Christmas, part 2

The day after Christmas, we loaded up the car early in the morning and drove to the airport for our loooooooooong trip home. I've always kind of liked international flights - they show movies, serve meals, give you a free glass of wine with dinner, and then I doze off for a few hours and wake up to breakfast or ice cream or something. This time, it just felt long and tiring. I guess that's what happens when you take a 4 month old on a 9 hour flight followed by a 3 hour layover (that turned into 5 hours when our flight was delayed) and then another 2 hour flight. Long.

Wes was actually pretty good, don't get me wrong. In fact, we had complete strangers come up to us in the airport and say that they had been on our flight and our baby was so great. So I guess that's good. But from where we were sitting, Wes was restless and wanted to stretch out on the floor as he usually every day. And then he barfed. I cannot begin to explain this instance of barfing, but let me just say that I had to take him to the bathroom to wash him off in the airplane sink and Ben had to run and get a huge stack of paper towels from the flight attendant. And also wash the carseat when we finally got to St Louis. It was no good. Poor kid. He was fine though, just celebrating his first international flight with overconsumption of formula. Too much food + immobile baby = gross.

Happily, when we got to St Louis, my parents and brother were there waiting for us, and we got to hang out a little with them that night and then we met up with them, plus my two nephews, for lunch at my grandma's house. It was wonderful.
My grandma got to meet Wes

Wes got to meet Ethan and Aidan

Gamma and Papa got to see the baby

And I got to be surrounded by the people I love most for a couple hours.



And then, we headed to the mall to meet up with with Ben's parents, who FINALLY got to love their sweet grandson in person.

Wes's Grandma had been waiting for this for a very long time.

Grandpa was pretty happy to meet him too.



The next day, Wes had a meet and greet with more relatives and family friends than his little baby brain ever imagined possible. A few of the highlights...

Wes with Uncle Greg

And Aunt Raegan

Great-Grandma Morrison

Great-Grandma Roseberry

Four generations of Morrison men

After that day, things calmed down quite a bit and we just hung out. Wes continued to meet people, went to a couple basketball games, and spent lots and lots of time with Grandma and Grandpa. He was one happy and spoiled baby, getting ton of "Granny kisses" and playing with tractors with Grandpa.



Ben and I were a little spoiled too, with good food and time with family, and even a baby-free night to go out to dinner and a movie (and Target!). As nice as it is to be sleeping in our own beds again now, we were very sad to leave the U.S. behind again. It's strange how living abroad can make up extra-critical of the U.S. and extra-appreciative as well. But no matter what, what we miss most is all our family and this trip reminded us of how eager we are to move back to Minnesota next fall.