Flight Home

Our little peanut is sleeping, so its time to hit the computer and tell you all about our trip home! Here goes... (unless she wakes up! ha ha ha....)

Friday morning 9:30
The taxi arrived right at 9:30 and we piled in with all SIX suitcases, a diaper/carry-on bag and backpack. Its AMAZING how much stuff this little princess needs! ha ha ha... When we arrived in Korea, two of our suitcases were filled with foster family gifts and donations to the baby reception center. It was good since we had received so many gifts from SWS, her birth mother, and especially her foster family that we had two empty suitcases we could fill to return home with. We also bought many gifts for her that we will give her over the years for her birthdays. So we piled in the taxi and headed to the airport with Addi on our lap. They do not use carseats in Korea so Miss Busybody went back and forth between sitting on my lap and sitting on Jeff's lap. It took us about an hour to get to the airport, but she was great the whole ride. Once we arrived at the airport, into the carrier she went. I am so glad I have the Ergo baby carrier! It is so comfortable to carry her and she really likes it! It also freed up my hands to carry luggage.

Once we exchanged our Korean currency back to American (except for a few bills and coins to keep for the boys and her), we checked in. It took a little longer than normal at the United counter because of Adelyn's ticket, but soon we were on our way. We had to go through security and customs in Korea, but we got through without any delay. It was a little weird going through customs because we had our two American passports and Adelyn's Korean passport. After checking our passports, they ushered just Adelyn and me aside (which did make me a little nervous) and took her passport into an office. They told me to wait outside. Within minutes, they came back, handed us her passport and told us we were all set. I think there was a paper stapled inside that they needed. She smiled and waved to them and then we headed towards security. We went through security quickly without making us take her out of her carrier. That was very nice! They just gave me a pat down instead and checked the pockets on the carrier. By the time we got to our gate, they had just started boarding. We had just enough time to change her diaper and find some warm water at a little cafe for her bottle, then it was time to board the plane!

12:40, Flight from Korea to Japan

Our first flight was wonderful. We were able to get bulkhead seating which gave us lots of leg room. As soon as we started to take off, I gave Addi her bottle. She drank her bottle and fell right asleep like a little trooper!




The stewardess offered us a bassinet for her (it was a soft sided rectangular box) and she just fit and was able to lay flat. She looked so cute all snuggled up in it!

































She slept for the entire 2 hour flight and was still sleeping on my shoulder when we got ready to exit. She got so many smiles and ooh's and ahh's from everyone. She is such a cutie!!

4:55, Flight from Japan to Chicago
After landing in Japan, we had just a little bit of time to get something to eat. We figured since we were in Japan, why not have some Japanese food! We found a little Japanese cafe and had garlic chicken and tempura fried vegetables and shrimp (at least we think that's what they were! LOL!). It was good, but not as good as Korean food! We love our Korean food! I already miss it!

Soon it was time to board. We were keeping our fingers crossed that we would get another empty seat next to us to be able to stretch out like we did flying to Korea, but no luck this time. We sat next to an older gentleman. He was very nice and didn't seem to mind her squirminess at all. We warned him that she did like to cry when she got tired, but that we were hoping she was going to do good on the flight. Our flight was eleven hours. The plane was great because each seat had its own TV screen mounted to the back of the seat in front of it. Also, each TV monitor let you control what you wanted to watch! There were movies and TV shows. Most of the movies were all new releases too! While Addi was sleeping, I watched "Unknown" with Liam Neeson (great movie!) and "Just Go With It" with Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston (hilarious movie!). The rest of the time, Addi and I watched Finding Nemo at least 3 times! She loved the fish at the aquarium and loved seeing the fish on Finding Nemo too! She would try to touch them on the TV. It was very cute!

Of course her schedule was completely messed up with the time change, and Jeff had set his watch to Korea time to try to keep her on her sleeping schedule. She fell asleep a few times for little catnaps for about an hour at a time, but nothing long. This little one has a VERY set schedule. She is used to going to sleep at 10:00 and if you try sooner, she just won't do it. So we played the "pass the baby" game for about two hours!








































She played and played and was very happy, but was VERY active going back and forth between Jeff, me and trying to crawl over the seats behind us. We were counting down the minutes until she would hopefully sleep for the rest of the night (at least that is what we hoped). We could tell she was getting tired because she starts tugging her ears and whimpering. Soon the crying started. I tried to take her near the bathrooms, but she was really screaming. She gets very upset right before falling asleep and cries very hard. It lasted about 10 minutes and she was out. We tried laying her down on our laps between us, but she was very fitful and kept rolling and turning over. Of course, Jeff and I couldn't move and every part of our body that made contact with the seat was falling asleep! Finally, we asked a stewardess if there was a bassinet we could use to lay on our laps. She said she would check but there was only one on the plane! We crossed our fingers and guess what? She found one! As soon as we laid Adelyn in it, she settled down and slept much more soundly. We laid the bassinet on top of our two trays and it was perfect. We could stretch our legs and move a little. She slept about five hours until they turned the lights back on the plane to serve a meal... grr.... Oh well... she played very well after she woke up. Besides crying right before going to sleep, she was a great baby!

We finally landed in Chicago... very very tired since we had only gotten about an hour of sleep. We left Korea at 12:40 in the afternoon and somehow landed in Chicago at 2:30 the same afternoon... hmm... not sure how that works since my butt assured me that I had been sitting on a plane for 12 hours!! It sort of feels like you are a time traveler. Everyone around us said it was Friday afternoon, but we knew it was really Saturday and they were just crazy! LOL!

We saw a very long line for customs and got nervous, but actually got through very quickly. They never even went through any of our luggage! We did have a big envelope of paperwork for Adelyn that we gave the customs official and that was it! He just asked us some questions and sent us on our way after congratulating us! WOW!

There were so many people smiling at us and asking us if we had just got her. We must have had that proud parents looks on our faces! Jeff wore his adoption shirt that said "Fatherhood requires love, not DNA." It was so nice to be so close to home!

First Meeting with Uncle John, Aunt Sharon, Jackie and Danny!
As soon as we made it through customs, we called Jeff's brother who lives outside of Chicago. They had already all driven to the airport and were waiting to meet their new cousin/niece! Adelyn was sooooo good and so happy to meet them! She laughed and smiled and even let them hold her (as long as Mommy stayed close!). It was so great to have them see her bubbly little personality! She got the cutest little angel bear from them which she loves to snuggle with! Everyone was racing to take pictures and post them to Facebook! She has quite a fan club following her!

6:05, Flight from Chicago to home
We raced through security... of course American security is much different. They made us take off the carrier, remove our shoes, belts, remove the contents of our bags and even had to X-ray her bottle! It didn't make any difference how snuggled in and happy she was in the carrier... it all had to come out and off. I would have even opted for a pat down! Then in our hurry, I made the mistake of setting the carrier on top of our laptop. Big mistake. Had to re-Xray it again. The lady took her sweet time putting it back through the machine. Grrrr... we only had a few minutes to race to make our flight! As soon as we were through security, we ran to our gate. Adelyn laughed and squealed because of the bouncing as I was running. Finally, we arrived at the gate...

6:15, Still not boarding
grrr....

6:25, Flight delayed until 7:05
GRRRR....

6:45, Boarding plane

7:15, Sitting on plane

7:25, Still sitting on plane
At this point, even the captain is apologizing to us and telling us he has no idea what is going on and that they have been requesting clearance for 30 minutes. We finally found out later they were waiting on 16 college students who decided to take a bus home when they thought they were going to miss the flight anyways! Then there was a problem with baggage that had been brought out to load on the plane, but had missed getting X-rayed and had to be brought back inside!! Really???

7:45, Plane finally ready to leave!
Then it was really time to leave! We were going home! The flight was short- 32 minutes exactly. Adelyn fell asleep immediately.

Back in Michigan
Once we exited the plane, she started to wake up a little but was still so tired. I could hardly get off the plane quick enough knowing my boys were waiting around the corner for us! I missed them so much! As we started walking by a flight attendant, she said "This must be her." How did she know we were coming? But then we rounded the final corner and there was a crowd of our family welcoming us home with banners and balloons! My dear boys, grandparents, brother, sister-in-law, cousins, aunts, uncles... everyone waiting for us! I couldn't hold back the tears! I couldn't believe it! It was amazing! Jeff and I were both so choked up and overwhelmed at the support we have had to welcome this little one home. She is so loved by so many people! They even patiently waited an extra two hours because of our delay!

The boys came running up to us and Kolby was crying. They both missed us so much. They hugged us and looked at Adelyn and hugged her and said how cute she was. Then Adelyn started to wake up, but being so overtired, she was not her normal happy self... instead, she started crying... then SCREAMING. I have now learned that this is her tired cry and not a scared cry. Since she had just woke up, she was not happy! I felt bad that everyone was waiting to meet her and she was so upset, but we just held her and passed her back and forth between Daddy and me and pretty soon, the cries turned into little sniffles and snorts and then the smiles started! That was the little one I know! All smiles and laughs! She even gave her little cousin Aiden a kiss and tried to take away his pacifier! It was so funny! After a few more minutes, she was awake and happy again! She went to Amy and Uncle Jim to be held. She smiled at grandma and gave Carson a kiss. As we walked out to the parking lot, she was laughing and giggling at Carson and Uncle Art. It was so wonderful to have our family see what a sweetie she is! She is such a happy little girl and so outgoing!

Then it was time to say good-bye and we all headed in the van for her first car ride in a car seat. We weren't sure how it would go, but she just smiled, laughed a few times at the boys and then fell asleep! What a good girl!


























































It was so nice to be home! There were more balloons and posters decorating our house to welcome her home. There was even a huge plant on the table decorated with American and Korean flags. It was Korea's national flower! It was from our parents, brother/sister-in-law, aunt, uncle and cousins. How special and thoughtful! I can't wait to find a special place in the yard for it!

We were so blessed to have had such a safe journey and that she was so good on the plane. I know these were answers to everyone's prayers. Thank you! Now onto our next project.... Project Sleep Through the Night! LOL!