Traveling with an 18 month old is definitely not the easiest thing to do. Especially when you’re trying to travel lightly. It’s almost impossible! Making sure you have everything you need, but also not packing too much. I started packing about 3 weeks in advance so I didn’t have to rush and do it at the last minute.
I originally attempted to pack my items into a 24” checked bag and Bella’s items in a 20” carry-on. That didn’t work at all. I couldn’t fit any of my shoes in my bag with all of my other items and Bella’s diapers took up most of the space in her luggage! To help keep everything organized I ordered some packing cubes from Amazon which made packing so much easier!
I was able to plan out certain outfits for Bella and I and put them into their designated cubes. I had plenty of shoes and brought 1 jacket for us both. I packed plenty of diapers as well so I wouldn’t have to buy any while I was there. The packing cubes came with an amazing hanging toiletry bag. I poured all of my regular size items into the travel size bottles that I got from Walmart which saved me so much space. The set also came with a drawstring bag that I put all of my hair stuff in.
Once it was time to zip up my suitcase the morning of our flight, I ended up having a lot of last-minute items that were scattered around and made my bag look very messy. At this point I didn’t care because I didn’t want to miss my flight! We left the house at 6:46 AM and our flight started boarding at 7:35 AM. I checked in online so all I had to do was weigh in and drop off the Car Seat and checked bag.
When we got to the airport around 7:04 AM, my checked bag weighed in at exactly 50 pounds. The night before, I ended up having to pack some of my items in a backpack that I brought onto the plane.
I wasn’t sure what to expect while traveling through the airport as far as Bella’s safety was concerned, so I got a rain cover for her stroller to protect her from others who may have been exposed to COVID-19. This is Columbia Metropolitan Airport that we are flying out of. There was no one there except those on our flight it seemed like! I made sure to book the first flight out to avoid crowds and traffic. Our flight to Washington Dulles (IAD) was scheduled to leave at 8:00 AM.
As we boarded the flight, the flight attendants handed out alcohol sanitizing wipes to each passenger. I used both wipes to disinfect every single surface that Bella and I would be touching. And then I even went and got my own wipes and sanitized everything again.
We're finally settled in and Bella is starting to get a little fussy, so I nursed her as our flight departed at 7:50 AM. This also helped with her ears popping. She slept through the whole entire first flight and then woke up when we landed around 9:20 AM. Since our seats were at the back of the plane, we were the last ones to get off. After getting the stroller (this travel stroller made my entire trip SO much easier) from the gate check, I rushed to find our connecting flight as soon as I could. We had to take a shuttle to another Concourse to get to our gate. And right in front of our gate was a Nursing Mothers Room! I ran in there fast so I could relieve Bella and myself. I sanitized everything in the room and then changed Bella’s diaper. We sat in there and had a snack and FaceTimed my mom. Before we knew it, it was time to board our next flight to Los Angeles.
Our Flight was already boarding at 9:49 AM and I lost track of time, so I literally walked straight out of the Nursing Room and boarded the plane with the first boarding group. I needed extra time to take her stroller down and sanitize both of our seats. Once we were in the air I started playing Bella Peppa Pig and Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood episodes that I downloaded with my YouTube Premium free trial Account. It took her about an hour to go back to sleep. And once she was asleep, I was asleep as well. We both woke up about an hour before landing and at that point the anticipation was making me go crazy! I was so ready to get off of that plane! And I know Bella was too! Just like the second flight, we waited until everyone left the plane before getting off so that we could take our time.
The process coming back was exactly the same! Staying organized also helped with unpacking.
Check out the links below for the items I purchased for my trip! You can either click on the image or visit the links below. Please note these are affiliate links, which means if you purchase through the links, I will receive a small commission at NO EXTRA COST TO YOU! Thank you in advance for using these links when you decide to shop! It really helps to support my page and keep The Tall Momma going strong.
XOXO, Brooke <3