on the road again...

Or should I say, in the air again?

Either way...here we go again! I'm trying my best to not get as stressed as I usually do. We leave Thursday at 6am, so I'm hoping that the disrupted sleep will help Liv to sleep for most of our first flight...which is 3.5 hours long! Gah, thats a long flight for a nearly 2 year old. I will have our usual arsenal of snacks, movies, and new coloring books to keep my little monster entertained.

Tips that I've learned when travelling with an under 2 year old:
-When packing, pack outfits that can be mismatched

-Bring enough diapers for a day and a half-ish...don't waste suitcase space, buy some when you get to your destination.

-Portable DVD players are my savior.

-Essential sleep items are needed on the plane (for liv, pillow, blankie, sucky).

-We have never paid for Liv to have her own seat, but I always ask the gate attendant if there is an extra seat and they usually finagle something for us (bc really, nobody wants to sit next to a baby if they don't have to).

-Always bring your stroller, we don't even use it anymore for Liv to ride in at the airport...but we do put all of our carry-on's in it so I don't have to lug them around.

-I try to bring a large variety of snacks (some new ones that I know she will like).

-I always dress Liv in layers because during landing and take-off (which is when she usually falls asleep), she gets so hot and sweaty because she has to face me on my lap.

-Stay relaxed. I'm so not the person to give advice on this because I'm usually a frazzled mess, but I try to stay relaxed at least on the flight.

-Always bring something to drink that can be closed tightly because if you don't get an extra seat, there is no way your drink cup is not going to get knocked over by your squirmy child.

-And last but not least, something to read for if and when your child naps and you try not to move an inch because man its a long flight and if they could just sleep for half of it, everything would be much more manageable!

Well, wish us luck! Packing is almost finished (this is a record for me) and we are ready to roll!