October 29, 2007
back from Portland
leaf spectrum, portland, OR, Canon Rebel Xti
We love Portland! and had such an incredible time... as you can see below, Ben is a fan.
We had a sunny stroll in the Japanese Garden and took photos of the fiery autumn leaves, browsed in the ginormous Powell's for as long as Ben could stand it, stayed at the very hip Ace Hotel (blinded Ben with the photobooth flash way too many times) and had the best cappuccino of my life at Stumptown Coffee Roasters. We also stayed with friends in Overlook and got a taste of life with kids in Portland. We will definitely be back.
The flight home was only a bit more than an hour but felt really long....we were those people. You know the ones with the screaming baby? Things were going okay when he was climbing the seats, pushing buttons and grabbing the hair of the people around us. He was even charming when he would wave at people until they agreed to play with him. But toward the end of the flight, he would remember how tired he was, hurl his head back and scream until he threw up. Then he would quiet down. Then he screamed again, threw up all over me, and quieted again. His diaper was extremely full but we were afraid to change him on the plane so we were trying to hold out until landing. The woman next to us looked like she was holding her nose and breathing into her hand. Matt and I kept huddling ourselves as close as we could to the window to keep our fumes concentrated. It was an adventure!
I remembered something my friend Susan told me once. She was on a plane and sat next to a mom with a baby. She told them at the beginning of the flight, "I love babies. I don't mind crying and if you need to get up, I'm happy to hold him." Wouldn't you just love it if someone said that to you? I prayed that our seatmate would be an angel like that.
At the end of the flight, the woman next to me said, "He was so good!" I was shocked. I thanked her for being so tolerant. In her sweet english accent, she said, "Truly, it was my pleasure. He is such a sweet boy." Then as we got off the plane, everyone gushed over him again. It was a good lesson in assuming that people are much kinder than we think.
And we are really happy to be off that plane.
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I just arrived in Athens, Greece with Soren and my husband. It was a joy to read your post after the seemingly endless flights. I hope that was true of all of the people on our flights too!
Posted by: Jennifer at November 1, 2007 03:36 PMI am so grateful for this post. When I read the paragraph about your challenges with Ben on the plane, I got a little teary in sympathy and made my husband come read it. We're traveling for the first time with our 5-month-old and are anxious about a similar scenario. Reading the response of your neighbor brought some much needed perspective (and hope).
Also, Ben is downright adorable!
Posted by: Lilysmom at November 1, 2007 08:58 AMWe just flew with our daughter Parker (she's almost 4 months) a few weeks ago and I was expecting all sorts of dirty looks and "great, I have to sit by a baby" type stuff. I was happily surprised to not see any of that. Glad to see that you survived your flight better than you thought you did. :o)
Posted by: Jenny Rebecca at October 31, 2007 09:22 AMSomeone told me once(when my kids were 3months and 14months) that " them crying bothers YOU more than it bothers ME."
I think that rings true for most people.
Posted by: Vanessa at October 31, 2007 08:09 AMYour "leaf spectrum" picture is fantastic.
Posted by: Laurel at October 31, 2007 06:27 AMGorgeous pictures-and man I am glad you are home:)
My boy is a very loud screamer and it can be terribly uncomfortable when he lets out the wails.
Hugs
Posted by: colorsonmymind at October 31, 2007 03:31 AMSo glad you had such a good time. I LOVE our former town (mate's hometown). I'm kind of chuckling though... Overlook's a destination neighborhood now? As in "we stayed in Overlook"? I can't wait to tell J. He grew up overlooking...Overlook. ;)
Posted by: Marilyn at October 31, 2007 02:06 AMPortland is my fave city! We honeymooned there, but never saw The Ace. Next time. :)
Posted by: Keely at October 30, 2007 05:27 PMSo glad to hear that you were able to get away - if even for a short time...
Posted by: kristine at October 30, 2007 03:11 PMPortland sounds like such a great place for a vacation and Ben just gets more handsome with every photo.
Posted by: Kristi at October 30, 2007 01:30 PMI love that top pic of the trees. Beautiful.
I'm glad you had a great trip! Ben is such a charmer.
Posted by: ~moe~ at October 30, 2007 07:47 AMI wanna go now! I'm obsessed with the Ace Hotel
Posted by: whitney at October 30, 2007 07:13 AMHey, i'm heading to Portalnd tomorrow. Cool!
Posted by: tracey at October 29, 2007 10:17 PMso glad to read that you made it to Portland! the weather gods were certainly on your side. the weather this past weekend was amazingly wonderful.
i hope that you returned home feeling re-energized.
O andrea, you are so lovely. Now i've expanded the baby on the plane concept by sometimes handing notes to people with babies on the plane. The note says;
"Thank you for bringing your baby on the plane. We are all livelier and happier because of it, no matter what sounds the baby might choose to make"
1. Oh. My God. He's standing up! I never realised he was a standing-up baby already! He looks so natural at it, too:)
2. Your planemate sounds delightful. I'd totally like to meet her. We could share our admiration of Ben, hee hee.
3. And lastly, thank you for sharing the great idea your friend had. It's so simple - just voicing what you are thinking.
CCCCCCUUUUUTTTTEEEE ALERT!
the only thing cuter is the guineapig in a halloween costume at cuteoverload...
Posted by: m at October 29, 2007 02:38 PMAce, Stumptown, Powell's... but bet the hip thing to do in Portland these days since that was my trip LAST weekend, except, sans kid!
Only thing is we got a room on top of the "Cleaners" and both nights there was some into the wee hours partying down there.
I think the Ace is the perfect hotel to stay in: good location, EXCELLENT morning ritual; and super cool.
Glad you had fun too.
yes, stumptown is the very best. we order it in to oakland. so glad you loved portland. i've heard the ace is very hip indeed.
xo
Missed you!
Posted by: Lin at October 29, 2007 01:40 PMI didn't think it was possible, but Ben gets cuter and cuter. What a charmer (full diaper and all).
Posted by: Alesia at October 29, 2007 12:41 PMisn't the Ace fantastic and Stumptown coffee. TO DIE FOR- so good. and how could you not hit the photobooth one hundred plus times? It is so perfect and beautiful?
sounds like a fantastic trip!
Those are some beautiful pictures! Wow by the sounds of things it seems like Ben's head was spinning and vomit was everywhere.. perhaps he was getting in the spirit of Halloween a la "The Exorcist" ;) Just kidding. I think most people are understanding that children aren't exactly easily controlled. Glad you are enjoying the fall!
Posted by: Andrea D at October 29, 2007 12:33 PMsounds like an all around *fun* time...we are headed to Portland for Thanksgiving - my parents moved up there. We're looking forward to checking out the area...wish it could be sooner to see the beautiful leaves but oh well...can't wait!
xoxo
Posted by: stef at October 29, 2007 12:20 PMso sorry we missed you. next time... :o)
the airplane scenario is one of rob's deepest fears. i'm glad that's over for you!
xo, j
Posted by: Jen Downer at October 29, 2007 11:12 AMBen is such a beautiful baby! i really love the last photo of him!
Posted by: celisa at October 29, 2007 10:53 AM