Mile High Club

If  you have seen the PheMOMena instagram account, you know that my cute family just took a little trip down to Savannah, GA. I was really nervous to make this trip because it was Baby K's first trip on an airplane AND there was a layover heading down there and coming back home. A ten month old, plane ride, air pressure, layovers = sounds like a party, right? Yeah, to say that I was a little less than thrilled would be an understatement. But, after complaining a moderate amount, I decided that it is better to see how my little darling will react to being in an airplane on short flights... with complete strangers that I never have to see again, so off to the airport we went! 

Our flight out of Columbus was scheduled for 9:15 AM. Why?? Well, hubs got these tickets months ago for an event, and we wanted more time to hang out with folks at that event. The event was ultimately cancelled and we could not get our money back for our airline tickets, so we decided to fly into the original destination city (Jacksonville, FL) and drive up the coast to Savannah. It made sense, but I didn't get any sleep before we left, so I am absolutely, positively sure I was a joy to deal with. We made it with plenty of time to spare. I got caffeine before the flight (thank you, sweet baby Jesus) and Baby K cooed and played while we waited for our flight to board. 

On the way down our schedule was Columbus to Charlotte, NC to Jacksonville. The layover in Charlotte was about an hour. We flew American on the way down and Delta on the way back (Jacksonville to Atlanta to Columbus). I wasn't exceptionally thrilled to fly American again because our last experience with them (2015) wasn't great and that was BEFORE traveling with an infant, but I had to go with the flow. First things first-- American does NOT give priority boarding to those traveling with children. Ma'am and/or sirs, WHAT?!?! The flight to Charlotte was packed and when traveling with a baby there are only certain seats accessible to you (ours were way in the back). Imagine me, baby in arms, squeezing past people to find my seat. Now imagine the look I was wearing on my face. Anyway, we get to our seats, I sit by the window and nurse Baby K through the cabin pressure changes. First leg, she had a ball! She loved the air vent and looking out the window. There was no crying, no ear pain. Smooth sailing. Then came Charlotte.

We made it through the layover with no problem and I was actually smiling when we got on the plane. In retrospect, maybe I was a bit too cocky? Again, there was no priority boarding for those of us with littles (mind boggling). We finally get back to our seats, seat belts on, ground air disconnected and then the announcement comes: we will be delayed (original time frame guess? 2 hours) and here is the kicker: they wanted us to stay ON the hot ass plane. WHAT?? Baby K was hot and fussy, so I took her just outside the plane door (into the AC) where I rocked her to sleep. The delay ended up being about 40 minutes-- I was still livid. Baby K (still asleep) and I (still angry) fight our way back to our seats and take off. With about 15 minutes left in the flight I have an awake baby, sitting on my lap, eating green beans out of a food pouch. Even after this long ass, hot day, she is smiling and giggling. She looks at hubs, smiles really big and then it happens. She recreated the split pea soup scene from The Exorcist movie. All over her bib (thank God I put one on her), her pants, hubs' pants, my lap. Just EVERYWHERE. We joined the puke mile high club above the city of Jacksonville. Three cheers for the grandmas on the flight that entertained Baby K, the makers of Huggies Fresh Scent wipes and the ability to laugh at ourselves in the face of flight delays, non-priority boarding, hot planes and green bean puke! More on our Savannah trip to come!!