You Fly So High you can touch the sky

My cousin got married last weekend, and when they announced the date, I knew that Collin at most would be a month old.  We decided to wait until really 3 weeks before the wedding to make the call whether we were going as the wedding was in Jacksonville, FL which is a 12 hour drive from NOVA.

Joe and I started talking about it and decided that driving was out of the question- having to stop every 3 hours for feeding, pumping, etc was going to be too hard especially since Joe could only use one day of leave because projects he was working on.  So I started to look online and found direct tickets out of DCA to JAX for $199 a person.

Were we crazy to fly with a one month old?
Everyone said yes-
But I thought this would be the easiest time to fly with a baby.
They sleep, eat and poop!

***Make sure you add the airline to have an infant ticket issued for the baby, and bring their birth certificate copy in case they ask for identification.  I ended up not needing this but my friends who have traveled with infants have needed it- better to be prepared!

So last Thursday we headed to the DCA with 1 month old Collin in tow.
Here are some things I observed/recommend from my limited experience.

1) Give yourself plenty of time.

Our flight was at 7:30 so we left the house at 5 which ended up being perfect.

2) Plan ahead especially if you have people helping you.

My mother was flying with us.  

So Joe dropped my mother, Collin, and myself off at the terminal with the stroller, the carseat, the diaper bag, the pumping bag, and our one big suit case that we were going to check while he went and parked the car.    

This elimiated having to get all the gear on the shuttle plus a baby.  

My mom watched Collin while I checked our one bag.  

The pumping bag fit under the stroller and the diaper bag on the stroller so really all I had to do was push the stroller.  Joe traveled with a back pack which the Ergo actually fit in.

3) Travel early.

We had both early flights coming and going which was great because it meant that security was less crowed- we actually did not have to wait at all- and it is less likely that your flight will be delayed.  These are both key with traveling with a baby.

4) People really are nice to people with babies.

Joe was stressed about getting thru security especially since we were traveling with breastmilk and so much gear.  The people at security were great and actually helpful, they broke down the stroller for me and helped me set it up again while Joe went with the guard to check my milk.  They check your breastmilk with some sort of testing strips to make sure there is nothing "dangerous" in it.  The guard at DCA actually walked up thru to make sure everything went well- talk about customer service.  In the Jacksonville airport they actually had a completely separate line for people with children.  

5) Go in with low expectations

I had no idea how I was going to pump and was prepared to go into a restroom stall to do so.  I was pleasantly surprised when I walked into the bathroom at DCA and they had a breastfeeding room.  It has a seat, a outlet, and a changing station- OMG- Totally made my day.  The JAX airport had something similar- not as nice but it was called a family restroom.

I also had no idea how Collin would be on a plane.  

Joe and I were ready for screaming so we surprised that he slept thru most of it, fussed a little when he wanted to feed, and then had his alert time before we put him back in the Ergo for landing.

6) Have a plan.

The night before we kind of went thru the plan for the morning before we left, when we got to the airport and once we landed:

4 am - Get up and pump and feed Collin

4:45-5 am  Leave for the airport

5:30- 6am- Get thru security

6am- Get breakfast once on the other side of security.

6:30- Pump and change Collin

6:45- Place him in the Ergo for boarding

7:20 Take off- basically Joe and I decided to let Collin sleep until he was ready to feed.

8:30 Collin woke up and we fed him

9:15 Landed-  I went to change Collin and grab out bag from baggae while Joe got the rental car

9:45 On the Road

Obviously this was not timed down to the minute- but just a general schedule.  

7) Pack minimally.

We had the Snap and Go Car Seat Carrier and Care Seat Base, the Snap and Go Stroller, my Diaper bag, My pumping bag, one suit case that we checked and Joe had a back pack.  As I explained earlier after I checked the bag- everything else fit in/on the stroller while Joe carried his backpack and the Car Seat Base.
We gate checked the car seat and the base and the stroller.
So we carried him on in the Ergo, I had my pumping bag and my diaper bag and Joe had his back pack.  I did not feel like we were loaded down at all- in fact my pumping bag fit in Joe's backpack once we took the ergo out so really it was a baby, a back pack and a diaper bag!
For the record- I love my diaper bag so much more after this trip!

8)It pays to flight out of small airports.  

Both DCA and JAX are considered small airports when you compare them to Dulles or BWI.  

Everything is easier in a small airport- security, check in, parking, etc. 

9) Accept that you have an awesome baby and go with the flow because he can tell if you are stressed.
There is no other way to say this-
but Collin ROCKS!  

The people around us on the plane, in security, and in the waiting area all commented on that. 

A+ for our first flight.

The trip went better than we ever could have planned or wished!

However, I think as Collin gets older it will be a little more challenging!!!