We're home safely from our trip and really had an easy trip home which I'm so thankful!! We are spending the evening catching up with hubby, so I'll be back later to give you the rest of my thoughts...
+ We made it home with this little rascal yesterday from Vail. We had one layover in Dallas which I thought might be the hardest part, but it went great!
+ He was acting a bit tired by the time we got to Dallas (he didn't sleep on the 8am flight from Vail to Dallas), so he was pretty chill in the stroller riding around. We found an awesome little play area for kids as we were strolling up and down the concourse. This was great to burn about 20 or 30 minutes.
+ You may remember last week me talking about a different little contraption to bring Brody around the airport in. Well it didn't work well for us at all. We were borrowing an old one from a friend and it appears they have improved the design since, but ours did not work well at all. The carseat kept falling down and dragging on the ground. Now they make the design where there is a base for the carseat to sit on which is much better!!!
Go Go Babyz Kids Travelmate // Evenflo Travel Carseat (less bulky and light weight)
+ I chose to take Brody home with just an umbrella stroller and I'm so thankful that I did. It was so much easier, less bulky, and easy to gate check. He was comfortable and I was happy :)
+ If you needed a carseat at your destination, I would just plan to rent one.
+ It worked out to have Brody on my lap for the flights. There were times when he got squirmy, but he got squirmy in his own seat too (we were lucky enough to have an empty seat next to us on the ride home.)
(please ignore the no makeup as I'd been up since 5am)
Here is my summary of tips from traveling with a 13 month old:
+ Remember that you are not the only one to fly with a baby and there are plenty of other families or single moms and dads doing the same thing. It's perfectly doable!
+ Use an umbrella stroller through the airport and check it at the gate. If you need a carseat, rent one at your destination through a car rental service or wherever else.
+ I'm not going to lie that First Class seemed to make my life so much easier with him. The extra foot room was so nice to have because he could hang out on the floor with his blanket and iPad which he really seemed to like.
+ First Class may not be a bad option (money wise) if you are looking between upgrading or purchasing a separate seat for your intact or toddler.
+ Layovers can be tough, but I looked at it as exercise and just strolled up and down the concourse because it kept him from running all over the place and moving kept him happy!
+ Pack lots of different types of snacks and iPad is so clutch. Mickey Mouse worked great for us.
+ We didn't use headphones and just kept the volume at a fairly low level. The plane is so loud that the neighbors really can't hear.
+ You can bring milk or formula through security. I made sure that I had plenty. Brody loves his bottle and that always seemed to soothe him if he got fussy.
+ I brought some other activities for Brody on the plane, but none of them really kept his attention enough yet. I think if he was a few months older, they would have been great.
+ People around you are super helpful for the most part. Don't be afraid to accept help if need be.
My overall synopsis is that I am glad that I don't have to fly with a baby often, but I'm glad I did it and know it can be done. I don't have any plans to do it again soon; but definitely think as he gets a couple years older, it will be easier.
+ And now I promise this is the last post about Vail and flying with a baby (you can read what I packed for travel here and my thoughts from last week on our first flight here). I know ya'll are sick about hearing it and frankly, I'm tired of writing it..... :)
+ I'm looking forward to getting back on schedule next week!! Thanks to everyone for linking up with us again this week!! xoxo
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Hope you had a great trip. Can't wait to hear all about it! Thanks for hosting the linkup, as always!
ReplyDeletexoxo,
Whitney & Blaire
Peaches In A Pod
welcome home! xo jillian - cornflake dreams
ReplyDeleteGlad you had a great tip! Can't wait to hear more about it!
ReplyDeleteGreat tips I'm sure I will be referencing later (later, later) on :)
ReplyDeleteGlad it was a great trip! Good tips!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad all the traveling went without incident--and those were some great tips!
ReplyDeleteTraveling alone is a huge fear of mine once I become a mom. I give so many props to the moms and dads that travel with their kiddos because it never seems like an easy task!
ReplyDeleteHope it was a good trip. I have two toddlers and every time we go on a plane ride, there's always a lot of prep and planning! Thanks for sharing your tips :)
ReplyDeleteYay!! So glad you had a good trip home! I'm bookmarking all these tips for when I actually fly somewhere with Miller
ReplyDeleteI may sound crazy but we usually take our car seats on the plane. When we've done that our little guys acted as if it was the car and understood for safety reasons they had to stay in their seat. The one time I didn't with our three year old - oh goodness it was awful!! Also instead of renting the carseat i suggest purchasing a cheaper car seat off amazon and having it sent to your destination, if possible. I've done that before and it worked out really well. The last time we flew I carried bubble wrap and tape along with the car seat and wrapped it before gate checking just to make sure it would avoid any damage. I'm sure I sound crazy - luckily my husband puts up with this ;). I'm glad the trip back was smooth and your home safe and sound!! Have a great weekend!!
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