Awaiting Aislinn

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Planes, Trains & Automobiles

Our Journey for home started out at 6AM on the 18th. I had checked out the night before so when we went downstairs we popped into the cafe to get Miss Aislinn some breakfast & for mama a cup of coffee. Then we were off to the China Hotel to pick up another family. The ride to the airport was quick and before we know it we were boarding the plane to Beijing. In Beijing we were greeted by Emma (our guide from Xi'An), then off to the Poly Plaza for one night. Andrew ran to McDonald's to get burgers then we all took a nap. For dinner,Emma met us in the lobby and we walked to a Chinese restaurant for a bit to eat. We were glad to be able to spend this time with Emma, she was a great help our first few days with Aislinn. We then walked to Baskin Robins to get some Ice cream. Saturday Morning we were up & out of the hotel for 5am. Another quick ride to the airport. In the Airport, Aislinn had a blow-out diaper so off to the ladies room I went. When I walked in there I was surprise that there wasn't any baby changing station, I wheeled her into the handicapped stall~ took some of the toilet seat covers and laid them on the floor (no I do not have a changing mat) then laid her on the floor to change her, all the while saying to myself "she spent almost three years of her life in an orphanage" We got our boarding passes & were told to hurry that the plane was ready to board. We still had to go thru security & customs plus take a train the the proper terminal.When we got on the plane we realized we weren't sitting next to each other. Since Andrew works for the Airlines (American) & to save money ( boy did we) We decided to take a gamble and travel on Andrew's employee passes. Luckily it paid off for us. We flew First class from JFK to Chicago then Business from Chicago to Beijing, Business back from Beijing to Chicago & Economy from Chicago to JFK(at that point I would of flown cargo I just wanted to get home) but going back to our flight from Beijing, at first all three seat were separated in business but the flight attendant asked a gentleman if he would move & he agreed so Aislinn & I sat together & Andrew was one row behind us. She only slept for 90 minutes on that flight but all in all she was good. Since the seat extend out into a "bed" she was content to lay upside down with her feet up in the air to drink her bottle, play with her toes, look at her books & hold her dog. She also ate well on the flight, every time they would bring something by she would sit right up & go ummm (she even ate a shrimp) She also liked going into the laboratory & looking at herself in the mirror and trying to "kiss the baby". We landed in Chicago @ 7am, After leaving the plane and getting all the way downstairs Andrew realized that he left a bag on the plane so Aislinn & I waited while he ran back up two flights of stairs. When he got back down we continued on to Immigrations. after clearing immigrations, picking up our luggage, customs & rechecking our bags we got onto a train to get to the right terminal. After getting to the terminal we had to go thru another security check (funny all the security checks in China we didn't have to take off our shoes & nothing was said about Aislinn's bottle~ in Chicago they questioned the 2 ozs that were in her bottle from the plane) it was close to 9am. It took a few minutes to find the gate our flight to JFK would be going out of. At this point we knew there was a really good chance that we wouldn't be getting on that flight @ 12:25pm due to our standby status but I had check (before we left China) & knew that there were other planes going out of Chicago to LaGuardia ( the travel distance between the two airports is about 12 miles JFK is on the south shore of the Island & LGA North) I had Andrew Question about getting onto a flight into LGA and we were sent to gate 1(we were at gate 29) we rushed to gate 1 & they were boarding. Andrew talked to the gate agent & was told to wait. After about 10 minutes I heard Andrew talking to her again & his voice was getting a bit loud (I was at this point praying that he wouldn't get himself arrested cause the longer they "talked" the louder the voices were getting) I then heard the words ~ long journey~ China~ our first~ then all of the sudden tunes changed. They got us the last three seats on the plane but they were three separate seats. The gate agent said give me one minute & was able to get some passengers to move their seats and we were on the flight. When we were seated (all the way at the back of the plane) I looked at my phone & had a text message from Micheala, I quickly texted her, my sisters, & friends to tell them not to meet us at JFK at 3:45 that there was a change plans & we were coming into LGA @ 12:30. Just as I was about to shut off my phone it vibrated. A quick "I can't talk, about to take off plz call Mr. & Mrs. M with he change of plans". Michela did that & our flight was off. This was the economy seat so the seats were tight but at this point I didn't care and the flight was only going to be 90 minute. It was a smooth flight & Aislinn slept for part of it. When we landed around 12:45 & I put my phone on I had a dozen text messages from everyone that was expecting to meet us at the airport. Since our luggage was on the plane to JFK we didn't need to go to baggage and continued to the entrance where we were met by Andrew's Mom & Dad. While we were saying hello I got a text from my G/F Lori stating that she was at the airport & where were we. I texted her back & went with my mother in law to the ladies room to change Aislinn's diaper. While in there I decided to go before the ride back home (cause you can never tell with traffic on the L.I.E~ it could take 40 minutes or 4 hours) when I came out of the stall there talking to my MIL & Aislinn was Lori, Pat, Jeanne-Marie & her daughter Olivia. These women have been a life line during our wait & to see then at the end of this journey was awesome. After chatting with them for a few minutes we left to walk to the car & Andrew's brother Peter (who drove them there since my FIL's arm was in a brace from a fall while walking Misty Upstate). Aislinn got right into the carseat with out a peep & we were off. Half way home they decided to stop at a roadside hotdog stand, At this point Aislinn started to whine a bit ( I blamed it on being tired,but once we started to feed her a hotdog she was all smiles again. We dropped my BIL off at his house them we were on our way to ours. When we arrived my sister Jamie & her family was here. They had decorated with balloons & a sign & had flowers for me. My mother in-law went into the house to get Misty & she ran ride out to Andrew who had Aislinn in his arm. He bent down to Misty and Aislinn petted her. Our neighbors also came out to welcome us home. After we were home for a bit Andrew & our brother in law Mike took a ride back to JFK to get our luggage. My sister Kerri came over(without her kids) while Andrew was gone to meet her newest niece. Saorla, Seamus & Fianna were so excited to finally meet their little cousin, when Seamus got close to Aislinn to say hello she held off and slapped him (hitting & biting are 2 things we are trying to work on with her). After Andrew got back with our luggage Jamie's gang left & my mother in law was making Corned beef & cabbage for dinner (since I didn't get it in China). We asked Kerri to stay for dinner so she called her husband & they had dinner with us. Aislinn ate some of the corned beef & the potatoes. By this time it was almost 6:30 & the poor wee chipmunk was done ( in 27hrs she had only slept a little more the 2hrs). So it was off to her 1st night in her new crib. She went down with no problem, fingers in her mouth ( when Andrew's parents saw this they said Andrew use to do this as a baby too) her purple dog and her lullaby cd. About an hour later Rachael, Micheala & Siobhan popped over to see us, they were disappointed that she wasn't up but asked if they could go up & peek in on her. I said yes ( I knew this child would sleep thru anything.) We chatted for a bit then they left. By 9:30 we were all in bed. At 10:30 Aislinn woke up crying with a dirty diaper, afte a quick change & the CD put back on she was fast asleep till 1am when she woke screaming . I ran into her & picked her up, brought her down stairs & gave her a bottle which she quickly drank, another diaper change and she was back down till 6:30am.

4am in Beijing and getting ready to leave

Our Welcome home sign

Grandpa thinks I'm all that

Meeting Misty for the First time

Our Welcome home

Labels: homecoming

| posted by Unknown at 1:54 PM

<< back to the main page

This is an account of our lifes as we head down the path of life towards our first child. An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but will never break." --An ancient Chinese belief

Name: Unknown

View my complete profile

DTC 4/20/07...LID4/26/07. ...Referral 5/27/10~Waiting for our TA...Aislinn Day is March 6,2011