44 Days, 44 Nights

Phew we're finally home! We're back but the journey home had a few bumps in the road. We got back on the 6th (almost 2 weeks ago) but when we got home, everyone got sick (my mom, dad) and then last weekend, Orion and myself got it. It's been heartbreaking seeing the little guy congested and coughing. I bought a Vicks Vapourizer machine to help ease the congestion at night. I think the worst of it is over and we're all on the mend now.

Our flight left on Tuesday the 6th at 3am. Driving to the airport, I had that same feeling of peace and serenity driving back from being reunited with my SM that I described a couple of entries back. On the way to the airport, it was lightly raining but the city was still alive with celebrations and fireworks were going off for Ganesh. It was just magical! I was happy to be leaving (we had been there for 44 days and only seen the sun once or twice) but thankful to Mumbai for everything and all of the people I had met along the way.

The international airport in Mumbai is an interesting one. It's as if the ground level and the lower level are two completely different worlds. The ground level feels like something from 20 years ago whereas the lower level is modern with restaurants, coffee shops, stores, etc.

Anyway, once we checked in with the airline, we were lucky to be upgraded to business class once again to accommodate the baby. I'm just gonna say it: the airline flying to and from Mumbai was Lufthansa and they have been nothing short of AMAZING with their customer service and accommodating us and our needs. Following check-in, it was then time to go through immigration... what we were dreading most. Except... nothing happened. My mom went with Orion, then I went and finally my dad... and no one from immigration asked us anything. Woohoo! Then it was time to go through security and that was a bit frustrating. Once it was my time to go through the x-ray, security asked me to take Orion out of the carrier so the carrier could go through the x-ray. I was like, really? C'mon now. Once that was done, I put Orion back in his carrier and we proceeded to the escalator for the lower level where the dates were. Before going to our gate, we stopped at the coffee shop for a little caffeine. Once it was time to pre-board, we went to the ticket counter at the gate and they took our tickets. Except there was ANOTHER security guy there, inspecting all carry-on bags. Since Orion's carrier had no airline tag on it, he wanted us to go all the way back to security screening and get one. I was clearly expressing my displeasure at that point. I said no no no, we had already done this and I wasn't going back there with the baby. Ultimately I had to go back but was escorted so upon my return to the gate, the agent would just take Orion and myself through the line, to the front at the gate.

The flight from Mumbai to Frankfurt was pleasant since we were in business class and Orion had a bassinet seat. In Frankfurt, our stop over was around 5 hours and that's when my mom started feeling sick. That's when everything went downhill. This was because our flight from Frankfurt to Ottawa was Lufthansa but Lufthansa "operated by Air Canada." Noooooo! Air Canada is an awful, awful airline and I try to avoid it at all costs. First, no one was announcing where the gate was. It wasn't showing up on any of the boards. It wasn't until we asked that we were told it had been moved. Once we got there, we realized we'd have to take a bus from the gate to the plane. I also asked the agents there if we could please have a bassinet seat for the baby. I was told it was doubtful since the plane was overbooked. I said, "So?" I asked, "Can we please have our seats reassigned to the bassinet seats if the people already assigned to those seats don't have children with them?" I was told to ask again later on. I didn't as I was getting nowhere with these "customer service" agents.

The bus arrived and pre-boarding was called. We boarded the bus. Then suddenly, everyone else crammed on to the bus, rendering the point of pre-boarding the plane pointless. There would be no pre-boarding of the plane, we guessed, since everyone was on the bus. Once we got to the plane, there was a mad dash by everyone to get off the bus. Once the bus had been emptied, there was no one there to help a young mom travelling by herself with her toddler. No one from Air Canada helped her and her child off the bus onto the plane with the stroller. It was truly appalling.

Once we got on the plane, we found our seats which were the second last rows. I asked the flight attendants if we could please be reassigned so the baby could rest in the bassinet and they said they would ask those already in those seats. Awhile later, the attendants returned and said the couple there didn't want to change seats (with us, we have a baby!) as they had specifically asked for those seats in advance. So Orion stayed in his carrier but took turns being on my lap and my mom's. It was about to be the longest 7-8 hours ever.

At some point during the flight, there was a medical emergency. The toddler to the young mom I mentioned earlier, stopped responding for several minutes. There was panic among the flight attendants and they had to ask over the intercom if there was a doctor on board. The child ended up being fine a few minutes later.

We've been home for almost 2 weeks now and have been busy trying to get back into the routine of normal life. Getting Orion's health card, taking him to his first check-up, etc. He had his first doctor's appointment last Friday and my doctor said to me, "I think he's going to be a big boy!" Last night he had a sleepover at his grandparents so I could take care of a few things during the day and get a few hours of sleep during the night.

Fall is definitely in the air here and it's so great to be able to do the little things like take him for a walk in his stroller, watch him stare at the leaves on a tree blowing in the wind, etc. I'm hoping to be able to put up more pictures in the next few weeks but in the meantime, here he is at his first doctor's appointment last Friday!