It’s a Platy Family!
Last night we went to the store to buy some fish. 
We came home with two sunburst wag platys and they adjusted well to our little 5-gallon tank.
This afternoon, I was checking on them and found a tiny little baby fish!!! I had a feeling one of the fish we bought was preggo because her belly was so big and round! FYI, baby fish are called “fry”. Haha.
When I looked closer, I saw two more, then a fourth…wait, there were at least 7 baby fishies!! Here is a picture of two on the leaf and two more (blurry) down below. Aren’t they so cute?!
http://youtu.be/sC1Gf1A-CLc
Here is a video of them hanging out.
We made sure to keep the adults fed so that they wouldn’t be tempted to eat the babies. We also added more plants so that the babies had more places to hide. Hopefully they will survive the next few days and grow up big enough to fend for themselves.
Update!! I just checked again and counted ELEVEN of those little guys!!
Another Update: I just counted TWELVE! These guys are sneaky.
One year ago today, we lost Koa to kidney failure. At times, it seems surreal that he’s actually gone.
I think about him daily and wonder what kind of trouble he and KK would be up to if he was still around. KK loves watching videos of him and looks at the painting on our wall when she eats dinner and often says “it’s Mama and Koa”. I’m still amazed at how patient he was with her.
I get a little choked up when I run along parts of McCovey Cove or when we drive past Fort Funston. We sometimes talk about getting another dog. I know we’ll never be able to replace him and will it be weird to get another shiba?
Last night, Kumquat went to sleep around 8:30 and woke up at 11:00 with a weird cough, a hard time catching her breath, and wheezing. She also coughed so hard it made her throw up. Her breathing wasn’t normal after a while so I decided to take her to the ED at my work. It’s weird to think that we had to drive across the bridge to get to a hospital but we are actually at the midpoint between my work and UCSF (where she was born). When we arrived, it was eerie being there so late but there was something comforting about being about to go to a place that was so familiar. I also also never stepped foot in our ED and was getting a first-hand experience from the other side as a parent.
At check-in, we saw the triage nurse first and KK was so pissed. She was still wheezing, coughing, and now crying because all she wanted to do was go back to bed. 
Instead her parents put her in the car and took her to a place where people put stickers on her toes and squeeze your leg for a blood pressure reading.
Once we were placed in a room, she continued to cry with the first nurse. Vitals were taken again and we were given cool mist to blow in her face. After a few more minutes, the Resident came in to check her and she calmed down and let her examine her without any fuss.
Then for the next two hours, we sat in the room with the cool mist and an occasional video on Jes’ phone. She perked up quite a bit and played with the tubing and gave GG a little treatment too.
Finally by the end of the visit, she was diagnosed with croup, which is a viral infection of the vocal cords. That’s what caused the barking cough that she had. She was also given some apple juice and a low-dose steroid. By 3:00, we were sent home. She’s sleeping quietly now and at 3:50 am, both Jes and I are still awake. I guess I’m not going to work in the morning. I’m just glad she’s ok and that she responded to the treatment so quickly. Overall, I’d say we had a good experience and we’ll probably go there again if we ever have another emergency.
Our department got a new therapy dog from Canine Companions and she had her first day today. Her name is Trinity and she’s a labrador+golden mix. I met her this morning on my way to the cafeteria and we got to hang out for a bit in the hall. As I walked away to buy my coffee, I nearly lost it. Tears began to well up in my eyes and I had to take a moment to regroup. I guess I still miss Koa. I guess this therapy dog will be good for not only the patients but for the staff too.
*sigh* It’s our last full day in Hawaii. For breakfast, we went to eggs n things and didn’t have to wait so long this time around. Again, I had my coconut waffle and a side of bacon that Kumquat demolished. 
After breakfast, we walked down to Waikiki Aquarium where we met up with the Lams.
Jes and I have been coming here for years and it’s fun to see it again through a toddler’s eyes.
For lunch, Jes and Kevin picked up plate lunches at Rainbow and we ate at the park overlooking the ocean. Jen had brought a dozen malasadas with her so there was dessert for us too!
Back at the hotel, we all jumped into the pool one last time. I also took Kumquat out to the beach for the last time and it was so nice to be able to finally wade in the water with her without a total meltdown. 
I’d have to say that it took a lot of work to help her overcome her fear of Mr. Ocean but so worth the persistence and energy to have this one vacation goal achieved. I hope this lasts until the next time we’re at a beach.
Back at the pool, we just ordered some drinks and lounged on the lawn.
A bunch of people had dinner plans but the three of us stuck around for the sunset.
By the time we were ready to go out for dinner, Holly and Andrew had made their way back from Kaneohe so we joined them for an Italian/Japanese dinner at Arancino. I was a bit skeptical having Italian food in Hawaii but it did not disappoint. I ordered the Spaghetti Ricci di Marre (aka uni pasta) and it was SO yummy. You don’t even have to really eat the uni that was on top to appreciate the sauce. The photo I took in the dark doesn’t do it justice but it will just have to do.
While Kumquat went to sleep in the stroller, Holly was in a bit of a pickle with where to put Andrew. She decided the bench just outside of our table was the only doable spot. Poor guy was so tired, he didn’t care where he laid down. We put out some table napkins for him and then piled all our jackets on top. He had his doggy and sucked on his thumb until he passed out. It was hilarious watching people walk by with a confused look on their faces.
On our way back to the hotel, we walked Holly home and Jes carried Andrew over his shoulder. That was certainly a very memorable way to end our vacation.
Back at the hotel, we went to the outdoor lounge for a couple drinks with the Fernandos and I went out to the infinity pool to hang out on one of the over-the-water lounge chairs. I actually snoozed for a bit out there and it was so nice.
Here is a collage of the tasty food I ate today. It was definitely a delicious day.
We slept in a bit more this morning but it was still pretty early. After such a successful day at the beach the day before, I thought I’d take Kumquat out to the beach again so keep the momentum going. We packed up some pineapple and another Spam musubi(!) and headed out to see Mr. Ocean. Kumquat walked down to the sand without even a hesitation that morning. She sat down and proceeded to eat her pineapple with the ocean crashing right in front of her. Amazing!!
It was so quiet and empty that morning and I just loved watching her play in the sand. She still wasn’t ready to go in the water but she watched me scoop up water for her in the bucket and when I dropped off in front of her, she sweetly said “Thank you, Mama.” My heart just about melted at that moment.
Huy later called and said he was hungry. So, came over and we had some coffee by the pool and read the paper while we waited for Sam’s Kitchen to open. I got the garlic shrimp, aloha chicken, and an island iced tea. Yum. Not a bad meal for being just a block away from the hotel.
After lunch, we went back to the beach for a little dip in the water. Kumquat actually walked down to the water’s edge with Jes and stood in the water like a big girl! I couldn’t believe it. She’d let the water rush up to her knees and she didn’t see bothered at all.
We also went to the pool for about an hour before having to head upstairs to get ready for Yoon’s wedding. Kumquat spent some time with Uncle Huy in the pool and went down the little tunnel slide without a floatie this time! Wow, two big accomplishments in one morning for this girl.
The rest of the day was filled with wedding festivities. The first part of the adventure was heading out to Hale Koa to catch the shuttle that Yoon had booked for us all to get to the wedding at a Country Club. She booked a much smaller bus but the company had run out and gave us the super tour bus.
The wedding was set right next to the beach and there were only a small number of chairs for the family. 
The rest of us stood in the back and tried to catch what was said in the super-short 10-minute wedding ceremony. 
I snuck up a little closer and watched most of it through my camera’s zoom lens. Isn’t it cool how close I can get with it?!
Surpisingly, Yoon got a little choked up during the vows but she held it together really well.
There was a little time after the ceremony to hang out and take photos. 
Here is Yoon’s family: dad, mom, Yoon, Kurt, and two younger brothers.
Shortly after the ceremony, the bus took us back to Hale Koa. We grabbed a couple drinks and snacks at the bar before heading to the reception inside.
A few of us had to drop off our kids upstairs to the nanny waiting for us in Yoon’s hotel room. She was nice but I barely really talked to her. All I know is that she had been babysitting Keenan for the past two mornings while his Kevin had to work and Jen was busy with the baby. I had never dropped Kumquat off with a complete stranger before and I wasn’t sure how she would do. Luckily, she had eaten and was already rubbing her eyes. So, we took her up along with Holly, Roy, and Andrew, showed the nanny where everything was in the stroller, and I snuck out before Kumquat could notice. I don’t know what she did exactly but Yoon was there to distract her while she was freshening up. We got an update from Kevin and Jen who dropped off later and said that Kumquat was already asleep and Andrew was watching The Little Mermaid on the bed. Keenan was having a hard time separating but Andrew was sweet enough to offer his train to him and that did the trick. An hour later, all three kids were asleep and the grown-ups were free for a couple more hours.
It was a fun reception including a Hawaiian feast complete with lomi lomi salmon, mac salad, kahlua pork, crab legs, and prime rib just to name a few. Holly was all over the giant dessert table filled with tiny versions of cheesecake, cream puffs, chocolate cake, and fruit tarts.
The booze was flowing and it was all paid for by Yoon’s parents! There was table service and the waiter did a really good job getting all out orders straight.
By 9pm, the nanny was done with her shift but all the kids were sleeping. Jes went up to roll ours down in her stroller while the Lams and Kwaks took 20-minute shifts hanging out in the dark with the kids. It wasn’t the most ideal situation but it’s what they came up with and it worked.
Our kid just slept right through the music and drunk shouting. This kid really does have my sleeping genes.
Here’s a group selfie that we took at the end of the night. It was the best one out of the 4 that I took. We managed to squeeze in 10 people. Someone should have snuck in right next to Yoon on her left!!
Mahalo for a wonderful night, Yoon! We were so happy to celebrate this special day with you. Congratulations to you and Kurt!
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