Here are a bunch of Maui photos...no particular order...we miss the island lifestyle....Alyssa has adjusted well to west coast time again...she's eating a bunch of solids now.
Traci and Alyssa always have this amazing bond....she's a great mom...
Alyssa loves to read...she got that from Traci
Isabella is the happiest kid around
Alyssa's not amused...proof that we were in Maui
She's got the purse and is ready to shop
Adrian's so cute...he's growing up so quickly...they're one month apart...he's older
My crazy sisters and crazy wife @Long's Drugs after seeing a show in Maui...when you get older, these type of outings are exciting
Always smiling
Mr. Turtle
Alyssa cruising on her new ride. I actually pushed her around without holding on to her and she managed to stay on....(Mommy wasn't looking...thank god)
Mommy and Alyssa
Karin and Z
Grandma and Alyssa
Having a great time in Maui
We celebrated Traci's 31st birthday in Maui...they bought her a lei and we all went to dinner.
Here's Adrian...he's always so calm and we hope he'll watch after Alyssa when they get older....he's built like a "tank"
Auntie Kris has the magic touch to put Alyssa to sleep.
cute pic of Bella and Zoe checking out the horses and goats
hangin' out on one of Mom's friends farm
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Maui Photos
Sunday, July 27, 2008
New Shoes
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Brush, Brush, Brush (Pics & VIDEO)
Since Alyssa's two bottom teeth have broken through I thought it would be a good opportunity to get her started on brushing her teeth. (You can never start too soon) She was a bit fussy in the bathtub so I handed her a baby toothbrush. She put it in her mouth like a pro...seemed like she's been brushing her teeth her whole life. (must be in the genes) The toothbrush calmed her down a bit and we proceeded with her bath as usual. Daniel said we'll have to start using a soft cloth or gauze to clean her teeth in the beginning. Oh the joys of teething!
"What are you staring at? Doesn't everyone do this?"
This is the way we brush our teeth....
"Mmm...." (Then she began to gag herself with the toothbrush)
"Have to brush those two bottom teeth!"
Daddy thinks this is a cool photo. Mommy thinks it's kinda gross.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Maui Ocean Center
Since Alyssa enjoys the Aquarium of the Pacific so much we decided to take her to the Maui Ocean Center. Daniel went golfing that day so Alyssa and I went with a group of mainly girls. The group included her grandma, aunts and cousins. It was pretty similar to the Aquarium of the Pacific, however they had sea turtles which was a treat to see. Like always, Alyssa was amazed by the fish and large tanks. We had such a great time at the Hawaiian Aquarium!
Amazing sea turtles
Bella and Zoe enjoying the touch tank
One of the tropical fish tanks
We LOVE shopping!
Whether we're in Hawaii or at home, we don't pass up the opportunity to shop! Although, with a baby, it makes you a pretty efficient shopper since a baby will only sit so long in a stroller without getting antsy. We checked out several different shopping places including the shops at Wailea, shops at the Four Seasons, Whaler's Village in Ka'anapali, shops in Pa'ia, and the shops in Makawao. For the most part we just browsed, but Alyssa is starting to become quite the little diva. She loves it when Daniel and I dangle clothes in front of her. She gets a huge smile on her face and her little hands try to grab the clothes. Daddy better watch out....looks like his little girl is going to be a shopper!
Getting ready for our shopping excursion
Anxious to hit the shops
Alyssa thinking about what Daddy's going to buy her...
Putting sunblock on since it was getting very hot
"Wow, so many pretty things..."
Beach Pics!
Going to the beach is a lot different as a parent. Before, we'd grab a few things and head out to the beach to lay out for hours. Now, we have to be prepared just for about anything. Change of clothes, diapers, wipes, sunblock, hats, blankets, towels, swim diapers, stroller, car seat, rash guard swim suit, baby food, toys etc. Then we have to bring the big people stuff. Not easy...However, some of us did manage to get to build sandcastles and snorkel in the reef.
Here they are all ready for the beach...Alyssa has a bunch of sunblock on her face and body since babies tend to burn really fast.
We went to "Baby Beach" one day because it has a protective breakwater for the kids...it rained within 15 minutes of us getting there so we all ran back to the car for cover. As we were driving away, the sun came out.
Here we are at "Ulua Beach" in Wailea...she was a bit nervous about the water.
Here they are just before they hit the beach in Wailea
Here are Adrian and Auntie Karin along with Alyssa and Traci....Adrian and Alyssa were amazed by the water going back and forth. It rained here as well....we ran to the car and when we got there, it stopped....it's hard to wait out the rain on the beach with the little ones. Overall, everyone had a great time at the beach...especially since it was Alyssa's first time.
New Milestone!
A couple of weeks ago, Alyssa was seen standing in her crib. We thought it was a freak accident but this past week in Maui, she started to stand on a consistent basis. She was around her cousin Adrian a lot and he's about 1 month older than her and he's standing. So we think she learned a few tricks from him. We're amazed at how quickly she's learning and mastering all these new things!
Here she is checking out a new fan for the room
She can be a little rascal at times
Looks like she was standing in front of the fan
We Arrived in Maui Safely!
(Since we did so many things and took a bunch of pictures, forgive us if it takes us awhile to post them and they may not be in sequential order)
So the plane ride wasn't as bad as we thought. It was nice to travel with my sisters and parents on this trip because they're used to traveling with little ones and they guided us through the entire process. Alyssa did really well on the plane. She cried a little bit going there(maybe less than 15 minutes) and not at all on the way back(red-eye home...she slept the entire way). We didn't realize how loud the plane engines are, which really helped with the whole "white noise" effect and even when she did cry, you couldn't hear her over the engines...my sister said the worst time for a crying baby is when you're just sitting on the tar mac waiting to take-off because it's so quiet.
This time to Maui, we stayed with my brother in laws family in a city called Haiku(Upcountry). They have a B&B there and were nice enough to have our entire family stay there(14 of us). We all had our own rooms with small kitchens. As new parents, having a kitchen wherever you stay helps a lot. The kids had plenty of room to roam around which also is key. We missed the entire hotel room experience with room service and all, but it's so much easier this way even though it's not as glamorous. We also had access to the laundry room(a definite plus on long trips with babies) We realize that family life as definitely changed the way we travel. We both agreed that this trip was one of the most fulfilling and challenging trips we've ever taken as a young family.
On this side of the island(north side), it rained more and as a result, they had crazy rainbows.
The walkway to the Bed and Breakfast(Haiku Plantation Estates) It felt like somewhere straight out of the movies.
Lily pond outside the house
Alyssa's Junior Suite(The Pack and Play Suite) equipped with fluffy sheets and a 360 degree view of not much...as you can see, she didn't mind.
Here we are in the parking lot of Safeway..woohoo! We had to buy some essentials before settling in.(No this isn't in Long Beach, can you see the palm tree behind us)
