Traveling with a Toddler

So we woke up feeling much better this morning.  Thank you for all your prayers.  Our flight left XNA at 1:30, so we headed to the airport around noon.  Traveling with a toddler is not as easy as traveling with an infant.  Although we're out of the nursing & bottles stage, it seems like we still have just as much paraphernalia to bring along with us.  I had high hopes of getting all our stuff in one checked bag.  We don't have the luxury of flying Southwest in NWA, and American charges $$$ for checked bags.  So I got the bare minimums in our one huge suitcase last night, but I still needed to put all our bathroom stuff, my dresses, & Adeline's sleep essentials in there.  Jon said it would all fit.  I was skeptical.  About 7:00 this morning I started thinking, what if that giant bag weighs more than 50lbs?  How much do they charge you for over-the-limit bags?  How much do they charge you for an additional checked bag?  Which would be cheaper?  So I (or my sweet aunt, Jana) did some research bright & early this morning.

• A bag more than 50lbs will cost you $50 - in addition to the $25 you pay to check it
• The first bag costs $25, the second bag $35 - it gets more & more expensive as you increase the # of checked bags.  

I decided I better pay the total of $60 rather than risk $75.  Plus, Jon was going to be walking us in to check them & my mom would be with us at the end of our journey when we claimed our bags.  So, at about 8:30 this morning I rearranged everything.  I put all my stuff in our big bag, and all Adeline's things in our next biggest bag (Hey if it's going to cost me $35 I'm going to take everything I want).  This allowed me to bring more things, like toys, cuddly sleep lovies, a laptop, and extra pairs of shoes (we brought a total of 12 pairs).

Then I started to worry about whether or not they would let me on the plane with the two bottles of 8oz medications I brought to drug Adeline with before boarding (benadryl & ibuprofen - both suggested by the dr).  So, more research ensued and YES, medications of any size are allowed!

We ate lunch a little early, then Jon took us to great big XNA.

That's us with our 2 checking bags, a stroller, a diaper bag, & a purse.  I couldn't have maneuvered all this alone.  I would have had no choice but to take just one bag.  

So we get up to the check-in counter & learn that we cut it very close on 2 different things.

1. According to the lady, a child can only fly as an infant (& not have to buy a ticket) until they're 18 months old.  I thought it was 2 years!  Wow, really close seeing as how she's just shy of being 18 months.
2. My big bag weighed 49.5 pounds!  Man would I have been P-Oed if I had ended up having to pay $110!

Then we say our goodbyes to Jon and go through security.  They think my two 8oz bottles of CHILDREN'S benadryl & ibuprofen are suspicious so they have to run some tests on them.  But surprise, surprise, they're not really liquid bombs or anything so we get to keep them.  Thanks, TSA!  But thanks also for keeping us safe.  :)

The first leg of our journey goes very smoothly.  Adeline falls asleep within the first 20 minutes of the flight (thank you, benadryl).  However, as we start to make our descent, my ears won't pop so I feel all this pressure in my head & it feels like it's about to explode.  Then I start to get really hot & tingly & I'm convinced I'm about to either puke or pass out.  I frantically start fanning myself with the little safety guide in the seat-back in front of me.  But we quickly land, thank goodness it's only a 45 minute flight, and I narrowly escape the embarrassment of puking or passing out.  

We make it off the plane & get on the SkyLink to change terminals.  Adeline has a screaming fit on SkyLink because she only got to sleep for about 30 minutes, she wants out of that stroller, & she's hungry.  We get off SkyLink and I see this beautiful, marvelous sight!

God put me at that terminal so I could get some relief.  I know it was Him.  Thank you, Jesus.  

It wasn't long before my mom showed up which was even more relief!  I was starving (which probably contributed to my near puking/passing out experience) so we went to Chili's for some yummy snacks.  It wasn't long before we had to board our next flight.  That's when Adeline lost it for the 2nd time.  She wanted out of that stroller, out of our arms right then!  We were waiting in line to board & she was having a giant tantrum - hitting, screaming, crying.  A grouchy old man had the nerve to approach my mom who was pushing the stroller so very obviously with us (I was holding/wrestling Adeline) and say, "What group are they boarding?  I can't hear anything."  My mom just smiled & said, "Neither can I."  She's a lot nicer than I am.

The second short flight wasn't quite as easy because at this point, Adeline was DONE.  She didn't have any major meltdowns, but she let us know she was tired of being on that plane.  We quickly get off & get all our bags (Praise Jesus) and head to the rental car.

The rental is nice, but the carseat isn't strapped in so that takes about 15 minutes to figure out in the West Texas heat.  However, it wasn't long before we were in the hotel room, safe & cozy.  The hotel provided a yummy FREE dinner so it was nice not to have to get Adeline back out.  They also provided a comfy little pack & play that she can just barely stretch out in, but it'll do the job.  We unpacked & tried to make it more like home now everyone is resting comfortably.  I just hope it lasts all night.  

 The living area & the fort we built around Adeline's crib so she can't really see she's in a strange place.  Or at least that's what I'm trying to do.

 The cute little toy the hotel gave her.

I hope we all sleep well all three nights that we're here!  Thank you all for the prayers for health & safe travel.  They were answered.  Praise Jesus!