Week 15

Lediya had an issue with queasiness this past week so I'm watching it closely.

Shōgun

Now reading James Clavell's highly acclaimed novel Shōgun. It is the first novel (chronologically speaking) in Clavell's Asian Saga. It is set in feudal Japan somewhere around the year 1600 and gives a highly fictionalized account of the rise of Tokugawa Ieyasu to the Shogunate, seen through the eyes of an English sailor whose fictional heroics are loosely based on Willam Adams' exploits.

It's a wonderfully engrossing historical novel so far.

Week 14

Thank goodness for stretchy tank tops.

Everything Father-To-Be Book

Borrowed Kevin Nelson's The Everything Father-To-Be Book from my brother-in-law Ben to help me prepare for Baby Beltran's arrival. The book is great. It's packed with helpful information and experienced advice. There are sections on balancing home and work responsibilities, tips on supporting and encouraging your partner, advice on babyproofing the home, and others.

Recommended for first time dads-to-be!

Week 13

Yep, definitely showing now.

Current Investment Portfolio Allocation

Here's our current portfolio allocation per Morningstar X-Ray. This is just an analysis of our investment portfolio (not including cash holdings). Our portfolio is still dominated by the domestic large caps, but the recent run-up of the foreign markets has boosted our allocation there. Also note the meager 5% bond holding - I feel that we can do better with current short term certificate rates than short term bond yields for now.

We're also sticking with passively managed mutual funds from Vanguard. Nothing like a one-stop-shop for easy portfolio consolidation.

Current overall annual expense ratio = 0.27%

Week 13 Ultrasound

Baby Beltran has now grown from a little bean to a tiny baby measuring approximately 2.5 inches long. We also heard the heart beat today via doppler- very rapid but rhythmic. Hard to believe that there's a real little person now living in Lediya's tummy!

This ultrasound is kind of hard to make out, but it's a profile image of the baby's side. You can see the baby's head looking up and its stomach. Cool huh?

Week 12

Tomorrow will be our first prenatal appointment together.

TV Shows In Our DVR

Now that it's a new TV season, what are we recording in our DVR this fall? Here's a list:

Sunday - Amazing Race 10
Monday - Heroes
Wednesday - Lost
Thursday - Grey's Anatomy
Friday - Battlestar Galactica

Of course, we also record Oprah everyday. We especially are hooked on Heroes. Great show so far. BSG has been a little confusing to start, as we are still trying to remember what happened last season. But it's still a great show.

Ziplining Video Clips

Here are a couple of video clips of us ziplining in Kaua'i.

Lediya:


Paolo:

Week 11 - Hawai'i Edition

Starting to show a bit more.

Kaua'i

Pictures!

Lediya and I just got back from 6 days in Kaua'i and we had a wonderful time. The great thing about the "Garden Island" is that it is more laid back than Maui and Oahu. Kauai is the oldest of the Hawaiian Islands and therefore has the most varied terrain. The two most famous sights in Kauai are the Na Pali Coast and the Waimea Canyon (nicknamed by Mark Twain as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific). Kauai also has the wettest spot on Earth – Mount Wai'ale'ale, which receives an average of 440 inches of rain per year. This contributes to Kauai's incredible lushness and greenery.

We took our first helicopter ride, which was incredible because the helicopter we flew in had no doors (to provide an unobstructed view). Lediya sat in the middle front seat and I sat in the right front seat, meaning that I was partly sitting outside. It was awesome to see the unreal Na Pali Coast and the Waimea Canyon. We also saw innumerable waterfalls and the sheer cliffs of Wai'ale'ale. The only thing was that we both got nauseous near the end of the 60-minute flight because of the crosswinds and the movement of the helicopter. But it was definitely a great experience for us.

Because this trip was also about Lediya, I decided to treat the both of us to a professional massage. We went to the world-renowned Anara Spa in the Grand Hyatt Kauai in Poipu, where she received an hour-long maternity massage and I got a Swedish massage (which was my first massage). Very relaxing. The spa facilities were top-notch. They had a sauna room, a Jacuzzi, a shower with nine showerheads, and other amenities. We also had a nice dinner there at the Tidepools restaurant.

We also went ziplining for the first time. We signed up for a guided ziplining adventure through Kauai Backcountry Adventures. They took us to a privately owned land where we ziplined through the jungle – above trees, streams, and cliffs. We took 7 ziplines in all, with the longest run being 940 feet across from one side of the mountain to the other. It was great fun to soar through the air.

Finally, a trip to Kauai is not complete without trying out the local food. Lediya and I ate locally throughout the trip. We hunted down restaurants where locals eat at and ordered what the locals would order. For example, I had Portuguese baked pork, rice, and eggs for breakfast one day at Ono Family Restaurant in Lihue. For lunch I ate chili and rice at Koke'e Lodge. We also tried the local plate lunches. Lediya enjoyed the shrimp tempura plate lunch (which comes with shrimp, rice, macaroni/potato salad) at Sueoka's in Koloa while I scarfed down the combo plate (teriyaki beef, fried chicken, Spam, rice, and macaroni/potato salad) at Hanalei.

We also went swimming, snorkeling, and hiking on our trip. One highlight for Lediya was hiking to this secret swimming hole called Queen's Bath. It's a natural pool ringed by lava rocks that sits on north shore. The water is continually refreshed by the incoming waves, and she particularly liked the clarity of the water and the marine life.

All in all we had an awesome trip. Our philosophy when we travel is to stay where the locals stay and eat where the locals eat. You get to see the true spirit of the destination and the people. The people are very nice and warm. We will definitely come back to this place, with Baby Beltran of course!