Post-Thanksgiving Greetings

We're home!  Ivy was an amazing traveler and slept all morning while we waited to board our plane in Detroit.  We've been singing praises for our Ergo carrier (thanks, Yvonne & Miya for suggesting that we get one) and Ivy immediately fell asleep as soon as Kevin put her on his back and stayed asleep - as long as he kept walking with her.  I'm sure that he walked several miles back and forth, back and forth, in Terminal A of the Wayne County airport yesterday morning.

You all know what we're thankful for, and what we'll be thankful for in the Thanksgivings to come, but this year we were thankful to gobble down a bowl of pasta and especially appreciate our neighbors, Rob and Cindy, who took care of our cats while we were away and who dropped off pumpkin pie and a 6-pack of Spotted Cow for us last night as we were transitioning from nap time to waking time.  Ivy's nights and days are completely opposite of that in Madison, so we're gently acclimating her to the Central Standard time zone.  And she is working really hard and is teaching us so much about what it means to be a nearly 9-month old teething, jet-lagged baby whose life has just completely changed.  She is a sweet, gracious little girl and the three of us are enjoying being together very, very much.

Ivy enjoyed some traditional Thanksgiving food - she had squash for breakfast and loved it!  She also loved video skyping with her Grandma & Grandpa B., Aunt Kersten & Uncle Jim and her two cousins while she ate her breakfast.  She showed them many tricks.

As close as can be

Ivy, Kevin and I have finally found each other.  Meeting her was a beautiful, amazing moment and she greeted us with smiles and waves.  I forgot my concerns about becoming a family in the middle of an airport and the few people who were in the international arrivals waiting area respected our privacy and I know that we helped make their day a happier one.

We're now back in the room and Ivy is sleeping on Kevin's chest.  We played for a little while and she showed us a few of her tricks: she crawled back and forth between the two of us on the bed, she chewed on a toy and she ate a few bites of applesauce.  She cried for a bit, but swaying back and forth and bouncing up and down in her daddy's arms helped settle her down into a nice deep sleep.  

The CALL!

So, how did the rest of you spend your weekend?  We're spending the weekend packing for a trip to.... Detroit!  We are meeting Ivy and bringing her HOME on Wednesday, November 26.  Hurrah!  The agency in Korea completely surprised us and instead of us flying to Seoul, as we intended to do since the beginning of our adoption journey, they are sending Ivy to Detroit with a loving, experienced escort.  We don't know what happened and this is an extremely rare situation, but I am unconcerned about the specifics - the most important thing is that our daughter is coming home next week and that the three of us will be together for Thanksgiving and for the rest of our lives.  Kevin and I are spending this weekend by going out for dinners and movies, cooking and freezing some meals for our homecoming feast and preparing for our cloistered, special days alone at home where the three of us will start bonding and begin to define who we are as a family.  Thank you to everyone who sent positive thoughts our way.  I am touched by everyone's love and thoughtfulness and I'm looking forward to bringing Ivy home to this amazing community of compassion.