This Reminds Me

After 27 hours of too little sleep and too much caffeine, we made it home!

Julia became a U.S. citizen at this instant – when the American Airlines’ plane’s wheels touched the ground in Dallas around 3 p.m. Thursday.  She had finally fallen asleep around 2 p.m., after having been awake and big-eyed 20 hours.  We did not awaken her for the special moment.  As we left Moscow, she was singing a song about transportation with the word “machina” (car), “choo-choo,” and motor noises.   We had to stop at every window in the Moscow airport to look at the planes on the runways.

We carried her through the Dallas airport asleep, before boarding a Southwest jet home to San Antonio.  No, I did not carry Keith, too.  Our other option was to spend the night in Dallas and continue on American Airlines Friday morning – nyet!

Shelley and John provided a royal pick-up service at 8 p.m. Thursday evening, complete with red, white and blue flowers, and a banner greeting.  They even brought a dolphin toy for Julia.  Julia had no objection to being strapped in her car seat, and in fact, seemed to recognize “Mama’s machina” from the pictures we’d reviewed numerous times.

As we drove up the street, we pointed to the house saying, “Julia’s dom (house).”  Her eyes were too big already to tell if she understood or recognized it from the pictures.

We had warned Rachel, Lois and Hannah – No screaming, even “happy” screaming.  No loud noises.  No “rushing” Julia.  They greeted her sweetly and quietly.  I showed her around the house and pointed out many of the pictures we have scattered of her.  She didn’t make a sound.  My niece, Sarah, and her daughter, Laura, had been here all week, taking care of the girls and cooking some good ole American food for us.  Julia had eaten only a few bites all day and I was anxious to get something – anything! – in her.  A quick bath – some good buttered noodles for dinner – lots of rocking – and off to bed.

She got more sleep than we did on the planes, because she awoke bright and cheerful at 4:30 a.m.yesterday.   And other than one two-hour nap, she ran strong all day.  She went from room to room, bringing me objects to name and admire, and then carefully returning them.   She discovered the Polly Pocket motherload in the game room cabinets.  She looked at her clothes before making her selection.

She loved the slide at swings at the neighborhood park.  We went in the morning, before it got too hot.  She drank plenty of water.  I’m thinking Texas heat is going to be a shock to her system.  We’ll have to ensure she stays hydrated.

Rachel, Lois, and Hannah played Legos with her last night – big fun!

Four ‘Lil Woodworths – Finally!

I’m thinking Lois has lost her Sponge Bob cap….

Hannah and Julia are sharing a room with bunkbeds, though they slept in the bottom bunk together Thursday and Friday nights.  Hannah says Julia awoke at 4 a.m. today (I, alas, did not) to get a drink of water.  She returned to bed all chatty.  Hannah decided to teach her to count, using the bed slats above them.  Julia is now counting to six in English!  Yes, she is.  I know she can count at least 10 in Russian because she did it for us numerous times.  But we think counting to six in English so soon is pretty darned special.

This morning (Saturday) – Sarah’s Laura on the keyboard, accompanied by vocalists Hannah and Lois, and Julia dancing with a sash.  Sarah and Laura left at 9 a.m. to return to Houston; we miss them already. 

Julia discovered yesterday that she likes Cheerios.  They had told us that she didn’t like milk, but, in the orphanage, they boiled it (gross!)   I splashed some nice cold milk on her Cheerios; she liked that fine.  So I gave her half a cup, and she drank it.  This morning she had a bowl of Cheerios, and three small bowls of cantelope.  We know from Sarah’s good dinner last night that she also likes mashed potatoes and peas.  She didn’t care for strawberries, and wouldn’t try Sarah’s meatloaf

This morning – Hannah and Julia playing “dog.”  Enjoy it, girls, that’s the only “dog” allowed around this “dom”….

She loves balls – any kind of ball.  And she loves to bounce them!  Fortunately, we live in a cul-de-sac, because bouncing inside is “nyet.”  Again.  And again.

We sure appreciate the calls, emails and cards – be patient with us as we’ll be slow to respond.  In addition to getting Julia on a schedule (which does not include 4 a.m. wake-up times), Keith and I are also readjusting to CST.  Julia also has a round of dental, doctor and school appointments to complete this upcoming week, which is also the last week of school.  We sitll have a bushel of mail to go through, and the suitcases aren’t all unpacked.  Big kisses to Sarah for working on laundry all day yesterday.

It is so good to be home.  With ALL our girls.

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