The Del Toro Ohana

Okinawan Festival

2011-10-13T21:34:00.004-10:00

Growing up on Kauai, we spent our summers going to the different Bon Dance on our side of the island. The music, the food, the games, and just hanging out with family and friends made it a special way to spend the summer weekends. I was so sad when I moved to Oahu and found that the Bon Dances here weren't nearly the same, and over time, I didn't even bother going unless we were at home. But, this year my brother told us about the yearly Okinawan festival that also combines with the final Bon Dance of the season. And so...we went to check it out.

Sadly, I was absolutely starving when we got there, so there are no pictures of the awesome food. We had sushi, chicken plate, yakitori sticks, andadogs (first one, and then a second, and I think even a third), an oki dog, and andagi. Oh...and then later, shave ice.

After we were full enough, we headed toward the games. Ola headed straight for the bouncers and decided to try an obstacle course first. He was a bit confused as to what he was supposed to do and where he was supposed to go, as is evident by his face in this picture.
Luckily, mommy could barely see over the edge and tried to guide him through as best as possible.

After our fair share of obstacle courses, bouncy houses, and inflated slides, Ola and Daddy headed for the mini golf. By the end, he was kind of getting the hang of it.
And our last game was go fish. When I was a kid, this was my favorite Bon Dance game. But back then, all you had to do was hold your pole out and they'd throw your line over a wall, attach a prize and give it a little tug. When you pulled your line back, you had a prize. Here, Ola actually had to catch his fish (or in this case, crab). He was VERY focused and got it right away. Then took it off, threw it back, and went again. lol. Eventually, he took his "catch" to the prize table and chose his goodies.

Once we'd had our fill of games, we just let the kids run around for a while. We tried to snap a family picture, but with our crazies, this is the best we got. lol. Gotta love em!
While no Bon Dance will ever be the same as the ones I grew up loving, we did have a fun afternoon. And the kids loved it, which is really what matters.

Oh, and one last shot. As we were walking to our car, Kupa'a made a new friend.
He was so tiny (as is obvious next to our already tiny child) and very sweet. He let Kupa'a hang around and pet him, but really, I'm not sure Pa'a knew what to do with something so much smaller than himself.

Turning 3!

2011-08-27T12:28:00.008-10:00

This month, our oldest son turned 3. After his brother's sizeable first birthday luau, I think he was hoping for something just as big. Luckily, he was more than happy with what he got.

Our little man had lots to do on his big day. The biggest surprise, and the one we don't have any pictures of, was his trip to the movie theatre with Daddy, Granna, Grandpa, and Uncle Eli, to watch Transformers III. According to daddy, he was on the edge of his seat, leaning on the seat in front of him, the WHOLE movie. In fact, he'd only turn around long enough to ask for a snack or get a sip of his Too funny. When he got home, he was running through the house trying to find me to tell me everything that happened in the movie. Too funny.

Back at home, he got a large Elmo balloon arangement from Tutu and Papa, which he drug around the house for the next few days.

We went for a walk to feed the fish, which is quickly becoming one of his favorite activities.
We had birthday cake! Well...birthday pie.
And of course, some presents. He was so happy with his transformers toy, cup, and plate...
he couldn't wait to use them.
But, that wasn't it. After his brother's big bash, he asked if he could have a transformer birthday party, and so that weekend, we had a small one with just family.

Our Deceptacon Pinata (cause we didn't want to destroy any Autobots)

Optimus Prime goodie bags for the kids
And our birthday boy with his LONG awaited transformers cake. Check out that smile!
and our autobot cupcakes.
It being a birthday party, there were presents, but since he snuck in the house to open them, there were no photos. Except for this one of his very own bag of candy. Thank you to our families who came to help celebrate our little man's big day. He was so happy to have you all there. And be prepared, because he's already talking about his next birthday! Love this kid!

Crafting...

2011-07-21T21:30:00.004-10:00

Ever since I started all the crafting for Kupa'a's party, I haven't been able to get it out of my system. With the party being done, I had to find myself a new outlet. And thus, a new kind of craziness was born.

It all started with a baby shower I was going to attend...and led to these...Wipes containers. So cute...and strangely...so addictive.

(Btw Nedra, if you're reading this, this one is yours)

And if you're carrying wipes, you probably need something to carry the diapers too...
So why not a clutch that fits your diapers and your cute new wipes container. lol.

But it didn't stop there...oh no. There were headbands, a tie appliqued onesie, burp cloths, and then...even though I've always said I wasn't sure if I could do a girl, making this little pink ruffle butt onesie for the soon to be newborn, just might have pushed me over that edge.
After two weeks of being lost in a baby crafting phase I realized...wait...I need to focus! I have a transformer birthday party to plan.And now I fear I may be falling into a cookie decorating phase. Oh boy!
Pretty soon, I'm gonna have to take my hubby's advice and start selling something or I'm gonna go broke crafting!

My crazies...

2011-07-18T23:58:00.003-10:00

With two boys, our house NEVER has a dull moment. These are just a few of our crazy funny moments the past few weeks.

Kupa'a sporting his new shades. (Thanks to Aunty Chelsey and Kaedyn)

Got another pool to replace the broken one...and added a slide! (video of the crazy sliders wouldn't post, but believe me...those two are nuts!)

Warmed up in the tub each day after freezing in the pool.

Tried to fit into daddy's shirt. That's a BIG shirt to fill!

Went to an awesome pirate party, complete with eye patch, shoulder parrot, and pirate hat (only the patch stayed on).

Discovered the awesomeness of glow sticks!

And packed it in the ka'a!

Just a few of those precious moments I have with my crazies.

Pa'a's First Haircut

2011-07-18T23:36:00.005-10:00

If it seems a little odd that I'm posting a first haircut for Kupa'a when his older brother has yet to have one, don't worry, you didn't miss anything. While our almost three year old has never had his hair chopped, our 13 month old couldn't wait any longer. Why such a difference? Well, its because our two little ones have VERY different types of hair!

Waiola's hair is VERY curly. So much so, that even though it's well below his shoulders when wet, once it's dry, the curls keep it in check. For that reason, and the fact that his father has hope for a Polynesian afro, we've yet to cut his locks.

Kupa'a, on the other hand, has completely straight hair. And no matter how much I'd brush it out of his face, there was no getting around the fact that it was over his eyes and driving him nuts.

So, a few weeks after his first birthday, he got a little trim.
I figured it'd just be easiest to do while he was busy and snipped away while he was eating.
He wasn't very fond of it and the cut didn't last that long, which made no difference since Daddy said I could only trim the front. (Kupa'a...when you look back at your baby pictures and see a mullet, blame your daddy!)
And even though it wasn't the best, most professional job, he's much happier having his hair out of his face. ;)
Gotta love this kid!

Kupa'a's FIRST birthday (BEWARE...VERY long!)

2011-07-05T22:23:00.000-10:00

As much as I hate to admit that our littlest man is growing up, I've come to the realization that there really is nothing I can do to stop it. All I really can do is embrace it. And so...we did. ;) On June 17th, our "baby" turned ONE, and the following day we had a sizeable birthday bash to celebrate. Since I had so much fun with his party, which you'll see was owl themed, I had to document it from start to finish.

Starting with his invitations...
we sent out sweet little owl invitations, complete with pictures of our little pueo, that began...Guess whoo's turning ONE!It turned out to be a pretty inconvenient day for a lot of people, but we were still ready to party none the less. Luckily, we were able to have Sean Na'au'ao and his band as live entertainment once again.
To go with the owl theme, we had owl clip favors perched on little trees...
and owl stuffies for our centerpieces.We also had chocolate drizzled pretzel favors...YUM!
There was great Hawaiian food (Thanks to Lavern's), and 'opihi and poke (Thanks to Aho's Uncle and Aunty).
And...can't forget the pupus and desserts too (this was probably my favorite picture).We had lots of activities for the kids:Two balloon artists, who made our birthday boy his own owl, and a fish on a pole, among other things. We had a combo bouncer, which our oldest made GOOD use of. You can just see the absolute joy on his face in this shot!
There were also two games, Nest The Owl:where kids tried to land these little owl into their own little nest;
And Owl Toss:where they tried to get these little owls back into their tree;After playing, there were lots of prizes to choose from including, but not limited to: candy, punch balloons, slap hands, bouncy balls, and my favorite...homemade playdough!And there was also a Paper Bag Owl craft where the kids could color and create their very own owl. And most importantly, we had fabulous friends and family to help us celebrate. A few, like Aho's beat partner Sam, rarely make an appearance (hence to photographic evidence). While others, like my Kapi'o's, are always there to help us mark our milestones. ;)And what would a birthday party be without a cake and a "Happy Birthday!"
Kupa'a was serenaded by his big brother, who couldn't wait to sing him "Happy Birthday."And both our boys were drooling over the very large chocolate cake. In this shot, you can totally see Kupa'a eyeing out his owl topper. After the cake, we also had a Kupa'a Trivia game, and a slide show of his first year.

Other than yummy cake, Kupa'a made out with quite a load of cards and gifts. Luckily, his brother was more than happy to help him open them.Which led to the final leg of his birthday celebration, the many thank you cards to all those who shared in his special day. "Thank Whoo? Thank YOU!"
While it may be hard to acknowledge that our baby isn't really a baby anymore, it was so much fun making such a big deal over his birthday. His is our precious little pueo in so many ways and we can't wait to see how he'll spread his wings. Happy Birthday Pa'a boy! We love Who? We love you!!!

Photo session

2011-05-17T21:58:00.004-10:00

One of our friends from church is an amazing artist. He's talented in numerous areas, but has recently been spending some time with photography and has got an amazing eye for perfect shots. After repeated comments from me about how much I love his pictures of any and everything, he mentioned that he might want to take pictures of the boys for practice. I simply told him..."whenever and wherever, you just let me know." Well, while he was on spring break, he and his family came by so he could "practice" on the kids. These are just a few of my favorites.

My mom had the last two printed onto canvas for my mother's day gift, and they now hang on our wall. I absolutely LOVE them. Thank you G.O. for the amazing pictures! I don't think you need any practice, but my kids are always available. ;)

Zoo trip

2011-05-17T21:22:00.006-10:00

Toward the end of April, on one of Daddy's days off, we decided to pay a visit to the Honolulu Zoo. It's been a while since we've been there, so we figured...why not? We called up our good friends, the Tuiteles, who decided to join us. It was ridiculously hot (probably should have gone earlier), but fun none the less.

Among other things, we saw...

the elephants (and not just their behinds),

the Sumatran Tiger,

the Orangutans (mid nap),
the giraffes and zebras,
and a very tired rhino.
After that, most attempts at seeing animals were unsuccessful as they were all napping or hiding from the heat. Luckily, the kids were easily entertained.

Kupa'a...was content as always just sitting in his stroller,
or being with mommy.
Ola...hung out with the baby elepani,
climbed up a giraffe,
made friends with the guy at the African Savanna,
had a snack,
and became an animal himself.

Luckily, we had a little bit of luck at the kid's petting zoo area.

Checking out the koi from the center of the koi pond,
and playing with the goats. Maybe we'll have better luck next time.

PMRF Family Day

2011-05-17T20:53:00.004-10:00

It's been ages since I've posted anything on our blog. And while there are so many other pictures I desperately need to put up, current events win out. This past weekend we took a quick trip to Kauai to spend some time with my family. It was nice to relax and unwind and let my parents spoil the kids, but we were also lucky that our military base, PMRF, happened to be having their family day. So we took the boys down and let Ola run wild. Here are just a few of the "machines" he got to explore.

Cruising with the Federal Fire guys...

not even as big as the fed fire truck tire. LOL!
Hanging out on one of the navy boats.

Flipping switches in the mini chopper (smart kid hit the right switch and turned the power on)... scary moment for mom.

Testing out the black hawk...

Thankfully, the black hawk pilots unhooked their battery (no chance of turning on this one).

Co-piloting the army transport plane.

And preparing for a jump with the marines. ;)

It's not that often that our little man gets a chance to roam around on such important machinery, and he definitely had a blast. Who knows, maybe one day one of these shots will be the real deal.

Milestones

2011-02-13T11:04:00.003-10:00

Lots of news in the Del Toro house this week. Pa'a marked the week with two big milestones. First, he finally (and yes, I mean FIANLLY) cut his first tooth. He's been working on it for about three months now, and is much happier now that it's finally out. For the time being, he has one sharp little bottom tooth and has been making some pretty silly faces running his tongue over it.

And secondly, he is officially crawling. For about two weeks now he's been doing what we've dubbed the "bulldozer." He gets up on his hands and knees, drops his head to the ground, walks his feet in till he's up on his tippy toes, then drops/lunges a little forward. He'll usually sit himself up, look around, then go again. It's been quite entertaining to watch, but given the size and weight of that head of his, it was a good beginners strategy. Then about Wednesday of this week, out of nowhere, he decided he was ready for the real deal. Hands and knees, tummy off the ground. And let me tell you, that boy can move! He is no longer content to sit and play with his toys and has been busy exploring all the new places he can get to.

His favorite places to explore are his brother's play area, where he fits right under his train table...
the sliding glass door and the vertical blinds...
and not pictured, but possibly one of his favorites, Hiwa's water & food dishes.

And of course, since standing and walking naturally follow crawling, he's been working on pulling himself up as well.
and he definitely loves it!
As for mommy....LONG gone are the days of being able to get things done. Oh well, it was good while it lasted. ;)

Recent favorites...

2011-02-01T22:15:00.005-10:00

In no particular order, here are some of my recent favorite shots of our monkeys...

Ola: "Mommy, Daddy, I hiding! You coming to find me?" (He did have the suitcase closed, but the legs were sticking out of the bottom. We couldn't stop laughing.)

Happy little water baby and his faux hawk

"Mommy, mommy! My turn. Cheeeeeeeeeeeeeese!"

Even on time out. "Mommy, cheeeeeeeeeeeese!"

Static power!!

Helloooooo! I see you! And I'm coming to get you.

CANDY!!!!
With Mommy, using the potty = one fruit gummy. With Daddy, using the potty = the whole box of dots candy. (And yes, he is SUPER excited to have the whole box)

My nice, sweet, calm boys...

which lasts all of about 5 seconds, and then they're off...in different directions! lol!

Pa'a LOVES teether biscuits!

camping out in the living room when the boys were sick.

This is Daddy's doing.

Happy, happy water baby. Paused from his crazy splashing just long enough for the picture. ;)

With these two cuties, I have a milllion reasons to smile. ;)

Vegas & St. George

2011-01-08T12:53:00.007-10:00

Aho and I have NEVER been on a trip by ourselves. When we got married, Aho was still in the academy and couldn't have time off, so we didn't have a honeymoon. We've taken trips with my family, trips with Waiola, and even gone back home with the two boys...but never have we taken a trip by ourselves. And then it happened. This past December, we finally did it. Four days...no kids...staying up late and getting up late...eating all kinds of great stuff...getting all kinds of things done...just the two of us.
We were very lucky to have a fabulous excuse for this getaway, thanks to one of our best friends, Emerson, getting sealed to his beautiful new wife Melanie. He called a few months ago to let us know that they were getting married mid December in St. George, Utah and hoped we could make it. We were so excited, we had made all of our reservations within a few days.

We decided to fly into Vegas since we could use our miles, and then just stay there since it was so much cheaper. We spent most of our time there shopping the outlets and eating.
We made sure to eat breakfast at Hash House a Go Go, which was featured on Man vs. Food. The breakfast I got was bigger than my head!
We spent about 2 hours in Bass Pro alone...and wanted to buy pretty much everything in there!
We finally got to eat at the buffet at the M Resort (planned to last year, but it was WAY too busy) which actually wasn't all that hot...except for the desserts, which were SO yummy!
I thought the wall of calla lilies there was beautiful, so Aho took a picture of me in front of them.
And then he wanted to take a picture with the lamp. LOL! He cracks me up this one.
Saturday, the day of the wedding, we woke up early to head out to St. George. We planned to have more than enough time (and had a fast driver) so we got there a little over an hour before the sealing. We drove around a little, checking out St. George, then headed to the temple early. Or at least we thought. Apparently we should have studied the time zones, then maybe we would have know that Utah is actually an hour ahead of Nevada...and we wouldn't have missed the sealing. Blah! So while we thought we were very early, we were actually late. We did, however, get to see the lovely couple after they were sealed. :)
We also got to enjoy the beauty of the St. George Temple and learn some interesting things at the visitors center.
And then we were able to spend the afternoon with the newlyweds and their families at a luncheon.
And while it wasn't as much time as we would have liked to spend with them, the blood brothers were so happy to be together again!
And while we had a great time together relaxing and eating and catching up on some much needed uninterrupted sleep, almost everywhere we went, something reminded us of the kids. And after four days without them, we couldn't wait to get back and see them. So even though this was our first trip alone together, and we loved it, it may be a long while before we do it again.

December 2010

2011-01-08T11:48:00.007-10:00

December 2010 was a very busy month for our family. We found ourselves busier than usual this year with preparing for Christmas, a trip to Vegas & St. George (hopefully the next blog), a trip to Kauai, my dad's 60th birthday party, and then...multiple Christmases. This is just a quick glimpse of all the craziness...

In preparation for Christmas, we had to make a special visit to Pearlridge to ride the Christmas Train. Ola is still fascinated by trains and absolutely loved getting the chance to ride one.
We also did our annual holiday cards. With all the craziness this year, it ended up just being the kids in the picture, which was perfectly fine with us. We know they're the only ones everyone wants to see anyway. ;)

Kupa'a (6mo.)Waiola (2yrs. 4mo.)Brothers...oh how they love each other!
Aho and I squeezed in a trip to the mainland (hopefully our next blog) while the kids stayed back with my parents. But the morning we got back, the boys and I flew up to Kauai.

It was Ola's first flight with his own seat (with the vocabulary that kid has, there's no way we can say he's under 2 anymore). He thought it was so much fun!
Our trip to Kauai wasn't just for Christmas this year, it was also to celebrate my dad's 60th birthday.
And I couldn't resist getting him this shirt. (I can tease...but he knows I love him!)
We opened presents on Christmas Eve instead of Christmas so that Ola could have some time to play before packing them up to go home. He was SO excited when he saw all the presents by the tree and didn't waste any time grabbing one.
Some of his favorites were...

his new chair...
and his art easle.
Kupa'a wasn't quite sure what was going on...but he was totally content playing on his new play mat.
And once all the present opening was done, both of my little hot headed babies were happy to play outside. Only in Hawaii can you do this on Christmas. ;)
We left Kauai on Christmas day and got to spend a few hours with Daddy before he had to go to work. The next morning, the boys had a second Christmas at our house with the presents from mommy and daddy.
December was crazy for us, but the real meaning of Christmas was most important, celebrating the birth of our Savior and all that he has done for us. And being able to have special quality time with friends and family, especially with our two precious little angels, is something we really treasure. As a family, we are grateful for all that we have been blessed with in 2010 and look forward to all that awaits us in 2011.

Happy Birthday to Daddy!

2010-11-25T14:48:00.002-10:00

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

2010-11-18T09:57:00.004-10:00

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

2010-11-16T11:04:00.002-10:00

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

2010-11-13T21:49:00.005-10:00

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...

2010-11-13T21:35:00.002-10:00

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

2010-11-03T22:40:00.002-10:00

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

2010-11-03T22:10:00.004-10:00

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.

Halloween 2010

2010-10-30T21:12:00.004-10:00

At the beginning of October, we started asking Ola what he wanted to be for Halloween this year. He came up with so many different suggestions...Thomas the Train, Mater the Tow Truck, a trash truck, a he'e,...the list just kept getting longer. Finally, about a week before Halloween, we were sitting outside while Ola ran wild (in just his diaper, as usual) and Aho said, "You look like a little caveman baby!" And so it was decided...this year, Ola would be a caveman.

Trying to decide Kupa'a's costume was a little easier, since there weren't so many suggestions. Since he is constantly blowing bubbles, Daddy suggested he be a little papa'i, which gave mommy the idea to make him an opihi instead. If I was going to have to carry him around all night and have him stuck to me, i thought it just made sense.

And that's how we ended up with a wild cave boy and an opihi this year for Halloween.

Since Halloween fell on a Sunday, our church trunk or treat was held Saturday night instead. It was so windy and cold, Ola ended up wearing his costume over his clothes.

In preparation for Halloween, we worked with Ola on proper trick or treating etiquette, and I must say, he did us proud.

He was very polite, making sure to say trick or treat to everyone, and thank you too.

All though, a few times he was so busy checking out his goods, he had to be reminded to say his thank yous. But who can focus with all that candy?!?

He had such a blast playing with all the other kids in costume and collecting his goodies. By the end of the night, he was dragging.

Mommy and Daddy didn't dress up this year, although the ideas of Mommy being a rock and Daddy being a caveman were discussed. Maybe we'll all be in the spirit again next year. Who knows what costume ideas we'll have then.

4 months

2010-10-23T16:35:00.007-10:00

Last Sunday, on the 17th, our littlest man hit his 4 month mark. I feel terrible that I haven't been as diligent in blogging about his progress as I was with his brother, and realized I definitely need to start writing things down.

At his 4 month check-up, Kupa'a measured 25 3/8 in., and weighed in at 14lbs, 12oz. He's longer and skinnier than his brother was at the same age, and just as precious.At 4 months, Kupa'a loves to squeak and squeal. He also loves to laugh and is especially ticklish under his arms and on his sides. He loves to sit and watch things going on around him, and is quite observant. He is very good at tracking people around the room, which makes it difficult to check on him without being spotted. Our little man rolled over for the very first time this week, from tummy to back, and did it like a pro. There was no attempt, just a perfectly smooth roll. It was beautiful! He's also getting pretty good at moving himself around by pushing off with his legs, although once he gets his arms stuck under himself, he'll let you know he's frustrated. We've had his bouncer set up for a few weeks now and finally let him try it out. He seemed a little confused at first, hence the face, but he quickly found everything quite entertaining. Now, if only those short legs could actually reach the floor. I'm sure he'll be bouncing in no time. The four month mark has also brought about rice cereal. Our first attempt was definitely positive, even if it was hard to get a spoon in there with all his fingers in the way (he's been chomping down a lot lately, so we won't be surprised if teeth are in the near future). And even though we got cereal everywhere, he seemed to love it!He is definitely a hot body, just like his brother. He is totally happy to be in nothing but a diaper, and still loves taking naps on his tummy (always with his fist in his mouth). Kupa'a is still just as sweet as can be. He is such a calm and happy baby, a good sleeper, a self sootherl...all bottled up in a perfect little package. We could spend all day just watching this precious little boy. Can't believe he's growing up so fast!

My laugh for the night

2010-10-17T20:27:00.002-10:00

I am ever so blessed to have three fabulous men in my home. A wonderful husband, a rascal of a two year old, and a happy little four month old. Together, these three keep me smiling. But tonight, I wasn't just smiling, I was laughing hysterically.

Take a look at this picture and tell me if you notice anything funny?

No?

How about now? (At this point, Ola is catching on and laughing with Mommy)

Nothing?

Ok...

how about now?

Yes! Apparently, Ola and Kupa'a are capable of fitting into the same pair of pj pants. How do we know this? Because when I got Kupa'a ready for bed tonight, I left his pj pants on the bed, planning to put them on right before he went to sleep. But when daddy went to get Ola ready for bed, he just assumed that the pants were for Ola (since I usually lay out his sleeping things) and pulled them on. Dad did catch it though, as i was summoned to the room by a "babe, how come Waiola's pants are so short?". LOL! I took one look at Waiola and I was cracking up. That's the best laugh I've had in a long time. ;)

Fireman Update

2010-10-17T20:18:00.003-10:00

Just had to post an update with the pictures after our fire station field trip. Like I said, Ola wore his fire helmet for days.

And even let Kupa'a wear it too. ;)

Siren Trucks!!!

2010-10-15T13:41:00.010-10:00

Ola has always been our "audio" child, meaning that he's all about sound. He loves being read to and loves listening to music, and...he is pretty good at identify things simply by their sound. The things he's best at identifying are his favorite vehicles, the trash truck and the "siren trucks". By siren truck, he simply means any vehicle that has a siren on it, including police cars, ambulance, and firetrucks. A few months ago, Aho came home during his shift and realized that Ola had never seen his car. He always sees Daddy in uniform, but doesn't know that when he goes to work he drives a "siren car". However, because he works midnights, getting Ola down to see Daddy in his car would be a little difficult. So, I thought of the next best thing. A friend and dorm-mate of mine from high school married one of our other classmates who ended up being a fireman, so I called to see if they'd be willing to let us take a field trip out to his station. Our "field trip" group consisted of my fabulous friend Kyra and her adorable daughter Leeya, myself, Kupa'a, Waiola, and our fireman KC (who was taking the picture).
Ola got his own fire safety coloring book and fireman helmet (which he wore around the house every day the following week...until it was too broken to play with anymore). Since Ola was still warming up (he fell asleep on the way, so he was a little groggy for a while), we checked out the outside of the firetruck first. Uncle KC showed him the equipment, the different compartments on the side, and even let him climb around on the back of the truck. Fearless Leeya had to be the first one to jump into the truck, while Ola watched from a distance.
(Picture Missing)

He eventually woke up enough and made it into the fire truck with Uncle KC. He got to honk the horn, push some buttons, turn on the lights and siren, and even take it for a drive around the block. The Kahuku Station also houses a water truck. Ola got SO excited when Uncle KC turned on those lights. He also got to talk in to the headset to say "Hi Mommy!". When Uncle KC asked him if he wanted to play with the water hose, my boy went straight to what he knows best.

(Picture missing)

And then Uncle KC had to show him the real deal. He got to shoot a real fire hose! However, notice that he's not quite paying attention. Why? You may ask. Well, because the mail truck came!
Which is how Ola got to see the inside of a mail truck. (I swear...only in the country will the mail lady hang out while your kid goes tromping through her truck. Gotta love it!)Right behind the Fire Station, there's also an ambulance bay, so Ola got to walk through the ambulance too. This was the best shot we could get after all the excitement. And four trucks later, this was the look on his face. He was such a happy little boy. We are so lucky to have such fabulous friends. Thank you Uncle KC for taking us on the grand tour and being so fabulous. Thank you Aunty Kyra for coming along and taking all the pictures. They are priceless and perfect shots!! And thank you Leeya for showing Ola how it's done. That girl had no fear around those trucks! ;)

And just another story....two days after our field trip, we had the following conversation at home:

Ola: "Bye Mom. Bye Dad."
Daddy: "Oh, bye Waiola. Where you going?"
Ola: "I going work."
Mommy: "You going work? Where you going work?"
Ola: "I going work. I going siren truck."
Mommy: "You're gonna go work on the fire truck? Are you gonna be a fireman?"
Ola: "Yep. I going fireman!" "Mom, where my keys?"
Mommy: "Your keys?" lol "Why do you need your keys?"
Ola: "I going work! I need my keys!"

Seriously, Mommy and Daddy couldn't stop laughing. It was just way too funny. But, who knows, maybe one day he'll be a fireman and we can say it all started when he was 2!

Brotherly Love

2010-09-30T21:28:00.005-10:00

When having a second child, there's always a fear that the first child will be jealous. The worry that they won't like their new sibling or the fact that they no longer have all the attention. Before Kupa'a was born we had the same worries and so we did our best to prepare Ola for a new arrival. He loved to see and touch other people's babies, so we tried to get him excited about the idea that he too would soon have his own little baby around. Well, whether or not it was our preparation or just one fabulous little man, Ola has never shown an ounce of jealousy or resentment toward his little brother.

From the first time they met, it was obvious that he absolutely adored his brother. At home, he is very quick to let us know when Kupa'a is making any kind of noise so that we can tend to him. He loves to check on him, kiss him, and "rub ihu" (rub noses) with him.

And yes, sometimes he even loves him a little too much.

And our boy who isn't fond of sharing his treats has even tried to offer his brother his milk and snacks. Lately, he has been asking to "hold Kupaka" at least once a day, so I've been letting him sit on the couch with Kupa'a in his lap.

And they both LOVE it! Kupa'a's face always lights up when Waiola is around and talking to him. He's a very happy baby in general, but for Waiola, he seems to have a special smile. And Waiola...well, even though after a few minutes I can tell his brother is becoming heavy, when I ask him if he's done holding Kupa'a, he always says no. And when I do finally take him away, he always says, "no mommy, I hold Kupaka again."

I love my boys. But seeing the two of them together, and seeing how much they love each other...I don't know that anything is sweeter than that. And I hope it stays like that forever!

Books galore!

2010-09-26T21:47:00.003-10:00

Since Ola was only a few months old, we've made a habit of reading to him. We've always had story time before going to bed, and for a while now, before his mid-day nap as well. He LOVES story time. If we let him, he'd have us read every book he owns, or, sometimes, just the same story over and over. Because he loves books so much, we try to get new ones every so often and he's been lucky enough to get books from friends and family on different occasions. With all of these fabulous books piling up in his book bin, it's become quite a chore to find and pull out different books every day. So, we decided that he needed his own bookshelf. Something small and simple, just so that he could see all of his books and easily grab the ones he wanted.

I found plans for a beautiful little bookshelf on my favorite building blog, but the extra wood we would need ended up being a little pricey. So, we decided to come up with our own plans using the wood we had left over from the play table. It took me a while to come up with the dimensions (after two kids, my brain cells have diminished greatly), but once I did my dad helped me cut all the pieces and put it together. We ended up with a very simple, two-shelf bookshelf. Although it wasn't as stylish as the one I had my eye on, it definitely serves it's purpose. But after putting all the books up, I realized something...pretty soon we're gonna need another one, cause this one is almost full!

Sleep-a-holic!

2010-09-23T21:20:00.003-10:00

Maybe it's just me, but no matter how many times it happens, I'm still in awe of Kupa'a's ability to fall asleep. I didn't think it could get better than in the bumbo, but...I was wrong.

He fell asleep in the bathtub!! In the middle of his bath! There is no way it can get funnier than this! lol. So cute!

Just in case you thought I was kidding...

2010-09-16T13:04:00.002-10:00

So...just in case you thought I was kidding when I said that Kupa'a was a fabulous sleeper, I thought I'd show you his latest sleeping trick. Yesterday, I had him in his bumbo chair. He was laughing and playing and talking story with me...all alert. I left him for about 30 seconds so I could grab something for Waiola, and when I got back...
Yep! Fast asleep.

And just to prove it wasn't a one time thing...here's a shot of him doing the same thing this afternoon, this time being about 2 minutes after his daddy stopped talking to him. Gotta love it!

Our little angel

2010-09-14T12:30:00.003-10:00

Kupa'a is definitely our little angel. Maybe because it's because Ola was colicky and NEVER slept, but we are extremely grateful for our calm, quiet, happy, sleepy baby. Seriously though, this kid will smile at the drop of a hat. He is rarely EVER fussy. When days get long and rough, it's his little smile that gets me through.
And since I want to keep his as happy as possible, we decided to try out a bumbo chair. He loves to be sitting, so we thought it would be a good idea. Turns out we were right. He's a happy little camper when he's sitting up.
However, laying downs not so bad either. It amazes me how easily this kid can fall asleep. The other day, I layed him down on the couch next to me just so I could grab something and in about 30 seconds, he had passed out.
And no matter how many times I try to work on tummy time, he's got it in his head that it means nap time. If I weren't so afraid of him sleeping on his tummy I'd put him down like this all the time, but for now, I just sit there and watch him like a hawk.
I guess with him being our second, it seems like he's growing up so much faster than Ola did. I don't know how he managed to become 3 months old without me even realizing it. He's getting bigger, longer, more talkative, and alert. I just can't wait to see what the months ahead hold for our little happy baby.

What a character!

2010-09-14T12:02:00.005-10:00

I still get a kick out of watching Waiola and his crazy little personality. Granted, I'm not laughing so much when the terrible two tantrums are being thrown, but for the most part, this kid keeps me giggling.

Just the other day, Daddy was trying to get him to make a haka face...and this is what we got. Seriously...how can you not laugh at this kid?

He is definitely all over boy, in that he loves to be moving and running and climbing and jumping and well, basically, being a little daredevil.
Recently, he's discovered the fun of not only hanging on to people's backs, but falling off too. He'll beg to "hold on"...but really, he's looking forward to the falling off.
And I've come to realize, that if we're not careful, he may end up growing gills or fins one day soon. This weekend while we were at the beach with some friends, he helped himself to another kids boogey board and had a blast. He let his Aunty Alisha pull him around for a while, but once any possible fear was gone, he was all over the place with that thing. Looks like his Papa will soon have a surfing buddy.
Ola is growing up in so many ways. He's a total parrot, and because of it, is learning to use lots of new words. It's so much easier to communicate with him now that he's gabbing away. We're also trying to make the transition out of diapers and into bvds. He's doing pretty good for just having turned two, but we've still got a ways to go. He's also been such a wonderful big brother. He's often checking on Kupa'a and talking to him or rocking his bouncer or car seat when he starts to get fussy (all of which outweigh the fact that he tried to sit on him the other day). Lol! He definitely keeps us entertained and on our toes. You just can't help but love him!

Tummy Time!....or not

2010-09-03T13:55:00.004-10:00

When we had Ola, he was our first and only. No other child, no attention-seeking dog, all of which meant that he got all of my attention and I made sure we did everything recommended. With Kupa'a, I'm admittedly a slacker. We don't work on tummy time (amongst other things) nearly as much as we should. But, I've decided that that has to change. I need to be sure both of my boys get time and attention to work on developmental tasks. So today, once Ola went down for his nap, I sat down to have some tummy time with Kupa'a.

It started off relatively well. He's not too fond of being on his tummy, but today he didn't seemed to mind.
Then he found his hand to suck on and was totally content and cruising.

Then...

Oh well. We tried right? I guess there's always tomorrow. Gotta love it though...this little one is always putting himself to sleep. ;)

Party for the Birthday Boy

2010-08-28T08:20:00.006-10:00

Since Waiola turned 2 in the middle of the week, and then spent the weekend in Kona with his daddy (Keanaaina family reunion), we couldn't really celebrate his birthday till the following weekend. So, we decided to have a Bbq with our families so that he could feel like a big boy celebrating his birthday. We didn't go all out because, well, I just didn't have the effort required. But, due to his current obsession, it was a semi trash truck themed event.

To kick off the day, and keep him busy while mommy and daddy prepped and cooked, Tutu and Papa let him open his first present. And of course, he was THRILLED!
He was so happy to have his very own trash truck. He also got an "I Love Garbage Trucks" shirt, which he wore the rest of the day, and some trash truck themed books that we are now asked to read almost every night. And to apease his other obsession, Tutu and Papa got him a large set of train tracks and more trains to play with.

Later in the day, he even had Papa helping him pick up leaves and sticks outside to put in his trash truck. He's become very skilled at filling his trash truck with things. ;)
As if one trash truck wasn't enough, Aunty Lohi and Uncle Cameron spoiled him with another trash truck. And a dump truck. And a bulldozer. He couldn't wait to get them out of the boxes. (Thanks for always spoiling our boy guys!)
And of course, what party would be complete without a cake? Since he'd been asking for a trash truck cake for the past month, we decided we just had to do it. It wasn't the best, but he knew it was a trash truck and he devoured his slice, so I guess it was a success.
We were lucky to have family here to help us celebrate our little one's milestone. My parents flew up to make Ola's day special. We also had some close friends and Aho's family over, including his cousin Keala, his wife Iona, and their six kids (who were still here from the family reunion. Sorry Keala...didn't mean to call you Kevin. I must've been spacing out).
It was a very long day, but Ola was so happy to have everyone one there, and we were so grateful for all the people who love and care for our monster. He's growing up so fast, we're just happy to have days like these that we'll always remember.

Around our house...

2010-08-24T21:13:00.006-10:00

So I've realized that now a days, blogging is more about just sharing quick pictures than actually blogging about events. Our family life is so crazy, that all I can hope for is a few quick snapshots and the ability to remember what was going on. So, in a nutshell, this is what's going on in our house...

Oh our Waiola...where to start...

Apparently, since he turned two, Ola thinks he's all big boy. Got out of the shower with Daddy the other day and just HAD to put on deodorant.
Then again, sometimes he still wants to be the baby. He always wants to put on Kupa'a's socks. But when they would only fit on his hands...well, he learned how to deal with it. Crazy Boy!!!

We took a family excursion the other day to our newest store, Bed, Bath, and Beyond, where daddy couldn't help but buy embroidered towels for the boys. And Ola couldn't help but pose with his W towel.

Aho and I FINALLY finished his new play table for his trains and set it up in his play area. It wasn't perfect by any means, but it wasn't bad. And...he was definitely content.
Kupa'a....

Kupa'a is still amazing us with how fabulous and sweet and happy he is. He has started cooing and laughing a lot lately, especially when he knows it's bath time.

He is still quite a cruiser and loves sleeping with his daddy
He's gotten a little bit chunkier even though he's been a little sick and not tanking it like normal.

And his brother has finally decided to share HIS toy with him, a glow worm he got from Uncle Kevin and Aunty Tara. They both think it's pretty awesome.

And of course, can't forget the happy Daddy with his two boys. He always wanted a girl, but he definitely wouldn't trade these two.

The Big T-W-O!

2010-08-04T10:16:00.008-10:00

Yesterday, our baby boy turned two. It's hard to believe that he's already that old, especially because since we've had Kupa'a I've been looking back at all of Waiola's baby pictures. How did he grow up so fast? He is definitely our big boy though. He talks non-stop, sleeps through the night about 50% of the time (which is major for this child), and is the sweetest big brother who is totally in love with "baby Kupaka" (a step closer from Kubaga).

To commemorate his big day, we decided we'd take him to Toys R Us and let him choose his own birthday present. He currently has a fascination with trains and trash trucks, so we knew we'd be bringing one of those home.

He quickly found the train tables that were set up in the train aisles and just wanted to hang out there and play for a good 45 minutes. We finally got him to leave the tables and walk around, and he and his daddy had a blast playing with dump trucks, ambulences, front loaders, bulldozers, and trash trucks. Aho thought for sure we were ready to go when he found a trash truck and said "Ok daddy, ready. Take home, ok?" Alas, after we finished looking at everything I think he was a little confused. We went back to all the trucks and things he really liked asking if he wanted this one or that one, and he kept saying "um, no." We finally ended up back at the trains where mommy and daddy made the executive descision to buy some train tracks for the two trains he already had at home. It turned out to be the right choice. He couldn't even wait for his daddy to finish putting the tracks together.

The rest of our day consisted of our birthday boy playing with his trains and tracks
opening his basket of fancy birthday cookies(courtesy of tutu and papa)
and of course, eating one
opening his books (thanks to granna and grandpa)
having a visit from Aunty Jo and opening the slippers he brought her (which he ran around the house in like a crazy man for the next hour)
and finally getting to eat the birthday cake he'd been asking for since breakfast.
He was such a happy little Birthday Boy. Little does he know that we're having a little birthday bbq for him next weekend with our families. I'm sure he'll be thrilled...again.

Kauai Trip

2010-07-26T13:12:00.004-10:00

Every once in a while we run home to Kauai for a short vacation. More often than not, we end up staying at home and just hanging out in the yard. But, with Ola getting older and being interested in so many things, we were a little more adventurous this trip.

My mom said that there was a train exhibit at the museum in town and a train on the front lawn. Since Ola has developed a love of trains, we decided we'd stop by and take a look. He was SO excited!
I, however, was a little confused. What's with the wheels on this train? That doesn't look right. Turns out, it wasn't a train, it was a steam plow. But...ask me if Ola knew the difference...or if he would have cared.
After we left the museum we stopped at the mall. That might normally be boring for a little boy, but not when you give him his own Jamba Juice. As you can tell, it's not hard to make this kid happy.
As usual, we had to go to the beach. Ola was totally content playing with his beach toys.
But then he got into the water and started getting a little too....un-afraid. A toddler running full steam into waves bigger than his tiny body = time to go home.
That night, we took the boys to their first Bon Dance. I knew Ola would love it because of the music and the dancing, but he literally would not take his eyes off the dancers. Even Guri-Guri wasn't enough to distract him. While we were there, Tutu found out what time the plantation train ride was and we just HAD to take him. He fell asleep on the way there, but he was wide eyed as soon as he saw the train.

The plantation has donkeys, cows, sheep, goats, and pigs, and halfway through the ride we were able to get off and feed the pigs. Once again, Ola had a blast!
All in all it was a very busy weekend. Ola was so happy to spend time with his Tutu and Papa and be able to do so many fun things. Oh, and just in case you're wondering where Kupa'a was the whole time...he was there. He was sleeping...

A little bit...about our little man...

2010-07-15T15:49:00.006-10:00

With Kupa'a being baby #2, we often find ourselves searching for the similarities and differences (at least those we can remember) between him and Ola. Kupa'a has darker hair (and more of it), the same grey eyes (we'll see how long before they turn brown), and toes that are ridiculously long (not like his brother's fat feet).

Unlike his brother...

Kupa'a loves to be swaddled! Even during the day, even hot and sweaty, he LOVES to be swaddled. For Ola, this only lasted a few weeks. Now, big brother doesn't want a blanket touching him. We'll see if it sticks with this one.

He also loves just being in this position. He could be all fuss, but hold him under his arms and sit him up...he's all peachy.
And although I haven't caught a picture of it, the two have very different faces when they're...doing their business. I'll have to post one later, cause Kupa'a face is hilarious!

Just like his brother...

Kupa'a loves to cruise in his bouncer. Ok...so Ola didn't have a bouncer, but he loved cruising in his swing. But since daddy broke the swing, we're in the bouncer. ;)

He loves his baths! Ola's piko fell off a few days after we got home, so he was in the water right away. Kupa'a on the other hand, didn't drop his piko till he was over 2 weeks old. But, once he did, and we got him into his bathtub...he loved it.

It's fun to watch for the similarities and differences between our two boys. It's fun to see the differences in their personalities and the way they do things. And...it's only been 4 weeks. Hopefully, one thing they'll always share is a love for each other. Right now...we're doing pretty good in that department.

Our growing family

2010-07-04T18:33:00.004-10:00

Life in our family is...crazy. But, who wants boring anyway? With one crazy little dare-devil toddler, one very rambunctious puppy, and one busy little new born, there is rarely a quite moment in our house. Luckily, I found just a few minutes, which means I get to throw up a few pictures to summarize the chaos. ;)

(And a picture of me taking a breather amongst my monsters)

Kupa'a is our little cruiser. It's not uncommon to see him passed out, head back...and almost always with a smile on his face. ;)
His piko finally fell off yesterday, just over two weeks, and he finally got a real bath. Just like his brother, he LOVED it! In fact, looking at the pictures, it might have been hard to tell them apart...except for all the dark hair.

Mostly though, our boys are very different. Ola can't stand have a blanket even touching him, and Kupa'a absolutely loves being swaddled.

Today at church Aho did Kupa'a's baby blessing, and it was absolutely beautiful! He's such a great daddy. Now, if only I could get him to smile in the pictures. ;)

Our other little man is crazy as can be. He is so funny and he definitely keeps me smiling!

A while ago he got a happy meal where the box became some kind of hat. Now, he thinks all boxes are meant to be hats. What a clown!

Ola has also found the fun in what he calls "BDD's". He's always asking to put them on, and recently picked out some "choo choo BDD's". He was more than happy to put them on and smile for the camera. I wish he was happy enough to use the potty too.
And...I didn't catch a picture, but I still had to include our latest drama with our oldest. Yesterday, while Ola was playing with my brother and his girlfriend, he started crying and saying he had a "boo boo". Now Ola is definitely my rough and tumble one and, normally, when he gets hurt, he wants you to kiss it and then he's done. In fact, I've never seen him cry for more than 20 seconds. But yesterday he was definitely crying. Even when he finally quieted down, he continued to hold his left hand and complain of a "boo boo". Knowing that my baby doesn't cry, I knew something was wrong and we had to get it checked out.

We ended up taking him to the ER where he continued to cry and complain. Because they weren't sure what was wrong, we had to get X-Rays done before they could do anything (Note to any X-Ray techs out there: I know it's your job, but it's really mean of you to ask a mother to hold down her screaming child's arm. I might be tough in most respects, but that is just more than one mom can handle). Luckily, Aho was with me and helped to hold our little man during the X-Rays. It's amazing how strong he is for such a little body. Aho said this morning that he looked like he was turning into the Hulk trying to get off the x-ray table.

Luckily, the X-rays ended up showing no broken bones, so the doctors went along with their first instinct of it being a nurse maid's elbow and proceeded to pop it back into place. Ola screamed while they did it, which was so hard to bear. Once it was back in, the doctors said it might take about an hour for him to start using it again, so they'd give us some time. Literally 15 seconds after they walked out, he stopped crying and started pointing around the room, with his left hand, asking me about all the things in the room. When the doctor came back with a popsicle, he reached right out and took it, like nothing at all had happened. The doc was a little surprised, but happy they had fixed the problem, and let us go home right away.

I was so happy it wasn't anything more serious, but I honestly hope we don't have any more accidents for a while. Ola might be tough, but Mommy is a total wimp when it comes to her babies being in pain. ;)

Our house is definitely crazy, but...who wants boring anyway?

Finally Here!!

2010-06-19T16:30:00.009-10:00

At 7:38pm on Thursday, June 17, 2010, we welcomed our second little boy, Isaac Kupa'amauanaue'olekekuahiwiikaponoakahaku Del Toro.

He weighed in at 7 lbs., 0.4 oz., and was 20 1/4 inches long.

Waiola was SO happy to finally meet the little brother we had been talking about for months.

Once he saw mommy with the baby, he had the biggest smile on his face and couldn't wait to get close to him.

So far, Kupa'a has been such a cruiser. He's very calm, very quiet, and a great eater...when he wakes up enough to actually eat.

The full story:
I started having contractions Thursday morning, and by around 1pm, they were consistently 10 minutes apart. We called the doctor, who advised us to head to the hospital and started to get ready. By that, I mean we stalled time. We made Ola lunch and fed him, packed up some of our stuff, took a shower, watched some tv, and then waited for my mom who was coming in on her flight. We met mom at the airport around 3:45 and traded off so she could take Waiola home and hang out with him and Hiwa, since we weren't sure how long it would be or if baby was really coming. After that, we drove into town, went to get some Jamba for me and some Hawaiian food for Aho, and then headed to the hospital. (Aho actually wanted to go eat buffet, but I told him it might not be a good idea. Besides, I didn't want to eat that much, so it wasn't fair. ;))

We checked into admin at around 5:45 and headed up to the delivery floor, but they were full so we hung out in the waiting room till about 6:30. My contractions were still 10 minutes apart, and we actually got worried because they were sending another girl, who had already been admitted, home. Around 6:30, they finally had a triage room ready for us and moved us there to get us checked in and monitor my status. Luckily, when they checked me in, I was already dilated to a 6, so they weren't sending me home and called our doctor.

While they were finishing checking us in with all the questions and stats, which took about 30-40 minutes, my contractions continued to get closer and stronger. The last thing they explained before they went to check if there was a delivery room ready was pain management. I wasn't planning on taking anything, but Aho said I should consider the IV meds since we didn't know how long it would take baby to come. The nurse left to check on our room and during my next set of back to back contractions, I told Aho I was starting to feel the need to push. I got worried that I would push too soon and had him page the nurse to see if the IV meds would help with that aspect. She came back in and was explaining about the drugs while checking my progress, which is when she said I was already dilated to 8 and told the other nurses I needed a room.

From there, things went REALLY fast. The room they had been cleaning for us still had wet floors, but the nurse insisted that they move me anyway. Lucky thing too. They barely had the triage bed rolled into the delivery room and I told them I had to push. Sure enough, I was fully dilated and ready to go. I had to pull myself onto the labor bed in the midst of a set of contractions while trying not to push. After that, It was only a few minutes and less than 10 pushes before baby was out. In fact, our doctor didn't even make it. He walked in a few minutes after baby was born and asked them "why didn't anyone give me a hurry up call." The nurses just told him, "we didn't have time to give you a hurry up call!"

We are so happy to have Kupa'a home. He hasn't even been with us a full two days, but he is such a blessing. I'm sure our life we be so much more chaotic now, but so much more fun and fulfilling at the same time.

Family Pics

2010-05-07T13:46:00.003-10:00

For mother's day, we decided we'd take pictures of our family to give to my mom. However, with our schedule, getting out to take pics proved to be a little difficult. So, we decided that we'd just go down to Sears and take studio portraits for now, and then take better ones once our newest little man joins us. After waiting WELL past our appointment time, which isn't fun when it's running into your toddler's nap time, I wasn't the happiest camper when we finally got in to take the pictures. But, I was pretty happy with the outcome. Then again, when you just adore your family, it's really hard not to love pictures of them.

I had to laugh when she posed us for this one, cause I'm sure Daddy wasn't thrilled.

It was hard to get Ola to focus on his brother without lifting my shirt.

And possibly my favorite...our little HAM! If you can't hear the sound effects, he's saying "Cheeeeeeeeeese!"

Practicing

2010-05-01T22:43:00.005-10:00

I love practicing things with Ola. Things like saying words, using his flashcards, and practicing his body parts. We took videos of him doing all of these things a long time ago, but never figured out how to load them up. Well, after months of having nothing on our blog, I finally figured out how to upload videos and took some quick ones of him the other day practicing. I love when he learns things!!

Body Parts:

Vocab:

Long over due

2010-05-01T22:35:00.003-10:00

It's been at least two months since the last post on our blog. Since we lost our camera, I haven't been taking much pictures. Having a tiny, super fast, fabulous digital camera was so much easier than the bulky and slow camera we've had to resort too. But, every once in a while, I have been fast enough to catch some shots. The biggest help though, is the fact that Ola now wants to pose and smile for the camera. Any time a camera comes out, there is our little man saying, "Cheeeeeeeeeeese!" He even did it the other day at the beach when some tourists pulled out their camera to take pictures of the turtles. Such a ham.

18 months...where did the time go?

2010-02-09T22:56:00.002-10:00

At this point, it is WAY past my bedtime. However, it's been forever since I've blogged about my beautiful baby boy and, at the risk of losing precious sleep, I need to at least post something. So...here it is. A week ago week my baby hit his 18 month mark. In some ways I've been counting down the days but, as usual, there is always that mommy part of me that says, "Please don't grow up so fast!"

Some of the highlights of Ola hitting the 18 month mark include:

- Our 18 month check-up, where we learned that he is no longer in the bottom 10th percentile for his age, but has made his way up to 25th percentile (for both height and weight).

- He spent his first day in nursery at church on Sunday. And, unlike almost every other kid that has ever stepped foot into that room, he didn't care at all that I left and never once looked for me. Yeah...he's fabulously independent like that!!

- He is now attempting to say words we try to teach him, instead of the constant "this" or "what that?" Some of his favorite words include: "Dada", "gecko", "elbow", "ball", "go down", and ... since he has discovered it's power when asked "Waiola do you want Daddy to pull your ear?"... he also enjoys saying "NO".

- He is finally saying Mama. (And yes, this deserves it's own line)

- And...possibly the cutest...He is already showing love and tenderness to his little brother. He is often checking mommy's tummy for his "Brudda" and giving him hugs whenever he can. By the time his little brother arrives, in a mere 4 months, he should be quite the protector.

It is hard to believe that he is already 18 months old. And to think, I haven't even finished the first week of his scrapbook yet. Lol! But he is growing and learning so much every day, and it is amazing to watch what a little body and mind can do. We are so blessed to have our little Waiola! We just can't wait to see what crazy thing he'll do next. ;)

It's a........

2010-01-19T22:20:00.003-10:00

This past Friday, Aho and I finally got a chance to get a good look at our new baby. We have both been so excited waiting for our ultrasound and especially waiting to find out if we were expecting a boy or a girl. With Waiola, I was pretty confident it was a boy. I'm not sure if it was mother's instinct, or just an overwhelming desire to have a boy. But this time around, I wasn't so confident. Since I was so sick and the pregnancy was so different (not to mention the fact that I know how much Aho wants his baby girl), I thought, it's definitely a girl. Then, I'd think, no, I'm not ready for a girl, maybe it's a boy. By the time we got to ultrasound day, I was totally clueless. Both of us knew that no matter what, boy or girl, we'd be totally thrilled. Even my husband, who has made it clear that we will keep having children until we get that girl, said that it would be kinda cool to have two boys.
So, after an hour of waiting in a very busy office, we finally got to take our first peak. The nurse we had was great. She got fabulous shots of baby's hands and feet, the spine, the organs, just about everything. Except of course, the one area she was trying to see. Baby was face down for the first few minutes, and it took quite a lot of prodding on the nurse's part to get baby to turn over. But, once baby turned over, our nurse said ever so quickly..."It's definitely a BOY!"
We are so excited that another little man will soon be joining our family. Aho said he knew before we got into the exam room that it was a boy and he was really happy. It's great to think that the two boys can grow up and play together, beat each other up, and come to each other's rescue. Although, Waiola may need to watch out because this one is already SO active and, by the shots from the ultrasound, he may be bigger than his older brother. He already has huge hands and feet.
It's also great to think that we already have everything we need for a little boy. Now comes the hard part of enduring to the end of the pregnancy, deciding on a name, and helping Waiola transition to the role of older brother. It's so sweet how he will hug my tummy and, just the other day, he even gave baby a kiss. Come June, I will definitely be outnumbered in this household but, I am SO excited to have a house full of boys. Three big, strong, sweet men, all for me. What a blessing!

Christmas 2009

2009-12-27T20:54:00.006-10:00

For our family, Christmas this year was a little crazy. It would have been nice to have had a little rest and calmness, but then again...where's the fun in that??

Since Aho had to work Christmas Eve into Christmas morning, Ola and I spent Christmas Eve at our friend's, the Horita's, house. Every year they have the same Santa come by and have all the kids get a chance to sit with Santa and get a present.

This was the first time Ola actually saw a Santa Clause and he wasn't quite sure about him at first. But once the jolly man gave Ola his present to hold, he was totally content with the guy.

Christmas morning, we got up and headed to Aho's parents house to open presents with them. The rest of us were all busy with our gifting, while Ola only cared about the ukulele.

We thought maybe if we helped him open a toy he'd get excited and help open the rest, but he really just wanted the ukulele.

After Christmas with the Del Toro's, we opened a few presents at our house and then headed to the airport and home to the Badua house. As usual, my mom totally over did herself and we all got way too many presents. Ola, however, didn't complain.

Among lots of other things, he got a play tent, complete with crawl tunnel...

this squishy case with handles and headphones that lets your kids use your ipod...

and the mickey mouse he's been eyeing at Walmart every time we've gone the past few weeks...

But the biggest present was the one we picked up two days after Christmas. The newest addition to our family is our precious little Hiwa. She is an 8 week old, black lab puppy, and she is absolutely adorable. She is such a cruiser and loves attention.

Ola wasn't too thrilled about her at first. I guess he didn't like having someone following him around and licking at him. He would actually start screeching and run away from her, which only encouraged Hiwa to follow him more. But, he is slowly adjusting to her. In fact, by this afternoon, he was already willing to pet her and give her a kiss. Granted, she was sleeping when he did both, but...baby steps.

Thanksgiving in Vegas

2009-12-22T21:56:00.002-10:00

Two years ago, my family decided to spend Thanksgiving in Vegas. Mom, Dad, Aho, Me, my brother Kai, and his girlfriend Vicky all went up for the Thanksgiving break. My mom's brother, Uncle Paul, and his wife Susan also met us there. That trip ended up being a bust, since almost everyone (except lucky little me) got sick. Mom was sick in bed all Thanksgiving day, and Aho was sick in bed on his birthday. Two years later, we decided to do it again. Mom, Dad, Aho and I, and of course, our little man, flew up for a five day trip.
After almost a year of not having a functioning temple on Oahu, I was SO happy to get to visit the one in Las Vegas. It was the first time I've ever been into a temple other than Laie, and it was so wonderful. Lucky thing we had the best baby sitters to keep our little man busy while we were there. Thanks mom & dad!!

We also got to take a drive up to Mt. Charleston so that I could see the snow. I really wanted to let Ola play in it, but he knocked out in the car and took the longest nap ever. I just couldn't wake him. So Aho and I just took pictures by ourselves and laughed the whole time cause we were trying to figure out how we should stand if we wanted to photo shop Ola in later. We're such dorks!
Ola wasn't really thrilled by Vegas, until he discovered the escalators. After that, it was up and down and up and down. This was while we were waiting in line for the buffet. Aho and I took turns taking him up and down.

And of course, my Uncle Paul had a blast with our little man. This is him swinging Ola in Mom's insulated tote. SO hilarious! Ola kept asking for more. Uncle P also showed him how to bounce on the bed (still in that bag) and how to turn his stroller into a super charged racer. I'm not sure who had more fun.

All in all, it was nice to get away and enjoy a change of scenery, but we were all happy to be home.

Wrecking Havoc!

2009-11-22T22:45:00.004-10:00

Recently, with this second pregnancy, morning sickness has been getting the better of me. Most days, Ola and I just lounge around at home because mommy is too sick to even get up off the couch (or ground). And so the little man has been left to find his own entertainment, which isn't always a good thing. When left to his own devices, Ola has discovered how to....

iron the carpet...

pop all the bubble wrap...

climb onto the kitchen chairs...

and reach all the items stacked in the corner or on the kitchen counter...and then throw them on the ground.Amazingly, he also sat still long enough for mommy to make sure his new beanie and mittens fit for our upcoming trip to Vegas. Oddly enough, he really liked the mittens.
In a realization that we needed to use our down and out time more constructively, we've been working on a few new things. Ola now knows the signs for "more" and "please" (his own version), which he has found very handy around snack time. We're also working on "apple", "cracker", and "cookie", which are all a little more difficult. And besides signs, he's also learned a new word. But for some reason, it only applies to phones. (You'll have to listen carefully. He's kind of quiet in this shot.)

Halloween

2009-11-01T11:46:00.004-10:00

This year, we were a little slow with our Halloween decision making. In fact, we didn't decide until two days before Halloween what Ola would be. And then, we only decided the morning of Halloween that Aho and I would dress up too. But, that said, I think we did ok. We got to celebrate with cookies from my mom & dad, trick-or-treating with friends at the mall, and then some trunk-or-treating at our chapel. It was so much fun, and I was so happy my boys got all decked out. They were such good sports.
Our basket of cookies, minus a couple heads.

It took him a minute to figure out what he was holding. Actually, it only took him one bite. YUM!Ola all dressed up before we left.

The whole fam. Popeye, Brutus, & Olive Oyl. (At this point, we were pretty much exhausted, but, I had to get at least one picture.)

My two favorite boys

2009-10-20T20:44:00.002-10:00

I love my boys! Without Aho and Ola, I really don't know what my life would be. They keep me busy, the keep me laughing, and even though they drive me crazy, somehow, they keep me sane. In the past couple of weeks, I caught a few pics of them that I just couldn't help but love. After all, they're pics of my two favorite boys.

Daddy and Ola looking at the Sesame Street gang on display at the Thinker Toys at Windward Mall.

Like father, like son. (Laugh if you must at Aho, but he's being excessively animated to try to get Ola to keep the hat on so I could at least snap a picture. What a good Daddy.)

And possibly my favorite...my two boys...fast asleep. Ola was supposed to go to sleep in his own bed, but he climbed out and snuggled up next to his Daddy. He didn't even try to send him back to bed. Now THAT'S precious!!

What a trick!

2009-10-20T20:34:00.008-10:00

Waiola is constantly learning new tricks. Sometimes they are things that we have tried to teach him, and sometimes we have no idea where he gets them from. At the end of last month, Ola woke up one morning and decided that he was going to show me his fancy new trick. I had never seen him do it before, but all day long, this was all he did.

On the floor, on the couch...brother was having a blast! We don't know where he got it from, but we just had to laugh. And then...I realized what he was doing. Amongst our friends, there is a little known occurrence that when your child does this....
it means they're expecting a new sibling. Low and behold...our little man was trying to prepare us for the news. Come June, our Ola will be welcoming his first little brother or sister. If you ask me, that's a pretty talented trick. But seriously...who taught him this??

Mr. Independent

2009-10-07T07:37:00.004-10:00

Recently, we've been having a difficult time getting Ola to sit down and eat. Especially at dinner time, he has been getting extremely fussy and turning away from food. Since he's already below the average weight for his age, we were a little concerned that he wasn't getting the nutrition he needed. Apparently, he just wasn't getting the food the way he wanted it. Turns out, our "big boy" did want to it...he just wanted to do it by himself.

After a week of struggling to get him to eat, last night (night 2 of letting him feed himself) he ate 3 bowls of food. I guess he just wanted to be Mr. Independent.

The BI

2009-09-22T11:43:00.005-10:00

So, this weekend, we flew up to the Big Island for a short family trip. Aho and I both hadn't been to the BI in a while, and we thought it would be nice to just go and hang out. We spent the first day in Hilo, then drove around to Waimea, and ended up on Kona side. It was nice to be away from the city and see so much green.

Our hotel in Hilo was a little interesting. They had just remodeled, and instead of carpet, had used all tile. Every single sound echoed throughout the entire floor, including that of our very noisy one year old. And, they only gave us two towels. Luckily, Ola was small enough to use one of the hand towels. lol!
We drove around past Hilo the second day and stopped off at Akaka Falls. Ola had just knocked out in his car seat, and since no one was at the falls that early, Aho and I hopped out for a quick pic. You can barely see the falls just above my head.

We got into Waimea at the perfect time...right before they closed the roads for the parade. So, we found a parking spot and joined everyone else to watch the parade. It was so nice and cool, the little man actually needed a jacket.

My two paniolo trying on hats at the Parker Ranch store. I think Ola is meant to be a cowboy!

Kona side was hot, of course, so when we got to our hotel we headed down to the pool. Ola was so happy to be in the water.

A nice little waterfall between our room and the pool.

We went to a little shopping area for dinner that was totally empty. So, we grabbed some food and sat on the grass while Ola tried his hardest to get down to the water spouts. I'm still surprised that he didn't end up completely drenched.

Tutu & Papa's House

2009-09-22T11:31:00.002-10:00

Last weekend we flew home so that Ola could spend some time with my parents on Kauai. I love going home because it's so relaxing and my parents have a large yard where Ola can just run free. He loves to be outside when we are there, and loves that Papa lets him play with as much water as he can get his hands on.

Ola's newest toy at Tutu & Papa's house, his water and sand table. (This was taken right after we set it up, and had yet to hit the beach to get the sand)

Trekking through the yard with his new boots.

Looking for the kitty under the truck. Our poor cat is terrified of people as is, and then came my little monster who would run after him to try and see him. The cat spent a lot of time hiding.

"Let me out!" (Hard to see, but the cat is across the street. It's much safer over there, as there are no little monsters.)Ola's absolute favorite thing to play with on Kauai...Water! Papa had sprinklers and hoses...he was soaking wet majority of the time. And...totally happy about it.

New & different toys...

2009-09-22T11:08:00.004-10:00

Recently, Ola has found himself some new, fabulous toys.

It always cracks me up how he can be enthralled by the simplest things...
like finding Daddy's tape measure. He has so much fun pulling it out and then letting it fall back in.

And yet, he loves the extravagant toys too, but mostly for something small...like loving his new car simply for the music button. Never mind that it goes all over the place and has a steering wheel and blinkers and a door and gas tank that open. Nope, the most important part is that it plays 4 songs.

And then, some toys, we're still learning with...like the fancy basket ball game he got from the Tuitele & Albino Family for his birthday. He still thinks the point of the game is to hold the ball up and touch the bottom of the net. Oh well, he probably won't be tall enough for basketball anyway.

But one of the toys he has recently chosen is, by far, my favorite. If he can learn how to use this "toy" correctly, and "plays" with it for the rest of his life, I'll be content.

Caught...black handed?

2009-08-30T21:42:00.002-10:00

Usually, in the mornings, Ola is awake before I'm quite ready. I put the gate up before we go to bed so that he can't get past the two bedrooms, and for the most part, there's nothing in the two rooms that he can't touch. Or, so I thought. Friday morning he was unusually quiet, and I figured he was just playing with his toys. I should have known better, because the last time this happened, he was ripping apart my scriptures. I checked on him and he looked fine...but that was without my glasses on. So I rolled over, put on my glasses, and took a second look. And that's when I saw it...Somehow, my little monster had gotten into my closet, then into my craft box, and then into my black stampin' up ink pad. After a quick inspection, I noticed that his two little hands were covered, and there were a few spots on his tummy and legs. Luckily, he hadn't gotten it on his face or in his mouth. (And luckily, it's non-toxic. Believe me, I checked.)
Upon further inspection, I found a few spots on the floor where he had obviously dropped the ink pad, ink side down; bluish-black smudges all over a large plastic container near the closet; and worst of all, yet somehow cutest of all, tiny bluish-black hand prints on my beautiful, fairly new, white sheets.

I had to laugh. Then, I had to grab my camera. After that, there was a lot of scrubbing. Wipes. Soap and water. And then, we just went and took a bath. About an hour later, it looked like blue ink instead of black and was a little less obvious. And by the end of the day, it was pretty much all rubbed off, with just a little bit left under his fingernails. Now if only I could get it off my sheets.

Toddler Bed

2009-08-30T21:32:00.002-10:00

Aho and I have been talking about the lack of space we have in our house. So we thought that, since Ola hasn't slept in his crib for a while, we'd take it down. On Thursday, I started cleaning his room, preparing to take his crib apart, when I realized that I had stored the half rail for the toddler bed conversion under his crib. Hmmm...I wonder if he'd like to try this. So, instead of breaking the crib down, I converted it into the toddler bed. This was a little difficult, considering that once I took the front panel off, Ola thought it was his new playground and kept climbing in and out. It's a little hard to drop the frame down to the lowest point when you have a little boy walking around on top of it. I eventually got everything set up, and sat back laughing while Ola climbed in and out of his "big boy bed". He seemed to really like it, so we've been putting him to sleep in there. We hoped that maybe since he liked his bed, he'd sleep in it longer. So far, no luck. But, it has only been a few days, so I guess I can still hope. Although, last night, I woke up to find him standing by my bed. I guess it's easy to get out of or off of than a crib or a full mattress.

Party, party, party!

2009-08-29T07:38:00.003-10:00

On August 15th, we had Ola's 1st birthday luau. Because of his love of animals, I chose a safari animal theme, complete with elephants, lions, giraffes, monkeys, and hippos. After all the planning and work, about 4 straight months of party stuff, I was really happy when everything worked out well. We had a bouncer and balloon animals for this kids, good entertainment, cute decorations, and great Hawaiian food. But best of all, we had lots of family and friends to help us celebrate. Sadly, my poor Ola boy had only had one very short nap that day, so he was not quite in his normal happy mood. Oh well, I guess we'll just have to wait for the next birthday. =)

The beautiful banner, thanks to the help of Uncle Cameron, Aunty Lohi, and the wonderful Cricut!
My paper mache elephant card box. Not exactly what I had planned on, but not bad.
Our wonderful balloon twisters. Ola got a giraffe to go with his theme, but I didn't catch a picture.
Our 'ono Hawaiian food courtesy of Laverns. Rice, poi, laulua, kalua pig, chicken long rice, squid luau, lomi salmon, pineapple, sweet potatoe, and haupia. Oh, and the Ing/Tuitele chocolate cakes. Yum!!!
Me and my boy...both very tired. Happy Birthday Ola Boy! Mommy loves you!

Not quite measuring up

2009-08-16T21:26:00.003-10:00

Two days after Ola's 1st birthday, we went to our pediatrician for his 12 month well baby check-up. They took all his measurements, including head circumference, height, and weight. They checked his eyes, ears, nose, lungs, and hips, and also gave him his three shots. We always take all his measurements and shots in the exam room, then head to the doctor's office to wait for the verdicts. So, following the exam, we headed there to wait.
The doc came in and began by pointing out where Ola was on the graph of average children his age, and simply said, "his growth is really great. He's right where he should be." I, however, took one look at the two dots WAY on the bottom of the growth curves, and thought otherwise. Knowing me very well, and knowing I'd freak out, our pediatrician had tried to avoid telling me that Ola was in the 10th percentile for both height and weight. I guess he didn't think I'd notice his marks were on the bottom of the chart. But, he did reassure me that despite the numbers, Ola's growth is actually looking really good, and that a lot of boys are behind for a while and then hit their growth spurts later. I simply told him "I hope you're right!"
At 12 months, our boy is 20 lbs., 7 oz., and 28 1/2 in. He may only be in the 10th percentile, but great things come in small packages (we just hope he gets some height and weight at some point).

the big ONE!!

2009-08-03T21:08:00.004-10:00

Today, our baby boy turned one. It's hard to decide if the past year has dragged on, mostly due to lack of sleep, or flown bye. But really, I can't believe that he is actually one. Because we're having his big party later in the month, we didn't plan much for today. Just a few presents, a cake which never got made (thanks to mommy using all the eggs for breakfast and leaving none for the cake), and a last minute trip to Chucky Cheese.

When Ola woke up this morning, I took him downstairs so he could open his present. For a while, he was more interested in the tissue paper than the actual present.

When he finally realized what was inside the tissue paper, he had the biggest smile. If anyone thought we were boring parents, just giving our kid books for his birthday, all they'd have to do is look at this picture. With the combined efforts of mommy and daddy, Ola got 7 new books for his birthday. Baby Giggles, Baby Colors, Where the Wild Things Are, Five Chinese Brothers, Horns to Toes and in Between, Pajama Time, and the Belly Button Book. As of tonight, we've already read 5 of them. =)

To finish off the day, we made a last minute trip to Chucky Cheese. Ola wasn't afraid of the big walking rat at all. In fact, when Chucky stood up to walk around and see other kids, Ola followed after him, pointing and talking. He was a quick fan.

But, my favorite part of the day, was when we sang him Happy Birthday. Aho did it first, after which he told me I had to see what Ola did when he sang to him. FYI, that snorting you hear is Ola laughing.

My little rocker!!

2009-07-26T12:46:00.002-10:00

I've always thought that little boys with little mohawks are so adorable. Granted, I hope that he doesn't do this when he's older, but I thought it would be fun to try out a mohawk with what little hair Ola has. He was playing in the back of the truck one afternoon, so I grabbed some mousse to see how it would look. There wasn't much to work with, but I thought my little rocker looked pretty hard core.

Ward Camp

2009-07-26T12:29:00.002-10:00

Every year, usually 4th of July weekend, our ward goes camping at Bellows AFB. A week of swimming, eating, laughing, card playing, and paintball. Aho and I have never camped the whole week due to school and work. This year I actually could have camped. But the thought of camping by myself for a week with a child who still wakes up crying 4-6 times a night was not something I wanted to do. So, instead, I vowed that we would camp next year and just went out a couple days during the week. After spending a couple of hours there the first day, it was actually really hard to come home. I had forgotten how much fun it was to be at camp.
Ola had a blast too. He swam every day that we went out and loved be tossed up above the waves. Everyone in the water took turns with him and he had so much fun. In fact, we only got out of the water when the waves were too big for his short little mommy to hold him up. When we got out, we'd rinse off, change, and Ola would run around under the tents. He always seemed to find the light sabers the other kids left out.
Our friend Josh, who acted as super dad and camped with his three older children, was putting his kids down for a nap and thought he'd try Ola too. His kids were actually trying to fall asleep. And mine....no luck! He couldn't miss anything. But he fell asleep in the car on the way home every day, usually, before we even his the first guard shack.
I'm excited to take Ola camping next year and am hopeful that he will do good. I'll probably be pregnant again, but if I could camp last year at 8 months, I can do it again next year. Hopefully Ola will have learned how to sleep by then. ;)

Brush those chompers

2009-07-26T12:23:00.002-10:00

Once Ola cut his 4th tooth (he's now up to 7), we decided that we needed to start brushing his teeth, with a toothbrush, regularly. So every night after he nurses, and before he goes down for story time, we head to the bathroom to brush. He gets so excited. Not for the brushing part though. That part can be quite a struggle. But, once I'm done brushing his teeth, I tell him it's time for Ola to brush, at which point, he takes his toothbrush...and chews on the bottom end. Oh well. I guess that's all I can ask for.

Nothin' but country!

2009-06-30T23:04:00.004-10:00

Today, after Ola woke up from his nap, I turned on the radio while I was on the computer. Ola was playing around, and then I noticed he was kinda quiet. I turned around to catch him dancing along with the music. Yes, he's definitely my boy! Nothin' but country!!

Daga Daga

2009-06-30T22:57:00.003-10:00

This past weekend, Ola found a new phrase that he just can't get enough of. I have no idea where it came from, or why he loves it so much, but, "daga daga" is all we've been hearing lately.

New loves...

2009-06-30T22:47:00.003-10:00

For Christmas, Ola received an Elmo hand puppet from one of Aho's friends at work. Inside the head, there's a button that, when pressed, makes Elmo speak. I've used it a couple times to keep him distracted, and I know Aho and my mom have both played with it as well, but I didn't realize just how much he liked his Elmo. Last week, in an attempt to keep him busy, I asked him to go get his Elmo from his toy bin. To my surprise, he walked over, moved a couple things, and pulled out his Elmo. I believe I asked him, "How in the world do you know who Elmo is?" This week, I've noticed that he carries Elmo around with him throughout the day. In fact, just the other day, I held up two toys (one being Elmo), and asked which Ola who he wanted to take with him in the car. The other toy didn't stand a chance.

Since my parents were visitng this week, they decided they wanted to shop for Ola's birthday presents. They still have a month, but apparently, they couldn't wait. They came back from Toys R Us with a new ka'a, and Ola couldn't wait to play with it. It plays music and has animals that spin around, and he just loves pushing his new toy around the house. When he's lucky, Daddy puts him on and takes him for a ride around the house.

Bugs!!

2009-06-30T22:36:00.001-10:00

While my parents were visiting this weekend, we took Ola down to Pearlridge to see the giant bug exhibit. There were three huge moving bugs at center stage, and Ola loved them. Well, only when they moved or made noise. We didn't know there were more bugs at the downtown area, so we'll probably make another trip soon.

What he's been up to...

2009-06-22T21:07:00.002-10:00

Lately, I have been terrible about blogging. I haven't been so great at taking pictures either. So tonight, I thought I'd post up some of the latest moments from the life of our little man.

Recently, we have discovered that Ola LOVES fresh blueberries. Normally, I put them into pancakes or muffins and smoosh them a little before he eats them, but we've recently started giving them to him just regular. And, he can't get enough. Once he notices that you have them, he will ignore all other food items until all the blueberries are gone. This has made for blue hands, a blue face, and yes, a blue butt.
Ola has also been using his talents of walking and climbing to reach new things. Now, he can get pretty much anywhere he wants to, and very quickly. This includes getting onto the couch, and making himself comfortable, so he can play with the cord for the blinds.
We have also caught him in another hilarious position that gives a clue to one of his 10 ethnicities. Yes, my 10 month old is a pro at the Filipino squat. I guess we can't hide the Badua in him.
And last, but not least, our little man has moved onto his own full sized mattress. We noticed that he slept better when either Aho or I slept with him, so Aho suggested we try co-sleeping for a while. It was something we had tried to avoid, but as my hilarious husband put it, "I don't care if he sleeps with us till he's five, as long as he sleeps" (as opposed to his norm of waking up 3-5 times a night). After a few nights of him hogging most of our Cal King, I realized that, maybe, he's just a roller and needs more space than the two feet in his crib. So, we put the mattress in his room on the floor, and he now has it all to himself. Yesterday, I put him down for his nap in the corner against the wall, giving him space to roll. And roll he did...all the way the the opposite corner, right to the edge. Don't worry, he didn't fall off. (And in case you're wondering, this still hasn't fixed his sleeping problems. I guess space is not the answer.)

Walking EVERYWHERE

2009-06-08T22:06:00.006-10:00

Ola now wants to walk. EVERYWHERE. He's not particularly fond of the poky feel of grass, but while we were at home on Kaua'i this weekend, not even the grass hindered him. Watch out people...he's fully mobile!
Sorry, it's from the other camera (aka not the one i usually use) and i couldn't rotate it.

Cheap thrills...

2009-06-08T21:45:00.003-10:00

I LOVE it when the UPS man shows up at my house. It's always so much fun getting something in the mail that you were, or weren't, expecting. But today, I was SUPER thrilled when he knocked at my door, because...he had my camera! Yes, the wonderful people at the cannon repair center fixed my baby free of charge and sent it back to me today. And it was just in time to capture all of our cheap thrills of the day...

We have always had problems finding shoes to fit Ola. We have quite a few pairs, but they're all either too small, or too big. But now that he's walking, and wanting to be Mr. independent all the time, we figured we better find some shoes that fit NOW. So, on a trip to Target today, I picked up a pair of tiny crocs. They were only $9, which is actually less than half the price of some of the slippers he was given (but never fit). We walked around outside for a little while, but he's not quite used to having things on his feet yet. He did, however, enjoy examining his new shoes. While I was cleaning up after dinner, Ola joined me in the kitchen. For some reason, he LOVES the refrigerator. Maybe he knows that that's where all the food is. Once he hears the door open, he books it as fast as he can, from where ever he is, to get there. Normally, I try to close it before he gets into trouble, but tonight I figured I'd let him play for a bit. A couple extra bucks for electricity, but he was entertained, and it did cool down the kitchen. ;)

But, as many parents know, the cheapest toy you can get your kids is the box the toy came in. Or in this case, the box the diapers came in. We went to target to grab diapers since they were SOOO cheap. And when we got home, Ola and Aho played with the box. Gotta love cheap thrills...

10 Months

2009-06-03T22:23:00.002-10:00

So, today, Ola is 10 months old. I realized it this morning while he was eating breakfast with his daddy. Aho and I are still trying to figure out what happened to our baby. How in the world have 10 months passed so quickly?

Aho was telling me that I need to make sure I write down things that he does so that when he's older we'll remember and we can share those memories with him. So, for the record, it's official...Ola is walking. He's been walking around the house, with the help of furniture, for about 2 or 3 months now. But, he's finally letting go. He gets such a big smile on his face when he stands up with no support and takes his many slow steps to his destination. Of coarse, we cheer and applaud, and his smile just gets bigger. Tonight, he was playing in the living room while I was finishing dinner, and the power shut off. It wasn't quite dark yet, but he still got scared by the difference, and took off towards me faster than I've ever seen him move. He moved so fast, he fell over. I guess walking and balance are two very different skills.

We've also noticed that he gets SUPER excited when mommy or daddy join him under the kitchen table. He loves to play around, walking around all the table and chair legs like a maze. If one of us gets down under the table to join him, he gets so excited and can't stop smiling and giggling. Who needs toys when you have a kitchen table and chairs?

And, on top of all his growing up, he no longer wants baby food. He wants real food. If we're eating it, he wants it. Instead of giving him strait fruit in the mornings, I've had to turn everything into pancakes. So far, in the past week, we've had sweet potato pancakes, blueberry pancakes, and just this morning, banana pancakes. I think Aho is pancaked out. But Ola just loves being a big boy and eating what we're eating. I just don't think that mommy is ready for all this yet.

Left unattended...

2009-06-01T21:35:00.002-10:00

Ola has figured out how to get into pretty much everything. He loves the kitchen cabinets, his toy box, and is guaranteed to get into the bathroom if the door is left open. The other day, while he was playing, I left the room and came back to find this. He had gotten into his diaper box and had the diapers strewn everywhere. When i said "Hala!" very loudly, he smiled the biggest, cutest smile, and continued pulling the diapers out. I just had to laugh. And of coarse, take a picture.

This is why we need sleep!

2009-06-01T21:22:00.003-10:00

Ola is NOT a sleeper. Naps are usually short, and night time is broken up into about 5 sections. We're still not sure what it is, but our boy does NOT sleep. However...every once in a while, we get a really good nap. By really good, I mean an hour and a half or longer. When he has one of these fabulous naps, he wakes up quietly and in a good mood (as compared to crying and grumpy, like he usually wakes up). The other day we had one of these GREAT naps. A TWO HOUR nap. And, I just so happened to be in the room when he woke up. This was the happy face of my no-longer-tired-because-I-actually-slept boy. I absolutely LOVE being greeted by this happy little man and really do wish we could figure out how to have this happen more often. This... is why we need sleep!

Who needs the water park??

2009-06-01T20:41:00.004-10:00

For my birthday, Aho got me a new camera. He is wonderful, and thoughtful, and got me a great digital camera that anyone would be thrilled with. I, however, am spoiled. I LOVED my cannon powershot! And, like a spoiled brat, have hardly been using my new camera. In fact, I just sent my cannon into the shop to be fixed, and will probably be returning the new one Aho got (which, just in case you're thinking I'm horrible, is just fine with him). But, in the meantime, we did use it to take some pictures of things we've been doing, and I'm finally uploading them.
A few weeks ago, while Aho was off, we decided to take Ola to the water park. He likes to play in water, and we thought it would be fun, and different than the beach. We had a pepsi can that made it a two for one deal, so it wasn't as expensive as normal, but still $40. Our park has two kiddie sections for kids, so we hung out there. There were tons of kids running back and forth and Ola didn't quite know what to do with all the excitement.
We did get to take him down one of the slides in the kid section. It didn't really phase him though. He just chewed on his thumb the whole way down. I loved it though, since neither Aho or I wanted to ride the real rides by ourselves (next time we need to take a baby sitter with us). In fact, he didn't seem all too thrilled by anything (except maybe the birds that were walking around near the picnic tables).
When we were all done, we headed out the the truck to go home. I put the tailgate down and changed Ola and then let him climb around in the truck until we were all ready. Apparently, we shouldn't have spent the $40 to go the water park. We should've just put the kid in the back of the truck at home. Oh well. At least he had fun. Even if it was in the parking lot of the water park. You gotta love a kid who's easy to entertain.

Cute is in the eye of the beholder...or the number of friends you have

2009-05-17T21:55:00.002-10:00

So this weekend, we went down to the Baby Expo for the cute baby contest. Of coarse, I didn't expect to win, but I wasn't quite prepared for such a defeating loss. Apparently, when they said, "It's based on audience applause, so bring everyone you know," I was the only one who didn't take it seriously. In fact, I didn't take anyone with us, not even Daddy (who was sleeping at home between shifts). Everyone else, on the other hand, brought everyone they knew and their grandmothers. As each parent went up with their kid, you would hear a section of the audience, apparently the invited friends and family, scream their head off. But when it was Ola's turn...nothing. And then...a little sympathy clap. Apparently, no one else thought he was cute. Which was kinda sad, considering I thought they were all cute, so I cheered for everyone. I was glad, however, to stand next to a very nice girl and her 8 month old son. They're military, so they didn't have much fans either, just her husband and two friends (which is still 3 more than we had). She laughed and said, "I'm actually sorry that I subjected my son to this." I guess it's good that they're so young, otherwise, I might worry he'd get a complex. Oh well. As Aho said when we got home, we don't need a contest to tell us our baby is cute. And even if he's only cute to us, I can live with that.

Well I think he's cute...

2009-05-15T20:17:00.003-10:00

A classmate of mine from highschool heard on the radio that they were holding a Hawaii's Cutest Baby Contest at the upcoming New Baby Expo. So, she looked online, found the site, and e-mailed me the info saying I had to enter. And so, to make Aunty Kyra happy, I submitted a picture I had on file that I thought was pretty cute. The rules said a panel would decide the finalist and then they would have to compete for audience applause at the expo. Well, wednesday we got a call that Ola is a finalist. I don't know how many finalists there are, but I'm pretty excited. I'm just hoping people applaude for him. I mean, I think he's cute, but it's not up to me.

This is the picture I submitted for his entry.

Thanks again Aunty Kyra for all your love. You totally get points.

Back to the dark ages...

2009-05-11T20:56:00.002-10:00

I've always thought that I could do without technology. Who needs a microwave when you can barbecue over hot coals? Why watch tv when you can go to the beach? But today I realized...I miss my technology. With the death of my digital camera, I returned to the totally outdated 35mm version. Granted, I begged for my film loading Rebel when I was in high school, but now I'm definitely missing the digital capabilities of my cannon. In the past two days I've used up three roles of film. I don't, however, know if any of those pictures are worth anything, since I can't view them after shooting, and I have to await the developing process before I can see or share the shots that actually worked out. Oh how I miss my technology!!!

Wonderful and Terrible...all in the same day.

2009-05-07T08:51:00.002-10:00

Yesterday, I was super duper excited. When we got home (we spent the afternoon at the beach), the UPS guy came to drop off a package. I knew exactly what it was. I asked Aho for something very special. So special, in fact, that it is my mother's day, birthday, anniversary, and probably Christmas present for this whole year (it was kind of expensive, but this month my friends were running almost a two for one deal so I got double what I would have later). But that's ok, cause it's that special. I ordered a bunch of natural oils that you can use at home to help with illness without using drugs. My sister-in-law got me into it, and I think it's great. Oils are great because...

1. They're all natural. They include things like basil, oregano, and lavender, things that won't harm you.

2. You don't have to worry about overdose. Unlike Tylenol, I don't have to worry about giving Ola too much. You just need a drop or two, but more won't hurt.

3. You don't have to monitor the time. When Ola got sick last time, I had to write down when we gave him medicine so I wouldn't give him another dose too soon. Not so with oils. If he starts showing symptoms again, you don't have to wait.

4. I can treat ALL kinds of things. At his age, and with me too since I'm still nursing, Ola can't take too many things. In fact, he can pretty much just have Tylenol. With the oils, I can treat almost anything. Fever, ear infection, nasal congestion, basic cold symptoms...all kinds of stuff.

5. And most important, with swine flu going around, I can use the oils to boost his immune system. Two basic oils, oregano and on-guard (a blend), can help boost any one's immune system so that you're less likely to get sick when other people are.

So as you can see...I am SUPER excited. I LOVE these oils. In fact, I was so excited, I wanted to take a picture of my new oil kit. And that is when wonderful turned to terrible. I turned on my camera to take a picture of my new oil kit and all I saw was black and purple and squiggly lines. NOOOOOOO! My camera!! NOOOOOO!! And if that weren't enough, now it won't even turn on. I was having such a great day and then it all went down the drain. I don't know how long I can last without a functioning camera. Now I have to see if I get Aho to spend more money and fix my camera. Wish me luck.

P.S. If you're interested in checking out the oils I'm talking about (since they're so cool), you can look at my site, www.mydoterra.com/deltro

Feet first

2009-05-06T18:11:00.003-10:00

We've been working with Ola on the "right" way to get off of our bed. Our box spring is right on the ground, so it's not too high, but he has lunged off a few times, head first. So, we've been showing him and practicing going off feet first. He surprised me a couple of days ago, but I actually caught it on video this morning.

Daddy & bedtime

2009-05-06T12:01:00.003-10:00

Last night, aho came up to help put Ola to sleep. This is how he helped.

It's hard to be mad when they're both so cute.

Sharing and high 5's

2009-05-05T22:05:00.003-10:00

Today, with me and Aho both home, we spent some quality time with our little guy. We've been trying to teach him little things here and there, but today he actually caught on to some new skills. It all started this morning while Aho and I were eating milk and cookies (yes, we're all about a wholesome breakfast). Ola came rushing over once he realized we had some type of food, and not wanting him to feel left out, Aho got him one of his baby crackers. Ola loves his crackers, but was still trying to sneak a cookie. So Aho decided the only thing to do was make the cracker seem better than the cookie. "Can you share with Daddy?" (Daddy takes a bite of Ola's cracker) "Mmmmm! Thank you!" This happened about three times. Then, on time number four, Aho didn't have to take a bite of the cracker...Ola reached up and gave it to him. So we tried again. "Yay! Good boy." And again. "Wow! You're sharing!!"
So we thought...let mom try. If he'll share with Daddy, he'll share with Mommy. Yeah...apparently, even though mommy gives him all the milk and food and snacks that he wants, he can't spare a bite of cracker for her. No, no, I'm not bitter. Just because it took twice as long for him to share with his mother. Eventually, he gave in though, and even mom got a few bites. We then noticed that he was eating a lot faster and trying to shove large pieces of the cracker into his mouth. I guess he figured if he got rid of it fast enough he wouldn't have to share anymore. Well, just because he learned how to share doesn't necessarily mean he'll want to.

Later this afternoon, Aho was trying to distract him from his own grumpiness and asked Ola to give him a high five. I helped him out a couple times and then he had it down. And this time, he did it for both of us, no preference. So I told Aho he had to get it on video.

We were also working on standing up without holding onto anything. He was doing pretty good, but no pictures since we both wanted to make sure he didn't fall down too hard. He's been knocking himself around a little too much lately and we don't want that precious brain damaged.
It's amazing though, how fast kids can pick up on things and it was really fun watching him learn. Now if only we could get him to sign. That would actually be a skill I could put to use.

All Boy!!

2009-05-05T21:45:00.002-10:00

So, yesterday, Ola, Aho, and I headed to the doctor's office for Ola's 9 month check-up. I was all excited to see how BIG our boy has gotten. Well, turns out he's not so big after all. In fact, he has dropped to the 25th percentile in not only height (he's been short since the day he was born), but now also for weight. He was a measly 18 lbs. 14 oz. Oh well, I guess I just have to keep feeding him. But our pediatrician cracked me up...as always. He was trying to get all the things he needed from Ola, like checking his ears and his lungs and what not, and all Ola wanted to do was go to him. He kept leaning forward until the doc finally finished and took him. He was laughing saying that he'll go to anybody and he's so relaxed.
And then he said..."Wow...he is ALL boy. There is nothing feminine with this one. He is just boy all over. He's gonna be the kind boy that jumps in the water without thinking and then once he's in there thinks...oh crap, I don't know how to swim." I laughed, probably because I've seen him dive off the bed without thinking and know that that is exactly what he'll be doing for quite a while. Yes, my boy is ALL boy. He climbs on everything, lunges off everything, and takes it all to the extreme. Even a car seat can be dangerous when he's around.

And in celebration of our little boy, my mom got us some mochi and Boy's Day decorations. We only have one little man in our house, but tutu got us EIGHT fish. Like everything else...Ola just wanted to see what the fish tasted like before we hung them up. Happy Boy's Day!!

another busy weekend

2009-05-03T20:50:00.005-10:00

Ola and I had quite a busy weekend (which of coarse, is a stretch for us). Friday night my mom flew up and spent the night. She just came home from another work trip, that one to Boston, and brought Ola more things. I say more, because before she left Boston she mailed us a box full of things so she wouldn't have to pack them. But, she packed two toys for him, a duck and a lobster, that she had to bring with her this weekend. The duck quacks. And since Ola absolutely LOVES animal noises, he thought it was great. I guess it didn't taste too bad either. (I promise...I do feed this kid)

Saturday, my friend's fabulous son invited us to his birthday party. So we spent the day hanging out at their house and swimming in their pool. The water was freezing! At least at first. I think it took me almost 20 minutes to actually get in the water up to my waist. Ola...LOVED it! He was having a blast. A lot of the other kids were shivering and getting out of the water, but when we got out, my fully insulated fatso wasn't cold at all. I guess fat can be good. Then, this evening, we headed over to my brother-in-law's house to celebrate our nephew's birthday. I haven't seen them since Christmas and their kids are just shooting up. Ola was asleep when we got there but woke up just long enough to play with his cousins. They were loving it, he was loving it...it really was precious.
And the biggest news of our weekend...Ola hit his 9 month mark today. I honestly can't believe he's already 9 months old. And he'll be 1 year in just 3 more months. Where did all that time go? I am excited though, because tomorrow we have his check-up and I'll get to see how much he's grown. I've been slacking on taking his monthly pictures in the same outfit, but I did snap a few when we got home from church, while he was playing around. I love the fold over the diaper. Now that's my kid!!

Hanauma Bay

2009-04-24T18:52:00.003-10:00

This past Monday we stepped out of our box and actually did something exciting. Since Aho was off, as was our dear friend Cameron, our two families decided to head down to Hanauma Bay. I haven't been there since I was a little kid. In fact, I still remember when you were allowed to feed the fish frozen peas (as opposed to now when you have to watch a 10 minute video about not feeding the fish and looking, but not touching). My poor deprived husband, on the other hand, has NEVER been there. Funny, since he was born and raised on Oahu but I grew up on Kauai.
I did, however, forget have beautiful it is. It was weird swimming around and having fish come right up to you. And following a turtle around for about 20 minutes isn't a usual occurance for me either. It was nice to be able to take advantage of what Hawaii has to offer. Sometimes, I forget how lucky we are. Thanks again to Cam, Lohi, and Na'u for such a fun day (and for coming prepared, unlike us, and sharing your things).

It was a little crowded, but totally worth it.

Ola hanging out before we headed into the water. He wasn't too fond of it since it was so cold, so he was opihi the whole time.

The dads took the first snorkeling shift while the moms stayed on the beach and fed the babies. Then, when they were done, we switched. Lohi and I were in the water for about half an hour. When we came back, we found this...
As I was approaching, there was a couple in front of me walking past them. The guy was just giggling and pointing and the girl said how cute they looked (I'm sure she meant the babies). When Cam woke up, he said he had heard one of the lifeguards say to another, "Ho, thats pretty krypt. Check out those guys with their kids." I guess they all had a hard day.

Trouble with a capital T

2009-04-23T22:03:00.003-10:00

I have always wanted boys. I guess I'm a little scared of not knowing what to do if I end up with a girly girl. But honestly, until they hit a certain age, boys are to be feared much more than girls. I knew Ola was trouble the moment he smiled his first mischievous little smile. But now he's moving from trouble...to Trouble. Lucky thing Trouble can be so darn LOVEABLE.

This is what happens when Trouble is left alone in is his crib to go to sleep but wants to chew on something instead. If there is sudden silence...TROUBLE!

This is what is implemented when Trouble thinks it's a funny game to crawl away from mommy and up the stairs as fast as he can. If he's been out of sight for 5 seconds...TROUBLE!

This is what Trouble looks like when he's trying to escape (without using the stairs). If Daddy is trying to sleep but someone is banging on the screen and yelling loudly...TROUBLE!

And lastly...this is what Trouble looks like when he's trying to get away with something he knows he shouldn't be doing. If something is missing and he's smiling...TROUBLE!

Ola's new game

2009-04-20T21:21:00.006-10:00

A couple years ago, before we were even married, our friend Kevin invited us to the Iolani Family Fair. It's a small fair with food, carnival games, kiddy rides, plants and produce, and a silent auction. Aho fell in love. That first year he went home with three items that he won in the silent auction. And every year since we've been sure not to miss it. This year, we both agreed that it wasn't quite as good as years prior. Aho didn't find anything he really liked at the silent auction, and because we didn't go at night when they were ending (and trying to get rid of everything for really cheap), nothing was in my chang price range. But, while we were taking a break from the heat, Ola found something he couldn't get enough of.

Getting out of the house

2009-04-20T21:13:00.002-10:00

I have become a hermit. Partly because I shouldn't be allowed out into public, and partly because it's just easier to stay home when you have a kid who just wants to climb around on the furniture all day. But, lately I've felt like a bad mom not doing anything with my poor little son. I'm sure by now he thinks the whole world is our living room. So this week I decided to find some things to do. Granted, we only went as far as the front and back yard, but at least we did something.

We spent a whole dollar on a bubble wand from Walmart. The wind was blowing (slightly), and bubbles were a little too fast for Ola, but he just sat there watching them.
We also got a small little pool to put in the back so Ola can play water, for those many days I want to go to the beach...but it's just too far. We brought down some of his bath toys and he had a blast. In all two inches of water.

Belated Easter

2009-04-20T21:07:00.003-10:00

Holidays can be especially hard since my family lives off island. Sometimes we get to see them, and sometimes we don't. Since we went home to Kauai the weekend before Easter, my parents didn't get to see Ola, and my mom couldn't give us our Easter baskets. Luckily, she had a layover on her trip to Boston this past Thursday, so we got to see her. We also got belated Easter baskets. We loved our goodies, but I think Ola was twice as happy. Thank you tutu and papa for the toys, books, and of coarse, food.

And even though he couldn't read it, he really enjoyed the card.

Oops!

2009-04-13T19:56:00.002-10:00

Ola is getting faster and faster. Especially at things he shouldn't be doing. Tonight while I was getting him ready for bed after his bath, I handed him the powder to hold to keep him busy. I was putting on his butt cream when I saw a puff of white. When I looked up...I saw this...

I couldn't stop laughing and had to call Aho to bring up the camera. As he put it, it's a good thing Ola is cute, cause it makes it that much harder to get mad at him. Lucky thing it was only powder.

One thing or another

2009-04-13T19:46:00.002-10:00

We had a bit of a scare last week when we came home from Kauai. The night we came home, at about 11:45, Ola woke up with a fever of 104. He'd been warm all weekend, but at that point he was burning, and our pediatrician said to head to the ER. They didn't seem to know what was wrong, but settled for an ear infection. We were advised to use motrin and amoxycilin to cure it. My doctor didn't think it was anything worth treating, but said to go ahead, until Ola broke out in a rash two days later. When I called, he laughed at me, since there always seems to be one thing or another with this kid. Turns out, Ola has roseola. Nothing alarming, just a slight rash that will be gone in a few days on its own. But seriously, with this kid...one thing or another.

The other thing being...TWO more teeth. Ola cut one of his top teeth while we were home on Kauai, and the other one just the other day. He's now got four and is chewing on EVERYTHING!

Easter Basket

2009-04-12T21:25:00.002-10:00

It was nice to have Aho off today and to be able to spend Easter together. I planned to take pictures throughout the day, but that didn't quite work out. In fact I only got one, of Ola with his Easter basket, courtesy of Aunty Lohi. I was so out of it this past week, I didn't even do anything for my family for Easter. Luckily, we spent the day with the Ings, Tuiteles, and Albinos, and got to enjoy their great friendships, eat delicious food, and participate in the legendary Easter Egg Hunt. Congratulations Anthony on finally finding the golden egg. Sorry Cam and Lohi...maybe next year. ;) It'll be on like donkey kong.

Aunty Lohi, Ola (and by Ola I mean Mommy) loves the books, and the slippers, and the beanies, and food. Thank you so much for thinking of him!

Lunch

2009-04-12T21:23:00.003-10:00

Lunch with the girls at CPK. (Kyra, Me, Ola, and Jo)
So...when's the next one???

Caught in the act

2009-04-12T21:16:00.002-10:00

While we were home on Kauai, I noticed that when Ola woke up, either from a nap or during the night, he would head straight for his monitor. Normally, his monitor is out of reach and therefore, he doesn't really notice it. But for the four days we were home, whenever he would wake up, I wouldn't hear him fuss or cry (like normal), but instead, I would hear banging. Yesterday, we put him down for his morning nap on our bed, with the monitor next to him, and when we heard banging on the monitor, we walked upstairs to find this.

Yep, caught red handed trying to destroy his monitor.

Joint family vaca

2009-04-10T22:51:00.003-10:00

It is a rare occasion when Aho gets weekends off. It actually only comes around every 2 or 3 months. Luckily, he and Cam are on pretty similar schedules which means that they both came up on their three day weekend schedules at the same time. So, we finally made our trip home to Kauai...all six of us. Me, Aho, Ola, Cam, Lohi, and Na'u. It was somewhat disappointing since it was overcast and raining most of the time we were home, but it was still nice to get away.

My two boys at the Waimea Canyon Lookout. I would've used a better picture of the canyon, but those shots had two grumpy faces in them.

Apparently we don't feed Ola enough. He was scrounging for food in Puna's dog dish.

It only took a few days at home, but Ola overcame his fear of grass. (This was taken the first day)

Ola's fearless companion, Na'ulei, totally wanted to jump into the fish pond and play with the water fountain.

Thank you Tuiteles for the company and all the fun! Can't wait to do Moloka'i this summer!!!

Fool's Holiday

2009-04-02T21:37:00.003-10:00

I got this in my e-mail and thought it was awesome.

In Florida, an atheist created a case against the upcoming Easter and Passover holy days. He hired an attorney to bring a discrimination case against the Christians and Jews and the observances of their holy days. The argument was that it was unfair that atheists had no such recognized days. The case was brought before a judge. After listening to the passionate presentation by the lawyer, the judge banged his gavel declaring, "Case dismissed!"

The lawyer immediately stood, objecting to the ruling, saying, "Your honor, how can you possibly dismiss this case? The Christians have Christmas and Easter. The Jews have Passover and Hanukkah. Yet my client and all other atheists have no such holidays."

The judge leaned forward in his chair saying, "But you do. Your client, counsel, is woefully ignorant."

The lawyer said, "Your Honor, we are unaware of any special observance or holiday for atheists."

The judge said, "The calendar says April 1st is April Fools Day. Psalms 14:1 states, "The fool says i his heart, there is no God." Thus, it is the opinion of this court, that if your client says there is no God, then he is a fool. Therefore, April 1st is his day. Court is adjourned."

You've gotta love a Judge that knows his scripture!!

(I know this is fake, but I still love it. Wouldn't that be hilarious to witness?)