Over the next few weekends, Matt and Jack and I will be having some firsts in our family traveling adventures...Tomorrow morning we fly to Minnesota for our friend Blake's wedding. It is our first to time to fly with Jack. He is 14 months old and doesn't have his own seat. My main concern is that we keep him happy and comfortable, and also that we are considerate of those around us. We know to have him drink as we are taking off and landing...but other than that, does anyone have any tips for flying with kids? Honestly, I have just been praying that we won't sit next to someone who hates children! I might also add the fun tidbit that I get to share a hotel room not only with Matt and Jack, but also with Eric and Micah, two of Matt's friends from highschool! Hope they don't mind a 14 month old waking up in the middle of the night because he is in an unfamiliar bed in Minnesota!
Then, next weekend, we are driving to Nashville to go to the ZOE conference. Yep...you read that right...driving...Now we have made road trips, but I think only about as far as Houston...and that was back when he was sleeping 16 hours a day anyway! We are leaving Wednesday night at bedtime, with the hopes that we might maximize the amount of time he is sleeping in the car(and maybe to limit the amount of Chevy Chase "Vacation" quotes I have to hear from Matt!)...but just in case, any tips here? We are also looking forward to staying with our friends TJ and Holly when we get there...any tips for being houseguests with a baby? He's such a good boy, I'm not anticipating any problems, but I always like to hear from those who have more experience than myself.
As you can see from the picture above he's already quite the little adventurist...so I am sure we'll have some fun stories to tell!
In case you missed the last post, you can look at more pictures by going to Memorable Moments Photography at http://www.memorablemomentsphotography.com
17 comments:
When I was one of three small children and our family took vacations to Colorado every year, my parents always drove through the night so that we would be sleeping. I still think if Mom and Dad can handle it, it is the best way to travel with a baby. I don't know how long the flight to Minnesota is, but as long as he isn't screaming, most people don't mind babies on flights. And the whole being a good houseguest/hotel roommate with a baby- I'm sure that will be fine too. And I'll always take him for a little bit while you're here! See you next weekend!
That's what we did too...I can still remember getting our baths, getting into pajamas and loading all three of us into the back of the station wagon for the night...when we woke up, we were halfway to North Carolina! Fun memories!
Katey, I can't wait for you and Baby Jack to meet! I know he will just love you! He may not be Baby Sam, but we think he's pretty great!
OK--some thoughts...
we have done alot..A LOT..of plane travel with the kids because of ZOE. We have found that Benadryl works wonders. Seriously--give him a little and it will calm him down. If you feel weird about that try Tylenol. It will also help keep his ears open. our pediatrician recommended the Benadryl though. GOTTA LOVE THAT!!
Also--on the plane--take lots of snacks and things to keep him occupied. Magnadoodle is awesome. It's bulky to carry, but worth the investment. However, at 14 months, you might be better off with playdough.
You're probably not nursing anymore, but Sheryl always found it helpful to nurse right before the plane takes off. You can try the same idea with feeding him--feed him right before you take off so his tummy is nice and full and the full tummy and the hot tottie will help him rest.
AS for car travel...mercy. We've done this too and had great and horrible experiences. You're doing the right hing by leaving at night. We've found that to be the best way. Do you ahve a portable DVD player? Those are a DREAM. Our kids love watching movies on road trips. In fact, maddie will sometimes beg to take a roadtrip. She likes to pretend at home and she'll get her pillow, her littel suitcase and pick out a movie and she's ready to go.
Just STAY AWAKE!! I almost killed us all one Thanksgiving. I still shudder when I think about it.
Can't wait to see you. Maybe thanks to Hainey, we'll actually meet. Not that you'd ever come introduce yourself or anything..NOOOOO! :) Be careful driving.
Can't wait to hear your stories when you get back! And it's really nice of you to go through all of this first so you can give us baby traveling advice. I'm sure we'll be calling with lots of questions someday. Hope you have fun on your trips! Be safe! Can't wait to hang out some more at Homecoming! Love you!
We have traveled both by car and plane with our children (now 7 and almost 2), and I'm a big fan of the Benadryl suggestion (also given to us by our pediatrician). We flew to Orlando last spring when our daughter was about 18 months old, and snacks were of great value if only to keep her little hands busy. If your little one like to color, that's a great thing to do on the airplane. Buy him a new little toy that lights up but doesn't make any noise. It'll amuse him but not annoy those next to you.
For the car, we've always gotten those annoying kid sing CDs for the kids to listen to, and they always loved those for a while. And on a long drive, I'll take anything that makes them happy for a while.
Good luck.
Maybe we'll pass you on the highway! We're heading to TX pretty soon. I've never flown with Rowan so don't have any advice there. As far as driving long distances with a toddler, well, I've never done that either! Last time we drove to TX with Rowan he was only three months old and sleeping a lot more. Wish I had more suggestions for you. Have fun on your trips!
We flew with Hayley in June and she ended up doing much better than I thought she would. Although when we landed she refused to drink and her poor little ears hurt so badly. She screamed and screamed. :( But she DID survive. We're actually on our vacation without her right now. From the reports, she is sleeping more and less fussy than when I'm at home with her. Go figure. :) You guys have so much fun! I'll say a prayer for things to go smoothly with sweet Jack and for you all to make it there and back home safe and sound!
Well, I am sure that Jack will do fine! As far as Matt and the Chevy Chase comments I can't help you. I have heard them too and it is my FAVORITE movie. I think we all know all the comments......HOWEVER, I did not notice anything about a trip to SMITHVILLE....did I miss something? We miss you all and love you bunches. AUNT LYNN
Tine-
Jack will do great, I am sure. I am sure you guys will have some great stories! You guys be careful. I will be keeping you guys in my prayers. Love you guys :)
I'm Katey's mom, Cindy. We brought our grandson home on a plane with us when he was a lively 10 month old. The flight attendants were great helping us. Our plane was not full, so after we took off, one of them asked the lady sitting in our three-seater if she would like to move to an empty seat in a "less crowded" area. She quickly accepted the offer! With the armrests up, Trae could stretch out a little between us and sleep a little more comfortably. The Benadryl idea is super, both for the plane and the car. If you haven't travelled with Baby Jack very much, it might also be dual-purpose. Keep your fingers crossed that he doesn't have motion sickness!! If so, Benadryl is a must.
Jack is so beautiful! The pics are great. My main suggestion is to expect the drive to take a lot longer than you think it will. Start off expecting to stop every hour or so, then it'll feel like bonus time when you can keep going for two or even three hours.
Take care of gasoline, snacks, potty breaks before starting a leg of the trip. That way if Jack falls asleep then you can just drive, drive, drive until he wakes up.
If you have to switch drivers during a nap (the baby's nap!), we've found this procedure helpful and fun. A few minutes before the switch, gradually turn up the a/c fan to full blast. (Temp doesn't matter, it's the sound you want) Get yourselves ready. Get to your stopping point. Put the car in park, fling open the doors, and run like crazy for the other side. Think "Chinese fire drill". Hop in and go. As you start driving, gradually lower the a/c fan again, if you wish. It's worked well for us. :o)
I'd skip the DVD option. The distraction value it holds for a 14-mo old is minimal, plus you don't want to set the bar that high for future road trips.
We once threw a roll of masking tape into the activity box and the kids played with that for hours, literally. Jack's probably too small for that, though.
Take along things that Jack wouldn't consider to be typical toys. Wooden spoon, hairbrush, short section of rope, purse, etc.
Mostly though, you and Matt have a good time. Relax, enjoy the time alone together on the road. Be happy, be silly, be googly-eyed. Touch is good! Some of our best and most vivid memories are from road trips.
Have fun! Look forward to hearing how it all went.
I know you have already left, but this Benadryl thing is a great idea. I meet with a bunch of moms and it is funny beacuse we just had a huge halarious conversation about what to do and good old sleepy-time meds work and take first place hands down. Hope you are well and had a great trip.
Olivia
Christine--
It was wonderful to see you at the ZOE Conference. Wasn't it a rich weekend? Hmm. I loved it and I'm glad you were able to be a part. Blessings!
Tine....I am tired of reading my own blog over and over....please tell me some more Baby Jack stories. We miss you all bunches!
Aunt Lynn
Tine...we are waiting...:)
Love ya sis,
em
Christine! Did you know Morgan Johnson was married???? She just emailed me. That little turkey didn't invite me!
OHHH Christine! I'm sorry! I should have taken you to see Wicked!! Dangit! I am a bad friend. Oh Morgan. She is a silly girl! Okay, for real, I'm going to call you soon. What are you doing Friday? I took the day off! Lunch? :)
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