If you win I will write your name in his baby book of who guessed the closest or exactly what he weighs! Once again good luck and please don't wish a 10lb baby on me....haha!
Wow, Heather wrote an update! haha
-Anthony
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Ashton is almost here...
Well we are 37 weeks as of Friday and are really excited to meet our lil guy! I have had a lot of "how much does he weigh" questions. So I'm going to let you all guess :] We actually have no idea what he weighs but have guesses of our own. Anthony was 8lbs 7oz and I was 8lbs even if that matters at all! Good luck guessing.....we can't wait to see who responds :)
If you win I will write your name in his baby book of who guessed the closest or exactly what he weighs! Once again good luck and please don't wish a 10lb baby on me....haha!
If you win I will write your name in his baby book of who guessed the closest or exactly what he weighs! Once again good luck and please don't wish a 10lb baby on me....haha!
MHRM Residence Weekend
Aloha. This past weekend (Friday/Saturday/Sunday) I had "Residence Weekend" for my masters program for UH Manoa. It was held at the Hawaii Prince Hotel in Waikiki - what a nice place! I was feeling a little nervous to start the program. It's a big step, also feeling slightly overwhelmed with everything else going on in our lives. But I was pleasantly reassured after this weekend that this was the best decision I could have ever made for my family and my future career.
The morning began around 8am on Friday with breakfast. The program has around 38 students on Oahu and and 16 neighbor island students. This weekend all students from the Big Island, Kauai, and Maui came to do an intensive orientation. I was one of the last people to show up and it's pretty daunting to walk into a huge ballroom of strangers alone. But, I knew that I had a few goals for myself.
1. Network, network, network!
2. Be myself and try to get to know as many different people as possible
3. Be a sponge and soak up as much information as possible.
Well, I definitely succeeded in those goals and then some. After a great conversation over breakfast, we started the program with introductions around 9am. Professor David Bess who is a former Dean of the College of Business and current professor for HR Management and Advanced Organizational Behavior started off the morning with the typical ice breakers. He began lecture and it seemed to fly by very quickly. The day was basically all about team dynamics. How teams work together and the process teams go through in the forming process. These are all things that we all go through in our personal and professional lives on a daily basis. And this stuff is very interesting for me. We were then broken up into teams (that we'll be working with for the rest of the semester). My team is made up of 6 others: Ashley, Anna, Linda, Katheryne, Paige and George. Our group is the definition of diversity. We do have a few things in common, but come from very different walks of life and backgrounds. I know I'm going to learn a lot from them and the rest of the professionals in my cohort class. Linda is the Instructional Designer for the U.S Coast Gaurd and works at the Training Headquarters just outside Bodega Bay. She is also a council member for the city of Sausalito. She is really nice lady and going to be a great mentor for me.
Sunday we went through a DiSC training session with Sarah Kalicki-Nakamura from Th!nk Hawaii. It was an inspirational session where we were able to take a 79-question self assessment and compare our interpersonal communication styles to those of our peers and teammates. If you are primarily "D" then you assert a "Dominant" personality, "i" is influence, "S" is steadiness and "C" is conscientiousness. Can you guess what I was?
In the afternoon session we had a training with a guy named Craig Chong who owns Fresh Leadership here in Hawaii. It was an inward look at ourselves and self relflection on what important events in our lives have gotten us to where we are. That really lead to the book we have to read by next Wednesday which is called "What got you here won't get you there." The title alone resonates with me. If I keep doing what i've always done, nothing will ever change. Now that is okay if I'm happy where I am. But if I want something else, something different, something more for my career and family then I have to change something up. I have to take risks (moving to Hawaii to start a masters program) in order to take my development to a whole new level.
So yes, this weekend really pumped me up and re-framed my mentality abut this program. I'm not nervous or scared to be taking on a gigantic workload with grad school...I'm optimistic and excited for 16 months of personal and professional development. I won't get these next 16 months back and I'm ready to be extraordinarily present during this time. To soak in every ounce of inspiration I can that will help me be all that I can be in my career.
Shout out to my mom! I miss you very much! I know you miss me too. I love you and can't wait for you to visit with Dad and meet our son and your grandson. You both will be the best role models for him as you were for me and I'm so happy he's going to have you two in his life.
The morning began around 8am on Friday with breakfast. The program has around 38 students on Oahu and and 16 neighbor island students. This weekend all students from the Big Island, Kauai, and Maui came to do an intensive orientation. I was one of the last people to show up and it's pretty daunting to walk into a huge ballroom of strangers alone. But, I knew that I had a few goals for myself.
1. Network, network, network!
2. Be myself and try to get to know as many different people as possible
3. Be a sponge and soak up as much information as possible.
Well, I definitely succeeded in those goals and then some. After a great conversation over breakfast, we started the program with introductions around 9am. Professor David Bess who is a former Dean of the College of Business and current professor for HR Management and Advanced Organizational Behavior started off the morning with the typical ice breakers. He began lecture and it seemed to fly by very quickly. The day was basically all about team dynamics. How teams work together and the process teams go through in the forming process. These are all things that we all go through in our personal and professional lives on a daily basis. And this stuff is very interesting for me. We were then broken up into teams (that we'll be working with for the rest of the semester). My team is made up of 6 others: Ashley, Anna, Linda, Katheryne, Paige and George. Our group is the definition of diversity. We do have a few things in common, but come from very different walks of life and backgrounds. I know I'm going to learn a lot from them and the rest of the professionals in my cohort class. Linda is the Instructional Designer for the U.S Coast Gaurd and works at the Training Headquarters just outside Bodega Bay. She is also a council member for the city of Sausalito. She is really nice lady and going to be a great mentor for me.
Sunday we went through a DiSC training session with Sarah Kalicki-Nakamura from Th!nk Hawaii. It was an inspirational session where we were able to take a 79-question self assessment and compare our interpersonal communication styles to those of our peers and teammates. If you are primarily "D" then you assert a "Dominant" personality, "i" is influence, "S" is steadiness and "C" is conscientiousness. Can you guess what I was?
In the afternoon session we had a training with a guy named Craig Chong who owns Fresh Leadership here in Hawaii. It was an inward look at ourselves and self relflection on what important events in our lives have gotten us to where we are. That really lead to the book we have to read by next Wednesday which is called "What got you here won't get you there." The title alone resonates with me. If I keep doing what i've always done, nothing will ever change. Now that is okay if I'm happy where I am. But if I want something else, something different, something more for my career and family then I have to change something up. I have to take risks (moving to Hawaii to start a masters program) in order to take my development to a whole new level.
So yes, this weekend really pumped me up and re-framed my mentality abut this program. I'm not nervous or scared to be taking on a gigantic workload with grad school...I'm optimistic and excited for 16 months of personal and professional development. I won't get these next 16 months back and I'm ready to be extraordinarily present during this time. To soak in every ounce of inspiration I can that will help me be all that I can be in my career.
Shout out to my mom! I miss you very much! I know you miss me too. I love you and can't wait for you to visit with Dad and meet our son and your grandson. You both will be the best role models for him as you were for me and I'm so happy he's going to have you two in his life.
This is a picture of us sitting in the grass last summer looking at the Eiffel Tower in Paris - sipping wine and eating peanuts. This is why I love her so much. We can just enjoy eachother and laugh. Safe fun. Haha
Here are some pictures from the weekend...
They gave us this cool laptop bag with our degree name written on it.
Our name tags and which island we're from
Morning view from the 7th floor of the Hawaii Prince Hotel
Welcome, Master of HR Management students!
Evening view of magic island and Kapolei/Ewa Beach on the right!
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Cody & Mone's Visit to O'ahu
We officially had our first visitors and we're so happy it was with our great friends, Cody & Mone. It's already been over a month since we've been here and time has really flown by. The first few weeks were spent getting logistics figured out and setting up our condo, the weeks after that was spent adventuring Oahu and figuring out our favorite spots. The few days before Cody and Mone came were the most boring days of my life. Haha I was sunburnt so we didn't want to go in the sun and we had basically done everything. So, we started watching Lost on Netflix. Heather was an avid watcher but I had never seen it before. At this point, I'm on season 2 (over 30 episodes in) and the hatch is opened, Danielle has stolen a baby and Walt is abducted by Pirates. I'm hooked like a fish! Sorry for the tangent, now about our week with our visitors...
We picked them up from the airport last Friday and were ready to have some fun. After orienting them to our condo, we rent straight to Waikiki beach, which is about 5 minutes from here. We got some time in at this packed white sandy beach and relaxed in the sun. After getting back and showering, we went to Kona Brewing Co in Hawaii Kai for some pizza & beer. If you ever come visit, that is definitely a recommendation of ours. They have a lot of great local beers and delicious pizza. Their happy hour is has great deals too. We hit up Costco after dinner and then headed back. With the time difference (3 hours behind California) we were in bed by 10 o'clock. Haha party animals we are...
Day 2 was really fun. We took Pali Hwy to the Northern Windward side of the island (bypassing Kaneohe Bay) and headed west toward the North Shore. It's a great scenic drive and a lot of great views and places to stop along the way. Basically, we packed a lunch and were off the adventure. The first stop was at beach park with a lookout called "Chinaman's Hat." The beach is hardly crowded and has great views. We had some beers, played some volleyball and then headed back on the road. The beach we wanted to end up on was Papailoa Beach on the North Shore where the TV show Lost was actually filmed. Heather and I had been there a few times and we really liked it because of all the sea turtles there. Cody, Mone and I snorkeled there since there's a lot of reef and we all saw probably over 15 sea turtles of all shapes and sizes. After all getting pretty burnt, we headed to a small beach town caled Haleiwa to get some famous shaved ice at Aoki's. Soooo goood. That night we went to do the touristy things and walked down Kalakaua Rd (Waikiki Beach) and ate at Senor Frogs. Senor Frogs in Honolulu sucks. Don't go there. Bad service and bad food. Great company though!
Day 3, we were pooped. We took them to the Aloha Swap Meet in Aiea near Aloha Stadium. It's a good place to go and buy souvenirs when you're here. Go early though, it gets really hot. We bought some souvenirs and then our plan was to go do some body boarding, but instead we had a lazy day at the condo. We got to relax inside (away from the sun), and drink...a lot. Captain Morgan rum drinks and a mexican beer medley Haha We watched a lot of Episodes of Lost, went in our jacuzzi and I had my famous spicy meatlof. Another solid night of fun.
Day 4, Heather and I had our baby appointment in the morning so once we got back from that we drove to Hanauma Bay to do some snorkeling. Definitely recommend Hanauma Bay if you want to get some good snorkeling in. It only costs $1 to park all day, and $7.50 to snorkel. The water is really clear and lots of tropical fish. After a great day of snorkeling and people watching, we drove down the windward side and checked out the beautiful colored water on that side of the island. For dinner we tried out Ono Hawaiian Food on Kapahulu Street near our condo. You know you're at a local restaurant when you have no idea what the menu means! Literally none of us knew what the food was. We ended up trying combo plates which consisted of traditional Pork Lau Lau (which Mone says is Yum Yum), Kalua Pork, and other traditional Hawaiian foods. It was really good! It's a great place to check out if you want traditional food.
Day 5, we woke up early and Cody, Mone and I hiked Koko Head. I love that climb. Its tough, but has the best views on the island in my opinion. We hiked it and spent some time up there checking out the Eastern side of the island. After that, we picked up Heather and hit up Waikiki Beach to rent paddleboards. It was awesome. We all really like paddle boarding! The best place to do it is on Waikiki since the waves are basically non existant where we go. Preggers sit on the front of my board and I took her around on a little trip. It was fun. I wanted to buy a board but they're about $1000 - so I will keep to renting every once in a while.
Day 6 (Last Day) - we spent just hanging out at the condo until we had to take them to the airport. It was really sad and we didn't want to see them go. We had a great time with you guys though and you know you two are always welcome here. So start saving...haha Thanks so much for coming and we'll see ya when we come visit California.
I was going to put pictures from their visit, but Mone has them all...I'll put some after she downloads them. Cheers!
We picked them up from the airport last Friday and were ready to have some fun. After orienting them to our condo, we rent straight to Waikiki beach, which is about 5 minutes from here. We got some time in at this packed white sandy beach and relaxed in the sun. After getting back and showering, we went to Kona Brewing Co in Hawaii Kai for some pizza & beer. If you ever come visit, that is definitely a recommendation of ours. They have a lot of great local beers and delicious pizza. Their happy hour is has great deals too. We hit up Costco after dinner and then headed back. With the time difference (3 hours behind California) we were in bed by 10 o'clock. Haha party animals we are...
Day 2 was really fun. We took Pali Hwy to the Northern Windward side of the island (bypassing Kaneohe Bay) and headed west toward the North Shore. It's a great scenic drive and a lot of great views and places to stop along the way. Basically, we packed a lunch and were off the adventure. The first stop was at beach park with a lookout called "Chinaman's Hat." The beach is hardly crowded and has great views. We had some beers, played some volleyball and then headed back on the road. The beach we wanted to end up on was Papailoa Beach on the North Shore where the TV show Lost was actually filmed. Heather and I had been there a few times and we really liked it because of all the sea turtles there. Cody, Mone and I snorkeled there since there's a lot of reef and we all saw probably over 15 sea turtles of all shapes and sizes. After all getting pretty burnt, we headed to a small beach town caled Haleiwa to get some famous shaved ice at Aoki's. Soooo goood. That night we went to do the touristy things and walked down Kalakaua Rd (Waikiki Beach) and ate at Senor Frogs. Senor Frogs in Honolulu sucks. Don't go there. Bad service and bad food. Great company though!
Day 3, we were pooped. We took them to the Aloha Swap Meet in Aiea near Aloha Stadium. It's a good place to go and buy souvenirs when you're here. Go early though, it gets really hot. We bought some souvenirs and then our plan was to go do some body boarding, but instead we had a lazy day at the condo. We got to relax inside (away from the sun), and drink...a lot. Captain Morgan rum drinks and a mexican beer medley Haha We watched a lot of Episodes of Lost, went in our jacuzzi and I had my famous spicy meatlof. Another solid night of fun.
Day 4, Heather and I had our baby appointment in the morning so once we got back from that we drove to Hanauma Bay to do some snorkeling. Definitely recommend Hanauma Bay if you want to get some good snorkeling in. It only costs $1 to park all day, and $7.50 to snorkel. The water is really clear and lots of tropical fish. After a great day of snorkeling and people watching, we drove down the windward side and checked out the beautiful colored water on that side of the island. For dinner we tried out Ono Hawaiian Food on Kapahulu Street near our condo. You know you're at a local restaurant when you have no idea what the menu means! Literally none of us knew what the food was. We ended up trying combo plates which consisted of traditional Pork Lau Lau (which Mone says is Yum Yum), Kalua Pork, and other traditional Hawaiian foods. It was really good! It's a great place to check out if you want traditional food.
Day 5, we woke up early and Cody, Mone and I hiked Koko Head. I love that climb. Its tough, but has the best views on the island in my opinion. We hiked it and spent some time up there checking out the Eastern side of the island. After that, we picked up Heather and hit up Waikiki Beach to rent paddleboards. It was awesome. We all really like paddle boarding! The best place to do it is on Waikiki since the waves are basically non existant where we go. Preggers sit on the front of my board and I took her around on a little trip. It was fun. I wanted to buy a board but they're about $1000 - so I will keep to renting every once in a while.
Day 6 (Last Day) - we spent just hanging out at the condo until we had to take them to the airport. It was really sad and we didn't want to see them go. We had a great time with you guys though and you know you two are always welcome here. So start saving...haha Thanks so much for coming and we'll see ya when we come visit California.
I was going to put pictures from their visit, but Mone has them all...I'll put some after she downloads them. Cheers!
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Picture Update!
Aloha! I thought i'd update you all with some pictures. However, if you follow me (@areyes06) or Heather (@heathg1018) on Instagram then maybe you've seen these before.
Hotel Reyes
So any guests that will be staying with us will be sleeping on this futon with that view. How lucky are you???? This is also in Ashton's room, so any guest that is staying with us post-baby - you will be waking up every 1-3 hours to feed him, change diapers while we sleep. That is your payment to us, thank you and you're welcome.
Ashton's Collage
We decided to make a collage of pictures/drawings in Ashton's room so we can show him pictures everyday of all of our closest friends and family. So, feel free to send us pictures to put up! In the center is a drawing from my Aunt Dianne. She drew me a picture entitled "The Lost World" for me when I was in 6th grade. It's a great picture of dinosaurs and I'm excited we could showcase it in his room.
Collage close-up
Maternity Pic
This is probably my favorite maternity picture of Heather. Aren't I great photographer? Even though I like taking a lot of pictures of Heather & our baby, I also like to be behind the camera too. So I was feeling a little jealous...thus...the picture below.
Don't be confused, I am not carrying the baby despite my classic "holding-the-belly" pose.
So, we got rid of our iPhone's to try and save a little money. It's been really nice actually. I'm learning not to be so dependent on my phone and it's kind of liberating. Because I'm not carrying my iPhone around anymore I'm missing some good photo opportunities, but oh well.
We've adventured the island and already starting to develop our favorite spots! We live about 5 minutes from Waikiki (which is the South/East side of O'ahu). The windward side is the farthest east as you can get and from its name, it's windy. We really like Waimanalo Beach Park because the color of the water is the best of any part of the island. The North Shore is also a great place. There is a small surfer beach town called Haleiwa that we really like. They have 2 famous snocone places called Marimoto's or Aoki's. We've gone to Aoki's twice and its aweome. I recommend vanilla ice cream at the bottom. The Waianae/Leeward side of the island we've driven once but actually didnt like it very much. It's pretty dry and not much going on over there. Don't worry, if you come visit we'll be able to give some great recommendations on places to go depending on your interests.
Besides the beach, baby classes have been keeping us pretty busy. We just finished a 3-part series called Prepared Childbirth at Kapi'olani Medical Center (where we plan to deliver). It was informational, but probably not very necessary. Yesterday we toured the birthing center and it's really nice. We like it and its really close to our condo. Today, we started a 3-part series called Infant Childcare. Today, we talked all about breast feeding. I was joking with Heather during class that I was just too immature for that class. Haha seriously. Nipples everywhere. We watched lots of videos about proper "latching" and manually milking yourself. TMI. Haha It was at least informational, since Heather does plan to breastfeed. The next class is all about how to handle your baby like holding, burping positions, changing diapers, giving a bath, etc. We even have fake babies to practice with. The last class is on CPR and safety. The last class is at the end of August, and Heather will be 38 weeks, so who knows if we'll even make it!
Well, that is all for now. Hopefully Heather will write a post sometime! Haha
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