Welcome! Nuestra Casa Es Su Casa ...Our house is your house

A glimpse into the life of Daniel and Jaynee Lockwood and their 12 precious blessings. Thank you for visiting; we pray that what we share here may always bring glory to our wonderful God and Saviour. May you praise the Lord with us for the great things He has done and continues to do as we serve Him sharing the gospel here in the little town of Cuidad Insurgentes, BCS Mexico. He alone is good and faithful!

Friday, January 22, 2010

Laugh or Cry

Eliseo and I arrived in the USA safely late Tuesday night. I was sooo glad when we finally landed in Redding. That was one tough trip! You may think that since I’m home all day long with 12 children, traveling with just 1 would be a breeze. When I walked through the airport doors and saw Daniel’s mom and my sister in law Deborah waiting for me, I was about as relieved as when after a long labor, they place the new baby in my arms. I said to Deborah, “That was about the most difficult thing I’ve ever done!”
Do you want to hear about it? Promise me you won’t laugh. Well, actually, you can laugh. When I think back on that trip I #1 thank the Lord He helped me through it and that I arrived safely, #2 I sometimes laugh, and #3 I sometime cry thinking that I have to repeat the process in about a week. Hopefully I’ve learned a few things from my first trip that will help make the next one easier. And if you have any pointers, feel free to share.
We left the house Tuesday morning a couple hours after breakfast. I spent the morning packing. I was determined to make everything fit in my carry on luggage as you have to pay now to check in baggage; I was very happy when I finally got the zipper on my mini suitcase zipped tight.
When Daniel’s brother Samuel came back the week before, he’d accidentally brought back with him some new parts for another brother’s boat. That brother asked if I’d bring them back with me when I flew. One of the parts was a fuel line...it was a long hose with some rubber thing attached to it. I had to take it out of the plastic packaging to make it fit in my bag but my wise hubby thought to include the paperwork just in case it raised some red flags with homeland security.
We got to the airport early, checked in and since we had an hour before I needed to board, Daniel treated us all to a farewell lunch. We got back to the airport, kissed and hugged everyone, and got in line at the gate. At this point, Eliseo realized that his 11 siblings were gone and instead he was surrounded by strangers. Eliseo can walk or at least easily stand by my side and hold my hand. I was counting on him to do just that from time to time. But he was clinging to my neck so hard and would cry if I even attempted to put him down.
So I had my carry on suit case packed to the max, my big diaper bag, my purse, and my laptop/paperwork bag...and Eliseo who happens to be one of our bigger children for his age and was seemingly gaining weight by the minute.
Since anytime our family goes anywhere together, no matter how quiet we try to be, we seem to draw attention to ourselves. We all walk in a line as to not “block traffic” and when people see a line of children that doesn’t seem to end, they either gasp, stare, smile, whisper, and always begin to count.
And since the children had dropped me off at the gate, I was now “known” by my fellow passengers (mostly all Americans) and when I finally managed to get my shoes and coat back on (hard to do with an almost 2 year old clinging to your neck) and my bags strapped back together so I could begin the long walk out to the plane, one of them took pity on me and carried all my bags.
Since we flew out at 3 pm and Eliseo had not had a nap that day, I was counting on him sleeping...which he did...for about 30 minutes. He woke up, didn’t know where he was and began to cry. There is an unwritten rule in an airplane...at least I felt there was at that moment...especially and airplane filled with mostly wealthy retired people returning from visiting their vacation homes...the rule is: Babies are cute and fine until they begin to cry and in the event they do cry, they are allotted 10 seconds of such behavior and then must be silent.
I had anticipated some fussing, so I quickly grabbed his juice and a bag of treats I’d packed. He settled down and when he’s finished his snack was content to play with the little fold down table tray for a while. He began to get fussy again so I took him to the bathroom...no, I didn’t have to use it, but it was the only place to walk with him and he was happy and calm then. We sat back down and we played puppet with the air plane “in case of sickness” bag. But suddenly, Eliseo began to cry again...really loud. Nothing would console him. He was perfectly happy one minute and then suddenly began to cry. My only consolation was that another younger couple behind me had a little girl who sometimes cried louder than he did. I soon found out the reason behind his cry. I should have kept Mr. bag puppet out as Eliseo’s not so little snack he’d eaten came right back up. Most of it made it into my hand. I grabbed the receiving blanket out of the diaper bag and cleaned us up. At least he was happy again. I’m not sure how happy everyone else was though.
We finally landed and as the okay was given for everyone to get up and gather their things, Eliseo again, seeing all these strangers stand up around him, began to wail. The man behind me said, “Oh, he’s just doing what the rest of us feel like doing but are too old to do.” I thought that was nice; although I’m sure we were part of the reason everyone felt like wailing too.
I picked up my purse, diaper bag, and lap top bag and managed to get off the plane. All larger carry-on items were waiting on a cart at the bottom of the stairs. I dropped all my other bags, grabbed the suitcase, and then tried to get everything strapped back together so I could carry it to the shuttle that was waiting. Again, someone took pity upon me and helped me carry everything into the bus.
At that point I thought that spending some money to check in my bags would have been money well spent.
The Los Angeles airport is huge. You have to walk...a lot. We first had to get down to the lower floor to go through customs. I’m sure there must have been an elevator, but I didn’t think to ask and began to descend the 40+ stairs. The wheels on the bottoms of your suitcase do not work well on stairs. I then began to really miss my husband who could have easily carried Eliseo and twice the baggage that I was trying to carry. My arms felt like spaghetti noodles and we had so far to go still.
Everyone around me seemed to know perfectly well what they were doing. I was totally lost. I finally found someone who could direct me where to go to catch my next flight. We had to walk outside quite a ways; Eliseo was happy to be outside and even let me put him down and we began walking over to the next building. Once we go inside, I was told to go to the second floor to get my boarding pass. This time, I found the elevator! Boarding pass in hand, I was directed to my gate on the 3rd floor. I went back to the elevator; the doors began to close and I saw Eliseo reach for them. My heart sunk, I said, “Oh no!”, but it was too late. They closed right on his fingers! I immediately pressed the open door button, but nothing. I pressed the help button...nothing. Eliseo was screaming, I was crying, and finally, after about 10-15 seconds, the doors opened up. Nobody was by the elevator, so I got out, sat down on my suitcase and comforted my little guy and prayed. His fingers were swollen, and the skin was dented. He calmed down, and thankfully, he was able to move them fine and seemed to be recovering from the ordeal.
Again, I was lost. Since I had taken the elevator instead of the stairs or escalator, I came out at a different point. I could see the lines of people below me waiting to go through security to get to their gates, but I didn’t see how to get to them. I just followed the walk way until some people started running toward me waving their arms saying, “NO!” I explained my situation and they said, well, you can’t get to the gate lines from the elevator. I asked them if I had to go back down the elevator and take the stairs ??? They seemed to not know what to say to that question, so they told me to wait, went and talked to some people, and then said, “Follow me”. They led me right to the front of the line. Thank you, Lord!
I finally managed again to get my coat off, shoes off, watch off, Eliseo’s coat off, his shoes off, and all of my bags up on the belt to get scanned...all while holding Eliseo who was not about to be put down at that point. I walked through waiting for my bags. I got our shoes and coats, but no bags. Finally I see them all looking at that fuel line through the x-ray machines. They then pulled all my bags to the side and while they were searching through them, a lady came up to me and said, “I need to do a body search on you.” Off to the side we went. I will say, she was very polite and discreet...I guess as much as you can be doing what you have to do in that situation. I was finally determined to be safe and allowed to head to our gate. I looked at the time...4 more hours till our next flight. Now I was REALLY wishing that I had checked in all my bags. You are not allowed to leave any bags, whatsoever, unattended. So wherever we went, our bags had to go too.
By then, I really needed to use the restroom and Eliseo needed a diaper change. I never realized how very timid Eliseo is. He’s fine at home and around our friends, neighbors, and church. He’s not so fine around hundreds of strangers at an airport. And he’s definitely more comfortable around strangers who talk to him in Spanish than in English.
I toted everything into the restroom, and I won’t tell you how Eliseo unlocked our door at a very inopportune time and tried to crawl under the next stall over. It was a very long 4 hours. There was a Burger King, but I didn’t know how I could possibly carry Eliseo, all our luggage, and a tray of food over to a table, so we went to the little snack store and bought a power bar and some trail mix to share. A man who had been on our first flight gave me all his pesos he had left over :) and another man must have thought we looked thirsty and bought us some bottled water.
Thirty minutes before we had to board, Eliseo fell asleep. They called those with small children to board first and have you ever noticed how once a child falls asleep they are extra heavy to carry? A man helped me carry my bags to the plane. I finally managed to get to my seat, store my things, and keep Eliseo asleep...only, it wasn’t my seat. I looked at the wrong boarding pass, so again, move everything and get reseated. I was so happy Eliseo was still asleep; my arm was hurting so badly from holding him, but I dared not move for fear of awaking him.
We took off, all was well, and then we hit turbulence. And Eliseo awoke. And cried. And he did this off and on the entire flight. And I was so tired and so sore and felt so badly as everyone around me was trying to rest as it was late. It was a long flight...and I was so happy when it was over...and so were the other 100 people on board. I was so weak from holding Eliseo I couldn’t even stand up. A man helped me up, two others carried my things and I said I was so sorry and appreciated their patience with us. They were so kind and said, “Oh, it’s been a long day.” That it was! So what do you think? Laugh or cry?? :)
Next time, I’m checking in my ALL my luggage.

48 comments:

  1. Bless your heart! I have flown with littles, without my husband, a few times and it's never easy. I always pray that God will put kind people in my path, and it sounds like He did so for you!

    Do you know someone who has any sort of sling thing you could borrow, so you could wear Eliseo in the airports? Even though he's big, he would still fit in an Ergo-type carrier. It would be way more comfortable for you and him, and then you could mail it back once you get home...?

    I can also tell you that the trip home is *always* easier than the first part of the trip! :)

    Grace,
    The Wilsons in VA

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  2. Oh you poor thing! What a hectic trip! I do hope little Eliseo's fingers are much better and that all goes well! You'll soon be safe home with your family!Sending blessings from South Africa.!

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  3. I would say laugh and praise the Lord! You arrived safely and He'd prepared "angels" by your side to give you the help you needed!

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  4. Jaynee~

    Isn't it amazing how our perspectives change given the dynamics of the situations we face. We think of "saving" money not really "counting-the-cost" but immediately realize that money would have saved us so much frustration, headache and stress. I'm learning that we must be good stewards with what God has blessed us with yet at the same time, He desires for our yoke to be easy and our burden to be light. I many times wonder how often I make my load heavier and my yoke more complicated by my common-sense way of thinking when the Lord has a "better" way.

    All-in-all I'm thankful you made it safely...you were in my prayers all day on Tuesday. Our family continues to pray for Eliseo as well as for the rest of your family!

    Blessings to you~
    Mendi

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  5. Oh, and BTW, I would say if that were me at the end of that experience, I would be crying in exhaustion yet laughing in exuberance at the sight of some familiar faces who love me! :o)

    Mendi

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  6. The things we do and go through as a mother. I would have cried and cried in the bathroom. Truth be told! I am glad you are safe and we are still praying for things. It should be better going home. The luggage will not have the fuel line in it! LOL!

    Hugs sister!
    Blessings,
    Christi

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  7. I just wanted to suggest that maybe while you're home to pick up a used, cheap umbrella stroller for him. That would make it so much easier for you! Sorry you had to go through all that.. ((hugs))

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  8. Oh what a rough trip. i would be crying....Praying for an easier return.

    Nikki

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  9. Oh you poor thing! I would probably laugh and cry at the same time! Your trip sounds just like how our trips (which we hardly ever take) always go. And since I am most comfortable at home, even going to the stores is crazy for me, I feel so out of place in situations like that. And then my good babies always seem to cry at the most odd times and nothing can console them either. Praying that your trip home is a better one!

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  10. I can't imagine attempting that trip with a wee one and all the bags too. Glad you made it through!!

    Hope your trip home is less eventful!!

    Blessings!!
    Dana

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  11. I am glad so many people were put into your path to help you along the way. What a blessing that is. I hope all goes well now that you are state side. I hope your trip back is much more peaceful.
    Blessings,
    Dawn

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  12. Oh, Jaynee! What a day. My advice? Buy a used stroller and take it with you for the flight back. You can use the stroller all the way until you step ON to the plane. Then they have it waiting for you the minute you walk OFF of the plane (not the gate, the actual plane!). We have piled alot of stuff onto the top of our stroller--along with our little ones!

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  13. You poor thing! It IS difficult traveling with a baby/toddler! I just flew with my 7 month old baby recently with the help of my mother & brother and it was difficult and something I wouldn't want to do by myself! Something that really helped was a stroller. If there is any way you can get an umbrella stroller (Wal Mart has them and then are cheap) to have on your way back I think that would help you tremendously. (As long as you think Eliso will sit in it!) You can take the stroller with you to the gate and they will put it under the plane for you once you board.

    Also, another benefit to having a stroller is you can go to the fast lane to go through security.

    I read your blog all the time - just don't comment very often! I love your family!

    Praying the trip home is better!

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  14. Oh you poor thing!!! I would definitley cry :) So glad you made it and I hope Eliseo's surgery's go well! Take care!
    Tonia

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  15. Jaynee,
    Bless your heart!! I have to tell that I laughed; only because I can relate to your story! I was very pregnant with my second child and was traveling home to see my parents. I had my almost 2 year old daughter with me and was trying carry our luggage and a car seat. It is so tiring; but thank the Lord for the kind souls that helped me between every connection!

    I could not have done it without them!

    I'll pray for a better trip home for you and Eliseo!

    Jennifer in TX

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  16. Jaynee, I would WAIL. Maybe not literally, but I would feel like it. Hope everything goes well with the surgery and return home.

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  17. Honey I am so sorry your trup was so long and exhausting. Praying for the repeate process to go so much smoother.

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  18. Definitely both...laughter through tears!!! We will pray that you have a much more peaceful trip home and that surgery goes smoothly. And yes...check them bags home, girl!!! :)
    Also, his ears might be hurting on take off and landing so you might want to consider letting him suck on a lollipop or do you still nurse him? You might try nursing him or having him suck on something. Helps little ones with ear pressure.
    Praying in Florida, Pamela

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  19. I think I would have cried...I'm definatly not good when tired or stressed.... the stroller is a good idea and something that can be used again and again. Pray that the op has gone alright and that Eliseo is doing better. Perhaps he gets a little air sick and needs to take something to settle his tummy. Pray all is well and sending a hug
    Shelley p
    from over the pond.

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  20. Oh, Jaynee! What a long ordeal for you...and for Eliseo! I have had to fly with a little one before, but not a toddler. I hope that you will be able to rest and regain strength for your trip back.
    By then, Eliseo may be very used to seeing strangers and may not be so clingy. Checking your baggage should help too. We are all eager to hear how his surgery goes.
    Jenny

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  21. Oh wow... I'm tired and a little stressed just reading about it all... can't imagine how tired and relieved you must have been when you arrived! I think I would have cried from relief. And then laughed the next day. :)

    Praying the surgery goes well and your return trip is much better!

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  22. Jaynee,

    Glad you made it safely to Redding. Give my love to your Dad, Mom, and Sibs. :) Praying that Eliseo's surgery goes well! Have a good week!

    Love,

    Shelly T. from AK

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  23. Definitely both. Talk about an emotionally draining trip!! I would certainly agree to checking in your luggage next time around, and I'm sorry your little guy isn't a better traveler. Wow, can you imagine how bad it would have been without the prayer support you had? :) Glad you've arrived safely, and I pray that surgery goes well.

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  24. Oh dear Jaynee,
    You are taking me back down memory lane... 35 years ago,when my husband was away on duty leave in the Air Force! At that time, we had three children under age three and I decided to fly "alone" with a 3 yr old, plus 18 month old twins. What was I thinking??? This was a trip for fun, not a medical necessity trip like yours is, and fun is not an adjective I could ever use to ever describe the whole experience. :)
    Decided to purchase 3 seats, and planned to hold one twin on my lap, but a stewardess was allowed to fly standby and take one of our seats away to "help" me. But of course, none of my little ones wanted a stranger to hold them and so I had quite the lapful holding both squirming twins for hours.
    Ever try to fit yourself and 3 toddlers into a plane bathroom all at the same time? It really is possible!!
    At least our bags were checked, but I thought the children would all want to hold on to their own stuffed toys and special snuggle blankets, but no - they didn't!! These items were too big to go into my purse or the diaper bags. What a sight we all must have been walking off that plane, they were all fussy and I was loaded down with bags and .... It was walk a few steps and drop something, or I was down on my knees comforting one of them and encouraging (begging) them to PLEASE PLEASE follow Mommy!
    In those days, we did not have to pass through security checks, can't imagine how that would have been.
    Could go on and on, but the good thing is that time fades our memories and finally I can look back and sort of laugh! Sort of..
    That experience has made me more compassionate and sensitive to mothers traveling with small children. If I had been on your plane, first of all I would have silently prayed for you and Eliseo, then smiled at you and tried to help you in any way I could have.
    Isn't it amazing what a mama can hold and do with only two arms?
    Praying that Eliseo's eye surgery will go well and your return trip will be much better and that the Lord will give you the needed strength for the return trip.
    God bless you dear sister in Christ!

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  25. Oh Jaynee!! I wish I could have been there to help~ How kind that people had compassion and helped you. God's little angels :-)

    I traveled with Gage and Grace to UCLA from Redding, for Grace's pre-eye surgery appt long ago. Gage ate every packet of peanuts he could. It really was funny because he was so big (10+lbs at birth) and he was only about 6 mo's old but HUGE.

    You have been on my heart since you posted about leaving. My prayers have been over Eliseo and your trip. Any chance you can bring a sibling back with you to help :-) Or you could make a quick layover here :-) and I'll drive you home. What a fun trip that would be :-)

    Hugs and prayers~ Cinnamon

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  26. Cry. That's what I want to do when I think back to our furlough about a year ago. Our oldest was about your Eliseo's age, and I was 6 months pregnant with our second. The flights went much the same as your's, and she went through the same amount of LOUD culture shock your poor boy is enduring. :-) The good news is the flights always end, and eventually, the children adjust! I'd check my luggage next time, too. :-)

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  27. Oh Jaynee! Cry! Definitely cry! I will pray your trip home is much better than your trip out.

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  28. Oh Jaynee, I'm so glad we were praying for you. I'm glad you met only compassionate people along the way. I traveled with our 2 toddlers once and was soundly cussed out by a woman who accused us of taking her seat on a small puddle jumper plane that had no assigned seats...and that was only the beginning of our trip.
    At least you can prepare for the trip home and know better what to anticipate

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  29. Oh, I wanted to cry for you! I hope the rest of your trip goes more smoothly. Praying your trip home is extra calm!

    Stephanie C.

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  30. 1. As other mentioned, umbrella stroller!
    2. Get yourself a book pack of some sort ... I always use my woman's roomy (made of cloth) backpack when travelling -- frees up your hands.
    3. As you figured, check everything else!
    So ... backpack on, Eliseo in stroller ... you're good to go!
    Prayers for the trip home!

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  31. Sometimes we ladies forget how much we rely on our wonderful husbands. It's not just their stong arms - which is a great help but usually we get to follow them. I have never traveled without my husband but I can imagine it would be a challenge. I like to hold my babies and NOT let them stand. Kidnapping is easy in airports. I do agree with the other writer a stroller gets you through security better and helps when you are putting shoes on again. So far I always ask if they will check my carry on withou charge and so far they do. I usually find that inernationals are more likely to help carry bags etc... We will pray for the way back a and a calm tummy for baby. In addition to snacks I bring surpises from Walmart. My one-year old LOVED a crayola finger paint set on board the flight. The finger paints only paint on the special papper and so can not make a mess. I bring play dough too. Surprises more than anything else make our one and two years olds happy on the plane. We have been on board for over 24 hours before. Oh yea, Mentos make the ears not pop. I bite them in half. I get half and baby gets half so it's not too much to chew - they have been very helpful. Ugh! I can not beleive you had to be patted down. They pick the most unlikely people. I have seen them patting down old ladies. We are talking about driving and not flying to Belize.
    Sj

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  32. Thank you for sharing this!!!! You have no idea how encouraging that was to read that I'm not the only one that has had a CRAZY experience traveling with little ones!! It will be one for the memory books!
    You are such an amazing Godly woman, thank you for sharing this story that so many can relate to!
    Nicole

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  33. I am *so* sorry. This totally hits home since we JUST did that with Eden last month... You had a harder time than we did, but I still feel your pain. I was nodding my head in agreement as I read about the low tolerance that people have for crying babies. SO TRUE. Our problem is that we've trained Eden to go to sleep in her crib, NOT our arms.. so she was beside herself whenever it was time to take a nap (twice on each of our 3 flights), and i couldn't just snuggle her into her blanket in her crib, give her teddy bear to her and leave the room. She would cry for 10-20 minutes each time (which, as you know, on a plane feels like an eternity) until she would be totally exhausted and finally doze off for a bit. I would be in tears and pretend i didn't see the glares coming from older men on the plane. :( I'm not sure if you've headed home yet, but if not, I will be praying for a better trip this time!! love ya!

    jessica

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  34. Mrs. Lockwood,

    What an amazing journey! I hope Eliseo's surgery goes well. I'm looking forward to hearing the results. BTW - is he having surgery on both eyes or just one? May you have a blessed time of refreshment as you visit with family and friends.

    Anna M.

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  35. Oh, mine are teens now but I remember many trips very much like that! And remember handing over a 1-year-old and a 4-year-old to my husband at the end of a trip and saying "they're yours now!"

    Don't worry about Eliseo crying on airplanes. It's no fun for you, of course, but if other people don't like it they can bring along earplugs. :-)

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  36. Sweet Jaynee,
    I cried WHILE laughing!! : ) I have been there and hated it!! Glad it was over too!! : ) What a hoot!! It is memories that is for sure!!
    I would check the bags!! Just bring the diaper bag with the items you need!!
    We are praying for his surgery!! Good luck going home! Just think about all the great things that await you at home!! 12 to be exact! : )
    Jackie

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  37. Laugh and cry for sure. Cry during the matter and laugh after!!! Oh I felt every part of this. Hehehehe. One day Eliseo will read this and get a good laugh! Bless you and Eliseo's surgery......

    jessica

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  38. Your story sounds painfully familiar. I think I have post traumatic stress disorder from flying with my oldest when she was 11 months old. Here's praying for an easier return flight.

    Susan in Texas

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  39. Hey Jaynee! Thanks for sharing your trip! It brought back a lot of memories for me! I travelled to Europe and back about 40 times with my three kids and you are right, it's NOT easy! I also would suggest an umbrella stroller, it is SO worth it. I have probably had every experience at one time or another during our trips that you mentioned so my heart went out to you! But the Lord is good, He always takes care of us! I wish I would have known you were in LAX for four hours, we are 45 minutes away, I could have brought you a stroller, aaah! Great job at persevering and I will pray for your trip home! Love, Wendy

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  40. Oh, I felt so bad for you reading this and know exactly what you were going through.

    I would definitely recommend a stroller. I always brought a bigger stroller. They're free and you can check it right at the plane. You just leave it there and they'll put it away and bring it back out at the end of the flight. I always threw my purse/diaper bag, blankets etc. in the bottom of the stroller and towed my suitcase behind me. It makes it managable to take a toddler and a bag with you. (although the bag might be worth checking after all you went through).

    Praying that Elisio's surgery goes well and that you had a safe and easy flight back home!

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  41. 40 comments - WHOA! This must be the most well read blog ever. I think you could get paid for blogging.

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  42. I feel for you! The only advice I would have is to get a sling of some sort or a cheap umbrella stroller that can be checked plane-side. I have a MOBY wrap that I use right now. It looks complicated but is actually quite comfortable to use and easy once you get the hang of it.

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  43. Oh Jaynee, I feel your pain! We had to travel with the boys when they were little and it's not fun. I have an umbrella stroller that I would love to give you if you think it would help. It's practically brand new, I only used it a couple times and now my boys have outgrown it. I haven't put it in the Salvation Army box because I wanted to give it to someone I knew who might need it. So I guess you could say it's been waiting for you! :) Let me know and I can bring it to you. I hope the rest of your trip is better! :)

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  44. I wanted to cry just reading this.

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  45. Jaynee - that you would even consider laughing while you cry is a wonderful testament. I have traveled with a stroller as many have mentioned, but it sounds like Eliseo may not really go for that! Carrying a child AND pushing the stroller at the same time is very difficult. Practice before your trip back if you try the stroller route, and if it won't work, I second the Ergo carrier or some other "baby" wearing technique to give him the comfort he will need after surgery while keeping your arms free.

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  46. Oh--the turbulence! Try bringing something for him to chew or suck on, like a bottle or sippy cup, a pacifier, or gummy bears. Anything to get his jaw opened up and clear the pressure in his ears. I also always make sure to fill up a sippy cup for take-off b/c it helps equalize the pressure. I hope the trip back goes better!

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  47. I, too, have flown with my kids when they were little and it was NOT easy in the least!

    I don't think flying is supposed to be an easy thing for us to do anymore.

    It was just my husband and I that flew to Madagascar 2 years ago. We checked 2 bags and each had 1 carryon. It was VERY difficult and we didn't even have the kids with us! Those TSAs (bless their hearts) can certainly make life difficult!

    At least we made it through, though.

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  48. Wow Jaynee,
    That is quite a story....I was laughing while reading it cause I have been there before but not that much went wrong! You have such a great attitude! Little Eliseo looks wonderful after the surgery....that is so amazing that they could do that...do you know what they had to do to correct it? Medicine is such a miracle! Praise the Lord you are home, I bet your family never ever wants you to leave again! Love, your cousin in law!

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