Kim and I recently returned home from another trip with our 3-month-old daughter, Lucy. So far, she has 12 flights under her tiny belt and has been in first class three times (although she slept through most of them.) Here is a list (by no means exhaustive) of some of the things I’ve learned in our travels.
- It’s not nearly as hard as I thought it would be.
- Lots of prior traveling experience and lots of research on traveling with kids probably helped with that first one.
- Leaving more time for everything is the key to staying sane.
- I’m way more patient than I give myself credit for.
- My wife is amazingly organized.
- TSA officials are actually friendly if you have a baby in tow. (Well, MOST of them.)
- Restaurant booths are a great place to sit so you can lay baby down next to you while you eat (in that period before they can roll over and until they can sit in a high chair without bonking their head on the table.)
- Babies are good at drawing people to your sales table in the back of the room.
- If kept fed and dry, babies have a much higher tolerance for 4-hour delays in Atlanta than grown-ups.
- If your baby is having trouble sleeping at night and you can swing it, you may want to try installing a jet engine in his or her room. Works like a charm.
- Babies can store an amazing amount of sand in their neck rolls.
- Even though it was a bit more complicated, it’s still more fun to travel with my wife and daughter than to leave them at home.
- Home is still my favorite place to be.
I’m glad things are going so well for you and that I could be one of the people that was part of the research, encouraging you to “Just Do It” :D Lucy is a DOLL; I love the picture.
You know Marilyn, I have used your line about Jake being in, “what, 28 states before he was two”? so many times…both to assure skeptical outsiders as well as myself that traveling with young kids is more than possible — it’s fun!
Her expression in that picture is awesome! “Don’t mess!”