in the category of mothers think they are special

This story could also be filed under the "women who are (insert not very nice adjective) at baseline"

First of all - I am feeling much better about life.  Still in a weird limbo, but at least now emotionally stable.  But this story is not about me.  This story is about the most heinous person I have ever sat next to on a plane.

A little background to start - The hubbie and I have been wanting to go to Hawaii for years but with the whole cost of the treatments it was on indefinite hold.  We started thinking about going again after the bfp, but then when we got the first trimester screening news - well lets just say that we could spend the money on  Hawaii or a psychiatrist.  So here I am - under some palm trees with my coffee and a laptop - feeling like everything is going to be just fine.

Since the trip was a bit short on the planning stage there was a glitch in the airline reservation and we did not get assigned seats.  My husband spent lots of time on the phone followed by lots of time in the airport to try to get us seats on the plane together.  After an even bigger total screw up on the part of the airlines with our reservation and the need for change in the type of planes at the last minute - everyone needed to be re-assigned their seats and we didn't have any.

Needless to say, after a 5 hr layover and with all the hormones - I got a little teary.  I don't know if it was that they were the last two spots on the plane or that the guy took pity on me after my sob story with the sobs - but we got upgraded to business class.

(I have never had the money to just fly to hawaii on short notice let alone sit in business class - but let me tell you - it was a little slice of awesomeness.)

So anyway - we are close to the last people to get on the plane and there in my seat  (which is a 2-across middle row) is a sleeping infant nestled in the seat surrounded by the airline blanket and pillows.  (my husband took one for the team and took the other last seat next to some very infectious looking person who was hacking nonstop)

"excuse me . . . is this seat 9G? . . . I think I got assigned to sit here"

"well the airline said I could have this seat for my baby"

"well I'm really sorry but this is where I have been assigned"

"honey. . . come here and watch the baby"  she then proceeded to leave the infant in my seat and have her husband come guard the area. (and she goes off to chew someone out)

Meanwhile I have nowhere to sit - nowhere to put my luggage and she refuses to move the kid and there are people pushing past me to get to the regular seating area.  At this point I am so done with the day that I got up to the flight attendant and just start crying.  I felt terrible - I didn't want her to have to move her baby out of the seat that she felt she was promised, but it was not my job to be the bad guy.  The flight attendant then had to escort me to ask the woman to remove the child and reiterate that this was not my fault.  I apologized (choking back tears and just shaking because I feel bad), and she moved the 4 month old - but boy was I the recipient of a really dirty look.

I look at moms and families on planes and I always have a certain amount of sympathy and respect.  With all the gear and the soothing and the attention that the kids need to stay calm - it looks exhausting.
Turns out she was p/o'ed because her family and nanny were forced into business class instead of first class (which I think other than electronic reclining to the seats looked the same to me).  This was also the LAST seat on the plane and she but had NOT bought a ticket for the baby.

For the remainder of the flight she proceeded to hog the entire space and pretty much disrupt everything.
The floor space and baggage space under the seats was covered with no less than 4 separate carryons of hers which she didn't offer to move when I sat down, blankets that she kept kicking to my side, and she used the armrest for herself and her food.  Instead of standing up in the aisle to rock her baby - or in front of her 2 other kids, nanny or husband in the other business class aisles, she proceeded to stand next to me moving back and forth for a good portion of the flight. (even climbing over my feet once)

At the end I was really tempted to say something about her behavior but I refrained.  (trying to hold onto as much good karma as possible.)  Obviously if you can afford to fly your whole family and nanny first class you can cough up the dough for an extra seat for your infant if you want it.  If anything I should have been the one shooting the dirty looks.  All I wanted after working all night the night before was a good 5.5 hr nap. Interestingly the baby was fine for the flight - slept most of the time and when awake didn't complain too much.  Problem was the woman sitting next to me had such ADHD in getting up every few minutes and playing with her IPad that I didn't really get much relaxation out of the flight.

I don't know what bothered me more - the fact that she thought she was special because she was obviously wealthy or the fact that she thought she was special because she had an infant. Maybe it was a manifestation of my new anxiety around babies or a hint of jealousy for all that she had, but obviously took for granted.

Or maybe she really was just a heinous person.