Kim, Lucas and I were thrilled to recently add a new member to our family- Theo Oliver!
Since the three of us love to travel, we wanted to start our little guy off early. Lucas got to fly for the first time (to Barbados) at a week shy of three months old. This time around we were looking to going a bit sooner.
A couple of weeks back we headed to Portland, Oregon for a quick visit. This would be Theo’s first time on an airplane at just 7 weeks old!
Here’s some details of what it was like flying with two kiddies for the first time!
Our flights to Portland had an early 7:10 AM start. Theo was pretty much out as was Lucas. Right after check-in, we headed up to the Amex Centurion Lounge at LaGuardia Airport for a quick bite.
Going through security wasn’t too bad. With Lucas being relatively independent, the only real change here was having a baby to hold while the stroller got checked. Overall, it was smooth sailing…
For those of you unfamiliar with Southwest Airlines, I’ll explain one of their major differences. When you fly with the airline on domestic flights, there are no seat assignments. However there are boarding groups and numbers. (Think A 1-60, B 1-60 etc.)
While I had a late A boarding number, Kim and Lucas had early B group. A nice thing about Southwest is that they allow families with little kids to board in between the A and B groups.
When it was our turn to board, we found the first empty row closest to the front and sat down. Lucas takes the window seat and gets his toys and iPad/ headphones ready and was pretty much good for the entire flight.
You can see in the photo above how comfortable Lucas is.
When it came to Theo, he did really great during the flights. Kim is breastfeeding him, which makes flying much easier. Think of the sucking motion like chewing gum. This supposedly helps with takeoff and landings etc…
Otherwise, Theo slept a good amount of the flight. (Not so surprising I guess!)
The thing was that when Theo woke up, he was a bit of a trouble maker.
I had to explain to Theo that we don’t sit on the tray tables!
Oh wait, that was my fault for resting him there for a photo! 🙂
Some thoughts on flying with a newborn and an experienced 4.5 year old
- There wasn’t a major difference for us when it came to flying with two kids.
- Lucas is great during flights (& keeps busy), Kim and I took turns holding the baby.
- We had to bring a couple of extra items onboard for Theo which was expected.
- More people smiled/ stared/ chatted with us.
Overall, flying and traveling with two kids was awesome! A bit more gear is needed and one of our hands were always full during the flight but before we know it, Theo will most likely be an experienced traveling kid just like his big brother Lucas!
We already have a few more flights booked. I’m looking forward to all of the new experiences, obstacles, blunders and fun that lies ahead for the Michael W Travels family!
