Why not make our first flight a SIX hour venture?
Prepare for a LOT of pictures.
We had to leave the house early in the AM, therefore Cooper rocked his PJ's on the plane.
These screens saved our lives. He didn't care that he only had access to the free stuff.
The iPad and Elmo. Amen.
Happy to be in the land of Aloha!
He deserved a huge glass of big boy milk upon arrival.
We went straight from the airport to the beach.
He slept really well, which I was quite worried would not be the case. Once we put Cooper down in the crib in our room we would hang out on the balcony until we were ready for bed. The time change didn't seem to effect him too badly in Hawaii. It was returning to Seattle that we really saw him struggling to adjust.
Day #2 Cooper and I went to the Honolulu Aquarium, and Chris went to work.
He wouldn't nap well the first day, so someone got to sleep in the big bed.
We went shopping that afternoon. He looked WAY too old with this little backpack on!
Dinner with Dad.
I love that he dances all the time. Watch the video.
password: Cooper
Day #3 Honolulu Zoo. Dad worked.
This zoo is great, and really big!
Cooper liked the animals but he LOVED the play ground.
So proud of himself that he can go down the toddler slide all by himself.
His second favorite thing was the Keiki Zoo, a special section of the zoo just for little kiddos. It has a petting zoo and exhibits that are geared towards little people.
This is a gerbil exhibit. There are tunnels that the kids can crawl through and see the gerbils too. I was quite thankful that he crawled all the way through the tunnel because I was not sure my pregnant belly was going to fit in there!
I am pretty sure Cooper thought the big kids were more entertaining than the animals.
After a long nap, we hit up the beach with Dad for the afternoon. Cooper loved it!
Technology is an amazing thing. We FaceTimed both sets of grandparents while swimming in the ocean.
Proof that Adeline went swimming too. I am much more pregnant than it appears in this photo.
Baby toes. Sand. Warm Water.
Day #4 We played in the park and Cooper fell asleep listening to the waves. The video makes me want to go back, ASAP.
password: Cooper
Snacks poolside.
Day #5 Cooper and I didn't get to see the whole zoo during the first visit so we went back. He fell HARD on the playground, smacked his head and never stopped crying. I know it hurt him, but this was also the beginning of his sickness. The only picture I managed to take that day was this one, and you can't really even see the tiger :(
We spent the rest of the next couple days laying low. Cooper had a fever around 102-103, a runny nose, and was super sad. On the day we were leaving, we hit up the Honolulu Children's Discovery Center to try to get as many wiggles out as we could before the long flight home. It is a HUGE Children's museum. They have plenty for children of all ages.
The 5 hour flight home was miserable, for everyone. He slept for two hours of it, but the other three hours included a lot of tears. Cooper was still not feeling 100%. He just could not get comfortable. He was pulling on his mouth and ears. Tylenol seemed to help a little bit, but the little guy was just ready to be home. Thank goodness for those trade winds that make the flight home an hour faster!
It was nice to be with Chris instead of being separated for the whole week. Hawaii is beautiful and relaxing. When Cooper was healthy, I am pretty sure he was the happiest I have ever seen him. This is by far the least tan and most tired I have ever been after returning from Hawaii, but no complaints. It is amazing how vacation priorities and activities change when little people are in the picture. It is all worth it when you see how much they are enjoying themselves.
Oh my goodness. The first day at the zoo, was Cooper playing with a kindergarten class? Because I think the teacher in the pink dress is my friend Keala, who I went to UH with and still teaches in Honolulu. SHUT UP. I am messaging her right now to find out. This is so weird.
ReplyDeleteThat is a very good possibility! There were several classes at the zoo that day. What are the odds?! PS- I would love to know what your family is up to in Norway! Blog update possibly?! :)
DeleteOkay, it took a while but I got confirmation. It was totally her. That is way too freaky for me. I mean, what are the odds?
ReplyDeleteI have a new blog: raisedtoroam.com. I don't update that one regularly either though. I think inconsistency is my "thing". So excited to see pictures of your new little girl!!!
That is CRAZY! The odds have to be less than zero :)
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