Home & totally jet-lagged...

After a full 24 hours of travelling, we made it home!

We left our hotel at 5:30am on Friday and the kids slept all the way to the airport. Once we were there, our guide helped us get on our flight to Shanghai (and fix Ailee's ticket!). Our first flight from Guangdong to Beijing with Ailee was very difficult, but this flight went really well! Both girls were in good moods and we got through carrying the kids and the luggage everywhere. :) It helped that we put Maelyn in one of the luggage carts -- she loved the ride!

We arrived in Shanghai and had a six hour layover before our flight to Toronto. When we got off the plane, we asked Maelyn if she needed to use the washroom and she said that she had to go, but she would wait until we were home. Ha!

We decided to pay for a room at the airport hotel -- totally worthwhile!! We were able to feed the kids, let them run around and play, and it gave us a chance to rest.

We then boarded our flight and headed for home! We sat on the tarmac for over an hour -- not something you want to do when you have a 13 hour flight ahead of you. But -- we were absolutely blessed on this flight.

The plane was almost empty! We had paid for bulkhead seating, but there were so many free rows that the flight attendants suggested we take over a number of rows, instead. My mom, Paul, and I each had a row and when the kids were ready to sleep, they had plenty of room. It was fantastic!!

The flight attendants were also absolutely amazing! They took such good care of us -- bringing us extra food for the kids, checking in on us often, suggesting the seat switches. I have never had such kind, caring, and fun flight attendants!!

Once we were safely in the air, we changed the girls into their pyjamas and started their bedtime routine. It took Ailee a little while, but she eventually fell asleep and stayed asleep for the remainder of the flight. She slept in my mom's row of seats and my poor mom dealt with watching her all night -- she rolled off the seat often, just like Maelyn did when we flew home with her two years ago.

As I was rocking Ailee to sleep, I heard Maelyn ask, "Daddy? Do we have to keep Ailee? I changed my mind. I want a boy one now. " Ahhhh -- a glimpse at what might lie ahead. :)

It took me a few more hours to get Maelyn to sleep, but once I did, she also stayed asleep for the rest of the flight. Paul and I took turns sleeping across the third row. Not that it was the greatest of sleeps, but it was better than nothing! The air on an airplane is the worst -- we both felt like our throats were on fire.

On a side note -- I have no photos of our travels home. Normally, this would have been a high priority for me, but it was a decision between photos or my marriage. With hauling around our luggage, two kids, and getting food out every time Ailee demanded it, Paul was fed up and the look I got when I asked him to get out the camera was enough to let me know that it was either the photos or our marriage. After thinking about it for a few minutes, I chose our marriage. :)

We arrived at the airport only slightly later than scheduled and we were so happy to finally be on the last leg of our journey home. Maelyn was not happy that we weren't at our actual home -- but when we exited Terminal 1, she was thrilled to see her Auntie Kara, Uncle Cam, and Grandpa.

After spending some time with family and friends at the airport, we got to our car to head home. Ailee was not happy about the whole car seat situation, but she stopped screaming, as long as she had food in her hands.

At home, we fed the girls and then gave them a bath. We all went to bed (in our bed) at midnight and we slept for just over three hours.

The jet lag since that time has been exactly what I remembered it to be -- horrible!! Paul and I have been getting no more than two hours of sleep at a time. We have felt like zombie's and I am pretty sure that Paul has developed bronchitis. We have all been waking up during the night hungry and disoriented. The first two nights, at least one of us was up with the girls almost all night long.

Things have very slowly started to settle down. I think that Maelyn and I might have finally begun to switch our clocks. I no longer feel the foggy feeling that I get with jet lag and last night, when Ailee woke up, I still felt tired and was able to go back to sleep. Maelyn slept ten hours in a row last night -- from 6pm to 4am. Now, we just have to try and keep her up later at night.

Paul and Ailee are still not making the switch -- and it is making it hard on me because I am always up with Ailee. Last night, we did everything we could to keep her up, but she fell asleep at 5pm. Then, she was up at 11:30pm. I got her down again by 1am, but then she slept very restlessly and was up for good at 4am.

Crossing my fingers that the fog lifts for all of us by the end of the week. I also hope to be able to catch up on quite a few blog posts, now that my head is clearing. :)