The Flights to Idaho

Well, the weather was beneficial towards my trip, no snow that complicated the flights!  I was all packed by the day prior to our travels and my mother picked us up from our apartment in Bridgewater.  She lives closer to Dullas airport and it would be more sleep if we could get up later!  We needed to be at the airport by 8:30 AM to make my 10:45 flight.  Which would get Noah and I to Denver by 2pm Eastern Time and 12PM Mountain Time. 
As we arrived at the airport I had to check in to make sure that the airline knew I was going to have a lap child.  I had talked to a United representative the evening before and they notified me that Noah's carseat must be put in a bag to be checked under.  So, I had a large red suitcase, and an awkwardly shaped yellow bag due to the carseat.  We paid $55.00 to have two bags checked under. After we got all the bags checked in my mother parted from Noah and myself so that we could go through security. 
The security check was such a hassle.  We didn't have a problems persae, but it was quite frustrating to take off my coat, side pouch, bookbag, shoes, and so forth.  I had to sit Noah on the table so that I could get everything into one of those gray bins they have on the counter.  Then a man called over to me, "Ma'am, make sure you do not put the child on the table on this side because he will slide off."  As if I would be stupid enough to put my child on the rolling pins that slide my stuff across!  I couldn't believe that comment, I guess he though I was some sort of imbisol.  Anyway, one of the women security guards helped me gather my stuff and bring it all over to a bench.  After getting Noah's shoes back on and all the millions of other little things together, I was about to walk off and realized that I had managed to lose Noah's birth certificate in this hectic process.  In my mind I had started flipping out, but I didn't make any large commotion about it.  I looked behind me suspecting that it had fallen somewhere in the process of the security line, but then soon realized it was on the floor underneath the bench infront of me.  I was quite relieved.

Once we rode the ground transportation to our gate (which Noah enjoyed the new train they have) we walked into hectic city.  People running around crazy trying to make their flights and such.  I walked up to the service counter, completely out of breath from walking with a backpack, a backpack on Noah, Noah himself, and a portable DVD player in my "spare" hand.  I wanted to make sure that we were all checked in and had good seats that were appropriate for a baby.  I figured that an isle seat would be best because it would give me the easiest way to the restroom if I needed to change his diaper or anything of that manner, but the woman took my isle seat away and told me window seats are better.  "We cannot afford to have children running up and down the isles when the flight attendants are trying to do their job." Is what this lovely customer representative said to me.  So, a window seat we got, but fortunetaly it had an empty seat beside it with a woman in the isle seat. 
When we got onto the plane I was so frustrated, I was nervous about the plane ride to come (considering it was a 3 1/2 hour one).  I tried everything to keep Noah occupied, but for some reason while on a plane he only enjoys his toys for a matter of a few seconds.  I pulled out the portable DVD player and turned it on...guess what...it malfunctioned.  So, Noah was happy for a matter of a second when he got to see the menu of his Baby Einstein DVD...but I couldn't get it to play for him.  I was very upset that I couldn't get it to work.  The woman next to us was very understanding, she said she had two of her own that were 12 months apart.  Once she ordered food, Noah was all over her, I felt awful.  He kept grabbing her sandwich and her glasses.  It is so difficult to keep a child entertained at 14 months on a plane when your portable DVD player has faulted.  So, I moved to the middle seat to contain him to the window seat.  Towards the end of this long trecherous flight, Noah fell asleep.  Thank goodness!  Of course, it was only for the last half hour unfortunetaly. 
Once we arrived at the Denver airport I had to go up to the board and find out which gate our next flight was going to be in...of course...it was all the way clear across the airport.  I stopped at the one and only place that had a high chair and got Noah and myself a hotdog with fries.  I didn't really eat any of it, but Noah must have been starving.  I realized how complicated it was to travel with an infant everyone loves because you tend to get a million text messages per second..."are you there yet?" "how was Noah on the flight?" "how's Noah handling it?" "how long until your next flight..."
After we ate lunch we headed to our gate.  I was sweating profusely and practically gasping for air.  I was frustrated to see many people walking around with their children in strollers...little did I know, you can take a stroller at no extra cost for your convenience!  Why couldn't I have know this information before?  It would have been so much easier!  (But...at least now I know).  By the time we made it to the gate after the two hour layover was nearly over (we had taken about an hour to eat and go potty...and about an hour to get to the gate across the airport).  I knew this flight was shorter and also had a smaller plane...but I had no idea quite how small the United Express airplane was going to be.  We were all the way in the back of the plane, again with a window seat, and completely squished.  Noah, gratefully, was exhausted and wound up falling asleep upon departure and waking up directly upon landing.  It was an aboslutely wonderful flight!  Once we arrived in Boise's small airport it was just a hop, skip, and a step away to baggage and our dear cousins we came to visit.