Traveling with a baby...

This week marked Natalie's first vacation. We had a wedding to go to in Denver, and due to scheduling, we had to fly out there. I was terrified. There are adults that don't do well in airplanes - was my sweet baby going to be a terror? Turns out, I didn't have to worry. It was easy! 

I read a lot of tips, and I'm super glad I did. 

1. We baby wore. We've been practicing wearing Natalie for periods if time for the last 2 months. Bonus? You can't be patted down and they can't force you to remove baby at the airport. But they WILL test your hands. No big. 

2. Research the rules. Breast milk/formula is considered a medical liquid, so we were able to take as much as we needed. They ran ours through a scanner, but didn't open the milk.  Also - pumps are medical devices. They have to allow those too. 

3. Plan for nap time. Sean and I are go go go people. Always have been. But Natalie needs her naps. We planned to be in the car for a while (like, taking a 2 hour drive up the mountain) or being at the hotel during her nap times. Because without a nap, girl goes from happy to monster in 2.5 seconds. 

4. Make the environment more like home. We brought a crib sheet and her blanket, as well as her sound machine. We use an app on an iPod at home, so it was easy to bring that along (I also downloaded it to my phone just in case). 

5. Fly in the morning. Mornings are the easiest time for bits. She's happy, smiley, and wonderful. So we booked a 6:30 am flight. That's actually still in her "bedtime" window, and guess who slept through the flight? Our girl. Perfect. 

All in all, it was a pretty successful trip. I was a bit disappointed that we didn't get to do everything we wanted, but we were there for a wedding - not a vacation. Besides, it just means we have to go back to gorgeous Denver again! 

14,280 ft up - the top of Mt Evans!