Sunny's First Mommy and Me Flight

Jet-setting off to Chicago with our very active 8-month old was such an adventure! Sunny was already crawling at that point and I knew she wouldn't be thrilled to be held for the 3+ hours of the flight from Las Vegas. Many thoughts raced through my mind from "How does one pee holding a squirmy baby in the tiny airplane bathroom?" to "What if we hit one of those airpockets that makes the plane suddenly drop while I'm standing with Sunny?" This actually happened to my sister with one of her babies. Her feet left the ground. I repeat. Her feet left the ground. I also had memories of a friend sharing her first solo traveling experience involving projectile vomit that resulted in the creation of makeshift dress for herself from an airplane blanket. I applaud the innovation.

I felt motivated to push through in order to spend some quality time with my sister and her 3 little girls and reminded myself that people do this every day. It is normal. It goes right 99x out of a 100 and we just usually hear the horror stories. Let's normalize more sharing of positive travel experiences with kids! My sister has a baby just 4 weeks younger than Sunny and it's so special having those little cousin twins together. Definitely worth navigating the ins and outs of an airplane bathroom.

Aaron dropped us off at the airport and I think he felt a little helpless watching the two of us walk inside. I felt armed with adrenaline and excitement for some much anticipated family time. If you ever need your faith restored in humanity, travel solo with a baby. I was almost moved to tears multiple times by the kindness of complete strangers. The pilot of our flight sought me out at a gate full of people to make sure I knew about family boarding. I was just blown away by the many small moments of people seeing a new mama and even just offering a kind word or a knowing smile. It eased any feelings of overwhelm and anxiety.

I think my number one emotion based tip for the airplane is to remind yourself that it's okay for your baby to cry. It's even okay if they are mad the entire flight and disturbing other passengers. Ear plugs were invented for a reason. Sunny was crying from the minute we sat down on the plane and passenger after passenger walked passed us. The flight attendant needed to remind everyone that it was a completely full flight and every seat would be occupied. The seat next to us was the last seat filled. One of the women in my row was traveling with her sedated cat, the other was sick, and I was traveling with a stormy Sunny. We were quite the trio. I feel like Sunny did as well as possible considering it was early, she wanted to move, and she was out of her element. I'd grade the overall experience a solid C-. Aaron said that was a victory. Which yes, but definitely room for improvement.

By the time we landed, seeing my sister pull up in passenger pick up was like being wrapped up in a human sized burrito. Comforting, warm, inviting. I'm fairly confident I saw a giant halo hovering above her car. But is it weird to say the whole solo travel experience felt empowering? Because it really did. My sister lives in a beautiful suburb of Chicago and has chickens in her backyard. It's all very picturesque. Arriving around sunset, playing with the girls outside on her back deck is a moment I hope to never forget.

A happy post flight Sunny

So much joy

We had the best time. We explored outside, enjoyed the arboretum, adventured to Lake Michigan, ate deep dish (had to) and threw an epic birthday party for her 36th. Most of all I just loved watching these little cousins play together. Sunny and I definitely missed Dad while we were in Chicago but I'm so grateful the two of us were able to go.

My sister and her sweet baby at the Arboretum

3/4 of the cousin crew

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Our biggest splurge with Sunny was the nanit camera and it has been worth every penny. We have a travel stand and it makes all the difference for my new mama heart being able to check in on her while she's napping or sleeping. It helps me really enjoy the moment knowing that I'll be able to hear her if she's crying. Aaron also loved being able to check on her through the nanit app while we were gone. We didn't realize how much we'd love it for travel purposes but it's been great.

Our flight home went as smoothly as possible. Again, people were very kind in the Chicago airport. The TSA agent said "Sunny Storey. I love her name. It's like she's destined to be famous." We saw the same agent later when I'd set off alarm bells for who knows what. She was our airport angel. We didn't experience any delays and I sat next to the sweetest couple. They didn't have kids of their own but they helped entertain her and even let her come over and look out their window. She loved it.

If you are debating whether to take a solo flight with your little one(s), I'd highly recommend it. It was an experience I'll remember forever and such a joy-filled adventure with my little girl. Also, don't be afraid to ask for help. If there's one airport guarantee, it's that there will be a lot of people around and available.

Just landed back in Vegas

Couldn't be happier to see her daddy

We'd love to hear more about your travel experiences with little ones! Let us know in the comments below!