Happy Birthday to Daddy!

November 23rd has always been a special day for me. My very best friend from high school (who was also my room mate), celebrates her birthday on that day. When I met Aho, I thought he was joking when he said it was his birthday as well. It's also the wedding anniversary for cousins on each side of our family. Therefore...it's a pretty special day. So in our house, we do our best to make it a little different from the other days. But being on a budget, and having a Daddy who always says he doesn't want anything, can make it a little difficult. So this year was actually quite simple.
As soon as Ola woke up (being around 5:30 am), we called daddy at work so Ola could sing the song he had been practicing for days. Granted, it was only one line...Happy Birthday to Daddy!...but it was on tune and on key, so it was actually pretty impressive. ;) He also got silly faces, like the one pictured above. Lucky Daddy!

There was quite time with our little opihi. And who would not be happy with the sweetness of that face? That's the secret for happiness right there. ;)

And of course, there were cards, a special dinner (crab stuffed salmon), and an ice cream cake.

Daddy got to hear Ola's song once more as he tried to blow out the fire that had taken over the cake. ;)

In our house, birthdays are special...no matter how simple they may be. Happy Birthday Daddy! We love you with all our hearts!

5 months

Unbelievably, our little Pa'a is now 5 months old. Although he is mostly the same easy going baby that we brought home from the hospital back in June, his sweet little personality and his strength and abilities are definitely beginning to show. Kupa'a is definitely becoming more active. He loves to grab his toes and roll around. No, not roll over, just roll around, and around, and around. And chomping on his hands can still keep him occupied for quite a while. He loves to sit and stand, and especially to stand in his bouncer and play with the toys. (While Ola's favorite bouncer toy was the frog, Kupa'a's is the sun. He spends much of his time trying to eat it.)

He is also very, very strong for such a little guy. He is quite fond of mauling mommy when she tries to kiss his cheek. And once he gets a hold of your face or your hair...prepare for a struggle, cause he won't let go! But he is still such a happy baby. He loves to snuggle; loves to nap on his tummy; loves sweet potatoes; wants to sit in your lap when he eats; squeals when he's getting tired or bored; splashes like a mad man in the bathtub; laughs when you wash under his neck; is very ticklish; and adores his brother.

And while all of these things make me smile and count my blessings, my favorite is probably the smile he saves for his daddy. When Aho comes home from work, he's always bombarded by Waiola and Hiwa. But once he's said his hellos to those two, he finds his little Kupa'a and sings..."Hi Kupaka boy! Hi Kupaka boy! Hi Kupak, Hi Kupak, Hi Kupaka boy!" (Kupaka...because that's what Ola calls his brother. And if I could remember what the tune is, I'd tell you...but I can't). But when Daddy sings, and his face lights up, that is probably the sweetest thing about him.

I love this little boy head to toe...all 5 months of him.

Temple Open House

This month, following almost two years of renovations, the LDS Laie Hawaii Temple opened it's doors to the public for three weeks prior to it's re-dedication. This meant that church members and non-church members alike could all take a tour through this gorgeously renovated building. It also meant that people of all ages, including children, could have the chance to walk through the entire temple. It's a very rare occasion which our family, along with some friends, couldn't pass up. The temple has always been close to my heart. It was the sight of this beautiful building, lit up against the night sky, that led to my membership in the church. It's also the place where Aho proposed, and where we were married. And whenever we have the opportunity, and the child care, it's a place I love to be. And being able to share that with our children and our friends was such a special experience.

This was our entire group, minus our photographer Kyra. Tim, Keahi, Leeya, Jo, Ola, Gabby, Aho, & Kupa'a.

Ola was so well behaved and quiet inside the temple, and once we were outside he let loose and ran around. He also came very close to attempting to take a dip in the top fountain. (But Mommy saw the look in his eyes and stopped him before he got close enough)

A quick shot of our family before it started to rain.

And even though it was raining, we had a hard time getting Ola to leave this bench. No idea why. But, that is the bench where his daddy proposed almost 5 years ago. ;)

Once last shot of the girls before leaving. I'm so glad to have these three ladies in my life and to be able to spend time together whenever we can. Thanks Kapio's for making the day so special.

Aquarium

When I was hapai with Waiola, I CRAVED seafood. I ate as much seafood as I was allotted each week, and that was with a great deal of restraint. And I knew that that little boy that we hadn't met yet would grow up to love the ocean. Two years later and I laugh at how real that has become. My little man devours sushi, crab, and shrimp, he would camp out at the beach every day if we let him, and he thinks sea creatures are awesome. But who could blame him? So today, we took a family trip to the Waikiki Aquarium to see some of his favorite things.

Right off the bat, Ola got an "official" sea horse stamp which he was absolutely fascinated with.

And we didn't even have to make it to the actual exhibits for him to get excited. The pictures were almost enough.

At a few of the tanks there was a ledge big enough for him to stand on, which he took full advantage of. Who wants to stand back and look at the fish when you can be right up in their face?

We saw lots of different types of fish and coral...

different kinds of jellyfish...

a tank full of Ulua, Groupers, and even some sharks (some of which were the size of our little man, if not larger)...

and the highlight of the show...A HE'E!!! He was kind of small, and a little shy, but he'e are Ola's favorite, and he loved it!

And last, but not least, we watched the aquarium's two monk seals take a swim.
All it took was a 45 minute drive and a $12 admittance charge, and the result was a perfectly happy little boy. Such a small price to pay for such a big smile, and a day full of "MOM! DAD! LOOK!" I'm so happy our little man is such an ocean lover.

And it begins...

Growing up, it was often just me and my brother. And while we got along majority of the time, there were those special moments where we weren't exactly the best of friends. There was arguing, ratting each other out, and sometimes, simply doing our best to get the other in trouble. Having two boys of my own now, I was well aware of the fact that these moments would present themselves...I just didn't realize they would happen so soon.


Oh well, at least they're both tattling with a smile on their face. ;)

-Special thanks to Tutu and Papa for the shirts. Is this my payback??

Growing so fast

Having two kids definitely means splitting my time. With Waiola, I didn't have anything else to do but be with him and watch him grow. Now with Kupa'a, I find that I don't have as much one on one time and I feel as though he's growing up so much faster.He's already outgrown so many of his clothes. I find myself putting him into things, only to realize...well, he probably can't wear this again. This onesie and pair of pants he's wearing are both 6-12 months, and neither had that much room left.

And I still can't believe he's into week 2 of food already. So far, cereal is alright, and carrots are a definite winner. Still trying to decide what veggie to try next.

Now he's even starting to sit up on his own. Granted, about 20 seconds after I caught this shot he started tipping to the left, but hey...it's hard work holding up that huge head.

Kupa'a definitely likes to be talked to and played with. He's very quick to smile and laugh. He lights up when he sees his daddy and still can't take his eyes off his brother. He's not a cryer, but still a bit of a screamer, although I don't blame him with all the noise from the other two. And when he's fast asleep, well, he's just about perfect.

Now, if only I could keep him from growing up so fast.

Lazy Days

Lately, the weather in our neck of the woods has been rather glum. Dark, overcast, and rainy. It makes it hard to get out and do things. So, we've been spending some lazy days at home. In a way, it's a good thing, since staying at home means not spending any money, but I know the boys can only take so many days of being cooped up. Yesterday was semi-sunny, and we managed to make it to Pearlridge Mall for Keiki Tuesdays with Chris da Clown, but today was yucky and rainy and ended up being just a lazy day. Kupa'a doesn't mind lazy days too much. He got to work on tummy time, which he no longer sleeps through.

My wild child took a break from playing to snuggle up with the princess in her bed. These two are hilarious together!


Early this afternoon, we got an unexpected knock at our door. The mailman delivered a package from Tutu and Papa that they sent home from their trip up to Canada. Ola got a cool new portable high chair called a Handy Sitt. It's pretty nifty, and he wanted to spend all afternoon playing with his new "toy."

Kupa'a got a cute little hungry caterpillar teether. Although, he only had a moment to play with it by himself before his brother lovingly shoved it in his mouth for him to chomp on.


We did get a chance to run out really quickly this morning before the weather got too bad and grab some new pajamas. It's been getting pretty chilly at night now and even my two hot bodies need to warm up. So tonight, the boys got to get all snuggly before bed. Kupa'a had to have the really warm ones with the feet.

And Ola's...well, this set just seemed to fit him. That boy will never admit he's sleepy!

While lazy days can be extra long (it's hard for those little bodies not to have things to do), sometimes it's nice to just stay home and relax.