Week 9: Little Mommy's First Trip

David was heading out to Haiti for work so I decided to spend the time with my family in Louisiana because I was too scared to go it alone for two weeks. Nervous was not the word to describe how I felt embarking upon my and Amara's first out-of-state excursion. The longest we've traveled has been about 30 minutes away from the house. The thought of an airplane ride with a two month old gave me waves of stomach upset. Questions kept flooding my mind as the date approached. What should I put in the diaper bag? How would she handle the ride? Would her ears be OK with taking off and landing? How would breastfeeding work on the plane? What if she started crying? What if someone on the plane next to us had a cough? How do I change a diaper on the plane? What if she blows out her pamper? What happens if I have to go to the bathroom? How do I put my carry-on bag in the overhead compartment with a baby strapped to my chest? How do I access the bag in the middle of the flight? What if she's "that baby"-the one that cries throughout the entire flight? What happens if her ears start hurting? What happens if she gets a fever since she just got her 2 month shots two days before traveling? ? How will she adjust to being away from home? Would it be better for me to just tough it out by myself so that she doesn't have to travel? All of these (and more) crossed my mind over and over again. I booked non-stop tickets to make it easier for both of us. I searched numerous websites to get answers to most of the questions. I even bought several "change friendly" outfits and started packing for her several days in advance but nothing could prepare me for the anxiety that I experienced taking her out of our safe relatively germ-free home and into a busy airport and then into an airplane with recirculated air. I nearly had an anxiety attack as we approached the airport. I found myself queasy and short of breath just thinking about all of the possible scenarios that could go wrong. I was so nervous going through security that my hands were shaking and my palms were sweaty, which doesn't work well going through the security checkpoint where they require a hand swab since I was carrying a baby. The TSA guy actually asked me why I was so nervous! When I told him that I was traveling with my daughter for the first time, he told me that I was doing a great job and to relax. I took a deep breath and did just that! As soon as I did, I heard a voice yell out, "Baby!" David had returned to the security checkpoint to see us off, risking missing his own flight to Haiti at Reagan National two hours later. The TSA worker's words and David's presence gave me the boost I needed to just enjoy the experience. I prayed out loud as I walked to the gate, thanking God that He had already blessed the trip. Once we got to the gate, I made sure to pay attention to everyone waiting to board. I needed to check out who was coughing, sneezing, or just looked sickly so that I could avoid sitting next to them on the plane. Little did I know that there were only 30 people on the flight so Amara and I got an entire section of the plane to ourselves. I still paid attention to where the white-haired gentleman with the hacking cough sat but the plane was so empty that it really didn't matter. Amara did wonderfully, sleeping through about half of the flight and enjoying the other half looking around and talking to me. The only time that she cried was when I needed to put her back in the carrier to get off of the plane. She was absolutely amazing! She is truly a remarkable baby and I felf bad for selling her short in worrying so much about how she would handle traveling. I didn't think that one could feel admiration for such a tiny person but I do! I admire how well she adapts and how curious she is about her environment. She didn't get fussy about her schedule being interrupted or about being in a foreign environment. I really am learning a lot from this little one in how to take it all in stride. I am also developing a new-found appreciation for all of the mothers out there who have had to travel with little ones. I apologize to everyone to whom I gave the "side-eye" or "stank face" to when I saw you coming down the aisle with your kids, secretly praying that you didn't sit next to me. I now appreciate all that went into getting the little ones ready to travel and the mental stamina that it takes to get them on the plane and to keep them occupied.