The fifth one

Today my eight-month old son took his fifth flight! Next week we fly back to Bangalore and that will be his sixth. He seems to be averaging a little less than one flight per month of his life so far!! Good god!

I still remember the heebie-jeebies I had when  flew with him the first time when he was 20 days old! I was so damn nervous, that I sat on the edge of my nerves even though he was fast asleep throughout his flight except for the last 10 minutes when he cried during touch down.

The flights get progressively better. Today for example, was the perfect start. Since his sleeping pattern is set, he slept through our waking up and getting ready and loading and traveling to the airport. In the airport I took him to the baby care and dry-cleaned him and changed him and it was so perfect. Since he is having solids now (last time  traveled he was stll solely on breastmilk), I didn't have to stay back and feed him. Plus the baby care was empty. I was in and out in 10 minutes and we both sang and cooéd through it.

Then we mixed him some formula which he refused to drink. And it was his morning milk time and he was still not drinking. Then he got a bit cranky just when the plane was getting ready to undock for take off. Subhash suggested a couple of times that we should probably mix a fresh batch of formula but I shrugged it saying, well, what is the use, he is not even drinking this. But we knew he was hungry and so when Subhash suggested it for the third time, we mixed anyway and lo and behold! he drank the new batch. Not sure, maybe he didn't like the Avent bottle. (And I should learn yet again to not question the husband's wisdom)

So he was half way through his formula and wanted to cry again when I lifted him and made him stand next to me so he could watch out of the window. And he was so absorbed looking at how fast the trees were moving etc and how we suddenly went above the trees that he just kept watching throughout most of the flight. In the middle of it all, he managed to pull away the newspaper that the guy behind me was reading and started playing with it. That gentleman was highly amused and let him do what he wanted. Boy! As a baby you can get away with murder ;)

Anyways, this flight, we didn't take any of the cotton wool precautions during take off and landing to avoid painful ear pops dur to air pressure change. He sat quite comfortably through it (and even watched his take off and landing!!!!!) and his ears I guess are already tuned to flying related air pops.

He is a jet-setter @ 8 months. Already a veteran flier...

What a generation!