Traveling for Two

With Brendan in and out of the field frequently, it's nice for me to be able to travel sometimes to visit family or friends. In the past 6 months, Luke has gone on four trips which included airplane rides, two to Orlando, one to Maine, and one to Key West. After this last one, I finally feel like I have the art of traveling with a baby down to a relative science.

I always make sure to start laying things out a few days in advance. As far as packing for Luke's clothes, I usually make sure to pack pj's for the amount of nights we will be away plus one extra pair and usually two changes of clothes per day. If it's during warm weather I usually throw in one sweatshirt and pair of pants to make sure he doesn't get too cold.

Below I have a list of my most valuable items for on the road!

1. First Years Umbrella Stroller- when Luke was smaller, I used our BOB stroller which was great for maneuvering but difficult to fold down and check. Now that he can hold his head up well, we use this umbrella stroller a lot more often. It gives me the option to have him ride in the stroller or if I use my Ergo to carry him, I can put some of my stuff in the stroller. Plus, no one wants to have to use the bathroom with a baby strapped on your chest.

2. Aden and Anais Swaddling Blankets- I try to carry at least two of these in my diaper bag. If we get to the airport early or have a long layover and the airport isn't too crowded I will lay one down and let Luke stretch out and play with his toys. I use the second one on the airplane if it's a little chilly. Once I get wherever I'm going, they're great for draping over the car seat if Luke needs a nap on the go or if he needs a little extra shade. (They're also great for spit up.)

3. Nuby Sippy Cup- Luke has just recently started to use his sippy cup. He isn't very great at getting water out of it without my assistance... But it keeps him busy trying for at least 10 minutes every time.

4. Plum Organics food pouches- Luke loves these! They travel well, are 3.5 ounces so there's no issues with TSA and they once again keep Luke busy. (See a pattern here?)

5. Ergo Performance Carrier- I love using this carrier, the TSA will let you carry your baby through the metal detector with this and it's great for keeping your little one contained. The one weird thing is that you're not allowed to have the babies in the carriers for takeoff or landing, but I really don't know how I would travel (or do anything for that matter) without the Ergo.

6. Bright Starts Lots of Links- Luke loves to chew on the different textures of these and to play with them in general. I usually hook a bunch of them from the stroller when he's in it and then look like a crazy person with a bunch hanging from my backpack too.

7. Drawstring Backpack (similar)- I have stopped using a diaper bag for now and get more use out of a drawstring backpack with lots of outside pouches and a diaper clutch! I really like being able to carry it on my back. (Yes I know they make backpack diaper bags but they're so dang expensive!)

8. Infinity Nursing scarf- this keeps me modest while nursing during takeoff and landing, plus the cover helps Luke not get distracted while nursing and sometimes he even falls asleep!

9. Brica Carseat Bag- this thing is awesome. It has straps to wear as a backpack and also wheels to roll it. It also has enough storage in an outside pocket to hold a weeks worth of clothes for Luke which makes my bag a while lot smaller!

So how do I maneuver all of that stuff? Well, here's a step by step:

I park in the parking garage, then I get Luke into his stroller, after I attach the ergo around my waist for using it through security, I take the car seat and base and put them in the car seat bag and throw it on my back, then I take Luke's diaper bag and loop it over one of the handles of the stroller, then I grab my rolling suitcase and head for baggage check!

It looks a little like this:

Once I'm through with checking the bags and getting through security, my job turns into entertainer extraordinaire! My best ways of distracting Luke are having as many different toys on me as my diaper bag can handle (bonus points if they're not annoying to other passengers!), his sippy cup, food pouches, peekaboo, and his all time favorite thing to do: look at himself with the iPad or iPhone!

We have been pretty lucky so far with Luke not having issues with ears popping, but we nurse during take off and I always have at least one to two pacifiers on hand! This past trip, my iPad has really been useful not only with distracting Luke, but also for reading or watching videos when he sleeps! Books are difficult to maneuver while holding a baby.

I hope this has been helpful for you, and happy traveling!