Since Natalia and Sebastian are not yet 2 years old, they travel for free but are on our laps the entire trip. Not sure which is better. My friend says definitely paying for a seat is better, she has purchased a seat for her son before, even though he is not 2 years old yet. Sebastian and Natalia are usually good but there are always times when they get bored or over tired (or sick!).
Let me tell you about our most horrific flight yet. This past February we went from Charlotte to Los Angeles, about a 5 hour flight. Sebastian was sick a couple of days earlier with a stomach bug and was throwing up all day. We decided we would wait until the day of the flight to see how he was doing before cancelling our trip, since the doctor said it usually only lasts 24 hours. That day Sebastian seemed fine so we decided to get on the flight and go enjoy our 10 day trip to the west coast. We kept a close eye on him in the car, airport and airplane. He looked great and was acting normal. About 2 hours into the flight, Natalia turns pale yellow and starts looking very nauseous. So I quickly flip her to face out on my lap and she immediately proceeds to throw up (exorcist style) all over herself, me and the isle. Thank God we had an isle seat! Just when I thought it was all out, she barfed again. OMG! I didn't know what to do! I was in shock. We had concentrated so much on Sebastian that we totally forgot it was contagious and Natalia needed to be watched as well. I ran to the bathroom to clean her (and myself) up and just as I was done changing her into the only extra outfit I had for her, she threw up again. Ok, time to close the bathroom door and cry. Sal handed Sebastian over to a nice lady sitting next to him and ran to my rescue. I was so overwhelmed and felt so unprepared for this. We still had 3 hours to go and she was pale as can be! Since we took Sebastian to the doctor, we kind of knew how to handle Natalia to stop it from getting worse. I changed her clothes again, this time into Sebastian's extra outfit and headed to my seat. She immediately fell asleep and I put a plastic bag close by, just in case she had a little more in her stomach that needed to come out.
Thankfully, the airplane staff was extremely nice and understanding and helped by getting paper towels, plastic bags and most importantly, some very powerful powder substance which takes away that awful vomit smell! Some close-by passengers offered to help as well.
The only good thing I can say about that episode is that I am now prepared for the worse. Never leave without an extra outfit (or two!) and always have tons of baby wipes!
To answer the question of "how do I travel with two babies and keep them controlled?" it is probably impossible to keep them controlled at all times. Even when they are well behaved, they suddenly reach for your neighbor's phone or watch or whatever they have that you don't, which can be very uncomfortable especially if your neighbor is not that friendly.
I came up with a list which I saved in my iPhone to make sure I don't forget anything when traveling. I'm no expert, I'm still learning as I go. But, my kids have flown 7 times, 2 of which flights were to the west coast, so I have a pretty good idea of what I need to take with me to keep them happy.
Things I make sure I have? Very simple:
Food; milk, water and some snacks. Pick your kid's favorites. FYI, you can always ask for water but they don't have milk on the plane. If you are on a long flight, be sure you also have a full meal for your baby. If he's hungry, he's cranky.
Toys; take their favorite AND a new toy, which will keep them pretty busy.
Extra outfit; you already know why. I don't usually carry extra shoes, but Natalia did throw up all over her Uggs, so if you have the room, pack an extra pair or even just extra socks.
Extra diapers; I always take way too many extra diapers, but I rather be safe than sorry.
Baby wipes; they are like little miracle workers!
Bibs; to keep your baby clean. If you have a bib, you may not need to change your baby's outfit.
Antibacterial wipes; to clean everything you think your baby will touch (if you hate germs like I do).
If you don't mind, your phone will always help, kids love technology!
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| ready to go, looking great! |
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| checking out the seats... |
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| sound asleep and not feeling well :( |
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| amazing how her stomach bug lasted only the duration of the flight! even sick, she is a diva! |
I'm borrowing your list. We've got three flights planned and one is to Florida. I am not excited.
ReplyDeleteI forgot to mention what to pack. What I did was go through a normal days routine and I wrote down everything I used, then came up with my travel list. It really helps not to forget anything! :)
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