Happy Birthday to Me

Yesterday was my 30th birthday! Today is my mom's 50th birthday and Sunday is my grandma's (mom's mom) 70th birthday. (I was a little late for that tradition with Maggie--10 years!)

My dad had planned a huge surprise party for my mom, but her father, who has been wintering in Phoenix, had to have surgery last month and has had a complicated and difficult recovery. My mom has been in Arizona caring for him in the ICU and supporting my grandma. So my dad canceled the party and decided instead to fly my family and my siblings down to celebrate the three birthdays together.

The start of my birthday was less than ideal, with us frantically packing and trying to catch a plane in Seattle. Even with an easy baby like Magnolia, I imagined traveling with an infant wouldn't be easy. I dreaded being those-people-that-brought-the-crying-baby-on-a-plane and having no where to go to quiet her down.

As many of you know, Brian and I have never been the most punctual; now with a baby its even harder. We've missed flights before--yes, plural--so in an effort to not repeat, Brian dropped me off to check our bags and get our boarding passes. I took Maggie 'cause she needed to feed, which she did as I waited in the check in line. The nice man behind me kindly helped me right my faulty rolling suitcase and pick up the things that kept falling out of my diaper bag as I alternated between replacing fussy Magnolia's soother and searching for our ID. Moments like those give me a new appreciation for my husband and empathy for single mothers.

When we arrived at the gate, boarding was well under way. Magnolia made it possible for us to cut to the front of the line. We settled in, with our uneaten breakfast, and both audibly sighed. I got set up for nursing Maggie during take off -- I heard that it helps their ears during the altitude change -- and searched for her soother just in case the nursing didn't work. Gone! There was the clip, but no soother. It must have come detached when the diaper bag went through the security conveyor belt. Three hour flight + no soother = uh-oh. Or so I thought. But Maggie had different plans:

Mama liked my Mother's day gift so much I think I will give her the same thing for her birthday. I'll be the happiest baby ever.

And she was! She spent most of the flight mesmerized by the back of the seat in front of us, getting to know our flight neighbor, and talking back to the pilot's voice on the loud speakers. She even took a nap so Brian and I could too! I wish I had a picture of the three of us -- Maggie curled up on the Boppy pillow, Brian's head on my shoulder, and my head on his!

Here's us snacking while we waited for our ride in Phoenix:

When we got to the hotel Magnolia enjoyed meeting more relatives -- her uncle Jeremy (below), her (great-)grandma Pat, and her great uncle Mike.

After a quick nap we had a yummy Mexican birthday dinner. Magnolia's ability to keep up her birthday present waned, but we had lots of help.
Unfortunately, her energy wore out at 11:30 and Brian spent the next hour and a half trying to get her to sleep without our bag of tricks -- one of Brian's birthday gifts to me.