Welcome Home Mara!

Happy 4th of July everyone!!  We are celebrating and GREATLY appreciating the birth of this great nation as one happy family at home. 

We are proud to report that Mara is officially a world traveler and a US citizen!  After 36 hours of travel, 5 airports, 4 flights, 20 hours of flight time (including 2 in first class), she arrived safely home.  She traveled surprisingly well - she loved taking off and landing, but squarely situated in her Mommy's arms.  She is such a courageous and special girl - by the end of the trip she was sitting in her own seat eating bananas and snoozing with her Daddy.

Mara even met the captain of one of her flights and received her first flight book that was signed by all of the flight crew.  The captain shared his story of adopting 2 boys from Guatemala.   The entire flight crew couldn't have been nicer and made our travel experience really special.

She was even a trooper with the delay we experienced going through immigration in Dallas and our 2 hour flight delay in Dallas.  With this trial run, she has many trips ahead of her in the Markovits-Szluk clan.

We arrived home at 2 am in the morning, but nonetheless she was ecstatic to see her room and giggled at the sight of her name "Mara" on the wall and her new Princessa dress up clothes - thank you Pamela and Auntie Liz!!

Since we've been home her transition has been miraculous.  She walks through the house saying "Lamizia" (pretty in Georgian) and seems to be quickly catching up in being a little 4 year old.  She loves her new clothes, drawing on everything (and having Nick & I write Mara, Mommy and Daddy everywhere), watching Daddy cook (and anticipating the food that will be coming since she still has a ferocious appetite, especially for protein!) and playing with her Mommy's hair accessories.  Yes, we've had a couple of melt-downs but inevitably this is related to her jet-lag, her lingering slight fever, cough & stuffy nose and inevitable separation anxiety & being overwhelmed by it all!





In less than 48 hours, she is already starting to eat solid foods by herself and drink from her own cup?!  She loves Nick's cooking constantly saying "gargia" on how good it is (which is especially great for a chef to hear!).  She has even picked up the ritual of clinking a glass before you drink.  We couldn't be happier or more proud of our daughter!!  Hard to believe that only less than a week ago she was terrified of going into a car and only eating/drinking what was hand-provided to her.  She is growing up by the minute!

 Modloba Mara!