Monday, August 11, 2008

We left China on August 7th, starting with a 4:30 am wake up call and 5:15 departure from the White Swan Hotel. Karie and I could hardly wait to get home, but I'm not sure Liza was in the same mode. She did fine on the Guangzhou flight, she was fascinated by everything on the plane, and of course, ate the peanuts and lunch provided on the 2 1/2 hour flight. We arrived in Beijing without incident, and had a relaxing time in the business class lounge. Liza charmed everyone with her adorable smile. We were so happy that she was reasonably calm!

Not surprisingly, the calm ran out right when we were on the plane and ready to take off. Liza most likely hasn't worn a seat belt in her life, and she wasn't about to start then. It took Karie and I and some convincing by a Cantonese-speaking passenger to get her held down for the take-off. She was not a happy camper. Karie and I both hit a wall mid-flight, and I kept looking at the screen that said 13.15 hours until arrival in Newark, 12 hours until arrival in Newark, etc., hoping that the time would go a bit faster. No such luck.

We finally got into Newark after being delayed in Beijing while the various dignitaries flew in for the olympics, and had to race through customs and immigration and to our next gate. Liza was about done with the whole travel thing, as were Karie and I. Karie headed off for her gate to Buffalo, and Liza and I to the Rochester gate. Just to add more to the trip, the Newark-Rochester leg was delayed 2 more hours, and I finally threw in the towel and headed to a hotel for the night. Liza crashed for 5 hours, while I watched the clock trying to decide if I had the energy to go through the security lines again.

The last leg to Rochester went without a hitch- I think she really needed the rest.

I've never been so happy to be back home. Even though we haven't had much rest since we landed, it feels great to be here.

As I sit here, Liza is into everything in the house. It's a big exploration for her, and for her parents, a big adjustment as she needs a lot of attention. Just a few minutes ago, she wandered out of the house down a couple of houses before I realized she was gone! A nice neighbor took her by the hand and brought her back down the street. We spent a fun day at the pool and playground yesterday with Chelsea, Hayley, Brad, Gina and the boys. She really enjoyed her new cousins, and has particularly taken to Chelsea and Hayley. They're great with her, and it's clear they'll have a nice relationship. Liza has also warmed up to Ken in the day and a half. The first day, if he looked at her too long, she'd get mad, and make a funny face that sent a clear message to back off. Today, she is pointing to pictures of him and saying "Daddy".

Well, I will upload the last of our photos when I get together with Karie, since she carried my camera and video back from the trip.

(If you missed our last update from China, check it out here!)