New York without baby or California with?

[pmouse]

My DH has just won some flights and we are undecided where to go.
One option is to spend about 5 days just as a couple in NY and leave baby with relatives back home. Alternatively we could fly further afield, stay for longer and take the baby with us.
Baby is due any day now and we have a year to use the flights.
If we went to the US west coast with the baby what's the best age to do this within the year?
My worries revolve around flying with a baby and general logistics whilst abroad, not to mention evening activities, e.g. eating out etc.
Thanks!

Have flown quite a lot with dc of various ages, so I'd say best bet is around 3-4 months when entirely breastfed, and not yet mobile! Long way to California, but younger babies sleep a lot on a flight, and if there are 2 of you, and you get a bassinet, the flight isn't a problem. My older babies (7-8 months) were much more difficult when all they wanted to do was stand up for the 9/ 10/ x hour flight - and stand up on my lap for all of it...

Personally I couldn't leave my babies with anyone for at least a year, and certainly not to another country...

Being in US with small baby is a doddle!

Yes, you may well find leaving such a small baby hard. And I agree 3-4 months is a good time, as you can bf or FF feed, rather than scouting around for suitable solids, pop them in sling etc. And by that age they are in more of a routine and more predictable.

Mine used to sleep in their pram while we went out for dinner.

Is Europe not an option? Closer time zone makes things easier, and at that age you could still do museums etc with the baby in a sling?

Thanks very much for the advice. I think we'll look at doing something before 6 months as that seems to be the consensus. Interesting that nobody could leave their babies behind for the first year! I have that emotion ahead of me yet...