Home, sweet home

We arrived about noon Wednesday at Sea-Tac without incident (Dear Continental: Sorry about the Play-Doh in the carpet), retrieved our bags and car and headed east. First stop was the WACAP office in Renton. This is our adoption agency, and we needed to drop off the suitcase that went with us to India, filled with donations for Niranjana's orphanage.

The WACAP folks were thrilled to be among the first people in America to meet our little girl. We were honored to introduce her to them, since we would not have her without them.

Back in the car to jump onto I-405, then I-90 and the drive across the Cascades, we were not sure how Niranjana would react to the car seat, since she'd probably never been in one. She fussed for maybe 30 seconds, then was into a toy we had ready. By the time we got to Issaquah, she was sound asleep - and stayed that way until we rolled into Richland three hours later.

We got her into the house, and she was quite unhappy. Was it the unfamiliar surroundings? The red walls? The cats? Probably all of the above. It took quite awhile to calm her, and she still isn't certain about the kitties. She got bathed, played with her toys and finally fell asleep sometime after 9 p.m.

Clancy (the orange cat) slept on Melissa's pillow, Mustafa (the black cat) slept beside me, and Niranjana was between us. Ultimately, she ended on top of Melissa, who might well be growing weary of being the center of attention in our little family.

I awoke at 4 a.m. and came downstairs around 5 a.m. to check email. Everyone else came down around 6, and our sweet child began to eat: a hard-boiled egg, toast, banana, a glass of milk, another banana and her first mocha (no coffee, of course).

She's now singing, dancing, playing and generally acting adorable.

She is home.