We've moved!

In an effort to centralize all our various blogs, T and I are launching timandolive.com!  This baby blog can now be found under the Family tab.

Thanks for being part of our journey.  Hope you enjoy the new website!  (It's a work in progress, so please feel free to leave us comments, questions or suggestions!)

Gone in 60 seconds (or less)

I did it.  Chopped off a foot of hair.  I'm not sure exactly how much all that hair weighed, but I'm pretty sure getting such an extreme haircut is one of the fastest ways of losing weight.  It's certainly one of the only (if not the only) acceptable ways of losing weight while I'm pregnant!  (Not that I needed to.)

I feel like getting my hair cut was one of the final "big" things I needed to get done before the baby arrives.  The countdown to baby's due date is only FOUR WEEKS.  This means baby will most likely be born between two to six weeks from now.  So it feels really good to check this item off my list.

I know you're all curious about how I look now, so I'll indulge you and post some pictures of my adventures this afternoon.

Getting ready for the big snip

Here goes nothing!

Halfway there

Bye-bye long hair!

Hello new style! 

Now the true test is, will I be able to make my hair look this good after I wash it tomorrow morning?  ;)  I think it's possible.  I have faith in my hairdresser.  =)

A date of significance

Five years ago today, a certain young man invited a certain young woman into the adventure of courtship.  Five years ago today, the young woman said yes to that invitation.  Now, 5 years later, they are one month away from the due date of their first baby!  Needless to say, their adventure has only begun.  ;)

I don't have much time to write today, but I figured it's been a while since I updated.  Overall, everything is going well.  I'm not as ridiculously famished as I was a few weeks ago, so I think baby's growth spurt is slowing down.  Baby also seems to be sinking lower into my pelvis, which means my hips are beginning to hurt.  Sigh.

I'm going for a haircut tomorrow, which I'm excited about.  Partly because I love donating hair to make wigs for kids with cancer.  And partly because taking care of this long hair is getting cumbersome and energy taxing. I look forward to a fresh, manageable "mommy" hairdo.  =)

Anyway, it's nap time for me so here's a photo for you:  35 weeks.  One of the last photos of me pregnant with long hair.  My spiritual director says it looks like I have a basketball under my shirt.  Hee hee.

Prenatal classes: Done!

Last night, we successfully completed our prenatal classes.  I asked T, "Does that mean we're now ready to prenate?"  ;)

It's kind of crazy that seven weeks ago, we sat in a room with 11 other couples.  And within these 7 weeks, two of the couples already had their babies (both premature).  Makes me wonder when everyone else is going to give birth.

My mom asked me tonight if I'm feeling excited or anxious.  I said I'm feeling more excited than anxious.  I read or heard somewhere that fear makes the labour process more painful.  Because when you're afraid, you tense up your muscles and make it more difficult for the body to do what it needs to do.  My perspective on labour and birth right now is this:  it's what God created my body to do, so if I can relax and let my body do its thing, I think it will be alright.  I still anticipate discomfort, but I don't think that my labour needs to be like those on TV and Hollywood movies where the mothers scream and curse and it looks like the worst day of their lives.

At the grocery store today, the cashier commented that I looked like I was going to pop soon.  Soon, I thought, but not quite.  Baby is still able to flip from one side to the other, so I think there's still some room for growth.  I am getting to the point though where I really look forward to having baby outside of my body so that I don't have to be the only one carrying the weight.  T and I considered what it might look like if the dad could alternate with the mom in carrying the baby throughout pregnancy.  How would that work?

My sleep comes in segments now.  I sleep for about 3 hours, wake up to use the bathroom, sleep another 3 hours, wake up to use the bathroom and eat, sleep for another 2-3 hours, wake up to eat again and then depending on what time of the morning it is, I may or may not sleep for another hour or so. (Aside: I'm often surprised at the number of cars on the road at 3am.  Why are these people out and about in the middle of the night??)  Sometimes, I'll nap in the afternoon.  But usually my naps last about 50 minutes before my bladder alarm goes off.

I have other thoughts floating around in my brain but I think it's time to call it a day.  Till next time...!

It's coming together

With 6 weeks to go until the official due date, things are certainly coming together.  We're pretty much finished clearing out everything we don't need or want and down to reorganizing baby's room.  This afternoon, we went stroller and crib mattress shopping.  These were the last two "big" items we needed to get.

We were looking for a compact, lightweight and durable stroller and found one by the same manufacturer as the carseat we have (for those interested in the details, the stroller was a Britax B-Nimble and goes with our Britax Chaperone carseat).  After scouring the internet for local shops that carry the model we were looking for, we finally found one store in North Vancouver that stocked it and had floor models we could try.  An extra bonus was that it was the store's 3rd anniversary weekend so with the purchase of the stroller, we got $50 of in-store credit to use toward something else.  Conveniently, we put the credit toward a crib mattress.  =)

I'm super excited about rearranging baby's room tonight.  Because after all the furniture is in place, I can finally take all of baby's clothes and linens out of the boxes and bags they're currently sitting in and find a home for everything.  And after that, basically all that's left is packing the hospital bag!

On another note, I think there's a reason for the term "bun in the oven."  I definitely feel like an oven these days, especially when I sleep.  There hasn't been one morning where I haven't woken up in a sweat. Or maybe all the sweating I'm doing at night is what's keeping me from retaining water in my hands and feet?

It's crazy to me that we're nearing the end of this pregnancy so soon.  They say the baby can come anywhere between two weeks before to two weeks after the due date.  That means we could potentially have 4 weeks left before we meet baby Chan!  (Or, it could be 8 weeks still...)

I'll end off today with what my fabulous hubby made this morning to help us figure out how to organize baby's room.  Just one of the many reasons I love him.  =)

Go ahead, grow me up

One thing that has surprised me most about this process of pregnancy is my own struggle with body image. I've touched on this in a previous post but I guess it's a major enough area that it warrants another post.

A number of weeks ago, I was at a conference where singer/songwriter Carolyn Arends was performing. I picked up her book, "We've Been Waiting for You" which documents her journey to parenthood. I have to confess, every time I look through the book, I am brought to tears. Many of her thoughts resonate deeply with me.

One of my favorites is this: "Go ahead, I whisper to my child-in-waiting, take all the room you need.  Increase my waist.  Expand my heart.  Enlarge my soul.  Grow me up."

It challenges me to let go of my previously tightly held "ideal" body image to welcome something even better.   When I am tempted to ruminate over whether my thighs have gotten fatter or if I'll be able to fit back into my pre-pregnancy clothes, Carolyn's words beckon me to remember that my life and body are now to be given for someone else's life and well-being. They exhort me to live more selflessly.

I don't know if I will always struggle with this but when I see the words, "Grow me up," my heart says, "YES!" and I know it's all worth it.

On a lighter (heavier?) note, I found an image that expresses how I feel when I try to turn over in bed these days:

Ha.

Mad and ruthless

These days, we are mad and ruthless.  Don't worry, it's not toward each other, just toward our stuff.  Yup, we're madly and ruthlessly purging our apartment.  We're down to the final room in the house:  the office-soon-to-be-baby-room.  By the end of this process, we figure we'll have scrutinized every item we own and given away or gotten rid of at least 20-30% of it.  We can't wait till everything's sorted through and the furniture is all rearranged.

I haven't posted much of late.  I guess this point of the pregnancy has been pretty uneventful (a good thing).  Thanksgiving weekend was nice.  We celebrated our third wedding anniversary in a very low key fashion.  Since my left hip has been bothering me when I walk too much, we went to watch a movie (50/50 - we'd recommend it) and had dinner at Swiss Chalet.

It's kind of fun being out and about these days as strangers will ask me when baby's due.  I feel a little like a waddling turtle though.  Slow and well, waddling.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, here are some things I'm thankful for these days:
- I can still sleep pretty comfortably
- my hands and feet are not swollen
- baby's growing and getting stronger
- my back feels fine - most days anyway
- family and friends have been so generous in lending us/giving us baby items
- T's been an amazing support and super helpful around the house

Just for fun, here's a photo my mom took of me and my dad when they came to visit back at the beginning of September.  My dad gave me permission to share it here.  Tee hee.  =)  My belly's a lot bigger than his now!

Brain jam

I feel like I have a backlog of thoughts waiting to be written.  So today I will attempt to clear some of the brain jam.  Be forewarned, this might end up being quite a long post.

Things have been happy.  Things have been sobering.  Things have been difficult.  And things have been hopeful.

The happy:
We are slowly acquiring things we need for baby.  The best part?  We're getting really good deals in the process!  So far, we've gotten a free change table, a baby bath tub for $3.50 and a super-nice rocking chair/footstool combo for $35.  I'm extremely happy about the rocking chair because I had been praying for one and stopping by our local thrift store every now and then to check if they had any.  Last week, they finally had one.  And it's the perfect size for me and for our apartment.  As T was loading it into our car, an elderly lady walked past us and commented, "That's a really nice chair!  I've never seen something so nice in that thrift store.  It must just be for you and your baby."  I smiled at her and thought to myself, "Yes.  This chair is just for us."

Isn't it lovely?

The sobering:
Prenatal classes.  Learning about the birth process and the average length of time labour lasts, I have found myself bracing for some hard work ahead.  In our class last night, we covered variations on labour and different interventions that can be taken.  This included a role-play lesson on c-sections that resembled something like ER.  Now that I know what has to happen in a cesarean birth, I really pray that I (and all my classmates) would be spared from that surgery!

The difficult:
Saying goodbye to some of our stuff.  As we have been systematically going through every room in our house, we've been clearing out a lot of stuff.  Some of the items I couldn't care less about and am happy to give away.  Some other items have been harder to part with, either because I remember buying them (and paying good money for them!) or because they represent some sort of memory.  It has certainly been a process of letting go and "growing up" of sorts.  I wrote more about it here.

The hopeful:
I'm not sure if hopeful is the best word for this.  But I have been re-working a painting that I had done 13 years ago as a high school art project.  Back when I was a teenager, I had intended for this piece to be a statement against abortion.  And thus had included a lifeless fetus as part of the image.  Now that I am carrying a child and have grown in my understanding of redemption and life, I wanted the painting to be less depressing and more hopeful.  So I have refinished it.  I think it's neat that what I painted so many years ago is a reality happening in my own body right now.  The remaining question is, where might be a good home for it?

Here's the finished painting.  It's a two-part piece titled, "Life."

The bump's the trump

It's hard to believe that I'm at 30 weeks - which means there are only 10 weeks to go!  I think my belly has finally hit the point where it's obvious enough that strangers will ask me when I'm due.  It also seems to be the focal point for most people I interact with.

I was telling T last night that people no longer notice or comment on things that would have been noticed pre-bump.  Things like new glasses (I've had them for a month now and only one person has noted it) and the fact that I'm taking advantage of the pregnancy phenomenon of thick and healthy hair (I'm growing it out right now and planning to donate it about a month before I'm due to make wigs for kids with cancer).  Nope, people generally just notice my belly.  Which is fine.  And in a way, I think it is preparing me for the shift of attention away from me once baby arrives.

In other news, these last couple weeks have seen a couple new developments.  I notice that baby has hiccups about twice a day.  And at times, I can feel little protrusions that seem to be baby's feet or head or some other pointy bit jutting out of my abdomen.  It's kind of fun to visualize baby in there.

These last few days, I've noticed a definite increase in my appetite.  It feels like the first few weeks of pregnancy again - I am constantly eating!  I seem to be shifting toward a new mode of operation where the days and nights roll into each other and are punctuated by eating times.  This, too, is preparation for what's ahead I suspect.

Anyway, it's been a while since I posted a photo.  So here's me at 30 weeks, complete with the new glasses and long, flowing hair.  ;)  Can you spot the emerging belly button?

Courage to face the pain

Last night at our second prenatal class, we covered the first stage of labour.  The instructor taught us a few positions we could assume and some breathing patterns we could use to help us make it through the contractions.  I can't say I look forward to the pain.

Something that struck me though was her explanation of how birth pain is purposeful pain.  In the process of pain, endorphin is released that actually helps the woman feel less pain.  And did you know that during the contractions, a woman's body releases a chemical that calms the baby?  This allows baby to be born wide-eyed, calm and open to taking in the world in his/her first hours.  So although what I will be feeling is pain, lots of other stuff will be happening in my body for both mine and the baby's good.

I find it interesting that somehow, knowing that pain serves a greater purpose gives me courage to enter into that unpleasant experience.  That somehow, it makes it more worth it.

On a side note, baby is amazingly squirmy these days.  Or maybe I just feel the squirming more.  =)  This morning, it felt like baby was practicing tai bo against my internal organs.  I found myself praying that God would help baby turn around.  T encouraged me with this beatitude:  Blessed are they who feel pummeled from the inside, for theirs will be a beautiful child.  It helped to remember that I am blessed.

Oh, and I passed the glucose screening test.  Yay for no gestational diabetes.  =)

Let the nesting begin!

Last Monday, we attended our first prenatal class.  Most of it was introduction, meeting the instructor and the other eleven couples in the class, and going over what to expect in the next five classes.  During one part of the class, we watched a DVD about the third trimester and in it, they mentioned the tendency for pregnant women to "nest" - that is, to sort through and rearrange the house incessantly in preparation for the baby.

T and I chuckled when we watched that segment because that's what I've started to do the last couple weeks or so.  For one, I swapped out our beloved set of beautiful black and blue stoneware dishes (that were originally gifts from our wedding registry - *sniff*) for light, practical and durable plain white Corelle dinnerware.  I figured once the baby arrives, I'm going to have to learn to do things with one hand and heavy, breakable stoneware just isn't conducive to that.

I've also harvested all the basil, oregano and rosemary that I'd been growing and replaced them with lower-maintenance plants.

And the other night, we went through our bookshelves and weeded out the books and other papers that we don't want to keep.

At this point, making room for the baby (and all the baby's stuff) seems of utmost importance to us.  As I reflect on this time of "making space," I am reminded of the line in the Christmas carol Joy to the World that says, "Let every heart prepare Him room."  And I realize that this time of preparation, of clearing the clutter and creating a hospitable place for our baby is akin to the Christian season of Advent, where for four weeks before Christmas, people set aside time to anticipate and welcome the coming of Jesus.  So I guess while the traditional Advent is four weeks long, our little "Advent" of sorts is 12 weeks (or maybe it's more like 40 weeks?).

It can wait

I'm learning to incorporate this phrase into my vocabulary:  "[fill in the blank] can wait."  Today, it's the laundry. You see, usually, Monday's are my grocery and laundry days.  But after getting groceries this morning and spot cleaning our irritatingly dirty floor this afternoon, I'm wiped.  And since sleep at night has been hit and miss, naptime calls.  So the laundry can wait.

Tonight, we are heading to our very first prenatal class (session one of six).  We don't really know what to expect.  The only instructions we got were to dress comfortably and bring a pillow...  Although I must say, I am looking forward to meeting some other people who live in our area and are due around the same time as us.  I'll keep you posted on how it goes!

But if I am to be remotely attentive tonight, I must get some sleep.  So I shall bid you adieu for now and say hello to my pillow.  =)

Thankfully, earthquakes don't count as a pregnancy symptom

At lunch today, as T and I were eating at home, I suddenly felt on onset of dizziness.  I thought to myself, This is strange, I was feeling fine just a second ago, how is it that I feel so unstable all of a sudden?  And then I realized it was an earthquake!  I was relieved that it was the earth and not my body that was out of balance.

This past week, my parents came to visit us.  It was the first time they got to see me pregnant.  My mom had fun talking to baby in my belly.  She also spoiled me with new shoes and a couple of beautiful cardigans that will be perfect for the autumn/winter.  Oh, and a super-cute maternity/nursing pajama set.  And my dad and I had fun comparing belly sizes.  We even took a couple pictures.

My mom also helped me sort through 4 boxes of baby clothes that one of T's cousins generously lent us.  The newborn pieces really are so small and cute!  Can't wait to use them.  =)

On Wednesday evening, we went with my parents to tour the hospital where I will be delivering baby.   There were maybe another 7 couples there as well.  I think my belly was the smallest by far.  Either we're eager beavers and took the tour really early in our pregnancy, or I'm just carrying small.  I couldn't tell.  Anyway, it was quite informative and I'm glad we went.  I got pretty thirsty and tired by the end of the tour though.  And that night, I dreamt that I gave birth and had to wander the halls holding my newborn in search of something to drink.  Ha.

In other news, my nausea and food aversions seem to have abated.  So the chicken ban has not been reinstated.  That's good news.

Fatigue and weepiness are still hanging around.  I spent most of today sleeping and only changed out of my pjs at 4pm.  I've been finding it super hot this week and that's added to the inability to get good sleep.  Thankfully, I've been managing to get solid deep sleep in 1-hour increments.  Training for when baby arrives?  I think so.

Anyway, saw this cartoon that depicts my situation pretty accurately.  Enjoy.  =)

Oh hello again

And without fanfare or warning, four first-trimester chums are back in town.

Hello again fatigue, nausea, food aversions and weepiness. I have to say, I have not missed you.  From what others tell me, you've come to re-visit us because baby's growing and taking up more room, my stomach's getting squished and my hormones are running amok.  And I shouldn't expect you four to leave until the baby is born.  That's just excellent.

I find it amazing that for about a minute when I first wake up, I feel refreshed.  And then whomp, fatigue, you find me and I want to curl up and sleep the day away.  Except I can't seem to sleep very long before my bladder sounds the alarm and I'm forced to get up.

I've been told that eating smaller meals should help me cope with you, nausea.  Well, that's what I did for lunch today and nope, still feel gross.  Something tells me vitamins are going to be a chore again and the chicken ban is going to come back into full effect.

The worst part is that I'm hungry all the time.  Sigh.

As for you, weepiness, you're just there ready to dole out the tears whenever you fancy.  Even cartoons make me cry these days.

Anyway, I guess I have no choice but to try to be hospitable to you four for now.  Fighting you would simply be a waste of energy.  Just remember, your stay will end in due time and you will have to move on.

Celebrating third trimester with "the drink"

Today marks 27 weeks in my pregnancy, which according to some, is the start of the third and final trimester.  Baby and I celebrated today by getting a glucose screening test done.  A dear friend of mine was kind enough to accompany us for the 1 hour test during which my blood was drawn, I drank "the drink", waited for an hour and had my blood drawn again.  It was a screening test to see if my body was processing sugar correctly - if not, it would mean that I might have gestational diabetes (diabetes of the pregnant woman type).

When the lab technician asked me whether I had ever had "the drink" before, I told her, "No, I haven't.  But I have heard much about 'the drink'!"  It made her laugh.  She then offered me the choice of orange or plain flavour.  I opted for the orange.

"The drink" came in a little plastic bottle, refrigerated.  The technician said I had 5 minutes to down the whole thing.  I had been told that it would be incredibly sweet and pretty nasty tasting.  So I braced myself for the worst.

It was...  fine.

I finished it in less than a minute and thought to myself, I wonder if this is the same drink everyone else talks about?

I told the technician that if you've ever had to drink chinese medicine, this was nothing.  Chinese medicine is bitter and tastes like dirt.  This at least was sweet and citrus-y.

Conclusion?  Taste is relative.  When you've had something truly hard to swallow, the rest is surprisingly tolerable.  Here's to the final three months!

How to trap a husband

As this pregnancy has progressed, I have found myself struggling with fears and insecurities I never thought existed in me.  In the last couple months, I've asked T at least three or more times a day week a common yet impossible to answer question, "Am I fat??!"

To which, he has replied, "Yes....  No....  Um.....  I dunno?"

The other day we were laughing about this situation and he asked me what I was really asking.  What was behind this question about being fat or not?  Someone (a mother of grown children) told him I was looking for affirmation.  I think that's part of it, but for me, it is deeper than that even.

Anyway, here's my attempt to decipher my own question.  I can't speak for all pregnant women, but I know that for myself, when I ask, "Am I fat?"  I'm really saying:  I'm having a hard time loving myself and accepting this changing body of mine.  I wonder if I'm still beautiful, acceptable, lovable and valuable.  The person I had been so accustomed to is no longer.  Can I love this new me?  Maybe you can help me love me?  

Of course, I know that the deepest, most satisfying love I seek ultimately comes from God's heart toward me.  But I am learning that sometimes, it helps to borrow my husband's or a friend's love when I seem to have misplaced my own.

99 days to go!

Dear Baby Chan (aka, CHANnel 3),

If you are among the 5% of babies who arrive on their due dates, you will be making your grand entrance into this world in a mere ninety-nine days.  As I ponder this reality, my heart is filled with curiosity.  Who will you look like?  Who will you take after?  Will you be musical like your parents?  Will you love words like your mommy, or will you like numbers like your daddy?  What aspects of your grandparents will you inherit?  Will you be a social butterfly?  The life of the party?  A contemplative?  What passions will drive you?  What kind of friends will we be?

You are growing bigger by the day and I can feel your movements getting stronger too.  Are you feeling cramped in there?   These last two days, I've felt you move on both sides of my belly simultaneously.  What are you even doing???

There are many people who are looking forward to meeting you.  There is a lot of love awaiting to embrace you.  Do you sense that?  Every night, your daddy and I pray for you.  We pray for many things, but above all, we pray that you would know without a shadow of a doubt that you are deeply and thoroughly loved.  We pray that somehow God would communicate this love to you because our love is limited but His is unwavering and limitless.

In these next 99 days, we will be busy with getting ready for your arrival.  You just hang in there, enjoy being carried around and keep on practicing your happy dance.

With deep affection,
Mommy

Happy baby

I went for a check-up this morning.  Everything seems to be going well.  The baby-doctor (OB) said my weight is good, my belly size is right on target and the baby's heartbeat is strong and happy.  I'm thankful.  I have to go in for a glucose tolerance test sometime before my next appointment.  I've heard some pretty discouraging things about that test so we'll see how it goes for me.

I have one more monthly check-up before I switch to appointments every two weeks. When the doctor told me that, I thought, "Just like that?!  This pregnancy is whipping by!"  T, on the other hand, thinks that waiting 9 months is going way too slowly.

Baby has gotten two gifts so far:  a Vancouver Canucks bib, from friends of ours who are also expecting; and a pair of cute blue shoes, from one very excited grandma-to-be.  This weekend, we'll be starting to collect other baby goods of a more essential nature.  It's times like these that we are especially grateful for the network of friends and family we have around us who are so generous and helpful.

In other news, I think my second-trimester burst of energy is slowly coming to an end.  I'm finding myself more tired in the last couple days.  And my calf muscles are periodically threatening to cramp up on me (apparently this was something my mom had to deal with too).  Although, I've taken my nutritionist mother's advice and upped my calcium intake and that has helped alleviate some of the cramping.

Anyway, just thought I'd do a little update while I had some time.  Thanks for reading!

My belly-button is getting shallower

The deep abyss that used to be my naval is slowly transforming.  It hasn't reached the point where it's popped out yet, but that day is certainly approaching.

And while we're on the topic of physical changes, I have had to buy new underwear and new pajamas.  It felt weird buying medium-sized clothing when I've always worn either small or extra small.  But, I'm definitely more comfortable!

Baby seems to move around most when I'm first waking up, when I'm hungry and when I've just eaten.  I think this kid likes food.

One of my baby apps says that baby's eyes can now open and that we can shine a flashlight into my belly to see if baby will move.  Here kiddo, let's blind you with light for our entertainment!  Is it just me, or does that seem just a little bit mean?

This post is obviously a collection of random thoughts, but on a more serious note, I started reading "Grace-Based Parenting" by Tim Kimmel.  So far, I'm really appreciating his wisdom and insight.  The part I read today contrasted fear-based parenting with grace-based parenting.  And he presented the idea that each person is created with three intrinsic needs:  Security, Significance and Strength - which can be met through the gifts of Love, Purpose and Hope.  As we get our needs met by the God of grace, we are able to help our children meet those needs through God as well.

When T and I were crafting our wedding vows, we included the idea of making our home a place of grace.  I look forward to reading the rest of the book and seeing how we might live it out in our family in the coming years.

Back from our babymoon

I've been wanting to post for a few days now but somehow settling back into life here has gobbled up all my time.  Hawaii was wonderful.  I used a ton of sunscreen and sat in the shade a lot but I still managed to get a decent tan.  Pregnancy has changed how my skin reacts to the sun so it seemed like I would get patches of darker and lighter tan, much to my chagrin.

Highlights of the trip for me included attending my childhood friend's wedding and seeing many of my other childhood friends there, chilling at the beach, trying my hand at paddle boarding (while seated), playing in the waves, having T cook breakfast for me every day, taking in the scenery, eating delicious food at places recommended to us by friends and finding a gardenia scented perfume that I truly love.

Taking a plane while pregnant was an interesting experience.  On the way there, the lady in the aisle kindly traded seats with me so that I could have the aisle seat.  I had a really hard time falling asleep though because I couldn't get comfortable.  The funny thing was that the same lady was on the same flight back as us - but not  in the same seat.

On the way home, we sat next to another lady who was travelling with three young children - ages 2, 4 and 6.  Since her kids were sitting in the row across the aisle from her, we opted to keep our seats.  We were amazed at how well-behaved her children were and inspired by the way she related to them calmly and respectfully.  Of course, the lady was very understanding of my need to use the bathroom often.  Thankfully, sitting in the window seat gave me a bit more sleep, which was great because it was a red-eye flight.  We were supposed to land at 6:30am but because of a dense fog, our plane ended up attempting to land 5 times with a re-fuelling stop before actually landing at 9:30am.

Anyway, here are some pictures from our trip.  Enjoy!

Which is bigger, pineapple or baby? (23 weeks)

Picturesque Hawaiian wedding

This is the life!