first vacation, installment 1- crib lessons

We went on our first "vacation" with Elisha last week. It was so much an adventure, for all of us.

I love to be prepared- Tim often will tease me about forgetting the kitchen sink as we leave for a trip, because I have tried to pack everything I may think we will need.

This trip was no different.

We went to St Croix to enjoy a week on the beach at our time share. Tim and I have been there each year since we went on our honeymoon, and have so many amazing memories there. I called at least 5 or six times in the weeks before we left to make sure we would have a crib set up in our room upon our arrival. We were scheduled to land at 10:30 pm- so I knew if it wasn't already in place, we'd not have a crib for that first night.

I even went so far as to call from Texas during our layover there.

(Do you see where this is heading?)

We arrived, and experienced our first miracle on the island- the car rental place was open!!! We were excited and felt soo blessed- they even had a free car seat available. Elisha fell fast asleep in the car on the way to the resort, and stayed asleep as we removed him from the car, went to our bungalow and got him ready for bed.

No crib.

I repeat- NO CRIB!

I was shocked, a bit bitter, a little angry, and then, I decided I had to let it go so I could have a fun week. We pulled out the couch bed, put the cushions on top of the unbelievably thin mattress, surrounded it with a sea of pillows, covered it with a beach towel and then lovingly placed our son on the little bed in the middle.

I think I slept as much that night as I did the first night we brought him home from the orphanage. I just knew he was going to roll off. So, at 2am, when I glanced over and jumped up, instantly awake, realizing he was no longer on the little bed in the middle, I was afraid my worst fears were realized. Body shaking all over, as one wakened from a deep sleep is wont to feel, I crept over to the bed and looked all around. And there, to my great delight and an answer to prayer, lay Elisha, nestled in between the pillows, barely visible, still sound asleep.

I picked him up and moved him back to the center island. :0) He just rolled on his side and stayed asleep.

Around 4 or 5 am, he again had gone missing, but, afraid to move him and wake him up ( I wasn't ready to get up for the day yet) I just watched him a bit. He moved. I jumped back. He sat up, looked around, saw the cushions in the middle, climbed back onto them, and promptly fell back asleep. Aahhhhhh. Now I could lay down and sleep. Thank you, God for removing this fear.