We are HOME!!

We made it!  We have been home since yesterday afternoon, and are adjusting to the new time, and new family dynamics:)  The journey home began with a taxi mix-up.  We were meant to reserve a van-sized taxi for our airport transportation a few days in advance, and failed to get that memo.  The hotel staff told us we would need to get two taxis to hold all of our stuff.  So we got two taxis, and the hotel staff told them to take us to the airport, and off we went.  The Bangkok traffic and crazy driving of the two taxi men found us seperated from one another within 3 min, and I was utterly terrified and unequiped to do anything about it!  I had no money, cell phone, or anything to communicate with the driver, and prayed the whole time he knew what to do, because for all I know, he could be the bone collector and take me and my new daughter off to the slaughter!  He kept talking to me in Thai and asking me questions.  I just hoped that Dave and Sam would make it to the airport before us, so he could pay my driver!  (How would I explain that one to him, not having any $$?)  Anyway, I am clearly still alive, so we know the end of the story... all worked itself out.  Dave and Sam were on the curb waiting for us, taxi man got paid, and we all breathed a huge sigh of relief! 
Everyone says the flight home is terrible with a newly adopted child.  How do you get ready for something like that?  Norah does not like to sit still, and when she does, she usually wants us to hold her standing up.  Thankfully she slept the full flight from Bangkok to Tokyo, so we had no issues.  BUT... Tokyo to Chicago, the 10 hour leg, was a much different story.  The plane would not leave the gate until she was strapped into a seatbelt, and we had to hold her on both sides while she screamed bloody murder for 20 min!!  The whole taxi and take off, and not until the seat belt sign was off could we even stand up with her.  I swear we, along with everyone within 30 rows of us were traumatized.  I was super angry at the sweet, smiling flight attendant who thanked us for "our cooperation with complying with FAA guidelines"... We spent most of those ten hours pacing the aisles and apologizing to everyone.  Sleep did come in spurts, and we were praising the Lord that one of the spurts came as we landed, because Lord knows we were dreading that fasten seat belt sign! 
We decided Norah's first American food should be a Chicago hot dog:)  So there we sat, on the floor in terminal C of O'Hare, enjoiyng the best hot dogs ever!  She loved it, and her dad was so proud.  The last leg to KC was a breeze.  The flight attendant let her sit on my lap and she didn't make a peep.  Again, still a little mad at the sweet Japaneese lady...  Her and her rules.
We were greeted by our sweet William and Faith and Bryan at the airport!  It was a sweet homecoming!  The rest of the day was a haze, as we were all so tired.  Ruth and Chuck, and Great Grandparents came over, as well as the neighbors to meet our sweet Norah.  It was a lot for her to take in, but after a meal and seeing the kids all play together, she joined in and loosened up a little.  She warmed to Will quickly.  He loves her, and at one point, after she threw something down the stairs, laughed at her and said, "oh my gosh!  She's just like me!" 
At this point, we are fiercely fighting jet lag, an adjusting toddler, and we just want some sleep and a routine.  It will come.  We were up every hour last night with her, and feeding her whatever she liked in the cupboards.  She was so curious, and probably comfort eating, but oh well... she had eggs and other snacks at 4, eggs and more snacks at 5, and then finally found the Thai noodles for another breakfast at 6!  We are praying for a later start to tomorrow morning:)

 

The pic on the top is Norah holding her Thai flag, and Will is putting a necklace on her, and the lower one is our first family of 5 photo in the airport!