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07/07/2006
To the fear of impending travel
As part of my reward for finishing grad school we are flying down for a week to stay at a condo on Hilton Head that the in-laws have rented there. The Pickle will be almost six months old as we stick her on a flight to Atlanta, to meet up with friends - before renting a car, and driving for five hours over to a beach and a bottle of Jameson or two.
Sure, it seems like a good idea . . .
There is part of me that is absolutely terrified of us becoming THOSE people on the flight, and me turning into my father in the car. Luckily this is a fairly short flight, Cleveland to Atlanta can go pretty quick. The keys, as I see them, are that we get underway as soon as we’re seated, and are allowed to get up ASAP.
The Pickle is amazingly tolerant as long as she is walked around; nonetheless, I am concerned – not only for this flight, but because this is a test flight in prep for what is to be the mother-of-all-baby tests.
The Wife’s sister won a Fulbright, and is going to be in Belgium finishing her DMA for essentially the next year. Her family has put together an all out frontal assault by planning a mass visit in February (imagine, I married the underachiever with the law degree).
The Pickle will just be turning one year old when we plop her in our laps for her first trans-continental flight. We are very intelligent people, yet we make decisions like this.
We have also planned a fall weekender trip to NY to visit friends. The idea is that in the first two shorter trips we will fine tune and hone our flight catastrophe scenarios and emergency tools and tricks before the ‘Biggie’ in February.
The good news is . . . I will be drunk for the trans-continental, cuz it’s the only way I can handle that flight. I know from experience – or maybe its just that I’ve never tried to do it sober.
Well, the last time I asked for opinions and advice it was one of the few posts which actually got zero responses – so I hesitate to put myself out on that emotional limb again, but . . . if anyone that has flown with infants has any advice I would greatly appreciate it.
Pickle’s Papa
13:02 Posted in Pickle Perdicaments | Permalink | Comments (5) | Email this
Comments
Don't worry about this trip. It's when they start walking that the flights get a little gruesome. Pickle might get a little antsy on this flight but usually it's due to the cabin pressure. Try giving her a bottle on takeoff and landing.
Have a great weekend! (And be sure to give me a shout when you guys come to NY in the fall!)
Posted by: MetroDad | 07/07/2006
Exactly what MetroDad said.
My oldest was a flying dream *before she could walk*.
My 'trick' was: no nap. I kept her awake as long as possible before the flight and then gave her a boob (or bottle) during take-off. She would fall asleep in my arms and stay there the entire time. The engine sound is soothing, I believe ...
Posted by: s@bd | 07/08/2006
My son took more flights than I can remember and while the first few were tolerable, because he was barely 8 weeks old... it got progressivley worse. Once he could crawl he refused to sit still. So we tried toys, and food and everything else.. but he refused them and kept whining. We waited till service was over and then my husband walked up and down the cramped little aisle with him till he fell asleep... I agree with the tire them out and give them a bottle when they wake up bit. Except that doesnt work with a one year old on a ling flight. They wake up refreshed and ready for action !!!
Posted by: the mad momma | 07/10/2006
If the kid can ride in a car ok, then this will be fine too, probably. They get to sit next to you and look at you all the ride! My kid loved that -- mom's or dad's undivided attention for a whole flight.
Posted by: KC | 07/10/2006
We live in Oklahoma and fly to visit my in-laws in North Carolina a few times each year. The first time that we made the trip, our son was six months old. Some things that worked well for us: if it is a flight that takes only 2-3 hours, try to schedule it for when your little one usually takes her nap, to optimize your peace during the flight; I don't recommend keeping your baby awake too long, as sometimes this backfires, and the little one is too tired to sleep (experience speaking); a bottle or something to suck on during take off and landing are a must; you can buy all the fancy toys in the world, but sometimes the best are the little packets of pretzels (great sound and texture); if all else fails, you could try Benedryll on the trip back (ask Pickle's Doc. first).
Sorry, I don't have any long flight advice. Patience and creativity are all I can advise.
Posted by: Shannon | 07/11/2006
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