Home is where the Heart is!!

It's 6:02 am on Wednesday morning. My daughter is on the floor playing with her brother, I am drinking my coffee, and Joe is reading the paper. Somebody PINCH ME, for real, we are BACK!!
Leeza was really amazing on the flight. I was a lil worried, as Monday night, I put Leeza to bed at 9 pm and she woke up at 10. She never went back to bed. Kids know when something "big" is up. Inabot came to get us at 1 am and by 3:00 am, Leeza was overtired. She started SCREAMING in the airport waiting area, as in, SCREAMING like when I had to put her snowsuit on her. YIKES! Everyone was giving me the hairy eyeball. I was thinking to myself...Please help me thru this next 32 hours, please, please please...

However, she took a lil nap on the plane, FINALLY, and when she woke up, she woke up a "seasoned world traveler" because she was incredible! The 3200 tenge "potty" worked like a charm..she went in it in the airport, and even on the plane. No poopy diapers for us the whole trip. She went thru 3 diapers (barely wet) for the 32 hour trip home. Not bad lil Leeza, NOT BAD my friend!!!







She was happy, engaging, flirting with everyone near her on the plane. It was so weird, for years now I'm the one staring and cooing at babies. However, a strange turn of events have occurred. I am the one that the people are starting at, staring and cooing at MY baby. How cool is that? At first, I was wondering, why are these people staring at us? Then I realized they speak English and are talking about how cute our daughter is. It's totally surreal!!

Leeza in Frankfurt, where we spent , oh, a 9 hour layover...





It SURE is a LONG way home-wow. I totally commened Joe 1 million times over for making three tips while I got to stay in Kostanai and have the time of my life.
I was SO tired at one point on the flight from Frankfurt to Chicago (the long 9 hour one) that I seriously felt like I was going to throw up I was so tired. Leeza, however, was ready to party. She kept flirting with the lady behind us, and this guy catty-corner from us. She was actually being incredibly cute, blowing kisses, clapping her hands, but I was so tired I couldn't even see straight. I finally put her in the ergo where I knew she'd be safe and passed out. I know she was banging her head into my head, squeezing my nose, and doing all kind of stuff to me, but I didn't care, I needed sleep and I needed it bad. :) Another praise for that ergo...I love that thing!!! It was great for hauling her all over here and half way accross the world and in the the world's airports (well, Astana, Almaty, Franfurt, Chicago,and Tampa, at least!)




Leeza finally asleep in the middle seat between us...she sure loves that elephant. It was worth sleeping with it for months-now it has blueberry yogurt love all over it too..




In fact, my eyes are stinging right now, but Joe said they will for awhile. I think I have slept maybe 8 hours in the past 48. :) I got Leeza to bed at 1 pm after we got home, and had potty, bathtime, and cookies and milk. She woke up wide eyed and bushy tailed at 5. The whole fam is now up!



We had a grand welcome at the airport. I did not cry, but I think it was because I was too seriously delirious. It was so wonderful to see Sean and get a hug from him first thing. We had friends there with posters, and Sean's 4th grade teacher, Ms. Smith, even made the coolest poster with the letter from Leeza's name. Karen, Mom to Ryan, one of Leeza's future husband contenders, was there with her camera, so I will have photo's to update later. It was wonderful and wonderfully surreal.
A big thank you to Patti and Matt, Jill, Virginia, Laura, Mrs. Smith,Karen (aka professional photographer!) and Lisa for coming to welcome us, so late on a school/work night.

In the car, my best friends Jill and Virgina had a cold Landshark for me and Leeza's car seat installed and ready for her. I wasn't sure how Leeza would like the car seat, but she LOVED it. She looked like a princess upon her throne. :) I love the carseat-it's pink with brown polka dots.

Anyway, we got home and my wonderful friends and family had stocked our fridge. We have homemade chicken noodle soup from Nana, a casserole from Joe's cousin, the Kamp's, "Yo baby" yogurt (I have been wanting to buy that for so long now!!), apples, grapes, cheerios, everything we need.

My friend Lisa gave Leeza this huge crib set up thing that has room for like 4 dolls donated from her daughter Kali who is now 9. It was so sweet.

I am happy to be home, but home is truly where the heart is. I really understand what that means now. My home was in Kostanai Kazakhstan for over 10 weeks and I loved it there. I already miss "my dream team" but I have already emailed them as I do think Tatiana and Ivan will be visitors this summer.

I will be starting a new blog for Leeza and Sean, because I love how these blogs capture the feelings, emotions, pictures of real time events. Joe said, "isn't that what a baby book is for", but Sean's baby book is rather empty. I always figured I'd "remember" the cute things he did, and the sad thing is , you don't!

I am so happy to be home, and Leeza is tooling around in her walker we got in Kostanai marveling in ALL THIS SPACE she has to roam.

Sean is entertaining her and is saying that MY BLOG IS TAKING ME TOO LONG! ha!! She is on her potty for the 2nd time this morning. GOD LOVE THE POTTY!