We were up and leaving the hotel at 5:30 am, on the bus to the airport, checked in and then on the first flight at 8:00. The plane looked newer and during take off/landing they had a live feed from outside the plane which was cool to see the runway go flying by and then drop away. Lydia slept a little and ate a little. Three hours later we were back in Beijing. The airline in Guangzhou would not give boarding passes for Lydia beyond Beijing, we had ours all the way to St. Louis but we had to check-in Lydia in Beijing. Since it was still early United did not have a gate assignment yet so we had to wait before going through security. There was a "Kenny Roger's Roasters" at the airport that we thought we'd try. Unfortunately it was probably the worst meal we'd ever had, Rob's chicken had a weird taste to it but Lydia enjoyed her potato salad.
Once we knew our gate we got on the train and go through security and wait around for the long flight home. Lydia spent the time sleeping, eating, and cooing at everyone around her. Lydia had a little wiggle room in her seat and eventually could get comfortable enough to sleep. The long flight wasn't that bad but don't ask us to do it again anytime soon.
We arrived in Chicago, happy to see all the signs in English! We get through the first passport check quickly and they put all of Lydia's paperwork in a pink folder. We get our bags for customs and the pink folder flags the customs people to refer us to the immigration officers first to get Lydia's visa processed. We add our folder to the line and see seven or eight others in front of us. By this time an hour has gone by and we soon realize that we probably will not make the St. Louis flight. Kara makes a quick call to Kay (since we were warned that if customs see you using a cell phone they will confiscate it). We chat to some of the others waiting and one guy has already missed his flight. We get Lydia changed into her clean 'meet-and-greet' outfit and try to deal with sitting with nothing to do, nothing to eat, nothing to drink.
Our St. Louis flight leaves at 7:10 pm and around 6:30 our name is called. The officer asks us if we have the extra photos of Lydia as he cannot find the ones that should be included in our paperwork. He says he would check the trash in case they were thrown out when her folder was opened and we should check our papers too. If we cannot find the photos then we will have to wait and get some taken. Trying not to panic (you don't want to be stuck in limbo with USCIS), we start looking through our folder of paperwork and find the two passport photos in a folder given to us by the CHI coordinator. With all the checking, and double checking by the CHI coordinators they had still manged to put the photos in the wrong folder. We hand the photos to the officer, put Lydia's fingerprint on a couple of papers and head through customs to the United desk.
At the United desk we ask about the flight and find that it's delayed, with a huge sense of relief we drop our bags at the baggage desk and head off to the next gate. The St. Louis flight is delayed from 7:10 to 8:35pm giving us time to sit, eat a bite from Starbucks (much more expensive than the one in Guangzhou) and get on the final home.
We arrive in St. Louis and Lydia gets a little overwhelmed with all the attention. She shows this by screaming - not exactly the way we had seen it happening but we're just happy to be home.
Playing in the baby changing room in Beijing
Ready to get on the long flight home.
Snoozing on her bà ba
Flying is easy... when you're asleep.
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