After weighing the pros and cons, Baby A and I decided to accompany Chris to the Society of Actuaries Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 23-26, 2016. Although this destination is not the most ideal for an infant, we wanted to have a short trip as a practice run to prepare for longer flights upcoming with the baby.

Our journey between Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and McCarran International Airport (LAS) was on brief 45-minute Virgin America flights. We had planned to access the Virgin America Loft at LAX using our Priority Pass, but learned that children under 12 were not allowed in the lounge. We settled instead for a Whopper and Chicken Sandwich from Burger King for lunch while waiting in the Virgin America boarding area. Chris fed Baby A frozen breast milk that we had brought from home since the nursing room (located next to the women’s restroom) in the terminal was constantly occupied. We were offered complimentary beverages of bottled water, Heineken, and red/white wine onboard.

Family Picture for Baby A’s First Flight

We took a taxi to The Cosmopolitan and checked into a Terrace Studio on the 27th floor. The living room has ample seating for entertaining when Great-Aunt Loretta and Great-Grandma Eileen stopped by to visit us and Baby A. The bathroom consisted of a soaking tub, shower, double vanity, and toilet behind a separate door. The kitchenette was equipped with a microwave, mini-freezer, and sink that I used for breast milk and cleaning pump parts. Sliding glass doors open from the king bedroom onto a private terrace with an amazing view of the Las Vegas strip.

Aside from most lunches and dinners, Chris spent most of his time at the conference. while Baby A and I relaxed in our non-smoking hotel room. We spent an afternoon strolling along the Strip (stopping in Hershey’s Chocolate World and M&M’s World) and window shopping at The Shops at Crystals with Great-Grandma Eileen. On our last full day in Las Vegas, Chris and I were able to visit the Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Garden and take pictures with the seasonal display.

Tree at Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Garden

Baby A and I with Cornucopia at Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Garden

We spent a few hours at The Centurion Lounge in Concourse D of LAS on our journey back to Los Angeles. The conference meetings room were all in use upon our arrival, but the staff was able to secure the shower room for Baby A to nurse. We spent the afternoon enjoying the complimentary food (sweet potato soup, butternut squash salad, orecchiette pasta) and drinks (sparkling wine, apricot hefeweizen, hot chocolate) before our flight home.