We're home!! After 24 days in Europe, we made it home safe and sound and extremely tired on Saturday night. It felt soooooooooooooooooo good to walk into our house and let Brie see her toys and to sleep in our beds. Our house was left really clean for it to be shown by the Realtors, so it looked especially good. Our first thought was, "This house is so nice. Why did we sell it?". Oh well, it's done. We came home to a huge "sale pending" sign in front and we close this week.
Our long 16 hour day of traveling back home went quite well. I was again nervous for the flight with Brie. We flew all the way from Frankfurt to San Fransisco. The plane ride was over 11 hours. We were on a row of four and right in the middle. Sounds awful, huh? Well, our perfect little traveling girl was again perfect on this flight. She only slept for about two hours of it. She played, read, watched a couple DVDs, ate snacks and flirted with the people behind us. I was so happy when we finally got her home to bed. We all went to sleep about 10pm (6am German time) and slept through our first night back! In the morning we were back down for naps by 10am and then got up to go to church at 1pm. We were tired during church, but made it through the day and I'd say we are almost back to our normal Utah time. Now we just have to do piles of laundry and restock the house with food. Oh yeah, and then pack, move and find a house. Yikes.
I am so grateful that our little Brielle did so incredibly well on this long trip that her parents dragged her on. She was such a good traveler. I never expected her to do as well as she did. I was nervous for her. She adjusted well to the time change. She slept through almost every night. She learned to take naps in the car or in the stroller or on a plane or train or bus. She adjusted to new people and new beds and new places. She went to bed late many nights and handled it ok.
Brielle sleeping in her stroller in the Frankfurt Haun airport as we waited to board our flight to Scotland.
Brie had to get her diaper changed in many different places. This is one of the more comfortable spots. I'm changing her diaper in the trunk of the rental car in Scotland.
Edinburgh was cold and windy our first evening there. Kamber and Brian luckily had this blanket in their car, so we wrapped Brie up in it in her stroller. She was very cozy.
Brielle got lots of rides on the suitcases. Here Scott is giving her a ride to the car from our Marriott hotel in Edinburgh.
Breakfast at the Marriott in Edinburgh. We just had fruit and juice and crackers from our trip to the grocery store.
Every once in awhile, Brielle got to watch the Wiggles or Kid Songs on the DVD player. Here she is watching Kid Songs as we drove to Holland.
Brielle sleeping in Samantha's nice, warm and dry stroller as we walked all through London.
Brielle hanging out on the hotel bed in Holland watching cartoons in German as Scott and I got ready for the day.
Praying for her food at Kamber's house in London. Samantha must have inspired her, because she ate quite well there.
Brielle loved the bus rides because she didn't have to be strapped in. Here she is smiling and waving good bye to Kamber, Brian and Samantha out the window.
She enjoyed many good snacks as she rode around on Scott's back. Here she is gnawing on some Scottish shortbread. She loved it. Don't we all?
Brie was the only one that even remotely liked having to eat at McDonalds while in Europe. We had to do it twice just because it is the only thing that is fast and along the highway. I have to say, they call things the same, but they are not the same. Everything I tasted was NASTY. Brie liked this little packet of apple sauce that you suck out the top though.
We had very few problems traveling with Brie. We worried about her not eating when we got to Germany, but then she discovered bratwurst and that is what she had for every meal. She was a bit more whiny than usual, but that is understandable. She got a cold, but got over it quickly. Our only problem was that the cough from the cold lingered. Every time she would cough hard as she was trying to fall asleep, it would make her throw up. So, we dealt with throw up in the car a few times, throw up in the stroller, throw up on a plane from London to Frankfurt and throw up in a hotel pack 'n play. This also meant that I was the one thrown up on most of the time. At least we usually had back up clothes and could take care of things easily. Poor Brie.
Brielle covered in throw up! This was one of the many throw up incidents. We had just started on our trip to Germany from Holland. We stopped, cleaned her up and changed her into pajamas and she slept the rest of the way home.
Brielle waiting for the train to take us to Teresa's house. She is in pajamas because she had thrown up on the one hour flight from London to Frankfurt. I spent the flight cleaning up.
Alicia and Brie riding the train. She just stayed in pajamas the whole rest of the trip home.
The cough went away and Brie ate like a champ. This is our last day. Scott, Brie and I went for one more day on the Rhine river. Brie's favorite food is mac 'n cheese and because they don't have any in Germany, she loved their schpatzle (?).
Finally, almost home. Brielle is waiting in the San Fransisco airport after an 11 hour flight. We just had one more airplane ride until we were home. It was about 1am her time. Doesn't she look exhausted? She made it though. Good girl.
Along with the baby growing - I am growing! I feel and look pregnant now. I'm feeling hotter than normal. I feel so much movement inside of me. I'm feeling that little body up under my rib cage so it's not as comfortable to bend over. I have to wear maternity clothes now. Sorry I don't have a picture of me, but believe me, my stomach has really popped out since the last pictures you saw of me in Europe. It's going to be a long summer!
Brielle is also growing. The problem is that it's her independence that is growing more than her little body. She is total drama! We have had a battle of wills all morning long. If she doesn't get what she wants, she immediately throws herself on the ground crying. This morning she did this because she didn't want to get her diaper changed, then because she didn't want to get dressed, then because she wanted to stand on a chair to eat instead of sitting in her seat, then because I wouldn't let her climb onto the table and walk around, and on and on. We finally went outside to water and weed and she got to be free in the yard. She ran around with no shoes and played in the mud and had a great time. She got so messy and loved it. Now she is sleeping peacefully.
