Hello! So at the very beginning of this summer I was all over this blogging thing, and I have since fallen off the wagon. I'll let you in on the secret of why, in case you weren't already aware- I am pregnant! And let me tell you, this has been one wild ride.                                                               Let me start at the beginning- me and Scott were actually planning this, or I should say, hoping, for this. We decided we wanted to have a baby in February, and every single week I have waited for good news. At the start of June I finally got it! I was feeling sick, and had my period was late, so I bought some home tests. Positive! So I ran to the store and bought some more- also positive! I cannot tell you how much fun I had peeing on these things and waiting for them to congratulate me. I actually probably used more than was necessary, but it was so great!
This was on Friday June 7. At first I thought about waiting until Father's Day to tell Scott in some really cute way, but that was two weeks away and no way could I wait that long. Our anniversary was on June 10, but I also couldn't make myself wait three days. So the next day I wrapped up the tests and some baby onesies and gave them to Scott as an 'early anniversary present'. He was VERY excited. 

A few of my tests! 
Me and Scottie the day I told him I was prego! Yay!

Pretty much immediately from when we knew about our baby my little achy stomach transformed into full blown morning sickness. And let me tell you, I hate that term. Morning- afternoon- night sickness
 is more like it. I was literally nauseous ALL of the time, and it only grew. I don't want to delve into too much detail, because I could go on and on. My doctor's said I have 'hyperemises', which, as far as I can tell, means lots of vomiting and dehydration. Sometimes I could throw up and I then I was ready to roll again, multiple times I would run to the bathroom in a restaurant as soon as we walked in, and then I could come out and order myself some chow mein. 

I haven't gotten out much this summer, but this is me and Scottie at the Heber Derby.

Then there came the weeks where it was only an hour between each time, all smells made me nauseous, and even ice chips wouldn't stay down. That's when they hooked me up to an IV through Home Health- AMAZING. I was hooked up to a little back pack filled with fluids that I carried around with me for 8 weeks. I still couldn't eat or drink much, but I didn't feel like I was dying. And I mean this quite literally. I've never been so miserable in my life, as when I would pull my pillow up next to the toilet and lay there on the ground, feeling so thirsty. I'm pretty sure that Scott, my doctors, and family, would tell you that I wasn't actually near death at any point. But it sure felt like it. 

This is one of the few pictures of me with my IV (you can see it coming out of my left arm, with the black backpack folding the fluid bags). Baby bump was about 15 weeks!

My IV backpack is hidden in this one, but here is me and my daddy in our backyard at my friend Shayla's reception, baby bump 16 weeks. 

About four weeks ago Scottie left for Hong Kong. I was supposed to leave not long after that, but no one really felt comfortable sending me overseas until I felt better. About that time my doctor decided that I needed a feeding tube, due to my 15 pound weight loss, and inability to eat anything. I was all for this idea, as it was supposed to speed my recovery up and I wanted desperately to be with my husband. My mom was really nervous about it, but I was all like "get it in me now!!!" so they did it that very day. I had no idea what she was so worried about. Well let me tell you- FEEDING TUBES SUCK. 
Putting it in- they walk in with a two foot tube with a little numbing gel on the end, stick it in your nose, and tell you to swallow. Then, you can feel it at the back of your throat, moving, tickling. I can't even explain it. One of my uncle's is handicapped and has had a feeding tube for about half of my life, and I can't even begin to think what that would be like. It was so uncomfortable I started crying when we got home, and they crying restricted my throat so that I started to choke. So I did the very mature thing and sat and whimpered instead, but it doesn't really give you the same relief, you know? 

I've had it for about 3 weeks now, and let me tell you, there are more bad things I could say about that tube, I am still not used to it. But I have not felt so good in MONTHS! I will be 19 weeks on Wednesday, and the baby is the size of a bell pepper! I am nearly back up to my pre-pregnancy weight, I can drink and eat more every week, and I have more energy. Now it feels more like I am pregnant, and less like I am dieing. I am so excited for my baby- and guess what?! It's a boy! 
So far the best part has been seeing my little boy on the ultrasound, and getting together all of the little baby things. Finding out the sex made everything more real. Now I like to hold the little boy outfits up and imagine how little and cute he will be. I am so excited, and I love him so much already. Scottie is more than pumped to be a daddy, and to have a little boy to throw the football to and make memorize sports stats. We even have a name picked out- Scottie Maverick Stiles. Cute right?!

Here is me and my friend Kirsten at the amazing bridal shower my friend Lauren threw for me. This was my second day with the feeding tube. 




My sisters, me, and my mom at my baby shower. Sunnee, Sydney (38 weeks prego- our boys will be so close!), me, and my mom, Joy.

 So, this is an update on me and my little bell pepper. Hopefully my next blog post will be less about illness, and more about me being able to move to Hong Kong and see Scottie! 



On Oahu there is an (illegal) hike, named "Stairway to Heaven", it's one of the most famous on the island. During WWII (I believe) the armed forces built a stairway up a mountainside so that they could set up a huge satellite radio antennae at the top. It's signals are supposed to be able to reach all the way around the world! Once it wasn't in use anymore it became a popular hike because of the view. However, it is very steep, slippery with dew, narrow, and the stairs were not well maintained. As a result there were several hikers that died. About 25 years ago the government closed the hike and put a guard at the bottom to keep tourists out. 
However people still ventured up to climb the rotting wooden stairs and hold onto the ropes to get up the mountainside to the bunkers and satellite at the top. About 10 years ago the government replaced the rotting wooden steps with very narrow steel stairways, but kept the hike closed and illegal. It's still one of the most popular hikes on the island ;). 
To get around the guard and avoid a fine you must start the hike at about 2 am so that you can make it past the guard station at the bottom and climb to the top. Most people then stay in the bunker at the very  top of the mountain until the sun rises. Once the sun is up you hike back down, enjoy the view, and the guard gives you directions on how to get back to your car most easily. If they don't catch you on the way up you don't get a fine, and they are very easy going. 
We did this hike two weeks before we graduated, as it was one of the last things left on our Hawaii Bucket List. 
It was by far the scariest thing either me or Scottie had ever done. Some sections are about 80 degrees, so they are more of ladders than stairs. Then the mountain cliff is often only two feet off the sides of the narrow stairs, and you are gripping the dewy handrails for your life. It was amazing. 
Once. 
But we highly recommend it. 

Here is the proof that we did it!
This is Scottie in the bunker at the top of the hike. there were about 50 people in this 300 square foot bunker, hiding from the wind. There was trash everywhere, and it smelled like B.O. and rotting food. It literally looked like a concentration camp. This is at the end when we got up to start hiking down. 


Here is the top bunker, with the satellite on the top. 

Here is Scottie headed down some of the stairs, you can see how the fog limited vision to a few feet, and very steep. 


A few sections at the top were built like this instead of steps, because it was 'flat'. 


Here is me and Scott at one of the 5 level stops on the way down. Look how sweaty and dewy we are!

This is a pretty good look at what the steps are made of, and how steep they can be. 



This is the other bunker on the way up, where they used to house the pulley system that pulled up small 'trains' of equipment and people. 

The pulley system, very rusty now. 






Here is everyone in the hiking group we went with, except me and Scottie. 




Our group with everyone but me. 

About 2/3 of the way down, you can see the highway below us, and the clouds above us. 


This was the steepest section. Sure I was going to die. 




 

This is at the very bottom, when we had passed the guard, and were hiking back down to our cars. you can faintly see the line of stairs going straight up the mountain- 
the Stairway to Heaven!


The day after graduation Mr. Scottie the Hottie headed to Hong Kong. Earlier in the year he applied for the school's Hong Kong Career Connect. About 50 students who wanted internships or full time jobs in Hong Kong applied. They had to submit resumes and have a series of ingredients. Then the top 8 were chosen, and the school took them to Hong Kong to meet companies and have interviews. Scott was one of two Caucasian boys chosen (the other six were all Chinese or Hong Kongers), and the only one not fluent in either Mandarain or Cantonese. 
He got to spend a week over there, for only $400! I am so proud of him. 

This did, however, leave an opening in our Kauai trip, because my parents had intended on taking me and Scott. So my brother Colby got to come instead! When we got to Kauai we met up with our family friends, the Beans. Shawn is a year younger than me and we were best friends growing up in Tucson. 

Here are a few pictures of the hotel we stayed in on Coconut Beach in Kapa'a. It was right on the beach, and gorgeous. 


1. On the first day that we arrived we met up with the Beans and headed to Waimea Canyon. It's known as the "little Grand Canyon". But is far more colorful than the real grand canyon because it is mostly red rock with bright greet plants everywhere. It takes about an hour to drive either way in, and there are 3 or four view areas. Unfortunately when we went it was very very foggy, and we couldn't see much. 

This was when we could see the most. 

The entire crew: Shawn, David, and Annette Bean. Then Joy, Colby, and Scott Holbrook (I took the picture)



On the edge of the canyon when we were almost out of the canyon we finally escaped the fog, and you can see what everyone is talking about!


Just a few shots of the view at the end of the canyon, with the gorgeous skies. 





2. On the second full day there we kayaked 2 miles up a river, than hiked inland to the Secret Falls. Kauai is known as the Garden Island, and it was truly beautiful. I don't have any pictures because the waterproof camera I got for Scott's birthday took a nose dive off the sea catamaran the next day. :(

3. On the third full day we went on a huge sea catamaran around the Na Pali coast. The Na Pali coast is the side of the island with huge cliffs and canyons, and it is gorgeous! 

the Na Pali coast

A picture of me and Colby in front of a romantic waterfall. I missed Scottie, :(



On the way out we saw a pod of whales, probably 5 or six. It was really unusual because it was so late in the whale migration season. But the guides told us that it was a group of momma whales, baby whales, and teenager nanny types whales who helped take care of the younger ones. They were jumping and splashing, blowing water from their blow holes, and slamming their whale tails against the water for us. I had never been so close to them, so majestic!


Shortly after we saw the whales we saw a pod of dolphins as well! I had never seen dolphins in real life, and they were so majestic! They were small Spinner dolphins, and apparently it was a 'small' pod of them. Only 50 or 60 ;). 

They were jumping and spinning. I was in heaven! 

Colby and Shawn on the Catamaran


Me and Shawn with the Na Pali coast in the back. 





This is one of my favorite pictures, I love the layers of cliffs!

A gorgeous sea cave. 

Here is where we stopped on the way back to snorkel with some schools of fish. I also attempted a shallow scuba dive, but I got so claustrophobic, and couldn't clear my ears, that I only got to go down a bout 10 feet before I had to come back up. It was great to try, but I don't think I'll get to go look at the Titanic's remains any time soon. 

4. On our last full day in Kauai we drove along the North Shore to the very end of the road.
This is a gorgeous lighthouse.



Our family at the lighthouse!


After we drove up the north coast we went back to the town of Kap'aa where we were staying. Then we rode on a slow boat to the Fern Grotto. Basically it is a big cave in a beautiful garden off the Wailua River (the same river we kayaked to get to the Secret Falls), that has lots of ferns hanging off the cave. It is part of the old royal Hawaiian lands, and royals used to get married there because the place was said to have special powers pertaining to relationships and fertility. 

The staff at the Fern Grotto played us some traditional music and did a Hawaiian wedding luau for us. 


Along the same Wailua river we passed this hill. Look familiar? Yup- In Indiana Jones, Raiders of the Lost Ark, at the beginning Indie runs from the cave through some trees, and swings from a tree into the plane that is here! 

Overall: I liked Kauai alot. It was very green, and had tons of high adventure opportunities (kayaking, hiking, catamarans, snorkeling, repelling, tubing, zip lining, ect). But it lacked the great beaches of Oahu, and the rugged mountains of the North Shore I was used to. I definitely recommend it for a vacation, but I still prefer to live in Oahu. 




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