Wedding Woes

travel hell - long story part 1

I was up in Pittsburgh with Wolverine visiting family last Wednesday - Monday. DK was actually in Philly for the weekend for a wedding, so it was just myself and the baby. Air travel with an infant is not something that I ever want to do by myself again. (the logistics are nightmarish - it would have been much easier with 2 adults.)

 We were scheduled on a direct flight to Houston that left Pittsburgh at 5:40pm EST on Monday, set to arrive at ~8pm CST. DK was going to pick us up at the airport. My parents drove myself and Wolverine to the Pittsburgh airport, and helped with the checked bags/etc. up until security. I learned from my trip to Pittsburgh that my best bet was to lay Wolverine in her stroller at a full recline and check the carseat and base with my luggage, so I did that. I had to do all of the normal stuff - take off shoes, take out laptop, liquids, etc, andplusalso deal with the baby stuff (empty and collapse stroller, declare/show milk) while carrying the baby. Not a picnic. 

I grab a sandwich on the way to the gate, find a plug and pump, then change Wolverine before we board. We board the plane on time. It started to snow since I arrived at the airport, so the plane is covered, and needs to be de-iced. They push back more-or-less on time, and take us to get de-iced. Wolverine is getting a little fussy because I am trying to make her bottle last until we take off and not giving her the last 2oz (the drinking helps with pressure changes.) It takes FOREVER to get the plane to the spot for de-icing, and for the crew to work on the plane. Then the waiting begins.At about 2 hours after our scheduled departure time, they announce that the airport has closed all runways - they can't keep up with cleaning off the snow. They say that they are going to taxi back to our gate to wait and see what happens. We get back to the gate, and after 20 minutes or so, they let people get off the plane, if they wish. We stay on the plane because it was such a pain in the ass to load all of the gear on the plane, I'm not about to do it a second time.

While waiting, I sit on the plane and pump, and finish the rest of my sandwich. This is the only thing I've eaten since lunch, and it's already about 8pm. Around 845, they start to reboard the plane - everyone is excited that we'll likely be headed out soon. At 9:30, we still haven't moved back from the gate, and at 9:45, they tell us that the airport has closed again, and they're posponing our flight to 6:30am. We all get off the plane. 

Re: travel hell - long story part 1

  • mrsconn23mrsconn23 member
    Knottie Warrior 10000 Comments 500 Love Its First Answer
    edited December 2011
    OMG...I can only imagine where this is going.  I feel your pain on travel nightmares since we had one this past summer.   It was tough with a  10 and 2 year old.

    I cannot imagine the hell it was with an infant.
  • dharmabunnydharmabunny member
    Ninth Anniversary 500 Love Its 1000 Comments First Answer
    edited December 2011
    Ugh!  I'm so sorry,

    And this is why if all travel-stars align, LO will be old enough to take off her own shoes, declare her own drinks, and surrender her bag to X-ray by the time we fly with her.
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  • 6fsn6fsn member
    Knottie Warrior 10000 Comments 500 Love Its Name Dropper
    edited December 2011

    ugh, I'd be annoyed if it were just me.  I can't imagine how terrible this was with a newborn.

  • HeffalumpHeffalump member
    Knottie Warrior 5000 Comments 500 Love Its First Answer
    edited December 2011
    Ugh is right.  You're very brave to fly solo with such a little one.  Every time we've flown with DD, there has been a moment where one or the other of us just has to go to our happy place for a while while the other takes over.  I don't know how you did it alone.
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