Traveling with baby in tow

Tomorrow I am flying with Charlotte up to see my grandma at the farm in Illinois. Just her and I. A few weeks back Hubby and I flew with Charlotte up to New Jersey for Jessica's wedding (see pictures here), so it's not the first time Charlotte has been on a plane... this is just going to be the first time that I fly with her by myself.

I just know that I am going to have one doozy of a time trying to get through security; I pity the people behind me. Since Charlotte is still little, we have the car seat snapped into the stroller, and I can bring that whole thing all the way to the plane to get "gate-checked" (which is great so I don't have to pay for another checked bag). This also means that when I get to security, I have to put everything on the belt to be scanned (minus baby of course), and then take everything back off the belt... all while trying to hold onto a squirming baby.

Here is how I figure I will do it:

a. Remove shoes, belts, jackets, etc... and put on scanner

b. Put diaper bag on scanner

c. Put car seat base on the ground

d. Remove car seat from stroller and snap into base on the ground (with Charlotte still in it)

e. Fold up stroller and lug onto scanner belt (notice I say "lug", these things aren't lightweight)

f. Take Charlotte out of car seat

g. Struggle to get car seat onto scanner (and flipped over so it fits, etc) with baby in one arm

h. Walk through security

... THEN reverse the process to get everything put back together again... all this time without annoying the passengers behind me who are late for their own flights. Phew... wish me luck!

I'm sure it won't be too bad; I have faith that some decent soul will help me out.

I'm sure the flight will be good (knock on wood), she was fine last time. This flight is 2.5 hours long so let's hope she is asleep most of the time, or at least in a pleasant mood.

But back to the whole traveling with baby thing... let's talk about packing for them. I swear, I pack 3/4 of my suitcase for Charlotte, leaving the measly 1/4 for myself (ok that is an exaggeration... it's more like 50-50). Oh, and the diapers! I am going to pack like 40 diapers for my 5 day trip so we don't run out... which I have done before. When we went up to New Jersey I only packed like 15 diapers, figuring that we could run to the store to pick some up. I forgot the fact that I was IN the wedding meaning 95% of my time was taken up... so when on the second night Hubby  tells me we are out of diapers, I just about panicked. We had to stop by this ghetto Kmart the next morning on our way out of the hotel so our poor baby wouldn't be hanging out in a dirty diaper much longer. Lesson learned. Bring enough diapers, or remember you have to pick some up once you get there.

Well, it's time to go finish packing - wish us luck and I will let you know how the whole thing works out.