A Flight to Remember

A few years ago Richelle decided the years with all three of her boys at home were passing too quickly.  She decided she would begin a summer tradition of taking her boys on a road trip to a different part of the country...and she wanted to take these trips with Grumpaw and Nana.


Two years ago they all loaded up and headed to Northern California...the Redwoods, San Francisco (where my dad spent his teenage years), the other side of the bay (where Uncle Eric lives), Sacramento (where Ryan lives), and a few other places I can't remember, I'm sure.  Last year, we all headed to Yellowstone and the Snake River.


The plan for this year was to head to the South...where Carlys grew up.  Unfortunately, that plan fell through when my parents decided to go on a mission for the church this year.  Richelle was pretty devastated...and completely unsure what to do with her boys.  We talked about several different plans, but we agreed going to the South without Nana Carlys was pointless (since the intention was to learn more about her life).


Robyn's sister-in-law Kristi (who is married to Bill's brother Doug) flew in for Sydney's shower...which gave us a good opportunity to finally get to know her.  We fell in love immediately.  I think that's when we started talking about wanting to visit her and her family in Oregon. (They actually live in Washington, but it's basically Portland.)  When Kristi came back for the wedding with Doug and their two boys, we spent a good amount of time with them and talked more about wanting to head to the Pacific Northwest.  I'm pretty sure that's when Richelle decided she would make THAT her summer road trip.


I was excited for her, but sad I have pretty much NO time off left thanks to bed rest.  Honestly, working full time really puts a damper on the all the fun stuff I want to do (read: EVERYTHING). The more and more Richelle planned her trip, the more and more I was depressed about her trip.  It sounded so fun!  And Robyn was going to take a few days off to be there too!  Every time she mentioned it I wanted to quit. (Okay...not really, but you get the idea.)


The first week of July I got a surprise...maybe the best surprise EVER.  Kristi and Robyn both travel (way too much) for their jobs.  The one benefit of the travel is the hotel/airline points they accrue.  Kristi offered to use her points to get a ticket for me (and Blip) to get to Portland.  And Robyn offered used her points to get us home.  I was super excited, but felt bad about them both using so many points for me.  


That didn't last long...the excitement of the trip took over!!  Mike was not thrilled I wanted to take Blip away for five days...and to Canada.  But he agreed, so I started working on getting ready for the trip.  


I read and read and read about Blip needing a passport (at least the passport card).  So Mike and I made arrangements to meet downtown at the Clerk of Court office to get the baby a passport card.  We both had to be present...which was a pain, but we made it work.  I got the pictures we needed, filled everything out, paid the money, and Blip's passport was ordered and on its way.


I wanted to figure out a way to send the carseat with Richelle so I could use the stroller at the airport and then gate check it.  Our stroller is huge (and really $$$), so I wasn't sure I wanted it to be tossed into the belly of a plane. And I couldn't send Blip's car seat with Richelle and then have no carseat for a week.  

I have had a gently used carseat/stroller combo in the garage for at least a year. It was given to us, but we ended up buying something else, but that stroller/carseat combo was still just hanging around.  I have tried to sell it on Craiglist, but nobody wants it...not even for a few bucks. Ugh.


I brought it inside one night and spent about two hours washing everything. It was dirty from being used and even filthier after sitting in the garage for so long.  I got it all cleaned up and ready to go, but when I tried to attach the car seat to the stroller, it wouldn't attach.  I tried to look up that stroller/car seat on-line, but I couldn't find that exact one.  I tried calling the 1-800 number, but that didn't work either.  I sent an e-mail too....but that did not even help a little.  I also went to both Target and Walmart to see if I could find something similar to see what piece I was missing.  I couldn't find anything like it.  I don't think they make it that way anymore.


After washing the fabric cover on the car seat, I'm not sure how any child would sit in that seat comfortably.  There was absolutely NO padding...except that thin material covering the plastic.  I never looked at that brand of car seat closely, but I'm not surprised I couldn't find it on-line or at any store.

So I found a "cheap" used Graco stroller/car seat combo that someone at work was selling.  It was pretty much brand new....it was exactly what I was looking for.  I got it all washed and cleaned up in no time.


I sent a box with Richelle of stuff the baby would need (diapers, formula, toys, etc).  I also sent the a car seat and a small suitcase with all of our bathroom stuff (liquids).  After doing that, I only had to get our clothes packed and a few miscellaneous things I couldn't send ahead.  


The weekend before we were supposed to leave, Blip's passport card still was not here. Crap.  On-line it said it would be here a few days after we left. Crap.  I called the customer service number to ask what I should do (since I was too cheap to pay another $70 to have it rushed and now I am totally screwed!!).  The lady was helpful and told me two things:  1) Blip's passport was coming from Tucson, so it would most likely be in our mailbox prior to the date listed on-line...and 2) Because Blip was under 16 he doesn't need a passport to travel to Canada.  Just his birth certificate. What!?  She even walked me through a website (one I had already read and re-read) and showed me where it said he only needed a birth certificate.


I was unhappy about the time and money we wasted, but happy that our trip would be fine.  Richelle also paid for three passport cards for her kids...and Kristi did the same (and paid the rushing fees too, I think).  That part sucked.  Oh well...live and learn.


On Wednesday, Rob took us to the airport.  I had Lori (Blip's Tuesday/Wednesday sitter and someday preschool teacher) put Blip down for a nap when he got there so he would be up and ready to go when we needed to leave.  Plus, that made the timing good for a nap on the plane after eating during take off.


Rob parked and walked us in.  He waited until we were passed security before leaving me 100% on my own.  I was a little nervous, but I knew I was mostly anxious about the unknowns of flying with a baby.  I was a little worried about what to do if I had to use the bathroom.  I forgot to worry about what to do if Blip did his usual #2 at his usual time...in the middle of the flight.


I got us to the gate with only a few minutes to spare.  I gate checked the stroller, so after leaving it on the jetway (folding all that crap one-handed is a good talent to have) it was just me, Blip, my backpack and the diaper bag.  I made sure to have everything I would definitely need in the diaper bag under the seat in front of me, so it was easily accessible.


After I sat in my aisle seat near the back of the plane, one of the flight attendants told me I could move back one row so I could have my aisle seat and an open middle seat.  That made everything so much better.  The man sitting in the window seat was not in love with us, but whatever...he ended up being nice, but not thrilled with us.


My perfect baby decided that while we waited on the HOT plane for everyone to sit down he would fuss.  He NEVER fusses.  Ever.  There was a nine month old across the aisle from us.  She just sat and looked at Blip like he was nuts.  It was my fault, of course.  He needed to eat and sleep....but I was holding him off.  I knew it would be better for everyone if he started eating at take off...then sleeping for as long as possible.


My plan worked.  As soon as he had his bottle, life was good again.  He ate and slept in my arms for about an hour.  When he woke up, we watched Rio on he iPad for about 30 minutes.  Then he needed his dirty pants changed. I felt myself panic at the thought of changing his poopy pants with the grouch sitting in the window seat.  I turned around to see if there was somewhere in the back of the plane I could change him...as I turned I saw a picture of a changing table on one of the bathroom doors. Whew.


I changed his pants and then let him kick his legs for a few minutes.  I laid out a blanket on the empty seat next to us and let him play, kick his legs and try to eat his toes.  He did that happily until it was getting to be time to land.  I quickly made him a bottle...and he was happy during the rest of our time on the plane.


I was glad I was prepared for just about anything.  It made everything so much less stressful for me.  I wish I had read Alaska Airlines' website about traveling with infants prior to sending everything with Richelle, but it ended up working out just fine.  I also wish I would have had my Ergo carrier with me on the plane.  It was hard to juggle a baby, backpack and diaper bag...but we made it and it wasn't too bad at all.


Richelle and Kristi picked me up from the airport and we headed across the beautiful Columbia River to their gorgeous house in Washington State.  Kristi and Doug live on 5 acres of pure bliss...complete with a large pond with Koi fish, a playground, chickens, several gardens, flowers, trees, a place for a fire, a two-story workshop, and more that I'm sure I am forgetting.  I could have stayed there forever.   I would love for Blip to grow up somewhere like that, but maybe we can retire somewhere in that area instead.


It was a good start to a nice, long weekend.