Flying with an infant. Just the thought makes me cringe. Or really the thought of flying with MY infant makes me want to cringe. Yet, here I am, booking a flight for the three of us to Chicago in June. At least my dad is paying for the tickets.

Over a year ago we got an invitation from my Aunt Jackie to the annual Hill family picnic in Chicago. My brother & I both have kids my extended family has never met, and my aunt was getting a little anxious to get everyone together. Due to my pregnancy we weren’t able to attend in 2007, so it was decided we’d all make the effort to get to Chicago in 2008. Family picnics were a big deal for my grandfather’s generation. If I remember correctly my grandfather was 1 of 9 kids, and my dad is 1 of 5, so they are pretty large gatherings. And everyone else still lives in Chicago, my dad, brother and I are the only oddballs. Or should I say, black sheep? I haven’t been to Chicago in about 10 years. I don’t think my brother & I have both been in Chicago at the same time since 1992. No, that’s not true. It was 1996, when my grandfather died.

I’m really not thrilled about this trip. I’m doing this as a favor to my dad and aunt, plus my dad has said it’s the last time we’ll try to come up together as a family. I’m sure Chicago is a great place to visit. I wouldn’t know personally. When we lived in Chicago I was too young to remember much about it. We visited every year or so throughout my childhood, but that normally meant family dinners, sitting in my grandfather’s kitchen, picnics… we never saw the city. Unless it was to go downtown to DePaul or to a Cubs game. This visit won’t be any different.

I guess the part I’m really dreading is the plane trip. I’m not afraid of flying, not at all. In fact, from the ages of 8 to 18 (or was it 10-18?) I was on a plane at least every 2 to 3 weeks to visit my dad in Dallas. When my brother and I first started flying there would be maybe 30 people (mainly business travelers) on the flight from Tulsa-Dallas. Now it doesn’t matter if you fly at 2 AM on a Tuesday, your flight is packed. I hate crowds. And I’m concerned about Daphne fussing the entire way. I don’t want to be “that parent” that disrupts everyone’s flight. Or pooping all over and not being able to have a place to change her. I can’t imagine planes have added changing stations in their bathrooms. I just need to think positively. My dread/anxiety is going to jinx our trip.

If anyone has any good suggestions about traveling with a fussy infant (who hopefully will be less fussy in June), let me know!!