The BIG Island of Hawaii

It is 6:30 a.m., the dishwasher and washing machine are humming, I am on-line checking work e-mails, and it is raining outside.

Now is a good time to reminisce about our Hawaii trip.

I planned the vacation while pregnant because I had a feeling I wouldn't have the time or energy and too worried about the how-to-travel-with-a-newborn logistics once she arrived. Considering how difficult it is for me to plan a dinner these days, I was probably right.

We originally booked non-stop flights to/from Kona, but Delta cancelled the non-stop flights and rerouted us through LAX with four- and two-hour layovers. Yes, they were LONG 14- and 12-hour days. Fortunately, our then 3-month old daughter was much more flexible and happy-go-lucky than mom and dad and slept, cooed, and smiled through the entire ordeal. She didn't even show signs of jet-lag or difficulty in adjusting to the time zone change.

We spent our eight nights and nine days in Waikoloa Beach hiking nearby waterfalls and volcanoes, snorkeling, diving, golfing (my brother James joined us for a few days on the trip and golfed everyday - seriously), and relaxing by the pool. We also celebrated our two-year wedding anniversary and toasted to our growing family, wonderful marriage, and bunch of other sappy stuff that Mike would never allow for public blogging/reading.

Several highlights from the trip below... If interested, 250 more highlights on Flickr!

Family photo.
Uncle James and Isa.
Snorkeling in Kahaluu Beach.
Hiking Pololu Valley.
Nice little resting spot after a hot and very humid hike to the beach.


Isa's first toe dip in the ocean!
Hiking Waipio Valley.
We encountered several of these "CAUTION" signs on our hikes around the island... which made us feel like bad and irresponsible parents.

At the Luau - Fairmont Orchid's "Gathering of the Kings."
Chip off the old block.
Mike and James on the golf course (steps from the condo).
Relaxing at the pool.
Believe it or not, she wore these sunglasses for a full TEN minutes before they were flung off.
Mom and Isa.
Isa working on strengthening her legs.
Gorgeous sunset.
Hawaiian graffiti welcoming Mike to the Island.
Ahalanui Park - swimming in the thermal pools.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park - Lava Tube Trail.
Isa is fascinated with her toes.
And sometimes very upset by them.

The nine to five

The month of May has been full of excitement.

The Lake Las Vegas trip with 5 other couples.

Our second wedding anniversary.

Isa's three-month birthday.

My first Mother's Day.

Hawaii.

And I returned to work.

My life as a SAHM officially ended on May 4th. That should explain why I've not been able to keep up with the blog. I thought I was busy as a SAHM.

HA.

I wake up too early. Feed Isa. Make coffee. Do laundry. Dishes. Play with Isa. Feed Isa again. Get myself ready for work. Kiss Isa goodbye. Am in the office by 8:30 a.m. now (amazing since I could never make it in before 10 a.m. pre-Isa). Go home for lunch. Feed Isa. Go back to work. She REFUSES to take the bottle, so I shuttle back and forth from work during my lunch hour to nurse her - a good excuse for me to go home and snuggle my little one. I try to skip out of work around 5:30 p.m-ish. Feed Isa. Cook dinner. Eat dinner. Family time with husband and Isa. Get Isa ready for bed. Feed Isa. Get myself ready for bed. Pass out sometime between 8 and 9 p.m.

On some mornings, I go for a run in a half-hearted attempt to train for the St. George Marathon. UGH.

Fortunately, my parents are able to take care of her while I am at work, so I am less emotionally wrecked. And I'll admit, I was pretty wrecked the days before I had to return to work.

I'm much better now and starting to appreciate wearing high heels again. Thank goodness my feet are back to pre-pregnancy size! Now working on feet up... As of today, I can muffin-top my way into my pre-preggers wardrobe.

Below are some photos of Isa in May. And again, Hawaii photos will be posted soon!

Isa (future Iron Girl) with mom at the Lake Las Vegas event.
BBQ dinner at our house with Grandma and Grandpa Adams.

Sam I Am.
At the Living Traditions Festival - stroller parking in the back.
That darn FLASH!!
YIKES! We're parents!
She can sleep through almost anything... including a crowded festival and loud concert.
She's awake!

ALOOOOOHAAA!

We are in Hawaii.

The Big Island of Hawaii.

And I am blogging. BUT only because Isa is asleep right now, and I have a few minutes to tap my fingers before we head out to the beach.

I have a lot of blogging to catch up on including this amazing vacation, but for now, I will start with Isa's THREE-MONTH birthday.

We got to celebrate it in Las Vegas with several of our friends. Okay, she is too young still to celebrate birthdays in Las Vegas, but we had a good reason to be there - IRON GIRL TRIATHLON II! Last year, I tagged along as the activities planner, photographer, and cheerleader for Stacey and Kara's first triathlon in Vegas. This year, we were able to convince 5 more girlfriends to compete in the race and brought our spouses/partners along, too. As it turns out, I'm still not a swimmer or biker and barely a runner, so I didn't sign up for the tri. Still, the weekend was thoroughly enjoyable cheering for our friends who ROCKED the tri, relaxing at the resort pool, dinners with friends, and playing with the many babies on the trip with us.

Oh - My FIRST Mother's Day was spent driving home from Vegas with Isa alone (Mike had to fly out from Vegas to DC for work), and she was peeerfect for the 7.5-hour drive. When we got home, Mike was waiting for us with dinner and a gift certificate for a full-day spa treatment at the Kura Door. I LOVE being a mom and grateful everyday for it!

The finish line in sight.
Stacey and Ryan!
Rina and Rob!
The Tubays!
My very cool girlfriends who ROCKED the tri.
Laura!
Happy three-month birthday Isa!
Barbequing with friends.

Many more photos from the weekend posted on Flickr.

Updates on Hawaii vacation coming soon.

Weekend in Virginia/DC

Isa has been doing so GREAT on our 4 to 5 hour long road trips that we decided to take her on a 4 to 5 hour flight to the east coast.

It took me two days to pack for the 3-day weekend.

I checked Delta’s web site several times on rules/guidelines on traveling with an infant, called to confirm baggage, stroller, car seat, and diaper bag procedures/fees, and surfed through a dozen on-line mommy/baby boards for tips and advice. Not sure if it was the over-preparation or that I was expecting the worst, but the entire check-in process and the flight went very smoothly. She cooed, smiled, and slept the entire flight - both to and from Washington DC. The other passenger who looked worried when we boarded the plane commented at the end on how perfect (that is, quiet) she was.

We flew into Dulles/DC late Wednesday night, close to midnight, and stayed at an airport hotel. We got on the road to Barboursville, Virginia the next morning, just outside of Charlottesville, to visit Isa's Uncle Gary, Aunt Alejandra, and Cousins Rebekah, Megan, and Mary. We had a wonderful two days with them playing on the trampoline, driving and walking around the historic areas of Charlottesville, eating out (an adventure with two small children, a toddler, and an infant), and even went swimming at a local fitness center. It was Isa's first time in the pool, and she really seemed to enjoy being in the water. Um well, she didn't scream her head off, so she must have enjoyed it?

On Saturday, we drove into DC to visit our friends Rich and Kate and their new baby Nico who is just 3 weeks older than Isa. I guess we call these "playdates" now. There are some great photos of the two set-up to leg wrestle. Can't say who won as both were more interested in sucking on their hands than kicking for the win. A rematch to be scheduled soon...

Remember me?

Many people have asked about Duncan's new role as the "big brother."

He was a little depressed the first 24 hours after we brought Isa home but has come to fall in love with her as much as we have. He's always parked next to her crib or bassinet at night and runs to her side when he hears her fuss. I realize that we went from a very Duncan-centric blog to a very Isa-centric blog, but Duncan will always be our first child, and we love him dearly.

Still here and CUTE as ever!!