Flying the crowded skies

Spring marks the return (and some might say the beginning of a hectic summer) of Zachary's world travels. Okay, maybe not world yet, though certainly all around the country. This summer will feature trips to Boston, Michigan, New York, Los Angeles, and we started things off with one of the longest continental US routes possible, travelling to Florida (indirect via DC of course; no airline yet seems to think direct flights from Seattle to Fort Lauderdale or Palm Beach are compelling) for a nice visit with mima and papa.

As if to further confirm Meh's last entry, at the security line at SeaTac, we were engaged by the rarely talkative and friendly TSA agent, who replied to Zachary's name by mentioning she too has a young son named Zachary (though he already apparently goes by the nickname "Zack-a-ree-ree". We'll let her keep exclusive use on that one. :)

Once more, Zachary flew really well. He alternated between sleeping and actively grabbing at everything in sight to play with and/or put in his mouth. It's always funny - and a bit ironic - that the toys friends and family have gotten for him often lose out to the most seemingly innocuous things for sheer entertainment value to an 8-month-old. At restaurants, we've already mentioned how he loves to grab (and gum) menus and coasters. And on today's flights, it was the airline safety cards that won out. (Incidentally, for the best selection of safety card diagrams, only some of which are crude, may I recommend this site.) He was happily waving it around and chewing on it until Meh looked over and noticed it was turning to a pulpy mess, with bits of paper and ink (soy-based, I hope?) around his mouth. Silly little man.

The longer first flight seemed to go by quite slowly, though we were rewarded with a surprisingly excellent lunch at a DC staple that's somehow made its way through the security barriers and into an unsuspecting corner of the otherwise crowded, industrial, aging, and fairly depressing Washington Dulles Airport. Zachary enjoyed his lunch as well - it's been fun seeing him start to eat more and more foods more consistently, though of course the messes tend to increase a bit along with them. His latest addition, besides Cheerios, is these little puffed sweet-potato-tasting stars. As with the Cheerios, most of the ones he tries to feed himself end up firmly in a fist that enters the mouth, where they become a gooey semi-dissolved mess in his hands. But he does love trying!

Today's new development in the Zachary's vocabulary was the letter 'N'. Meh believed he was practicing saying "Nanny" (what he calls his great-grandmother). We spent some time on the flights getting him to crack up with a variety of words beginning with the letter N -- noodle and nincompoop were by far his favorites.

Though we'd booked aisle/window pairs on both flights, hoping for an empty middle seat, it was not meant to be, and lucky passengers got to change from middle to aisle seating. Still, he was happy through most of both flights, and received compliments and attention from the crew and fellow passengers. There were several other babies on our flights (mostly a bit older) who didn't do quite as well, though no major meltdowns or anything like that. So Meh and I were moderately perturbed to disembark the plane in front of an obnoxious gentleman who, not seeing us right there, proceeded to whine to his travelling companion that it was simply 'disgusting' that babies were allowed to fly on planes, and that the airlines should have special flighs or sections for babies. Meh tried to retort generically, but I don't think he caught on. Dude, it's a mid-day flight, you've got nothing to justifiably complain about. (As if you even really do on a red-eye flight...)

Zachary needed a diaper (and as it turned out, a full costume) change just before the second flight's descent, so he and I had a bit of a quick change in the restrooms as the seatbelt light came on. Thankfully the second flight's A320 was properly equipped with changing tables in the restrooms -- the first flight's 737 was not so much, so Meh had a much greater challenge in changing the little man.

And we've arrived intact - a very full day of travel, and now exhausted, but ready for the beach, spending quality time with Zachary's grandparents, and whatever fun and new-to-Zachary activities may come our way in the next few days!