11.14.2007

 

Made it

Well, we're here, and I'm not sure that yesterday could have gone much better. I started to write a post last night, but he was in my arms nursing and sleepy, so it took me about ten minutes to write the first paragraph. I gave up after that.

The most uncomfortable part was when we first got to the airport, and we had to wait in long lines at the counter and then at security. We got there an hour and a half early, but because the lines were so long and we'd had the whole nonsense with packing the huge cardboard box with the carseat, etc., I was cutting it pretty close to get to my plane in time to board, so I didn't get to stop and nurse my hungry little boy until we made it on to the plane. Once we got there and he was able to eat, though, he was fine.

The first flight was really short and easy, but our Houston layover was pretty long and Kent hadn't napped yet except in his carseat on the way to the airport quite early that morning. He was getting sleepy and cranky, and about 20 minutes before they started boarding, I knew I needed to see if he'd take a quick nap. I swaddled him, walked him around, paused to go to the bathroom (with him in the stroller blocking the open stall door because someone not-handicapped was in the handicapped stall... what fun), and then tried again to get him to fall asleep. Didn't work. I picked him up again, still swaddled, so that I could fold up the stroller to put it under the plane, and while we were walking down the jetway, I looked over just in time to see his little eyes droop shut and his head fall forward into my shoulder. I then amazed myself by transforming into SuperMom and folding up the stroller, getting on the plane, get my bag and purse all situated (which required the help of a nice guy behind me to put my duffel in the overhead bin), sit down, get back up for the two people on my row to get in, sit back down, get my seatbelt fastened, and carry on conversations with the people around me, all without waking him up. I've never seen him that tired before.

Anyway, while we were on the plane, Kent was either napping in my arms (twice), having his diaper changed in the somewhat treacherous tiny bathroom (also twice), or looking around happily and entertaining the other passengers. During that layover, I thought things were going to get ugly if he stayed awake and kept getting crankier, but after he dropped off, he was very pleasant the entire rest of the day. I was practically giddy when we got to Baltimore and everything had gone so well.

So now we're at Aunt Anilia and Uncle John's new house, and Kent is napping while I tend the cats and dog and wait for Anilia to get back home. We're going to head over to the conference hotel in Inner Harbor this afternoon so that I can check in and hear a paper or two, and then tonight we're going out to dinner with basically all of Jack's family except Jack, who all happen to be in town for one conference or another. Funny.

I no longer fear Flying With Infant. Now I fear Flying With Toddler, but that's for another time...

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Comments:

AWESOME!!!

Can't wait to see you. I've found traveling with a baby is fairly laidback (esp if you're nursing). Toddlers? heh, heh. Well, the fun part about toddlers is that they're excited about the whole airplane thing.
 
I'm glad you got there safe & with no major meltdowns. Congrats, SuperMom! I hope you enjoy your conference, and I'm looking forward to seeing you next Tuesday!
 
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