We're HOME!!! After 27 hours, 3 flights, 4 Asian meals and no sleep we are home and finally all back together! Ruthie did great on the flights and actually slept for about 10 hours of the 13 hour flight…as long as I was standing up in the galley holding her. This worked really well for her but not so much for my back! Honestly, she did very well considering the amount of time we were on airplanes and her age. There were several times where I felt like throwing a two year old temper tantrum, but thankfully I refrained. I’m not going to type out the whole story here because you won’t get the full effect without me physically showing you all that was involved, but if you see me soon, get me to tell you the story of the three Korean flight attendants strapping Ruthie to my chest with some sort of baby carrying contraption to help her sleep. Jon Milledge walked up during this process and thought that they were strapping a parachute to me so that I could jump. Again, not even kidding! I have gotten several emails and phone calls wanting to know where the next post was and when I was going to post homecoming pictures. I’m so sorry that it has taken me this long, but my life is a little up in the air right now with us trying to get settled as a new, larger family!! To Anne and Nicole, if you hadn’t decided to spend two weeks at the beach then you would be home, you would’ve already met Miss Ruthie and wouldn’t need an update!! We were greeted at the airport by family and friends which was so nice of everyone to come at midnight. I really wasn’t expecting that, but then again I have the best friends and family, so I shouldn’t have been surprised! There wasn’t a dry eye anywhere around. It was such a sweet homecoming for us all. Ruthie was a little apprehensive about going to Milledge, Anderson, my mother, and my sister but after a few minutes and them bribing her with Chinese cookies, all was well! She allowed Milledge to feed her, give her a bath and rock her to sleep when we got home from the airport. He was thrilled! She has since decided that her daddy and big brother, Anderson, are pretty neat guys. Anderson doesn’t want her to make a sound so she has learned that if she gets near him and whimpers, he will pick her up and hold her. This happens quite frequently! The first couple of nights went exceedingly well, but I am sitting here writing this after having been awake since 4am with her. Jet lag really stinks! I have heard that if you can just give it 10 days, things will be back to normal. We have two down…eight more to go! However, even in the middle of the night she was a sweet, happy baby girl. We just took turns holding her and rocking her. We have dreamed about these days for years so we aren’t complaining about having precious time with her even in the early morning hours! Ruthie ate like a horse in China, and we couldn’t get her full enough, but that isn’t the case since coming home. She has become very picky and is not eating much at all. I’m sure that it is partly because things taste differently here, and partly because I think she is teething. I even bought some baby food today in hopes that I might find something that she will eat. Bless her heart though, I’m sure she is still in shock and a little overwhelmed with all that has happened the last few weeks. We have a little work to do in developing a relationship between Ruthie and our animals. She is not a fan! It is definitely a love/hate relationship between her and our Dachshund Duke. He loves to torment her by licking her toes, and she loves to hate him. It is the funniest thing though…she will shake her little finger at him if he comes close, and say something that sounds like, “NO, NO,NO!!!”. We can’t help but laugh. We are hoping that time will strengthen their bond…who am I kidding, they need to form one first! Our cat, Tiger, doesn’t pay any attention to Ruthie, but if he gets close, he gets the same shaking the finger treatment! We had our first appointment today with Dr. Newman, our wonderful pediatrician. She loved Ruthie and thought she was precious. Of course, we already knew that! She says she is a very healthy baby and looks like she was well taken care of. She heard her heart murmur and in turn referred her to a pediatric cardiologist, which is exactly what I wanted her to do. She doesn’t think that it is causing her any problems but feels that it would be best for a specialist to see her and then monitor the murmur from now on. I am still praying that it doesn’t require any surgical procedures but I guess we will deal with whatever comes. Thanks again for following us to China and back. I so enjoyed sharing my journey to Ruthie with you. This almost feels like a goodbye of sorts but I know in my heart this is only the beginning! I will be able to post here once a month for the next six months but I also have a family blog where I will post more frequently if you would like to continue to keep up with us and Baby Ruthie! It is: www.amothersplace.blogspot.com. I’ve already had a couple of people contact me who want to talk to us about adoption. You don’t know how much this moves me. We didn’t adopt just so that our story could inspire someone else but if God uses Ruthie’s journey to help another child find their forever family then I would consider that an added blessing. I read a chilling statistic the other day that said if 6% of Christians worldwide would adopt one orphan, then there would be no more orphans! WOW! I know that not everyone is called to adopt, and I understand that because after the last 4 years, I realize that this definitely needs to be a calling. However, we are commanded in the book of James to “look after orphans and widows in their distress”. So my challenge to you as I end this part of our story is to just do something. If you aren’t called to adopt, then please look into different groups to donate to like Love Without Boundaries, Half the Sky, Show Hope, Caring for China (this is the organization that sponsors Ruthie’s orphanage), or a local church with an adoption ministry. I promise that you will not only bless someone, but that you will be abundantly blessed in return. Thank you. Goodbye for now from Georgia! With all my love, Angie     Party of Five!!     I think my daddy is pretty funny!   My big brother, Anderson, makes me laugh too!     My sweet Anderson! Oh how I missed him!     Meeting my Monnie   Me and my Aunt Beth     My Daddy can't stop looking at me!     Anderson with the sign that he made for us! So sweet!   Showing off my squeaky shoes!     My Daddy sees me for the first time...     ....and my Mommy cried!   Sign from Lydia and Elizabeth. Thank you girls!     Sign from our church     Awww...love it!   No words...     Sleeping in my very own bed in my very own room for the first time ever!     Taking a walk in my new car with my brother   Running and playing with my new friend and neighbor, Brantley     Brantley and I comparing rides...   Safe in my Daddy's arms...     Meeting one of my Mommy's BFF's. I have a feeling I will be seeing a lot of Miss Jamie!         This page hosted by