Reunited and It Feels So Good

We made it! Lucy and I arrived safely in London on Saturday morning after a mostly smooth flight. She greeted Brandon with big smiles and couldn't get enough of him this weekend. I noticed yesterday that she was craning her head around me to keep her eyes on him at all times.

Our busy weekend (more on that in a later post) is over too soon, and now it's Monday morning. Brandon is off to work, and Lucy is still sleeping. I'm sitting in our living room watching BBC (my other choice was Sally Jessy Raphael) and enjoying a delicious cup of instant coffee and a crumpet. So, I've got a moment to quickly update the blog.

Our journey began on Friday afternoon when we arrived at the airport with my parents. My Dad's company does all the camera work at MSP, so he has a pass that allowed him to travel to the gate with Lucy and me. He used his powers of persuasion to get the security people to make an exception to allow my Mom to also go to the gate with us. What an enormous help!

After a tear-filled goodbye, Lucy and I found our seats and were pleasantly surprised to learn our row was empty. The flight was about a third full, at the most. Lucy fussed for a couple hours, then slept for 4 hours in the bassinet provided by Northwest. I use the term "bassinet" loosely, as it was more like a padded cardboard box in a metal frame that hooked into the bulkhead wall. Unfortunately I wasn't able to take a picture because I didn't want to wake her up, so maybe we'll get one on the return flight.

Once we landed at Heathrow, the next leg of our adventure began. I enjoyed the first and only perk of traveling with a baby when I was sent to the beginning of the line to get through customs. I managed to get most of our luggage on a cart, no thanks to my fellow travelers who watched me struggle with bags that included a 50+ pound suitcase and gigantic stroller bag, all while trying not to drop Lucy. I learned a good lesson about looking out for and trying to help solo travelers who are trying to maneuver luggage and children simultaneously!

Today I'm much more rested and am able to laugh about the journey. The good news is that we're safely here and can now begin Lucy's cultural education. Today we're heading off to either Tate Modern or St. Paul's Cathedral. Stay tuned for many photos of our adventures, but for now, here are a few of Lucy catching up with her Dad.