Taking a Tiny Plane to See a Tiny Baby

One of my best friends, Alli, had a baby about a month ago.  This seemed like a perfect reason to make a trip back home to see my oldest of friends.  Instead of driving (which I generally dislike) I flew on the tiniest little plane I've ever been in.  I hadn't flown in years as I find the experience a bit off-putting, but in this case getting through security was a snap and I sure did enjoy the trip taking just a quarter of the time.

Let me go on for a minute about this tiny plane though.  I sat right behind the pilot.  And I mean right behind him. It was crazy.  No curtain, no barrier whatsoever.  In fact, they let one of the other passengers ride in the co-pilot seat.  I could see all the switches and dials which I found to be of great interest.

We took off in a storm that made for a bumpy ride.  At one point I actually caught air off my seat it was so bumpy!

I found it interesting how much closer to the ground the little plane flew than the larger jets I'm used to, only a couple thousand feet max.  It made for a good view of the terrain the whole time.  I saw the entire arch of a rainbow after the storm died down.  There were five other passengers and we were assigned out seats based on weight so that the plane was properly balanced.  It landed light as a feather though, bumpy flight aside.  And Alli was waiting for me in the lobby.

Then I spent the weekend eating too much and snuggling babies, mostly (though I did learn a new card game and visit various friends).  I got to see three of my friends' babies, in fact.  I love babies.  I love to cuddle and feed them, play with them, hold them, talk to them, pet their silky hair.  They're so small and soft and cuddly and they have that great baby scent (most of the time).  Her little pinky toe was like a miniature miracle.

Of course, there was also lots of sleep deprivation, endless diapers, sour milk smells, and, of course, crying to balance things out and make me feel glad about our decision to stay a child-free family.  I love babies for sure.  Just so long as they are other people's babies...

She's a good one, this little babe.  Totally worth a bouncy thunderstorm flight in a tin can with wings.  Totally.   I look forward to knowing her better.  I bet she's smart.