The last 3 Days & Flying home: Part 3

Okay, before I get a case of "momnesia" and forget what happened the last few days of our trip I had better write about them. Although they were MUCH better than the first three. Byron really calmed down a lot on Friday. I don't know if it was the combination of swimming and more sleep or if it was because we went to eat and then just went to play at my friend Kelli's parent's house. Whatever it was he was acting like himself again. I mean he still asked to go home all the time, but he wasn't being dramatic and throwing a fit. We made dinner at their home that night instead of eating out, and Byron ate a ton of a green beans. Nothing else, but I'm not gonna argue with him for eating his vegetables! Then we went home and went swimming again, and to bed.
The next day was Saturday, and a gorgeous warm day. We went to the zoo with Stacy, Brooke, Kelli, and all the respective offspring. It was a total blast! Byron is still talking about the "animools." Those 2 1/2 hours were probably the only ones the whole trip that he didn't ask to go home. I did, however, get my first dirty look for breastfeeding in public. This has seriously NEVER happened to me in Washington. I was using a blanket to cover up too, which I never used to do with my son, but have suddenly become more modest! My friend was also changing a diaper on the bench next to me, and this lady walked by and rolled her eyes and said "oh my gosh." (Or something of the like) RIDICULOUS! I'm sorry feeding my kid wasn't convenient for you lady. None of us could believe it.
The last day we spent with my brother at his house just relaxing and eating Chinese food. Byron asked to go home a lot, but I could tell him that we were going "as soon as the airplane comes to pick us up."
So at about 5:30pm we loaded up and headed for the airport. We got checked in and then realized we had to go down further to a different counter to check baggage. Once we checked the bags they informed me that I needed to take the bags over to the security scanning area. This gave me a miniature panic attack. I had 2 car seats (one with wheels and a kid strapped in it), and one infant one....then I had a backpack for me, and a backpack for Byron, and a large wheeled suitcase for Lillie and I and a duffel bag for Byron. I wasn't sure how I was going to get all that the 50 ft across the airport. (In hindsight this seems ridiculous that I was mentally freaking out, but it had been a VERY exhausting week.) One of the ladies from the counter helped me over there though, and we went on our way through the checkpoints to our gate. We were pros at this by now, already knew what to take off and such. We got to our gate and Byron spied the candy machine...and I thought what the heck...he can have a treat for being good today. Now, this could have been bad. Once he had eaten most of it I was thinking..."you're an idiot you have to fly with him on a plane for the next 5 hours." But fortunately he was so tired that it didn't matter. We got on the first plane and he was out! We got to the next airport and he did good most of the time, but did have a little tantrum about eating. He wanted to get out of his car seat/gogo kidz, and I said "no." (More like a HELL NO, because we are in a busy airport and I have a baby strapped to my chest and a huge backpack on and I don't want you thinking it would be funny to run away from me.) So he didn't want to eat his pizza, because I wouldn't let him out. I just kind of ignored him and got all set up and fed the baby and ate my food. Of course after Lillie was done, this lady came over and said that there were nice family lounges just down the breezeway. Too bad I didn't know about that BEFORE I fed us in the middle of the mall inside the airport that was packed with people. I went there after we got all done eating to change the diapers, and I thought "how relaxing...too bad I didn't know about this before."

Being as our flight was at 9:30pm I thought that it wouldn't be very full...boy was I wrong. That thing was packed! Who would have thought so many people fly from Minneapolis to Spokane on a Sunday night. We got to our seats and I thought it said we had the aisle and middle seat, which sucks if you're putting a car seat in...so I put Byron in the middle seat and sat on the aisle. Well, I was wrong, and a man had the aisle, so I squeezed past Byron into the window seat. All well and good until mid-flight Lillie craps her pants. Not just a little one either....all the way up her back! I couldn't get out because Byron was watching a movie and that guy was sleeping, and the person in front of me was leaned all the way back. I had like 1 foot of space over my lap. I had to reach into my bag and get everything out by feel. I don't know how I managed to get all that poop off and her clothes without getting it everywhere. I mean most of you know how runny little baby poop is! When I was almost done Byron started thrashing around and knocked the poopy diaper and all the wipes I used onto the floor. So I had to pick them all up BY FEEL...and then use another wipe to wipe off my hands. However, that was the end of the mid-flight pooptastrophy. Then about 40 minutes from our arrival time Byron just decides that he is done. No more travelling, no more flying. He is going to let us all know how tired he is and he just starts screaming and crying. Lillie is asleep at this point so I'm trying to calm Byron down, but not wake her up, and this lady across the aisle switches places with the guy sitting next to Byron and saves the day. She was a Grandma. She showed Byron her pictures on her camera of her grand kids, and a cute little cookbook she bought them. I am so thankful for that lady saving my sanity.
Then we arrived, and somehow I managed to get us, and all of our luggage curbside for the shuttle to pick us up and take us to our car. After that it was all gravy. We got in the car and the kids were out in minutes, and we were home in less than 2 hours. I was so glad to get home I had to Facebook before bed and didn't get to sleep until after 2am.
Since we got home we have all slept in everyday for the last week. There's no place like home!