The Colt and Filly: Flying with a baby on a budget

First I'd like to give all my faithful readers a sincere apology. I've been slacking on posts lately. I have no excuse other than I've been so very busy. But I do have quite a few updates.

We recently flew to Arkansas to visit family. I had a proud mommy moment when hubby and I packed everything into one bag. Yep that's right for all three of us we got everything to fit into one bag. We paid $25 dollar luggage fee and I couldn't have been happier. I hope this post helps anyone who is flying this Christmas with a little one.

baby boom giraffe diaper bag

I suggest carrying a fairly large size diaper bag so you can fit everything in it that you may need for on the plane. This is the one I used and it had lots of pockets and compartments for quick access to anything I may have been looking for. The front flap was perfect for my ID, boarding passes and my cell. I got this one as a gift but you can find it at walmart. It is the perfect carry on.

dr brown's 8 oz bottles

Wyatt is drinking 8oz at a time now and these are the bottles that I switched to. I packed three and that was plenty. I only brought one on the flight with us and the other two were in our checked bag underneath the plane.

formula dispenser

I'm not sure what I would have done without this handy little doodad. I was able to store Wyatt's formula in here and just tossed it in the diaper bag. Between turbulence and Wyatt's happy little grabby hands scooping would have been a disaster. I filled up these three compartments and also filled a bottle with formula just in case he was extra hungry. PERFECT!

buddy fruit

I grabbed a few of these and I'm so glad I did. I'm not sure without them I could have been able to feed Wyatt on the plane. The ingredients are exactly what they say they are. There is nothing added which made this momma happy. Trying to store and keep a container of my pureed baby food would have been a challenge.

sleep sheep

I brought this along but we didn't use it on the plane. We definitely needed it at night while on vacation though. It brought a sense of familiarity to Wyatt since he falls asleep to it every night at home.

mOmma by lansinoh feeding spoons

I absolutely love these spoons. They have a cap that you can put on the end as a handle while you're feeding and when you're done just put it back on the spoon end and throw it back in the diaper bag or wherever. Which make them perfect for when you're on the go. The bright colors make it fun too.

stuffed animal

I made sure to bring Wyatt's favorite little cuddle pal along too. This is a beenie baby monkey that was Jessie's when he was a little tyke. Wyatt sleeps with it every time he naps and at night. This also brought a sense of familiarity to him while away from home.

evenflo baby go carrier

These carriers come in handy wherever you may be but the convenience they give while going through an airport can't be beat. They let you have your hands free when trying to get to your terminal or while you're cramming expensive airport food in your face. I would never travel without one.

A few other tips that helped us are:

pack only enough diapers for the plane ride. Buy more once you get to your destination.
Don't bring any toiletries. You can purchase travel sizes or normal sizes once you get to where you're going.
Just bring a few outfits for yourself and hubby. ( I had trouble with this ) You can always wash and re-wear while you're on your trip.
Be sure to bring plenty of blankets on the plane sometimes they can get pretty cold.
If you make your own baby food and you will be able to have access to a blender and a kitchen while on your trip just pick up some groceries and make a small batch.
Instead of buying a box of rice or oatmeal baby cereal just grind up some old fashioned oats or rice.
bring a few toys
one or two sleepers, a few long or short sleeve onesies (depending on the climate) a pair or two of pants, at least two pair of socks and a jacket if needed.
We were blessed to have family that went out and bought a stroller, car seat and pack n play for our stay. If you have to travel with your car seat and stroller it will cost you a little more but the car seat is something you can't do without. Just wrap it in a large trash bag to preserve it a bit. Some airlines will give you a plastic bag but don't count on it so come prepared.
Having your baby on a sleep schedule and sticking to it is very challenging when you're flying but try and make your flight for times when baby will be sleeping.
While taking off and landing try and give your wee one something to suck on to help with the compression. (i.e. bottle, nursing, paci.)