Flying Lessons

I am anxious about many things, but flying ranks very close to the top of my list, preceded only by clutter and going to Babies R Us. Fear of flying is problematic for several reasons, the major reasons being: A. I love to travel, and B. My friends are scattered all over the country. So, every so often I am forced to face my anxiety, board a plane, and jet off to a faraway destination, all the while staring out the window praying gravity does not take hold.

Flying solo is nerve-wracking enough, but flying with Baby causes my anxiety level to skyrocket. I postponed flying with Caitlin for almost eight months, but two weeks ago we took our first trip together to Asheville, North Carolina. The week leading up to our trip was plagued not only with excessive over-packing and compulsive toy-buying, but also with night terrors and moderate hyperventilating.

I heard many things about flying with baby. "Buy new toys and present one and only one every half hour." Hence, the compulsive toy-buying. "Nurse baby at take-off and landing. They will sleep the whole way and their ears will not hurt." Not sure about the ears, but nursing soothed Caitlin to sleep for a mere fifteen minutes on our return flight to Boston. "Give baby some Benadryl. It will knock her right out." Ask me again later, but as of right now I do not endorse drugging my eight month old baby. As with any advice, I listened to each piece politely, then decided what would work best for us.

Before boarding our two hour flight to Charlotte, I had a game plan. First, I would nurse Caitlin at take-off. If she fell asleep, I would sit back and enjoy Jet Blue's in-flight television, or catch up on my US Weekly. If Caitlin remained awake, I would present fabulous new toys at different points during the flight and offer ridiculous amounts of Puffs, which keep Caitlin occupied for quite a while. Planning helps me cope with anxiety, and this game plan relieved some of my stress.

Of course, making a game plan for a baby is about as pointless as putting socks on Caitlin's feet each morning. My good intentions always end up thrown all over the floor. As soon as we boarded our flight to Charlotte, Caitlin went crazy, totally excited by the jet's cushioned seats, tray tables, seat belts, and individual televisions. As we took our seat, Caitlin stood in my lap, jumping up and down, yelling "Oh ah!" and "Ah ma ma ma ma!" to the other passengers as they made their way down the aisle. To the great annoyance of the couple in front of us, Caitlin slammed the tray table and seat back over and over again. I could not contain her excitement! I tried nursing Caitlin as the jet taxied toward the runway, which was incredibly awkward due to my inappropriate coverage. After many failed attempts to nurse discreetly, I resorted to the bottle, which most definitely did not soothe Caitlin to sleep. After take off, I tried the new toy trick, which worked for a little while. However, Caitlin's favorite game is I Am Going to Throw All of My Toys on the Ground and Make Mommy Pick Them Up. At home, I do not mind this game. On an airplane, it was an annoyance. Thankfully, we sat next to a lovely older couple who gladly picked up Caitlin's toys over and over again. After I could not tolerate the toy throwing for another minute, I took out Caitlin's Puffs, which are also known in our house as Baby Crack. Caitlin LOVES Puffs and eats them with such exuberance, she is totally addicted. The Puffs kept Caitlin quiet and happy, however she repeatedly banged on the tray table as she impatiently waited in between treats. Again, my apologies to the couple in front of us. Thank goodness I will never see them again.

Toward the end of the two hour flight, Caitlin became restless and fussy. My game plan went out the window. Caitlin became interested in my empty soda can, which I normally would remove immediately. However, I was desperate. The soda can provided entertainment and quelled fussiness, so I let it go this time. After about 10 minutes of soda can fun, I noticed some blood on my arm. Sure enough, Caitlin sliced her index finger on the soda can. The soda can immediately went into the trash and I spent the next several minutes performing baby first aid in the airplane bathroom.

Finally, the bleeding stopped and our flight made its final approach to the Charlotte airport. Caitlin contentedly drank a bottle as the plane landed and our flight ended without further incident. On our way off the plane, Caitlin received Jet Blue wings reading, "Junior Crew," and the flight attendants congratulated us on our first flight. We made it. Despite Caitlin's finger injury, the flight went better than expected. I was so busy entertaining Caitlin, I did not have time to feel anxious. And I learned some lessons which hopefully will make future travel easier. First, I learned to bring a cover up to help me nurse privately. I learned most people love babies and will happily help a mama in need. Last, I learned soda cans are not toys. We fly to California on Wednesday. Let us hope my flying lessons will make for smooth, safe travel on our six (gulp) hour flight.