Vacation in a Conch shell day 1......

So we have returned from our first family vacation. (I guess it is technically our 2nd vacation since we went to NH over the summer, but that was only 2 days)

Let's start in the beginning~

The day before we were scheduled to leave Baby K was very sick. She had been sick for a couple of days but on Tuesday she was really sick. I was able to get her into the Pedi for a check up and low and behold she had an ear infection (her first) and an upper respiratory infection. The Dr. recommended we post pone our flight until Baby K had been anti biotics for 48 hours. (we were flying out 32 hours later). After returning home and starting the meds I researched moving our flight, it was going to cost $577 per ticket to move the flight out 1 day. I bought the trip insurance but that only covered $300 per ticket so out of pocket this would have cost us almost $600 when the tickets originally costed under $160 a piece. So in the end we decided that we would either go as planned or cancel all together (again covered for $300).

On Wed, our departure day, Baby K was still clearly sick, but was in better spirits and seemed to be a little better off than she was the days prior, so we decided to chance it and go.

Holy crap did he have a lot of shit..have you ever traveled with an infant? I really paired down what we brought and we still had 8 things to lug around!

Carry on's for the plane:

• Laptop bag


• Carry on with books, iPod, cameras, magazines, snacks, etc


• Backpack (diaper bag)

Plane side check:

• Carseat


• Stroller

Checked baggage:

• Fishing rods


• Fishing supplies and liquids


• Clothes

We successfully made it though security and onto the plane without much struggle. Baby K did well on the take off (we gave her a bottle of milk to help with the pressure changes) but then she spit up a bit of the milk onto her blanket and clothes (not like her at all) making for a smelly outfit and na'night. For the first hour (the flight was 3hours 20mins) she was good in our laps, playing with the toys and books I bought, but that got old quick. The 2nd hour I let her crawl up and down the aisle of the plane (trying to exhaust her), the 3rd hour I finally got her to fall asleep for about 45 mins. The last 40 mins or so.....pure hell on earth (or in the sky?). She woke up from her nap and was clearly still tired, she cried and cried, and then the descent began and she would not take a bottle (or sippy) and she was pulling on her ears and screaming, she cried so hard that she exhausted herself and passed out on T's lap for the last 10 mins. Poor baby it broke my heart to have her clearly be so uncomfortable.

Once we finally landed my MIL was waiting for us (she drove up from Key Largo to get us) and we collected our goods we headed South (we flew into Ft Lauderdale and had to drive 2 hours to Key Largo). Of course by this time we were all hungry, tired, and sick of sitting in cramped quarters. We made a pit stop at the Cracker Barrel for what I can easily call the worst meal I have ever attempted to eat and continued on our trip.

Once we reached our final destination we we got Baby K ready for bed and saw our sleeping quarters for the next 8 days (a bedroom with a queen bed and a pack-n-play next to the bed).

End of day 1.....thankfully