First Flight!

My husband, the Baby Girl and I embarked on our first plane ride!
Here are some great tips I received before, during and after our trip, and of course, little tidbits I learned along the way:
1.  If you are able, SET UP YOUR DESTINATION BEFORE YOU ARRIVE!  We were staying with family, so fortunately, my mother was able to pick up a page-long list of necessities (and I do mean necessities) before we arrived.  Anything from diapers, wipes, bouncy seats, bottles, formula, a few outfits to new things like a diaper caddy and an over-the-door pouchy throw all (kind of like something you might hang for shoes) to save space.  THIS was extremely helpful, and if anyone is in that kind of position where that's an option, I suggest this or even pre-order a bunch of items to be delivered to your destination IF it's a destination that you'll be visiting multiple times.  We didn't need to pack nearly as much as we could have, and because we kept the list to necessities-only, we didn't leave behind a bunch of unused or wasteful items.
2.  A FANTASTIC TRAVEL CHECKLIST to work off of is from "What To Expect's" website (I received this from their email blasts): http://images.agoramedia.com/wte/pdf/packingBaby.pdf  After reading this list, I decided to do a bag-inside-of-a-bag approach.  I packed my diaper bag as usual, with some of the extra quantities suggested on the list.  I put my diaper bag into another bigger canvas bag where I was able to throw in a few of the extra items suggested, i.e. blankets, books, toys, etc.  I went as minimal as possible, but this 'separate' quarters within one bag was helpful when I needed things quickly.  (However, I will say on the way back, security looked through my bag and took a bunch of things out and put them back in without my strategic approach, this jammed me up later when I was looking for items.  Lesson Learned: take the few minutes at security to repack the bag correctly...not before you take off and the baby is screaming. 8)
3.  CURBSIDE CHECK-IN!  My husband and I drove ourselves and BabyGirl to the airport.  We had three suitcases, two carry-ons and the stroller.  So, in a bold move, we decided to drive by curbside check-in and IF a clerk was available as well as a quick parking spot, we'd hop out, unload and utilize this service.  All of the above worked (!!), so we hopped back into the car, drove to long-term parking where we only had to handle the two carry-ons and the stroller.  Easy-peasy.  (We also did this on the return, and again, it worked well!)
4.  FEED THE BABY WHILE TAKING OFF AND LANDING was the best piece of advice I received from my pediatrician when I asked her for any travel tips.  It is supposed to help with their ear pressure.  I can attest that this piece of information ABSOLUTELY worked for us.  It was one of those moments where I thought, "why doesn't every mother know this?" OR for that matter, "why doesn't every flight attendant know this?"  I will specify that BabyGirl is 6 months old, so we had a bottle of formula ready.
5.  If you are able financially and/or otherwise, BUY THE EXTRA SEAT ON THE PLANE!  The trip was a business trip for my husband, and due to the nature of the trip, both of our tickets were paid for.  So we checked our finances and decided to splurge for the extra seat for BabyGirl.  (side note: infants can sit on your lap for most flights and don't require a ticket)  The thought of holding BabyGirl for a few hours straight was a bit overwhelming (i.e. wanting her to nap, knowing I'd need a little break, and knowing my husband felt the same way, etc.).  Again, if you are able, I highly recommend buying the extra seat and bringing the car seat onto the plane (and if you have the detachable carseat/stroller combo, this makes navigating the airport easier as well).  BabyGirl was able to take a nap...and so were we!  However, during Take-Off and Landing, I held her in my lap while I fed her which is totally allowed.
6.  DIAPER CHANGING ON THE PLANE!  Two things came to mind when I realized I'd most likely have to change a diaper or two on the plane: 1) where is there a baby changing station? and 2) wait, is there even one on the plane?  For as much as I've traveled, I never noticed where the baby changing stations are on a plane.  Probably because they were 'behind' me.  Answers: 1) Baby Changing stations ARE on the plane, and 2) yes, ew, they're in the bathrooms.    If you've been on a plane, they are typically part of the slanted wall above the toilet.  Perfectly hidden.  The good news is that my first experience, and perhaps because there aren't typically a lot of babies on flights if you think about it, the changing station was a) HUGE and b) surprisingly very clean... This did not however prevent me from sterilizing the entire station and the area next to the sink where I ended up putting my diapers and wipes pouch.  All in all it was a good experience.
7.  RENTAL CARS!  We asked ourselves if we wanted to lug all of our, well, luggage, to the rental car place.  No.  So, on the plane, we decided to divide and conquer once we landed.  I would wait with BabyGirl on the skywalk for the stroller (this took all of 5-7 minutes - both times), head to the nearest bathroom to take care of both of our bladder and diaper needs, then I'd meander to baggage claim, ask one of the porters to help me and wait for my husband who....zoomed ahead of me, hopped on the rental car bus, picked up the car and zoomed around to arrivals to get us.  We did this both times.  It worked WONDERFULLY!!!
8.  HIT THE GROCERY STORE BEFORE YOU HEAD TO WHERE YOU'RE STAYING!  Of course this might not apply to everyone's destination, but if you have to pick up a few bites, I highly recommend doing it before you settle in and unpack, etc.  It took me a few hours to unpack and set up everything.  I was decompressing after first-time-travel-with-baby nerves, and physically recovering from a nasty cold I had the week before (I picked up some Alka-seltzer Cold&Flu, too, just in case I had a relapse or if my husband caught what I had), so the thought of either one of us going out again later that night coupled with family popping in and out to meet the baby, we never would have eaten.

After a fairly focused and intense 48-hour period of packing, traveling, unpacking, I felt great!  It was a true "LOOKIN' GOOD, MAMA!" moment!  Everything ran pretty smoothly and my confidence was boosted as a big 'first' was conquered!  After any good (or bad, let's be honest) travel day, I like to unwind with a nice hot and steamy shower.  I went to grab my pajamas and toiletries, when I suddenly discovered....I completely forgot to pack my underwear!!!  LOL!!