First Family Trip

At the beginning of June we headed out to California.  Yes, that's right, a plane trip to Cali with two 4.5 month old boys.  Erik's brother was getting married so we made the trip.  Erik does not like to fly...period...he would rather drive.  I love road trips so this usually works out well.  Unfortunately due to having the two boys and taking my full maternity leave, I really have no time to take a road trip to California.  In fact me being able to go to California at all was due to an amazing boss.  We felt it was important to make the trip.  After telling Erik several times why I would not be willing to leave the boys behind for a long weekend he gave in and it became a family trip.  It was that "thing" in our future that neither of us were looking forward to.  Let me make myself clear here though.  We were looking forward to the trip and the wedding, we were actually very excited to see everyone and be at the wedding.  It was the plane trips to and from California that we were dreading.   As Erik put it he did not want to be "that guy".  I get that too, I didn't want to be "that lady with the fussy baby" or worse "babies".  I had to suck it up and play Mrs. Pure Positive Energy for several months.  I found myself saying to Erik on a weekly basis, "It's going to be fine", "We can do this", "they're going to do great", "I need you to hold it together if it gets bad or I'll start crying".  Yes, I used the "I'll start crying" card.  That one came about the week before we left. 

With all of the anticipation we made it through the 3.5 hr flight to California just fine.  The gentleman that sat next to us actually volunteered to do so.  We thought it was going to be the poor sap who was last to get on the plane but this guy actually offered to sit next to us.  I knew he was weird at that moment...I mean he volunteered to sit next to two babies.  He actually was a very interesting person...weird but interesting weird, not just weird weird. 

When we got there, of course the part we weren't worried about, that's we we had a bit of baby trouble.  Poor Max got sick, 102.6 degree fever sick.  I know you other mother's out there are saying, "that's nothing, he's fine".  Please note these are my first children and they have been perfectly healthy up to this point so it freaked Erik and I out a bit.  Your heart just breaks for them.  Luckily I was surrounded by family and many mothers.  The really high fever broke after 24 hrs and then completely by Sunday.  Our happy little man was back. 

The wedding took place in a very scenic part of California.  They live outside of LA in Valencia.  We had to drive just a little bit to get to this breath taking scenery.  I have to say the mountains outside of Los Angeles always look so fake to me. They are so pretty but look like someone drew them up as the backdrop.

The wedding was beautiful.  They got married on a mountain and it was really very pretty.  It was immediate family only at the ceremony and then they had a reception at Erik's father's house.

We made it back fine too.  The plane trip back was not a packed flight and both of the boys did awesome.  I sat next to this wonderful woman who actually had twin 19 year old girls.  One of her girls was at Columbia and the other at Princeton.  She definitely did something right!  I still think of her because we had such an intimate conversation.  I felt like I got to know both her and her family.  She had been through a lot in the past 18 months including losing her husband unexpectedly due to a heart attack. When we were talking it was never a pity me conversation, just a matter of fact conversation like we were old friends catching up.

When we got off the plane I was rushing around and don't feel like I gave her or the conversation we had the proper good bye.  She pulled up a holiday card of her family on her laptop to show me some pics while we were talking so I have her last name.  I think I may send her a little card to let her know how much I enjoyed talking with her.  I'm not sure if that's too stalker-ish weird though.  I mean I don't want to freak the poor woman out, she's been through a lot lately.
 
As soon as we got off the plane I think Erik and I both gave a sigh of relief.  We made it, we survived, and we are better for doing so.  We are so glad we made the trip, what wonderful memories we will have of his brother's wedding.  We are happy though that the flights no longer lurk in our future.