I'm leaving, on a jet plane or Packing is a nightmare

We are heading to Chicago this afternoon to spend Christmas with my family. Packing is one of the most stressful activities ever.

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I agonize for hours as I lay everything out for Baby A and myself. Last time we flew to my parents house, I read some tips online that said to bring 2 extra outfits for each day. By the end of the trip, I had maybe used 1/3 of the clothes I packed for her. Plus, I didn't think about using my parents' washer and dyer. Life could have been that much easier had I not over planned....but I am too much of a worrier to learn from that mistake. I'll update later on how much I pack vs what I use for this Christmas vacation.

What are some of your packing tips for babies?

Flying with Babies: What I've learned so far

We have now been on 4 flights with Baby A and she is just over 9 months. I can't say I'm anywhere close to being an expert on flying with a baby, but I've learned a few tricks that have made it a lot easier. I'm adding tricks other people have shared with me too.

Tips, Tricks and more to Flying with a Baby under 1
1. Baby items fly free
     I can't speak for pack-n-plays, but strollers, car seats, and a diaper bag fly free! We deposit our car seat when we drop off our luggage. Then, we gate check the stroller as we board the plane. I put my carry-on in the container above our seats and stick anything I absolutely need during the flight in the diaper bag.

2. Boarding the Plane
    Once you have little kids, you can start boarding the plane in the families traveling with small children group. Having the extra time to get settled is super nice. Definitely take advantage of it if you can.

3. Layers, Layers, Layers
    On flights, you never know how warm or cold the flight is going to be. I've been on flights where it has been freezing and on other flights where I thought I was in the Sahara. During the summer flights, I had Baby A in a bodysuit and shorts and had pants and a jacket in the baby bag. In November, I put her in pants and a long sleeved bodysuit along with having a back up jacket and warmer pants.
     Be sure to bring a couple back up outfits for the baby and a back up shirt for you so that if you get soaked, you don't have to stay like that the entire trip. I didn't need the back ups, but another lady on the flight went through 3 outfits on a 4 hour flight.

4. Prepare for anything
     Have plenty of extra diapers. Going on flights can make a baby's system go nuts and it would stink to run out of diapers in the middle of a flight. I figure out how many diapers Baby A will go through in the length of the flight, and then bring 1.5 times that many.
     Bring plenty of things to distract the baby, but they may sleep through the whole flight depending on their age. Try to keep it to things that are "new" (aka haven't been seen in a while) to help keep the baby's interest. I brought things that Baby A hadn't played with in a while to distract her.

5. Takeoff with a snack
      I was pretty worried about the takeoff on the first flight because when I was younger, I always had ear pain. I asked around and people suggested timing a bottle for take-off or having Baby A use her pacifier until take off ended. It worked like a dream! The first set of flights after the bottle, Baby A passed out for the whole trip. During the second set of flights, it still worked but it took her longer to fall asleep. For landing, do the exact same and you'll be all set.

    Those are the most useful tips and tricks that I've picked up. Does anyone have any other tricks for traveling with babies?