Starting the 3rd trimester in Kona

It is hard to believe that I'm now 27 weeks along in this adventure to mommyhood. My baby bump keeps getting bigger and I've gotten more comments in the last week. "When are you due? Ahh, you look like you're having a great pregnancy. There's a baby in there!" Luckily no one I don't know has felt the need to reach for my belly to rub it. I'm not yet sure what my reaction will be the first time this happens. Our baby is now over 2 pound and around 15 inches long and starting to open his/her eye lids and suck his/her fingers. Every now and then I feel light jolts that I'm pretty sure are hiccups and not kicks. It is so fun!!!

Aaron and I are now enjoying our last Hawaiian days in Kona with friends. We spent a wonderful 3 days at a resort in Waikoloa relaxing, snorkeling and taking long walks. Here in Kona, Aaron's enjoyed surfing while I photograph and we've gotten to see many people for last hi and goodbyes. We look forward to more surfing, beach time, kayaking, caving and stand up paddling before heading back to our land locked mountainous home. I have to be honest - it was easy to leave Maui. But being back in Kona - seeing friends, doing the activities that we most enjoy here - leaving this place for good might be a little bit tougher than I anticipated. I know that moving back to Loveland is the right thing and we are so excited to rejoin life with our family and friends and play in our Rocky Mountain back yard - but Hawaii will always hold a special place in our hearts. A place that will draw us back for vacations at the least and will make us truly appreciate the gift it was to spend a year and a half enjoying comfortable tropical living. For myself I wanted to make a list of the physical things I will miss most. So here goes in no particular order -

1. Ocean sunsets and long sunset walks on the beach
2. Butter avocados the size of your head
3. Surfing
4. Seeing or swimming with beautiful fish, manta rays, eagle rays, green sea turtles, whales and dolphins regularly
5. Never being cold
6. Never really getting too hot
7. Picking oranges, tangerines, bananas, and other yummy things from our yard
8. Following the volcano activity and being close enough to go take a peek if something is happening
9. Kealakekua Bay
10. Flowering trees everywhere
11. Green lush tropical forest
12. Big crashing waves on the shore showing their power
13. Being tan all year long
14. Feeling like exercising all year long
15. Experiencing the feel of a Colorado fall day at 5000-8000 feet
16. The smell of flowers and jasmine as you walk around
17. Trying new fruits I've either never seen or heard of before - rambutans, mountain apples, apple bananas, lilikoi, jack fruit, guava, bilimbi, bread fruit, cherimoya, jaboticaba, lychee, passion fruit.
18. Endless supply of pineapple, fresh bananas, papayas and avocodos year round

Our ocean side cabana at the Hilton Waikoloa, getting off the commuter flight from Maui, our deck, Aaron surfing Kahulu'u, me and the baby swimming with a turtle