So far (the last 3 months)

This post is to catch people up from when we left Exmouth to now...

So, our time in Perth was great, but somewhat hectic and stressful. It was good to be back with Dave's family for a while, to meet our new niece Kaitlyn (Dave's sister's baby), and to catch up with people. Dave's experience at the farm ended much better than the time before, though now the farm is experiencing a different set of problems (farming, 'even just fish,' is never easy!).

Our flight to the US was better than expected, Asher having his own seat made a difference. He really was quite good for the flight, but the times when he was crying or upset felt like it lasted forever. Did I ever tell you that Asher threw up on our last trip to the US- on the lady next to us? It really can't get much worse than your child vomiting on the stranger next to you at the beginning of a 16 hour flight. So in comparison, this flight was easy!

CARES harness and the flight

In retrospect, Asher did well on the flights. It felt like forever when he was crying or upset, but generally he was quite content and slept for a good portion of the flight. Something different we did this time was to book his own seat (technically, he is two weeks shy of being a 2 year old and needing his own seat, but I didn't want to hold him for a 15 hour flight!! We also bought a cares harness, attaches to the airplane seat to create a harness.

He has a scrape on his nose.

A big benefit is that the harness lets him sleep in the seat without slumping too much to the side. And there is the safety aspect and all that. He didn't like it when he was awake, though! You can read more about it here: http://kidsflysafe.com/

Things that we did on this flight that worked well:

• portable DVD player for flight from Perth to Sydney (they didn't have personal screens)
• CARES harness
• Asher had his own seat
• Asher had his own carryon that was full of toys that had multiple uses- paper for coloring, drawing, and sticking stickers on, travel 'magna doodle,' etc
• homemade sticker book (laminated paper) and lots of stickers
• lift the flap books
• books about planes, coloring pages about planes, toy plane
• lots of grapes, animal crackers (that was all he'd eat!)
• putting a disposable diaper disposal bag with 2 wet wipes in each diaper to streamline the process
• pull-up diapers to make diaper changing in the little bathroom easier

Things that didn't work so well:

• toy car- he loves them, but the passenger behind us had to keep fetching them!
• walking up and down the aisle... he wanted to be carried!
• the plane food. He just didn't care for it, despite having a toddler/child meal

We've always received compliments from the flight attendants on his behaviour, and this flight was no exception. I think it helps to be extra prepared and to expect not to enjoy yourself but to spend the flight keeping your child sane, content, quiet and distracted!

Flying Solo With Asher: Ten Things

Flying Solo With Asher: Ten Things
(in no particular order)

1. Asher ate none no snacks, pureed food from a spoon, or even finger food from a bowl during the flights. Not even chocolate pudding.Heather & David

2. The Indian moms on the plane were worried that Asher didn't have a beanie on and warm pyjamas and a blanket over him- though he was quite warm already. All the American moms were worried that he didn't have shoes on (why does he need shoes, anyway?)

3. Baby Jake was the only baby-appropriate distraction in their hundreds of movies and hundreds of TV shows (they had whole series of some TV shows!). We watched it without the sound and I explained what I thought was happening in the show. But I love their house in the big windmill!

4. Emirates stewardesses took a photo of Asher and put it in a special Emirates paper photo frame folder thanking him for flying with them.

5. Everyone seemed determined to judge or comment on my parenting skills. One man commented that because my thirteen month old was not walking, I must be too busy to teach him properly. A lady near me on the plane tried to convince me that Asher was hungry and I should feed him, and kept offering me food for him (despite the fact that I had tried, numerous times, with a variety of foods, in a variety of ways. But anyone who knows us well knows that Asher really isn't that interested in solids, yet.). Quite a few noticed that I had a lot of toys with me (probably a small shoebox full)... but it was their kids that were bored and screaming and annoying everyone. The stewardesses noticed that Asher was quite happy and seemed pleased that I brought things to keep him amused.

6. I went to the after-hours GP the night I flew out and told them that I had mastitis and needed antibiotics. From the time I left the house, saw the doctor, and got the prescription filled and got back to the house was less than an hour. I was so thankful. But flying with a toddler and mastitis... not fun. This is the second bout of mastitis in two months. Breastfeeding a toddler isn't always easy!

7. Emirates is so much more baby friendly than Qantas. And the people in Dubai were so helpful as well.

8. I would have loved to stay longer in Dubai.

9. The trick to flying solo internationally with a baby is to put aside everything you think you need or want and just plan on keeping the baby sane. Expect not to sleep, don't pack magazines or books for yourself, practice going to the bathroom with a baby on your lap (it is possible!), bring snacks for yourself because you probably won't be eating airlines meals if your baby is awake and in your lap, etc.

10. Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Flying Solo with Asher: I Survived!

The Photos:
Asher playing in the emergency exit area.
...
Sleeping in the bassinet. He barely fit! He was longer than the bassinet but he sleeps with his knees bent anyway (and he was under the weight limit). But he kept trying to turn over and woke himself up!
..
The goody bag Emirates gave Asher. It had a spoon and bib, a toy, baby wipes and baby lotion, nappy disposal bags, and a change table cover. They also had nappies, baby food, and...
Puppets! They are "Querks" dressed up as various animals from the counties they visit. So far we have a parrot and a cow.


And the story:

So, I flew with Asher from Perth to Dubai (10 hours), had a 14 hour layover, and then a 16 hour flight from Dubai to Dallas. With Asher, by myself. But we survived.

I ended up packing too much- I do that every time! The majority of my carryon(s) was nappies/diapers, and toys. We each had a spare change of clothes and then a few extra sets for Asher. Along with snacks, wipes, etc.

The first flight seemed to last forever. Asher napped, then played, and then napped, and so on. He was definitely the happiest baby on the plane, and the flight attendants loved him. They let us play in the emergency exit area, and also in the galley in back (when they weren't preparing food).

Dubai airport was huge- but my luggage was checked through to Dallas so I only had my carryons, which was great. A shuttle bus took me to the hotel, we had lunch, showers, and sleep before an 11pm wake up for the 11:30pm shuttle and 2am flight.

By then Asher was rather sleep deprived (me, too) and decided to spend the time before we boarded the plane screaming and fussing. When we got in the plane we had a few seat changes to secure a bassinet for him, and after the take-off he had a nappy change. He found a little piece of paper and when we got back to the seat he got it in his mouth and gagged on it, and vomited all over himself, myself, and the lady next to us. I was scared (I thought he was choking), and then mortified about him spewing on the lady next to us, but the she was a good sport. She brought herself a change of clothes (I hadn't fit an extra one in for myself, I put changes for Asher in instead) and she happily interacted with Asher throughout the flight.

After all that, the remainder of the flight was rather uneventful. He was happy most of the time. He slept, he played, he charmed the stewardesses. We watched a few episodes of Baby Jake, and played with the baby next to use. However, he did NOT eat any solid food (despite my best efforts), and he only napped. So by the end of the flight there was a lot more tired screaming, mainly from him. (Haha, really, it was just from him, I was doing all the tired sighs as I didn't sleep any of the 16 hour flight, because his naps coincided with the meals.)

We were met at the airport by a man holding my name up on a piece of paper (that's never happened to me before, I was tempted to take a photo) and the shuttle bus to Waco was uneventful. Meredith met me there, we had lunch, and came home, and slept. A lot!

I think the flight over will be much easier, as he will be well rested for the 16 hour flight, and then have a sleep before the 10 hour one.