Weekend Update

 

Claire cutting up zucchini 

Friday night we had no plans other than to eat dinner together as a family.  I made an asian chicken dish  with brown butter mushrooms, zucchini cherry tomato sauté with brown rice.  It was delicious and Claire even helped me cut up the zucchini in the kitchen.  I just gave her one of the little kids Ikea knives, it wasn't sharp at all.  She was so proud to have her own knife and help in the kitchen.  After dinner we gave the girls a bath and put them down for the night.  Kyle and I watched an episode of Saving Hope we had recorded on the pvr.

I was able to do Abby's hair for the first time

What her hair looked like after her pony tails came out

Saturday morning Kyle offered to take Claire out with him while he ran some errands.  He went to pick up light bulbs and head to the bank.  I stayed home with Abby while she had her morning nap.  I was able to tidy up around the house and relax for a little bit.  It worked out perfect because Abby was just waking up as Claire and Kyle arrived home.  For Valentine's day Kyle came home with a latte from Starbucks and chocolate peanut butter cups.  Yum Yum!!  He also had Claire hand me a small wrapped box, he had bought me a gorgeous pair of earrings from Appelt's that is part of their Elle line.   It was a great start to the weekend!  My parents came over after the girls woke up from their naps to babysit them while we went out to the Tragically Hip concert.  We met some of Kyle's coworkers and Scott and Susie at a restaurant Rudy's close to the MTS centre downtown.  We went for a drink before the concert started at 9:00 pm.  We were lucky enough to have seats in the box that Kyle's work has seats in.  It was more comfortable to sit and watch the concert than being on the floor or in the nose bleed section.  They also had a TV in the suite so we were able to catch the end of the Jets game before the Hip came on.  The Jets literally scored the last shoot out goal and won the game as the lights were dimming to signal the start of the concert.  The concert was so much fun, we all had a great time singing along and dancing.  They played their album Fully Completely from front to back and then added 5 more songs at the end.

My parents brought the girls some Valentine's day stuff

Gord Downie was entertaining

My date for the evening

Sunday Kyle went over to my parents all day to help my dad put up the drop ceiling in the basement.  He took Claire with him so she could visit with my mom and my sister.  My sister and Derrick were there to help as well.  I was able to stay at home with Abby while she napped.  On Saturday we noticed she slept really well in the morning for over 1 hour and 30 minutes but then in the afternoon she took over an hour to fall asleep and didn't nap very long.  We thought maybe she's ready to transition to one nap a day.  I thought I would let her fall asleep for a little bit while I was breastfeeding her in the morning to give her a little cat nap to tie her over until the afternoon.  She had a little snooze for 15 minutes or so then I packed her up and we headed to Safeway to pick up some groceries I needed for dinner.  Then I put her down for her afternoon nap while I baked a chocolate cake and prepared dinner for our friends we were having over.  She did great, she slept over 2 hours and was well rested when she woke up.  I was able to prepare the rest of dinner and dessert while she slept.

Abby is getting better with the sippy cup

Abby can eat chicken now!!! Yay

Even though she doesn't like whole milk she enjoys yogurt

I made slow baked honey mustard ribs, rice, asparagus, green apple salad and chocolate cake with peanut butter buttercream.  I had to text my friend Erica to ask her what I should do for the peanut butter icing and the chocolate gauche I wanted on the top.  She is an expert when it comes to baking and she was able to help me out termendously to get everything right.  Thanks Erica!!
We had our friends Corinne, Tyson, Julie and Rob over.  Julie is a support teacher at my school and Corinne used to work with us but is now at a different school.  We usually rotate between each others houses for dinner.  We hadn't hosted them for a very long time so we thought it was our turn to have them over for once.  It was great to see them and our husbands all get along so it makes for a fun evening.  We ate lots of food and the dessert stole the show, not to toot my own horn but man was it good!  I'll be making that again.  We were able to put the girls to bed by 8:30 while they stayed for another hour or so and hung out.

Monday morning was nice to relax and not have any plans.  Kyle took Claire outside for a sled ride to the park.  Makena was happy to go with them and play in the snow as well.  The temperature was a lot nicer then the last few days.  Claire loved getting outside and hanging out with her daddy and Makena. Abby and I hung out inside and played downstairs.  I enjoyed a cup of coffee and some new granola I bought at Costco over some yogurt.  It was delicious and healthy!  We didn't do much all day other than clean up, play, Kyle worked a little and the girls had naps and quiet time.  It was very relaxing.  Abby was able to eat some yogurt and cheese at lunch time, that was exciting for her.  It's so nice to have new foods she can eat.  We drove over to Kyle's grandma's place for dinner at 5.  She made some yummy comfort food for dinner, breaded chicken, perogies and cucumbers with onions and sour cream.  Claire ate well and then had some fresh strawberries for dessert.  It was nice to visit with her and let the girls play with their great grandma.

Hello!

On their way to the park

Delicious topping for yogurt and very healthy!

Claire fell asleep on the way to Great Grandma's house

Playing before dinner time

Everyone is full!

Passed with Flying Colours!

Pre Milk Selfie for Abby

Tuesday morning we went to Children's Hospital for Abby's dairy challenge.  She did so well and passed it!  We are so proud of her.  I was so nervous about giving her milk and potentially seeing her throw up and get sick.  Here's how it went.

Claire went for a sleepover to my parents house on Monday night.  I made sure to pack our bags the night before because we were going to be at the hospital anywhere from 4 hours or more.  I packed extra set of clothes for both Kyle and I and Abby incase she threw up all over herself and us.  I brought some toys and things to keep her occupied.  I packed her a lunch to eat while we were there as well.  

Brought Abby's favourite baby and books

Daddy reading Old McDonald to Abby

"Daddy stop looking at your phone and read to me!"

Tuesday morning we drove to the Children's Hospital and stopped on our way at Safeway to pick up a carton of whole milk for Abby to drink.  I also packed several sippy cups and bottles for her to drink out of incase she was picky about drinking from one.  We arrived just before 9 and checked in, filled out paper work.  They weighted and checked Abby's height before we went into a room with Dr. Abrams.  The room was a regular sized doctors room.  The chairs weren't comfortable for a 4 hour stay but we made it work.  She explained that she wanted to give her three doses of the milk every 30 minutes and then wait 2 hours after she drank it to see how she reacted.  Around 9:45 we started the first dose, I forgot to bring the bottle warmer with us so we had to give it to her cold.  She did not want any of it, so Kyle and I had to hold her arms down and give her small amounts by pouring it into her mouth.  She was MAD, I guess we've been slacking in the sippy cup department.  She doesn't like drinking from them, she just wants to play with it and pour out the water at home.  Anyways, we got all three doses in her with lots of fighting.  She let out some huge burps and farts afterwards that made both Kyle and I look at each other with concern that it would turn into a reaction but thankfully it didn't.  

Waiting and waiting

Pretty happy girl!

We waited and waited, played with her, read books and walked the halls.  Around 12 ish Dr. Abrams came into the room to check on her one last time and she checked her tummy, back and listened to her breathing.  Everything was great and then she said something we thought we would never hear, "She can have dairy now!" "YAY!"  I let out a huge sigh, I couldn't believe that Abby passed and things were going to be okay.  It was the one food that concerned me, dairy.  I knew that Abby needed to be weaned from me before I start work in April and that meant she needed to have some other form of liquid to drink during the day, I could pump some breast milk but I don't know if I would have enough to last her all day.  It was so wonderful to see Abby drink milk and not have a reaction.  I'm excited now to try new foods with her, yogurt, cheese and ice cream.  It opens up the possibility to so many other foods.  
Dr. Abrams said for us to continue the dairy at home and to watch her still, some little ones can still have reactions after a few days of ingesting the food.  She said if she did have any reaction to bring her right away to emergency.  She also told us to try soy in about 5-6 days when we are at home.  Both soy and dairy go hand in hand so more than likely if she is ok with dairy she'll be okay with soy.  

After we left the hospital and paid our $16 parking fee (I feel bad for the families with sick little ones who at the hospital all day and everyday, it must cost them a fortune and they shouldn't have to pay for parking when they have to, they have more important things to take care of) Crooks!! 

We headed to NUBurger in Osborne Village to celebrate Abby's pass on dairy.  We joked that we were going to order her a bun less burger with CHEESE!! Lol no we didn't, I'm too chicken.  It was delicious, Kyle and I both ordered the Blueberry Yum Yum burger.  Tasty!  We shared some fries.  We fed Abby her lunch as well.  Beef, broccoli and banana.  After lunch I had been wanting to check out this little coffee shop I follow on Instagram called Little Sister Coffee Maker that is in Osborne Village as well.  I hadn't had a coffee in awhile and was craving a cup of joe.  I had also heard they sell these locally made donuts called OhDonuts.  (who I also follow on Instagram as well)  Unfortunately, when I arrived they were already sold out of all their donuts and had told me they usually sell out first thing in the morning. (BOOO!) So I had to order a chocolate croissant and ginger snap cookie instead, oh man life is rough ;) Any who I ordered a decafe latte and a hot cocoa for Kyle.  The latte was decadent, perfection!!! I loved it! The barista also did a snazzy design with the foamed milk. Here's an article about the coffee shop. 

Waiting for her lunch

Daddy proud of Abby for passing her dairy challenge

Ummm cofffee! 

Abby was exhausted from her big day so we arrived home, I breastfeed her and put her down for a well deserved nap.  She fell asleep instantly and slept for a little over 2 hours.  She was pooped!!  She had only slept for maybe 20 minutes in the car on the way to the hospital and then fell asleep while she was breastfeeding at the hospital around 12.  She really needed to sleep.  After Abby woke up I went and picked up our Claire Bear from my parents and came home to eat dinner.  It was a long day but worth the time to hear the words "She can have dairy now!" Music to my ears!

Now for our poultry challenge today.  This morning we travelled to Dr. Abrams office in St. Vital for Abby's poultry challenge for 10:45 am.  We brought Claire with us this time and Kyle was able to meet us there from work.  I cooked a few chicken breasts at home before hand and shredded a 1/2 cup or so of chicken for Abby to eat.  I brought along some avocado, banana and a fruit squeeze to help her eat the chicken and wash it down.  Dr. Abrams checked Abby before we fed her the chicken.  I mashed the avocado with the shredded chicken and she was able to eat all of it by 9:37.  It took her about 20 minutes.  Then we headed to a small room where they had lots of kids toys for the girls to play with while we waited to see if Abby reacted to the chicken.  Kyle ran out and picked up some mexican burritos from Burrito Splendido. I had packed some veggies, fruit and water as well.  Claire ate some of our burrito but mostly ate veggies and fruit.  Abby and Claire played so well with the toys, it helps when there are new toys, it keeps them busy for awhile.  I had also packed paper, crayons, stickers, books and a puzzle for Claire just incase she needed stuff to keep her busy.  She did colour a bit and do the puzzle with Kyle. 

New toys = quiet little ones!!

After a couple hours Dr. Abrams came in to check Abby and asked how she was feeling.  I told her she was fine, playing and acting like herself.  She checked her tummy and back for any rashes and listened to her breathing, then she gave us the go ahead.  "She can eat chicken now!"  It was nice to hear that Abby had passed chicken and this now means we can add another safe food to her list.  It gives me hope that her next challenge with legumes will go well but I don't want to get my hopes up.  

Abby's Dairy Challenge

It's a big day for Abby tomorrow.  We head to the Children's Hospital in the morning for Abby's dairy challenge   She will be given small amounts of milk over the course of several hours to see if she has an FPIES reaction.  She has never tried any milk or dairy yet.  She has only drank breast milk and water.  

Avocado, mango, blueberries and ground beef

Kyle and I are very nervous about the appointment and how Abby will react to the dairy.  We hope that it goes well and she drinks it without throwing up.  I was able to find a blog written by another mother whose little boy has FPIES as well.  Frantically Unraveling FPIES, she wrote about her sons dairy challenge at the age of 2.  He was successful and now is able to drink milk without any reaction.  We're still not sure if they will need to hook Abby up to IV or not before she is given any milk.  I really hope if we need to they are able to insert a line quickly without upsetting Abby too much.  They usually hook FPIE children up to IV's incase they have extreme vomiting from the challenge and need fluids fast to avoid dehydration.  

Claire is heading over to my parents tonight for a sleepover.  Kyle dropped Claire off after we finished dinner.  Claire will then stay at my parents all day until our appointment is finished tomorrow.  My mom has willingly accepted to take a day off work to watch Claire. (she barely let me finish my sentence before cutting me off and saying "of course I'll take the day off to watch her.")  Claire will have lots of fun with her grandparents and will be spoiled I'm sure ;) 

We also have a poultry challenge Friday morning at the allergist's office.  The appointment for the poultry is at the allergist's office only because poultry is not known to be as serious as dairy or wheat when it comes to FPIES.  It would be nice if Abby doesn't react to poultry but we really hope that dairy goes well.  If she does react to the dairy by throwing up we will need to look at alternative milk products for her to drink when I go back to work full time April 6th.  We may need to look at purchasing a special formula called Neocate, which we hear is extremely expensive.  The other option is possibly coconut milk which may work because it's not consider a nut.  The third option is continuing to breastfeed Abby after I go back to work once in the morning and then before bed.  I would also need to pump while I was at work, not ideal but I would do it for my little Abby.  

Wish us luck as we venture out tomorrow on our dairy challenge.  Fingers crossed it goes well and Abby keeps that milk in her tummy. 

Quiet Time

Since arriving back from Hawaii we have found that Miss Claire has been fighting us on naps and also taking a long time to fall asleep at bedtime.  We decided to try taking away her afternoon nap and see if it improves bedtimes.  I remember reading on other mom's blogs that when their little ones stopped napping they started 'quiet time' as a way for them (mom) to still get things done around the house.  This also gives the little ones time to rest without falling asleep.  

I found cute chalkboard labels at the dollar store 

On Sunday, we asked Claire if she would like to go for a nap or have 'quiet time', she of course picked quiet time.  We told her the rules, she needed to stay in her room for an hour and half and we would need to come and get her when quiet time was over.  She also needed to stay quiet the whole time because Abby was napping in the room next to her.  I put together some books in a basket for her and told her she could read the books quietly.  Surprisingly she did awesome, she was very quiet and read books on her floor in her room.  She later went to her bed to read books.  Near the end she left her room and went into the playroom shut the door and started playing in there.  I went to get her and told her remember you need to stay in your room until mommy or daddy comes to get you.  I decided to give her the sticker book to play with as well for something else to do.  

On Tuesday, we went over to the dollar store to pick up some activities for Claire's quiet tubs.  I picked up 5 tubs with lids, labels, and various activities to put in each tub.  I found, flash cards, lacing cards, pom poms to sort into containers, books, matching games, mini etch a sketch and foam puzzles.  All perfect activities to keep her quiet and busy.  I spent very little to put the tubs together and the dollar store was a great place to find all of these goodies.  

Matching cards or colour, shapes and word cards. 

Lacing cards that Claire is able to do independently 

Coloured pom pom's with silicone muffin cups to sort colours

Small books that Claire knows off by heart

Mini Mouse playhouse that fits perfectly in the tubs

Foam puzzles that are perfect because they fit together anyway 

Mini Etch A Sketches 

I was able to sort out items into each tub and label them with each day of the week leaving Saturday and Sunday without a tub because Kyle and I will more than likely be taking Claire out to do things with on the weekends.  When she needs to have quiet time on either Saturday or Sunday we will just let her pick her favourite tub.  

Found a pan and magnetic letters at Superstore

Found some mini ocean creatures for creative play

Yesterday after we had a fun play date with our friends, Claire chose to have quiet time in her room in the afternoon and after a half hour she had fallen asleep on the floor in her room.  It was so cute!  I let her sleep for a little bit but soon remembered she wasn't wearing a pull up and she isn't potty trained yet when she is sleeping so unfortunately I had to go into her room and ask her if she wanted to keep sleeping and if she did she would need to put a pull up on.  She said she was done sleeping and wanted to go downstairs for a snack.  The rest of the week she wasn't falling asleep, I think it was because she played during the play date in the morning and that tired her out.   

Claire sleeping on the floor in her room. Sooo cute!

We will see how the quiet tubs work out the rest of the next three months while I am home still on mat leave.  I also plan on switching up the activities in the tubs once a month to give her some variety and she doesn't get bored.  So far having quiet time for Claire in her room instead of sleeping in the afternoon has improved her bedtime.  Now when we have put her to bed at 7:30 pm she has fallen asleep instantly and stayed asleep for almost 12 hours.  She also isn't crying 3-4 times between 7-10 pm for extra demands, stories, songs, different pjs, or going on the potty.  It's much better and now Kyle and I can enjoy our evening again together.  

Aloha!

I am so sorry for not writing sooner.  I have lots to catch you all up on.  We just got back home from Hawaii on Sunday afternoon.  We had quite the trip…it was amazing!  We were on the Big Island for over two weeks from Jan 7th until Jan 24th.  We met up with our friends Keith and Elena with their 3 month old baby Alicia from Vancouver.  The girls had a blast and were amazing little travellers, they did so well on the plane.  We traveled from Winnipeg to Vancouver which was just under 3 hours at 2 pm, we stayed for a 3 hour layover at the Vancouver airport.  We then travelled from Vancouver to San Francisco where we stayed over night.  We got some sleep before catching our flight the next morning at 9 am.  We arrived in Hawaii on Thursday afternoon around 1.  It was glorious walking off the plane with the bright sunshine and hot humid air, it was instantly relaxing and worth the long journey.

Our flight from Winnipeg to Vancouver

I wanted to share the top ten exciting moments of our Hawaiian vacation…

1. Our View from the Lanai

We rented a spacious two bedroom condo that had plenty of room for the four of us.  It was located in Waikoloa Beach in Haili Kai.  We were in building 14 on the main floor and had a amazing view of the ocean.  We spent lots of time out on our lanai.  We ate most of our breakfast, lunch and dinners out there while staring out at the ocean.  It was instantly soothing with the waves crashing along the rocks.    We also enjoyed watching the whales jump, splash and put on a show.  We watch many sunsets sink into the ocean in the evenings.  Stunning!

2. Beaches and More Beaches

Mile 69 Beach

Claire digging in the sand at Kukio Beach

Mile 69 Beach in the Tide Pools

Perfect place for the girls to splash around Mile 69 Beach

Abby's scrunchy nose at Kukio Beach

Claire venturing into the water at Kukio Beach

Claire's sandcastle buddy Keith at Hapuna Beach

Abby hanging out in the tide pool at  Pu'uhona o Honaunau 

Pu'uhona o Honaunau

Enjoying the sun at Kukio Beach

Elena and Keith bought the girls matching hats and bathing suits
So cute!!

It just wouldn't be a trip to Hawaii without spending most of your time at the beach.  We made a trip to the beach almost everyday.  Kukio Beach was the first one we visited once we arrived in Hawaii.  It's a perfect beach for little ones.  It's a settlered beach from all the waves strong currents.  The girls loved playing in the water.  Hapuna Beach was the next one we went to, it's a long stretch of sandy beach.  The waves were big and crashing along the beach.  The girls enjoyed playing in the sand more that day.  Kyle and Keith on the other hand loved boogie boarding in the waves.  Pu'uhona o Honaunau wasn't really a beach area but an awesome spot to go snorkelling.  The girls were able to find some tide pools to play in.  We found Mile 69 Beach just past Hapuna beach one day when being turned away from other beaches that were full.  It was a great beach for shade and a relaxing spot to hang out.  We also visited Kukio beach again before we left Hawaii.  Unfortunately, there was a storm in the Pacific ocean that created strong currents and waves.  It completely closed down most of the beaches on the southwest of the island as of Thrusday until Saturday.  It was a good thing we got into the beaches before the storm came.


3. Pool Side

Pool Noodle Alert

Hangout with dad

Having fun at the pool

Claire loved the water near the end of the trip

Sunset at the pool

The resort we stayed at Haili Kai had a gorgeous pool area.  Two separate pools with waterfalls and water loungers.  There was a shallow area for the girls to play in.  We planned it well by booking our condo in the building very close to the pool area.  We would usually head to the pool early in the morning before lunch or one of us would take Claire to swim while Abby was having her morning nap if we weren't going out somewhere in the morning.  We would also go out to the pool after the girls woke up from their nap before dinner.  They had a full service restaurant at the pool that served lunch and dinner.  The semi outdoor gym was located beside the pool as well.  Best of all the pool area had a fantastic view of the ocean.  When going to Hawaii with little ones you want to make sure you have a pool at your condo because it provides unlimited entertainment.


4. Whale Watching

Just outside of our condo from the view of our lanai we watched so many Humpback whales breaching and slapping their tails.  They were so active, it was so much fun to watch the mothers and babies jumping and going in and out of the water.  Claire had asked us before we left for Hawaii if we could go for a ride on a boat.  We thought we would go for a whale watching trip on a boat and take both girls with us.  On Wednesday, Jan 21st we went on a catermeran boat with the girls to see the whales early in the morning.  Ah, it was amazing, the girls had so much fun!  Claire was so brave on the boat, we thought she would be scared before even stepping foot on the boat and refuse to go on but she was so excited.  We saw many whales and they even got really close to the boat.  These whales are massive and you don't realize it until they are right up close to the boat.  Claire went to the front of the boat with Kyle on the way back and stood up on the deck part,  he tried holding her but she told him to let go, she was so brave.  I was so glad we booked the boat ride and took both girls.

Claire being brave

Hanging out with Daddy before the boat ride

Someone didn't want her picture taken

Having a rest

Yay Claire, you go girl!

5. Mauna Lani Spa

As part of my Christmas gift from Kyle, I was treated to an afternoon at the spa.  Keith got Elena the same package so we both went off to the spa together on Sunday.  Kyle and I had both been to this particular spa in our previous trip to Hawaii back in 2012 and loved it.  It's both an indoor and outdoor spa at the Mauna Lai Resort.  We both had separate treatments in outdoor facilities that were so relaxing and tranquil.  I could have stayed there all day.  Kyle and Keith both watched the girls while we were away.  We both got to go soak in an outdoor tub, then had facials and massages.  Pure Bliss!

Pre Spa Selfie

6. Running In Paradise

The morning after we arrived in Hawaii we both decided to make a point of working out everyday while we were on the Big Island.  It was hard not to feel inspiration to go for a run when you have the ocean right there and the sun shining every morning.  Kyle would usually leave first to either run or do a strength workout while I fed Abby first thing in the morning around 6 am.  Then after he got back I would go for a run or strength workout while he fed the girls breakfast.  It was a perfect routine for us.  We had a great loop that went down the road from our condo and then back through the Hilton Resort along the ocean, it made for a scenic run.  The condo complex had a well equipped gym that had full glass sliding doors on all three walls that over looked the ocean.  There was weight equipment and treadmills, bikes and ellipticals.  Working out everyday for the last 3 weeks now has made a huge difference in how I feel, I sometimes feel tired but it's a good tired and I have way more energy.  I have also noticed I am more toned, I'm not sure if I've lost weight but I like the muscle I have now.  I haven't felt this good since before I got pregnant with Abby.  Kyle I have continued working out since we've returned home and we figured out that we just need to make a point to workout everyday in order to keep it in our routine.

The Beach at the Hilton I would run by

The view from the Hilton Resort on my run

Waves were crashing while I was running back to the condo

View from the Gym

7. Abby's First Birthday

Abby was lucky enough to celebrate her first birthday while we were in Hawaii.  We ordered a cake from Bleu Cupcakery in Kona.  It is a cupcake shop we discovered the last time we were on the Big Island and their cupcakes are delicious!  We ordered a chocolate cake with peanut butter icing in the middle with vanilla pink buttercream on the outside.  It was so cute, even though Abby couldn't have any we sure all enjoyed it.  It was a small 6' cake but there was enough for all 5 of us for two nights dessert.  We sang her happy birthday and Claire helped Abby blow out the candles.  Abby opened some presents we bought her while we were there, a beach cover up, a couple board books, bath toys and a lai.  Claire was so excited to help Abby open her presents, more like she wanted to open all of them for her.  Keith and Elena helped us celebrate, they brought birthday party hats for everyone to wear and they bought Abby a pretty white and green hawaiian dress for her birthday.  Their little baby Alicia was also celebrating her three month birthday the next night so we lit some candles for her to blow out on the leftover cake.

8. Lava Lava Beach Club for Dinner

We made reservations at the Lava Lava Beach Club restaurant one evening.  We had gone to this particular restaurant the last time we were on the Big Island and really enjoyed the food and especially the view of the ocean.  We got there early enough to catch the sunset and listen to some live entertainment and dancing.  Claire was so quiet the whole time we were there, listening to the music and watching the girl dancing, it was amazing.  We said every restaurant should have live entertainment . The drinks we yummy Elena and I ordered virgin drinks that we discovered at the restaurant in our condo by the pool that were just pineapple, cranberry and soda water, it was so light and refreshing.  Kyle and Keith ordered the Gentlemen's Nani.  I ordered the Mahi Mahi, it was so moist and delicious!
Kyle even ordered fish too, a white fish I can't remember the name.  I was really proud of Kyle for trying so much fish while we were on this trip.  Hawaii is the place to eat fish if you are going to try it, it's not fishy at all and tastes so amazing.  It's local and caught daily that makes it so fresh.  For dessert Elena and I ordered these Goodi Jar's that had oreo cookie crumbs, marshmallow goo, vanilla custard, carmel sauce and macadamia nuts, ahhh soooo decadent. I could have taken one to go.

Smile!

Cold bevy, sunset and the ocean what more do you need?

 

Live music

Bottoms up

Best Dessert!

9. Lunch at Four Seasons Hualalai with My Hubby

One afternoon we had Keith and Elena come by and stay at our condo while the girls napped so we could go out for lunch together.  We had watched Alicia while they went for a helicopter ride around the island so it seemed only fair they do the same for us.  We drove over to the Four Seasons Resort down the road from our condo and had lunch at the Beach Tree Restaurant.  The setting is just amazing with the waves perfectly rolling in and palm trees swaying.  The Four Seasons is just something in a whole league of it's own when it comes to hotels, the best of the best.  It is super expensive, around almost $1000 a night, something we cannot afford.  One day when we win the lottery we can stay there.  Haha!!  You can't even go to the spa or golf course there unless you are guest of the hotel, they only let you go to their restaurants and that's it.  Anyways…the food was on point,  fish tacos and a pork sandwich.  We both ordered fresh lemonades mine was coconut and Kyle had mango.  Ah man so yummy.  Then after lunch we shared their homemade ice cream sandwiches, I could have used 3 more of those.  It was a great way to spend the afternoon, watching the ocean and enjoying each others company without the girls.

10. Fairmont Orchid

We needed to check out of our condo at 11 am on Saturday, boo!  Our flight home wasn't 11:30 pm so we knew we needed somewhere to stay in between.  The condo was having someone check in at 2 pm that day so there was no way of getting a late check out.  Kyle is a member of the Fairmont Presidents Club because he travels a lot for work so we were able to get a room at the Orchid for the 'night' using his points.  They even let us check in early at 11:30 am.  It couldn't have worked out any better.  We checked in went up to the room and got on our bathing suits and headed for lunch at their restaurant down by the pool.  After lunch we took the girls for a swim and enjoyed the sunshine for a bit and then took them each up for their afternoon naps.  The room was a basic with two queen beds but had a huge bathroom so we stuck Abby in there with her crib and set Claire up on one of the beds.  Abby slept great, Claire took awhile to fall asleep but did good.  It sure helped letting them nap because it would have been a long flight home with two tired little ones.  Keith and Elena headed over to the hotel as well to hang out by the pool with us and then we all went for dinner together at Brown

Nap Time (she almost fell off)

One last swim before we leave Hawaii

Sunset view from our room at the Fairmont

Airport Selfie Bye Hawaii!

I can't believe how curly her hair was in Hawaii