First Airplane Ride

Oh, the preparations you'll make. Blankets, toys, lunch, snacks, distractions, teething devices, removing magazines from seat pocket, booking aisle and window seats so the middle one stays "empty", Mama keeping her udders full so she can nurse during the ear popping ascent. But who knew she'd whack herself in the face with the seatback tray table? She was playing with this harmless little peanut and beverage holder and decided to lift it up over her head like one would a car's hood. Then, she let it go and POW! Right on the bridge of her nose. Well, we didn't prepare for that and she cried very loudly for about two minutes. Other than that incident on the runway at JFK, it went very well though.

What must she have thought of all this? Looking out the window at the strange, fuzzy ground that didn't seem to move. The only time she paid attention to the outside was when we were landing and the houses and roads got clearer, closer, larger, and went by faster. Did she think we were in some long car with very tall tires? Flying may prove to be harder the more mobile she gets. For now, she's a decent crawler but usually has nowhere to go unless she's chasing the cat.

On the return flight she actually slept in the coveted middle seat on her back, legs draped over Katrina's lap. About 90 minutes into this slumber, Mama confronted her bladder and decided she couldn't declare victory without getting up and using the bathroom. When she broke the bad news of her imminent walk to the back of the plane, I calmly paused, shrugged my shoulders and said, "I don't care." She seemed puzzled by this response. Who was I to begrudge her this most natural and satisfying act? "No no," I continued sedately, "You're not moving." I somehow thought my soothing tone would make her liquid pressures recede - like I was attempting a Jedi mind trick. "She's sleeping and this is the best possible scenario we could've hoped for." Logical? Of course. Maybe I failed to wave my hand across my eyes the same way Obi-Wan had instructed because this just didn't take. "Ethan! I'm gonna pee my freaking pants," she threatened! I wasn't really willing to test this possible bluff and although she moved Alina's legs with the precision of a champion House of Cards builder, she woke up. Not terribly fussy, really. But Katrina walked with her on the plane for the next 20 minutes after returning from her release so that there was zero chance of even the slightest whine. Because any whine would've probably been followed by an accusatory stare from me that said, "Well? You woke her!"