Baby's first international trip

My wife and I became parents just about a year ago now.  Soon after learning that we were expecting, I began to dream of future trips.  I had practically grown up in a car, driving from my home to my grandparents', going cross country to visit relatives and criscrossing the globe as an adult.  I was excited at the prospect of taking my future son or daughter all around with me.  I was so excited.

Well after the boy was born reality set in; he didn't like traveling much after he was three months old.  He would scream continuously for 3 hours while we drove back to Memphis from Nashville.  Every time we would go somewhere, he'd freak out.  We would try to set up long car rides early in the morning so that he'd sleep through most of it.  Traveling went from something I loved to something I dreaded.  It was with this negative mindset that I headed to the airport in late May.  I knew my son was going to be that kid, the one who screams the entire flight causing the parents to be frazzled messes upon arrival at their destination.  I was terrified.

We bade my mother farewell at security.  I nervously went through security.  I was a mess.  I was not the cool, collected traveler that I usually am.  This time I was restless and moody.  I could feel the stress course through me.

The plane doors closed and soon we were off.  The boy nursed for a few minutes and then passed out.  He stayed asleep all the way to Washington DC.  He woke up in time to watch us rush through the crowded airport in desperate hopes to catch our plane.  "Ok" I thought "He's going to lose it this time for sure."  I braced myself for the 12 hours or so of constant screaming.  Then he started.  He let loose with a scream.  "Here it is." I moaned to myself, but after a couple minutes and another nursing session, he was out again.  We did have a little problem in that some paperwork wasn't filled out properly thus causing us to be on the tarmac for about 2 hours.

We sat with this baby who at any moment could erupt in screaming fury.  But he continued to sleep.  He woke up as we rolled out to take off and was awake for a time after that, but again he slept.  He slept almost the entire way to Japan.  He was a champ.  I was a little worried about trying to sleep once we were there, but I was just hoping to make it off the plane before he cause a massive scene.

The crying fit that I was sure to come never did.  He was a perfect little angel the entire way.  Both my wife and I were amazed at this.  We thought for sure he'd be the terror of the flight.  He even slept the entire way from Nagoya airport to my mother-in-law's house.

The flight having been conquered we were free to settle in to our temporary home in Japan.

We lucked out by having the boy sleep the entire way, but it goes to show that babies aren't always disruptive little devils.  They can be calm and content while traveling by air.  Also, it proves that you shouldn't always anticipate the worst.  I certainly did, but was very pleasantly surprised.