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Lily sleeping
This was taken a few days after her birth. Bluewater Cat is still in the Bahamas. We left the Georgetown area around the middle of March and headed north to the Abacos, the northernmost islands of the Bahamas. We flew to the Abacos about 15 years ago and spent a week there scuba diving while staying at a resort, but had never been there with the boat. I was surprised when we reached the popular cruising area of the Abacos to see so many sailboats plying these waters. The Abacos include the main islands of Little Abaco and Great Abaco and then multiple smaller cays like Man O War, Green Turtle Cay, Elbow Cay, Manjack Cay, and so on. It reminds me a little of the BVIs because you can take short day sails from island to island and yet stay within the protected Sea of Abaco much of the time (much like the Sir Francis Drake Channel of the BVIs) and not even need to “go outside” to the open ocean.
It was in the Abacos six weeks ago that we first received word from my son Brandon that our daughter in law Brooke had been hospitalized with pre eclampsia (toxemia) at 35 weeks of pregnancy. We anxiously
Lily after her bath
This was taken just a couple of days ago. awaited word everyday on her condition and the condition of Lily. After almost 2 weeks in the hospital, Lily Grace Gibson was born April 5th by C – Section at Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, TX. Mom and baby both fared very well. We were in Green Turtle Cay, Bahamas that day. I was so nervous I couldn’t even concentrate enough to read, so I just sat down and sewed on my new curtains for the boat that day (they were way overdue being done anyway). It was repetitive mindless work and it kept me occupied while waiting on news. When the call came from Brooke’s sister Heather that all was well, I felt like I was the most blessed person in the entire world.
I have been in Texas (again) the last few weeks enjoying my granddaughter and yes working some at the clinic as well. This little girl has stolen every piece of my heart. She’s beautiful, she’s sweet, she’s so little, and so precious. She weighed 6 pounds and 6 ounces at birth, was not a big baby, but she was big enough. My son and daughter in law are adjusting to the middle of the night
Easter Sunday
Brandon, Brooke, and Lily feedings, the poopy diapers, discerning what each type of cry means, and yet at the same time enjoying the many wonders and marvels of parenthood. I will be leaving Texas tomorrow and I’m already sad about leaving my little Lily. She is growing so fast. She will never again look like she does now. When I see her next she will be two or three months older. She won’t be a newborn anymore and when I think of missing all those weeks of her life I feel very sad. It is different with her than it is with everyone else I love. With her, I can’t call her on the phone or send her an email. I can only communicate with her in person. Of course she could care less. As long as I feed her or change her diaper then I’m no different than anyone else! I know the difference though.
I will be going back to the Bahamas tomorrow. I love coming to Texas to visit but I also miss my husband and my floating home when I am away. Jimmy has been spending time with family as well these last few weeks. My brother in law Wayne flew to Freeport, Grand Bahama and he and Jimmy sailed the boat to some very remote locations in search of the perfect fish. After catching about 10 barracuda and a horse eye jack they finally landed a tasty king mackerel. I heard that he was fine eating.
When Wayne left, our niece Emily and her husband Matt flew to Freeport. Jimmy, Matt, and Emily took the boat in a different direction back to the Abacos. They are now back to Freeport. I haven’t heard much about the adventures of the past week on Bluewater Cat but I suspect it involved some snorkeling and scuba diving, and I know for sure that it involved catching a mahi mahi on the way to the Abacos and a king mackerel on the way back. We have been using Ocean Reef Marina in the Lucaya/Freeport area as our base the last few weeks so that’s why everyone is flying in and out of Freeport. I will in fact be flying into Freeport tomorrow.
We have enjoyed hearing from so many of our cruising friends the last few weeks. This is the time of year that live aboard cruisers are making their way toward their destination for the hurricane season. Some of our friends are heading to Panama, others to the Rio Dulce of Guatemala, some to Trinidad or Grenada in the eastern Caribbean, others across the Pacific and some like us to the east coast of the US to the Chesapeake Bay area. We plan to leave the northern Bahamas around the last of May and head straight to Beaufort, North Carolina. This will take a few days of round the clock sailing but it will be the most efficient way to get us to where we are going. After a short rest in Beaufort where we will clear customs, we plan to make our way quickly to the Chesapeake. Our boat insurance folks want us safely tucked in the Chesapeake before the tropical storms begin.
I’m looking forward to seeing the US east coast from the vantage point of Bluewater Cat. I’ve traveled most of these states by car or plane but with the exception of Florida and Georgia I haven’t spent very much time in the coastal areas. I’m looking forward to museums, hamburgers, hotdogs, apple pie, ice cream and the 4th of July!
Love you all,
Donna
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margaret berrio
non-member comment
We are so thrilled for you!
I wish I could be on the boat with you all right now hearing all the details about Lily. She's already made a huge impact on the world by making so many people so happy.