N O V E M B E R
8
A 4:00 AM
wake up call came MUCH to early when bedtime
wasn't until 11:00 PM. The only other time I can
remember being so exhausted was after a 49.5 hour
labor with our son John!
Upon arriving at LAX, everyone couldn't have been more
accommodating. So many women would stop and want to
know all about Elizabeth and since Dave had her in the
baby bjorn we nicknamed her the 'Babe Magnet'. Our US
Airways check in counter person was a lifesaver and
blocked the middle seat and made sure it stayed empty
for us as we decided to only get a 'lap ticket' for
the domestic legs. Security was efficient and polite,
and we have had a terrific experience both ways using
LAX. Being on a domestic airline was also a treat. We
were finally able to understand the pilot, and best of
all, the air temp. was perfect. The flight attendants
were very gracious and brought us anything we needed
for her and more. Thank you US Airways!
Elizabeth has let it be known she does not care for
the inside of an airplane. She has already logged in
over 23 hours of actual flying time in only 2 weeks
and I think at least 50+ percent of that time was
crying.
FINALLY, we found ourselves on the last leg of our
journey for the short flight from Charlotte NC back to
Tri Cities. We landed and let the other passengers get
off first while I tried to sneak a bow into Miss
Lizzie Beth's hair so she would look even more
adorable for Grandma who was picking us up. Elizabeth
made it very clear she would have no part in this bow
stuff.
We gathered our belongings and proceeded to the main
terminal. As we turned the corner we heard cheers and
saw a sea of flags, balloons, and best of all, OUR
FAMILY AND FRIENDS!!!!! We were so humbled by the
many, many people that were there to welcome us home.
Elizabeth was delighted and didn't seem overwhelmed at
all. The party girl was ready! So many of our friends
that had already adopted from China brought their
children and Elizabeth got a sneak preview of her new
social life. Our family and friends made our
homecoming perfect!! It was beginning to sink in that
YES we were really home.
When we got home, we walked in and found a huge
"Welcome Home Elizabeth" sign and the room filled with
balloons! Friends Bonnie and Bill Messerschmidt,
Brittany Robinson, Shelley and David Swindler,
Grandma, and others had brought delicious food,
flowers, decor etc! Our frig. was stocked, fresh
flowers and gourmet goodies on the table! What a
wonderful surprise!!!!!!
My sweet Mother had folded all of Elizabeth's new
things and put them away (along with so much more)
during our trip. Joel and Donna Sanders, thank you for
printing all this out the whole time so Grandma could
read it! Now, do you think you can talk her into
getting her own computer??
Elizabeth loves her new room. We think she feels
secure in her crib as she slept from about 8 PM to
4:30 AM. Then went back down around 7:30 or so for
over 2 hours. The marathon flight from China that she
didn't sleep through and cried for so many hours just
may have helped adjust her to EST! (I'm knocking on
wood as I type). She went down again tonight at 8:15,
so hopefully we can gradually keep her up a little bit
longer each night to avoid the 4:30 AM wake up call.
She had a full day today, including a Dr's
appointment. (Meg, you were off today, so we saw one
of your partners) All tests so far have come back
normal and there are still more to go, but everything
seems to be perfect! God answered our prayers to
protect her and keep her well.
Last night she hated the carseat on the way home from
the airport, but today, it was an entirely different
story. She even fell asleep on the way home from the
Dr's office in it!
Tomorrow is the day John will fly home, escorted by
Aunt Gail (Dave's sister) and the excitement on our
part is almost enough to keep us awake! (notice
'almost'). We can't wait to see our 'Bud' get off that
plane and be in our arms again. Gail and Jerry, we
just can't thank you enough for loving John and caring
for him during our trip. We can tell he has had such a
great time. I hope he WANTS to come home :) We spoke
with John today by phone, and the first thing he
wanted to know is if his sister was waiting for him
yet. She was just waking up and you could hear her in
the moniter, so I put the phone next to it for John to
hear her. John was elated, and I could hear him say
"Uncle Jerry, Uncle Jerry, I heard Elizabeth!! She was
talking to me!!! My heart melted.
Late tomorrow they meet!
We are exhausted, and couldn't be happier.
Love,
Susan, Dave, John David, and Elizabeth |
The crowd is
still gathering
What a sight for
sore eyes
Seeing all the
faces
The press
The Fox News crew
Mom and Dad are
overwhelmed...
Lizzie Beth is ready to party!
 |
