Traveling Westward

Loaded in IND- start of day smiles

Today marks one week since Ande and I had our two long lapseat flights west to Oregon. Last Saturday was an incredibly draining day in all physical, emotional and mental ways. Having a nearly 2 year old travel on your lap may be free in dollars, but as a parent you certainly pay the cost of having a wiggle worm confined to such tight quarters. Small graces seen during that travel day: the mom who offered to refill my water bottle with hers because Ande refused to leave the play area at IND to walk down with me; the gate agent who said I could 'gate check' my stroller and carseat all the way through to PDX gate so I didn't have to haul it through PHX on our flight change; our second flight which was sworn to me to be entirely full- announced as full- "take all middle seats now" full- and yet as the cabin doors were secured, Ande and I ended up with an empty middle seat next to us!

Flight #1 Attempting to keep her long body only on me

Flight #2 room to spread!!

SO thankful for this open middle seat

When we finally deplaned at PDX I was so thankful to see the infamous carpet and feel like we were stepping into a new home that felt familiar. My dad text me that he was at the closest point possible at the end of the terminal waiting with a luggage cart. (insert joyful tears of exhaustion and relief that I had only a few hundred yards more to make it alone). We walked to baggage claim together where my best friend Kaylee surprised me by showing up, and with my favorite Dutch Bros drink in hand and a coffee for my dad to boot! So they both helped to haul Ande and I and all our luggage pieces and baby gear to my dad's Highlander (my personal chauffeur ride for the next 3 weeks).

This is a necessary photo to take when you travel PDX :)

A lot has happened in our first week of Oregon residency. It's hard to believe that our plane rides, which felt monumental at the time, were only the first of many big things this past week. In short summary, hopefully longer blog post later, we are doing well. We are well taken care of by family and grateful for so many provisions around us that allows me to emotionally process this transition one baby step at a time.

I LOVE her.