March 25, 2015

HĀpai - Pregnant

No, I'm not pregnant! But, there are at least five new babies we know of and ten more on the way! So, this post is pretty timely - for them at least. Although I do feel like I was pregnant forever...


I've had the best excuse for not writing. Our nine pound baby boy was born in August! We're so thankful for this huge blessing! He's a wonderful addition to our family, but it definitely puts blogging on the back burner, at least for a while.

One notable difference about being pregnant here is not wearing lei in a circle, so instead it is cut in half and hangs down in front. This comes from fear of the cord wrapping around baby's neck, and some women won't even wear necklaces while hāpai.

Another advantage is not needing to buy different seasons of maternity clothes! And actually utilizing not one, but two maternity swim suits! Did you see pro surfer Bethany Hamilton surfing pregnant? She's amazing! Don't worry, in case you're wondering - my photo was totally staged.


Other than that, you get the same crazy questions and advice people love to share with pregnant ladies. Everyone seems friendlier and more helpful than normal when you're pregnant, and that is magnified in already full-of-aloha-Hawai'i. 


Language Notes
Word: hāpai
Language: Hawaiian
Break down: hā=life, pai=increase
Definition: pregnant
Frequency: very common