A CHILDS CAR SEAT

My dad picked us up around 9:30 this morning to take us to the airport. Maggie was so excited! We got to the airport in plenty of time to check the bags and get to the terminal. Maggie was so funny when we got to the security check point and saw us taking our shoes off, she said, "Shoes off!" She's already an experienced flier! We had to entertain her for over an hour while we waited for our flight. We traded off taking her around the terminal and asking, "See the airplane?" She did really well on the plane, considering. We couldn't sit in the same row because the plane was full and there are only four oxygen masks in each row. Carter and I sat in the window seat behind Bryan and Maggie at the back of the plane.

At first Maggie was glued to the window, but then she got restless because she was tired. She finally fell asleep, but Bryan had a hard time getting a comfortable spot. She woke up just in time to see Merced as we flew over. Carter napped and nursed the whole flight. He seemed to know when it was time to land because he got fussy. Someone told me that it's better for babies to suck during take-off and landing to help with the pressure change. It worked like a charm because Carter hardly noticed a thing. He did however poop right as we took off and just before we landed, just when it wasn't handy to change him either time. I didn't think the fasten seat belt light would ever go off! And let me just say it's not easy to change an infant in an airplane bathroom.

Carter was a little tired of the traveling by the time we got the bags, took the shuttle to the rental car, and then drove a hundred miles to get to Merced. He started crying halfway there, so we pulled over and let him eat. That seemed to help, but he really didn't like being in the car so long and the sun kept getting in his eyes. We were all so happy to finally pull into the house on Tenth Street and go to dinner. When we got home, we threw the mattresses on the floor and all slept together in the living room. Whew! What a long day!

Crappy rental car, car seat... word to the wise, don't rent an infant car seat unless you are low-key and not a perpetual worrier like Kelly!