We’ve returned from our trip to Nashville, TN! A wonderful family vacation for the holidays to visit the SIL & co, and probably the last vacation for a while since Baby #2 is expected in just a few short months. I mentioned some of this for our trip to Seattle, but a few tidbits we’ve gotten lucky with in our travel this time around:
- We’re too cheap to buy a seat for Novalee as babies under 2 fly free, so we booked an aisle and a window seat, and crossed our fingers that no one would take the middle. Success both rounds! Also, what kind of psychopath chooses a middle seat? Just be prepared in case you don’t get lucky, and said psycho is ok with switching with one of you so you can still sit together (if you’d like). The attendants at the gate have power over seating, so when you get there, be nice and ask how packed the flight is, casually commenting how you got a window and aisle.
- Get a carseat bag for your car seat to check in for free. You can stash soooo much loot inside of it, like all the Xmas gifts we got, and most likely they won’t double check. Worst case, they do and you pay the extra luggage fee.
- Ask to board first. Most airlines automatically include families with small children to go first, but of you’re stuck on a shitty one, say American Airlines, you’ll need to ask the gate attendant if they’re willing to let you. We were given the green light only 1 of 2 attempts.
- Bring a treat for the flight attendants. We gave them a box of Sees Candies and they were so delighted. Not sure if they would have been any more attentive than they were, but it made us good to show our appreciation. Also, this was in case Novalee was a jackass on the flight.
Novalee flew tremendously well both the flight to and from– I’m so impressed with her traveling comprehension and knowing when to power down to sleep. During our stay with the fam however, she had a few outbursts and hated to be away from our laps and arms for more than just a few seconds. I’m hoping it’s due to being out of her element and not an insecurity she’s developing. Her cousin, 3 months younger, is also going through a mental leap, so the girls kept taking turns wailing in our faces for the majority of the trip. Ah, a great insight to my near future with two kiddos. I keep seesawing between wtf were you thinking and best to get all this part over with sooner than later .
It’s great, this awareness of seeping into a crazed motherhood. I need to constantly remind myself to breathe and really soak in the good moments. The moments where Novalee is showing me her first magic trick. Or the first time I witnessed her show empathy as her younger cousin cried, and she handed her a toy for condolence. Or the time Daddy told her it’s time to change her diaper, and she voluntarily walked over and laid down to be changed. This girl is learning things at lightning speed. Whether that’s normal, fast, or slow for her age, I’m thoroughly amazed and starting to understand the wonderment of it all. It’s funny how much love and adoration comes spilling out when I watch her sleep. I wish I could bottle up these exact feelings for a later dosage to take when she’s going through one of her tantrums.
A part of me wonders how I could possibly love another being nearly as much as I love Novalee. Silly, I know, but I feel like my heart is so full sometimes, that it barely has room for even Alex some days. Let’s see how big this heart can really grow, because right now, she takes up the most of it.