Back in America

Well, we have been back in America for about 3 weeks now. Some days it feels like we have been here forever, and other days it feels like we just got here. The plane rides went as well as can be expected. All of our flights were on time (or arrived sooner than expected), and despite our fears of being quarantined for everything we have been exposed to - we were safely allowed to enter America :) I do have to admit that flying that far was pretty miserable. 4 flights total (Tulear to Tana - 1 hr, Tana to South Africa - 4 hrs, South Africa to New York - 16 hours, New York to Tampa - 3 hours). This schedule is daunting enough, but adding a 5 year old, 1 year old, and very pregnant lady made it especially interesting. Titus had a pretty big fall right before we boarded the first flight - so we got to watch his poor nose swell up and turn black and blue over the next four flights. We were pretty sure that child services was going to meet us on the other end!

On the long 16 hour flight, we were seated on the side seats (2 seats next to each other). So Grant and Titus sat on one row, and Eli and I sat in front of them. The flight had an incredible amount of turbulence (which if you know me, you know that I was pretty much freaking out the whole flight). The worst part was that the seat belt sign was lit nearly the entire 16 hours. So much for getting up and walking around to stretch those pregnant legs! The first three nights after arriving were awful. I was so cramped from the flights that I woke up EVERY 30 minutes through the night with horrible charley horse cramps through my legs and feet. Awful. Despite the challenges of making such a long trip, we were really blessed to arrive uneventfully (and with all of our luggage!) - and arriving to my parents smiling faces couldn't have been a better end to our long journey.

We were told that returning to America would be more culture shock than moving to Madagascar. Despite seeming a little strange, it really has been true for us. 4 years away from the US is a long time! Some days have been good and others have been harder. I can definitely say that I have been through a wide range of emotions, and homesickness has been the biggest! It has been a lot of fun to see family, enjoy American food, and have some really fun things for the kids to do. But it has been hard to leave our Mada friends and family, to come back to a world that we don't really feel a part of anymore, and to try to make it home.

Titus has had a really tough time adjusting to his new environment and schedule (or lack thereof!). We have spent most nights getting up with him, as he has struggled to sleep through the night here. I think he is just starting to get back into a routine. Titus is such an active toddler, and without his uncles here to get out all of his energy - he has been a handful. Fortunately, he is about the cutest thing on the planet...so it's hard not to laugh at all of his craziness.

Eli is doing great! He loves America, and is loving his special time with Grandma and Grandpa. His favorite highlights include boys gymnastics, Awanas, playgrounds, and swimming in Grandma and Grandpa's pool everyday. We even made it to the Tampa Zoo (which by the way - is a fantastic zoo for kids!). It has been so much fun watching him experience all of the things that most American kids take for granted. Some of my favorite culture shock moments for him came at the airport. First, it took us about 10 minutes to convince him to get on the escalator (the flat one that makes you walk faster) - I am sure everyone thought we were crazy. Then, while we were waiting for our baggage we saw a security guard helping a woman. Eli came to me and said, "Mommy, police officers in America are nice to girls." LOL! It has cracked us up watching him learn new things...such as how to use a drinking water fountain! Every day is a new adventure for these two.

It has been fun to be back in America as we wait on the arrival of our 3rd baby. To our surprise we found out that we are expecting another little boy! I thought for sure that it was going to be a girl (I even made a baby girl quilt!), but I can honestly say that I am genuinely excited about it being a boy. I know he will fit perfectly into this special family! :) Right now we are set to induce labor on November 26th. I am not a big fan of induction, but our hospital is 2 hours from where we are staying and the doctors are nervous about me going into labor so far away. So keep us in your prayers as we wait on the arrival of baby Jude!