So, we're here in Portland. And so is our stuff. Finally. But let's go back to December 15th - the day of the house closing...

Everything was going according to plan - we met the buyers at the settlement office, signed paperwork, were promised a huge chunk of money would be wired to our bank account within 24 hours, and were on our merry way. We went straight to the airport, checked in, made it through security without babies crying and felt like things were just as they should be. Stupid us. Stupid, stupid, stupid us. Our flight was suddenly delayed and instead of having an hour or so between this and our connecting flight to Portland, we were going to have about half an hour or less. Dude went to the desk and explained that there was no way we could do that with Belly, the Bug and waiting for two strollers on the jetway. The ever-so-helpful ladies at the desk changed our flights so that instead of going DC-Philadelphia-Portland, we were now going DC-Phoenix-Portland to give us ample time between flights. It added two hours to our travel, but at least we'd make the planes. I didn't question it because I figured Dude had it handled.

What Dude didn't realize was that this new itinerary gave us a mere 35 minutes between flights - a detail that came to light as we were landing in Phoenix. Miraculously, our strollers were waiting for us when we walked off the plane. Belly & the Bug were thrown into them and I literally ran through the airport pushing both strollers with Dude trailing, toting the four carry-ons. I asked the employee at the top of the jetbridge to call ahead to our gate and let them know we were coming and she said they wouldn't hold the plane for us. Thanks for that! So helpful and exactly what I needed to hear at that precise moment! So we run, run, run to the other terminal, pull up in front of the gate, and they're loading a plane to Houston. What?! "Oh - didn't they tell you at your original gate? Your flight has moved...THREE GATES FROM WHERE YOU JUST GOT OFF THE PLANE." So we run, run, run BACK the way we just came. I'm sweating. As in, sweat mustache. Always a good look. Fortunately, this flight is now delayed 15 minutes and I have time to grab a bottle of water before we board. Alright, I think, time to breathe. Everything is fine.

Only when we give the guy our boarding passes, it beeps in a bad way. It beeps again. And again. He finally says, "Apparently you're not checked in for this flight and your seats have been given away." I just looked at Dude. I was sooooo close to losing my shit right there in the pre-board/first class line. Dude clearly recognized this and just HANDLED it. Calmly and firmly. Like the awesome husband and former tour manager that he is. We got on the plane in our original seats - one window and one aisle with the girls on our laps. The plan was to get the person in the middle seat to want to move so that we'd have a free seat. As it ends up, the very last person to board the plane was a guy in his early 20s whose face just FELL when he saw his seat. Dude looked at him and said, "What the f**k? You don't like babies or something?" The guy was all, "Uhhhh...no man...I mean, babies are cool." Oh my God. I started laughing SO HARD. The flight attendant found him a seat somewhere else. Again, I sighed in relief.

We arrived in Portland and my little sisters met us at the airport. Dude went to get the rental car while I got the luggage. Except...yep, you guessed it...only two of our four bags arrived. Plus our car seats were missing. Have I mentioned that this was 11:45pm Pacific time and we had been up since 6:30am Eastern? The woman at the baggage counter thought something was wrong with me because I wasn't freaking out at her about our missing stuff. I was so over it, though, I just couldn't summon up the energy to be pissed. The two suitcases that had arrived had our clothes and toiletries and that was what was needed the most. We got loaner car seats and went to the crap motel I'd reserved for the night. Ah, sleep. How I needed thee.

We'd made it. We were in Portland. It was all going to be okay.

To be continued...