We just returned from the babies' first trip on an airplane. It was an adventure! It began when we arrived at the airport the first time (you can already see where this is going) to find out our plane was delayed. Not a huge deal, as it was not that significant of a delay. We hung out at the airport and Jeremy and I took turns walking from one end of the airport to the other with the babies. The Austin airport is not very big. We boarded the plane with the "pre-boarding" group since we clearly need extra time with two babies. We got settled in, got out the various snacks, baby beverages, and toys. After some time, I realized no one else was getting on the plane. I have never boarded with the "pre-boarders", so I was not sure exactly how much "extra time" was allotted, but at this point it seemed excessive. Around that time, the flight attendant said the plane was grounded due to weather in Atlanta and no one else would be boarding at this time. We were welcome to sit on the plane or go back into the airport. We decided to sit tight for a little while since we had just unpacked all kinds of stuff. After about 10 minutes, we were assured we could leave our belongings and go back into the airport so the kids could crawl around. So, we did. After checking in with the gate agent, it became apparent we would most likely miss our connection in Atlanta and be stuck overnight in the airport. We decided to go home and try again the next morning. It was not as easy as it sounds. Jeremy had to re-board the plane and pack up all our baby supplies. Then we waited at baggage claim for about 45 minutes for our check baggage. I was ready to leave it there overnight, but Jeremy pointed out the office might not be open for our 6:00 AM flight. Thankfully, my brother was in town and able to return to the airport to pick us up. We went home, fed babies, and all went to bed.
The next morning, we left the house at 4:30 AM - even before the babies typical wake up time. Our travel day was fairly uneventful and we even made it into Raleigh 30 minutes early. The babies were well behaved on the flight. Jeremy and I are not able to sit next to each other with the babies because there are not enough oxygen masks. I was a row behind him on the first flight and across the plane. At one point, I looked over and he had on his headphones and sunglasses. It looked like he and Jack were both taking a nap. I was not nearly as fortunate. Annabelle decided to start practicing for her future career on Dancing with the Stars. She wiggled and moved non-stop during both flights. Jeremy's sister, Lauren, picked us up in Raleigh and we began our drive to the beach house on the Outerbanks. I had been under the false impression it was a 3 hour drive. 4 1/2 hours later we arrived at the house. We were all hungry and exhausted. Thankfully, Grandjan put the pack-n-plays in the bedroom next to hers and Jeremy and I got to sleep downstairs! The babies did not go with the plan of staying on Central time even on the East coast. They were up at 6:00 AM Eastern time, and we were very happy they were upstairs and we were downstairs.
The beach was a lot of fun. The babies seemed to enjoy it. They thought the sand tasted delicious time and time again. They splashed in the water and dug in the sand - perfect beach activities! Jeremy build sand castles and Annabelle enjoyed smashing them. Jack liked to walk and walk and walk (with some assistance, of course). Jeremy also enjoyed the beach as he had 2 days of fishing. The first day he went with me, Lauren, and his father. We caught a few, but not nearly as many as he had hoped. The second day, he went on an off-shore fishing trip (thanks to a wonderful father's day present from his lovely wife, children, and mother). He was with 4 other guys he had never met before. They caught their limit in Mahi and ran out of bait. He said they caught 90 fish and he came home with 20 pounds of Mahi. That was a fun trip!
After the beach, we headed to Reidsville, where Jeremy's parents live. Jeremy, the babies, and I stopped in Raleigh on the way. We had lunch with Jeremy's good friends, Jim and Kate. Then we spent some time getting out our wiggles at their house. We made it to Reidsville in time to feed the babies dinner and put them to bed. Once again, Grandjan set the pack-n-plays up in the room next to hers and Jeremy and I slept downstairs. Great vacation for us! The next day, Jeremy's parents' friends came over to meet the babies. Fortunately, the babies were well behaved and good sports. Later that evening, Jeremy's aunt and cousins came over. It was fun for them to meet the babies and we took a family photo. After the babies went to bed, we played cornhole. I must mention at the end of the night, Jeremy and I were the champions! The rest of our time in North Carolina was spent just hanging out with family and playing in the pool.
The trip home was fairly easy. On the flight from Atlanta to Austin, Annabelle and I had an empty seat next to us. It was amazing and made the flight so much better! Annabelle was still practicing her dance moves and Jack seemed to be relaxed, but we shed very few tears and did not get any dirty looks, which equals sucess in my book.
We had a wonderful trip and look forward to another one next year!
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