flying with a toddler

 Tomorrow, we will be waking up extra early and making our way to Chicago Midway airport with Henry in tow. This will be Henry's 1st trip on an airplane and, I have to say, I'm feeling some jitters about it. It's not anything major. Just the usual worries about the unknown.. Will nursing him during take-off be enough to help his ears adjust to the pressure? Will this wiggle-worm of a boy sit still on our laps during the flight or will he fight tooth-and-nail to break free? If he's fussy, will we have to hear about it from disgruntled passengers? I've talked to a few mamas about their experiences flying with little ones and it's been pretty reassuring to hear how smoothly their trips went. I'm sure I'll be learning a thing or two out of the experience, so I'll be sure to share any pointers once we get back.

We have a few things on our side with this trip. For one, our flight time is not overly long. We are traveling to New Orleans so we'll be in the air just over 2 hours. Another major plus about this trip is that we will have a few extra hands around to help us keep Henry entertained. Chris's sister and brother, Emily and Michael, are coming with us and Henry has a soft spot for each of them. I figure if Chris and I have any trouble keeping him happy, we can pass him to Auntie Em and Uncle Mike because they can always get a smile out of him. 

We're pretty excited about this much-needed change of scenery AND temperature, and, of course..... the food. We're finishing up with the toughest winter I can remember experiencing in northern Illinois. Even if the calendar is telling us that it's officially spring, this nasty winter still has it's claws out. So south we travel! 

Have a great week!