More advice please
Thank you all for the flying/hair advice! First I have to tell you that I accidentally gave myself a mullet yesterday. Oops. Brett sorta fixed it and then my hair is pretty curly so now it just looks like a housewife haircut.
Then — in a stunning example of “can you believe it?” — my favorite hairdresser called late last night to say she could squeeze me in next week. I told her that I no longer needed a cut — just repair — but could do with some color help.
Let that be a lesson to me next time I decide that I can work magic with my scissors. (The thing is though that generally I just cut my hair in a bob and then mess with it a little more and it’s so curly that it looks fine if not finished. However this time I got a little too excited about getting rid of that color and cut a bit shorter than was wise.)
But now here’s where I need more advice (and since I rarely ask for advice here is your chance to inundate me!). I’m going to buy lots of little toys and I’m going to wrap them. And I’m going to pack snacks and the Hyland’s tablets (thanks Paige!!) and I’m not going to sweat it if Madison is a handful on the plane (thanks hmbalison!!). Now I need some practical info.
How in the hell does one get a baby, a heavy carseat (Britax marathon — it weighs a ton), a diaper bag and the black drag-along suitcase, (which I will not be checking) off the plane and to the next plane during an hour layover without dropping the baby, missing the plane, or falling apart and going stark raving mad in the middle of the airport? (We’re taking a later flight on the way there — the plane takes off at 7pm so that Madison will sleep at least some of it but the flight back is right smack-dab in the middle of the afternoon.)
Do you think I’ll be able to strap the carseat onto the drag-along suitcase? And I’m planning on bringing the zolowear sling since it’s a little easier to get her in and out than the ellaroo even though the ellaroo would be a HELL of a lot more comfortable. (I’ve been trying to get her on my back with the ellaroo but she’s too fidgety to let me get a handle on that.)
J will be flying with us but I’m not sure what all she’ll be taking so she may be able to help, say, with the diaper bag but I’m not sure.
I know it’s possible and that better women than I do it every damn day with an infant, a preschooler and more luggage but I’m feeling just a tad bit overwhelmed.
My brother said that he would look into maybe coming up that weekend, too, so he could see Madison (and one assumes, me). I would love that so, so much! My sister-in-law made noise about it, too, and my inlaws (who are in Portland right now helping out with the new baby there) also said they were available. But frankly, when it comes right down to it, I’d rather have my brother there. Why, you ask?
–Brother is incredibly charming having inherited that gene from my father. People love him! He’ll make me look good.
–Brother is funny and I will appreciate having someone cracking jokes at me.
–I’ll feel like I have someone on my side even though intellectually I know that there are no sides.
–Brett will feel better than, too, because he’s worried about me out there all by my lonesome.
P.S. that picture is Madison — wasn’t she such a round-headed bean?
I have to tell you - it’s an adventure flying with a baby on a plane. If at least J is coming along, it’ll be easier with the physical schlepping of things. You *could* strap the car seat onto your bag, but it might be easier to get a cart for it. We always checked the car seat at the gate; it was nice to be able to *see* it when we got off the plane. Whichever carrier/sling she’ll be able to relax and sleep in - that’s the one to take. On Alena’s first plane trip, I kept her in the sling the whole time except for diaper changes. She slept for about 2 hours of a 2 1/2 hour flight.
It would be nice to have your brother there, for emotional support if nothing else. *hugs* Have a good, safe trip.
I don’t know which airport you’ll be flying from/through/to, but most airlines will give you the golf cart ride for reducing the shlepping. The most ingeneous (although I’m not sure so safe) idea I ever saw, was a big rasta guy in LaGuardia who bungee corded his toddler booster seat to one of those collapsible metal luggage carts and made it an impromptu “stroller” for his about 3-4 year old daughter. They wheeled to the gate with her strapped in, then took the car seat off, folded the luggage cart, and took both on board. The cart went into overhead, he strapped her carseat into an airplane seat, and buckled her in. But I don’t think he had any other carry-ons, save for a diaper bag.
I would encourage you to check the suitcase! And be persistant with gate agents about seeing if there will be any empty seats so that Madison can go in a car seat rather than in your lap. I always wait until LAST to get on the plane with a kid, because toddlers need the running around time, and you have a better chance of getting the agents/flight attendants to switch someone so your kid can get put into a car seat. Be persistant! If you feel you don’t have the guts, ask J to be persistant - I get the feeling she would be more than happy to get tough with the agents.
Wishing you an easy trip - go in peace and come in peace!
I had an umbrella stroller and hung the car seat from the back with M. riding in the stroller, and lugging my suitcase behind me. I also used a backpack for my diaper bag. There was also the computer bag. I checked the stroller in at the plane door and got it back at landing–just waiting for me at the plane door.
You can get an attendant to carry the carseat and
whatever else to your seat.
So I took a carseat, a computer, and a backpack on the plane. Checked my stroller at the door. Checked my luggage at the counter. J. will be able to help.
You’ll be fine.
Tell the person at the desk (when you check in at the first airport) that you will need assistance for changing planes at the connecting airport! They can have a porter and/or a cart ready for you. Travelling with young children usually grants you priority boarding, and ask the attendant for priority “unboarding” because of your limited amount of time between flights. Even if the airline has no official policy on debarking for parents with young children…many of the attendants are parents themselves and/or will certainly understand the “load” you have to manage and will make it as easy as possible for you.
Of course, it won’t hurt that Madison is so adorable, as most everyone will want to bend over backwards for her!
I always bring a stroller. Load the car seat onto the seat part, stick the carry on suitcase on the car seat, stuff the diaperbag underneath OR inside the carryon (we pack light), carry the kid in the sling. It helps if you have a rope or some kind of straps to lash it all together. Check the stroller at the gate and you will get it back when you land. I am also always the 1st on the plane and the last one off.
We have a spare, very light, decently collapsable stroller if you want to borrow it. My system wouldn’t work if you were using an umbrella stroller because that marathon is too big. No way you will be able to strap the marathon to the rolly suitcase and get around.
If I were you, I would check the rolly bag. It is worth the extra 20 minutes on arrival to not have to mess with it between flights. Also, you may want to swap the diaper bag for a back pack (I don’t know how that would work with the sling) to reduce the burden a little. If I see you tonight, we can discuss it.
You may or may not have trouble during the security check point if you wrap up all the toys for her.
And my britax roundabout ate the airplane last time we flew. The buckle was at a nearly impossible spot, and the flight attendant had to fidget with it for 10 minutes to get the buckle to unlatch. Highly embarrassing. The trip back I asked for a seat belt extender which solved that problem, it moved one of the buckles over to the side for easy access.
stickers! Stickers are highly entertaining. Even better - band aids!