"Chicago, Chicago, what a wonderful town!" PART 1

This song kept playing through my head while we were in The Windy City. 

But let me back up...yes, we went to Chicago...to see a doctor who specializes in Dravet Syndrome.  We've been planning this trip for a while and it finally came to pass.  Andy's dad was kind enough to come with us since he has had much experience traveling in big cities...specifically in Chicago even.  It was a great relief to us.  Our mothers and my dad were also very kind to watch the other three kids for us while we were away.  Thank you everyone!

This was not Ben's first trip on an airplane.

It was his first time on an airplane with an iPad though.  

It helped quite a bit but we still had some fussiness.  The stewardess was quite strict about having him in his seat with his buckle done up when there was turbulence.  He did not like the seat belt at all and that was the beginning of our troubles.  Next was the air pressure problem.  He kept covering his ears and crying.  I felt so bad for him.  I tried to get him to eat something so his little ears would pop but he wouldn't.  About the last 30 minutes of the flight he cried straight.  Not only did I feel sorry for him but for all the people around us.  I apologized to those nearest to us as we exited the plane.  They were all very kind and said they had been there before and not to worry about it.  Let's just hope everyone on the plane felt the same way. 

I had never ridden in a cab before.  I felt like I was in a movie.  Once we got downtown I was amazed at how closed in everything was.  For some reason I had pictured wide, open streets but everything was so narrow.  I couldn't believe how close we were to all the other cars in the next lane.  I was just glad I was not the one driving.  

We stayed at the Marriott on the Magnificent Mile.  It was quite posh and I felt like we didn't belong but it was still pretty cool.  We walked just down the street a jaunt to eat dinner at Buca di Peppo.   It was cute and the food was yummy.  Ben ate like never before!  He was eating salad and two different kinds of pasta.  He was bouncing off the walls of the booth too...kissing pictures of baseball players and dancing.  It was quite entertaining for all of us.

 

After dinner we walked back to our rooms and turned in for the night...not until I ate my ginormous piece of cheesecake (with raspberry hazelnut sauce) that I got "to go" from the restaurant though.  It was quite the dessert.  Ben helped me eat that too.  

The morning before we left Ben had awakened at 3:45 a.m. and did not go back to sleep.  Consequently, we were all pretty tired after our long day.  We were hoping that Ben would zonk quickly...especially with such a full belly... but it still took him until almost 11:00.