Day eight - landing in the US!

I forgot to add this pic to yesterday's post of Paula, Michelle and me.  This was while we were waiting our 3 hours before boarding!

After take off, and one of the few times Little J was awake.  We were both exhausted by the end of this week and I was so hoping I would sleep as well as I did on the way over.  No such luck!  Tim, he was like me on the trip over, could hardly keep him awake!  I am so grateful Little J was so peaceful and content and slept so much. 

Landing in DC, YAYYYY!!

Michelle's dad was able to drive to the airport to meet his new grandson (and pick up his wife Annette!).  We arrived in DC at 7:35 a.m. and our next flight to Chicago didn't leave until 2:30.  My cousin Paula to the rescue!  She rented a car so she could have a car seat and she came and got us.  When she arrived I looked at the car seat and had to chuckle.  I hadn't thought about mentioning "Little" J's size and she just told the car rental company that Little J was 4 months old, so they installed an infant car seat!  Hehe..... seems reasonable and it was pretty funny seeing her in it.  I can't find any pics so I think I must have taken one with my phone.  We fit her in but it was funny and thank goodness it was just a short drive.  This break from the airport was like a little piece of heaven.  I had packed us all a change of clothes and Tim and I took a shower which was AWESOME!  Paula and her husband Eric made us a great breakfast, eggs and bacon, mmmmmmm good!  Little J got a little nap in and while we didn't nap, it was so wonderful to have a rest on a comfortable couch!  After our change of clothes:

Paula and Little J

Wow, can you tell the difference in those cheeks (not Paula's, ha!) that everyone said looked like mine to her current pics?  Her body reshaping is starting from the top down  :-)  (and no comments that my cheeks have not changed.....).

We were a little worried about our plane change in Chicago, we had less than one hour and we were in a totally different terminal.  We had scoped it all out on our flight the previous Saturday before heading to DC so we knew exactly what we had to do.  Carrying three carry on bags (Little J got one too) and Little J we knew would slow us down.  Can you believe it, our flight from DC actually arrived EARLY!  We were golden!  We got to our gate with plenty of time to spare.  Little J had been awake most of the time since we had arrived in the US, minus the little nap at Paula's.  She was madder than a hornet right before we were supposed to board our last flight to home.  There was no waiting to give her a bottle at take off.  After she had that, she fell asleep in exhaustion again right as we were boarding the plane.  I had cute little matching outfits for her and for Big J and I only got her in part of it.  Little did I know that Big J was not too thrilled about having to change into her special outfit but "Aunt" Judy was able to do it!  When Tim and I got on the plane, for some reason our seats were across the aisle from each other.  I didn't think it would be any big deal so I got situated and all buckled in while Little J continued to sleep.  The stewardess came and told me I couldn't sit there - I now can't remember the reason but think it was something to do with the oxygen masks, it wasn't really all that critical in my exhausted state, heck it was less than an hour flight!  All I remember is I was so exhausted and had finally gotten Little J settled down and she wanted me to move? WHAT???  Couldn't she see I had been on planes for 19 + hours at this point and had this last one hour flight??  Ohhhh, I was so stinkin mad but I moved.  Tim was out sleeping before the plane even took off so I guess it was just as well I wasn't sitting next to him, ha!  I sat next to a gentlemen and we started talking, I told him how we were just coming back from Ethiopia.  He started telling me about his trip to pick up their adopted child in Russia a few years earlier so we had a really nice talk.

FINALLY, back HOME!  You know how on some small planes you have to give them your carry on luggage and they actually put it underneath the plane and then when you get to your destination you wait at the plane door as they bring this luggage back up?  We had to do that with our two bags and you guessed it, the very LAST ones they brought up!  I was about to high tail it and leave Tim to get them, I wanted to go give Big J a big hug but I was sorta patient and waited for him :-)  This was our greeting party waiting patiently:

Remember the families that I mentioned that all live right in close proximity?  Well how special to have 3 of the families there to greet us along with Big J and my best friend Judy and her husband, "Uncle" Bob (the both of whom spoiled Big J rotten on her week vacation with them!  You guys are THE BEST!).  And Sarah and Ryan were so generously kind as to pick up our van after we left the airport the previous Saturday and keep it at their house and return it a week later so we wouldn't have to pay to park it in long term parking and oh yeah, brush off snow from it sitting outside!  Jen had offered to do this too, I tell ya, great families!

I think they must know we have landed (didn't know it would be -what seemed like- 20 minutes before we would appear:

Finally!!

This is the ONLY time Little J's eyes opened, and it was for about 2 minutes!

Then back to this:

No dad, you have to drive home, wake up!

"Aunt" Judy and "Uncle" Bob

We got to our house around 9:00 p.m.  Put Little J in her new crib right in her clothes and the fleece snowsuit.  Big J was so cute the entire ride home, she talked real soft so as to not wake up her new little sister.  When I put Little J in her crib, Big J went to get a small step stool and put it right next to the crib because she had to look at her little sister.  She looked and looked and then said, "I love you Little J".  What a sweet ending to an incredible week that brought us such a treasure!  We all slept so peacefully that night!