Flying With Roweyn

So a couple weeks ago we went on a trip to Southern California. We had talked about driving, which would have taken 10 + hours with Roweyn. Instead we decided to fly so we could have more vacation time. Thank God! I was really nervous about flying with Roweyn , even though it was only an hour and twenty minute flight, I've always heard those stories of their babies crying/screaming the whole flight and nothing they did would help. I REALLY did not want that to happen. Then again who does?


First off, security is horrendous to get through when you are gate checking a stroller and carseat. You have to take everything out of the stroller, collapse it and put it and the carseat through the x-ray machine. Not only is that a pain it got them both dirty! Not happy! Then you have to open them back up and load everything up again!


I did not buy a seat for Roweyn but was told that we could check when we got there to see if there were extra seats on the flight. There was. We boarded with the family section, which meant after "A" and before "B". Little did we know more than half the plane was "A". So really what's the whole point in family boarding if you don't even get good seats and you have to shove by everyone with a child in a carseat? Ha! 


We planned on gate checking her carseat and stroller, since she got her own seat, we only had to gate check her stroller. We went down to the bottom of the gate with Roweyn in her carseat clicked into her stroller, from there in a rush we unloaded everything and put her stroller in a gate check bag. By the time we did that, most of "B" had already boarded the plane. Family boarding was yet again pointless. In a rush I also stuck my cell phone somewhere and couldn't remember where I put it! After we got on board, I searched through my purse and Rowe's diaper bag but no such luck. So I talked to the flight attendant and she made an announcement, to my embarrassment, about my phone but still no one found it. After searching through my purse and Rowe's diaper bag a few more times after we were in the air, I finally found it, wrapped up in a bib in one of the side pouches. No idea how that happened cause I never had a bib in my hands!


So Roweyn got to be in her carseat and the whole flight she slept! It was magical. I did give her some all natural colic tablets to help calm her before the flight and made sure she sucked on her pacifier. She didn't have any problems.

We had a wonderful trip! We went to the beach almost every day, we went to Disneyland and did a little shopping. I didn't want to come back! I could live there for sure. Maybe someday!

Our flight back was delayed an hour, which we didn't know until the airport called us as we were going through security, so we ended up waiting around the airport for over two hours. We also had to switch gates a couple times too. But it gave us some more time to prepare to get on the plane, this time there wasn't any extra seats, in fact the flight was overbooked! We put her stroller and carseat in the bags before we went through the gate and it worked way better! Rowe sat on my lap the whole time, she was a little fussy at first but was soon fast asleep!

I'm glad I got to experience taking Roweyn on a plane at such a young age and even happier that it was a short flight. I will definitely be prepared for next time which will hopefully be sooner rather than later. I came up with a list of My Top Tips to know when traveling with a baby and My Must Haves when I travel. Check back tomorrow to read it!