Baby's 1st Steps

Slow Down!

I was looking through the pictures on our computer today...trying to brainstorm for Father's Day gift ideas...and I found myself getting choked up at how much has happened in this past year. Semisi will be a year old at the end of next month...and thinking about being pregnant last year with just Manase and I in the house, it seems like eternities ago! It's so hard to remember life before this little ball of fat consumed it...much less imagining life without him! Some days I wish he would just stop growing and freeze just the way he is...

1 day old

1 month

2 months

3 months

4 months

5 months6 months

7 months

8 months

9 months

10 months

Graduation time!

These past couple weeks have been really busy for our family...I guess not THAT busy...but busier than usual. The last weekend of May both my brother Duke and Manase's brother Sifa were graduating from high school so we had to split up. Manase went to the bay and Semisi and I went to So Cal. It was kind of sad that we couldn't all make it to either one but we did what we could. Duke ended up having a rugby tournament in the Bay that weekend so my mom and I drove up with Semisi to watch Duke and to give Manase's family a chance to see Semisi. I was supposed to come home from there with Manase but the baby and I ended up driving back to LA with my mom because I had to work on some things for Semisi's 1st Birthday.

My mom has been totally into Stampin Up! lately so she thought we should make the invitations for the party with all the stuff she's collected over the last couple months. So we picked out some paper and stamps...and I must say, for someone who's never made anything by hand...I'm rather proud of what we did! I'd give you all a preview but you can just wait until you one in the mail. :)

We got home last Monday only for Semisi to come down with a fever of 104 that refused to come down. So we had to take him to the ER(after reading Mary's blog about Kina, I was PARANOID the same would happen to him). It turned out it was due to a bug bite that got infected so with the help of antibiotics, he's back to his old tricks again. :)

Now I'm just trying to look around for a bakery that would make cute cakes for the birthday...so if anyone has suggestions it would help a ton. Manase is working at Nu Skin until fall camp so Semisi and I are just hanging out together trying to get ready for his little sister's arrival. He's started this new habit of sleeping in everyday..which makes his pregnant mommy VERY happy. But when I say sleeping in, I'm talking until about noon! Or like today, he woke up around 11, ate a bottle and went right back to sleep until almost 3! Should I be worried? I woke him up the other day because I figured that this much sleep can't be healthy, but he just screamed until I finally let him go back to sleep. Oh well, it may be a phase...or he could just be his Mother's son...haha

Happy Mother's Day!

I just wanted to wish all those mommy's out there a very HAPPY MOTHERS DAY! This was my first Mom's day and I was pretty much a blubbering fool all day long. I'm glad that in our deteriorating society we still take time out of the year to acknowledge Mothers and their impact not only on our own lives, but in the world. My mom was in Aussie for the holiday but I had alot of time to reflect on her, and my Grandmothers. I am so grateful for the mothers in my life, and I know it is truly a calling set apart for us by our Heavenly Father. It really is the only way we could ever know unconditional love. So here's to all those mommy's out there, thanks for everything you do! It takes an amazing woman to be a Mom.

Here's a quote I stole from Jenny's page that really hit me hard...

"You rock a sobbing child without wondering if today’s world is passing you by, because you know you hold tomorrow tightly in your arms."
–Neal A. Maxwell

Happy Mother's Day!

Our Late Bloomer

So Semisi seems to have been a little bit of a late bloomer, but we just think it's because he has a lot of weight to carry around(about 30 pounds worth). He's just learned to crawl, or scoot rather, and just BARELY got his first tooth...immediately followed by his second tooth. Oh well, better late than never! I don't mind if he takes a while to learn to walk, I'm not ready to chase him around yet. He's gonna be hell on wheels, I know it.

Hawaii Nei

There's nothing like a spontaneous vacation right? So Semisi had been in California visiting my parents for about a week and so I had to go pick him up. When I got there, my Dad said he had found a killer airfare to Hawaii so he booked a ticket...I asked when and how much...and to make a long story short...I bought two tickets to Hawaii that left four days later...and at an UNHEARD of price.

Semisi and I left from LA on Tuesday April 28th with my Dad, Jared, Kristen and their two girls. Manase still had finals until Wednesday so he finished his last one Wed morning, hopped on a flight to LA, took his flight from LA early Thursday morning, lay over in SLC, and then finally landed in Honolulu. (That was the cheapest flight we could find for thursday)

We spent a whole RELAXING week in Hawaii and I think it was worth every penny! Our next baby will be coming soon so it was nice to have our own getaway with Semisi while he's still the only child. Also, it's been a very stressful semester for our little family...actually the whole past year has been hectic, so it felt awesome to celebrate the end of the semester and Manase's going back to BYU.

Manase hadn't been to HI since he was young, so I had fun showing him around where I grew up. We visited my parents' house in Mililani...and tried to convince him that maybe one day we could live there...I think he likes the idea. We visited my school, my favorite beaches that I spent the majority of my younger years at, and we even did the whole PCC thing.

The3 little babies at Kapiolani park for May Day

Cruising Waikiki. He would go crazy when the wind would blow on his face.

Daddy and Semisi playing in front of China Man's Hat

Me and my baby at Sand Island Beach with Diamond Head in the background.

So now it's back to Utah, the summer, and getting ready for our newest Tonga.

It's a girl!!

So I completely procrastinated going to the doctor with this pregnancy...mostly due to my denial. When I finally decided it was time, we heard the baby's heartbeat at that first appointment. I'm sure that other mothers of multiple children can relate when I say that I never thought anyone could ever come close to how much I love Semisi...but this was love at first thump! We had our ultrasound last week and found out we're having a BABY GIRL!! I'm sooooo excited! I was worried because I felt like Semisi didn't get enough time being the special only child, but this makes me happy because he'll still be my little prince, and we're just adding a little princess to the bunch! I have two nieces who I ADORE, girls are so much fun, so I'm so psyched for our little girl to get here.
I'm just so much more excited about everything we've experienced so far in this pregnancy. I think that with Semisi it was all new and fast and I didn't quite know how to take it all in. But now that we've seen him go from the weird alien kicks to the fatty he is now...we can see well into her future and we know what to expect. The ability to create life truly is one of the best blessings Heavenly Father could share with us...Good news! I JUST found our camera charger in a suitcase that was packed away, so I should be updating a little more often, now that I'll have pictures and videos to upload. I don't have any now, because Semisi is in California with his grandparents...but I'll be sure to post more often! Sorry...I'm such a slacker, I know! I'll be better I promise.