Early, Early Morning
Greetings to all.
Today was the day! Nearly seven weeks Xavier and I have been baching it with Rebecca at SOS in Montgomery, Alabama.
This morning, at the very early hour of 0200, Xavier and I buckled into our car and headed to the airport. Our flight out left at 0500, and we had to change planes in Dallas. This flight was the only one available that got us to Montgomery at a reasonable time.
Xavier was a little trooper. He pulled his own suitcase most of the way. He caught a small nap in flight to Dallas where we had a light breakfast and built a Lego plane while waiting for our second flight.
Xavier was disappointed not to have a window seat on the first plane, but the second flight was a smaller plane, only two seats on one side and one seat on the other. Dad had to walk the aisle bent over as this plane lacked head room also. Xavier got his window seat!
Not so interested in looking out the window, Xavier liked opening and closing the window shade. As we were flying East, he eventually decided to leave the shade down since the Sun was too bright. He spent much of the flight studying the aircraft card showing how to fasten seat belts, exits for emergency egress and other safety features of the aircraft.
We landed in MGM Airport a little ahead of schedule. We stopped by the car rental desk to secure a car seat for Xavier and to get my name on the lease. Rebecca had set this up for us before our arrival, so all we had to do was provide identification.
The rental company had only three types of car seat, none of them fit Xavier. The infant seat was too small, and no way Xavier is big enough and heavy enough for a booster seat.
We had to settle on the high-backed booster, which had three criteria: forty to one hundred pounds, minimum of 42 inches tall and at least four years old. Xavier met only the last one, missing the first by twelve pounds and the second by three inches. As Xavier's pediatrician told us concerning these things, you have to make due and do what you need to do, so we did.
We picked up a shuttle to our hotel, checked in and dropped our luggage in the room, then walked across the street for lunch. It was two in the afternoon, and breakfast was six hours in the past. The pizza place Xavier wanted to eat at was closed, so we found a nice Mexican place a few hundred feet away. Chips and chicken for Xavier, and one of the bartenders and we got on well discussing and dancing to the music playing. Yes, Xavier was seat dancing to several songs, endearing him to the wait staff, which led to them giving Xavier some free food.
Rebecca joined us about four o'clock. I asked Xavier, "Do you want to wait for Momma to come to the room, or go down and wait for her in the lobby?"
"I want to wait in the lobby!" he answered enthusiastically.
He had already explored the lobby, which had many water falls in it, and ridden the glass elevator, which rose above several pools of water. He could not wait to show Momma all the water features in the lobby.
At the end of the day, when asked what his favorite part of the day was, Xavier said "my bed." He had his own bed in his own room, a pull-out bed in the couch.
"What about seeing Momma? Isn't that your favorite part?" we asked. That, as it turned out, was number two on his list. (note: he did miss his Momma these past seven weeks).
In spite of having his own bed in his own room, he slept with Dad in the main bedroom, and Mom slept in the pull out (she was not ready to sleep when the two of us—up since 0200—were beyond ready to sleep.