October 20th, 2007

We are up at 4:30 am to get ready to leave. Our bell boy will be at our door at quarter to 6 to take our suitcase down to the van. We get a breakfast to go from the coffee shop at the White Swan. I can't eat it on the way to the airport, which is a 45 minute drive. I am so sad and crying about leaving China. I am trying to memorize all the sights of China. The palm trees, the mountains, it is so beautiful! China is truly a part of my soul and will have a place in my heart forever.

We barely make our plane after having to go through customs and security. After having to fill our a declaration from with our the passport number of all 5 of us and stating what we are bringing home from China, we barely make our plane. The flight from Guangzhou to Tokyo is uneventful, except for having to pass Meizi across the isle to Scott and I, back and forth. She is playing a game and is bored sitting with just one of us, unless I am feeding her. I lay her across my lap and Kelly's to change her diaper. I'm not going to attempt to change her in the unbelievably tiny bathroom where one person can barely turn around, let alone change a baby on the flip-down changing table, that is designed for a preemie baby.
The flight from Tokyo to home is not as pleasant. We experience a lot of turbulence. They delay serving Lunch/dinner because of it and when they do start serving, there is a panicked rush to get the food our and returned before the pilot comes on and says in a half hour we will be experiencing turbulence that will make you "uncomfortable", which is putting it mildly. I pray the wings don't tear off from the jerking from side to side and the dropping. To make it worse, the kids are uncomfortable and can't sleep sitting up in the tiny, confined seats. There is a couple in their 30's who don't have any kids and are very "Kissy Face". I don't know why they didn't request 1st class but they complain to the flight attendant that our kids are making too much noise and are kicking their seats. She comes back and tells us we have to keep the kids from kicking the seats in front of us, they are getting complaints. She isn't kind, thoughtful or tactful, just plain rude and mean. I once again am in tears and in a panic every time Meizi whimpers, thinking they are going to complain again. This couple reclined their seats and didn't but them up the whole flight, even when we were eating. They were so insensitive and thoughtless. I asked Scott to walk the isles with Meizi when she woke up because she was so uncomfortable. He tried standing at the back of the plane with her and a male flight attendant told him he couldn't do that because of security reasons. What was he going to to with a year and a half old baby? When the flight from hell finally ended, we were across the line from all the flight attendants, waiting to go through customs and the same rude attendants were trying to play with Meizi and Jade Lin, who were cranky and sleep deprived. I had a look on my face like, you have to be kidding!
We won't fly Northwest ever again for a long flight like that one.

We made it home and were thrilled to see Scott's sister, parents, our two nephews and Jesse waiting for us when we made it our of customs. Meizi threw up in the van on the way home, I'm sure from the long flight and then the half hour drive back home. She was fine after that.

I hope you all enjoyed reading and sharing our journey to bring Meizi home! We are truly blessed to have her and all of you in our lives!
Blessings from the Milless Family!