We're home!

We finally made it home after an exhausting day of travel. I apologize for not getting something on the blog and for making so few phone calls last night but we were at our limit.

We awoke yesterday at 4 Guatemala time (5 here) and got showers and finished packing. We woke Jimmy up at 5 and rushed to get him ready. We made it no problem to the shuttle at 5:30 and ended up being with our friends... thank goodness because with all the excitement and work to get packed we didn't see them the last day. We had gotten a little gift for Timmy and gave his Mom and Dad our email. We can't wait to hear how they did getting home. I heard there were tornados in Florida and I hoped things worked okay for them.

We got through the airport security and everything with absolutely no problems. In fact we were walking to our gate at 6:05! There were several families returning through Houston on the same flight as us. Many friends we had made in the hotel. That flight was a breeze. I literally fought our way off the plane when we landed. I was so afraid we would miss our next flight... Little did I know!

As I sat at immigration (they made Brian wait outside) I could hear the thunderstorm. But I didn't think anything of it. And it didn't last long. But the storm affected the airports ability to communicate with the planes and they diverted 16 flights that our gate worker knew about. We rushed to the gate only to sit for 6 hours. It was terrible! We finally left after 4. I was totally unprepared for such a long lay over. We ran out of juice and formula bottles, wipes and I was down to 2 diapers. Itwas horrifying. He went through is pants and got me. We had to strip him down to just his diaper and T-shirt... Which he actually seemed to prefer.

The second flight was not so much fun. We were tired. He was tired. It was pretty miserable. He did as good - if not better - than you could possibly expect. But it was a verrrrry long flight. I will never - EVER - be mean to families traveling with kids. They should get to travel just like everyone else and now I know how hard it is! I think if I had had another formula bottle I could have gotten him down, but he just wasn't having it on the juice we got on the plane.

When we finally landed we were both so happy and exhausted! I was crying. All these people kept coming up to us and telling us we had done a really good job and so had he. I think they felt bad because I was such a wreck. They didn't even know about the adoption stuff! There was one woman though whom had overheard us talking with one of the employees at the airport about our adoption and she knew. When she stopped us she was practically crying and telling us we had done so well. I was very thankful for everyone's kind words, but you still feel like an inconvience to everyone... and I still just couldn't wait to get home.

Katie and I had spoken several times from the airport and she was glued to the computer checking our flight information. She usually had the information before I did. She met us at baggage claim with hot water for a bottle and blankets and our winter coats. She looked like a little pack mule. We plopped him down on the aiport floor with Katie and I while Brian pulled our bags. I made a quick bottle. He flirted with Katie immediately. He wouldn't let her hold him but he liked her right away. I think everyone is going to have to be prepared for that. I will take some time for you to be able to hold him. Just be patient and he will come around. He doesn't kiss but he will lean his head in for you to kiss him and he did that within 10 minutes to Kate.

We bundled him up and said goodbye to the aiport and were out of there! He dozed for a minute in the car but was sort of freaked out. It was his first time seeing Katie, the long flight, and his first time in a car seat. He did great but I think that was more shock than anything.

We woke him up when we got home and got him out of his snowsuit. We changed him and it took me maybe 15 minutes to get him down. He slept through the night like a big (exhausted) boy!

We unpacked as much as we could and made a couple of phone calls. There were some gifts here. Aunt Traci sent a balloon, flowers and a teddy bear and Aunt Hez sent a bog Pooh compliation. Thank you sweet friends. It was so wonderful to come home and have presents and to know everyone was as excited as us. So appreciated to emotional, exhausted travelers! We cannot wait to see you.

This morning we got up early (so Brian and I are still very tired, but we are doing well). We wanted to make sure we were up before him because in the hotel all he had to do was sit up to see us. Here he is in his own bedroom all by himself. Strange scary place and we didn't want him to get freaked out. We unpacked a little more and waited for him to get up. He woke a little before 7, which would be right on time had he gotten to bed on time. The fact that he got up so early surprised me.

We got him changed and introduced him to his room. He was doing great. Checking out his toys (he loves his new walker!). We had a bottle and danced a little to the bongos and the walker's music.

He seemed hungry so we put him in his high chair and gave him cereal. The entire time he wasn't really sure about the dogs. At first when we put him in his walker Wage stuck his nose in Jimmy's face and that freaked him out. But after that he couldn't take his eyes off them. I have not seen anything distract this kid from food but they did!

I was talking on the phone after he was done eating and Brian re-introduced the dogs. Both did great. The dogs were much calmer and he was much more interested. He petted them both. Emma is being the better of the two - maybe calmer would be a better word, because they are both being pretty darn good - but he seems to prefer Wage. He petted them both and laughed at them.

He flirted with Kate all morning and held out his hands to her about three times. We let her take him all three times and once he was there he decided he didn't really want to be there so we took him right back. But he is totally cool with them playing together. He really seems to like her - just isn't ready to be held by her quite yet.

Around 10 he went down for a nap and I have expect this to be a long one. I gave Katie and bottle and the monitor and jumped in the shower. Now I am typing away.

I will try to get to photos ASAP. I have heard the requests! I just need to get the batteries charged and I will start posting.

For those that want to visit - - please don't be offended but we will call you. I think he will do great around people but we want to make sure we don't have too many here at once. And let's face it, the grandmother's have got to meet him! This weekend will be spent with immediate family and then we will go from there. Like I said I think he is already doing great but we need to take it slow...

We love you all and we cannot wait to see you! Thanks for supporting us and being so patient through all of this. We are so glad to be home and so thankful for our little boy!