Stace's love (or not so much) of traveling with a toddler

• Traveling with a baby still using a bottle
• Applesauce packets
• An electronic device
• Blanket
• Pros and cons of bringing a stroller

Since my little guy was five weeks old he has been traveling. Most of our traveling is flying, but we have also done the long car trip as well. We are preparing to fly yet again. Tomorrow we are going to visit family and our travels consist of two planes and a 4 hour layover, yay. I don't think that I am an expert traveler but since we have done it so much (we fly about 3 times a year) I think we have a pretty good system.
    One of the hardest things for me was traveling with a baby who used a bottle. Since airports now have so many new rules it makes traveling with children so much harder, and the limit of water that you can take through security makes it impossible to be able to have everything you need before getting on a plane with your baby. The water for a bottle has to be a certain temperature. I bought a thermos that keeps the water temperature up to 4-6 hours. After going through security the best way to get the water is by stopping at the little restaurants or coffee shops in the airport asking them to fill up my thermos, I even told them to check the water temp with their wrist. Sometimes I would get lucky and I would get the perfect temperature. A few other times people told me the only water they could give me was the water they used for coffee which is boiling hot. Depending on how much time I had I would either wander around and ask several different places, if I didn't have time I would ask them to fill my thermos with the boiling water a little less then halfway then go to the bathroom, or get a water bottle, and fill the rest of it with cold water. If the water still wasn't exactly what I wanted it to be I had to learn to be ok with it. As long as its not significantly to cold or hot the baby will be just fine.
How much formula should I bring? That was a hard thing to learn as well because when the air plane takes off and lands your ears pop and that can be very hurtful to our little ones so you want  them to be sucking on something for both of those. When he was really little, under six months,  I found it worked best for him to have some bottle then just sucking on a pacifier. So I needed enough formula for the take off and landing, for multiple planes if I had to switch, and also needed enough for meals. I used to try and have it measured out in advance for what I needed instead of bringing a whole container of formula but I actually found it was a lot easier and less stressful to just have the container, yea it took up more room but you can never have to much formula.
    Something that I found essential when traveling with a toddler is applesauce packets. The take off and landing on the airplane can still hurt their little ears and since he no longer eats from a bottle or has a pacifier I had a hard time getting him to suck on something when we were landing and taking off. Applesauce packets are the best. They are somewhat healthy, most kids enjoy applesauce and they aren't to messy. There have been a couple times when my little guy got a bit to excited about the applesauce packet and squeezed before it was in his mouth, but hey, that's what wipes are for and no one expects you to look pristine after traveling all day by yourself with a toddler. 
     I used to stock my diaper bag full of toys but then I learned that we only need a few essential favorites and a couple books. If you have a portable travel device that they can watch something on by all means bring it! If its a portable DVD player or a Ipad, Kindle whatever, bring it. They may be on it the whole time they may be on it only a little of the time, it doesn't matter because it takes up time. I save our device as a last resort in case he is on it a long time the battery is all saved up. Its my big ammo. 
     Another thing I tried to do when we first started traveling together was pack his blanket and not take it on the plane because I was worried about losing it. But I have realized he actually travels better having it. It can be a little much and overwhelming for little's to travel and having that blanket makes people feel more secure and a lot happier. In my mind, while we travel, that blanket is as important as my phone and wallet, do not lose it!
    To bring a stroller, to not bring a stroller. I went back and forth on that one. I say absolutely bring a stroller if your baby cannot sit up by its self yet. Yes you have to bring the big bulky stroller, which I hated doing, but it is worth it. Trying to get the water for bottles while trying to carry your baby is a lot harder then it sounds. After my son started to venture more into toddler and not baby I was torn about bringing a stroller. You don't need the big bulky one anymore just one of those little umbrella strollers. Sometimes when I have very short lay overs the stroller stressed me out because you have to wait for the nice airport people to unload the stroller and bring it to you and sometimes its not sitting ready and waiting. Another thing I don't like about the stroller is that its just one more thing to have, one more thing to worry about. I have gone both ways when he was at different stages of flying with and without a stroller and, for me, the stroller is worth it. Even if your toddler doesn't want to sit in it you can put the diaper bag or purse or whatever other paraphernalia you have in it so you don't have to lug it around and its a lot easier on the shoulders and back. Even when I have a short lay over and I am stressing waiting for the dumb stroller when I get it I am grateful because I can put my child and most of my stuff on it and book it. Imagine having to carry your not so light child and two bags and a blanket and run across the airport. Unfortunately I don't have to imagine and its the worst. Even if strollers can be a bit of a pain they are worth it and can make traveling a little easier. 
   These are some things that after a lot of trial and error I found were really helpful. Hopefully it will be helpful to you as well and you will probably have to go through your own trial and errors to figure out what works best for you but maybe having some of this information will help make your travels a little less stressful. 
Wish us luck!