Dave is a high school friend of Justin’s and current star of Flashpoint.  There will be a few Hollywood types at the wedding so should be an interesting week!

For all you  Canuck’s fans, Trevor Linden cleared security with us.  Great guy.  But boy is he skinny to have played hockey!

The flight from Vancouver was pretty uneventful.  We bought Stella her first seat this time as my growing belly and increasing “uncomfortableness” made this a wise decision.  Stella was her usual good traveler and even had a nap.

Her favorite part of the trip so far was the landing, she kept saying “more” after we landed as she wanted to do it again (squealing with delight) and riding the transit trains and elevators.  All very exciting for a 19 month old.  She’s also quite excited about her new “Dora” wheely suitcase that she can barely push through the airport.

Unfortunately she just fell and got her first major “bo-boo” with a fat split lip and then banged her head.  Ahh growing pains.

We flew Continental Airlines for the first time in a long time and first time with a child.  Nothing fancy and nothing major to report.  Usual flight.  Pleasant staff and they even served us some breakfast…

We took advantage of our American Express Platinum membership and are enjoying the President’s Club Lounge in Houston.  We are in their newest lounge in Terminal E which has a family room with TVs and a few toys.  Very nice to just get away from everyone and let Stella decompress.  Highly recommend it for any long layover with children in Houston.  No food really but complimentary internet and drinks.  Apparently, Terminal E’s Lounge is the best one so if you have the time the nice Continental employee we met said it’s worth the trek.

I’d say Houston airport seems pretty family friendly.  They have companion bathrooms and the family lounge in the President’s Club seems that they are thinking family comfort in some designs.

We will be in Mexico until next Sunday and then off to Vegas for work.

More to report over the next few days I’m sure.

Tips:

If you are pregnant and traveling with another child, spend the money, get an extra seat!

If you have the ability to utilize the lounges in the airports during long layovers they are a nice break and make a long day of travel not seem so bad.

HYDRATE!

Pack along books, crayons and plenty of paper for toddler entertainment.   We still don’t have a DVD player…

This was our first flight since Stella has been completely weaned.  We were a little nervous as she had a very good routine of as soon as we got on the plane and the bells rang for take-off she’d lie down in my lap, nurse and fall fast asleep for much of the plane ride.  We bought her some nice freshly squeezed OJ and I had tons of snacks to keep her occupied just in case.   No issues on the “back-peddling” of weaning but an entirely new host of things arose that makes flying completely different from before.

1.     Kicking the seat in front of us.  With her on my ever growing belly/lap the seat kicking was inevitable.  Every time I told her to stop, she thought it was funny and kicked harder.  Can you say “stink-eye” from the people in front of us?  We turned her sideways on my lap and tried desperately to keep her entertained.

2.    No more “one-two knock-out punch” with the nursing.  She only fell asleep for the last half-hour of the 2.5 hour flight on the way to LA and did not sleep at ALL on the way back (even though we timed her nap so she’d be exhausted…could be due to the Swedish fish I allowed her to eat to entertain her before we got on the flight – I broke one of my big rules…limit sweets intake!).

3.    Entertainment.  I still haven’t broken down and bought a DVD player as I don’t even think she’d watch it but she definitely needs more entertainment than before.  She could care less about the toys I bring her on the plane (so note to all those parents who think a new toy will occupy your child on a long flight…not so sure that one will work).  She is more interested in our magazines and newspapers and just about anything she can fiddle with on the plane.  She is entertained by pens (not her crayons mind you) and any paper that looks official (custom cards anyone…).

4.    I need to bring TONS of food on board.  I brought quite a bit of healthy snacks for Stella (fruit, nuts, cereal) and she ate just about all of it.  If we had been delayed I think maybe I would have run out which could have been a mini-disaster.

So “simple baby travel’ in 2009 will have some adjustments as Stella is now clearly a toddler.  There is no way we can fly with her on my lap, especially with my getting more pregnant by the day.  Stay tuned for more details and tips as we have plenty of travel planned for ’09, even with baby #2 on its way.

Special shout out to my book club friends who inspired me to get back to writing.

It has been a real treat to spend the past 6 days in Atlanta.  For anyone in need of “hug therapy” I highly recommend you visit Atlanta.  I’ve gotten more hugs in the past 6 days than I can even count.  Nicest people I’ve met in a long time.

Which brings me to my great review of Sheraton Gateway Airport Hotel Atlanta

The people there couldn’t have been nicer.  From “Ernest the Engineer” who spent nearly a half hour fixing my Mountain Buggy tire, to Sally the very nice lady who brought us room service twice and loved Stella.  And ofcourse there were the very friendly waiters and breakfast server in the Club Level lounge.

Ernest the Engineer Deserves a Raise

As well as the shuttle driver from Peru who drove me to the grocery store, waited on me to get the few things I needed and then drove me back.  All around the nicest hotel staff I’ve encountered in a very long time.  For more details on the Sheraton Gateway Airport Hotel see my Hotel Reviews.

My Dad left yesterday in a “tearsy” goodbye.  It’s always hard to say goodbye.  We will miss him but we’ll see him soon in Greece!

Saying Goodbye after a Nice Weekend

Atlanta airport redeemed itself today.  The terminal we flew out of had a really nice little sunlit area and we had a quick bit at Atlanta Bread.  I recommend it as it is quite good.  It was also amazing to see how many military go thru that airport.  Having been out of the US for nearly 3 years now it was a reminder that the US is at war.  Those men and women deserve a lot of respect.  I overheard a few of them leaving our airport say”take a good look at the green grass as you won’t be seeing any for quite a long time.”  While we were standing in the airport a group came thru and there was a huge loud standing ovation for them.  Quite moving.

Chad, Kathy, Addy and the Lee's at Tony Lukes

We flew into Philadelphia for a long lay over so we met up with Chad, Kathy and their sweet new baby Addy.  It was really nice to see them and we all got a fantastic pork sandwich from Tony Lukes.  Justin and I were looking forward to it for weeks (along with a Yeungling Lager) as we can’t get either in Vancouver.

We were lucky to have a very nice cab driver from Morocco who gave us some good ideas for a trip to Morrocco.

Our Friendly Cab Driver in Philly

The Philly airport is quite nice.  I have to say though we did decide to splurge and fly first class this leg so we spent the rest of our long layover in the Star Alliance/Envoy lounge which is fantastic.  Stella is sound asleep right now in the work area.  She was quite a tired girl (as you can see in the picture above).

We are off to England shortly and it will be nice to be back in the UK for a bit.  I always enjoy my time there.

Some tips for flying:

All in One Wallet: Holds passports and plane tickets

1.  All in one wallet:  I finally broke down and bought one of the all in one travel wallets.  It has been great and for “family” travel and all the documents you have to carry it’s worth it.   I must admit though that I almost lost it today…I decided to get a black one which blends right into my stroller bottom…

2.  Muslin blanket:  I got the blanket for a trip to Florida last year but it has been invaluable for flying as it’s light weight and doesn’t get Stella too hot; I can use it to cover up while breast feeding and it’s also great to drape over her stroller to keep sound/noise out.  Tonight I’m using it for the first time to see if I can drape it over her bassinet that will be attached to the wall for the international flight.

3.  Toys:  I try not to bring too many but have found ones that have rings attached or can have rings attached to them are best as you can easily attach them to the stroller, your purse or bag (sorry folks, I’m ant-diaper bag but if you must, you can attach them to your diaper bag too), and the best part is you can hang them on the back of the seat pocket so they are at easy access.  Some people have recommended buying new toys for a flight but as a minimalist I think this is unnecessary.  If your child is like Stella, just hide a few toys for a few days and she’ll think they are new…but more importantly, she doesn’t usually even want to play with them…she’d rather play with an empty cup or bottle…and I’d guess so will your child!

Ringed Toys for easy access

4.  Small bags for dirty diapers (note:  take these to the bathroom to dispose of, the stewardess doesn’t want to have to throw them away for you)

5.  Snacks.  Depending on how old your baby is you can decide what’s best.  I also like bringing along some old plastic breast milk storage containers as they have screw tops and don’t come open like other tupperware.  I can store fruit in there without it getting squashed.  I find ziplock bags are fine but they often get holes in them and a mess in your bag.

6.  Changing pad, diapers, wipes (PLENTY OF THEM):  I personally don’t bother with a big changing pad but instead carry a cloth diaper.  However, my friend Kim swears by this all in one gadget http://www.patemm.com/ She’s used it on 12 trips alone with her little Mason who turns 1 soon!  I may look into it as it looks like a great find.

Enough for tonight.

Off to relax a bit before our flight.

And We are Off

So here we are…Day 1 just after midnight local time in Atlanta.

Just got Stella to sleep in her crib.   She was too excited in a new place and with the time change.  Justin and I are catching up on work and realizing we are finally on our way!

Day started at 6AM PST for final packing and getting our townhouse ready for our tenants to move in.

This is the first adventure where I actually didn’t just pack one large backpack and a carry on…

While I had hoped to pack minimally – traveling for 6 months in 2 seasons and working along the way required a much larger wardrobe than I’d normally have allowed…

Saying goodbye to her Grandad...he is definitely going to miss her

Justin’s Dad, Wellington, came over to help us get ready and take care of Stella.  I think he was very sad to see his little Granddaughter leave.

We flew out of Vancouver at 11:45 AM (flight didn’t leave until 12:15 but beyond that, it was a very uneventful flight).

Stella actually napped twice on the plane and was no trouble.  Justin and I even got to watch a movie.  We were quite lucky.  Thank goodness I’m still nursing…(tip to you mom’s, it’s the easiest and best thing for making for a smooth flight with baby).

We arrived in Atlanta at 8pm and were at the hotel by 9pm.  Justin gave Stella a bath and ordered room service while I ran to the store for some supplies (diapers, waters, beer and some food for Stella as she will have a babysitter tomorrow).  Team work!

TIP:  We’ve tried going out for a meal after a long day of travel and realized it’s not the best idea.  Just plan to order room service or take-out when you arrive at your destination.  Everyone will be much happier for it.

Tomorrow we have a babysitter coming (niece of a work colleague so it will be nice to not have to worry about a stranger babysitting Stella in a strange city) as we are attending an internet marketing conference until Tuesday.

My Dad arrives from Virginia on Saturday to watch Stella the rest of the weekend.  He has not seen her since May so he is in for a treat.

Child care is the hardest part about traveling for work (which this blog will be spending quite a bit of time talking about as well).  We only want to leave Stella with someone we trust and know.

So on to some tips from the road on how to make traveling easier with baby…

I will also be giving my general impression of airlines, hotels, cities, etc. in regards to how child friendly (and sometimes environmentally friendly) they are.

Delta Airlines definitely showed some improvements over other airlines I’ve flown with Stella.  Hands down United stinks when it comes to children.  Delta check-in staff were very friendly and helpful.  Stewardesses were polite and always asked as they came by if they could get anything for the baby.

The best part of Delta today was we both had our own personal TV and there seemed to be more room in coach than other airlines.  They also came through the cabin twice with beverage and snack services (they actually offered you a real pack of crackers, peanuts or cookies…on both trips through the cabin).  Sad that this little bit of food seems so generous…where are the airlines of yesterday!

I’d give them a B- (mostly for not providing a paper ticket for Stella – see below).

C- on environmental consciousness (I have yet to see an airline sort their trash as they come through the cabin.  But Delta did sort out the newspapers so I have to hope that they recycled that).

Tips on checking in:
Generally, if you fly with a baby in your lap you have to have a paper ticket.  This means you can’t check-in at the kiosk and some airlines require a paper ticket be sent to you prior to departure (generally for international flights).  Check with your airline when you book your ticket.

Delta was the exception to the rule.  They only gave me and Justin a ticket and said to just tell security that she was noted on the mother’s ticket as baby in lap.  We’ve flown 5 times with Stella prior to this on several airlines and we always gotten a paper ticket for her.

Delta’s policy caused us a hassle at every check point (there are many when leaving Vancouver as you clear customs in Vancouver versus at your destination in the US).

Vancouver airport:
Beautiful and clean airport.  Generally speaking, child friendly.  I have NEVER had any issues with bringing food (and breast milk) through customs and security.  They also waive parents with small children through to the front of the line for security and clearing customs upon your return (unfortunately, clearing on the US side they aren’t as nice).  The check-in counter people are always very friendly (no matter what airline) and often just “waive us thru” even when we know we are over the limit on baggage weight.

In the US departures lounge there is a mini-museum with indigenous artwork and information as well as a children’s play area.  They are also doing a lot of improvements to prepare for the Olympics in 2010.

I’d give Vancouver airport an A-

TIP:  When you go through security it never hurts to POLITELY ask if there is a line that families with small children can go through instead of waiting in really long lines.

TIP:  Always be POLITE and say EXCUSE ME.  It will get you so much further in the airport as most people are really rude and families tend to just take too much time going thru security, etc.  It doesn’t hurt to have a cute kid who laughs and chats up the staff.

Hamming it up for the check-in staff

Atlanta airport:  if you’ve ever been it makes you feel like you did after a long day at Disney World with tons of people frantically running around and it’s hot.   Horrible! They really need to do something about that airport.  And I can’t stand to have to get on those little shuttles when I land.  I just want fresh air!  Atlanta does have a ton of shops and restaurants however.  It still gets a D!

Sheraton Airport Hotel
Staff gets an A+ so far.  Very friendly and they even drove me to the Grocery store tonight.  We have Gold Status/Starwood Preferred so it helps.

TIP:  if you are going to do a bit of traveling it is worth looking into joining any and all preferred programs you can find.  Same goes with frequent flyer programs.  You almost always get better treatment and a little nicer service (if nothing else) by being “a member.”  And who couldn’t use a little more help when you are traveling with a child.

So that’s it for today.  I had a ton of ideas and tips for all you traveling parents and want to be traveling parents but they will have to wait.

Until tomorrow.