What is WRONG with people?

Yesterday Lucy and I spent the day traveling from North Carolina to Ohio. The boys stayed with Grandma & Grandpa B., as I'm not brave enough to fly alone with all three of them.


Our first flight was a short one and Lucy did really well. She played for a bit, then got a bit fussy, so I gave her a pacifier, covered her head with her dust rag (our term for her burp cloth) and she passed out. We had an hour layover in Charlotte, which I thought would be enough time to change and feed Lucy. I was wrong, it wasn't. I ended up practically running through the airport to get to our next flight. By the time we got to the gate, everyone had already boarded. We were the 2nd to the last people on the flight and I was an irritable, sweaty mess by the time I sat down. We repeated what happened on the first flight -- played a bit and then went to sleep. I was thinking "this went too well", all things considered, when the pilot came over the intercom announcing that we were heading back to Charlotte because they smelled smoke on the plane. Aggghhh -- I almost cried. I knew there was no way Lucy would continue being a happy camper about the traveling with this delay. And I was right. She did fine until we landed, but she was a grumpy little thing while we waited at the gate for them to decided what they were doing with us. I think we must have waited about an hour between the time we got off one plane and a different one took off. Fortunately, she only fussed for about 5 minutes and screamed for another 5 after we got on the 2nd plane, before I figured out how to calm her. The trick? I had to swaddle her so she couldn't move, cover her head and give her a paci. She slept the rest of the way there.


All in all, Lucy did do really well. Much better than I thought she would.


Now, my complaint is all the people around us. Do people really think a grown woman is incapable of caring for her baby on her own? I can't tell you how many people came up to Lucy and either touched her (a common complaint among the mom's I know) or got right in her face. Hasn't anyone ever heard of germs (yes, we would like to have the cold you are getting over)? Or stranger anxiety (something Lucy has plenty of)? Of just a respect for other people's personal space? I really tried to be polite and stay civil, but by the time Johnna picked me up in Columbus I had completely lost my patience.


I had a gentleman attempt to help me unhook my stroller. He insisted that he help me. So, I stood with Lucy getting fussier by the minute while I watched this man take 3 minutes to do what I could do in 20 seconds. I tried several times to take it back from him, saying I was fine, but he would hear nothing of it. Yes, very very helpful indeed. And while we were waiting for a new plane in Charlotte, I put Lucy in the sling. Several people asked if I needed help (with alarmed looks on their faces that said "oh my gosh, she's going to drop that child") and I politely declined. A little old woman came up behind me, though, and without asking said "let me get this for you" and snapped the clips. She about squeezed Lucy's lunch out of her stomach (and all over my shirt). The straps were too tight because I had last had Lucy on my back. I knew they needed loosened, but this woman didn't. Grrrrr... Yes, people, I have NEVER used this thing before. I thought I would try it out while traveling alone.


I think I need to get a shirt before I head back on Monday that says "I know what I'm doing, I don't need your help, yes she is cute and don't even think about touching her".