First things first-the boys absolutely exceeded our expectations for the flights over. We knew that Jackson would do well since he has been on many flights, but Rhett was the wild card. He had never flown before and was getting over a cold. We skipped naps on the day before we left and then woke the boys up at about 3:30 AM. Both woke up happy as can be and ready to go. We headed for our first leg of the journey from Charleston to Chicago. Both boys did amazing and napped on the flight. It was brutally cold in Chicago...I think it was 1 whole degree when we landed. We went to the United Lounge and got breakfast and let the boys stretch their legs. Then it was off to Hawaii! We watched movies, read books, played with many toys, and ate snacks. We lucked out because each seat had it's own TV on the plane which had movies on demand that included Planes and Turbo, two of our boys' favorites at the time.Rhett only fussed when he woke up from a nap early, but I nursed him right back to sleep. I still cant believe how well behaved and happy both of them were on that very long flight!
We arrived on Oahu on December 30th and were very tired but excited to be there. We stayed at the Waikiki Marriot Beach Resort and Spa. We got upgraded to a junior suite with a view. We settled in and ordered room service and watched the sunset. Then we crashed. Both boys were up about 4:30 AM the next day! Yikes...
The next morning we headed for our traditional breakfast place, Dukes Outrigger and had a wonderful breakfast. Then we took Rhett to dip his toes in the Pacific for the first time. Then we took a walk around Waikiki, but we were all running on E and grouchy at this point and in great need of a nap, so we headed back to the hotel and crashed again. That evening we headed to the Hilton Hawaiian Village where Justin's sister and her family were staying. It was so fun to get together with them and get the cousins together. Jackson especially bonded with Kaylan and the rest of the trip, he was by her side! We missed the New Years fireworks, but I did wake up to hear them and drifted back to sleep.
So here are the highlights from the rest of our 10 day adventure to Hawaii:
-The weather! There were a few rainy forcasts that threatened to ruin our beach/pool plans, but it always stayed away and we had beautiful sunny days!
-New Years Day: Justin's stepmother Michelle is Hawaiian and her family always welcomes us so well during our visits. They invited us to Michelle's Dad's house for a New Years Day picnic. It was fantastic! Michelle, Mr. Mike, and Mrs. Francis went out of their way to make us feel at home. They had toys for the kids, beautiful leis for everyone, and the food was wonderful. The rest of the family showed up and brought the most wonderful food dishes. There was quite a spread of authentic Asian and Hawaiian food...I loved trying so many new things and getting to really experience the culture. We so appreciate their hospitality and welcoming us into the family...I do love how important family seems to be in Hawaii. They really take care of each other!
-Breakfast with Brooke, Adrian, and family at Dukes (again!) and then off to the Dole Pineapple Plantation and Haliewa. We rode the train at the Pineapple Plantation and of course got a Dole Whip. Then we headed to eat lunch at Breakers Restaurant. On the way back to the hotel, we took the long way and went all around the island while the boys slept. There are some simply amazing views and it is just a gorgeous drive.
-Picnic at Ala Moana Beach Park-Once again, Michelle's family showed up with beach toys, a tent, and the most delicious food to make it even more special. The kids had fun playing in the water, boogy boarding, and playing in the sand. The food...omg-They brought Hawaiian hot dogs, spam and eggs, sushi, etc... but the most memorable were the Malasadas from Leonard's Bakery. They are like cinnamon sugar fluffy donuts, but even that description doesnt do them justice. I have attached a photo...aahhh I can't wait to get back and have them again!
-Our many walks around Waikiki..Justin enjoyed his daily coffee from Honolulu coffee company. Also, we got ice cream and fun treats, shopped, and loved the street performers. There were some breakdancers there every night that put on a show that the boys loved. There was a guy painted silver like a tin man who moved when you gave him money..Rhett did NOT like when he moved! There was a super cool and talented balloon animal guy. He made balloon animals for the kids and was wearing a balloon bow tie. He was a quirky fella! There was also such a large homeless population and I started recognizing the "regulars" on the street...so sad. There were men, women, young and old. Thankfully Jackson never asked about them but he had to have noticed.
-One night we ordered room serviced and stayed in and a MONSOON rain suddenly came on. It was insane. We live in a place where we witness tropical storms and hurricanes on a regular basis, but I have NEVER and I mean NEVER experienced something like this. The wind sounded like a train coming through and the rain/trees were sideways. It lasted for a long time. The hotel staff and locals the next day said that was crazy and that they never get that kind of storm. I mean, it was bad and came on so suddenly. Of course all I could think about where the poor homeless people. I hope they took cover inside of a store or something. It was just a reminder to me of the power of nature!
-Beach day at Kailua Beach Park: This might just be one of my favorite places on Oahu. The beach is never really busy and the views are breathtaking. You can watch some great kiteboarding here, but we just enjoyed laying out and splashing in the water. That is, until these guys showed up..Portugese Man of Wars! There were two that washed up on shore right where we were playing. Needless to say, we stayed out of the water after that. Its all fun and games an until one of these guys shows up the party! Jackson almost stepped right on him but Justin pulled out some ninja moves that I've never seen and picked him up before he stepped on it!
-Lunch at Hanks Haute Dogs: We had the duck fat fries and fat boy...hot dog wrapped in bacon and deep fried-delicous! Also, we had dinner one night as a family with Justin's Dad, Michelle, Michelle's Mom, Brooke, Adrian, and of course the four babies. We went to Nico's Pier 38 and had some fabulous food. Rhett was especially affectionate that night. It was great to see Michelle's mom again as well!
-Pool/Beach time at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. We swam in the pools and did activities in the lagoon. We rented a paddle boat, and Brooke and Kaylan did paddle boarding. So fun!
-Breakfast on the North Shore at Haliewa Cafe and then Motsumotos for Shave Ice-its a tradition! We got our tshirts from Motsumoto and then headed to the North Shore. We went to Sunset Beach on the Bonsai Pipeline but there was no way to swim because the waves and water are so rough. The photos do not do it justice. I can't beleive that people brave the water to swim/surf in it! Brooke was not a fan because she walked down to the water to let the girls put their feet and and they almost slid out of her hands due to the undertow. After that, she and I were freaked out and were in full "mother hen" mode with the kids.
-Dinner at Hula Grill: Met Brooke, Adrian, and girls for dinner. It was fabulous food and the adults got fun fruity drinks and toasted to our trip. Then Jackson went back with Brooke and Adrian for his FIRST sleepover. He slept in the bed with Kaylan and did great! We were worried he would wake up and miss us...silly us! I think this was definitely a highlight of the trip for him!
-Honolulu Zoo and Polynesian Cultural Center Luau. Both were fun and the Luau was what we did together as a family on our last night together. Jackson had meltdown at the end of the night (which he rarely does-I think the time change finally caught up to him), but overall we had a really nice time!
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-On our last day, we drove Turtle Bay on the North Shore, where Justin's Dad and Michelle were staying. We had one last lunch together and Mrs. Francis and Mr. Mike were there as well. They brought more leis for us and toys for the kids...again, so thoughtful! We took a tour around the resort which was beautiful and then said goodbye to Brooke, Adrian, Kaylan, and Kendall. Then we went up to Justin's Dad and MIchelle's room to hang out. The boys really enjoyed listening to their Papa play guitar and they even got to try! Then we said goodbye and headed back to Waikiki and then to the airport :( None of us were ready to go home. We did get one last gorgeous sunset on our way out.
The boys did just as great on the way home. We took a red eye and both boys slept through the night, although I did have to hold and nurse Rhett for a good part of the flight to keep him happily asleep. Luckily we had been upgraded to Economy plus seats and had some extra room. It took about a good 3 days to get re-adjusted to the time difference, but it was so WORTH IT! It was an amazing trip...one that at least Justin and I will remember for the rest of our lives.
Now, on to an update on Rhett:
-Hawaii worked its magic on Rhett and we came back with a lot of new words...some new ones included moon, more, chair, cool car, blue, night night, train, help, yes, eat, stars, sorry, row, etc. The most important of these was more and he began using his voice more to ask for things instead of pointing and grunting. This month we heard a lot of "more! more!" and it was music to our ears!
-His sleep is hard to measure since for almost half of the month we were adjusting to/from our trip, but overall it seems to be improving. I will be cutting out nursing him through the night soon!
-His eating is about the same. He did get to try lucky charms on the flight over to Chicago and had a reaction with excema. I swear I think he has some sensitvitiy to a food dye. Lesson learned. THankfully it cleared up quickly.
-He still has some food senistivities every now and then, but he doestn have many mild patches of excema on the back of his knees/legs anymore.
-He has been gnawing on his hands and seems to be teething a bit. Because of this, he got a little rash around his mouth at the end of January that has taken forever to go away. He keeps his hands in his mouth, which traps the saliva against his mouth and give it a heat rash appearance. It goes away by morning, but is back as soon as those hands go in his mouth!
-He provided lots of entertainment to the people in Hawaii! That child danced at every song, beat, etc that he heard. People stopped in the street to watch him boogying. He even danced to the ukelele players at the Polynesian cultural center. I will try and post a photo. They loved him!
-He did well in the pool. It took him awhile to warm up and not hold onto me with a death grip, but he really seemed to enjoy it once he got used to it! He especially loved swimming with his Uncle "A" (Adrian).
-Although sometimes we call Rhett our more "feisty" child, as he gets older, I am noticing that he is more mellow than we give him credit for. He is truely a great listener and follows directions very well (for now!). He does not like to wake up from naps without me there, but there is not much else that makes him upset. I still cant believe how well he did for our big trip...we were so proud of both boys! Rhett is a sweet baby with a great big smile! He and Jackson have a lot of fun together!
