another milestone!

365 days ago, TODAY,

we landed on US soil with Micah! He really did amazing on the flights home. I'd say he slept close to 95% of the 15+ hour flight from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to DC. It had been an exhausting week for him, and, he was not feeling well at all (that pesky transitional home upper resp infection). Every time he woke up, we fed him a bottle, changed his diaper...then back to sleep. However, I would be remiss if I didn't elaborate on the diaper part...heh heh! On our international flight, we were seated in a bulk-head row so we could use a bassinet for Micah. Well, this particular row happened to be right behind business class. Let me just say, those poor people did NOT get their money's-worth on that flight! Micah had the worst (and I mean WORST) smelling poop ever!! Everyone around us was gagging and covering their heads. I'm so not exaggerating. The man next to me actually placed his eye mask over his nose and mouth. Although I'm not sure if it was Micah's aroma or Micah's nasty cough that prompted him to be so resourceful...or, maybe both.

Micah asleep in his bassinet on Ethiopian Airlines

Worn-out daddy...poor Micah had no idea that he was about to touch-down on the other side of the world (I still have a tinge of sadness when I think about moment--taking my son from his birth country).


Our first night at home. Micah's cough had gotten much worse at this point--uncontrollable coughing spasms. I was afraid to leave his side--so I kept him by mine all night. I was so ready to hop in the car and drive him to the ER! I vividly remember telling Vince that "we didn't go through all this, only for him not to live through his first night home". I was tired & scared! So Vince called a friend/physician/adoptive-ET dad who was able to calm my nerves.
(BTW, this is where Micah slept his first few nights home...then he moved to a papasan in our room...then to a pallet on our floor...then to the couch, with me on the other...then, finally, to his crib in his room!)

Welcome'd-Home at the airport by Mimi, Papa & the cousins.
...now tell me, again, where am I?? and who are all these white people???