Traveling with a Toddler, the joys!

Well, our flight home totally sucked! Unfortunately, I was sat in the very last row of the plane with no window, no leg room, no adjusting the seat... I am so thankful that I didn't drag the car seat with me this time, because there was no empty seat on the whole plane!!!

The man who sat next to me, was pretty much the last person to get on the flight and he bitched like crazy about having to sit in the back. Granted he was super tall and the seats were really small, but I kept thinking "Hey, at least you aren't holding a squirmy toddler in your lap, who insists on sucking on you!!" He also had the freedom to stand up and go to the bathroom as needed instead of holding it for hours like I did. I got the feeling he was horrified at sitting next to a squirmy toddler and a feaky dreadlocked mama who kept, gasp NURSING her baby! He didn't say anything like that, but I got that vibe....

After squirming, crying, and kicking the seat in front of us, Mielle was kind enough to fall asleep in my lap while nursing, soon after takeoff. I was so grateful for the repreive from tempting her with books, toys and snacks, but after an hour and a half of holding as still as possible, while she snored I was going crazy. With my arms full of sleeping child, nothing to read, nothing to listen to, my butt going numb, unsure of the time or how much longer the flight was gonna take, and no one to talk to (as the grumpy jerk guy next to me was sound asleep) I was going completely insane! Seriously, I was stuck in my own head feeling all twichy and nervous about seeing Jerome and wondering WHAT TIME IS IT?????

So, Mielle finally wakes up right around the time I start worrying that my bladder is gonna actually EXPLODE. I gather her up, grab a diaper and wake up the dude, so I can finally go pee. As I stand up, the bell dings telling all passengers to buckle up! Needless to say, I WENT to the bathroom anyway. Changing diapers on a plane is no fun by the way. I rushed through a quick diaper change and sit down to pee with the plane bucking about wildly. My heart is pounding, I'm thinking landing is emminent, but I must release my bladder. I gather up Mielle without even taking the time to put her pants back on and rush back to my seat. Ironically we didn't land for at least 20 more minutes, I was stressing pointlessly.

So anyway, I sit back down get a big bib on Mielle (in case she pukes again) and start nursing her to ease her during landing. About 5 minutes before we land, she sits up, looks at me and starts GRUNTING... you know, the grunt I mean, the big hard monster poop grunt. I actually could feel the giant turd pushing out a tent pole in her diaper! And then the smell hit me... oh yeah, hot stinky diarea-like smelling odor.

The grumpy dude next to me, starts waving his hand in front of his face and moaning... It was awful. I was so embarrassed, and trapped.. there was nothing I could do about it, I just had to sit there, enveloped in her stink. As soon as the plane parked, I got up and headed back to the bathroom to change her diaper AGAIN!

But she didn't puke this time, (as she did on the first flight) so I guess I should be grateful. It's hard to be grateful for anything after an experience like that. I was so tired achey and sore from holding her and just plain exhausted from traveling.

It was so darn great so see Jerome, and Mielle was so glad to get a hold of him, she actually clung to his shirt when he held her. It was so sweet. We met him in baggage area and chit chatted and kissed and hugged and kissed some more. Being home with my darling husband is the best way to celebrate Valentines Day. After being apart for nearly a month it so great to snuggle up to him and know I am home.