Vaka, Brooke & Jacob Tu'ifua

Due Date

2011-03-20T22:20:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that given my history of being overdue, today I should still look like this:

Instead, I am lucky to be 25 lbs lighter and get to snuggle my sweet baby from the outside, rather than in.

Today I am more than grateful I am not still pregnant, but I wouldn't mind if my sweet baby were 1 day old again. He is already growing so fast!

Mānoa Benjamin

2011-03-14T20:43:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe a week has passed since we welcomed our sweet baby boy into our family. Mānoa Benjamin Vakameilalo Tu'ifua arrived at 10:09 a.m. on March 7th, at 8 lbs 6 oz and 20 inches long. I feel so blessed that I was able to carry him to 38 weeks and that we are both healthy and doing well.

My doctor and the nurses and staff at the hospital were SO good to make sure my delivery this time around was easier emotionally and physically than when I had to have an emergency c-section with Jacob. It was a much better experience all around and already I am recovering so much better than before.

Mānoa is an angel baby. I don't want to jinx myself, but it appears he will be much calmer and easier than Jacob was. He is already on a schedule, and is a great sleeper at night and only wakes every 3-4 hours to eat. Some unique characteristics - he has a small patch of blond hair above his left ear and long fingers and fingernails. Other than that, I feel like I am looking at Jacob as a newborn all over again!

Jacob had a hard time the first day adjusting to his new baby brother, and said several times at the hospital "No baby Mānoa ." However, by the time we checked out, he actually smiled while holding him. Now that we are home, he has turned into a big helper and pats his head when he cries, helps change his diaper, holds his binky in his mouth and gives him lots of kisses. He does however still have bouts of jealousy where he wants attention - the funniest to me has been that he demands he get HIS diaper changed first. All in all, he's handled the transition great!

Having a new baby is a little slice of heaven. I don't know that there is anything better in the world than snuggling my baby in my arms!

New & Improved

2011-02-22T18:01:00.000-08:00

I had been waiting to do anything with Jacob's room until we knew the gender of the baby and would therefore know whether I had to figure out something gender neutral, or could go all out BOY. As soon as I found out Jacob would have a little brother, I knew I wanted to copy the design from this blog. Surprisingly enough, it took me a couple months to get the guts to do it. I was worried the navy would make the room too dark, or that one day the white on the bottom would come back to haunt me, (i.e. imagine what could happen if markers fell into the hands of toddlers if left unattended) but I finally went with it, and I am loving it!

BEFORE

AFTER

It obviously still needs lots of work with accessories, bedding, etc; and it will never look as awesome as the room I got the idea from, but it is amazing how much a bit of paint and trim can transform a room!

I originally had considered using beadboard, but after pricing it, it just wasn't in our budget, and I had heard it can be a pain to install. Instead, the faux board and batten was SO easy and because we already had the white paint left over from finishing the basement, all we had to buy was the blue paint and trim, totaling a mere $114.27.

And for good measure, a recent picture of the soon-to-be big brother who is loving his new room!

Not the best picture as he is sick (crossing my fingers he'll get better quickly and we'll all get at least one full night of sleep before baby arrives!) but as you can see, my little guy is all grown up. I can't wait to see him love on his baby brother!

Life as we now know it

2011-02-06T20:54:00.001-08:00

For any of you who still read this blog, don't have a heart attack. Yes, it's true, I am posting! Hopefully it will be a more regular occurrence because it is something I enjoy and that I have missed, but just couldn't warrant the time to keep up with it until now.

Many have asked for an update on my pregnancy complications and what exactly I am up to these days... so this may not be the greatest "comeback" post, but hopefully I'll have more interesting posts in the near future!

At the beginning of January I went to my 29 week OB appointment and my only worry was that I had put on way too much weight over the holidays. Lucky for me, weight gain was great (only 3 lbs over the past 4 weeks!) but I had elevated blood pressure and traces of protein in my urine sample. So, my doctor ordered a non-stress test and more extensive labwork to test for preeclampsia. Long story short, at that point I wasn't concerned and assumed the results would come back negative. WRONG. I went to my appointment a week later and was officially diagnosed. Unfortunately for me, I have known people who had suffered from worst-case scenario preeclampsia and freaked out. Yet luckily for me, I was at the best-case scenario stage and should I worsen, I was far enough along that hopefully my baby boy would survive without any long-term damage.

The month of January was spent trying to finish up at my job, trying to get at least the important things in order should I need to deliver early, undergoing twice-a-week NST's, labwork and doctor appointments, all while trying to "take it easy" so that my blood pressure stayed at a normal level.

This past week was my first full week as a real stay-at-home mom, and I have loved it! It was hard to leave work after having been there for 5 1/2 years, but surprisingly the transition has been much easier than I anticipated. It is amazing how much I can get done in one day at home - clean, cook a healthy meal, play with my little monster and still fit in a nap and some "me" time! Aside from the continued twice-a-week tests that can take anywhere from 1-4 hours, life is good!

It has been a physically and emotionally past few weeks and I am already exhausted from all the testing, etc. However, the one positive in all of this - because of my condition, they won't let me carry past 38 weeks, so the c-section is scheduled and I know that 4 weeks from now I will officially be DONE being pregnant and have a beautiful new baby boy!

Home Sweet Home

2010-03-07T12:45:00.000-08:00

So apparently my "comeback" took longer for me to make than anticipated. I blame it all on my full-time job as a legal assistant, full-time job as a mother of an energetic 1 year old, full-time job of trying to find my husband a job so I can ditch my full-time job, time consuming new calling at church on top of the usual dishes, cleaning, cooking, exercising... you get the picture.

But here they are at long last. The long awaited house pictures. I owe it to my missionary brother who finally got me motivated to take some after he requested them for the tenth time, because, who can say no to a missionary? :)

The main reason I've been putting off posting pictures?? Lack of a clean house. These were taken during the five minutes after cleaning that the house actually stays clean. My second reason? Lack of decorating. I still have boxes to unpack, pictures to hang, window treatments to make and rooms to paint. I've finally come to terms with the fact that it will probably always be a work in progress, and that I won't have much time to dedicate to making it mine as long as I have all of the above going on.

So, without further adieu...

Front/side view

Back view

Family room from front door

Kitchen from front door

Kitchen from laundry/pantry

Laundry/pantry off the kitchen
(awesome floor to ceiling pantry shelves on opposite side)

Main bath
(probably my fav room in the house, probably because it is the only one I've actually done anything with! Still needs work though... what to put above the toilet???)

Jacob's room
(Sorry, no pic of the master; too messy! I'll update once we have it painted/refurnished)

Downstairs rec room
(Yes, we need more furniture! Slowly but surely. The doors on either side open into unfinished space of what will be two bedrooms. Hooray for tax returns so we can finally get to work on that. Then there will be no excuse for you all to not come visit! There is also a second bath down here and lots and lots of storage space.)

And last but not least, the tile deserves a picture of its own, because a lot of blood, sweat and tears went into laying it. And yes, Jacob messes it up on a daily basis. It was A LOT of work, but looks nice when it's clean!

Back from hiding...

2010-02-05T19:30:00.000-08:00

This blog has officially been stagnant for six months now, and it is time for that to END. :) I am not even sure any readers of this blog remain after having been MIA for so long. But for any of you that care, I plan to update current as well as past events, for sake of journaling and record keeping. My main ambition this year is to create a book of the blog through the end of 2009, and to do so, I have a lot of catching up to do! So for any of you lingering readers who are curious as to what has happened in our lives the past six months, check back soon!

For now, here's a pic of the not-so-little guy that makes our life worthwhile.

Tu'ifua Reunion 2009

2009-08-04T19:42:00.001-07:00

The main purpose of our trip to Washington was to attend the Tu'ifua reunion in Seattle. It included all Tu'ifua's from Vaka's great-grandpa's line of 13 sons. We camped at Camp Lakeview, WA and it was absolutely gorgeous. Literally. I told Vaka to quit school so we could move. :)

Ulu'amu and his kids/grandkids at the reunion

Because of school, our trip was shorter than we would have liked, and it was hard to leave before the reunion was over. However, in the time we were there we enjoyed EATING, swimming in the lake, EATING, dancing, EATING, playing cards, EATING, spending time with family and of course, EATING. It was a Tongan reunion - you get the point! Here are just a few of the many pictures...

Three generations of Tu'ifua boys

Our little family. Check out that view!

Breakfast with Kristen, Lillie & Bradley.
So glad my awesome sis-in-law was there so I wasn't the only non native Tongan speaker!

Vaka's aunties - Solia, Tae and 'Anau

Vaka and his cousin Mele

'Ulu & his new wife Naioka. So good to finally meet her!

Tu'ifua's chillin'

All of the Tu'ifua's from Grandpa Feliha'a's line

We love any opportunity we have to spend with Vaka's family since we don't get to see them often living so far away. We've been lucky to see many of them this year and I was so happy to have Jacob finally meet his Tu'ifua cousins. It was a fun for me to meet so many of Vaka's extended family and finally put faces to names and mentally figure out all the relations, which as you can imagine, isn't simple! Though sometimes the culture can be overwhelming and the language barrier frustrating, it is such a blessing to be a part of such a large, loving family.

LOVE these guys!

2009-08-04T19:17:00.000-07:00

The first stop of our Northwest trip was meeting up with the Chavez' in Washington. We met for lunch at our fav, The Cheesecake Factory and then went to Ben's grandparents' condo to chill and give Jacob some freedom to crawl around. Jessica and I were co-workers at Fillmore Spencer before Ben graduated and they relocated to Washington for work. Jessica has been there for my major life events, hosting both my bridal and baby shower, and is definitely a lifelong friend. When they moved, she was pregnant with Emilia, so the highlight of our visit with them was meeting their sweet baby girl! So good to see you again and hopefully you'll make a visit out here soon!

The happy mommies with our uncooperative offspring. Someone please tell me I'm not doomed to have pictures like this from now on! (And yes I know, we look like giants next to these petite girls!)

Our little rasta man

2009-07-22T12:46:00.000-07:00

Look at that boy groove! If Michael were still alive, I think he just may have stolen some of these moves. :) (And yes, that is reggae playing in the background. Other favorites include hip hop and the Mickey Mouse clubhouse soundtrack)

California in Pictures

2009-07-20T20:29:00.000-07:00

For our first vacation of the summer, we spent a jam packed, fun filled 3 days in Southern California. Here are some highlights of our trip:

Cooling off in the resort pool

Attending the Redlands temple with Ben as he received his endowments

Grandma enjoying having all 3 grandchildren together

Haylee enjoying her first boat ride on Big Bear Lake

Jacob loving it too

Having fun at Disneyland

These two boys LOVE their aunt Beka

Jacob meeting Mickey for the first time, probably the highlight of the trip!

And not much of this going on... except for JT who apparently can fall asleep in any position!

Cereal Night 2009

2009-07-20T20:19:00.000-07:00

4th of July weekend we reunited with some of my high school buddies for "cereal night" like we used to do back in the day. Sunday's after firesides, etc. we all gathered at the Hopkinson's for well, cereal. :) Many of us live out in Utah now, and others were in town and Andrea was awesome enough to organize and host. It was so fun to catch up with old friends. I left feeling 10 years younger! My high school years living in Hawaii were some of the most memorable of my life... thanks for all the fun guys!

Snip Snip

2009-07-03T19:01:00.001-07:00

I had been holding out for Jacob's first birthday to put him in the barber chair, but his hair just kept growing and growing and really starting to irritate him. So after lots of pressure and threats from Vaka that he would do it himself (yikes!), I succumbed.

The before shot of my terrified baby. So glad I captured this face!

And my handsome BOY after. This was what I was afraid of. He looks so much older! :(

A big thanks to Rach for the job well done with such a squirmy, uncooperative baby! This girl has been doing my hair since my Liberty Square days (has it really been 7 years!?!) and was the only one I would trust with my baby's first cut.

Fun in the Summer Sun

2009-06-23T07:01:00.000-07:00

After 3 weeks of rarely seeing the sun, we took the first opportunity we had to hit the pool again. Luckily I was blessed with a water baby who adores water in any form!

Its hard to believe June is almost over, we'll only get busier from here! July will be taking us on two separate trips - first to California (DISNEYLAND!), then back for a few days before we head up to Seattle for a family reunion and on to Portland and the Oregon coast from there. Vaka starts school the last week of August, and hopefully we'll be closing on our house around that time too!

9 months and counting

2009-06-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

How is it possible that I've been staring at this adorable face for nearly as long as I had him in my belly? I can't believe how fast time has flown. He is a ball of fun these days, but I can't help but miss when I could snuggle him in my arms. Jacob's recent favorite activities include: crawling at the speed of light, climbing up the stairs, learning to feed himself, experimenting with fun noises, blowing raspberries and eating yogurt for every meal. We love you little guy!

Confession: I have an addiction

2009-05-14T16:39:00.000-07:00

Any parent knows that upon welcoming a baby into your home, household expenses increase exponentially, just from diapers alone. Lucky for us, we didn't have to learn this until just a few months ago, thanks to a generous Grandpa Barker.

Upon arriving at Jacob's blessing, Grandpa arrived with a truck full of diapers, pictured below. THAT IS 734 DIAPERS. Yeah, BIG deal.

So when we finally exhausted our supply and had to actually start purchasing diapers ourselves... OUCH. We quickly learned we didn't want to increase our food/household items budget to compensate for the cost of diapers. Why not try to make the diapers fit into our current budget?

Bringing me to the real purpose of this post. :) $25 stretches much farther in our household these days. For example:

10 yogurts
7 bbq sauces
6 fuze drinks
4 apple juices
4 velveeta shells & cheese
4 ritz crackers
3 ritz chips
3 salad dressings
2 big mayo
2 small squeeze mayo
1 box capri sun
1 box granola bars
1 loaf of bread

All for $23.13, a total savings of $102.31. I may not be a coupon queen, (seeing as I'm not advanced enough where I get it all free and only pay tax) but hey, works for me!

Mommy's Little Helper

2009-05-14T15:41:00.001-07:00

I've always heard of "good" mothers who incorporate their children into their household duties, finding ways to have them help you with either cooking, laundry, etc. I guess it's never too young to start, right? However, apparently I don't fit into the "good" mom category because my little guy is always the one initiating the "help" while you can likely find me discouraging it. :)

How can I say no to this adorable, innocent face?

Literally, TAKING OUT the recycling (and not to the curb). His favorite thing to do these days.

Obviously I still need to learn a thing or two, because I'm sure I'll be pulling teeth to get him to help with these things in another 15 years!

Future Missionary

2009-05-07T18:41:00.000-07:00

I'm late on the announcement, but I couldn't let it go unrecognized. Two weeks ago my 'little' brother Ben received his mission call to the Brazil Porto Alegre South mission. He'll leave August 26th and head straight for the MTC in Brazil. I'm so proud of him and his willingness to sacrifice 2 years to serve the Lord. I was hoping he'd get called to New Zealand so we'd finally have a legitimate reason to fork out the cash to travel there (and then on to Tonga of course). Brazil sounds good too though!

Beautiful baby Haylee

2009-04-30T20:32:00.000-07:00

The downside in having to sign another round of paperwork on the house this weekend? I don't get to hold this sweet baby. :(

Introducing Haylee Tacoma Barker, 7 lbs 14 oz, 19 inches long.

Doesn't Tonya look GREAT!?! I did NOT look anywhere near that good right after labor!

And finally, the proud big brother. His comment when he first held her? "I love her."

Finally pictures of a baby other than Jacob to grace our blog. :)
Congratulations Brandon & Tonya!

MIA

2009-04-25T14:20:00.000-07:00

We've been MIA in the blogosphere and social circles recently, and this is why:

This is going to be OURS within the next few months. Yes, its true, we are going to become proud townhome owners! This is a BIG step for us, and we couldn't be more anxious, excited, scared and happy all at the same time. We've signed all the paperwork, picked out paint colors, cabinets, countertops and flooring, and now we just sit back and WAIT for it to be finished with a projected move-in date of July. Who knew I'd practically have to quit my day job and need to hire a fill-in mother/wife/housekeeper in order to make all this happen. We're finally over the hump and can leave the time consuming searching, choosing, signing behind us and get caught up on the rest of our life now! *Beware, many catch up posts to follow!*

Goodbye Grandma...

2009-03-07T20:30:00.001-08:00

(The Barkers, 1988)

We received a call this morning that sometime last night, my grandma passed away in her sleep. She's had numerous health problems for years now, but it still came as a shock - simply because she has had them for SO LONG.

So we headed up to Ogden to spend the day with my grandpa. Though under not-so-ideal circumstances, I can't imagine having spent my day in a better way. We made funeral arrangements, helped with odds and ends and ended the day going through albums of pictures, remembering my grandma the way she was in her happier, healthier years.

The following is her obituary that we composed today:

Lucile Dorothy Van Alfen Barker, 73, passed away peacefully in her sleep on March 7, 2009. She was born June 1, 1935 in Ogden, Utah to Dutch immigrants, John and Pauline Herbert Van Alfen. Lucy was raised in Ogden with her eight siblings and attended Ogden High School. After graduating in 1953, she worked for Safeway Stores and her father at their family real estate office. She married Joseph Keith Barker on August 30, 1955 at the County Courthouse in Salt Lake City. Their vows were later solemnized in the Logan LDS Temple in 1956.

Lucy endured 20 years of military life, moving 19 times throughout the United States and Thailand, before returning to Ogden in 1978. She was a member of the LDS church and enjoyed serving in various callings in the Relief Society. Lucy was an avid cook and was known for her delicious pies and chocolate candies. She loved her many pets on ‘Ma Barkers Ranch’, especially her poodles.

She was a fan of Neil Diamond, Tom Jones, and Englebert Humperdink. Lucy’s notable skills include her excellent penmanship and her organizational abilities. Lucy also loved painting, collecting dolls, planning family reunions, and shopping catalogues. One of her greatest joys was spoiling and loving her grandchildren.

In recent years, Lucy suffered from numerous health problems and her family is grateful she is no longer in pain and has returned to Heaven to be reunited with her sweet babies.

Lucy is survived by her selfless and loving husband, Keith; children: Jeff Barker of Salt Lake City, Cory Barker (Colette) of Orem, Kristi Neeleman (Thomas) of Arlington, WA and Lisa Harris of Tigard, OR; grandchildren, Brandon Barker, Brooke Tu‘ifua, Bryan Teeter, Heidi Strickland, Benjamin Barker, Rebekah Barker, Feliciti Neeleman and Robee Neeleman; great-grandsons J.T. Barker and Jacob Tu‘ifua and step grandchildren Jen Neeleman, Emilee Morzelewski, Angie Neeleman, and Ben Neeleman. Also surviving are sisters Diana Prawitt and Virginia Stark and brothers John and Paul Van Alfen.

She was preceded in death by her parents; baby daughter, Leslie Ray Barker; baby sons, John Michael Barker and Mark Anthony Barker; and sisters, Gertrude Carr, Thelma Martin, Pauline Thomas and Joan Robbins.

Funeral Services will be held Saturday, March 14, 2009, at 11:00 a.m. at Larkin Mortuary, Ogden, Utah. Family and friends may call on Friday, March 13, at Larkin Mortuary from 6 to 8 p.m. and Saturday prior to the service from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Interment will be at Leavitt’s Altorest Cemetery.

Death always shakes up your life; your way and thinking, and provides perspective. Her death has done that for me today. It brings all the "I wish I had gone to visit more" and "I wish I had taken a picture of her with my sweet Jacob", but more than anything, it brings the reminder that I need to treasure my relationships with my loved ones, and take time to enjoy the simple, yet important things in life, and worry less about little things.

These are just a few memories of her that are on my mind tonight, that I don't want to forget:

She always reminded me of Lucille Ball, with her curly red hair, and the name Lucy. :)

She was an amazing cook, and I especially remember her amazing pies and chocolates candies she'd make during the holidays. I wish she would have been well enough in the last few years to have taught me her skills.

She remembered every birthday and special occasion, and would always send a card.

She lost THREE babies shortly after birth. Being a mother myself now, I cannot even begin to imagine how incredibly difficult an experience that was.

She loved us, her grandkids, and spoiled us relentlessly. When we lived in Hawaii, at Christmas, we would receive box after box of gifts from her and grandpa. I guess you could say they were our own special Santa Claus. :) Because we were so far and rarely got to spend time with them, it was their way of showing their love for us.

Heartbreaker

2009-03-06T19:42:00.001-08:00

His stats from a few weeks ago, at nearly 5 months:
Weight: 18 lbs, 8 ounces (90th percentile)
Height: 26 inches (60th percentile)

I am in love with the cutest, "little" guy in my world. He has grown so much and is currently testing my patience more often with his mischievousness and independence, but I can't get enough!! He definitely keeps me on my toes. He can't sit still and loves to twist and turn, roll and bend, and we're afraid he will be crawling soon. The past week he has been sick with croup - JUST as he was learning to be a better sleeper. NOT FUN, and then yesterday Vaka discovered his first tooth. No wonder the poor guy was having such a rough time. Hopefully we're on the up and will be getting more sleep soon!!

Bring on the burgers!!

2009-02-13T10:18:00.000-08:00

It's official!! This taste of heaven is going to be a hop, skip and a jump away from us by the end of the summer!! Excellent for my tastebuds, not so great for my waistline.

P.S. Let's be honest, even though Draper is becoming such a popular place with Ikea, In-N-Out, and the new temple, don't forget to drop by and see us when you come up to visit the really cool places... we're still the coolest thing there!! :)

So very grateful...

2009-02-06T18:11:00.000-08:00

muscles i never knew i had ache - a result of lifting, bending, holding and playing with my energetic baby boy... my eyes burn from 4+ months of regularly interrupted sleep - a sign that my sweet baby is more than willing to assure me he is still alive and breathing, any hour of the night... i haven't bought new clothes for myself in months, but have to purchase something for our little guy every shopping trip - evidence that he is a healthy, growing boy... the house is a mess, the laundry is piling up, on non-work days I don't shower before noon and the remaining 10 lbs of baby fat are not lost - reminding me that this little guy is my new priority around here...

so very grateful... to be a mother

Here comes trouble

2009-02-02T12:23:00.000-08:00

I'm at work and just received this picture from my mom. Its how she found Jacob when he woke up from his nap this afternoon. Can I just say, a picture says a thousand words!! Or more accurately, only word is needed here: TROUBLE. Jacob's new favorite thing is to squirm and move as much as he can, even though he isn't really "mobile" at this point. You'll find him doing 360's on the carpet, scooting backwards on his back, and his favorite, sliding all the way out of his carseat if he isn't buckled in. He sure keeps us on our toes!!

(Explanation: You're all probably wondering why he was napping in his carseat while unbuckled... sad but true, his carseat is his bed. :) He just won't sleep more than a few minutes anywhere else!! We've tried the crib and playpen several times, and he just wakes up because he isn't "contained." The pediatrician says its fine, but we know sooner than later we need to transition over to an actual bed... especially one that he can't slide out of!! But can you blame me for wanting to get at least 2 hours of sleep at a time instead of 20 minutes?? Oh the joys of parenthood...)

December in Pictures

2009-01-19T17:05:00.001-08:00

Unfortunately this blog too accurately resembles life in our house these days... always playing catch up and barely staying on top of things. Where did the month go!?! And in the blink of an eye we're already more than halfway into January. Here's a brief look at just a few of the many things we were up to last month.

December 5th: We got our Christmas tree!! Jacob couldn't take his eyes off it, even before we had a chance to get the lights on.

December 8th:
Annual Fillmore Spencer
Christmas party. Always lots of fun, lots of food, and this year, Jacob was the big flirt with all the ladies. :) He got his first picture with Santa, what a cute little guy we have!!

December 10th: Daddy finishes finals and starts his full month off from school. HOORAY!!

December 16th: Jacob's 2 month (or rather, nearly 3 month) doctor appt and first round of vaccinations.

The stats:
15 lbs, 5 ounces (91st percentile)
24.5 inches (76th percentile)

Basically, he is a big boy!! He's a tough little guy, he let out a quick scream, and it was hard to decide whether it was because of the shot or his binky falling out of his mouth. Maybe those thunder thighs are useful for more than just cute blackmail pictures after all. :)

December 17th: 'Eni arrived, and storm after storm welcomed her!! She has moved in with us and is looking for a job, and we love having her here!!

December 19th: My dad got us all tickets to attend Neil Diamond for my mom's 50th birthday. It was Jacob's first concert and he was a gem. He slept through the first half and sat looking around in amazement during the second. He sure loves music and bright lights. If only I could sleep through concerts, movies and driving, I'd be more than well rested!!

December 25th: Jacob's 1st Christmas!! We're quickly learning, holidays are MUCH more fun with kids. Jacob was obviously spoiled rotten with toys that will last him through next Christmas, but his favorite thing of all was playing with the wrapping paper.

(click on to enlarge and see his cute onesie!)

December 28th: Brandon, Tonya & JT arrived.
Our visits with them are always too short, and it seems
we're always trying to cram as many games, movies and eating into the time they're here. Sadly, this was the only picture taken this visit, JT helping give "baby Jacob" a bath.

December 29th: Grandpa 'Ulu came to visit!! He was able to work in an extended layover between his trip to Arizona with his new wife and his flight back to Hawaii, so he could meet Jacob. It was a quick trip, and unfortunately a lot of his time was spent in the airport trying to catch a flight, but we are glad we got to see him for what little time we did!!

December 31st: Apparently being parents makes us old, as both Vaka and I struggled to stay awake while partying at my parents house, and failed miserably. We both crashed by 10 on the couch and floor. I won't be surprised if that's a sign of how we'll spend the coming year; utterly exhausted.

All month: All I wanted from Santa, or rather Jacob:

Not surprisingly, I didn't get what I wanted!!

Happiness

2008-12-03T20:53:00.001-08:00

Yesterday was one of those perfect days where nothing extraordinary happens but you just love your life. Vaka was able to spend more time than usual with us at home, Jacob was happy ALL day long, and we just loved being together as a little family. Days like these make me wish I could be a true stay-at-home mom and get to spend every day with my cute little munchkin. Hooray for the semester being over in exactly ONE WEEK and we'll hopefully get to enjoy a full month of many more days like these!! Here's a glimpse at my cute, happy boys.

Thanksgiving in Vegas

2008-12-03T17:40:00.000-08:00

For Thanksgiving we traveled to Las Vegas to stay in our timeshare since its the halfway point between Brandon, Tonya & JT in Arizona and the rest of us here in Utah. It was so good to see them and have them finally meet Jacob. JT has been wanting to meet "baby Jacob" ever since he was born and it was fun to finally see them interact. I think it certainly prepared him for his new brother or sister that will be joining their family in the next few months!

Jacob did so well in the car. Lucky for us, he loves the car. However, traveling with a baby is exhausting!! Just having to make sure we had everything we needed, scheduling activities around his feeding/nap times, the extra time it takes to pack up and get out the door.... whew!! Luckily we had the lots of helping hands. How cute is he with his little monkey!?!

Jacob & Grandpa ready for Thanksgiving dinner

Checking out the toys in the Black Friday ads

JT & Jacob

Apparently Vegas brings out their scandalous side :)

Rebekah took JT to "Build a Bear" for his birthday present. It sure was fun to watch him and how excited he was about his bear.

The morning after, while I was sleeping, my mom and Tonya decided to dress Jacob in JT's bears clothes... JT was NOT happy about it!!

Our growing family. I sure love them!! I think it was definitely one of my more memorable Thanksgiving's and am grateful we were able to spend it together!!

Party time!!

2008-11-23T20:00:00.000-08:00

Its been a busy weekend!! Friday my cousin and close friend Amy got married in Manti, so I had my first experience "traveling" with a baby. It was definitely a good trial run to get me ready for our trip to Vegas for Thanksgiving this next week. My dad was Jacob's babysitter during the sealing and successfully fed him and changed a poopy diaper... go grandpa!!

Ever since I worked as a florist Amy had always talked about me doing her wedding flowers one day... well unfortunately the timing wasn't great and I decided it would be too much to take on with a baby, so I stuck with making her bouquet and leaving the rest of the flowers to someone else. It was a long and exhausting day, but I was grateful to be a part of it. Congratulations Caleb and Amy!!

The beautiful bride and her dad

Saturday we watched the much anticipated BYU vs. Utah game, but unfortunately there wasn't much to celebrate. Better luck next year right? Oh well, we are still die hard Cougar fans and for now, Jacob doesn't have a choice otherwise!!

Our cute cougar!!

Today Vaka is 29 and Jacob is 2 months old so we partied hard!! Those of you familiar with Fox News and Bill O'Reilly will recognize Vaka's shirt... the perfect birthday gift for the huge fan.

For those of you unfamiliar with the show, here's the definition. :)

I sure love my handsome boys!!

Jacob's Blessing

2008-11-20T10:18:00.000-08:00

Playing catch up here...

We blessed Jacob 2 1/2 weeks ago. It was such a special and memorable day. What an amazing thing it was to witness the blessings promised to your very own sweet baby and catch even just a glimpse of the things he has the opportunity to accomplish in his life. Thank you to all of our family and friends who came to show their support, we felt very loved!!

Side note: Vaka was SO picky about the blessing outfit. We went to every store possible and this was the only one other than a TUX that cut it. He was even willing to make an extra trip to a different location because the store we originally went to was out of the size we needed. Who knew?!?

As if the Proposition 8 issue isn't enough...

2008-11-17T11:58:00.001-08:00

Last week, Barbara Walters had a special titled, "What Is a Man, What Is a Woman?" Featured, was Thomas Beatie (first pregnant "man" and now pregnant with #2). In the interview, he said, "The face of families is changing". Because state officials wouldn't allow them to list Thomas as the father and his wife as the mother on the birth certificate, (being that the person who gives birth is usually listed as the mother) they changed it to say Parent/Parent rather than Mother/Father.

I am more than a parent, I am a mother. I am not simply a child, a sibling, a spouse; but a daughter, a sister and a wife.
I want that to remain sacred.
I remember anxiously awaiting the day we would find out the gender of our sweet baby, so we could say HE or SHE rather than IT. God intended there to be a definite distinction of the two. I can't believe society has reached a point where we are fighting to define what a male and female are.

I have accepted that people have homosexual tendencies and are going to pursue those feelings. I have accepted that trans-gender families are going to continue having babies. I am tolerant of these situations, but why do I have to agree with them and support them?

I don't.

Moving to Tonga and living a simple, protected life on a remote island is sounding pretty good these days.

Just thought I would mention...

2008-11-07T14:57:00.000-08:00

that my SIX WEEK OLD BABY ROLLED OVER the other day. Sadly, I wasn't around to see it. Grandma put him down for "tummy time" while I was at work and there he went!! Since when does a 6 week old ROLL OVER!?! He is growing way too fast!!

Our Little Pumpkin

2008-11-06T19:18:00.000-08:00

I have quickly learned that holidays are so much more fun with kids!! Even though Jacob couldn't enjoy Halloween himself, we sure enjoyed dressing him cute and having him participate in the festivities.

Heading out to the ward trunk-or-treat

Trick or treating is so exhausting!

Ready to go trick or treating around grandma's cul-de-sac

Forget Lullabies...

2008-10-29T20:03:00.000-07:00

So this week has been a rather rough one, life with a newborn has its ups and downs and this has definitely been a downer!! We still love our sweet Jacob more than anything, but he has been giving us a harder time than usual. He goes from smiling and cooing to instantly crying so hard he can't breathe... literally going from 0-100 in 1 second flat!! Monday night this occurred while Vaka was gone to class, and I spent an hour and a half rocking, walking, talking, and singing primary songs, without much success. I was obviously tired by the time daddy walked in the door and passed Jacob right off. I went downstairs and not more than a minute later, the crying had completely stopped. I could hear Vaka singing to him (as he often does), but couldn't make out what he was singing this time. Curious, I went back upstairs, and what did I discover? He was singing the Hokey Pokey!! Now why didn't I think of that?

One Month Old!

2008-10-23T16:28:00.000-07:00

I can't believe my little boy has already been with us for a month now. I think the horrendous last few weeks of pregnancy make the first few weeks of motherhood go by in fast forward. Other times, it seems like we have always had him and can hardly remember what life was like without him here. He is growing so fast, and it makes me sad! Everyone that sees him comments on how "advanced" he is. He can already hold his head up, sit up for a few seconds on his own, and he has amazing strength in his arms and legs, loving to stand and just look around.

I went back to work yesterday, only for 4 hours, but it was the longest I've been away from him since he was born. Thank goodness I only have to go back part-time, but it was still hard! It's comforting to know he is with my mom, and we all know she is much more capable of caring for him than I, but I still wanted to be with him myself to make sure my sweet baby was safe. I know it will be good for both of us, and who knows, maybe Vaka and I will actually venture out on a date in the near future!

In other news... gas is under $3.00 a gallon. WAHOO!! Really awesome for us since we both commute... (yes, this was the only other exciting news I could think of that is not related to Jacob. What can I say, he is our life these days, and that's not a bad thing!)

Family Pictures

2008-10-21T19:18:00.000-07:00

Last week I had my old friend Ken from my high school days come take pictures of our baby boy before he grows too fast!! Not only was it good to see him again after over 7 years, he did an amazing job. Here's a sneak peak at a few of the shots, if you want to see more or check out more of his work, go here. More to come when we get the CD of proofs!!

And so it begins...

2008-10-19T20:47:00.001-07:00

A lifetime of Jacob having his mommy taking a bunch of pictures he'd rather not have taken... :)

Doesn't he look thrilled?

Rebekah had school off Thurs & Fri so she and my mom came up Wednesday night to spend the weekend with us and hit up the shopping venues in SLC. Friday we went to Gardner Village to window shop and see their witches display, and we couldn't resist taking some halloween pictures of my cute baby boy.

Between work, school and his calling as Elders Quorum President, we definitely don't see Vaka much these days. So it sure was nice having an extra set of hands around here again. It had been a week and a half since my mom had gone back home, and while I'm finally feeling comfortable with my routine and can get around easier now, I gladly welcomed the help!! It was nice to be able to get out and about and enjoy what little of the fall weather we have left. Thanks for the fun weekend!

SO very worth it!!

2008-10-11T21:15:00.001-07:00

We're all a little tired these days....

But it is so rewarding, especially when our little guy gives us one of these!!

Surprise!!

2008-10-04T20:09:00.000-07:00

Jacob is one special baby, his Aunty Annetta and Uncle Pate flew over 2,000 miles to meet him!!

Thursday night was a long night without much sleep thanks to our baby boy. I've quickly learned to take advantage of any time he sleeps to sleep myself, so since he finally decided to fall asleep for a good few hours around 8 am, I didn't get up until around 11:00 yesterday morning. Soon after, Vaka's cousin Tae called to say she was coming over. Tae showed up at the door, and then Annetta appeared behind her. I really thought I was seeing things, and with lack of sleep, anything is possible. :) But it was true, Annetta and Pate had made a last minute trip out here for General Conference, and of course, to meet the newest member of the Tu'ifua fam. We're waiting on the rest of you now!!

More Jacob

2008-10-01T19:25:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delayed updates... life with a newborn is definitely an adjustment!! Recovering from a c-section and coming down with the stomach flu at the same time didn't help... but luckily I think we're finally recovering and getting the hang of things around here!!

So here's what you've all been waiting for... more pictures of our adorable little guy. He definitely has his daddy's Tongan nose, and we're hoping he keeps my blue eyes!!

How we got him here...

2008-10-01T10:58:00.000-07:00

For those of you who've been wanting the details...

We went to the hospital around 9:00 a.m. Monday morning (the 22nd) and I slowly but surely dilated about a centimeter every two hours. Around 1:00 the doctor broke my water, at which point the contractions definitely started coming on stronger. By 3:00 I was ready for the epidural, thank goodness for modern medicine. :) Unfortunately, the side effect of the epidural was nausea... not fun, but luckily I was only on liquids!! At 11:30, after over 14 hours of labor, I was finally completely dilated and fully effaced and we were ready to bring this baby here!! Unfortunately, Jacob was posterior and the doctor was unable to get him turned. He could have been delivered this way, but then as I continued pushing, his heart rate started dropping with each contraction. After 2 hours of pushing and not much progress, the doctor advised our little boy was under too much stress and that a c-section was probably the best option. We decided to try pushing for another half hour, and he only seemed to get worse, so after lots of tears, we decided we needed to do the c-section.

My amazing support, all suited up for the c-section

The c-section was definitely an interesting experience... something I would never wish on anyone!! The hardest part was being unable to have that first experience I always pictured having with my brand new baby. Vaka was able to be with him immediately while they cleaned him up, weighed him, etc. but it was 15 minutes before I was even able to get a glimpse of my little boy. Even then, my arms were strapped down and I had an oxygen mask on, so when they brought him over for me to see him, I wasn't able to have any physical contact. Emotionally, that wasn't easy!!

First few moments of life

Vaka went with Jacob when they took him down to the nursery, but I was in the operating room another 30 minutes by myself. My family had come to the hospital about the time I started pushing, so luckily my mom was able to be with me once they took me to recovery for another hour while Vaka was with Jacob. I don't think I would have made it without her there!! For some reason, due to either a lapse in communication or preparation, after the c-section the anesthesiologist stopped the epidural before the morphine had been prepared. So basically, I had just had my abdomen cut open and was left without pain medication for an hour until it was ready. AWESOME. After that kind of pain, I think a normal, vaginal delivery without an epidural would have been a piece of cake.

They wouldn't move me down to my room until my pain was under control, and I couldn't see my baby until I was out of labor and delivery and down in my room. 2 hours after my baby boy was born, I was finally able to be moved to where I could hold him and love him... and then he wasn't there. I immediately demanded that Vaka go and get him because they had had more than enough time to take care of him in the nursery. Vaka thinks I was drugged and loopy, I think I would have been just as demanding if I hadn't been, and I'm sure any other mom can relate!!

Our little family finally together

It was so amazing to finally be able to hold my little baby after it was such a long, hard day to get him here!! Obviously, there just aren't words to explain it. It took us the whole 41 weeks to decide on a name, but once he finally arrived, we knew Jacob Cory Tauelangi was the perfect fit. Jacob means "to hold", Cory (after my dad) means "God's peace" and Tauelangi (after Vaka's great grandpa) means "reach the heavens". We sure do love him and are so blessed to have him in our family!!

Introducing....

2008-09-23T13:49:00.000-07:00

JACOB CORY TAUELANGI TU'IFUA
September 23, 2008 @ 2:20 a.m.
8 lbs 8 ounces, 19 1/2 inches

14 hours of labor + 2 1/2 hours of pushing - success + baby boy's struggling heart rate + emergency c-section - effective pain killers = our adorable miracle of a boy

Stay tuned, more pictures/info to follow at some point....

Remembering Jake

2008-09-18T09:45:00.000-07:00

One positive thing about being overdue?? I can still make the trip today to pay tribute to an old friend.

Meet Jake Whetten, a giant both inside and out. He was 6' 7" and his heart and soul were just as big. Jakey was one of my best friends in high school, and was taken from us way too soon. (read about it here) It was a Saturday morning, just a few weeks into my last Fall semester at BYU. Its hard to believe its already been 4 years since that day.

When we as Jake's friends asked what we could do for his family, his parents simply told us to help Jake be remembered. So remember we did. Along with some other friends I gathered memories and pictures of Jake and compiled a book for his family. His brother set up a website, for others to share their memories. And I hope his family knows that still, even 4 years later, I do remember.

The first year it was hard to remember. I missed him and the memories brought sadness. My first visit to his grave, I had a good cry. But time heals, and now anytime I think of Jake, I can't help but be happy. Yes I still miss him, but I am confident he was needed much more somewhere else. I imagine he is the same fun and crazy Jakey, blessing just as many lives elsewhere as he did here. I am grateful for the tender mercy that despite our busy school schedules, it somehow happened that Jakey and I were able to spend a lot of time together the week before his death. That he just happened to drop in and visit me at work the evening before.

Jakey was crazy and adventurous. He was spiritually sound. He was a people lover and people loved him. More than anything else, Jakey contagiously loved life. And I love September 18th for reminding me to love mine a bit more, just as Jakey did.

What's wrong with this picture??

2008-09-16T15:26:00.001-07:00

No, we didn't just forget to inform you all that the newest member of our family had arrived. I am OVERDUE and hating it. Our baby boy however, must be completely comfortable right where he is, as he's showing no signs of making an appearance anytime soon. Keep your fingers crossed!!

SINGLE DIGITS

2008-09-05T12:53:00.001-07:00

See that little ticker to the right?? It finally hit the SINGLE DIGITS. Lets hope this little boy decides to come within those few DAYS left!! (Nope, I'm not sick of being pregnant. Not one bit.) :)

Our current "happily ever after":

2008-08-26T09:53:00.000-07:00

You got it. These days my prince charming pampers me by massaging my swollen feet each day when I get home from work, painting my toe nails (its a pet peeve of mine to have them unpainted and is obviously difficult for me to do myself these days) and going downstairs in the middle of the night to get me a glass of cold water.

In a religion class at BYU one semester, my professor shared a talk by President Kimball, "Oneness in Marriage" that I have never forgotten. I love how he addresses what a realistic "happily ever after" is. "Some think of happiness as a glamorous life of ease, luxury, and constant thrills; but true marriage is based on a happiness which is more than that, one which comes from giving, serving, sharing, sacrificing, and selflessness."

Based on that criteria, I think we're doin' just about right. :) Needless to say, I think we're also both looking forward to having this pregnancy over and done with in the next few weeks... and seeing what our new "happily ever after" holds in store!!

Thank you!!

2008-08-20T18:31:00.000-07:00

Because a shower never got put together and my due date is fast approaching, my coworkers decided to throw me a simple shower on their own and treated me to lunch at PF Changs, and of course, LOTS of presents. I sadly forgot to bring my camera and snap a picture of all of us together, but here is what I came home with. Thanks so much!! I'm definitely looking forward to a nice break from work, but am excited for the opportunity to go back part-time so I don't have to say my goodbyes to all of you yet!!

Summer Lovin'

2008-08-19T10:49:00.000-07:00

Has this summer come and gone in a flash for anyone else? There were definite moments (mostly due to pregnancy) that seconds felt like hours, but overall, I can't believe school is back in session, and in a few short weeks we'll be experiencing that freshness of fall.

This is my favorite feel good song of the summer. It played continuously on the radio when we were in Hawaii, so every time I hear it since, I think back to those lazy summer beach days. It surely will remain on my playlist all year long, as I will definitely need a reminder of the beautiful summer days when its 30 degrees and snowing outside!!

Take a peek. I dare you to be unhappy while listening!!

36 week stats

2008-08-18T18:35:00.000-07:00

2 cm dilated, 40% effaced, here's to hoping I continue to progress and am not one of those women who measures the same for the next month!!

The doctor's comment of the day: "Is he this active ALL the time?!?" Yeah, pretty much. Hopefully he's right that he'd be surprised to see the babe stay inside another 4 weeks. I think a Labor Day delivery sounds just about perfect. :)

Growing, growing, growing....

2008-08-12T18:18:00.001-07:00

Here's a look at some things that have been expanding, other than my feet. :)

We planted a small "garden" in planters on our back porch a few months ago. The "then" and "now" pictures show you just how much it has grown!! We've had a few tomatoes and one pepper, and unfortunately I've neglected to use the basil as much as I could, mostly due to my lack of cooking recently. I am just so proud of myself for not killing it all; the only thing that didn't make it was the cilantro. :(

And my waistline is obviously expanding. You all have been begging for pictures, so here they are. I wasn't lying when I said I was a whale. :) Surprisingly, I stepped on the scale at my appointment last week and had lost 5 lbs since my visit 2 weeks prior. I made a comment that it must have been wrong, because I sure didn't feel like it or look it, and the doctor reminded me that I should just take it for what its worth and feel good regardless. Very true!! One other positive note, doc says he estimates this little boy will weigh in at a high 7, low 8 lb range at delivery, so hopefully he is right and I'll deliver an under 10 lb tongan baby after all!!

24 weeks

26 weeks

28 weeks

30 weeks
(thank you Hawaii for making my whole body swell!!)

32 weeks

34 weeks

500 weeks pregnant....

2008-08-11T15:06:00.000-07:00

Obviously, not literally the case, but thats how i feel recently after:
working late far too many days last week + the return of the swollen feet and ankles + becoming overly emotional/hormonal over anything and everything (Vaka won't hesitate to vouch for this!) + coming down with the cold/flu-whatever-horrible-virus-it-is and not seeming to get even the slightest bit better + recent onset of acne that I have never before had in my life + having to wake up 3+ times during the night to relieve my bladder = you get the point.

I promise more positive posts and the anticipated preggo pictures you all have been requesting in the near future... once I am not so tired/cranky/sick. :)

Keep waiting for us Hawaii...

2008-07-30T12:33:00.000-07:00

It's official, we met with Vaka's advisor this morning and there is no way he can finish his degree in less than 3 years. So, sad but true, we are stuck for 3 more long years in "beautiful" Utah. In case you can't tell, I'm not thrilled. :) The problem is, all he basically has left to finish are his major classes, and they all have to be taken in a certain order, and the U is dumb and doesn't offer ANY of them summer semester, so there really is no way for him to complete them any sooner than what we mapped out today. Good news is, at least he won't have to go full-time all 6 remaining semesters, and he'll still be finishing the lengthy engineering major in less time than most students do. It just seems SO FAR AWAY. On a positive note, grandma will be happy to know her new grandson won't be moving an ocean away from her anytime soon!!

A nice, long weekend...

2008-07-30T12:15:00.001-07:00

One of the great things about living in this blessed state of Utah is the official state holiday which falls on July 24th... Pioneer Day. Luckily for me, this year we convinced the partners to not only give us the 24th as a paid holiday, but the 25th as well. After all, who wants to come back to work on a Friday after just having had a holiday?? So, needless to say, I fully enjoyed a nice long FOUR DAY WEEKEND.

My brother Brandon and nephew J.T. just so happened to come to visit at the same time so for once I could actually have fun with the family rather then be the only one stuck at work while everyone else played!! And play we did.

We swam...

and golfed...

and cooled off getting drinks at Sonic during "happy hour" more times than I can remember...

The only disadvantage?? Coming back to work on Monday was ROUGH.

Swelling, Sailing, Surfing, Shopping and Stuffing ourselves with food...

2008-07-17T09:31:00.000-07:00

The title is a pretty accurate description of the rest of our time in Hawaii. Oh, and add SWEATING. As mentioned before, it was HOT and HUMID so there was plenty of that going on too. :)

The day we left on vacation I had a doctor appointment and got the final thumbs up to go. Over and over again my doctor's main word of advice was to make sure that I was consciously moving my feet and getting up and walking around regularly during the drive/flight to prevent blood clots. However, never did anyone warn me that THIS would happen...

Lest you be fooled, no, that is not a balloon, those are my feet. During the course of the flight, they literally BLEW UP. And then it took 3 days of elevating/icing/massaging to get them down to a reasonable size. I should have just popped them. :) So on the flight home, I was prepared. The plane wasn't full so I spread out and had a wonderful flight attendent who waited on me, bringing me fresh ice and orange juice throughout the flight. All was well until the drive home from Vegas. Despite my efforts, I arrived at my parents house with a set of balloon feet all over again!! Don't worry though, only mild, typical swelling is now present and no amputation is needed. :)

(Just in case it was at all difficult for you to tell how "elephant-like" and deformed they really were, the picture above offers you a comparison to a "normal" foot...)

Because of my swollen belly and feet, I was pretty limited in what I was able to do. No hiking stairway to heaven for me this visit!! However, we were successful in finding one new thing for me to try that was adventurous and doable, swollen or not!! Shortly before we arrived, Vaka's brother William and his neighboor purchased this awesome catamaran together. Perfect timing for us!!

Believe it or not, Vaka was the one that was skeptical about my ability to ride on it at first. But it looked so fun, and I had grown up here and never been out on a boat on this side of the island, so I was determined!! The Tu'ifua men took it out for a spin first without a hitch...

so now it was my turn. Yes, if you can see my face, after I hopped on, I was now the one not convinced this was something I should be doing. We were going to go all the way OUT THERE?? What if a wave knocked me off?? There was no way I was going to be able to just hop back on with this big belly. So roles reversed and Vaka did the convincing that should I fall off, I'd be fine, because I had a built in floatation device. :)

Luckily, we didn't have to test out his theory. :) It was so much fun, and Vaka learned quickly how to sail it himself, so we were able to go back out quite a few times while we were there. See that rock way out on the horizon to the left of the sail in the picture above? That gives you an idea of how far we'd sail. Vaka always wanted to go around the rock, but then you have to deal with wind variations, etc. so it was out of my comfort zone. It was so relaxing to be out there on the open ocean and experience getting to see my home from a completely different perspective. If we ever end up moving back, I think we'll definitely need to invest in one ourselves!!

The same neighboor that William bought the catamaran with is also an amazing surfer. (Honestly, there isn't much this guy doesn't do!! He was also the photographer at the wedding. Check out his work here: http://www.holladayphoto.blogspot.com) I tried my hand at surfing a few times in high school. It was something I always wished I was good at, but never ever was. Vaka had never tried and convinced Mark to give him lessons one day. Well, at least if I can't be good at it, I can live vicariously through my husband. He was a natural, (or maybe Mark's just a great teacher!) and caught a wave on his first try!! Maybe he can quit school and enter the pro circuit so we can move back to Hawaii NOW.... :)

The last two title descriptions, dented our budget and expanded our waistlines, but they were a must. :) We went over with two suitcases and came back with four stuffed to the brim. Gotta stock up since who knows when we'll be back with flights as high as they are these days!!

Here's a list off the top of my head of some of the highlights of what we consumed, just to make your mouth water. :) Pig, mussels, crab, shrimp, mango, pineapple, papaya, huli huli chicken, manapua, Matsumoto's shave ice, Ted's chocolate haupia pie, haupia ice cream, macadamia nut ice cream, Leonard's malasadas, hawaiian sun juice, Jack in the Box, teriyaki burgers, and Dirty Lickin's Chicken (thanks Kris! Can you please send me some more?) :) Luckily, mostly what I stuffed myself with was mangos and pineapple so I can't feel too bad right??

Home to Hawaii

2008-07-17T08:59:00.001-07:00

Yes, we're alive!! Sorry for the blogging hiatus, life has been busy, but fun!!

Our trip to Hawaii was wonderful as always, though it probably would have been more wonderful had I not been 28 weeks pregnant in 95 degree humidity heat with no trade winds. Good thing the beach was closeby!!

The main reason for the trip was to attend Vaka's brother Jimmy's wedding. We flew in the night before the sealing and spent the next 3 days preparing for and attending wedding events. One of the most memorable parts of the wedding was that Jimmy & Kalea were sealed in the same sealing room we were sealed in just over a year ago. It felt like deja vu, but I was more than happy to not be the one wearing a heavy, hot wedding dress!!

Unfortunately, we weren't great about taking pictures (maybe that has something to do with the fact that the camera is my worst enemy these days??) but here are some of the few we have!!

Vaka the groomsman

Some of the cute keiki's

Roasting pigs for the reception

What we've been up to....

2008-06-17T19:26:00.000-07:00

1) I turned the big 25. I still feel young, but better live it up this year because 26 seems so much older!! Perhaps the best thing that happened that day was the phone call I got from Vaka telling me he'd be home at 2:00 the next day. Yippee!! I got this amazing game from my parents, the original edition has been our addiction since Christmas, so it was time to try the next one out. Try it for yourself. See if you don't get addicted too. :)

2) Vaka came home 9 days early!! No complaints there!! The military required that his injuries be re-evaluated before July 5th, so since he would be at training and then on to Hawaii, they had no choice but to send him home early to get it done. It was a very nice surprise!!

3) The morning Vaka came home, I clumsily tripped and fell on my way out the door to work, and because I had my hands full, my fat stomach took the big hit. Luckily I had stayed at my parents house the night before, so they were around to help me up and see that I was okay. Initially I was scared (and in pain), but after resting a bit I felt that everything was fine. However, as a precaution my doctor ordered me to Labor & Delivery to have a non-stress test. Little did I know what that entailed!! After picking Vaka up we followed the doctors orders... and I was forced to stay to be monitored for 4 hours. NOT FUN. Good news is, everything is fine. And it was probably good preparation for what labor itself will be like.... a whole lotta WAITING!

4) Friday morning we woke up to half of the lower level of our townhouse flooded. A pipe had broken somewhere and all the townhouses in our building had flood damage. NOT COOL. What was even less cool was having to leave for the weekend before making sure it was taken care of, and we came back to a SMELLY, still wet carpet Sunday morning. We're still dealing with our maintenance people to get the issue resolved.

5) The reason we were gone all weekend was to attend our ward's youth conference. I'm 1st counselor in the YW presidency, and since Vaka was back, we were more than happy to have him come along and help... or rather, join the ranks of the other youth. :) It was so nice to get away and we had a lot of fun, but I was definitely ready to come home by end of the 2nd day. I'll have to post pictures later of the fun we had!!

6) We finally bought some needed baby items. Other than a few cute clothes I found on clearance, I had seriously been putting this off!! But after going to Labor & Delivery and having the nurse comment "good news, things look fine so you won't be having a baby today" I was freaked out to realize that yes, should something happen, this baby could very well arrive at any time, and we are definitely not anywhere prepared for that!! Now I can rest easy knowing we at least have a carseat to bring the baby home in whenever he decides to make his entrance!!

7) Overnight, I developed elephantitis in my knees and ankles. It is GROSS. Two weeks ago, I had no swelling whatsoever, and suddenly one morning last week I woke up with cankles and pregnant knees. Not a good sign when it is just the BEGINNING of the summer... I am scared to think of how bad it could get when it gets even hotter. Not to mention the fact that when I'd like to be wearing skirts and capris to keep cool I feel like I need to cover up with long pants to spare others the horrible site. Is it at all possible to get this under control!?! Help please!! Otherwise rather than relaxing on the beach in Hawaii next week like a beached whale, I'll look much more like... an elephant. :)

8) ONE WEEK EXACTLY we will be in paradise. That should provide me with much more interesting stuff to blog about. And pictures. Of Vaka. Unless I can be cured of this disease.

We made it!!

2008-06-03T19:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we celebrated our first anniversary!! Its hard to believe its already been one year, I know its cliche' but it feels just like yesterday. And maybe I'm cynical in saying this, but I think its a great accomplishment!! In fact, our waitress at dinner last night told us the same thing. Apparently divorce statistics are ever increasing, especially in the number of newlyweds that divorce before 7 months of marriage. Sadly that isn't surprising, since I myself know of a few people who got married within months of us last year that already have their divorces finalized... or rather, marriages annulled. I am one lucky girl, to have found such an amazing guy that despite our differences and my MANY imperfections, is so committed to me and making this marriage work. I'm glad we've beat those odds!! :)

Vaka spoiled me more than I could have ever expected. I guess its good to do it now before the baby comes along and we increase our expenses and decrease our earnings!! I was showered with roses, a massage, diamonds, dinner and a night away. What more could a girl want. :) Honestly, more than anything, I was just grateful to be able to spend quality time together, because after checking out at the hotel this morning, I took him straight to the airport and said goodbye to him for three weeks. Its interesting no matter how independent you were when you were single, how quickly you become dependent on a person once you're married. :) Not that I can't take care of myself, but I think the loneliness will quickly get to me!! Some of you mothers may think I'm crazy for saying this, but I almost wish our baby boy were here already so I had someone to keep me company!! The good news is, as soon as he gets back, we are OFF TO HAWAII.

In the meantime, I'll try to find something interesting/exciting to post about. Not sure what that will be, but I'll try to get creative. :)

p.s. After yesterday, I've decided every pregnant woman deserves a prenatal massage. I can't remember when my back last felt SO very good!!

I love my soldier :)

2008-05-26T20:28:00.001-07:00

Today being Memorial Day, where we most specifically honor military serviceman, I had to make sure to recognize my own man-in-uniform. Some of you know, others of you don't, that Vaka is currently serving in the Army Reserves as mechanic with the 146th Transportation Company. In many ways it has been a big blessing in our lives, but it has definitely come with its sacrifices. When we met, he had just returned home early from a deployment to Iraq, due to various injuries he suffered while out there. While thankfully he didn't have to give the ultimate sacrifice of his life like many men and women have, he has been a hero to me through some of the other sacrifices he's made to protect our freedom. Because of his injuries, he's gone through surgeries, endless physical therapy, given up playing rugby and he still suffers daily pain. Before his deployment when his mom was sick, he didn't have the opportunity to spend as much time as he would have liked with her because he had to attend training.

The amazing thing is, even after his injuries and the sacrifices he's already made, he would volunteer to go back on a second deployment in a heartbeat and do it all over again... if I'd let him. :) I can give him away for 3 weeks of training that he'll be leaving to do next week, but an entire 18 months in a warzone... is a sacrifice I haven't yet been willing to make. We'll see if he can change my thoughts on that... but until then, thank you for your example babe!!

Tribute to my MIL

2008-05-18T09:39:00.000-07:00

On the 4th anniversary of her death, I couldn't let this day pass without recognizing my sweet MIL. I have yet to meet one person that didn't have amazing things to say about my mother-in-law Janet. Some may attribute this to the fact that she is deceased, and that it is common for people to idealize those who have passed on. However, I believe she is an exception to that rule. I have no doubt whatsoever that she was just as genuinely kind-hearted, selfless and loved by all throughout her lifetime.

Uniquely, I was blessed to have the privilege of knowing Janet, even though she had passed away before her son and I met. This is one of the dearest, sacred tender mercies I treasure in my life. Vaka's oldest sister, Annetta, was my YW leader growing up and her husband Pate was our home teacher for a long while as well. Being in the same ward for so many years, I remember the numerous times Janet came to visit her daughter and grandchildren. (Vaka did too, but apparently he wasn't as memorable) :) I never had a real personal relationship with her, but rather just knew her in passing and as a recurring visitor in our ward. Yet I am so grateful to have felt her spirit and presence and possess my own memories of her, rather than only coming to know of her through what I hear from others.

One of the main things I admire about Janet was her ability to adapt to and internalize the Tongan culture. Just a bit of proof to illustrate how great she was at this: I remember being shocked when Vaka told me that his mom was palangi... in all the years I had seen her, I had always thought she was just an extremely fair Tongan. :) She is well known among many Tongans for her ability to speak the language like a native... and those that have tried to learn the language, know how difficult that is. It is one thing to understand it, and quite another to speak it and speak it correctly. I will be so proud of myself if I can just come to understand it in my lifetime!! Janet paved the way in uniting two cultures into one family, and I am so grateful for the courage and faith she exercised to do so, making the integration of two cultures into our own family so much easier for Vaka and I.

Even though Janet is no longer on this earth, she has left quite a legacy. She was a wonderful teacher, wife and mother. I am sure raising her 12 children was one of her greatest accomplishments... something only someone quite angelic could do.

('Ulu'amu & Janet family)

We are so blessed to have the gospel and the sweet assurance it brings that there is life beyond our earthly existence. I love to often sit and think about the wonderful things our loved ones are continuing to do as they live on elsewhere. I imagine Janet is hard at work making just as many friends and blessing as many lives as she did while she was here. I am also grateful for our knowledge of eternal families and for the opportunity Janet has to continue to bless our lives from another sphere. I have had numerous experiences where I have felt her presence-- our sealing being one of the most special. It is comforting to know she was able to witness that special event in our lives.

(visiting mom on our wedding day)

The Tu'ifua family motto is "our family can be forever." In one of her last letters to Vaka before her passing, she reiterated this in writing "remember to keep yourself worthy to help our forever family." I am grateful for her humble righteousness in teaching her children, and instilling such values in her son which prepared him to be the amazing husband and future father that he is. Thank you Janet, we love and miss you!!

A belated shout out to the mothers in my life....

2008-05-12T18:55:00.001-07:00

I have been blessed to be influenced by many amazing women in my lifetime. These are just two of them, but perhaps the most important two. My beautiful mom and my sweet grandma. I am so lucky to have had such great examples as I prepare to become a mother myself. I love you both!!

Snakes and snails and puppy-dog tails....

2008-05-06T13:55:00.000-07:00

.... is what our baby will be made of!! Yes it's true. See below for evidence, clearly marked for those of you who just couldn't tell. :)

Needless to say, Vaka is more than thrilled to have a son/future rugby player and I was disappointed to not be able to shop for ribbons and bows just yet. I am very excited to finally know a gender though so that the shopping can begin!! And I'll be even more excited if we can ever agree on a name. (don't you worry, I will not let him get away with Butch!) It'll be interesting to see how well I can manage to take care of both Vaka and Vaka jr. on my own... at least I should be safe through the first year until he becomes mobile, right?? :)

In other news, we are officially moved, though not necessarily moved-in. :) For those of you that didn't know, don't worry, we didn't go far!! Just further up the hill in Draper to a townhouse (with a garage, hurray!) so we now have a birdseye view of Ikea rather than being across the freeway. Even though it was a short move it was still a lot of work, but luckily we had the help of my family, as I didn't realize how limited I would be!! Currently the baby boy's room is filled with boxes... it was nice to shove them in there and have them out of the way for now but unpacking those will be my project over the next few months. We LOVE having more space and now finally have room for people to come visit, so let us know when you'll be arriving!!

Our new favorite missionary

2008-05-01T09:25:00.000-07:00

This week has been busy, mainly preparing for the big event of welcoming Elder Manatau Tu'ifua and dropping him off at the MTC yesterday. Unfortunately because he didn't fly in until late Tuesday night we didn't get much time with him, and most of that was spent either eating, sleeping or shopping!! It is weird to know that he is still so close, but not be able to see him. At least we can spoil him for the next 2 months before he takes off for Nicaragua!! One other exciting bit of information - my favorite cousin Amy who just returned last month from her own mission is one of his MTC teachers. What a small world. So we'll definitely be getting plenty of updates on him through her. :) We are so excited for him and are so proud of his commitment to unselfishly serve.

Notice how "palangi" Vaka looks next to Manatau. I hadn't realized how white he had gotten until I saw them standing next to each other!! The missionary couple that was waiting at the airport to make sure he was picked up commented to Vaka as he walked up "Oh YOU are the brother? We were looking for a Tongan!" LOL. Guess we need to get him out in the sun!!

Life.

2008-04-28T13:50:00.000-07:00

40 hour work week + studying for finals + 2 time consuming church callings + lots of lifting and moving boxes, furniture, junk + lots more cleaning the old apartment + trying to get the house in order before soon-to-be-missionary-brother comes = CHAOS.

What helps such chaos disappear for a sweet moment? THIS.

THANK YOU Kristen for the amazing suggestion. They didn't have coconut at the grocery store I went to, but mango sounded just as good. Call it my new mainland mango supplement. :) Who knew something could taste so good and have substantially fewer calories so that I don't have to feel one bit guilty eating it!!

Home Sweet Home

2008-04-24T13:04:00.000-07:00

Exactly TWO MONTHS and I will be...

Eating good food....

Enjoying this view....

Cruising with these fun people....

and hoping that this doesn't happen again....

Not that I'm counting down or anything. :)

Humor for the day

2008-04-21T12:17:00.000-07:00

Because we lack anything exciting in our lives to blog about (we are in the process of moving, but that is NOT exciting) here is glimpse into deep thoughts of my dear, sweet husband. :)

Conversation over the weekend:

Vaka - when do we find out again if our son is a boy or girl?
Me - May 5th, and I sure hope that if we are having a son, he will be a BOY!!

Yes, he keeps me smiling all the time. :)

808 Update

2008-04-10T08:26:00.001-07:00

One of my friends from high school started a blog to post "where we are now" updates of our clan from high school. Check out the recent spotlight he wrote of us!!

P.S. He's also an amazing musician. Go here to listen to tracks from his most recent album... I guarantee you will love it!! "For Love" is my own personal favorite. :)

Too good to be true...

2008-04-07T16:48:00.000-07:00

So apparently one can't have an awesome first trimester like I had. If so, it will just come back to haunt you, like it did to me Saturday. In 3 hours I had thrown up more times than I had my entire first few months of pregnancy... and it conveniently happened on the day my husband was away for military duty. Don't worry, it continued long enough for him to have to come home and take care of me until 3 am and make 3 trips to the grocery store for saimin, gatorade and a thermometer. :) Who knows whether it was a nasty bug or what, but thank goodness it is over!!

On a happier note, we have scheduled the ultrasound to find out the gender of the baby!! I am hoping for a girl, Vaka obviously wants a boy. If Heavenly Father really loves me he will bless me with a girl as I'm not sure I'm ready to deal with two Vaka's on my own, and I also don't want a son named "Butch"!! (Vaka's #1 choice for a boy name) Cast your votes over the next 3 1/2 weeks. The winner will get... the satisfaction of winning!! :)

Pink Passion

2008-04-02T09:38:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: I am aware this is very belated, but due to my posting absence in the past 3 weeks, and for lack of anything better to post, I am posting it anyway. :)

My husband loves pink. I repeat, my husband LOVES pink. Those of you that know him, know that this isn't a joke. We actually changed my wedding colors, something a guy typically doesn't care about, to ADD PINK. We even wore pink for our engagement pictures. I think you get my point.

So, what better gift for Easter for someone who loves pink? A fully pink easter basket!! I came up with the idea while wandering the aisles at Walmart one day, and needless to say, it was a hit.

Being married to a man who adores pink, often makes me think about who first typed genders according to color anyway? Its an interesting thought, but at least I know that regardless of whether this baby is a boy or girl, it will likely possess pink in one form or another. :)

I love my husband...

2008-03-13T09:00:00.000-07:00

Crazy and all. My co-counselor in the YW presidency emailed me this picture of Vaka this morning to "brighten my day". It was taken when they knew each other at BYU-Hawaii years ago. I think I'll have to dig through our own collection of photos and continue posting these gems so that others can catch a glimpse of what my dear husband used to look like back in his crazy single days!!

Sweet Indulgence

2008-03-12T08:40:00.001-07:00

I LOVE pineapple. What is better than pineapple? Pineapple with li hing mui.

Nothing compares to the sweetness of true hawaiian pineapple, but this weekend I settled for buying a decent pineapple at Costco. Last night it finally looked ripe enough to cut into, and so I did. Pretty sure I could have eaten the whole thing on my own, but I was kind enough to leave half for Vaka. For our wedding in Hawaii, I was determined to serve this yummy concoction as a part of the meal at our reception. However, pineapple to feed hundreds of people would typically be quite pricey. Lucky for me, Vaka has family that owns a fruit stand on the north shore and they sold it to us for the wholesale cost they pay to get it from Dole. So serve it we did. Before leaving the reception that night, I made sure to have someone load us up with lots and lots of pineapple along with some otai, and since we didn't eat a whole lot AT the reception, upon arriving at the hotel we sat on the balcony overlooking the ocean and stuffed ourselves with sweetness for a perfect end to a perfect day. Sitting in my apartment in Utah watching CSI while eating it wasn't quite the same experience... but it sufficed. And I will continue to dream of the day when we are back in Hawaii and I can consume all the fresh, juicy pineapple I want!

March is Missionary Month....

2008-03-11T12:44:00.000-07:00

Last night, we welcomed home my cousin Amy from her mission. She's been serving in the New Jersey Morristown mission for the last 18 months and was released a week ago but has been showing her family around NJ/NY and yesterday they finally arrived home. It was SO great to see her and I am very excited to spend lots and lots of time with her!!

Today, my brother-in-law Feliha'a is being released from the Oakland California mission. I have never met him since Vaka and I met and started dating shortly after he left, and even though we don't get to see him now, we are excited for him to be home and hope to be able to see him in Hawaii in June. Then before we know it, Vaka's youngest brother Manatau will be flying out to join us for a few days before he enters the MTC on April 29th to prepare to serve in Nicaragua. We love our missionaries!!

Distaste for Daylight Savings

2008-03-10T14:35:00.001-07:00

To Whom it May Concern-

Please be advised that I do not like daylight savings. Especially when I am pregnant. I barely function on 10 hours of sleep a night, so just imagine how difficult it is for me to be robbed of a whole hour. I am not sure who is responsible for such an odd thing, especially leaving out Hawaii and Arizona in the whole equation. Have you considered leaving this decision to the general public? I think such a proposal would be a great addition to this year's already confusing and complicated election ballot.

Let me clearly explain how this sad occasion effected my sleep on the night of March 8th. My sweet husband had to awake at 5:00 a.m. to be in Ogden by 7:00 a.m. for military training. Problem 1: We do not have an actual alarm clock in our household, rather we rely on cell phones. Problem 2: Neither of us could remember whether or not our cell phone changed automatically or if we had to manually reset the time. Problem 3: My husband awoke at 4:00 a.m. so that in the event that the clocks did not automatically change, he would not be late. In his stupor of half slumber, he was unable to make out the clock correctly, and said that it did indeed read 4:00, meaning it was actually 5:00, so he would need to shower and get ready for the day. Problem 4: After being unable to fall back asleep for nearly half an hour after he woke me up, I roll out of bed to get a drink of water, and realize that my husband had read the clock wrong and it was actually 3:30, so therefore only 4:30, not 5:30. Problem 5: By this point, neither of us were able to fall back asleep.

As you can see by the evidence provided, this method of changing time creates much more confusion than need exist at such a simple hour of the night. For this reason, I submit an appeal to discontinue daylight savings and let us all simply let the sun run its natural course. If you fail to grant my request, I will be packing my bags and moving to Hawaii so I no longer have to deal with you and your crazy schedule.

Sincerely,
Your tired and cranky constituent

Is this my boyfriend??

2008-03-04T14:47:00.000-08:00

That is what I heard this afternoon (along with a lot of laughter in the background) when I answered my phone from a number I didn't recognize. I was sure it was one of my young women, trying to be funny with their friends on their lunch break. I was so confused. Finally I ask the unknown voice who she is and she responds, "It's Amy!" It was my sweet cousin and friend, Amy Lou, who was released just minutes before as a missionary!! Her mom had handed Amy her new cell phone, and had her call the number listed under the name "Amy's boyfriend" in address book. Now you can imagine why we were both quite confused!! Needless to say, it was quite hilarious once it was all figured out, and such a nice surprise. Talking to her made my day!! I have been quite jealous that her family was able to fly out and be with her a whole week before the rest of us do, so talking to her was truly the next best thing. Ames and I have been best buds since we were young, and I have missed her so much these past 18 months!! It was especially hard having her gone to not share in the biggest event in my life this past year - my wedding. I can't wait to have her back and have many more fun times together.

I am, after all, her new boyfriend. :)

(one last big family picture before she left for New Jersey in August 2006)

It's official, I'm growing a human....

2008-02-25T18:08:00.000-08:00

Introducing our little Tu'ifua:

One of the main reasons I finally got in gear and started a blog was that I finally had something relatively exciting to blog about - our expanding family!! I am 11 weeks along with a tentative due date of September 14th. Going to the doctor and hearing the heartbeat was such a neat experience. We are so excited to be parents but are glad we still have a bit more time to prepare!! :) Vaka has been very supportive through my bouts of nausea and endless exhaustion, and I am so grateful. I haven't done the dishes in months!! On a side note, as the waistbands start to tighten, this is how I feel:

Welcome to our blog!

2008-02-22T13:52:00.000-08:00

Or rather, my blog, since I doubt Vaka will be making posts anytime soon. :) Yes, I have decided to hop on the blogging bandwagon, for the obvious reasons of keeping our family and friends up-to-date with our lives, as well as to allow me to fulfill my need to have a creative writing outlet because really, how does one make a legal document creative? For whatever purpose, we are officially inviting you to enjoy our journey with us!