SR left on 8-4, received "The Box" yesterday, traveling to PIR with a baby, advice?

[Carrie1014]

I received the box yesterday, my SR left on Aug 4th. There was a letter written on an airplane napkin tucked in his shoe (every possible space was filled with writing). It was the sweetest thing he could have done and it kept me from crying. I am looking forward to the processing letter with his division # so I can look forward to the PIR date and book my flight. I will be traveling with our very wiggly 11 month old and I was going to do lap seating but from reading several stories on Baby Center regarding lap seating I have changed my mind. Our son is very heavy, loud and wiggly, all a recipe for disaster. I have to bring the car seat anyway for car/cab travel so I may splurge for his ticket. If the tickets are too outrages I may have to do lap seating, with a 5 hour flight from LA to IL this should be all sorts of fun. Is anyone else traveling to PIR with an infant, baby or small toddler?

[esther22ship02div932PIR7-1]

Good luck with the baby!!!  It will be hard, but you'll make it!  I took our 5 year old and one year old to my husbands PIR in July.  We did not have to fly, we drove.  BUT I've flew with my older daughter when she was 1 1/2 and had her on my lap.  I won't lie.....I cried on one of the flights, but only because the stewardess was rude to me and said that I was endagering the entire flight because my daughter had a poopy diaper halfway throught the flight and I had to change her on the floor in the back of the plane (after I plastered it with a couple disposable changing pads of course).  Soooo my advice on the plane ride would be even if you do get the extra seat, you might encounter quite a few hurdles that come with traveling with a baby.  But you'll make it!!  And you'll have the upcoming PIR excitement to get you through.  Will anyone else be traveling with you?  If you are traveling with someone else, I wouldn't get a seat for your son.  If you are going alone, then maybe....it's all up to you.  Make sure you give him something to drink as you take off and land, it will help with the ears popping.  As far as PIR goes, I just recommend not getting there super early.  I did, and there really wasn't any reason to.  Not many people went early, and there were plenty of good seats.  BUT I was part of the July 1st pir which was outside, your PIR will be inside.  Good Luck!!

[Vonecia(Seabee)SHIP07/DIV327]

how was your drive?

[esther22ship02div932PIR7-1]

Drive was easy....but I actually took a few days to get there, I had family all along the way up to Chicago.  So I drove a few hours stayed at my sister's, drove a few more hours and stayed at my grandma's.  It was ALOT of loading and unloading esp with not having my husband along, but we made it and the kids did fine. 

[Bandito's Mom]

I hope that you will have someone to travel with you.  So much easier when you can trade off who is responsible for the baby.  Very difficult for you to get up and go to the bathroom with baby in tow.  Also, baby wants to see Daddy, but I think that it is really important for you to get at least a teeny bit of alone time with hubby.  It will be 2 months after all.  If you can afford the splurge, try to get the extra seat.  Ask if there is a child or infant fare.  .... I know that lots of Moms won't like this suggestion, but have you considered having baby stay with family/friends and traveling without baby?  Has to be traumatic for baby to see Dad for such a short time and then miss him again while he goes to continue his schooling.  Will baby know the difference between 2 mos and 3/4mos?  Grad is on Friday, SR leaves on Saturday, very, very, little time for you and your man.

[esther22ship02div932PIR7-1]

Having been through this I agree the baby won't know the difference one bit and therefore it will not be traumatic.  BUT your SR will want to see his son, and so for his sake you should bring him.  Traveling with someone DEF. will make it easier on the travel, but probably wouldn't make much difference in the area of "alone time".  I would assume your 11 month old takes a pretty descent nap in the afternoon....wha la!!!  alone time!!! 

[Vonecia(Seabee)SHIP07/DIV327]

aww he is so sweet. my husband left on Aug 8 but he isnt really emotional so i wont expect anything like that. How have you been since he left emotionally? I have a 21 month old and a 2 week old son but by the time he PIR comes they will be 2 and 3 months so im in the same situation as you. I was thinking about renting a car and taking my best friend with me and just making it a long drive, but im not really sure. how old can they be to fly do you know?

[Carrie1014]

Thanks Ladies for all the advice! I am contemplating not taking him and just coming back the night of PIR? 

 

esther: can you give me a run down of the PIR, how long will I see my SR? I hear he will leave that night or the next day for A school, so its probably not worth me dragging my 11/12 month old with me if I can just be gone 1 night. I live in CA so it will be a 5 hour flight IF its non stop. It sounds like it may be more trouble to take him, in all reality my son wont notice not seeing daddy for an extra 7 weeks. My husband is the one it will be rough on which is why I want to get an idea of what kind of time we actually get to spend toghether after the ceremony. I am going to write him a letter and ask him if he will mind me not taking our son with, that way he has a heads up, I know he will understand.

 

Vonecia: I think they can fly when they are only a few weeks old. In all honestly I have not cried yet, its been a week today. Personally I think its because we have been together for 4 1/2 years and I know I have to be strong for my child, I also work full time so that is an amazing distraction. I know one of these days I will break and probably not be able to stop, for now I am doing ok and I just take it day by day. Also for me there is no sense in over dramatizing or over reacting about the situation, it is what it is and he will be home, I just keep telling myself that.

 

Bandito's Mom: Yes that is exactly what I am considering, just not taking him. I will make sure its ok with my SR before I make that final decision. :-)

 

[esther22ship02div932PIR7-1]

Well, my husband's pir was different than what your's will be, but I'll tell you how it went down for me.  well, actually I'll spare you the pir details, ours was outside, with different times, so really it was totally different.  BUT I got my husband at around 11:45 we got to our car by 12:15.  He wanted to go get his pictures to give to me then, so he ran to the barracks and we didn't get to pull out of the base till about 12:30.  We got to the hotel around 1 and ordered pizza.  His parents were with us too, so we had lunch, opened some presents, (he missed our youngest's 1st birthday).  We looked at pictures, and watched videos that I had taken of the girls of the past 8 weeks.  We hung around the hotel till about 5pm and then drove around got some icecream, and sat at a sandwich shop to talk and get a little dinner.  Then he had to be back by 8 but my husband said he wanted to get back early and we could talk in the car till he had to leave just to be sure to not get into traffic or something.  So we got him from around noon till about 7:30.  THEN he left the next day for the airport around 2:30am but his flight didn't leave till 9:30.  SOOOOO  the best thing EVER is to go sit with your husband at the airport.  He was super easy to find.  I went to the USO at about 4am, he was right there.  I got a pass to go to the gate to wait with him (not hard to get at all).  And we sat outside starbucks for a few hours, walked around, and said a tearful goodbye.  Our airport time was PRICELESS!!  It was an amazing weekend that will go by too fast.  Personally, the time will go by sooooo fast.  My husband wanted to see our girls soo bad, but really it was convenient for me to take our girls.  My inlaws live only 3 hours from great lakes, so we went to their house after for a couple weeks.  If I was in your shoes, I would very much consider going alone.  Take your son to see him after he's in his new duty station and after he's at least to phase 2.  You'll be able to spend soooo much more time with him.  Good luck with everything!!!  Either way, you'll have a great time!!

 

[Vonecia(Seabee)SHIP07/DIV327]

you were so lucky sounds like the perfect weekend, do you live close to the great lakes?

[esther22ship02div932PIR7-1]

I live about 9 hours from Great Lakes, but have family that's closer.  I've been around chicago quite a bit in my life.  We did have a great weekend, BUT the best weekend ever was after he was out of bootcamp.  My husband is in Pensacola now and I just got back from seeing him for the weekend BY MYSELF!  I left our kids with my parents and got to see my husband from friday afternoon till Sunday night.  He had to spend the night in the barracks, but I was able to get him at 6 am on saturday and sunday.  It was AMAZING!!  We ate out (without kids), went to a movie, went to the beach every day, went parasailing, found a good church, and he showed me around the base.  I had to fly down to see him, and stayed on base which was super nice, and rented a car.  BUT all together only spend 400 dollars, and it was like a second honeymoon (which we never really had a first).  It was just amazing is all I can say, I will remember that weekend forever.  We had our seventh anniversary while he was in bootcamp, and we've been through alot together.  We are both so excited to be a military family now, and this time apart is going to make the next phase so much sweeter!  Good luck with everything, keep busy and the time with fly!  I think having kids at home makes the time go by faster!! 

[nicole~a sailors girl(:]

My boyfriend had his PIR on 7/29

 

It went pretty much like this.

 

We got to the base WAY early(6:30) and sat for about 2.5 hours before the ceremony even started. Cold, hard bleachers, with a lot of people once it starts to fill in. You really can't move around easily, and getting up to go to the bathroom is a hassle if there are a lot of people. His ceremony begun at 9, and ended a little bit before 11. We had 15 minutes to be out of the PIR hall, or he would lose liberty. We went to the NEX to get a bunch of navy gear, and it was like a can of sardines, TOOOOOO many people in there. We then left, and walked back out to the parking garage, and left base. We went back to the hotel for a little bit, then decided to go to Gurnee Mills mall, went to the mall, a lot of people, a lot of sailors go there. We went back to the hotel, and had to get him back on base by 1900. (7pm) The next morning we were told that ALL busses are to arrive at O'HARE at 2 am. So, not wanting to lose time with him, we arrived at 2 am. Only to findout they buss at like 3 different times. 2 am-7am-and around 3pmish. Your sailor may be bussed in at one of these times, and may not leave until HOURS later. They will arrive at the USO, and check themselves in. The USO is in Terminal 2, by the US AIRWAYS check in point. You can go in those doors, and if you look straight up, there will be the USO, there is an elevator over by security that you can take up there, but you ARE NOT allowed inside. Your Sailor will probably come back downstairs to find you anyhow, so just stay around the US AIRWAYS area, it's easier than climbing over seabags and sailors, i promise. Been there, done that. They can't check into their flight until 4 hours before, and cant check their bags in or get their ticket until then. If you're hungry, you can take the tram over to Terminal 5, there is food, and little conviniant shops.  It is VERY suggested that your sailor DOES NOT leave the airport, they NEED to be at their flight, and in chicago, you never  know when traffic will hit and they will be late. When they check their bags in ETC, you can go with them to the check in counter and so long as you are with them, and you have a valid ID, State ID, you can have a terminal pass printed, so you can see him off at the gate. it's usually not a problem at all, and they're very helpful about it. Your sailor and you can go through the "MILITARY SECURITY" line, it takes like 2 minutes to get through security, vs the 40. Make sure he is AT his terminal with plenty of time before the plane leaves, planes change all the time, continue to check the departures board to make sure the gate, and time has not changed. My boyfriends flight was delayed 30 minutes while we were there. But we also saw numerous people miss their flights, it's good to just sit at the gate about 45 minutes prior. I hope this helps, enjoy PIR!! it's a tad chilly in the PIR hall, and around october, Great Lakes gets a tad chilly:)

[esther22ship02div932PIR7-1]

The only thing I would add is if you are a wife of someone in the military you WILL be allowed in the USO.  It was kinda sad, but there were some parents there that wanted to look for their sailor but wouldn't be allowed inside, but I was.  I looked for someone's daughter in the USO for them, but couldn't find her.  Anyway all that to say, if you are a wife, don't be scared that you'll get turned away.