Traveling with a baby

So we just returned from our first family vacation to the sunny state of Florida!

I must admit I was a bit nervous about traveling with Lil B, would he catch a cold on the plane since it is full of germs? Would he be able to sleep somewhere other than his bed? How would he be at the beach and in the sun?...well let me tell you he was AWESOME!

He was such a trooper and based on this pic, I think he enjoyed himself.

Make a list and check it multiple times
I am a planner so taking the time to make a list of everything we could and would need to travel helped bring my stress level down.

I kept a notepad beside the bed the weeks leading up to the trip so that I could jot down things as I thought of them (they often pop into my head in the middle of the night). I used the list to pull the things we had to pack and then made another list of things I needed to buy. Seeing as we were going somewhere that shopping wasn’t an issue, I knew if we forgot or ran out of something we would be able to pick it up fairly easily.

Food
Lil B is eating homemade baby food. Before we left I thought it was important to introduce him to some prepackaged food as I wouldn’t be able to make it while away. I introduced a few different brands that I know I could pick up once at our destination.

At the airport
Check with your airline to see their policies regarding traveling with an infant. Some airlines will allow you to check playpens or car seats at no extra charge.

When traveling with a baby you are allowed to bring bottles and baby food on board. Pack a separate bag containing your bottles and baby food. This way you can easily hand it over during the security check and you won’t have to search through your diaper bag for all things liquid. I also snuck some @PTPA hand sanitizer in there.

If you think your little one is going to need a bottle towards the beginning of your flight, you may want to warm it just before your board. I was able to get someone to warm one for me on the flight down, but on the way back they said they didn't want to had no way of doing so.

Some other helpful things we packed

A travel stroller – this is a must! We were lucky enough to be able to borrow a great Guzzie and Guss umbrella stroller for our trip. This stroller folds up small, has a large sunshade and basket underneath to hold toys – all things I didn’t think umbrella strollers were equipped with....here is my G+G 103 Pender Review.

Baby monitor – I’m so glad we brought this! We were able to sit out on the lanai while Lil B had his naps and we didn’t need to worry about not hearing him.

Portable high chair – this was a last minute purchase before we left and a great one at that. I wasn’t sure how we were going to feed Lil B at the condo we were staying at. This Little Seat attaches to any chair and basically straps your child to the chair. He loved being at the table with us and it made feeding him so much easier.

Playpen – a must have for baby to sleep in or keep them contained by the pool. There are a number of places you can rent baby gear from. If you don’t want to bring yours, check to see about a baby equipment rental company at your final destination.

The holidays are still really tough on us, so it was nice to get away and just enjoy spending uninterrupted family time together.