Sorry it's taken awhile to get back. Adjusting to being back home was crazy! We had our things! We have space! We have family and friends around! We actually had to adjust to being back home with all of that. We had it down while at the hotel. Cause that's all we had. One room. We just had to get used to the new normal at home.
We've been home since the 27th of May... a little over a week now.
We almost almost didn't make it home that day. It was crazy. It was really crazy.
We planned to leave the hotel at 10am. Everything was packed and ready to go. Scott goes down a little before 10a to the lobby to get a cab. We preferred a SUV or van with all of our baggage and of course, two car seats. Turns out, it takes awhile to get one of those. 45 minutes. Great. Cab gets there at 1045a and we make it to the airport by 1115am. Perfect. Plenty of time... or so we thought.
packed and ready to go waiting for the cab:
We get to the counter and everything was good up until - 30 mins later - they needed the darn immigration forms. We had to go down to the immigration office directly below where we were. So we rush down there. They need all these copies of the passports, my passport, etc etc. To top it off, to get a copy, you had to go all the way down to Door 7 to some gift shop. That's greater than 3/4 of the way down to the other end of the terminal. Seriously?! They couldn't do it like at the U.S. Embassy where they charge you $1.00 per page for a copy? I would have gladly paid however much to make those copies there and not have to run all the way down with all of our stuff and run back. So we come back and of course, the guy we talked to who needed the copies had disappeared and now, someone else is taking our "case." The more and more Scott talked to her and the more I overheard what was happening, we kinda figured out she was pretty new. She kept asking questions to all the folks there behind the counter. Annoying. We had to explain everything all over again and with the language barrier, it got complicated. So they asked if we adopted the babies. Yes. We sure did. It was easier than trying to explain the whole surrogacy thing, you know? Remember, we got to the airport at around 1115am. At this point, it was around 1:30pm. Our flight is at 2:45pm. The flight boarding or whatever at the counter closes 50 minutes prior to departure. We finally finish at the immigration office after a whole bunch of nonsense paper work and paying and shit and rush upstairs. It's now almost exactly 2pm. Our flight is 245pm. We haven't gone through security yet. We get to the counter looking all haggard and rushed after spending the past two hours at immigration doing not a whole lot but basically waiting. The lady at the counter says boarding is closed. REALLY?!? But Scott is a employee! Couldn't they make an exception? They radio up to the gate and ask. She says, ok. So she gives us our boarding passes and we rush to security.
Oh man! The line is not too long, but it was longer than when Scott had to rush up there maybe 10-15 minutes prior to. So we get in line, and go through. It's now about oh, 215pm or so. Maybe 220pm. We seemed to wait in line forever. Scott and I switch and he now has both girls and I have the roller bag and backpack and diaper bag. I end up going through first. I said I would run over to the gate to see if they can hold off or do whatever. I get through and they, of course, are having issues with Scott and the babies. Ok, I grab our bags and run over to the gate. We were at gate 36, I think, which seemed like it was all the way at the end of the terminal. I had to run through what seemed like the longest corridor ever to get to the actual gates. It was three medium length walking escalator things. Whatever those are called. I get to where the gates are and our gate thankfully is right there! Yes! They were just starting to board the first A group. SCORE!
I run back to the longest corridor ever to find Scott. I see him kinda rushing as much as he could with the two babies in their car seats. We make eye contact and I give him the thumbs up. Phew! Relief! I meet up with him and we make our way to the gate. It's now probably 230pm or so? We finally board the plane and make our way home!
We couldn't believe it took so long! We thought we got there early enough to deal with the immigration stuff. It was non-stop from the moment we got to the airport at 1115am through to boarding the plane at around 220pm or so!
adios Mexico City... until next time!
Edie & Stella's second plane ride:
We land at SNA and got to take some pics in the cockpit! How cool is that!?!!
Scott & Stella
Aaron & Edie
Aunties Alissa (Issy) and Stacy were right there at the exit of the customs waiting for us! Ahhh!!!
Oh and during decent when they made the announcement on the plane and said, "Welcome to the United States!" it felt so great! We were beyond ecstatic especially since we almost almost didn't make it home that day.
At SNA, it got even better when we get to the counter to re-check our bags. It's a good thing we didn't dilly-dally and checked in right away because the 5:20pm flight to OAK was delayed an hour so everyone on that flight who got to the airport early enough took the previous flight at 3:30pm, which was also delayed an hour. Therefore, the 5:20pm flight was now open! We originally planned on the 8pm flight back home which would have given us about four hours on the ground. Plenty of time to go through customs, get our bags and re-check in and maybe get a bite to eat. We hadn't eaten anything that day cause we thought we would have time at SNA. We were happy to take the earlier flight back. No problem!
Going through security was yet again, another adventure! Four adults, two infants. Thankfully, there were not a lot of people going through security. Stacy and I go through with Edie first. Scott and Alissa are right behind us with Stella. Of course, at this point, people think we're a couple and Edie is our new baby. Whatever, just go with it. Anyway, so we go through and then Alissa is right behind us. Scott is at the end holding Stella. Right after Alissa goes through, the conveyer belt at the one security section jams. So Scott is still stuck behind the metal detector holding now, a crying Stella cause it's time to eat. They were supposed to eat right when we landed. It's around 5:15pm now. So Scott goes through with Stella and they have to scan his hands and stuff (I guess in case he has some sort of substance on his hands?) and it set off some alarm or something. Stella still crying. It was a mess! Bags and car seats everywhere, people around, Scott being detained. He had to go through a strip search. It was crazy. It was just exactly par for the course for the day. Of course.
Babies third plane ride!
At SNA, it got even better when we get to the counter to re-check our bags. It's a good thing we didn't dilly-dally and checked in right away because the 5:20pm flight to OAK was delayed an hour so everyone on that flight who got to the airport early enough took the previous flight at 3:30pm, which was also delayed an hour. Therefore, the 5:20pm flight was now open! We originally planned on the 8pm flight back home which would have given us about four hours on the ground. Plenty of time to go through customs, get our bags and re-check in and maybe get a bite to eat. We hadn't eaten anything that day cause we thought we would have time at SNA. We were happy to take the earlier flight back. No problem!
Going through security was yet again, another adventure! Four adults, two infants. Thankfully, there were not a lot of people going through security. Stacy and I go through with Edie first. Scott and Alissa are right behind us with Stella. Of course, at this point, people think we're a couple and Edie is our new baby. Whatever, just go with it. Anyway, so we go through and then Alissa is right behind us. Scott is at the end holding Stella. Right after Alissa goes through, the conveyer belt at the one security section jams. So Scott is still stuck behind the metal detector holding now, a crying Stella cause it's time to eat. They were supposed to eat right when we landed. It's around 5:15pm now. So Scott goes through with Stella and they have to scan his hands and stuff (I guess in case he has some sort of substance on his hands?) and it set off some alarm or something. Stella still crying. It was a mess! Bags and car seats everywhere, people around, Scott being detained. He had to go through a strip search. It was crazy. It was just exactly par for the course for the day. Of course.
Babies third plane ride!
Stacy & Edie
We made it though! We made it safely to OAK and safely home at around 830pm. We got to ride in our own car and the babies got to use their very own car seats!
My family came over and we requested on the way back home they bring Chinese food. We haven't had that in a month!
Amongst all the excitement and what not of finally being home with the girls and the family coming by, I forgot to take pics. Oh well, there will be many more pictures to come!
That's about it so far. Just have folks coming by to visit here and there and us trying to get used to being home and getting a routine down, which I think we have now. The girls are still waking up to feed in the middle of the night, but that's ok.
Thanks to all who read this!
Amongst all the excitement and what not of finally being home with the girls and the family coming by, I forgot to take pics. Oh well, there will be many more pictures to come!
That's about it so far. Just have folks coming by to visit here and there and us trying to get used to being home and getting a routine down, which I think we have now. The girls are still waking up to feed in the middle of the night, but that's ok.
Thanks to all who read this!
Here are Edie & Stella at 26 Days:
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