Letters to Finley: Finley Flies.

Maybe I was crazy to attempt to take an almost 2 month old on a multi-destination trip to New York and Kentucky, but hey, there were people that needed to meet the Finley character they had been hearing so much about and I am always up for a challenge.  To think just a few weeks ago I was scared to take you to the grocery store and we still have yet to master eating out and now you have been on six planes, four airports, and 35,000 feet up in the air. 


Here is the almost uneventful story of your first flight(s). 


Going to New York
The three of us woke up really, really early Wednesday morning and drove to Bruiswick airport. You slept the whole way (that was the longest car ride you had been on.)  First flight, you slept. Second flight, you woke up, looked around eyes big and wide, cried for about 30 seconds, just long enough to make your dad and I super nervous and then went back to sleep. We gave you an A for awesome!


Going to Kentucky
Third flight: Dad had to go back to work and was flying home to Savannah.  Luckily, he flew with us on the first plane to Atlanta annnnd you slept.  When we got to Atlanta dad put us on our plane to Kentucky and then went to catch his plane to Savannah. Fourth flight: You had been such a good flyer I wasn't scared at all, well maybe a tiny, tiny bit, but you were now an experienced, flying, baby and guess what? You slept the whole way to Kentucky. I gave you an A for amazing!


Coming Home
Fifth flight you fell asleep on the jetway and slept the entire time.  I must say you were a pretty boring travel companion...but then you woke up.  Sixth flight: You woke up in the airport a few minutes before we had to board our last flight.  You fussed. I fed you. You fussed. I changed you. You fussed. I bounced you. You fussed. I entertained you.  For some reason the airline offers/encourages passengers flying with young children to board the plane first...are they crazy?! The last thing I wanted to do was to sit in a confined space with a screaming kid, whether it be mine or someone else's. I decided I would spare the other passengers and waited until the very last minute to get on.  The downside to this decision was everyone on the plane was already seated and starring.  Half were saying awwww the other half were looking at me like I hope she isn't sitting next to me...  Since, the plane didn't seem in any hurry to leave, I stood in the aisle and bounced until they made us sit down.  You were a very happy girl as long as I was awkwardly standing in the narrow plane aisle hopping up and down, but they (the fly attendants) with their judgy eyes said we must sit down and fasten our seat belt and prepare for take off.  Too bad take off was still 45 minutes away....you wailed. Our seat companion was a middle aged golfer going on vacation wearing a forced smile.  His friend sitting across the aisle from us said that he was very good with babies, so I offered you up to him.  He didn't take you, I don't blame him. You had gone mad, you were beet red, flailing you arms all around, a real life crazy baby.  There was only one thing to do, I had to feed you. Oiy. Breast feeding sandwiched between two golfer dudes... yes I did.  I don't have a fancy breastfeeding drape thingy, so I just tied a blanket around my neck like a backwards cape and went to it. You were happy.  I was happy. And the golfer dudes were uncomfortably happy? That worked for about 15 minutes and then you were back at it.  I put you in the wrap, took you out of the wrap, held you up, held you down, held you sideways and finally you went to sleep for two and half minutes.  When you woke up you stared up at the ceiling and discovered, seemingly the most amazing thing you have ever seen in your whole life.  The illuminated fasten seat belt sign.  Holy cow! You loved it. You smiled big dimply grins and made happy noises at it the rest of the flight.  Golfer dudes flashed real smiles as they watched you interact with the light.  Finally we landed, found daddy and went home. I gave you a C for could have been better. You received your wings and I received the confidence to try it again sometime. Where should we go next?