We got up Friday morning, gave Katie a bath (which she loves!), got ready and I took one of the 2 loads of luggage over to the airport to check it in. This was one of the smartest things I'd done the entire trip! Long before we left home, I had wondered how mom and I would handle all the baggage. I went light on the way there, but we had big shopping plans. Friends had said that once we got to Guangzhou, we wouldn't have to handle the luggage again. That is true, except you must get it from the hotel lobby to the airport, which is not far except when you have 2 carts of luggage plus a baby in a stroller. So I checked us in early with 2 bags, then mom and I returned after breakfast with the remaining bags. In the meantime, we enjoyed one last buffet breakfast with the Rainey's.
The plan was packed (I was told by the flight attendants on both Hong Kong to Chicago flights that this is typical), but we somehow got lucky enough to get economy plus seats which gave us 5 extra inches of space. Every little inch is appreciated. We were told we'd have a bassinet several times, but the flight attendant laughed at us and said that was only for bulkhead seats. I thought that was true initially, but several people, including a flight attendant, said there were bassinets for 'regular' seats, too. Live and learn!
Katie slept like a trooper, though she took up 1-1/2 seats most of the time. She took a short nap when we first got on, giving mom and I the opportunity to have dinner. We played awhile, then she went down for a 8 to 9 hour rest. The flight went amazingly fast for us! I had been dreading the international flight with an infant for almost a year now...everyone likens it to 'labor' that you experience with a biological child. For me, the epidural kicked in at take off and it was relatively pain-free!
Katie enjoying her last bath in China.
Katie and mommy calling home one last time from Hong Kong.
Katie asleep on the plane. This position worked for the first nap, then she was moved to the window seat for her longer rest, where she was at more of an angle so that she took up 1-1/2 of our 3 seats!
As usual, my ability to get these photos in the correct order is limited. This is Katie playing on the floor our last morning in China.
Katie and Grandma getting ready for Katie's last bath in China. She knows exactly what is about to happen and is giddy with excitement (Katie, not Grandma!).
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1 comment:
Congrats on making it home safe and sound! Hopefully your last leg of the flight from chicago to st louis was event-free. It was so nice to be the first "Chicago-an" to greet you as you got off the flight! Katie was still smiling and it was so wonderful to be able to hold your precious little cargo for so long....I can't believe she allowed me to hold her without a problem....She is even more beautiful in person than she is in the pictures...I also recognized everyone from "your group" as they walked by from seeing their pictures on your blog all of the time. What special memories you have! Hope Alex is going well with his new sister. That homecoming had to be awesome! Take care! And thank you for allowing us to be a part of this unbelievable journey! Love cheryl
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