A Travel Nightmare (and some travel advice)

I am a firm believer that when you put something out in the universe, it will come back to bite you in the ass...hard. For instance, the second you tell someone your kid is sleeping through the night, your kid will start waking up at least once every night. As soon as you brag to your friends about how well behaved your child is, and how you never experienced the terrible twos, your kid will turn on you the second you walk through the door and throw the fit of the century when you try to get them into their pajamas...every night for a month straight.

In this case, my story has nothing to do with the behavior of my children, but something else I put out in the universe entirely. My younger brother is crazy smart - like computer genius type smart - but this kid is the most forgetful, absent minded person sometimes. I remember when we were little my mom used to have to pin notes for the teacher to his chest because he never remembered to give them to the teacher if my mother put them in his bag. She pinned an envelope to the poor kids chest!! Today he is 33 years old, and every time he travels back to the US (he now lives in Europe) something goes wrong with his travel situation...he misses a flight, he thinks he is on a different flight and goes to the wrong terminal, and once he even went to the wrong airport (La Guardia when he was supposed to be at JFK). I didn't know how this type of thing happened to a grown adult so often. I actually told one of my friends last month about my brother and his luck with travel, and said something along the lines of "I have taken hundreds of flights in my life and not once have I ever missed a flight."

And the universe heard me...and came prepared to bite me.

Last Saturday the girls and I were booked on a 6 AM flight out of Boston to West Palm Beach. We were traveling down to see my parents, as Hubs is crazy busy at work lately and we needed some love from the grandparents. That morning we awoke at 4 AM, and we pulled out of the garage (Hubs drove us) at 4:30, as scheduled. We arrived at the airport as planned at 5 AM - plenty of time to get on a 6 AM flight right? Here is where I miscalculated - I didn't account for the time that it would take us to park the car, take the car seats out of the car and put them in their carrying cases, and get us plus the luggage (with Hubs helping) down to the baggage drop off area. It was 20 minutes that I didn't think about.

We got in line to drop off our bags at 5:20 on the nose - the line was long, but consistently moving. I figured it would take us 10 minutes to get up to the front, and then we had Even More Speed so we got to skip the security line. We would be fine. When I think about it now, I want to go back and slap myself in the face. Was my brain not working? How would we be fine??

We got to the front of the line and were told that we missed our flight. There was no way that our luggage would make it to the plane in time and we had to get on another flight. The a-hole that told me this then asked me why I didn't come forward when they called out the passengers on our flight from the long line. I told him that we never heard him and would of course have come forward!

Cue the waterworks. I was sleep deprived, I was already nervous about flying by myself  with the girls, and then this crap happens. It is totally my fault. I am not one to get to an airport late, or with just enough time to walk on the plane. I like to get there early. I thought an hour before my flight would be fine - but now that I think about it, and it would have been if it was just me flying and I didn't have any luggage to check! I have no idea what I was thinking...

we were lucky to not have anyone sitting in
the seat next to us so Val got her own seat for
a bit and mommy got to stretch her arms!
Notice the Ziploc bag!

So some nice lady booked us on another flight, but we had to go to Fort Lauderdale, which is about 45 minutes south of West Palm. Whatever - we would be getting in about 2 hours later than scheduled, that is fine. The woman was nice enough to give Hubs a gate pass so that he could help us to the gate. I stopped crying and pulled myself together...

And then we were told that the flight to Fort Lauderdale was having maintenance issues (the bathrooms were broken) and that we were delayed 30 minutes...which turned into an hour. And THEN we were told that the plane was unfixable and we would have to wait another hour for different plane, coming from Orlando, which would then take us to Fort Lauderdale. Jebus!

In the end, they fixed the bathrooms on the original flight, and we left about 2 hours later than scheduled, which was 4.5 hours later than our 6 AM flight. It was a nightmare of a situation, and could have been avoided if I had actually used my brain and gotten up 30 minutes earlier.

For all of the chaos the girls were incredibly well behaved. There is nothing like being stressed about traveling with your kids alone and having multiple strangers come up to you and compliment you on how well behaved your children are. Sure there was some whining here and there (they had been up since 4 AM!) but I was shocked at how well they took all the delays - more time to run around the terminal giggling..and of course to watch their iPads!

Speaking of which, I know I have given advice about traveling with kids before, but here are some pointers I wanted to share again:

- Ziploc bag everything. I had the following in individual ziploc bags: diapers and wipes, toys and books, snacks, 2 Camelback water containers, 2 changes of clothes. This way it is so easy to keep everything nice and organized and makes going through security so much easier!

- Use your baby carrier. I had Val in the Ergo and since we were flying so early and I knew M would be cranky I brought the umbrella stroller. If M wasn't riding I put our carryon in the stroller and pushed it around. Val won't sit still in a stroller, so I kept her in the Ergo when we were on the move so I had my hands free

- Bring at least one change of clothes for each kid. We always have spills on the plane - most of the time they are my fault - but someone always ends up with wet pants or a dirty shirt.

- People are usually very nice to you when you are traveling with young kids - especially when they are well behaved. Take advantage of those nice grandparents sitting behind you and let them play peekaboo with your kid for a few minutes. Say yes to the flight attendant when she asks to hold your child so that you can pee on your own. Let that security guard help you fold your stroller. You don't have to do everything yourself (although I like to try)!

- Make sure your kids pee right before you board the plane. Even if they say they don't have to go, make them "squeeze out the pee pee" as we say. If they don't they will for sure have to go when they aren't able to go (during ascending and descending).

- Bring lollipops. We are at the age where M is starting to feel the pressure in her ears during take off and landing now. Lollipops seem to help with the pressure, and are a good distraction.

- Let your kids use electronics. I am a firm believer in my kids using iPads. Ok, that doesn't even make sense - ha. What I mean is, if it keeps them quiet, and takes some stress off you, let them look at the iPad on a plane! Sure I bring other things, like crayons and paper, and books, but most of the flight both my kids had an iPad in front of them, and they were content and quiet. I am sure some people were judging me (as they do when I have the iPad out at restaurants) but I don't care! Judge away, and enjoy the quiet flight!

Despite the chaos of the morning, we got to Florida, had an amazing time with my parents in the warm 80 degree sun. And I got to the airport an hour and a half early for our return flight!

What I Learned On Our Family Vacation

This past weekend we took our first trip as a family of four. We ventured down to Disney World (my home away from home), where we met my mother and stayed for 4 days and 3 nights. We had a wonderful time, but it was one of those "vacations" that felt like more work than actual vacation. I guess that is what happens when you have kids and vacations are all about keeping them entertained! As I got a taste for what our family trips will be like for the unforeseeable future I took many a mental note that I wanted to share with you all.

1. I will not be able to travel alone with my two girls for a long time. M and I took many flights/vacations together in her first 2.5 years of life. She is a great kid to travel with - very low maintenance, well behaved and up for an adventure. Plus you stick her in front of an iPad and she will entertain herself for hours, which makes flying very easy on the parents! Enter Val, who is a very easy going baby these days, but requires (of course) a second set of hands on her at all times, and about two extra carry-ons. Traveling with two kids in tow is NO JOKE. There is no way I could have done it without my husbands help. At least for the next couple years I will not be able to travel with the kids alone!

2. I have some pretty well-behaved kids. Everyone thinks their kids are well-behaved (well most people do) but my kids really are damn good kids. Maybe they get it from their easy-going father, or maybe because I don't put up with the BS, but whatever the case, they are great kids (yes I know Val is only 4 months old, but still she is awesome compared to other 4 month olds - haha). Compared to some of the kids we saw at Disney World, they are angels. I saw kids having fits like I have never seen before. I heard kids talking to their parents in a way that if I ever talked to my parents that way (even today) I would have gotten slapped. I had kids run into me (while carrying Val) and not say excuse me (we are already teaching M to say this at the young age of 3). There were kids climbing all over restaurants during dinner, while their parents sat there and let them run amok. There was some pretty terrible behavior, which made me proud to have a very well behaved 3 year old holding my hand.

3. A double stroller is a blessing and a curse. I went back and forth with the decision to bring or not to bring our big double stroller (the City Mini GT). We have used it about 3 times since purchasing it in August, and I wanted to get some use out of it, but it is big and cumbersome when folded. I ultimately decided to bring it, and I am so glad I did! It was great to have for naps. When we needed to get somewhere quickly we threw the kids in it and ran. If one of the kids weren't in it, we put our heavy bags in the empty side. The only issue we ran into was when traveling on the bus to and from the Magic Kingdom from the Yacht Club Resort. There is no place to put it, especially when the bus is full. PS. You will get dirty looks from everyone on the bus (or public transportation wherever you may be traveling) when they see you carrying that wide load so prepare yourself.

4. Bring at least four outfits for each kid for each day. I packed as if we weren't able to do laundry, because doing laundry at a hotel is a pain in the balls. My husband thought I was crazy for packing so much, but the girls wore all but two or three things that I packed. Val had multiple blow outs and would need at least one clothing change during the day. M spilled on herself many times and needed at least one change of clothing while we were at the parks. And then we would change for the night time too, and someone would get dirty and need to be changed again. Do yourself a favor and pack a few extra outfits in a ziploc and put it in the bottom of the stroller - no matter where you are!

5. Regular diapers are not a substitue for swim diapers. Yes, I know this is common sense. M is still in diapers (another post on our potty training woes to come) and Mama forget to pack her swim diapers so when she was begging to go swimming I decided to just put a clean diaper on her and let her go in the pool. Boy did we get a laugh when she came out of the water and her diaper was totally full and sagging down to her boney little knees. Baby had back! So yes, don't try to substitute regular diapers for swim diapers - your kid will look ridiculous as ours did!

6. DISNEY TIP: Get to the parks when they open, but don't head right for the popular ride: I always get to the parks right when they open but this trip I learned that we shouldn't head straight for the most popular ride right away. When we when to MGM (or Hollywood Studios as it is called now - it will always be MGM to me!) we followed the masses and went right to the Toy Story ride. We waited in line for about 30 minutes (the wait said 45 but it was shorter than that), and there was a huge line for Fast Passes right away. Well, when we got off the ride, there was hardly anyone in line for the ride!! If you avoid the initial rush to the popular ride and come back to it about 45 minutes after the park opens you might find a much shorter stand by line. That is my Disney tip of the day.

7. Extra Leg Room is worth the extra money. We fly Jet Blue 99% of the time we travel. Because my husband is almost 7 feet tall, we need to get the Extra Leg Room seats. To book these you pay an additional fee of $35-$45 (depending on time of year and destination) per seat, per leg of trip. Let me tell you, it is worth every penny because now when you buy Extra Leg Room, you get Extra Time! What is Extra Time? Well, you get to bypass the entire line at security and go to the front of the line. It is like a "Get Out Of Jail Free" card. With two kids, and many carry-ons, plus a double stroller, this is a freaking blessing. We had such an early flight (6 AM) from Boston that there really wasn't a line to bypass, but in Orlando the security line was freaking madness, and with our Extra Time we saved about an hour of waiting in line with hundreds of other folks. Do yourself a favor, especially if you are traveling during a busy time of year, and book the extra leg room to get the Extra Time!

8. Learn to nurse with a baby carrier. I didn't want to miss out on anything, and didn't want to lose any time with having to nurse Val. I figured out my own comfortable way to nurse her while she was in the Ergo, so I was able to walk around (with hooter hider on) and nurse her without missing any of the action. What I did was just put her on her side, and put one strap of the Ergo on (the one by her bum side) and then cradle her head in my arm. That way I had one arm free, was still covered and comfortable and could walk around while nursing her. It might not be the recommended way to nurse in a baby carrier, but it worked for us! Of course there was that one moment that the hooter hider blew off her, and I hadn't realized she had detached and my naked boob was out for all to see in Epcot. Whatever. :)

Family kicked off Jet Blue Flight

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This morning I happen to turn on the Today show to catch the weather, and instead caught the above story about a family kicked off a Jet Blue flight because their daughter was having a temper tantrum before take off. Of course there is a little more to the story, but the headline caught me and as each minute passed I got more and more fired up about this predicament.

The Vieau family, from Rhode Island, were returning to Boston on a Jet Blue flight from Turks & Caicos last month. The doctor couple was traveling with their daughters who are 2 and 3 years old. While preparing for take-off Natalie, the 2 year old, began to throw a temper tantrum and was giving her parents a hard time about sitting by herself, as well as fastening her seatbelt. Natalie had been used to sitting on her mom's lap while flying and like a typical two year old was making her feelings heard, to the whole plane.

On the Today Show this morning the mother explained that the tantrum lasted 3-5 minutes, and that the flight attendants had repeatedly asked her during this time to secure her daughter in the seat with her seatbelt on. After approximately 3-5 minutes they had Natalie pinned down in the seat with her seatbelt on. I guess this wasn't good enough for the flight attendants, as the family was then informed that the Captain had made the decision to bring the plane back to the gate (it had began to taxi, but not yet on the tarmac/runway), and the family was to disembark the plane.

Understandably, the Vieau family was flabbergasted. They had settled the child down, and buckled her seatbelt as asked, but were still being kicked off the flight. Now this was the last flight out of Turks & Caicos that day, so they had to be rebooked on a flight the next day, and had to pay out of pocket for a night at a hotel room and transportation to and from the hotel. They are claiming they spent $2000 due to the ordeal.

Now if any of you have traveled with a toddler who throws a tantrum right at take-off you can understand this nightmare. In the 20+ flights I have taken with my daughter, I have never not had the flight attendants be sympathetic to both of our needs. I fly Jet Blue the majority of the time too, and always found the attendants to be more than helpful and understanding. Of course, I have never had the trouble of keeping her seated with her seatbelt on, as I always put her in a carseat on the plane, but if I did I am much stronger than all 30 pounds of her and would hold her down like my life depended on it, and buckle that child in.

I would love to have been a fly on the wall of that plane when all of this went down. Did the tantrum really last 3-5 minutes? What did the flight attendants actually tell the Captain was happening in the back of the plane? Did anyone offer to help them out? Dr. & Dr. Vieau seem like very calm people, at least in their interview with Matt Lauer they were, so how did they handle the whole thing? Was there outrage on their part, as there would have been if this happened to me? If I didn't have kids would I have been an angry passenger hoping the family did get kicked off? Isn't going back to the gate and kicking this poor family off going to take time than just taking off when the kid was calm??

There apparently was a poll done on the Today Show website, and 71% of respondents actually agreed with the way the airline handled the situation!

Watch the interview in the link above and tell me how you feel about all this...

Travelling with Toddler

Yesterday M and I completed our 16th flight together in the last 23 months. It was pretty much as smooth as could be, and I wanted to share with you some of my tips for travel so that your next flight experience with your toddler can be just as easy!

Well, I think "easy" is the wrong word choice there, because when you are traveling by yourself with your child it is never easy. Let's use the word "manageable."

Here are my tips for a manageable travel experience with your toddler:

1. Try to book a flight during nap/sleep times. This doesn't always work, but if you can get your kid to sleep on the plane you will be one lucky mama (or dada).

2. Fly JetBlue.

• They have more legroom than any other airline. This is huge when you are using a car seat, and your toddler has crazy long legs. This is also great because you can let your kid stand up and move around a bit in front of your seat. 
• If you can afford the Extra Legroom, jump on it! Not only do you get to board first (there is no pre-boarding on JetBlue, so if you don't have extra legroom you board when your row is called), but now you actually get to go through security in a separate line! It is amazing - and such a pleasant surprise when I got to bypass the huge security line at Logan. 
• They have TVs. M wasn't truly taking advantage of them, but if you have slightly older kids that can use headphones (and will keep them on) this is huge, especially when you can't use electronics for take off and landing (more on this in a sec)
• They have more room in the overhead cabin. This may not be true, but with my experience on Delta last month, this is totally true. The overhead cabin on our Delta flight was miniscule (as was the legroom - not good for 7 foot tall dad!). I am sure this depends on the type of plane, but all Jetblue planes I have been on have tons of overhead space. 
• They give you snacks, which a lot of airlines don't do anymore. And they have animal crackers, which are M's favorites. 
• You can check one bag per person for free, and you can check strollers and car seats without them counting as an actual checked bag. 

A little girl brings a lot of joy

Last week my grandfather (father's father) passed away, after a very long and happy life (at least I assume it was happy - although he didn't smile very much now that I think about it...anyhoo) My father immediately booked hubby, M and I on a flight from Boston out to Ohio to be with family for the weekend. We were more than happy to go, as my grandmother, Nana, had yet to actually meet M, and we knew this would bring her a lot of joy during this sad time.

Cut to the night before and M is terribly sick with a head cold, and I am following her around the house with the Nose Frida, sucking out some awesome green boogies. My motherly instinct kicked in immediately and I knew the last place she should be is on a plane right now (well maybe the last place would have been naked outside in the cold, being splashed by a bucket of water, I digress.)

I called my parents, who were already with Nana and told them the situation and my mother said, "you are her mother, so it is your decision...but here talk to Nana." Oh great! Nana then went on to tell me that when she found out M was coming to see her she was happier than she had been in a long time, and couldn't wait to meet her, but understood if we couldn't make it, but would really love to see her in person. Ok, I got the point. We had to go.

Do you like my ensemble?

Not that we didn't want to go, as I love being with my family, and don't get to see them often enough at all, but I knew I wasn't doing the right thing by bringing my very sick child on a plane, out of our comfort zone, around old people, in a hotel, yada yada yada.

So we did what we had to do, and packed our carry ons full of Boogie wipes, nose spray, benedryl, juice, and of course the Frida. I don't think the people behind us knew what was going on as I constantly leaned over and stuck the Frida tube up M's nose to try to get her more comfortable.

Long story short, she was fine (not great) on the plane, and we arrived in Ohio.

Like with all strangers, it took M a little bit to warm up to Nana, but before long she was holding on to her hand and walking around her apartment. What should have been a somber weekend actually turned out to be an enjoyable family reunion of sorts. M brought so much joy to Nana, during such a sad time in her life, the entire trip was worth just that. She even brought joy to everyone that lives with Nana at the old folks home.

M, the girl who hates barettes, headbands and hats - all cranial accessories for that matter - actually kept on this little straw hat, that Nana had on a doll, and wore it to our 4:30 dinner in the dining room. She was a huge hit with all of the residents. Her ensemble was complete with a matching straw purse, which Nana gave to her and she now totes around the house with her from room to room.

Like daughter like mother - this girl loves her accessories now!

Even though it was probably the worst thing for M's health to travel, I am so happy that we were able to bring some joy to people during an otherwise sad time. And that is just one of the million things kids are good for!

On the road again . . .

I can definitely wait to get on the road again. Whatever Willie Nelson was singing about – I know it certainly wasn’t about traveling with 5 month old refluxy Little S to NJ.

A note about traveling from Boston to New Jersey. After many years of making this trip, I can say that there is pretty much no way of doing it without hitting significant traffic in some major city. First, you have to leave Boston – enough said for those of you locals. Second, you have to go through Hartford, which sounds like it shouldn’t be that big of a deal, but it always is. Third, let’s cross the Tappen Zee. (How many times have we done this when I swear I could have run back and forth across the bridge before our car even moved. I am not sure why impromptu dance parties haven’t started on that bridge. Maybe next time?) Finally, you make your way on the Garden State Parkway. That’s the easiest part. Let’s just skip all the Jersey jokes. I was born and raised at the Jersey Shore – and there is only Jersey pride (and Italian ice) running through these veins.

So, given the obvious fear and intense anxiety over traffic, Papa K and I decided that it would be a fabulous idea to leave after Little S’s evening bottle (circa 7 PM) on a Thursday evening. This way, we were sure that there would be little traffic and Little S would sleep soundly in her brand new convertible carseat that reduced post-meal reflux vomit sessions. Brilliant. By 7:30 we were on our way. By 8:30, Little S had stopped her presleep moaning ritual and had closed those gorgeous blue eyes. By 8:45 we were in Hartford - surely no problem at that hour on a Thursday. And then, BAM – construction – 3 lanes to 1. Dead stop. Traffic jam. My heart started to pound, beads of swear formed on my forehead, and Little S’s feet started to stir. Then she started moving her body around in the chair. The pacifier dropped (yes, I am totally addicted to the pacifier – me more than her – I need to be weaned) and the crying started. To be honest, I might have started crying first. How could this be? The traffic appeared to continue into the horizon and, as much as Little S loves “The Itsy Bitsy Spider” – she loves her nighttime sleep way more.

Finally, eons later, traffic starts moving again. Little S starts to doze. Near-perfect Papa K stops strongly whispering to me to chill out.

I think: that wasn’t so bad – we are on our way.

But it wasn’t the end. Construction was everywhere. I get it – we got tons of snow – there are potholes everywhere. It’s super nice that they plan on doing construction at night when the commuters are off the road. But, I am on the road with a screaming baby and a husband who hates traffic and how his wife reacts in it even more!

I kept closing my eyes, breathing deeply, and visualizing that the car could fly. (Don’t tell me you haven’t done this before!)

It didn’t fly. But we made it (after countless more construction jams). Little S fell asleep and so did I. Thankfully, Papa K didn’t.

When we got to NJ, the grandparents who were supposed to be sleeping at 1 AM were waiting eagerly for the arrival of the granddaughter. We transferred her to the crib, her eyes popped open and out came that infectious smile. As did the grandparental “oooh” and “aaahs”…Let’s just say, Mama K and Little S didn’t end up sleeping much that night.

Or, any other night for that matter. We left more exhausted than we arrived – all of us with bags under our eyes. But, it was totally worth it – every second of pain and exhaustion. It was worth the reflux flare-up. It was worth the week it took for me to realize that we had not only disrupted Little S’s weak version of a schedule, but we were also never getting it back.

It was worth it because there’s nothing better than seeing your baby girl smile at her grandparents, aunt, uncles and cousins. There’s nothing better than witnessing her giggle uncontrollably at her first game of peek-a-boo.

And, there’s nothing better than getting to be a daughter again.

So, though 99% of me can definitely wait (forever) to get on the road again, nothing would stop me from doing it again – probably sooner than I’ll admit.

So this is what travel now requires....

I have achieved the impossible...air travel with two children (ages 3.5 and 1). Granted, I have spent far too much time and money achieving this goal. No longer is a car, a book on tape, and a box of Colorforms all you need to travel. It's gotten far more serious. You will need:

• Go Go Babyz: As you're wheeling your child along like a piece of luggage, you will wish (as Mama J has previously stated) that you invented this and were charging $80 for it. You will also wish it didn't have such a stupid name so you don't have to make weird noises when people ask you what it is.


• iPad: Yes, you can buy a far less expensive Leapster toy, but it won't be as cool for your kid (or you). Unfortunately, you'll need two, so you don't to have to fight over who is next to "make a cake."


• Carseat Cover: So you don't have to rent a car seat that some other child has left bodily fluids in. And since I can't figure out the logistics of carrying two carseats through the airport - and I'm not buying ANOTHER of those Go Go wheelies - one carseat must get checked. At least checking it is free.


• An Extra Seat on the Plane: It's pricey (although I think including the iPad, this short list of travel "accessories" has already topped $1000), this will allow your younger child to stand up backwards in their seat and make cute faces at the person behind you (and then in turn, they will play 2 hours of PRICELESS peekaboo with your child). And because they are standing up, it will also prevent them from kicking the seat in front of them.


• A Bladder of Steel: You will worry so much about everyone else going to the bathroom, you will forget to go.


• A Third-Party: My sister also traveled with us, so my husband and I didn't have to play man-on-man defense. Granted, this meant that before 7 AM my 3 year-old had a breakfast of chocolate milk, double chocolate "muffin" and M&Ms. He may not have been able to sleep on the plane, but with my sister along, I could!


• Patience: Your child will lick the underside of a seat at the airport, will cry because their apple juice has ice, and will have to go to the bathroom immediately after the pilot says "we're next in line for takeoff." And your flight will be delayed.

We had a lovely time and my boys' faces as they hit the beach were priceless...but can we even call it vacation anymore?

MBTA Stroller Madness

I have been sitting here for 10 minutes trying to figure out how to begin this post...I am fired up, and it will be long...here goes nothing...

I have lived in Boston for 15 years. Until last years move to the semi-burbs I took public transportation pretty much everywhere. For a few years I took the green line during rush hour, packed in like sardines. Then the #9 bus from Southie into Copley, and then the #7 from Southie into downtown all during rush hour times. I was a young professional, and I wasn't thinking twice about moms and kids on the T really.

I have helped mother's get their strollers on the bus, and moved so they could better fit it out of the way in the handicapped seating. Maybe once or twice was I actually annoyed with a stroller on the T or bus, but only because it was in the way of the walk way and the mother wasn't apologetic at all. If they were audibly sorry they were blocking the way I didn't pay too much attention, and shimmied past them.

But, I was, and will always be, one of those people that will immediately give up my seat if I see a mom, elderly or handicapped person. Even if I was in the window seat and the jerk next to me pretended to ignore the person in need of a seat, I would get up. I feel that the people behind all of this are not this type of rider.

When I had M, she didn't stop me from going out and about on the T or bus, even in the frigid winter months when she was born. Most of the time (because she was so little and it was so cold out) I would strap her to me via Moby Wrap or Ergo under my winter coat. It was easier for me this way, as well as for everyone around me.

When the weather got warmer, I learned the hard way about traveling on the bus with a giant UppaBaby Vista stroller. That sucker does not fit down the aisles - not even close. The first time I tried, I was getting on at South Station with a ton of other people, and I was horribly embarrassed as I was trying to jam this stroller down the aisle, knowing it wouldn't work, but I had nowhere to go. Someone thankfully ended up helping take the infant carseat off, and fold the massive contraption so that I could get out of the aisle, but the stroller was still in everyone's way. Every time after that I would make sure I was traveling at a less busy time of day, and that I could get a seat in the front sideways seats of the bus, and if I was especially lucky to have an empty bus, I could fold up the seat and put the stroller where the wheelchairs are supposed to go.

A nanny standing in the doorway of a T train -
with an UppaBaby Vista stroller and rumble seat

Luckily a few months later we moved to the burbs, and now I drive everywhere. If I was to take the bus/train again with her I would use an umbrella stroller. But I have one child and I have the luxury of having the option to drive.

Today an article in the Boston Herald was brought to my attention about a potential change in "pram policy" on the MBTA train and bus. As of right now there is no policy in place, but they are suggesting making it policy to have mother's fold their strollers if they want to ride the train or the bus. The MBTA even goes as far as saying that "the number one complaint I've had...is strollers." Not running off schedule? Not waits in tunnels? Not people taking up two seats? Not giant backpacks swinging around that could kill a small person?

Let me first say that I understand where this is coming from. Some strollers are huge...double strollers are ginormous. The MBTA trains and buses are antiquated at best. The aisles are small, there is no storage space for any sort of bag, besides your lap, let alone a giant stroller. If you get on the bus or T with a stroller and it is rush hour, and you can't get a seat or area of the bus/T that has room for the stroller, you will be in the way of a bunch of angry commuters. But some parents are forced to be in this situation. What if you don't have a car or can't afford a car? What if you have to take the train/bus? What if you have two babies? What if you have to drop your kids off a daycare in the city before work? Have you tried parking in Boston?? I could go on...

The MBTA is now suggesting that parents remove their children from the stroller, remove their bags from the storage space under the stroller, fold the stroller, carry the bags, carry the stroller and of course, carry your baby or hold your child's hand. Apparently they think all mothers are Superman (why wouldn't we just fly places then?). The thought of having to do all of this will make me never ride on the MBTA with a child, unless they are old enough to walk on their own. This makes me sad for all parents who rely on the MBTA as a means of transportation daily.

Like I said, I understand the other side of this, but I don't see how it justifies a precedence being put into place. If you can fold your stroller easily, then you should fold it up, or get it out of the way. If you can't, apologize to others and let them deal with it.

Before anything is set in place, they would like to launch a pilot program that would require anyone with a stroller to fold it before entering the bus. They then go on to say that this would "require passengers to stow their carriages"...where I ask you?? Have you seen the size of them folded? Isn't this becoming a safety issue now? These giant metal contraptions will just be flailing around the bus/T bumping into people!

I would love for you all to read the article by clicking here and to weigh in in the comment section with your opinion on all this. Would love to hear from both sides!

The Packing Dilemma: Car Seat and Strollers

Every time we are about to go on vacation I spend days having the same conversation with my husband about what baby gear we need to bring with us. It ends up mostly being a discussion about the car seat and stroller: Do we want the umbrella stroller? The jogger? The UppaBaby Vista? Should we bring the car seat on the plane or check it? Or gate check it? Should we have my mom buy a car seat in Florida? Should we buy a smaller one to bring on the plane?

For this last adventure to Florida we had purchased a seat for M, so we had the luxury of bringing the car seat on the plane with us. But my husband brought up the the question - do we really need to put her in the car seat on the plane? After doing some research, and talking to other Mamas, I decided that our best (and safest) bet was to bring the car seat with us on the plane and strap her in.

Now, we use the Britax Boulevard car seat in the car. And if you haven't seen it before, it is freaking huge. The reason we got it is because we needed one for very tall children, and this seemed to have the highest height allowance of all on the market. Plus, most of my friends have it, so we got it and she seems to be very comfortable in the car. I was worried that it wouldn't fit in the airplane, but checked with a friend who had recently flown with the same car seat and we were golden.

Since we were bringing the seat on the plane, I purchased the Go Go Babyz Travelmate that attaches to the car seat and allows you to pull it through the terminal like the baby is a piece of carry-on luggage. And thankfully we had this nifty piece of equipment because it made life much easier with all of the baggage we had with us. I had read that you would have to detach it from the car seat at security, but this ended up not being the case, as it still fit through the scanner with the Travelmate hooked on.

But here is the catch - the Britax/Go Go Babyz combo does not fit down the aisle of the plane. You must disassemble it before boarding the plane and carry the car seat onto the plane separately from the wheels, which is very awkward. There is no way that one person can carry baby, car seat, carry on and the wheel attachment themselves, so if you are traveling by yourself this is not ideal (as I discovered for myself). You will have to have someone help you down the aisle of the plane to your seat.

AND if you are traveling with the Britax Boulevard car seat your child will be able to kick the seat in front of them. We flew on JetBlue and had "even more legroom" seats (my husband is 6'9" tall) on the way down, and in these seats M didn't reach the seat in front of her. On our way home in the normal seats, all she wanted to do was put her feet on the seat in front of her, which was very easy to do. And I know JetBlue has more legroom in the normal sections than regular planes, so be cautious!! Having a kid kick the back of my seat on the plane is one of my biggest pet peeves ever.

As for the stroller, we have done every combo there is and this time we brought the umbrella stroller and gate checked it on the way down, but put it under the plane on the way back. Both times I put it in a Gate Check Stroller Bag that I purchased online, and thankfully I did because the bag came back all ripped and dirty - I can only imagine what the stroller would have looked like without it! A word of warming about the Gate Check Stroller Bag - If you use it and check the stroller with luggage under the plane, BE SURE TO TURN IT INSIDE OUT!! Multiple times we have checked it with luggage and they see the "GATE CHECK" writing on it and it ends up being brought to the gate instead of the baggage claim. Which is a huge pain in the balls.

So what will I do next time I travel? Probably buy a smaller car seat and use the wheel attachment. And maybe bring the jogger as we have yet to throw that in the mix!

A comedy or errors at 30k feet

We just returned from a lovely family vacation (to my parents house) in Florida and I have about 10 posts started in my head, so I figured I would begin by sharing my adventure traveling home with you first!

I could get used to this

My husband had to return earlier in the week due to work, so I was flying solo with M from West Palm to Boston. I was already anxious about having to deal with all the luggage, the car seat on the plane, and keeping a 15 month old entertained for 3 hours...but then our flight was delayed 3 hours. There was no way I was going to go to the airport with a toddler at 10 PM at night, so I decided to change our flight to the next day. Thanks to my mother who forced me to call JetBlue a second time in hopes of getting a sympathetic employee, I was able to change my flight free of charge (it was going to cost us $540 when I spoke to the first mean woman).

But now that I was coming in during the day, my husband was unable to pick me up at the airport, so I would have to deal with 3 pieces of checked luggage, a stroller (checked), a car seat (on the plane), a giant LL Bean tote full of in-flight entertainment, oh and a toddler. It would be just me getting all of that from the baggage claim to the car service - up an elevator and outside. I was not happy about that.

So we get to the airport and since I changed my flight so late I was unable to get the extra leg room seats on our flight that we had on the way down. Since I had our GIANT Britax car seat with me, and my daughter has crazy long legs, my anxiety increased as I had visions of her kicking the seat in front of us...which she ended up doing the entire flight (and I kept doing the "sweetie stop kicking the seat in front of you or the man is going to get mad" loud mom talking).

Fast forward to boarding the plane - they didn't pre-board for families for some reason, so I was in the cattle line getting on the plane and was sweating like a pig. I couldn't get the car seat down the aisle (it was on the GO-GO-Baby wheely thing - more on that later) as it was too wide, so I had to have the first flight attendant I saw carry it back to row 15 for me. The flight attendant man gave me MAJOR 'tude as he was carrying it saying that it was way too big, it won't fit in the seat, etc., and I ensured him that I had flown with it before - it would fit. We get settled...M falls asleep...off we go.

She wakes up after about 90 minutes of sleep, and we have some lunch. I go back to change her and realize that she has peed through her clothing, but thankfully I had a change of clothes for her. We return to our seats in our Boston-ready clothing (long sleeves, jeans and sweatshirt). Literally as soon as I buckle her in, she projectile vomits all over the place. It was a disaster - all over her car seat, her clean clothing, the seat in front of her (thankfully not on the man's head in front of us as he was not happy with the seat kicking to being with). I pick her up and carry her at arms length back to the back of the plane as everyone is staring at me. Thankfully the other flight attendants were nothing but helpful and gave me stuff to clean her off with, and something to put her puke clothes in.

So now we are back in our Florida-summer-pee-clothes. Better than naked at 30,000 feet!

Great Expectations

Before our baby girl was born, vacation was the ultimate escape. When my husband and I went away, we went all out. Fancy hotels, fine dining, drinks by the pool, spas...we were posh.

When my daughter was born, almost the moment after I returned to work I started day dreaming of us taking a fancy vacation, with high thread counts, room service and some pampering.

Fast forward 10 months to a vacation filled with pampers....

While vacation was still amazing to get away from work and spend endless hours with my two loves, it was different. Here are some things I picked up along the way that made my time away a little less stressful. And made it easier for the little summer getaway we just returned from.

Diapers.com. They deliver throughout the united states, and if you spend more than $40 there is no shipping. Diapers.com saved me an extra bag or two. We shipped a container of formula, baby food, and diapers all directly to our hotel so they were there when we were. Big life saver. (No, I do not work for them)

Choose your hotel carefully. If you have a choice, try to stay somewhere with some mini-kitchen conveniences. Heating a bottle...warming cereal...storing yogurt or cheese are all things ido know on a regular basis and without a microwave and mini-fridge I think it would be hard to keep up to my little one's demands.

Choosing the hotel carefully also goes back to what kind of place it is. Do they have a pool that is not "adults only"? What about restaurants that don't require a specific dress code? We made the mistake of one night going out too late, and at too fancy of a place, and the night was so stressful, I almost wanted to go home.

Dining. Bring all your dining out tricks and pull them out carefully! Have books, blocks, soft toys, crayons and paper are great too. Be careful not to show all of your tricks too quickly, or you risk a disaster by the time your entree arrives. If your child is eating table food, you may want to order for him or her first. And by all means, see if you get get your baby to try what you're eating (never works for me, but that's a whole other story)!

Embrace your inner child. On our most recent vacation, we spent a few days at the Jersey Shore. We built sand castles, looked for shells and just let the waves crash at our feet. We searched for the most toddler friendly activities, sought out playgrounds, and natural habitats that would engage our daughters sense of adventure. It had been a while since I had wanted to hit up one of the infamous boardwalks...but seeing my little girl's face light up with all the sites and sounds will certainly have us returning to the scene again and again.

Most importantly, adjust your expectations. Unless you don't mind your child having meltdowns all day, every day, embrace naps times and honor bed times as much as possible. We found ourselves waking at 5a on both trips we've taken, a full hour earlier than usual, but we have tried to readjust to the time schedule and get an early start on the day. Alternately, to staying together to do something, we also switched off who stayed back for a nap so the other could explore the grounds or sit by the pool. With a little child-proofing, your family vacation will exceed your expectations!

Smooth Sailing...well, Flying! (THE LONG OF IT)

If you don't want to read my long winded story about traveling with baby, see the next post "THE SHORT OF IT".

There have been few times in my life where I have been sick-to-your-stomach-nervous: before my final dance performance in 2004, before I gave a toast at my best friends wedding, every time I gave an oral presentation in college, during a one-time pregnancy scare when I was first dating my now husband (and as you all know that was for naught! HA!)...and the days leading up to yesterday's flight to Florida with Marlo.

For weeks before our vacation (which I am now enjoying the crap out of by the way) I lost slept over the logistics of this trip. Since I was traveling down here by myself (hubby to come this weekend), I wanted it to be as smooth as possible. Should I strap her to me? Or put her in a stroller? Do I buy a snap n go or bring the big UPPA? Do I check it under the plane or gate check? Should I have my mom buy a pack n play? How much breast milk should I bring on the plane? How should I time my pumping so I won't be so uncomfortable on the plane? What if I have to pee during the flight? What if she is fussy and people get annoyed with me? What if there is a delay? My brain hurt.

So I reached out to my fellow Mamas and gathered a plethora of mixed advice. Many recommended putting her in a stroller and carseat, while others raved about the ease of traveling with a baby strapped to you. I opted for putting Marlo in the Moby, as I am a hands-free kind of gal. In order to make my decisions easier, my mom reached out to her fellow grandmas down here in Florida and was able to borrow a Graco carseat and base - one less thing for me to worry about. I struggled over whether to bring the UPPA (I know, my life is so hard), and finally decided that I would - we have this fancy thing, might as well get some use out of it! I then went online and researched travel cases and purchased the one that UPPA makes for the stroller system. Since we weren't bringing the seat there was plenty of extra room to shove things in the bag with the stroller (pump, Ergo, etc.). So now I had three bags packed: one for Marlo, one for myself and one with the stroller. Since my parents graciously donated miles for this trip, we were flying in style in first class, and were allowed three bags free of charge...thank God!

Now for carry ons: I obviously needed to bring everything I would in a diaper bag, but I wanted to bring twice as much for fear of us getting delayed and being stuck without the necessities. And I had to bring my camera, which is a big DSLR, therefore large and in charge. My good friend Mama M (at whose wedding I gave the aforementioned toast) gave me some great advice: put things in ziploc bags, and then put everything in one giant LL Bean tote bag. That way it is open at the top (no zippers or velcro to worry about) and things are contained inside just as you need them. It also makes it crazy easy when it comes to going through security. So, inside this giant LL Bean bag I had the following plastic bags:

• diapers, wipes and disposable changing table cover
• saline spray, lotion, wet ones, lip stuff (for both of us) and other things like tylenol, thermometer, etc
• change of clothes, bib, hat (if we had leakage or blow-out)
• bottles: I brought three bottles with 6 ounces of breast milk in each - overkill, but I wanted to be safe rather than sorry
• pacifiers (I brought six with me, again, overkill - especially because she doesn't really even like them- HA!!)

So all of that stuff was put in my diaper bag, and along with my camera and a boppy I put all that in an LL Bean bag. This way I could just throw the one bag over my shoulder and be done with it! It made going through security super easy, which is what I was worried about most. Well, maybe second to her being Princess Fussypants on the plane!

We quickly settled into our digs in first class (did I mention we were flying first class? Because we flew first class...first class?) and as we were taxing I took her out of the Moby and put her in the Boppy on my lap. We did a bottle during take-off, as recommended by my pediatrician and many others, and then she seriously did not make a peep the entire 3 hour flight. I had to wake her up when we were making our approach into West Palm to give her a second bottle to help with her ears, during which she took a huge poop that the guy next to me heard and I tried to ignore. That's my girl!

The flight attendants were super nice and accommodating. I was unable to have a tray of breakfast, so they took the little tray they serve drinks on and gave me a smaller version of the breakfast that I could manage with peanut on my lap (see photo above). Also, we were given a certificate, signed by the pilot (oohhh! ahhh!) that said "My First Flight" on it, which I thought was fantastic.

It wasn't just the flight attendants that were nice though, it was everyone I came in contact with. The men at security all wanted to know about Marlo - how old is she? First flight? The people in front and back of me at Starbuck's struck up conversation about her, and offered to help me put splenda in my ice tea. Someone offered to help me with my bag when I was sitting down to wait to board. A man helped put my bag above my seat on the plane...I felt like I was pregnant again!

So basically the experience of traveling with my 9 week old by myself was easy as pie. I got myself all worked up for nothing, but isn't that what mothers do?

For my advice about traveling with baby, see THE SHORT OF IT post that follows!

Smooth Sailing...well, Flying! (THE SHORT OF IT)

Here are some tips for traveling with a newborn...

• Use Ziploc bags when packing your carry-on/diaper bag. Easy to grab things when going through security, or when you are on the plane so you don't have to take your entire diaper bag with you
• Use a small wallet/wristlet. I used a Coach wristlet and in it put my ID, some cash, iPhone and boarding pass. This way I didn't have to rummage through a purse or my big wallet.
• If traveling by yourself, strap that baby to you! I had my peanut in the Moby wrap and it made it so much easier to walk through the airport, go through security (FYI you do NOT have to take them out of the carrier to go through security), get food and shop for magazines in the tiny stores. If my husband was traveling with me, I probably would have kept her in a carseat and stroller, but I didn't want to have to deal with that all.
• Bring a Boppy: this was a lifesaver on the plane and made it all the more comfortable for both of us
• Get the Kindle application for iPhone: I have been using this for a while now, but it came in super handy on the flight. No fumbling with books and turning pages with one hand. It is free and is awesome.
• Feed during take-off and landing: I don't know if this did the trick, but I did this and she didn't stir for the three hour flight. It was recommended to me by my pediatrician because babies can't clear their own ears.
• If you have the UPPA Vista stroller, I highly recommend the travel case (amazon.com for $60). I checked it under the plane and was able to fill the bag with other things (pump, Ergo) because we just had the stroller frame in there - it fits the bassinet and seat as well.
• Take advantage of people offering to help. I felt like I was pregnant again with all the people offering to open doors, lift bags, and help me out with random things.
• If you are brining bottles, be sure to bring extra in case of delays

Do you have any travel insights or advice to share from your own experiences? Please comment!!

Beach Babies

Last May, we spent a week in Hilton Head with a 20-month old. A beach vacation is ideal – it gives toddlers the space to run and sand offers limitless play opportunities. Plus, a little warmth on your face makes you feel human after a New England winter. Here are some hints that made our trip sunburn free.

Sunblock: Blue Lizard was the only brand that prevented my son from getting too much color, even better than more expensive brands. It’s thick and waterproof, so it’s best applied at home. If you’re spending extended time at the beach, I found Blue Lizard wasn’t ideal for touch-ups, it’s too thick to apply to sandy, baby body parts (I didn’t mind the extra exfoliation!). I used a cheap spray or thinner lotion for on-beach applications.

Attire: UV-protective clothing is a must. With my son in a short-sleeve shirt and trunks, most of his little body was covered. Land’s End has a nice selection and the little-mock collar on their shirts helps protect little necks. The shirts dry out quickly, but they’re not terribly breathable, so if your child is prone to warm-spells, take it off when you’re home from the beach. Since they dry so quickly, you don’t need one for every day; we used the same one all week.

Diapers: Reusable swim-diapers are the best invention. They’re basically a tight-fitted pair of “underwear” with a think terry liner and some type of nylon shell. Their tight fit around the legs and waist do a better job containing “solids” than regular disposable swim diapers; they are not meant to contain liquids. Lest you be skeptical of my advice, many pools now require you to use reusable swim-diapers, since they are more sanitary (disposable swim diapers stretch out, giving “solids” the opportunities to become “floaters”). They are also perfect for the beach – as most kids can play for several hours in them and you don’t have to deal with a 10-pound, ocean-water soaked diaper. We used a basic brand, meant to be worn under a pair of trunks, but you can also find adorable patterned diapers that you can use as diaper/swimsuit combo. Imse Vimse makes a particularly cute combo. Clearly, I wasn’t worried about a little baby pee escaping, but what if we had more than that? I had a few extra reusable swim diapers in my bag and would have just put on a new one. The soiled reusable diaper would have gone in a plastic bag, to be washed out later.

Shoes: You have 20-pounds of gear for everything else, why not the beach. While swim shoes still didn’t make me feel comfortable letting my son run wild on the pool deck, I figured they protected his feet from the errant beach shell.

Hats: A broad brimmed hat gives you a little extra sun protection. If your child won’t wear one, get some spray-on lotion to spray on their scalp.

Tent: Haha, a toddler contained in a tent? Clearly, this wasn’t a must-purchase for us, but LL Bean makes a sturdy Sunbuster Tent (if you’re toting a non-mobile child).

Toys: You don’t need much. A few buckets, shovels, and rakes. A $3 set from the drugstore will probably be sufficient. Even empty yogurt or cottage cheese containers (some with holes poked in the bottom) also make good containers.

Myswimbaby.com is a year-round resource with all kinds of swim attire. I especially like their selection of hats and swim diapers.

Family, Table of 3!!!

by Mama M

When our baby was too big to be seen in public in his carseat, and with multiple failed attempts at dinner under our belts, we thought our eating out days were over, but with some lowered expectations and a few internet finds, we've been able to go out as much as ever. If you haven't gotten comfortable with "baby-dinners-out" yet, hopefully you can learn something from our mistakes.

Our first mistake - eating during his nap/bedtime. We've learned our lesson - now we waste time in the car or walk him around in the carriage until he wakes up from his nap, and if we're right up against his bedtime we just bring the food home or go through a drive-through- it's just not worth it.

Our second mistake - taking him to a quiet restaurant once we thought we mastered "baby-dinners-out". What seemed like harmless table banging at TGIFridays quickly became reason for myself and my husband to start sweating and reason to avoid eye-contact with diners around us. Our infant-in-the-carseat, not-a-peep-through-dinner nights are OVER. This one trip almost shattered our confidence for future trips out. We stick to the restaurants with the most noise now....any chain/theme restaurant, any pub....we leave the nice meals for just the two of us; spending a lot of money is not worth it when you spend the majority of the meal bending over to pick up thrown toys. Plus no one wants to get dressed up to go to a special dinner and see and mostly HEAR a baby at the next table.

Our third mistake - we saw the waitress clean the table with an old dirty rag before she put out the placemats, but 5 minutes later we couldn't keep our son from trying to rub his food on it, suck the edge of it, bite it...the more we tried to prevent our son from touching it, the more he wanted it. My mother found these wonderful table toppers that we now store in all our diaper bags, they're personally my favorite baby invention - biodegradeble, plastic placemats that have two adhesive edges that you can use to stick one edge under the table, and then stick the other side on the top of the table in front of baby. You can confidently put down cheerios, toys, etc. and know that even if your baby spends the meal teething the edge, they aren't making contact with the gross dirty water/germs of every previous diner. Plus, when the meal is over, you take them off, ball them up like a napkin and leave them behind - nothing to take home and clean.

Speaking of reuseable mats, we spent an entire vacation cleaning the wipe-off bibs in our bathroom, hanging them out to dry each night (it's not easy to clean carrot stains with just a bar of hotel bathroom soap). The solution? Bib clips - you can take any cloth or paper napkin that you get at a restaurant, make it into a bib (similar to the "bib" you wear at the dentist), and again, just like the table toppers, you can leave the mess behind.

Our fifth mistake - thinking "he just ate, we don't want to overfeed him". We later learned that when he sits with us at the adult table and sees us eat, he wants to eat....now we bring a jar of food and a spoon, and a zip lock bag or plastic bowl of cheerios. He has just as much fun quietly moving all the cheerios to the floor as he does

eating them, so for 20 minutes we've bought ourselves at least a taste of an appetizer, maybe even some conversation. Soon, we'll be consistently ordering kids meals for him - that will be another big exciting step.

Other nice to haves - high chair liners - we have two - one that can be used in the grocery cart too, and then one that's thinner, made by Fisher Price and only for use in a restaurant high chair. The latter is the best - it has two hooks for toys so that they don't fall to the ground....it's not meant to make the high chair a throne, but it keeps

him away from yicky leftover food crusties and whatever else the last baby left behind.

Flying with a Toddler

by Mama E

I’m not shy about saying that you need to buy a seat. Even if they’re not yet two and you’re not required to. Most importantly it’s safer. In the event of turbulence or a rough landing, you don’t want to have to hold on to them. If they’re in their own seat, they’ll most likely be sitting in their carseat. They know they don’t get out of carseat – which means you’re not chasing a toddler down the aisle. A car seat also puts them up a little higher so they have a good view out the window. And, if they have their own seat, all your row-mates will like you better.

Here are some other things to bring along to make your trip manageable:

• · Etch-A-Sketch or Magna-Doodle Toy
• · Small, Happy Meal Type Toys, like Matchbox Cars or plastic animals (bring one out every few minutes, so there is always something new to keep their attention)
• · Richard Scary, I Spy or Where’s Waldo Book. Not a book to read, a book you can spend 15 minutes looking for different things or describing the scene.
• · Coloring books. You don’t need a whole box of crayons, just a few.
• · Sticker Books. Stock up when they’re at Costco. Even if they’re not old enough to stick on the “right” pages, they can stick them all over the window or anything they can reach. They’re easy to remove while you’re landing.
• · Bring good snacks. Trail mix or dried cereal take longer to eat than a granola bar – and every occupied minute is precious. Oranges, apples, and bananas help keep things relatively healthy. Cheese and hard-boiled eggs are good portable protein sources.
• · Anti-bacterial or alcohol wipes. I prefer the alcohol wipes. Granted, I’m sure they’re not allowed by the TSA, but I stash a few in a plastic bag and will plead the fifth if I’m caught. I can use them on surfaces and grubby hands.

And if at all available, fly a carrier with seat-back TVs. Even with no sound, Meerkat Manor will be strangely compelling to your two-year old.

Up Up and Away: Traveling with Baby

I just returned back from my "babymoon" in Montreal with my husband, and the reality that it is the last vacation we will take before becoming parents scares the crap out of me! While we were dining at a fine French Bistro, celebrating our 4 year wedding anniversary, I thought to myself that the next time we vacation will be a whole lot different that this epicurean adventure.

Over the 4 days we spent there I was much more observant when we happened upon a vacation family, which was not very often in the sweltering heat of Montreal in August. It prompted me upon my return to Boston to ask my Baby Mama's about their travel experiences now that they have human baggage! Here is what they had to say:

"Traveling when the baby is super young is the easiest - they sleep the whole time. Baby's doc claimed that babies are able to clear their own ears by the time they are a week old, so travel by air is safe. Baby flew from FL to NC when he was only 5wks old. Advice - when they are that young, skip the stroller and just carry in a sling. When you go through security, you have to disassemble EVERYTHING and that can be time consuming when there is a long line behind you. My experiences have always been pleasant...the security check guards are very helpful and patient. Sometimes the flight attendants will make you take the baby out of the sling, others won't. I never understood the difference. Baby flew at 10wks, also just as easy. Once the baby is older, First Class is definitely more comfortable, or buying that extra seat for the baby to sprawl out. A DVD player and Baby Einstein is a must for us. We took Baby skiing in Steamboat when he was 7mos old, and he was able to go to daycare for the time we were there, which was a very nice ammenity. Most resorts have this. The flight however was not as easy. He wanted some space...luckily we were able to upgrade to First Class for the entire flight for $100. Sign of the times! We will be travelling to NC again for Labor Day. Trey will be 13mos. Since the flight was only $58, we bought him his own seat. He hates to be held now that he can almost walk and I can't imagine how difficult he'd be on the plane. He will sit in his carseat for this flight!"

"Yes, I remember thinking while I was pregnant how we probably would not be going on another vacation for 18 years! No seriously, it is not as hard as you think. We have only traveled once with him (he was six months) and we went up to Syracuse with him for ten days. I think I was more nervous thinking about how difficult it was going to be, and everything really went very smoothly. He did great on the plane. It is kind of a pain that you have to literally take everything apart before going through security, so when they say you need to get to the airport two hours early, you really do when you are traveling with a baby! Also make sure to bring extra food/formula/diapers/wipes/pacifiers, etc. in your diaper bag because if the plane was delayed several hours, God forbid you run out of the necessities! (I was so nervous thinking of all those stories you hear when they don't let the people off the plane for like ten hours while they sit on the runway). Also bring something to entertain them with on the plane. We didn't end up needing anything because Baby pretty much slept the whole time (we took a 6am flight, which I totally recommend - even though it sucks getting to the airport at 4am, he slept the entire time because it was his normal sleeping time.) Also I would recommend buying a travel stroller bag (kind of like a golf bag), so that when you gate-check the stroller it doesn't get all banged up or get black grease all over it."

"I've done it all, plane train and automobile with my kids...even gone international. You must have a passport for anyone, even infants, FYI. When flying with little ones try to feed them during take off and landing because it may help with the ears. Binkys help too. I always condense my stuff and the baby's stuff into ONE bag. Trust me, the less you have to carry the better. I have always found eating a meal or snacks to be the best entertainment on planes because with food in thier mouth they can't be too loud and it helps the time go by. With kids eating table food cheerios, dried fruit, gold fish etc... are all great. Only bringing enough supplies for a couple of days and buying the rest when you get there. Happy travels."