I am sitting on a plane, home-bound. I'm feeling pretty happy with life at the moment, despite the fact that I have vomit soaked into my bra and a cramp in my right leg. Hubby and I started a tradition when we got married. Every July school holiday we head up to Durban to escape the cold and to soak up the sun and laze on the beach. This is our first year traveling with Nunu. (Last year he also came with, but he was a lot easier to manage as he was still inside of me). Packing for this trip was equivalent to preparing for the Two Oceans Marathon, except there was no running involved. I had to plan nappies, meals, clothes and medicine (yes, Nunu is STILL stick. He is still on the nebulizer and has coughing fits which lead him to puking up his bottle/meal- hence me sitting on the plane smelling like Rhodes Squish mixed vegetables). The trip was great. We spent a lot of time with family, had cocktails, shopped a lot and went to the beach. Here are some of my holiday tips... 1. Airport security will not believe you that the baby nebulizer is not a bomb. 2. Over pack everything. Nappies, formula, clothes, pack it all in. When in doubt, don't leave it out. I could have survived an apocalypse with the amount of food I packed. 3. ALWAYS carry baby's bag as carry on. IMAGINE you get to the other side and the bag is missing. 4. When flying, people must have given me a million different tips on stopping Nunu from crying during take-off. It made me so nervous. Truth be told, Nunu slept the entire way there and back. 5. Run through your daily routine, from morning to night, to ensure you don't leave anything out. From that first bottle to last, make sure you are covered for any and every scenario. 6. However, you won't possibly be covered for any and every scenario. I realized this when I sent hubby into Clicks at Gateway Mall to buy baby Panado. I stood outside with Nunu, when suddenly he decided to have one of his infamous coughing fits (where people look at me as if my child might have TB). He then proceeded to upchuck his entire bottle all over me (WHY did I wear a white top? Who the hell do I think I am?). Well, let me tell you, it was running down my legs and into my shoes. He was covered and so was most of the floor outside Clicks. People walked past me- some with pity and some with distaste. Hubby came out and our shopping trip came to a speeding halt. 7. Your kid's routine will be completely out and quite simply put, they will be nuts. My patience was put to the test and I realized that those late nights out at fancy restaurants are long gone. If you're lucky, you can have your slippers and a glass of wine once baby is asleep.
8) Have wine on the plane. No matter what time it is. Sure, I had some strange looks on the 11am flight, while I casually sipped my dry white wine while rocking a sleeping infant. I'll tell you one thing, it made the flight a lot more pleasant.
