prepared for our next trip.