Kohleidoscope: Tagging Along on Daddy's Business Trip

"Don't talk to me about any travel plans. I'm not going anywhere. It's hard enough to get out the door with Joshua to run errands! I dreaded travel pre-Joshua (until we actually arrive,) my legs get "restless" before we take off sometimes, what if he won't sleep on the airplane and all the passengers are glaring at us because he won't stop crying, PLUS, jetlag has to be IMPOSSIBLE with a 7 month old!?!" Or so I thought...

Well, when it came right down to it, I couldn't bear to have Jonathan go without us. I thought about Joshua feeling abandoned, not understanding where Daddy went - and that he was coming back soon. My friend also wisely said something to the effect that I have learn how to "make it work," as travel will be a part of our lives as we continue to live in Japan. I realized I had to confront my fears and take Joshua on the plane - it wasn't going to get any easier anytime soon. Plus, I saw many of you reading this, "who have gone before" us in this parenting adventure... Yes, we need to make some major adjustments to our lives to accommodate little people, BUT we don't need to "stop living." I'm not going to just sit home listening to kids' music, watching Joshua play in the living room until he's ready for kindergarten! If I didn't go, my fears of traveling with Joshua would just grow and I'd really dread summer vacation, rather than looking forward to it. Any other time, I would accompany Jonathan on such a trip back to our old stomping grounds, so why should this be different?

So, I bit the bullet and got on the plane...

This sweet sleeping pose lasted for about 30 minutes of the first 9 hour flight from Osaka to San Francisco.

However, Joshua did sleep for 5 hours in my arms/on my side and I could actually rest too, as the business class chair (total gift from God to be in Business class) was big enough to support us.

Overall, Joshua did really well...and I'm embarrassed for all the times I complained to Jonathan about travel when it was just the two of us. (What a BREEZE travel was before - why didn't I SAVOR - at least be thankful for - the opportunity to travel?!) Anyway, Jonathan is still the master packer in the family and he did an AMAZING job having all of Joshua's bottles, baby food containers, bibs, diapers, wipes, blankets, extra clothes, etc., etc. all "readily accessible." We had a few "misadventures" including the both Jonathan & I squeezed into a tiny airplane restroom with Joshua to change a messy diaper - new outfit required! Joshua cried on the landing of that same cross-country flight - they started the descent before we started his bottle and we think it hurt his ears. Timing is tricky on the take-offs & landings...he needs to drink/swallow so his ears don't hurt, but he polishes his bottles more quickly than the time it takes to take-off or land. Anyway, other than that one time, his ears were fine. It wasn't easy (we had many times of feeling totally fried,) but it wasn't impossible either.

And, when it was all over, Joshua got to experience his first Indiana Halloween - as Baby SUPERMAN!