Katelyn's First Plane Trip

We took Katelyn on her first plane trip in March (can you tell I am behind in blogging??).  She did an amazing job.  I was very nervous about how she would do on the plane.  I didn't want to be that mom with the kid who wouldn't shut up.  It was also our first trip back to DC since we moved.  I can't believe it has been almost 2 years!

I had been planning the trip for weeks.  I made an Excel spreadsheet with schedules and packing lists.  I wanted to be prepared, but I didn't want to haul our kitchen sink along.  Here are the big items that we brought...

- checked suitcase
- backpack for a diaper bag/carry-on
- new carrier (the Ergo Sport if you're wondering)
- garment bag with our dress clothes
- my purse

So no stroller, no car seat (rented one from Hertz), and no crib (borrowed a pack and play).

Friday morning came, and I got up at 4:30am.  I was so happy that I had slept well (or as well as one can sleep waking up every 2-4 hours to feed K).  Many times before trips, I don't sleep because I worry about forgetting to pack something.  Even when I don't have a trip coming up, I have stress dreams about going somewhere and not being packed.  (Insert foreshadowing music here.)  Al and I got everything ready, the car was packed up, I had coffee brewing, and K even woke up right as I walked up the steps to get her (I dressed her in her travel clothes the night before in hopes that she would fall back asleep in the car...it worked).  I had wanted to leave the house by 6:00am.  When we drove down our street, the clock said 5:56am...the travel angels were singing.

We arrived in Milwaukee with plenty of time to stop at Dunkin' Donuts.  We got a great parking spot in the cheap parking lot, and the shuttle arrived immediately.  There was no line at the ticketing counter.  Everything was perfect...or so we thought.

After we checked our bag and started to walk away from the counter, Al said, "Oh no!  We forgot our garment bag."  I had packed the garment bag with our dress clothes (for the wedding we were going to) and placed the bag in the front closet so nothing would wrinkle.  Why I didn't pack it in the car, I'll never know.  It would cost over $200 to replace the clothes.  The wonderful Air Tran representative changed our flight to the afternoon at no cost, and we drove back to Madison.  Katelyn was excellent for the additional 3 hours in the car.  Al and I kept apologizing to each other for forgetting the bag.

Once back at the airport (no more cheap parking available...had to upgrade to $10/day parking...ugh), we caught our flight, and K did very well.  She nursed on the way up and fell asleep.  They don't let you keep babies in carriers for take off and landing, but once in the air, she was hooked in and asleep.  I was even able to read a book!  Here are some pictures of Katelyn and Daddy having fun on the plane...

The return flight she fussed for about 10 minutes on the landing because she was asleep and they made me take her out of her carrier.  All of the people around us were asking, "why in the world would they make you do that??"  At least the people around us were understanding.

Our trip to DC was a lot of fun, but it was too short.  Here are pictures I snapped on our way to the airport. (I made Al drive around so I could at least see the cherry blossoms for a second.)

Arlington Cemetery how it looks in the movies.

....and here is reality.

K and I fly again next Friday...by OURSELVES.  Al is already in DC for work, and we are going to visit him.  Hopefully the flights go as smoothly as last time, and I don't forget anything major.