We recently returned from a trip to the states where we spent a lot of time with family and friends. It was my first visit to the states since moving to Germany and Owen’s first time ever in the states. Alex was TDY to Las Vegas so my mom helped me fly Owen to Iowa where we spent a few weeks introducing Owen to much of his extended family and the land of cornfields and humidity.
I can say that for the most part things went pretty well. I’ve been nervous about travelling internationally with Owen since he was born. He’s a really good traveler and I can’t really complain, but it wasn’t the easiest of feats. I hate traveling:
- I had to park the car at the squadron and walk to the building where the shuttle picks us up at and as soon as I got out of my car…it poured. I was drenched. I know I don’t melt in the rain but I spent the rest of the day with squishy Toms. Do you know what that feels like? Ew.
- Delta refused Elle’s travel bag even though we’ve flown her in it before and made me spend 50€ on a new “airline approved” one (which she later busted out of on the flight from Detroit to Des Moines).
- Owen had a major diaper blow out while we were getting our passports checked to leave the country. Needless to say the spare outfit was utilized only 2 hours into the 12+ hour day…
- My mom had to be patted down in security leaving me with a kid in one arm and a dog in the other and all our carry-on luggage (electronics and Owen’s food/liquids laying in a pile). The security guy suggested that I should “put the dog in its bag” because I was “holding up the line.” Rude.
- When you have a kid, they let you pre-board with all the high-rollers. I never understood why they did that until now. It’s so nice.
- Owen doesn’t like to sleep on planes.
- Caveat: Owen doesn’t like to sleep at all.
- I got sick on the landing into Detroit and again in the airport because I forgot to take my meds that help with the pregnancy nausea/vomiting (that was supposed to go away with the first trimester).
- Elle busted out of her bag on the short flight from Detroit to Des Moines.
- None of our luggage was lost and the beer and wine bottles survived in my suitcase intact, but I think they drove a forklift through my nice Swiss Gear suitcase. 🙁
Thankfully SOME people are sympathetic when your kid screams the entire flight like Owen did. The flight attendant put my tray down and bumped his leg with it. We’d just gotten him to sleep (he hadn’t slept more than 30 minutes the entire trip) and he proceeded to scream (not cry, scream) the rest of the way. In his defense, it was 1 am in Germany and like I said, he hadn’t hardly slept. One kind woman offered to help, another told me I deserved a medal. Several gave me the stink eye and one guy about got his lights punched out for a comment he made as we deboarded in Des Moines.
Having a plethora of babysitters at my disposal was wonderful. My mom put him to bed every night and got up with him in the middle of the night. The kids entertained him all day. And my parents were a dynamic duo and managed to get him to eat three meals a day (which is no easy task, trust me). I hardly saw Owen all day. I even had time to go get my nails done and have lunch with Maddie. TWICE. !!!