16.1.09

First Ocean Experience!

This actually happened last weekend but better late than never with the posting, right?!
We went down and spent the day at the Fairchild Orchid, which is the hotel at Mauna Lani. The way this works is that the major resorts are actually like small little villages with shopping complexes and condos, etc. Its not just a hotel but there is a hotel and a beach and everything else. Anyhow, Mauna Lani is where the sand volleyball courts are located.
So we were down there last Saturday to play some volleyball and enjoy the weather. Ikaika was awesome because he slept pretty much all day while we played volleyball. After we finished, Mr A and I took him down to the beach and let him get his first experience in Hawaiian waters. If not for the sunburn he got while napping, it would have been the perfect Saturday!
"Swimming" in the water was not exactly what I was expecting.
First of all, my dad gave Ika a really bizarre pants/diaper cover thing for Christmas. I assume he got it because it has Vikings logos all over it, but we had the damnedest time figuring out what they could possibly be. They say "3/6M" but unless they are bonefide underwear for an infant I cant imagine what part of a 3 to 6 month old they would fit! They are impossibly small - no diaper made by man could fit under these things. Lo and behold we find that these make the perfect little swimsuit for our baby chunk-a-lunk! Thanks dad.
We got in the water and even though the day was hot it was clear that the baby was cold in the water at first. I was concerned about the baby being in the sun because I dont want to use sunblock on him just yet. I think thats the inherent problem with this baby swimming in the ocean thing - I dont want him in the sun but he needs to be in the sun or he will just freeze in the water. Its a catch 22, right?
I was thinking that his swimming experience would be a lot like at home in the bathtub where I him and he floats around and kicks his legs. The ocean is a little more challenging. Theres the sun in his eyes and the water temp and such things. Mr A ended up just dunking him and swishing him back and forth a couple times. It was fun but, like I said before, it wasnt exactly what I was expecting. I momentarily became that annoying mother thats got the camera and is like "oh my baby! hes swimming!" We also couldnt decide if dunking him completely under was safe or not so we opted not to do it since neither of us is overly confident about infant CPR.

3 comments:

  1. Anonymous17.1.09

    Ikaika has his mothers eyes and chubby cheeks when she was 3 months old - now hopefully he will get his father's perpetual suntan!

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  2. Anonymous20.1.09

    What a cute hat! ;o)

    (Although the babe underneath is way cuter)

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  3. Yes, that hat has been the source of endless compliments from friends and strangers alike.

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