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Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Flying Cross-Country with an Infant: or How to Age 10 Years in Four Hours

Our son, plotting things.

So, we decided to fly from O'Hare to Los Angeles last week for vacation. We wanted our son to meet his 94-year old great-grandma. We wanted to walk on the beach. We wanted to feel the sun on our skin and visit old friends and dear family and laugh late into the night.

We did all these things.

But first, we flew 4 1/2 hours with an infant. And... wow. Just... wow.

We tried to plan our first cross-country excursion with our son at a time when it would be easiest for all, and we just may have done the opposite. At 8 1/2 months old, he was too young to be entertained with a game or a book or a movie. He was too old to lie peacefully in our arms.

And even worse - he can't sleep unless it's totally dark. Our original flight was booked in the afternoon, but United changed it to 6:15pm at the last minute. He goes to bed at 6:30pm. Ugh.

On the way home he was very docile and snuggly. We praised him up and down for being such a good traveler, until we realized he was running a fever and just not feeling well. Sigh.

Have you traveled cross-country with a baby? How did it go? Did you, like us, swear off flying with a baby until he turned 18 years old?

1 comment:

  1. It sounds horrible, but when my siblings and I were little and we had to make long car drives, mom would give us some cold medicine that had the added side effect of making us sleepy. It really isn't as awful as it sounds because we were often sick (long story) and were fussy because we weren't feeling well...but it did make long trips bearable.

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