...And...we're back

Hello again from Lansbury Avenue.  It is good to be home.  Our travels were okay - on a packed 2.5 hour flight from Guangzhou to Beijing, we were separated and Nina and Lillian were in the back of the plane while Max and I were about 30 rows ahead.  She said that Lillian made her presence known once again to her neighbors.  Being strapped in with a seat belt makes her unhappy.

If I miss my connection, you're gonna have big trouble

As this flight was delayed an hour with mechanical problems, our layover in Beijing disappeared and we had to get from the domestic terminal to the international terminal and pass through immigration on the way to our LAX-bound flight.  We got to the gate about 15 minutes before boarding - thanks in large part to a passenger cart that gave us a lift and Max was especially pleased with the ride.

On the LAX flight, we had two bulkhead seats (which had been recommended to us by past adoption travelers) and the two seats behind.

No Sir - we don't know anything about that screaming baby.

Nina and Lillian were joined on the bulkhead row by a 7 or 8 year old little Chinese boy flying unaccompanied.  It was his first time on an airplane.  So poor Nina had to parent this kid in addition to worrying about her own family.  It was pretty striking all around - the flight attendants paid very little attention to the kid who had no idea how things worked or when he was getting fed so he kept looking to Nina for help - on a 12 hour flight.  Also, the kid was very sweaty and had weird coloring, so Nina became convinced he had some sort of disease.  If we all end up with Avian Bird Flu - we have a pretty good idea where it came from.

Peek A Boo

On takeoff, we had some of the usual crying and screaming.  Fortunately, we were in an area of the plane where everyone around us seemingly sleept through pretty much anything.  Once the plane reached altitude, things leveled off in more ways than one and Lillian was back to normal - which is to say full of energy and curiosity.  Nina walked her up and down the aisles a few times and sat her in front of the 3D Map that tracks the flight's progress, which interested her for a while, as well as a few cartoons.  There was a fair amount of peek-a-boo with me in the row behind.  Based on China-time, we were headed for the wee hours of the morning.  Eventually, Nina had the idea to let her lay in the aisle in front of the bulkhead with a pillow and blanket and that sufficed to get her to sleep for about 5 hours.

She fell asleep a second time toward the end of the flight (in her seat - the flight attendants were not happy about the floor-bed arrangement) and she slept through landing.  She did awaken as we left the plane and with Nina's first steps into the jetway, she became an American citizen.

Land of the free...home of Lillian

Once at LAX we breezed through immigration.  We waited in a short line for the initial passport/declarations check and from there, we were directed to an office for secondary screening - this was expected and where we were to present the sealed envelope we had been given at the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou.  The officers told me to get our bags from the carousel and then join Nina and Lillian in the office.  Well, before I could get the three bags, they were done.  At the final stop before leaving immigration, we were directed to use the Express Lane and congratulated by the officer for our new addition to the family.

We had arranged for a private shuttle to bring us home and for Friday at 6 pm in Los Angeles, there was not much bad traffic along the way, thankfully.

And then, home sweet home.  Corrine, a student who had been housesitting, had everything in good order and our dear friend Kelly Morton not only had dinner waiting, but also had stocked the refrigerator and pantry with a number of necessities and goodies.  When we put Lillian in her high chair for dinner, she let out a big "Yay!" - now that's MY girl!

 Rosy (our golden retriever) was very happy to see us.  Her excitement level was such that we all gave her a good petting and then she had to be put away because she was a little scary for Lillian.

Rosy is a little bit taller than Lillian so it was an understandable response.  By morning, she was getting more comfortable.

We began to show Lillian her home and she climbed up the stairs to her new room and she got very excited admiring all of her new things. She was most excited by the toy stroller that Jo Hardin had given us.  Lillian loaded as many of her new dolls and stuffed animals as could fit in the stroller and pushed them around pleased as can be.















This went on for a while, but wanting to try to get her on schedule - and because we wanted to go to bed ourselves - we gave her a bath and eventually got her into bed.  Despite going to bed around 11 PDT, both kids were up before dawn. Max was happy to check out what was waiting on the DVR.  Nina got up and watched more of Lillian's stroller pushing and had a number of tea parties (she loves tea sets - it must have been all of the tea ceremonies we had in China).    I got to sleep in, but there was more pretend tea waiting for me, as well.  It was great fun.  More and more, she is looking to me to be silly with, which is one of my stronger parenting skills.

So glad we saved this art table from Max.  She has a place to do her work.

Max talks to Grandma Judith while Lillian listens to songs on Mommy's iPhone

Then - well - life began again.  I dropped Max off for a play date and headed to the super market.  As I stood in front of the dairy case, I stopped myself before picking up the usual half-gallon of low fat milk.  I realized we were probably a gallon jug family now.