A-loooooooooo-ha!

I'm back from my first vacation, and boy did I need one! This whole "growing" thing is hard work! Do you realize that, nearly 6 months ago, I weighed less than 5 lbs? Now I'm almost three times that! Plus, I've learned tons of things, like where my hands and feet are, what Mama and Daddy sound and look like, where I find food (Mama) and get changed (Daddy), and all kinds of skills: how to roll over, sit up (with support), hold my head up, make all kinds of noises, suck my lips in, smile, laugh, grab things, suck on my toes, suck on Cowboy's tail, bang my toys on my head, scratch my face, scoot around on my back in my crib, drink water out of Mama's cup, suck on a straw...it's been a busy 6 months! So I was in dire need of some rest and relaxation.

I decided to head to Maui for a week with Tatum and Thomas (our parents came along too). It was pretty neat. I saw the ocean again, and this time it was actually warm, not like in Seattle. Mama wouldn't let me surf, but Daddy got to body-surf (at least, that's what he called it, even though it looked to me like he was just doing somersaults and headstands in the waves...Mama called it "getting pummeled"). Mama and Daddy also took turns snorkling while I hung out in my cool UVF50 tent on the beach.

I spent most of my time either by the pool or napping in the room. I was a big fan of napping. Oh, and of nursing too. Mama counted that I nursed 12 times in one day, which is twice what I normally do. She thought that maybe I was dehydrated or still getting over my cold, but in reality I was just taking advantage of the opportunity. I mean if it's there, go for it, right?

I had a pretty good time at the pool. Tatum and Thomas are a little more experienced than I am, so they had no problem getting in the water and playing around. It was a little scarier for me, but once I went in with Mama or Daddy holding me, it was fine. I bet it will be even more fun when I can actually sit up or crawl or walk! And I must say, I looked VERY chic in the swim gear I borrowed from Jammy.

I also got man-handled several times a day by either Mama or Daddy wielding a pink bottle of something they called "sunscreen". I didn't really like that stuff -- it smelled funny and gave me a bit of a rash. But apparently it's better to get a rash than to get sunburn, and Mama and Daddy were very proud that they managed to get me through a week in Maui without any sunburn.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot to tell you about my first two airplane flights! I wore my airplane outfit for the first one, and made sure to smile at everyone around me so that they could see just how cute I am. The flight was full, so I had to sit on Mama or Daddy's lap, which wasn't too bad. I found that I could get one of them to take me for a walk around the plane if I made even the tiniest noise, so I took full advantage of that. Then Mama put me in the Babyhawk carrier, and I don't remember anything after that. Darn carrier, puts me to sleep every time.

The flight home was a bit more exciting. There was an extra seat, so I had my car seat to rest in. However, I was well-rested from my vacation so I had plenty of energy to fuss. Mama and Daddy spent most of the flight passing me back and forth and walking me around the plane.

Mama added a bunch of pictures to flickr and I'm including the link at the end of this post. In addition, enjoy a couple shots of me and the fam. Mahalo!



Pictures: Maui - Ka'anipali