Our adventures in Hawaii continue! We have spent the first half of our trip so far just relaxing and being pretty low key. We switched it up from the pool to the beach…
Where we have seen humpback whales mating and playing in the water each day. It is one of the most incredible things I’ve ever seen, and I can’t believe how close they get to the shore!
The water here is absolutely beautiful. Clear water with rocky and coral bottoms – perfect for snorkeling and exploring. I might rent some snorkel gear from the pool area to go explore some of it today or tomorrow.
There are some big leaning trees toward the back of the beach that provided us with the perfect amount of shade. It’s funny that I used to go on vacation and bake in the sun all day. Looking at me on this trip, you’d never know I have spent most of the day outside! SPF 50 for everyone, and that’s a change that is most definitely for the better.
I’m kind of a psycho about making sure Cullen stays covered and out of the sun, and I’ve loved having his little sunglasses and sunhat to keep his head nice and cool. Born in Seattle in October, he’s never felt anything quite like this! His little swim trunks and swim diapers just kill me.
After a few unsuccessful tries in the pool, we decided to give it another go yesterday. We found one of the smaller pools seemed to be a bit warmer, and Cullen cautiously let us put him the whole way in!
Turns out we have a little shark on our hands! He discovered that the water is actually really fun, and we both laughed hysterically watching him splash and play. He didn’t even mind all the water in his face, and he kept kicking his pudgy little legs.
Even though he won’t remember any of this, I know it was a moment Casey and I will hold onto for a long time. Every one of his “firsts” is special, and all of these vacation firsts have been so fun to watch. I took a few videos too, so that I can show them to him when he is 15 and hates me.
Once our little fish had had enough of the water, we headed back to dry off and get ready for a beach walk. Cullen was due for a good snooze, so Casey strapped him on and we covered him with a light blanket to avoid the sun. Life doesn’t get much better than a gorgeous walk on the beach with your husband, who has your sleeping baby on his chest.
We walked all the way to the end of the Ka’anapali beach, and back. When we first planned this trip I wasn’t sure if it was a good idea. Originally Casey’s parents were going to come with us to help with Cullen, and when they had to cancel I considered that we just cancel the whole thing since it would be too hard. Now that we are here, I’m so glad we came.
Every day of parenting brings new lessons and new surprises, and traveling 7 hours over the ocean together has taught me a lot about our family and what we can do. Even though he tells me I’m a great mom all the time, I think spending a week of round the clock time with Cullen has also given Casey a new appreciation for my role as a stay at home mom. :)
Our trip has been a nice mix of fun play time with Cullen at the beach and the pool, and some quiet alone time with Casey during beach walks and in the evenings. Life feels really good.
We walked back along the beach boardwalk…
And eventually made our way back to the Honua Kai.
In the evenings, we’ve made dinner and relaxed in the room while Cullen has happily played on a blanket. Big discovery of the week? His FEET!
And once he goes to bed, we get to cuddle up and eat dinner together and just relax. Another room-cooked meal – taco night with tofu, beans, avocado, brown rice, and salsa on corn tortillas.
Eaten on the couch while we watched the movie In Time (which I thought was really good!). Not sure what today will bring, but the sun is shining so we are heading out!
PS – For any moms or expecting moms, don’t miss my Babble giveaway for Charlie Banana swim diapers (open until Friday!).
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Cullen’s pouty lips in the pool are the cutest thing ever! Sounds like you are having a great time enjoying your little family. I was worried about going on vacation with just our kids and no “babysitters” at first, too. I thought it really wouldn’t be a vacation if we couldn’t steal time away from them. So not true! We’ve had a blast every time.
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Cullen is already into yoga. He is doing an almost perfect “happy baby” pose :)
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awww! i love it that cullen went in the pool! :) looks like he had a good time!
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Super cute post :) Cullen gets cuter and cuter everyday!
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You sound so relaxed and peaceful, love it. Glad Cullen has decided to make peace with the water!
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So glad Cullen finally discovered how fun swimming is! This looks like such a fabulous vacation.
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Glad he finally discovered the joys of the water. Still looking beautiful in Hawaii, of course, I’m not surprised. :)
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Vacation looks wonderful!
I thought In Time was also good!
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I absolutely love all of the adorable photos of Cullen! So glad you’re having such a wonderful time!
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:) I know Cullen won’t remember this trip but thanks to your blog he can see how much fun he had!
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LOVE the pic of him splashing in the pool..he is getting so big! Glad you guys are having fun!!
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I love your writing – you express yourself and your thoughts so well – it;s so enjoyable to read your posts.
Cullen is adorable – he is so cute in the water!
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I will be bringing my Dutch boyfriend to Maui for the VERY first time… and I am so excited! Your posts of the gorgeous weather make me miss Hawaii (I grew up in California and vacationed there with my family each year). Now I live in Holland with my boyfriend who… like Cullen in Seattle… has never quite experience the magic of our Pacific Islands.
Enjoy the rest of your vacation and thanks for the updates!!
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Aww it looks like your little shark is having the best time! So glad you and Casey are getting some quality time together. That’s gotta be a rarity with a newborn!
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Uhm recipe for tofu tacos?!?!?! Those sound so amazingly delicious!
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OK – looking at that last post, I finally understand why “happy baby” pose in yoga has that name. I don’t think I’ve ever actually seen a baby do that before, but now I get it! :)
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Kristina Reply:
February 15th, 2012 at 1:16 pm
(last post = last photo of Cullen…typo…)
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Love that you’re sharing all the fun and sunshine with us! It’s so beautiful and Cullen is soooo cute in the pool!
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That looks so idyllic. So happy for you three. :) Hawaii looks gorgeous!
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looks like a perfect family vacay to me :)
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It’s like you’re living in a fairytale :)
Also – that water is GORGEOUS!!
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Awww.. I melt just looking at Cullen’s photo touching his feet!! Such a cutie :)
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Never been to HI and I hope to go someday. Your post reminded me what a good idea it is to cook on vacation!!
If you want to rent a house in Maine…on a lake…just let me know. We rent out our lake house on a weekly basis. And, it’s just 1/2 hour from the beach. :)
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Kate Reply:
February 16th, 2012 at 9:58 am
Hi Leah–
Which lake and town in Maine?
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Leah Reply:
February 16th, 2012 at 10:12 am
It’s in Shapleigh, ME. It’s in the Southern Lakes Region. So it’s on the New Hampshire border and 1/2 hour from Wells Beach, 45 minutes from Portland, 1 hour to Portsmouth, NH, or 35 min to Kennebunkport. :) The lake is very clean (why we chose it) and this is our 2nd year renting out on a weekly basis. It sleeps 6 and comes with kayaks, pedal boat, and a canoe!
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what a great holiday :)
nothing beats family quality time.
Cullen is just such a cutie pie!!
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Hi Emily,
What a fabulous trip and it looks like the weather there is just perfect! As a resident of Portland, I’m super jealous ;-) If you have a minute, can you recommend any books/magazines that you found helpful to read during your pregnancy? I’m nearing nine weeks and feel comfortable enough now (I miscarried last year so I wanted to wait awhile) to start learning all I can about what’s possible to come for me in the future. Thanks so much!
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awww he found his little feet!! hehe wow he is soo adorable. Glad you all have been enjoying it so much!
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You make vacationing with a baby seem so easy! I always feel so flustered and rushed whenever we take the kids anywhere.
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This looks like an amazing vacation, and gives me hope that we can still travel whenever we decide to have a little one. Cullen is so stinking cute!
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That water! Absolutely breathtaking…hope you guys continue to enjoy vacation!
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I’ve been on Maui today for work and thought of you all! Why a gorgeous day too!! My Hawaiian colleagues were complaining about how freezing it was this morning haha. I’m a DC native tho I love it:) hope you’re loving your time here!!
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You look amazing!! It would be fun to make it an annual beach trip and see how Cullen’s likes change with time. Just think how fun it will be when you can build massive sand castles! I can’t wait to have kids just for that;)
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I love that you and your husband rock matching aviators. Too cute. I love unisex styles that we share. How is Cullen doing a perfect yoga “happy baby” in the last photo? Precious. Glad you are enjoying and being appreciated.
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I always love watching little babies splashing in the pool- it’s very cute. I’m glad you’re having such a fun vacation!
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Your vacation looks SO nice and you guys look so happy! It makes me want to get away to a beach so much–it’s been years!!
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I’m so happy he likes the water now! It looks like you guys are having an amazing time so enjoy every moment while you can! :)
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Oh my gosh, these pictures of him are priceless. SO glad he discovered his love of water. :) That should make bath time more enjoyable. Enjoy the rest of your trip.
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I just love this post so much – and I just have to tell you again how very much I love your writing ever since you got pregnant and had Cullen. Filled with so much honesty and love – it just melts my heart and I can’t wait to experience it with my husband. Cullen is absolutely so precious and I’m so happy you’re having such a great time in Hawaii – and I love that you’re proving that you can have such a wonderful vacation (though different!) once there’s a new addition to the family :)
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You should definitely try to rent snorkel gear if you can. My husband saw three giant sea turtles in the water there in Kaanapali beach. So cool. (I missed out on this because I was obsessed with finishing my book on the beach.)
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Do you ever worry about eating so much tofu, especially since you are nursing a boy? The soy is so high in estrate, do you limit your intake at all? I’m just wondering if it should be a concern to me in the future when I become a nursing mom.
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I’m so glad you are having fun on your trip! The pictures look beautiful. I love the ones of Cullen in the water!
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Dang, your life right now is completely fulfilled. Do you still feel like it’s a vacation with a baby? I mean, it looks amazing, but how much more difficult is it with a baby? I guess it’s hard to compare since I don’t have a baby, but I can only imagine. Getting that type of resort room looks like a great setup. I can’t wait for the day my husband and I can do this.
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what a good looking family! I actually laughed aloud at your comment about him being 15 and hating you.
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I’m so glad you are having a good time! Hopefully the pineapples and mangos are still good there :)
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I love that boardwalk along the beach in Maui! My friend’s uncle has a condo not far away in Lahaina and we used to run that trail in the mornings. Turns out exercise is way easier when you have a nice view! Enjoy the rest of your vacation!
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I love the pictures of Cullen in the water! Looks like you guys are having an amazing time! Awesome idea to cook meals in the room– must healthier and cheaper :)
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I love that he is loving the water now! We probably won’t be taking our baby boy to the beach until he is almost one (no reason other than that’s how our scheduling looks to be working out), but this gives me hope that he might actually really enjoy it!
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How beautiful! I love all the photo’s. Hawaii is on my bucket list for places to go to before I die. Right now I’ll live them through you! Time to day dream!
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This makes me so happy for you guys! What a gorgeous family you’ve got. :)
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Aww, this is so sweet. I’m so glad you’re enjoying your vacation. The resort suite sounds so ideal for your situation. Enjoy the rest of your time in paradise!
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If you get a chance, try out “Aloha Mixed Plate.” It’s not super veg friendly, but they have a few really good things (like smoothies!) Super cheap as well :)
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emily,
your blog is so refreshing! i love to see what you 3 are up to, your son is so sweet. my 15 year old daughter often likes to see what is up to! she just asked “is that the girl who had the baby?” yes!! we are from Indiana and i hope you have fun running the mini marathon! I rant it a few times, a few years ago, before i became 100% yoga girl and walker and old lady. ;) I’m 40. and, oh! when Cullen is 15, he won’t hate you. promise. XO
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What a pleasure it has been reading these posts. You have such a beautiful family and looks like you have had a wonderful vacation.
As a side note my family finds cooking at the hotel to be better than restaurants too (easier to control cost and what goes into the food).
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Yum those tacos look amazing! Wish I had some right now. Aw Cullen is just too cute splashin’ around in the water :)
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Awesome pictures! cullen is just so adorable! Yah that he decided he likes the water! It’s awesome to see the 3 of you relaxing and having a great time!
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The pictures. I die. So cute!
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I feel like booking a trip to hawaii asap!
You are so brave to go out there with the little fishey :) He is the cutest!
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The look on Cullen’s face when he was in the pool are so cute! You definitely have a future swim champion on your hands. ;)
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I love looking at your photos from Maui. Hope you’re having a fun time there!
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Cullen looks adorable in green!
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I love this post and I LOVE Maui! I stayed at the Westin this past summer on Ka’anapali beach..Hawaii is just magical.
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Ahhh Cullen is so cute!!!
I literally squealed when I saw his little sunglasses. Ahhh why are babies so adorableeeee.
Have fun in Maui! Keep up the great work with the blog!
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OMG this trip sounds so amazing! I’m so glad you 3 got to get away together in such a beautiful location. Hawaii is definitely on my bucket list!
Enjoy the rest of your trip :D
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If you sit on Kaanapali Beach at sunset, you can see the sea turtles pop their heads out of the water! I remember this from going to Maui a couple of times as a little girl with my family :)
Hawaii + family makes the BEST memories! Keep ENJOYING it & Aloha!
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I love that you do room-cooked meals on vacation! My husband and I honeymooned in New Zealand (incredible!) and only ate out 4 times in 12 days. We enjoyed shopping at the grocery stores and seeing what everyone else ate- LOTS of smoked mussels!
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I’ve stayed at that same resort! But it was 3 years ago :) And we also had a newborn with us…our son was just over 3 months old when we went!
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Emily Malone Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 7:37 pm
Too funny!! Definitely a great spot for families.
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Auw, so jealous! It looks *amazing* out there! And what a great time to spend as a family :-)
I just read this & thought I would pass it on. It is really a great article :-)
http://theleakyboob.com/2011/08/baby-explains-normal-newborn-behavior/
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