Special Delivery

After 41 weeks and nearly 3 days of growing my daughter, I was finally going to meet her.  There was still so much to do to prepare, but everyone told me that it wouldn't matter once Genevieve arrived.  They were right.

I went to bed just after midnight, and I laid there for about an hour.  I couldn't shut my brain down; so many thoughts were running through my head.  I must have dozed off at some point because I woke up to use the restroom and noticed it was only 1:45.  This was going to be a long night!  It took me awhile to fall asleep again, and I wasn't ready for my alarm to go off.  It was set for 4:00 AM in order for me to eat some breakfast before the cut off point.  I couldn't have anything to eat or drink 8 hours prior to the Cesarean Section, which was scheduled for 1:00 PM, and I knew I was going to need some energy.  After eating an egg and cheese sandwich, I headed back to bed where I laid there without really sleeping until my alarm went off again at 7:30AM.

I got up and did some dishes and prepared for Lisa and Angie who were going to sit for Pawncho while we were gone.  After showering I packed some last minute things for the hospital and debated whether or not to wear any makeup.  I really wanted to look halfway decent in my first photos with my new family, but I knew I'd be all teary eyed.  I opted for zero makeup, and in the end it was all good.

We arrived at St. Joe's at 11AM to check in, and our wonderful doula, Dianne arrived shortly after.  They took me in to OB triage to check the baby's position.  We all could feel where her head was (shoved up near my ribs), but Dr. Brown did an ultrasound to confirm that she was still breech.  They hooked me up to an IV to get me nice and full of fluid.  The nurses there were great and took good care of me during this short time before our special delivery.

I asked Dr. Brown if she'd seen my birth plan, and she hadn't.  They didn't have it in my file, but I brought an extra one just in case.  We went through each item on the plan, and the doctor told me the things on there that will absolutely happen, including some postpartum requests.  There were a few things she needed to check on because she wasn't in charge of that.  A couple of those items were the playing of music during the delivery and allowing J to be in the OR while they prepped me.  She also wasn't sure if we could do skin to skin immediately because of how cold it was in the room.

After some asking, Dr. Brown came back to inform us that we could definitely play music, and J could be in the OR with me after they took care of my spinal.  They said they've had people pass out on them while they watched a spinal being placed.  We were perfectly fine with this.  In fact, we were very pleased that so many things in our birth plan were easily honored.  The ones that weren't had very valid reasons, and we were comfortable not sticking to the plan with these.

Okay, I think we should move on the part you all want to hear about - the special delivery.  J helped the nurse wheel me in my bed down the halls to the OR.  Dianne followed and said a special prayer for us on the way.  J and Dianne got prepped to be in the OR, though they couldn't both be in there at the same time, and I went in for my spinal.  It was freezing in there!  They helped me up on the tiny operating table, gave me two warmed blankets, and prepped my back for the spinal.  This was not my favorite experience.  To say that it was uncomfortable is an understatement.  Once the spinal was in, however, it was mere seconds before I could no longer feel anything from the chest down.  The nurses helped me lie down and brought J in.

J took my right hand as the anesthesiologist fixed the overhead mirror to allow us to view the c-section if we chose.  Neither one of us really wanted to watch, but I did want to see them delivering Genevieve.  I glanced up in the mirror to see them pinching my belly with clamps or something, and I couldn't feel a thing, which was the idea.  The doctors and nurses were ready to begin, and I started to feel a little queasy.  The anesthesiologist said to let him know if I got nauseous, so I told him.  I don't know if the nausea was caused from the spinal or just the anxiety I was feeling about the whole situation.

I had asked the doctor to give us a play by play so we'd have an idea of what was going on throughout the procedure.  Dr. Brown let us know when they were making the first incision and when they finally opened up my uterus.  They let me know that I would feel some pressure and tugging as they delivered Genevieve from my womb.  They said they could see her little behind, and that's when I looked in the mirror.  I could see her bottom coming out followed by her legs that were straight up. They gently pulled her the rest of the way out and immediately held her over the drape so we could meet our daughter for the first time.  I'm pretty sure that's when we both started crying.

Genevieve was born at 1:43 PM on February 29, 2012 - Leap Day.  She weighed 7 pounds 6 ounces and was 20 inches long.  She had meconium on her (as you can see in the above picture), so they took her away to be wiped off and warmed.  One nurse, Heather, brought G over to me and placed her on my chest so we could have immediate skin to skin contact.  As I mentioned above, I wasn't sure if this was a request that would be granted, but Heather was instrumental in helping us achieve this goal.  J helped hold G on me, and Heather took pictures for us.  I'm not going to lie; it wasn't easy holding my daughter this way since I was hooked to an IV, oxygen, blood pressure cuff, and I think a heart rate monitor.  It was both awkward and beautiful - a moment in time I will never forget, and I'm eternally grateful to Dr. Brown and her staff for making this such a special delivery.

After this short bonding time, J took G to the recovery room to wait for me.  Dianne slipped into the OR to stay with me while I was being stitched up.  Dr. Brown asked what we were naming our daughter, and when I said Genevieve Noelle, she said how much she loved the name Noelle and had wanted it for her daughter's name.  We continued to have conversations about kids, which took my mind off of what was being done to me.  A couple of times I glimpsed it in the mirror, which was a mistake.  As soon as I was all sewn back together, they transferred me to the recovery bed and wheeled me into recovery.

Stay tuned for my next entry to find out what that first night was like for my new little family.  (You might have to wait awhile since I've gotten very little sleep these days.  In fact, I should be sleeping now, but I really wanted to finish this entry.)  

Leap Frogs and Tears

Well, it looks like we'll have ourselves a little leap frog baby.  Tonight we scheduled a c-section for tomorrow, February 29, 2012 at 1:00 PM.  This happens to be Leap Day, which we think is hilarious.  It also happens to be a Wednesday, and the saying is that a Wednesday's child is full of woe.  This is about right.  It turns out that both J and I were born on a Wednesday, so it's only fitting that Genevieve is as well.  It's a trifecta of Wednesday's children!  I'm positive she's ready for the world outside of the womb.  At this very moment it seems she is trying to break out of my uterus!  She's been quite active ever since dinner (maybe it was the spicy barbecue sauce of Honey Bear's). 

To say we are excited would be an understatement.  I think J is more excited than I am simply because he's not the one that has to have surgery.  He's very sympathetic, and I know for sure that he will be incredibly supportive of me during and afterward.  I don't know how people go through something like this without the love and support of someone else.  I am blessed beyond measure.  Right now I am trying to focus on the birth of my daughter rather than the surgery aspect of it.  I still get teary about it all, but I'm just going to blame the hormones surging through my body.

I can't wait to hear her first cry.  I can't wait to see who she looks more like.  I can't wait to hold her in my arms, and more than that I can't wait to see her daddy hold her for the first time.  I'm going to be a teary mess (hence half of the blog title).  The camera battery is charging up in preparation for tomorrow.  I'll be sure to post pictures as soon as possible, and you can all chime in on who you think Genevieve looks the most like.  I wonder if she'll have hair or if she'll be as bald as I was.  I wonder how much she'll weigh.  My original guess was less than 8 pounds, but now I'm rethinking that idea.

I am thinking I should get to bed and finish things in the morning.  This will be my last night of real sleep for a loooooong time.  Besides, I have to get up and eat a good breakfast before the cut off time, which means eating around 4 AM when I feed the cat.  Oh, and we broke the news to Pawncho tonight that we won't be home for awhile, and when we do come home, he's not going to like the new house guest.  I'm thinking of having Jeremy drive home one day with something that has the baby's scent on it.  I doubt it will do any good, but who knows?

Tomorrow, I will have my daughter in my arms, and not much else is going to matter to me.  I will worry about the cat being all alone, but I have good people stopping by to feed and water him.  I can't wait to see how he reacts to Genevieve!

Can't Sleep

When the birth of your first child can begin any minute, it is not really a good time for insomnia, though it is understandable I suppose.  I have been having trouble sleeping for the past week.  I suppose it's a lot of anticipation, but it's also a lot of feeling like I still have so much to do to prepare myself for caring for an infant. 

Rather than lying in bed staring at the ceiling, well, wall really since I have to sleep on my side, I got up to do a little reading.  I figured that would put me to sleep.  Nope.  Then, Pawncho wanted to play, so we played a game of hide and seek.  I always win because he always hides in the guest bathtub.  It was a fun game nevertheless.  Since I was still pretty awake, I figured I'd add one more blog entry. 

I am beginning to wonder if Genevieve just wants to be a Leap Year baby.  She's already shown us that she wants to be different from 96% of babies by being breech.  Why not be different by only having a birthday every four years?  If she doesn't come soon, I'm sure we'll have to schedule a c-section considering I am now 41 weeks and 1 day pregnant.  We are about out of time, and I was really hoping for that itty, bitty chance of her turning in labor.  Again, I realize it's a long shot, but I still had some hope.  J and I went for a good walk/hike early Sunday evening.  It was pretty nice out and almost too hot.  I got to see some rabbits, a chipmunk, and lots of quail.  I thought about how exciting it will be to see those things through Genevieve's eyes.   

Genevieve is moving around quite a bit right now.  One minute I can feel her head to the left of my belly button, and the next minute it seems to move to just above my belly button.  When I was reading earlier, her head seemed to be more on the right side of my abdomen but still slightly above my belly button.  I wish she would just move that head much farther down!  Tonight we listened to some music together until the battery in my Zune died.  I had one ear bud in my ear and one ear bud down low on my belly.  Unfortunately, we only got to hear two songs before the battery went dead.

I was having a sad day today.  I'm having a difficult time finding excitement for the birth of my daughter, and this hurts my heart fiercely.  I am really having to work to keep my anxiety at bay and not let it overshadow the miracle that is about to take place.  J suggested I make a list of all the things for which I am looking forward.  That's a good idea.  That will be my project for tomorrow.       

Hang on a second...Pawncho is running around like crazy.  I think he may be spooked by the wind outside.  I'm going to go chase him or at least figure out what he's doing.

Holy guacamole!  The cat scared me half to death!  I'll have to add a picture to this post soon, so you can see where he was.  I was not expecting him to be on the counter as I turned the corner.  It made for a fun game for a few minutes though.  I think he's still sitting on the counter.  Anyway, where was I?

I guess I should wrap this up and try to get some shut eye since the clock just struck midnight.  J will be getting up in about 4 1/2 hours to drink his protein shake and go work out with his trainer.  Tomorrow will be a better day.

Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.  Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  ~ Philippians 4:6-7



 

A Difficult Change in Plans

Breech babies have been known to flip head down at the last minute, including during labor.  I am still hopeful that this will happen, but I'm also realistic.  I know that statistics are not in my favor, so I wanted to share where I am at regarding the need for a c-section.

As I mentioned previously, I was devastated to think that I can't deliver at the birth center.  After much talk, research, and prayer, I have come to terms with the fact that I will most likely have a surgical birth.  I have been so blessed to carry a life inside of me to full term.  I am thankful that God gave me a strong body with which to nourish my growing child, and I am grateful for a loving, understanding, supportive husband who loves our daughter beyond words.  For the last 13+ weeks I have received the best care by everyone at the birth center.  I would not have had that had I continued with my OB, even though I thought she was pretty great.  My doula, my midwife, the student nurse midwife and one of the nurses/birth assistants at the birth center have really helped me to work through my emotions.  I most appreciated that they told me it was okay for me to be feeling the way I was feeling, especially when everyone else just kept saying "At least you have a healthy baby." or "C-sections aren't so bad."  Other people made it sound like I didn't care about my baby when in reality it's all about her.   

I am thankful that I have a healthy baby girl, as far as we can all tell.  She moves regularly, and she looked so great on the last ultrasound.  I know that however she is born, God will take care of us.  There are often reasons babies are breech, and this usually can't be determined until after birth.  Sometimes those reasons aren't ever discovered.

Some people don't have time to plan for a c-section or prepare emotionally for this change.  Some people have emergencies that necessitate an immediate change in a birth plan.  I at least had time to write a completely new birth plan in an attempt to make the birth experience the "next best thing".  This may not have been my plan, but for reasons beyond my understanding, this is all part of God's plan for me.  He knows more than I know, and I am resting in that fact.   See Psalm 139.  I am thankful for this extra time to get a grip on my emotions.   

Have I accepted the fact that I will have a cesarean?  No.  It may take me a long time to fully accept this fact, but I will be okay if it happens.  Do I still hope for a natural delivery?  Absolutely!  I pray that my daughter flips, but if she doesn't, I know that everything will be alright.  Do I still cry about this change?  Yes, but a lot less than a week ago.  There are worse things than getting a beautiful baby from a c-section. 

Pregnancy Thoughts

I started keeping a pregnancy journal to document my experiences, but I fell really behind due to the business of work.  Sometimes I just feel writing is a chore even when it's about something so amazingly special.  I was too tired at the end of each night to do any more writing than I had to.  Now I find that I'm playing catch up in my journal.  I don't know how long it will be until I'm caught up to this point in my pregnancy, so I figured I'd write about it for cyberspace.

As I'm writing this post, G is quite happily moving around in my belly.  It's so fascinating to watch my belly move from side to side and, at times, to see a little foot pop out on my right side.  When I push on it a little, it disappears.  I love that game!  J and I can hardly wait until we can tickle those feet from the outside.  J is much more impatient than I am, but I think that's because I have too many worries.

Speaking of worries...I am so thankful that I've had almost two weeks off work before G's arrival to prepare mentally, emotionally, and physically.  At 37 weeks pregnant I heard the words "This baby is breech", and I almost immediately began crying.  J realized this and reached for my hand.  Starting the next day, I began doing a variety of things to get her to flip back to vertex, or head down.  I laid upside down on an ironing board, saw a chiropractor for the Webster technique twice, did inversions, went swimming, walked on my hands and knees, had an external version done, saw an acupuncturist, and tried moxibustion.  I am now 40 weeks and 5 days pregnant, and little miss G is still head up.  What this means for me is a c-section rather than a natural birth at a birthing center with my wonderful certified nurse midwife.  This news was devastating.

You see, there are a number of reasons I switched to a midwife at a birthing center when I was 27 weeks pregnant.  I wanted to avoid interventions that often happen at a hospital and have a tendency to lead to c-sections.  I wanted a more personal type of care.  I wanted a peaceful setting in which to deliver my daughter with the support of my husband and other people with whom I've developed a relationship.  This is important to someone with high anxiety.

The biggest reasons for wanting a natural, non medicated delivery were really for the benefit of G, which is something that many other well meaning people just don't understand.  I wanted G to decide when she was ready to come, and when that time came, I didn't want her to be affected by drugs like pitocin and those used in an epidural.  Drugs can make the baby sleepy, which can make initial breastfeeding more difficult.  Drugs can interfere with the natural release of oxytocin, the love drug, which helps mom and baby bond after birth.

Having a breech baby means I can't deliver at the birth center, and this thought still brings tears to my eyes even though I've had time to adjust to this change.  I went through a whole grieving process because surgery is the farthest thing from what I wanted for the birth of my daughter.  See my next post for my thoughts on this change in plans.    

Turks & Caicos: Final Hours

"It's so hard, to say goodbye..." - Boys II Men

This entry will be fairly short because I really don't remember too many of the details.  The details of this day are much more boring than the other days, so I'm sure it's okay to keep this short.


We intended to wake early to watch the sunrise at the beach, but that didn't happen.  We started packing up and headed out for a breakfast at Fresh Bakery & Bistro.  I enjoyed a delicious cinnamon roll, J had a cheese danish, and we shared a frothy cup of OJ.  On our walk back to the hotel room, I took a few more snapshots of the resort.  I really didn't want to leave!

We got a cab, headed to the airport, and got in line.  We decided to use the self check in station, but that really didn't speed things up too much.  Saturday's a busy day at the airport!  Once we were checked in, we just sat and waited.  We then flew into Miami where the real craziness began.  We weren't sure if we had to claim our conch shell, and we couldn't figure out who to ask.  We stopped at one of the counters to find out, and the person there didn't really know the answer.  He said he didn't think we needed to claim it, so we hoped he was right.  We waited in a long customs line and were all set to go next when one family just decided to go when it was our turn.  They came out of nowhere and just cut in front of everyone!  We were flabbergasted.  To make matters worse, there were issues with the non-English speaking family, which made our wait even longer.  Other lines were moving, and ours was at a stand still.  J was getting pissed!

We made it up to the counter, and the customs guy confirmed that as long as we didn't have a live conch, we didn't need to claim the shell.  We finished quickly and headed to eat dinner somewhere.  I don't even remember where we ate.  Mayhaps it was a Mexican food place, which wasn't really so great, if I recall.

Somewhere along the way, the arm of J's glasses broke off.  He was wearing his prescription sunglasses in the security line at the Miami airport, and one of the security personnel told him to take them off thinking he was just trying to be a cool dude when in fact he was just trying to see.  He complied, and we moved through the security checkpoint easily.  We made the longish flight home where our dear friend Suzanne picked us up.  She was the first to be regaled by our stories and the first to see our pictures.


Pawncho was a little indifferent towards us when we arrived home, but he slept with us nearly the entire night, something he never does.  He must have missed us.  The next day is when we officially found out that he is diabetic.  We were happy to have found this out after our trip rather than beforehand because we would have been hard pressed to find someone to administer his insulin shots.  More on that in future posts possibly. 


Okay, I'm ending this as I sense myself rambling.  Maybe this blog will evolve into something else, but for now, the adventures of our trip will sit out in cyberspace for all to read. 

Turks & Caicos: Day 7

July 30, 2010

The trouble with waiting so long to type up this report is that the details are a bit fuzzy.  It's a good thing I have some pictures to help guide me.   Oh, and I started to type this up in February, and it is now April. 

This was our final full day on the amazingly beautiful island of Providenciales.  We were excited for the adventure that lay ahead but a little melancholy (you know head like a melon - face like a collie, right Dad?) about our vacation coming to a close.  After breakfast we suited up and prepared for a day on a boat with Silver Deep.  We were told to be in the lobby by 8:45, but when we arrived a few minutes before that time, we saw that the Silver Deep van was fully loaded.  We had to ask the driver where we were supposed to sit, and no one on board the van seemed interested in making any room for us.  It turns out there were these little seats that folded out into the aisle.  Oh yay.  We squeezed in and headed to the Silver Deep shop to get our tickets for Little Water Cay (Iguana Island), the first stop on our boat tour.

Once we arrived at the shop, we waited in a long a$$ line to get our tickets.  They were $5 each and had to be purchased in cash, which is why we had to buy them at the shop rather than paying for them in advance with the boat tour.  The whole process still seemed ridiculous.  We then re-boarded the crowded van in which people thought we were going to steal their seats.  Really people?  Now we're off to the Silver Deep location at Turtle Cove Marina to try on snorkel gear and board the boat.

I'll spare you the details of getting our snorkel gear and boarding.  Let's move on to more interesting tales.  Well, at least more interesting than getting snorkel gear and boarding a boat.  Okay, this is a waste of space.  Moving on.

It was so fun to speed along in the boat.  There was a lot of excitement and a little nervousness about the day.  I wasn't so sure how I'd feel about snorkeling.  I hate trying new things in the presence of others for fear of looking silly, stupid, inept, etc.; it's all very anxiety inducing and something on which I'm working.  We quickly arrived at Little Water Cay to see the home of 3,000 Rock Iguanas (and many more mosquitoes, I'm sure).  We were told to stay on the boardwalk around the island as to not disturb the reptiles, but I started to wonder who was going to protect me from the mosquitoes.  I think it was my hand I noticed itching first.  Bite one of the day, and bite 5 of the trip.  I decided it was time to get a move on, and pictures just weren't worth the itchiness I would experience later.  I walked as if I were being hunted, and it turned out, I was!  J, following closely behind, informed me that the mosquitoes were practically covering my back and arms.  He swatted them away as I walked more quickly and squealed in fright.  Finally removed to the safety of the foliage-free beach, my heart slowed down, and I could relax a little.  Later I would discover that I sustained 5 additional bites on Iquana Island for a total of 10 for the trip.  Unfortunately for me, the maximum strength Cortaid I brought on the trip did little to soothe the fiery itching.

After this quick island visit, the boat headed off to our snorkeling destination near a reef.  J was first to sport his gear and hop in to give snorkeling a try.  I was content to watch him and others first, debating whether or not I would chicken out as I do of many things.  I finally decided this was too amazing of an opportunity to pass, so I geared up and climbed down the boat steps into the 80° water.  At first, I had a difficult time with claustrophobia.  I kept wanting to breathe through my nose, which only resulted in fogging up my mask.  It wasn't long though before I started to get the hang of it and enjoy myself.  It really was a neat feeling, and the water was so clear that many fish could be seen.  I wasn't brave enough to go down into the water; I was happy to stay at the surface, with my face peering into the water.  We probably swam around for 20-30 minutes before boarding the boat to head to our next stopping spot for conch diving.

Captain Shawn informed us that the ocean floor at this point was around 30 feet down, which is quite a ways to go, especially for an inexperienced snorkeler (or even an experienced snorkeler).  He said he'd be happy to make some dives and bring up conch shells for people.  One lady said she got close to the bottom, but in all of her attempts, could never make it all of the way.  J and I were plenty satisfied with watching the captain dive and bring up conchs.  J was the first to follow him out for the diving; I stayed on the boat to finish up my super sweet pineapple soda.  Upon surfacing, Captain Shawn handed J a conch and a sea biscuit and said "give that to your wife".  J brought them on board and hung out with me while I put my snorkel gear back on.  That's when we heard people shouting that Jojo the dolphin was nearby!  I'd read about so many people's sightings of and experiences with Jojo, but our boat captain said he hadn't been seen for a couple of weeks.  I didn't think we'd get to see him.

Jojo is a wild dolphin that loves to follow boats and other motorized water vehicles to jump their wake.  He gets pretty close to people but doesn't like it when people start moving towards him.  The story is that he used to have a mate, but no one is quite sure what happened to her.  Jojo is pretty scarred from getting too close to boat motors.

I jumped into the water quickly and started to head around to the other side of the boat where Jojo had been spotted.  As I began to move around the bow of the boat, there was Jojo, arms length away from me.  I couldn't believe I was swimming with a wild, bottle-nosed dolphin!!!  I snorkeled around for a bit with Jojo somewhat nearby while J stayed on board taking pictures and making little videos of the dolphin.  This was probably the highlight of the trip for me.  After about 15 minutes, it was time for us to head off to our lunch destination-Water Cay.  As we sped away, the passengers in the back of the boat were treated to a show by Jojo.  He was jumping the wake of the boat for quite some time, but I could never get a good view.   

When we arrived at Water Cay, Captain Shawn gave a tutorial on how to remove a conch from its shell.  I felt kind of sorry for the creature as the process did not seem terribly pleasant.  I made a little movie of this event, which you can see here.  As everyone enjoyed the amazing beach and searched for sand dollars, the boat crew made conch ceviche.  J and I did not care to eat it, opting for something upon our return from the trip.  After a short time had passed, we boarded the boat to head back to our resort.  Along the way, we saw several very expensive houses.  We were thinking about saving up for one of them, but we'd probably have to save for the rest of our lives and maybe wouldn't enjoy the house as much in our eighties as we would in our thirties and forties.  I love that the boat dropped us off right at the beach of our resort. 

Beach bums asked us what we thought of the trip and if it was worth the cost.  We told them it was worth every penny but next time we'd like to do a full day boat trip.  On the way back to our room, we came across one of the groundskeepers working on the amazing landscape at the resort.  She's the one who gave us more information about Jojo and his missing mate, and she gave us some tips on how to clean/treat our conch shell and sea biscuit.  She was such a friendly, sweet British woman, and J and I enjoyed the time we spent chatting with her.

By this time, we were practically starving, so after putting our things away, we headed straight for the Mango Reef Restaurant for a little lunch.  I wanted something light because I really wanted to have room for dinner, so I could try grouper or snapper.  I opted for a BLT (not island fare, but it seemed small compared to other options), and J chose the chicken quesadilla.  My BLT had so much bacon on it that I had to remove a good portion.  The food was tasty as usual though.  When we finished eating, we headed back to our room for a little nap.

Upon waking, we decided to head down to the beach for our last evening in Providenciales.  It wasn't long before the clouds brought some rain. It felt amazing swimming in the rain and was actually warmer in the water than out in the rain.  There were only 3 other people in the water with me; J was on the beach in his lounge chair listening to music.  The rain pretty much cleared the beach for us, so we took advantage of the nearly empty beach to have some fun with Dave the Blue Bunny.

After a long day of sun and sand, we showered and watched some TV.  I know, real exciting.  We thought about going to dinner but just didn't feel hungry.  That was disappointing because I really wanted to try a local kind of fish.  We decided we'd just pay a visit to the Mango Reef bar for a tropical drink and access to their wi-fi to check in to our airline flight.  Dave came with us and partied too hard.

At this point, we couldn't believe that we were leaving this tropical paradise the following day.  We almost didn't want to go to sleep, making our departure that much closer.  Alas, we could keep our eyes open no longer and drifted off to sleep with dreams of our shared new adventures dancing in our heads.  Just typing this up makes me want to be there again.  Maybe in another 12 years we can go back.