Don't worry, be happy

Nadine and I flew home Friday night. Our flight was supposed to depart at 6:15, and we boarded at 5:40. We were some of the first people on the plane, and we settled into our seats--the seat pocket in front of me (I love how stewardesses say that like it's one word) contained Nadine's "it's my dinner now" bottle, my magazine, and my snack. The Benadryl was within arm distance too, just in case.

We sat and waited. And waited. Passengers didn't start streaming onto the plane, and I knew we were in trouble. Then the captain got on the PA and told us the water to the coffee machine and bathrooms didn't work (coffee, not important; bathrooms, important). So they told us to grab everything and get off the plane. Never a good sign. They said to wait an hour for an announcement.

So we waited the hour, then 30 more minutes. Also not a good sign. Then an employee finally announced our plane was broken and we had to wait for the next Hawaiian Airlines plane to arrive. At 11:15. Four hours from then. (Cue groans and then a really loud buzz of everyone talking on their cell phones; it cracked me up.) I bought People magazine to tide me over, and they offered us a food voucher and a Hawaiian Airlines voucher. We were placated.

But at midnight, 45 minutes after the passengers had disembarked the new plane, when the doors were still closed, we were less placated. Especially because as the passengers deplaned they saw the "6:15, Delayed" flight on the screen and gasped and looked at us with pity. THEN people started showing up for the 2:30 AM flight to Hawaii and really looked at us with pity. Though I looked at them with pity because they had our old plane.

We finally boarded, at the time we were supposed to be landing in Hawaii. Sigh. But at least the flight hadn't been cancelled.

However, the purpose of this post is not to complain; it actually wasn't as terrible as it sounds. I want to gush about how wonderfully the delay was handled by a five-month-old baby at her bedtime, because it proved what a good-natured baby she is. She slept for four of the six and a half delayed hours, then slept nearly the entire flight. Which meant I got to sleep. She is such a great baby for whose chill and pleasant personality I am so thankful.

Oddly enough, this perfectly describes our island baby.

During my flights, I learned two cool baby-traveling tricks.

1. Playtex Drop-Ins bottles are wonderfully handy while traveling. You can just throw away the liner and don't have to worry about cleaning an entire bottle on a plane (we normally use Dr. Brown's, which are especially hard to clean, so this really is a coup for us). This means you don't need to have three or four (or five or six) bottles taking up valuable space in the diaper bag.

2. Most baby formula companies probably do this, but the Similac we use is available in liquid form. I've wondered why you'd use this

product, but then I realized how convenient it is to not have to mix formula on a plane (this is especially true when traveling without help). You can even put a nipple right on the travel-size formula container; no pouring required. Fantastic.

*The trip also reaffirmed my love for the Munchkin Formula Dispenser. This is one of the best baby products ever. The container allows for enough formula for three bottles, and because airlines let you carry on liquid formula, I had three 8-ounce ready-made bottles and enough formula for three 6-ounce bottles. After the delay, I was especially glad I brought that much.

We're flying again in a few months, so do you know any other cool plane tips?