Embassy Trip {Day Seven}

Well, it's true...I dreaded our 16 hour flight, 6 hour layover, and 2 hour flight to get home with pretty much the same level of anxiety as the 24 hours before giving birth to Melia and then to Camden.  Pre-labor jitters is my phrase for it.  However, Bek was a total rockstar!

We went to the airport at about 6:00 p.m. to ensure that we'd get a bulkhead seat with a bassinet.  That was five hours before our flight was set to leave, so we walked around the little airport for the first four.  I was pleasantly surprised at how Bek behaved...he was thrilled to have a big, open area to practice his walking.  It was also great how people responded to us.  They seemed to be genuinely happy for us and for our little man.  We had lots of opportunities to tell people how God had blessed us throughout our journey and we truly enjoyed our time in the Ethiopian airport.

We boarded the plane and, as had been explained to us at the ticket counter, I had a bulkhead seat, we would get the bassinet for B and Trevor had the middle seat of the middle section...ugh.  Luckily, this super sweet Ethiopian lady was sitting beside me and, when she realized what was going on, offered to switch him!!  So great!  Bek fell asleep shortly after take-off in his bassinet and slept soundly for five beautiful hours until we hit Rome and they landed to re-fuel and turned on all the lights like it was morning!  He woke up and cried for about five minutes, then calmed down and we gave him a bottle.  He was awake and happy for a couple of hours and then fell back asleep for another four hours.  He woke back up and took another bottle and just hung out on our laps or walked the aisles of the plane with us happily for the last couple of hours.  He really was AMAZING!

We then landed in DC and went through customs.  The worker at the customs window opened the big packet, stamped about a bazillion pieces of paper and sent us to the baggage claim.  Bek was officially a US Citizen!

Once through baggage claim and then rechecking our luggage, one of the most surreal moments of our journey occurred {second, of course, to meeting our son!}: I met my friend Emily!!  Emily and I found each other through our blogs after we had started the paper chase portion of our journey and we became fast friends.  Millions of phone conversations, E-mails, texts, and Facebook messages later, we FINALLY met face to face!  It was so amazing to actually be able to hug the friend that has meant so much to me on our journey.  We each met the other's sons before we actually met each other and we got to tell Emily and Jim {and her sweet sis, Sarah} about how we'd just loved on their little Moses.  I really have no words to describe how forever grateful I am for how God placed Em in my life.  Just so thankful!  My only regret is that I was in my pajamas jet-setter clothes when we met for the first time!  HA!

We had some Starbucks and hung out and talked and laughed and just enjoyed the moment during the layover.  It was exactly what my heart needed.  Have I mentioned I'm grateful?! 

After a few hours {NOT LONG ENOUGH!}, we said our good-byes and headed to our gate where we had some dinner {or lunch or some form of a meal}, freshened up in the bathroom and then caught our plane for home.  B took a bottle and then fell fast asleep in my arms for the entire plane ride.

We had a beautiful homecoming, uniting our family for good.  It was a sweet, sweet moment that will forever live in my heart.