Noah's first trip: Miami Beach

Noah took his first plane ride at 3 months!

We had to stop twice on the way to the airport because Noah either hates riding in the car, or hates his carseat, or both. He finally settled down just in time for severe traffic on the blue route due to the untimely closure of I-95. Nano dropped me off at the airport with Noah, and then went to park the car. He came back with all of the luggage (what a trooper) just in time for US Airways to tell us that he had missed the 45 minute cutoff, and we could not get on the plane (who knew there was a 45 minute cutoff??). We ended up having to sit in the airport for two and a half more hours while waiting to get on the next flight. Noah slept for a while, and then got fussy just in time to get on the plane.

Wouldn't you know it, the ticket agents gave us two seats in the LAST row of the airplane, those non-reclining seats next to the roaring engine and bathroom traffic. He cried for the first 40 minutes of the flight, much to the despair of our chair neighbors. The guy across the aisle from me pleasantly picked up the burp clothes and blankets that constantly fell as I tried shifting Noah's position. Noah seemed to be saying, "get me OUT of here!" He finally settled and was able to sleep once I was able to get out of my seat and bounce him in his carrier. Poor guy!

After arriving, getting the rental car and attaching the carseat, we finally got to the hotel at 5 pm, just in time for dinner with my brother and his wife. Nano took a much-needed dip in the ocean before dinner to wash off the stress of the day.

The next day we took Noah on a walk on the boardwalk with his cute new hat and Chilean outfit:



Noah eventually tired of the wind, so we decided to take a drive to see other parts of Miami Beach. Of course, he wasn't thrilled about the car ride, so we stopped for lots of breaks. We had lunch at a fancy open-air mall, and then made our way back to the hotel. By around 5 pm, the sun had gone down enough for us to take Noah down to the beach. The wind was relentless, however! Here is a video:





Here is our family -- Noah is studying his fist!


After the beach we went out to dinner. Noah decided to fall asleep early, and was distraught to find he wasn't in his bed when he woke up in the stroller with a burp. I ended up taking him up to the hotel to go back to bed.

The next day Nano and I went swimming in the ocean! The wind had calmed and it was a bit overcast. The water was cold, but we got used to it quickly. Noah stayed happily with his grandfather Tata in the hotel room. We found a great Mexican restaurant for lunch, and I was happy to have some decent fajitas for the first time in over a year.

The trip back on the plane was a mix of tranquility and desperate sprinting. Noah decided he was hungry at the trickiest times, namely just as we were going through security and when boarding the plane. Luckily, I have figured out how to nurse less conspicuously with the carrier. Our flight was delayed and we had a connection in Atlanta. Once we finally exited the aircraft, we had 6 minutes to get to our next flight in another terminal. Nano grabbed the stroller and carseat, and sprinted at top speed to get there. People looked at him like he was insane, thinking he was running with a baby! Somehow he made it to the gate by departure time, and convinced them to wait for Noah and me. We rode back in first class!

Noah was out like a light before the first flight took off, and stayed asleep until he woke up in his own bed the next morning. He had no idea how close we came to staying in Atlanta for a night! We breathed a huge sigh of relief when we got back.

I think he enjoyed the open air and new experiences of the trip. However, judging by the number of big smiles he gave me the next day, I'd say he was happy to be home!