Five months have come and gone with MANY ups and downs, but it was all worth it to see Noa again.
And what better a reunion location than HAWAII?!
It took me a little longer to get out there than expected (thank you traffic, airport lines, and training at the security checkpoints), but I fiiiiinally made it out on a beautiful, clear Saturday morning. Noa met me at the airport and seriously, it was like we were little kids again, just hugging and giggling....you couldn't get us to stop smiling! Even more exciting - Noa got to see my little baby bump for the first time. It was a precious moment.
We went straight to the cabin at Bellows Air Force Base. Noa told me ahead of time not to expect much - it was a simple cabin with a living room area, small kitchen, and simple bedroom. There is no A/C, but fans and a breeze from the ocean keep things cool. When he opened the cabin door, I was surprised to find rose petals, presents, and flowers in the cabin. Surprise! I was so, so incredibly happy. I think we both were.
Noa had picked up little goodies throughout his travels with the Pacific Partnership mission and wrapped them up for me. He even used some of my favorite wrapping paper (the jewel-toned spotted paper). It was such a thoughtful gesture. I was giddy.
What the cabin lacked in luxury, it made up for in location. We soon found ourselves headed to the beach, which was a 30-second walk from our cabin door.
There's the beach! And, technically speaking we weren't right on the beach, but we didn't care. We were close enough and still had a view from our cabin. Here's the outside of the cabin and our stylin' rental car:
Enough of that, let's get to the beach....it was truly postcard worthy.
We spent the majority of our trip on the beach, soaking up the sun, reading baby books, and telling each other stories of the past few months. I didn't want it to end - it was perfect.
Noa grabbed my camera to make sure to document the belly bump on the beach. I decided to just wear a regular bikini instead of a maternity suit. Usually I feel pretty self-conscious on the beach, but this time, even with my bulging belly, I felt okay....good, in fact. It also probably helped that we were in a pretty secluded area. Still, I'm happy showing this new "I'm pregnant" look. Noa just seemed tickled pick to see his wife sporting a baby bump.
We did get off the beach occasionally. Noa gave me a tour of the USS Cleveland - his ship - which was incredible. I still can't believe he lived on the ship for months. I would have gone stir crazy, but he did well and made some solid friendships along the way. I felt so fortunate to see into this part of his adventure.
I tried snapping pictures in the car just to capture the lush mountains and beautiful scenery around us. Seriously, it was breathtaking. Even though I've been to Hawaii before, it still makes me stare in awe at how beautiful it is.
You might remember from the last post that while we were in Hawaii, we found out we were having a little girl. On Sunday morning after my arrival, after feeling the baby kicking around (first time for that too!), we decided it was time to open "the envelope." The envelope contained a card that my friend Amy made me - isn't it adorable?!
About a month ago, I gave this card to my doctor. After he performed an ultrasound, he wrote in the card and put some ultrasound pictures in the envelope. The envelope was then placed on my mantel until Hawaii. That morning, I handed it to Noa. I wanted him to find out first. Here's what he saw:
Girls are a little more ambiguous to see on ultrasounds than boys, but we are pretty sure we're growing a girl after examining the included pics. The doctor has seen me since these have been taken and I'm sure that I'll have another ultrasound with Noa around just to confirm everything. We are thrilled....and, no, we are nowhere near choosing a name!
On our last night, Noa grilled some steaks and then we made s'mores our on our back patio. Noa was the grill master. Everything was so good!
Noa made an award-winning s'more. Seriously, it was the best. Just look at that marshmallow!
It was a bittersweet time, since we knew we'd be saying good-bye once again the next morning.
The only thing that kept me going was knowing that we'd be reunited soon.
Noa is due home in a few days and I can hardly wait! Thanks, family and friends for all your thoughts and prayers. It hasn't been easy, but we made it!
