Manu's Birthday!

Manu just had a birthday!  He and I had just arrived back Thursday night from a blissful 3-week excursion to visit family in OK.

We had to get back before Manu's birthday so we could celebrate with Nate!

Nate had the whole day off and the three of us savored the day together.  Then we had a great pizza dinner at the beach (pepperoni with extra sand anyone?) with some friends.  We headed back to our place where everyone had milkshakes, except Manu.  He opted for three clementines instead.

A few fun facts about Manu for his birthday:

• Manu is totally addicted to the Piano Guys music videos.  If you haven't watched them, you should.  They're really pretty good.  We're in the midst of an intervention.  Do they have a 12-step program for toddlers? 

• He loves to throw things.  Which is usually fine since he has (mostly) learned that throwing things at the piano or computer = timeout. However, it can also make for interesting Sacrament Meetings.  Watch out if you're sitting behind us.  Or in front of us for that matter.  

• Takes a 2-3 hr nap every afternoon.  Heaven.

• When we go to the park, he'd rather dig in the dirt than play on the playground.  

Happy Birthday, Manu!  We love you!

 P.S.  when did you get so big?

Birthday 2012

Don't worry, the title is not a typo.  On Wednesday Nate and I finally got to go out and have the little birthday adventure I'd been scheming about since June of last year.  It might have something to do with the love of my life working two jobs and being the bishop of our ward.  And my dear friend being super sick and not able to babysit Manu on the few days he did have off.  Maybe.  I feel I've dealt with the situation with remarkable patience. (We won't mention that I'd practically given up on it)


But Wednesday everything finally came together.  The day was perfect - not much wind, clear skies, calm water.  So we went sea kayaking!  It was amazing!   We started off at Kailua beach and paddled out to the Mokes (Mokulua Islands). These two islands (Mokulua means "twin islands") are part of the Hawaii State Seabird Sanctuary, but you can land on the beach of the left island (looking from shore) and look around.


Here's some pics from the adventure:

paddling out

On the beach at the Mokes (rhymes with smokes)

(Katie, this one is for you) this is a nesting Shearwater.

Looking back toward Lanikai beach

The second island 

It was so perfect, I told Nate this is what I wanted to do every year for my birthday.  Can't wait to go out again!

6th Anniversary!

Six years ago (yesterday) I married this handsome guy:

(photo by Whitney)

Lucky me!  Happy Anniversary, Nate!

Easter

Better late than never - at least it's still springtime!

This is the first Easter that Manu's been old enough to be interested in things like candy.  We went with some friends to a community egg hunt at Makiki park.  It was pretty crazy and all over in about 30 seconds.  Manu wasn't sure to make of it all until he realized that there was candy in the eggs.

Then I had him take a picture with the Easter Bunny.  He sat on it's lap and didn't make a fuss.  But he was stiff as a pole and wouldn't look at the bunny or the camera.  He just stared in the other direction as if he was thinking, "if I just sit really still this crazy thing won't know I'm here and will just go away."

At this point, I'm jumping up and down, calling his name, and offering candy, trying to get him to look at the camera and smile, but to no avail.  

Visitors!

February was awesome!  It's the first time we've had visitors since last March when my sister, Kathryn came!  We had some dear friends, the Wilcoxsons, our neighbors from BYU, come to visit AND my sweet mother-in-law stayed for two weeks!

There was a week of overlap between the two of them and we had quite a full house and many wonderful adventures!  So many in fact that it took me a whole week to do all the laundry after everyone left!

Manu ate crayons at a restaurant.

We fed the fish at Ho'omaluhia Botanical Gardens.

Manu at Ho'omaluhia.

Hiking Diamond Head.  Here we are about halfway up.  Please notice how dry we are.

Here we are at the top.  No longer dry at all.  It poured.  Hard. But only while we were at the top.   As soon as we started down again, it cleared right up. As you can see, Manu was thrilled with this weather development.

Worn out from our hike.

A Valentines double date with the Wilcoxsons at an awesome all-you-can eat Korean yakiniku restaurant.  We were stuffed to the gills before we rolled ourselves out of there.  

I love, love, love visitors!

We are now accepting reservations for future visitors.  Hurry, book now!  If you need more convincing, please refer to this post, or this one, or this one, or this one, I could go on....

Sewing

Okay, I admit it.  I'm a closet sewer.
Wait!  Not a sewer, a sew-er.
One who sews.
You know what I mean, right?

Last year for Christmas, Nate bought me a sewing machine.  I'd wanted one for quite awhile, but could never justify spending all that money on a gadget for myself.  (Do sewing machines count as gadgets?) Anyway, I love it.  Here's what I've made in the last year (not counting really practical things like hems and scout patches):

pillowcases: 2
nursing covers: 2
stuffed toy owls: 8 (these are my new favorite baby gift)
stuffed toy monsters: 5
skirts: 2
dress: 1 (with my mom's help. It was hard!)
ie faitaga's: 3 (one man size and two toddler size)
printer cover: 1 (I keep the windows open and it gets really dusty)
bag holder: 1 ( to stuff all my grocery sacks in)

The monsters, mostly for my nephews.

A few of the owls, also gifts.

I made the ie faitaga Manu's wearing, but not the shirt.

And the dress - maybe I should give Mom the credit for this one.

Manu is 18 months!

On Sunday, Manu turned 18 months!  

And you all know what that means - nursery!  Yes, I've been looking forward to this for a long time now.  In fact I've been taking him for a month now so that by this time Manu would have no problem being left in the nursery for 2 hours during church.  Well, and let's face it - I wasn't getting much out of Sunday School or Relief Society chasing him around and trying to keep him quiet and entertained.  We spent a lot of time in the hall.  I love nursery already.  Church seems so much more refreshing now.

We started our celebrations with a few unapproved art projects: table, door, fridge, stove....legs, nothing is safe.  This boy loves to color!

We made some delicious peanut butter snack balls.  Manu helped by scooping all the ingredients into the bowl, onto the counter and into his mouth.  

But, he's been learning to clean up after himself, too.  

I often call Manu a little wanderer because that's what he likes to do best.  He wanders from room to room investigating and finding things to play with and entertaining himself.  He has recently discovered numbers and letters and is fascinated by them.  He asks to sing the "ABDs"over and over (for some reason C gets left out unless specifically asked).

Whenever he hears the beep of a truck backing down our street, his face lights up and he runs to to door and says "truck! see, see!" So we go out and watch.  It's usually the garbage truck and really could it get more exciting than watching a big truck lift up and empty dumpsters?  It's been a slow week so far, stuck in the house with a cold, so sometimes that's the highlight of the day.

Manu loves to sing songs and will ask for more as long as I'm willing to sing.  Except for one song.  "I Am a Child of God" is only allowed at nap time and bedtime.  If I start singing it any other time of day, he thinks I'm going to put him in bed and starts crying.  I wonder what he does when they sing it in nursery....

Manu 1 year ago:  6 months old

Manu now!

What a difference a year makes!  Happy 18 months, Manu!  It's been quite the adventure being your mom and we're just getting started!

Ketchup

... I mean catchup

... I mean catch-up

Ah! That's the one.  The holidays were wonderful and too short.  I'll post those pics soon (and by soon of course I mean eventually), but for now here's a few of Manu and I hiking Mariner's Ridge awhile back.

A "walk break" for Manu and a "stop walking break" for me on the  way up the ridge.  Unfortunately it didn't last long - ridges are not good places for toddlers to wander.  

It was a beautiful trail - steep enough to be challenging, but  easy enough that my out-of-shape self could pack 25 pounds of baby up there with out much trouble.  

Love these mountains.

And the ocean.

At the top - Manu passed out not too long after this and napped all the way down.
Shortly after this picture was taken, we met the then-mayor of Honolulu Peter Carlisle up at the top! 

Language

Manu is picking up words right and left (or perhaps I should say "up" and "down" since that is his new favorite pairing).

I love when he walks around saying "oh, my!", which is what I say to him when I come across him making a huge mess.

Of course, I think everything he says is darling.

Except "no."  That's cute only very rarely.

Nate has been working his tail off lately (Thanks!), leaving Manu and I lots and lots of time together.  And so I've recently realized that while Manu is definitely picking up language quickly, he's also at that that stage where many of his word are completely unintelligible.

That is, unintelligible to anyone besides myself.  It's one of those warm, cozy, motherhood moments to realize that you and your child have your own special language.

I know that when Manu closes a book and says "ee ee" (it's very hard to convert this into text), that he's not just making random sounds, he's really saying "the end."  Though they sound very similar, I can distinguish between "no" and "down."  "Bukaw" is Grandpa, "dup" means duck, and occasionally I even flatter myself that he's trying to copy when I say "thank you."

This must be how our Father in Heaven feels toward us.  No other person knows Manu better than Nate and I, just as no one will ever know us the way that our Heavenly Father knows us.
....

For those of you who come here for something a little less gushy:

Manu dumped out the salt shaker.  Four times in one week.  You'd think I'd learn after the first time that the table is not a safe place for the salt shaker.

This is a caricature of Manu that was taken at a birthday party last week.  I think it's cute, but doesn't look much like him.

Reading

Manu loves books.

 It must be genetically inherited from his Daddy.  He loves looking at books, reading books, and our weekly trip to the library.

Our library has toddler-sized tables near the board books.  These squatty little counters have wooden letter puzzles on them, perfect for a pint-sized library frequenter to play with.  Early on in our library adventures we had a scolding from a worn-out librarian who did not appreciate Manu's rather enthusiastic exploration of the alphabet (In her defense they were all over.  I'm sure she was tired of picking up letters).

We've since made friends with the old librarian, and even though Manu is still sometimes downright boisterous in his pursuit of alphabetical familiarity, she gives us a smile.   And Manu seems to like the library more each week.

But most of all, he loves when Nate is home to read bedtime stories to him.

July in Oklahoma 3

The pictures really don't do justice to the fabulous time Manu and I had in OK this summer:

Washing the car; touching a ray at the Oklahoma Aquarium; emptying the dishwasher; 1st haircut; playing with Grandpa and cousin Big E; making blocks for Manu's birthday; and mastering the stairs

Playing with Aunt Bug and Nana; the high temp while we were there - 114!; at the park; mowing; reading with Nana; on the plane; the dress I made; breakfast time; finishing the blocks; Uncle Jordon's "new" car; bath time; and exploring Nana and Grandpa's house

July in Oklahoma 2

We did a lot of swimming at my parents' house and sometimes all that excitement just wears a little guy out. 

We also went to a u-pick peach orchard.  It was awesome!  Manu snatched a peach from his Aunt Bug and knew just what to do with it - gobble it up!

July in Oklahoma 1

Here's the first set of photos from Manu and my trip to visit our dear family in Oklahoma this summer.  My sister and her family have moved to Qatar, so we went for a whole month to spend time with them before their big move!  Manu loved getting to know his family better, especially his cousins!

Helping pack and unload the dishes; Manu and Aunt Bug playing with the hose; Manu aerating Nana's flowerbed; Meeting cousin Miss A; swinging in the backyard; Giving Miss A a hug (or is it a headlock?); composing a piano duet; and hanging out with Aunt Bug and Grandpa!

Manu's 1st Birthday!

It's nearly a month ago, but while we were in Oklahoma with my family this summer, Manu had his 1st birthday!  We had a fabulous celebration.  My sister, Kathryn, and my Dad also have birthdays near Manu's and we partied together.  They didn't seem to mind the Very Hungry Caterpillar theme.

Manu with his Daddy, the birthday cake, opening presents, eating cake, the dinner party

Nate Skyped in for the festivities and we had fondue for dinner!  Manu wasn't sure what to think of his cupcake; he just rolled it around.  He loved the ice cream, though!   Happy Birthday, Manu!

Just before his birthday, Manu took his first steps.  Now he's roaming around like crazy!

He's also starting to use a few words (uh-oh, mama, dada, more, no, hot, hello, and bye).  He says bubbo for blueberries or strawberries, which is too cute.  I think no is the funniest, though, because he seems to use it for yes and no.  And he just walks around the house singing no, no, no, no...

We had a fabulous time in OK and I know I've been delinquent about posting pics, but I'm mending my ways, so get ready for more posts in the coming week!

Swinging Action

This is the park in my neighborhood:

 It needs some serious help.  It's one of two that are within walking distance from my house.  The other one has more grass, but also more graffiti.  And during the school year, it's generally full of truant teenagers.  Plus, there are no swings, so that one is totally out.  

So when we need some swinging action, we head to this one.  Some young hoodlum has scrawled the f-bomb on the playground equipment, but it's misspelled, so it doesn't count, right?

It's not much to look at (in fact it makes my heart ache because it's such an ugly play space), but the swings swing.

Messy Mealtime

There's a few things you should note about this photo:

One being that for the last two months or so Manu has refused to wear a bib.  He immediately reaches up and rips it right off.  As you can see from his orange-tinted face and belly, that had the potential to add up to a mountain of dirty shirts in my laundry pile.  So now he eats shirtless.  Like a caveman.

Another is that Manu really knows how to relax and enjoy his meals.  He likes to reach back and stretch or lean to one side and put his arm up on the back of the chair as he eats.  What a ham!


As of yesterday, Manu is officially 11months old.  Let the countdown begin!

 First birthdays around here are a big deal.  We'd love to follow local tradition and throw a big party for all of you, but I have just two words to explain why we won't:  student budget.  Let's be real, folks.  If you're really disappointed, you can come over for a cookie.

Instead of a party, Manu and I are running away to Oklahoma!  Wahooo!

Birthday!

I had a great 26th birthday this weekend!  After a fabulous homemade breakfast sandwich (you know it's going to be good when the sandwich is dubbed "Heart-Stoppin' Fun") and a nap for Manu, we hit the beach!

Manu is loving the water these days and that plus having Nate along made it a perfect way to spend my birthday afternoon.  We were so busy splashing around in the water that I didn't take any photos at the beach, but Nate did snap these before we left:

Manu's hair gets a little crazy when we put sunscreen all over his head.  It makes a great styling gel.

Peace.

Manu has also started developing his musical abilities.  (ie. he realized that he can reach the piano keys without my help), much to our neighbors' chagrin at times, I'm sure.

We finished of the day with delicious Thai food, a sweet card from Nate and Manu, and a playlist of fun new songs. 

Now before you laugh that I didn't make it in to any of the pictures on my own birthday blog, look carefully at the top photo.  Those are my calves.  Plus, I know why you all check this blog anyway.  Even if it is my birthday, you're all hoping for a glimpse of Manu.

Manu's One-Man Band

Manu's new favorite playthings are spice bottles.  The rosemary makes a particularly good shaker, and when paired with a jar of paprika, this boy's got his own one-man band.  

There's also a random coconut on our kitchen floor.  We just like to keep things interesting.