Aloha

Our computer went wonky so it's taken me a while to finally upload pictures of our recent trip to Hawaii.  It feels like it took just as much time for the kids to adjust back to "normal" life and our regular routine.  I have to say, traveling with Ella at nine months old was a great deal easier than traveling with both kids.  Thankfully, we had help from Grandma, Ashley and the kids' godparents, as we attended my good friend's wedding, survived a tropical storm, and validated Adam's fear of shark attacks.

Our first leg of the trip was mainly for Denise's wedding, which was beautiful!  I attended to bridesmaid's duties, while everyone got to do some activities like ATV riding and kayaking.  Ella was a flower girl for the first time, and while I was nervous she would be nervous with all the attention, loved every minute of the festivities.

Buckled in and ready for take off!

Our journey begins with G's first play ride (LAX --> Honolulu).  He did great!  Slept a lot, and woke up to play a little, shout to make his presence known, and ate to fall asleep again.

While I had packed a kid-sized suitcase full of toys, books and activities to occupy her for the 5.5 hr. flight, E mostly slept, ate and watch videos on my iPad.

We stayed near the wedding site, which was on a more secluded side of the island.  So we got a lovely, lush view of Chinaman's Hat.

I love Hawaiian food and was happy to find a shrimp truck very close to our hotel.

Going for a stroll outside our hotel.

This girl loves her accessories.

Taking a tour of the hotel grounds. 

While everyone went ATV riding, Donna and I took the kids to a local beach.  It was a perfect afternoon on a secluded little strip of sand.  The waves were gentle and E LOVED splashing in the water.

She thought it was hilarious that the waves were tickling her toes.  She kept asking for "more waves!" and I was happy to oblige.

We saw people land on the beach.

My kids LOVE their Mimi.

I woke up to this face every morning.

Denise & Tristan had their rehearsal dinner on the beach.  It was a picturesque backdrop evening.

E in her flower girl outfit.  She ended up walking down the aisle with a cone of popcorn (while I held her flowers).  Go figure.

A quick family picture before the wedding began.

One of the best parts of the trip was spending time with our friends.

Two of the handsomest men I know!

E exploring the wedding site with her Lala.

 After the wedding we flew to Maui for a family vacation.  We loved having our friends and the kids' godparents along for the ride.  Many hands made light work, but toddler meltdowns definitely made traveling a little tougher this time around.

On the shuttle to the airport.  I didn't realize how much luggage and stuff came with two kids.

E has developed a love of planes.  She also made sure to do some yoga in the airport to help with the flight.

We had a VERY lovely welcome gift waiting for us when we arrived at the hotel.  The kids were thrilled to open up their goodies!

Last year, it was just Ella's name in sponges.  Hard to believe we have another name in our group.

Traveling is exhausting.

Making prints in the sand.

Beach bum.

No trip to Hawaii is complete without a fruity cocktail served in a pineapple.

So blessed to be able to still vacation with my oldest friend. 

Heading out for a shopping excursion.

It was really hot during our trip, so we made sure to stay hydrated.

We were going for "Lion King" but got "Totem Pole" instead.

G and his Mimi waiting for the sunset.

"Where's the sun going?"

We braved the heat to make a trip to Lahaina for shaved ice.  It was delicious.

Ella loves her breakfast buffets.

Our favorite memory from the trip ended up being a visit to the Maui aquarium with just the four of us.

While in Maui we were hit by a tropical storm and alerted of two shark attacks (!), affirming Adam's long-seated fear.

Learning about the marine life in Hawaii.

Upside down jellyfish.  I have a strange love for them.

Being the neat-freak that she is, E was fascinated by the scuba diver cleaning the tank.

Stingray encounter.

We think this fish looks like G when he was first born.  It's all in the puckered mouth.

Maybe it was the heat or the exhaustion of traveling, but E spiked a fever the last night we were there.  Fancy sorbet was what the doctor ordered.

Getting ready to head home.

A successful and memorable family trip.

Airport bound.

Aloha, Hawaii!  'Til we meet again!

Month Six

Six Months Old!

Your big half-year birthday happened on your first trip--a family vacation to Hawaii.  Which means you also experienced your first plane ride(s).  You did swimmingly and slept through most of the flights.  You also attended your second wedding, staying up late and partying with the grown ups.  You also witnessed your first tropical storm (not impressed).  You love napping pool side, with the sound of the ocean waves in the background.  Most of all, you love sleeping in bed with us (a habit we are now trying to break) throughout the trip, reaching and grabbing for our arms to snuggle with.

At six months you're 26" long and weigh 16 lbs. 2 oz.  You've started solids (you love butternut squash and carrots, and feeding yourself mum mums).  You're still developing a taste for food, and it's pretty cute how you absolutely refuse to eat peas (you seal your mouth shut).  You are sitting up very well now, and starting to really reach for and play with your toys. Your favorite past time is definitely chewing on something (anything) that you can put in your mouth--fingers, teethers, Sophie the Giraffe, your foot, Mommy's face.  You roll every which way, but prefer to sit than be on your tummy.  You're also growing more and more vocal by the day.  You love to yelp, shout and shriek.  While you'll start to fuss to get into Mommy's arms, you are still very social and will offer smiles to strangers and friends alike.  You smile so willingly and generously; your joy is infectious  You've also discovered your love of standing.  You can sort of stand on your own while holding onto something, and you grin ear to ear with your new sense of independence.  

You are a strong little fellow, grabbing anything in sight (making holding you during meals quite challenging).  You delight in your sister even more now, and laugh out loud when she plays with you.  Your favorite game is the both of pretending to "ride your bicycle" around the kitchen island.  You love that slow build up before we run fast!  You also appreciate your alone time, playing in your jumper or lying on the floor with a teether in hand.  We've been trying to read books to you, but you prefer to eat them.  You still love a good song and game of peek-a-boo.  You still love viewing the world from the baby carrier, and you've become pretty easy going about napping anywhere (thankfully since our routines have been changing so much lately).  You are still the snuggly and cuddly little boy I love and adore.  And I can't wait to see you hit many more milestones throughout the rest of your first year.