First we went to Virginia, which wasn't bad because my in-laws live 40 minutes from where I needed to work. So Kayla got to visit with her grandma and uncle. The 6 hour drive was actually not too terrible and we did a good job by NOT over-packing. No crib, no bulky stroller, just some clothes, diapers, & a few key toys. She did start to get a little stressed out sometimes by the change in routine, but all in all she took the whole thing in stride.
Next we went to Florida by plane, which I was very nervous about. I worried about her little ears popping, about her being cooped up in a flying tube for three hours, and about jail time I would have to spend if any passengers gave my little munchkin so much as a dirty look if she cried.
But Kayla is a far better diplomat than I am. On the way to our seat on the plane, she smiled at each and every passenger that made eye contact with her. One man in particular had a very hard face. He looked at her, she gave him a big smile. He looked away. Then he looked up again and she was still smiling. Now he looked a little worried and looked away again. Finally he looked up at her gummy smiling face one more time, and she broke him. He submitted to what was probably the first time his face cracked a grin in decades. "Don't worry," I said, "she's just softening you up so you won't hate her when she's screaming later."
Me of little faith! The timing worked out well in that she was hungry as we took off, so I latched her on and she happily nursed during take off, falling asleep by the time we reached cruising altitude. I couldn't believe it was that easy.
The landing, however, was a different story. She wasn't hungry, and she was bored out of her skull with the plane. And the descent must have been more rapid than take off, because I felt the pressure in my own ears much stronger. She squirmed and cried and screamed and was generally inconsolable for about 5 or 6 minutes, which seemed like an eternity. But she got over it quickly once we were off the plane.
Our stay in Florida was uneventful, and the flight back wasn't much different from the one there, except that she needed three diaper changes while we were required to be buckled in. Hubby and I have mastered the art of changing a squirming infant in the back of an Airbus 320 in high turbulence.
We did encounter one grouchy passenger on the way back who would not be broken by Kayla's persistent cuteness. We put the car seat next to us this time to see if it was more convenient than having her sit on our laps, but that means that the seat in front of it can't recline. There were plenty of other open seats and the man sitting there was by himself, so when he approached the row I said, "Sir, I'm sorry but because of my infant car seat, this seat won't be able to recline. So if you want to recline you might want to take one of the other open seats." Kayla and I both smiled gently at him. He just looked at me like I just told him his dog was ugly and said, "No, this is my seat." He took it, and throughout the flight periodically turned around to inspect the infant seat as though I had somehow purposefully installed it in a way that would mess with him, as though I had any other option. Well, fuck that guy. I tried.
Lessons Learned:
- Travel light. If your baby can barely roll over, don't bother lugging a crib, even a portable one. Use a baby carrier whenever possible and don't bother with a stroller. Only take enough diapers to get you through the first day & buy what you need when you arrive. Use the extra space in your luggage for extra changes of clothes.
- Understand that the change in routine will be stressful on your little one. Try to follow her lead in terms of naptime, mealtimes, playtime. It's never a good idea to impose a schedule on someone who can't tell time, but in this stressful context it's especially ill-advised.
- Be courteous to airline passengers, but if they give you dirty looks anyway, fuck 'em!
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