1. Don't take any stimulants prior to flying. I could feel my heart rate escalating each time she made even the smallest peep and had I had a speck of a stimulant in my body I would have had a heart attack.
2. Try not to sit next to a college-age male. Almost any other demographic is easier to sit next to then some attractive 20-year old while trying to maintain modesty of nursing your baby in small quarters. Also having a cute baby kick your seat companion's leg is easier if the person has either children, grandchildren, or likes to babysit.
3. Don't carry wipes. I have decided it is just another waste of space. In the event that your baby has to be changed, you have to go to the bathroom anyway and wet paper towels work just as well. Do what you want but I am telling you this piece can go. The only thing you need is a solitary change of clothing and three diapers.
4. Put a cute bow on your baby's head. I had a seat companion say "I am so glad you have that baby in a bow because it is so frustrating when you don't know the gender." Apparently this has caused him trauma in the past.
5. Try to plan for your baby to sleep on the plane so that she will instead sleep in the airport. If this happens, sit next to power somewhere so you can charge your laptop and ipod while waiting for her to wake up.
6. Make friends with the flight attendants. If you end up standing up in the back of the plane, it is easier if they are nice to you. On the way out to NC I had a meanie who said I was kind of in the way. On the way back I got a grandmotherly Spanish-speaker type who was totally enamored with Meg. Perfect.
In spite of the challenge of traveling with a baby and working insane hours PLUS staying up late/getting up several times a night, it was totally worth it. Here are some pics I took of her at the Las Vegas aeropuerto when we were on a layover. This is about 5 minutes before she fell asleep btw:
C'mon, how could one not be excited to sit next to someone as cute as that little girl??! That bow is darling and apparently handy in putting some at ease.
ReplyDeleteNice job with traveling AND working with Meg solo.
Begs the question...
ReplyDeleteHow many specks of stimulants, then, are in your body when NOT airborne?
She looks unreal in that picture, like a doll. Which means you could probably play some slots while she takes her nap and nobody would bother you about it.
ReplyDeleteI think your anti-wipes theory may have an expiration date. After a certain age, there are all kinds of things that need to be wiped and you don't want to have to maneuver to the bathroom every time.
ReplyDeleteI still carry wipes with me & I have no kids in diapers. They are useful for soooo many things.
ReplyDeleteMeg's eyes are GINORMOUS!!! Freakin' A she is cute. I'd let her kick my leg anytime.
Wipes are my friends. Forever and Always. They are an essential traveling tool for me and my kids (age 10,8,4). I hope wipes never break up with me. I'll die.
ReplyDeleteShe is freakin-a cute. Like, your cutest baby yet.
I, too, must depart from your advice about wipes. I have taken several cross-country trips with newborns and children of other ages and sung countless praises of wipes. Besides, sometimes you have to change the diaper on your lap or seat(with something underneath, of course) and those paper towels in the bathroom are doing you no good. Also the bows, that's great Meg keeps 'em on, my girls never did. Of course with all that curly hair everyone thinks my babies are girls. I agree the young men are hard to sit next to. But one time I was sitting with baby Felicity between two rather large middle aged men and wow, that was one of the most uncomfortable 3 hours ever. It def helps to have the flight attendants on your side!!!
ReplyDeleteI feel compelled to drive to SB just to see her in person!
ReplyDeleteLike everyone has already said, SHE IS TOOO CUTE! And you have to know now that I never say it when I don't mean it.
ReplyDelete