Allow me to completely skip over our vacation for a minute, an answer the question that everyone really wants to know: How did we survive flying with a baby?  

Not easily. 

While it worked out pretty well, and I haven't ruled out flying in the future, it was something I spent a lot of time thinking about and planning for.  I always find I handle situations better if I've run though every possibility ahead of time, so that when something does happen, I don't have to think.  I just react.  And I've got everything I could need at hand, so I can do it quickly.