Seeking Travel Tip for a 9 Month Old (Plane, Hotel, Time Change, Etc.)

We went on 10 round trip flights with my daughter in her first 14 months.
1) All hotels have cribs/pack & Plays for them to sleep in. We bring all the 'lovies' from her crib and she almost does not notice. (She has 1 bear, a small 'taggie' and a blankie)
2) Hopefully your son will fall asleep on the flight but if not...... Bring LOTS of snacks and travel size toys and be ready to pass him back and forth between you and your husband. You NEVER know when you are going to be trapped on a plane so think about liquids and food. TSA is tough to get through with certian liquids. Check that out.
Most airplanes have a changing table above the toliet (depending who you fly, you can call the airline & check what type of aircraft and ask them) and there are some changing tables in OHare.
3) stay in the same hotel as the wedding - NO matter the cost. TRUST ME!!! When it's bedtime you can take him up and an hour later, you husband can come up for an hour, then you mom/aunt... So nobody misses much of the wedding.
4) Don't worry about the time change, it seems to work itself out. You might be a little off but it never seem to be a big deal.
5) bring a good stroller! So you can enjoy yourself a bit.

I never rented anything - You need a carseat to get to the airport. I bought a travel 'highchair' from One Step Ahead ($19.95) and it packs like a lunch box and you can take it on the go, even in the park! The stroller you can gate check and pick up the second you get off the plane.

Hope all this helps.

We just flew to Florida with our 9 mo. old daughter for her 1st flight, and it was way easier than I thought it would be. She went to sleep as we were taxiing and slept for the first hour. The time from leaving our house, getting checked in, and going through security was about the amount of time she is usually awake anyway, so she was ready for a nap. The pressure didn't seem to bother her ears at all, which was my main worry. Going through security was only a little more hassle than usual. It really wasn't too bad. Regarding sleeping, yeah, expect his schedule to get totally messed up, it took about a week after we got home to get back on track. We went for a wedding too, and amazingly she slept in her stroller through the reception (even w/ the DJ playing rap music). But her sleeping and eating just got completely off course, which I guess is normal when you travel. After you get to CA, have him crawl around and stretch out on any cleanish area of carpet you can find while you husband goes to take care of the rental car, that should take care of him. I was worried about all of this too, but she really surprised me and handled it all very well.

We have traveled a few times with our now 9 month old. Try not to worry, it is amazing how kids adapt to traveling. It sounds like you rented all you need. Thats what we do when we are traveling. My only suggestion would be some sort of sling to carry you little one around in. It's always our lifesaver. Also your worries: Checking does take a little more time, but there is so much to see that that will keep him very busy. Take off and landings, just try to give him a bottle. TSA will allow sealed containers and expressed milk. You just need to let them know you have it. I always put all the baby food in a large ziploc so I can easily pull it out to show the TSA agents. Diaper changes- no good advice on that except make sure you bring an extra outfit in your carryon incase of an accident. As for the time change, just follow your sons cues. He will probably be way off his normal schedule because everything will be so new to him. You just need to roll with it! Good luck, don't stress too much and have a ton of fun!

I have two sons ages 4 and 2 1/2 and I travel alone with the 2 of them very frequently. I agree with everything everyone else wrote, and would also emphasize that the airlines right now tend to do a LOT of delaying of flights while they try to fill planes to maximum capacity. In the past 2 years alone, I have flown to the east coast 4 times with my boys and have never had less than a 1 hour delay. Usually it is 2 or more. So be prepared to roll with the punches. On the day before you fly, avoid giving your son anything that makes him poop alot. I usually avoid all fruits and vegetables, and stick to bread and pasta on the day before. This way you are less likely to have an explosion in the airport or on the plane. Check your flight status before you leave the house. Bring lots of new, fun, small things to keep your son entertained and do not let him see them until he is on the plane. Pack dry, easy to eat snacks. Bring a bottle/sippy cup and one or more sealed cans of soy milk-- you may not be able to get expressed breast milk through security. Plenty of diapers and wipes of course-- and do your diaper changing in the airport if possible-- changing a baby in the airplane bathroom is a nightmare and I have yet to find a plane that has a changing table in it. You should keep your stroller with you right up until you are ready to board the plane-- you will have to fold it up to get through security though so don't cram the basket full of stuff. When you get to the gate, just ask the gate agent for a gate check ticket. They will take the stroller from you on the jetway and it will be waiting there for you when you get off the plane (you should stand just outside the door of the plane to wait for it). I never had a problem with either of my sons' ears while flying, but try to save the bottle for take-off and landing if you can. Sucking helps. When you land in CA, you will have time for your son to walk around while you wait for baggage, get your car, etc. So let him do it if he wants to. As for the time change, I agree with what everyone else says -- the 2 hours is no big deal. In fact, I'd recommend keeping your son on his own time zone if at all possible, because his body will want to sleep at those times naturally. As for the wedding itself, just do your best. Your son may be out of sorts and cranky, and if that is the case you should have a person (trusted aunt or cousin? your husband?) lined up to take him outside as needed. He may not like it but it is not fair to your brother to let a cranky boy ruin his wedding. And anyway I bet your son will be just fine-- I am sure you will be amazed how flexible he can be. Good luck!