Come fly with me

Since we lived in Connecticut and our families were in Nevada and Seattle, we had to fly to see them.  Thankfully we had those free Southwest passes to use sometimes.  Other times we saved our pennies and bought tickets.  It was always an adventure flying with babies.

We went west for Braeden's first Christmas.  We flew to Seattle to spend time with Adam's parents then to Salt Lake City where my family picked us up and drove us to Nevada.  It was long.  We were flying Southwest so stopping in every airport in the middle of the country it seemed.  I recorded the itinerary because it was so insane.  We flew from Providence to Chicago to Omaha to Phoenix to Los Angeles to Oakland to Seattle to Salt Lake City to Kansas City to Chicago (again) to St. Louis to Indianapolis and finally back to Providence.  Sometimes I think parents don't remember their children truthfully and they think their little darlings were perfect when it isn't really true.

I think I am accurate when I say that Braeden was incredibly pleasant on these trips.  (Mark would have been a different matter entirely...)

Sometimes his ears would hurt on take-offs and landings but otherwise he was happy.  After that marathon Christmas trip, when we went to church in New Haven there was a couple who was new.  They had been on one of the many flights and they remembered Braeden.  They said, "We noticed him on the plane!  He was so cute!"  I think it was his big bald head and happy smile.

this was not the Christmas trip but you get the idea...

Flying with Emma complicated things.  This may come as a surprise to you but two babies are harder than one.  At least we could tag team and each of us would take care of one child.  Luckily in these pre-September 11 days, we could stand at the front of the plane and bounce a baby.

A few times I flew alone with the two of them.  One time was after Enoch and Jennifer's wedding, which was in Spokane, WA.  The four of us had flown to Seattle.  We drove to the wedding with Adam's parents then Adam flew home early to get back to school or maybe just work at that point and I stayed on a few days in Seattle.

I mustered all my courage and boarded the plane when it was time to go.  I had a diaper bag filled with every trick I could think up.  I had a stroller, two car seats, a baby and a toddler.

And I had to change planes twice.

Once was in Cincinnati.  I had a leash for Braeden (go ahead and judge me--everyone else did too and I didn't care because he was precious and I wasn't going to lose him).  I'd attach it to his belt loop in the back because he could figure out how to get it off his wrist.  I had Emma in the stroller, the diaper bag was a backpack and I pushed the stroller with one arm and carried the two carseats with the other.

I must have been quite a sight.

We made our connection and I don't remember much about the actual flights but we survived them.  Our next connection was in Houston.  It was a close call whether or not I'd make the connecting flight so they gave me a ride on one of those golf cart type things which I thought, after the Cincinnati experience, to be the best thing that ever happened to me.  We made it home to Adam.  I never wanted to see the inside of an airport or airplane again.  But I got over it.

A while ago Adam was setting up a meeting in Phoenix.  One of his coworkers was on vacation with his family in Mexico.  He said he'd come back early for the meeting.  Adam said, "Your wife will fly home alone with your baby?"

He said, "Yes."

Adam said, "No.  Don't do that.  You can't do that."

And I was glad.