The Fire Station

Last week we went with the Primary kids in our ward to the local fire station.  It was so cool!  They had videos to show the kids, suits for them to dress up in, and then they had this little obstacle course where they got to use the hose and climb a ladder and everything.  They even let them go in the fire truck.  Malachi had a blast.  Technically he's still in nursery, but they all love him so much, they invited him to come.

The kids (Malachi's front right with his best bud Ben)

The future firemen

In the firetruck with his cousin Mafi

He got a sticker and was very proud of it.

Baby faces

Little Vili is a man of many faces.  They make me smile.  Here's a selection of his buffet of expressions.

 

His scowl is very common.  He always looks so serious and concerned about the world.

He puckers his lips alot too.

Pretty much the biggest yawner in the world.

Love 'em.

oxo

3 years ago

I was skinnier.....

I  had dark hair....

I could spend all of my money on me and not feel guilty.....

My life was mostly about me.....

And then this happened.....

 

And it all changed.

I had to share my bed, my space, my money, my life, everything.

And I wouldn't have it any other way.

3 years ago my ME life ended and our US life began.

3 years doesn't sound very long, but it feels really long, in a good way.  I know that there used to be a time when Tui wasn't part of my life, but its hard to remember it.  It hasn't always been easy (coz lets face it, I'm not always easy to live with), but some how we've made it all work.  Tui's such a great husband, he says yes just enough to keep me happy, and says no just enough to keep us all sane (and not broke).  I remembering hearing Sister Hinckley talk about how she loved her husband because he let her fly.  That's how I feel.  I always knew I had big wings and Tui gives me the space and freedom and support I need to flap those big ol' wings. 
He's not perfect, but he's perfect for me. 

3 years down, eternity to go.....

.....heaven help us all..... :)

oxo

2 x 2

So it's been 2 weeks with our 2 boys and this is how we're doing so far.

Malachi has been superb!  Super helpful, very soft, and just adores his brother.

Tui has been amazing, totally taking care of Malachi (and Mummy) so that I can just focus on baby Vili.  He's been a husband, father, cook, cleaner, student, you name it, he does it.  I have been blown away at how much he was able to step up and take over everything.

Vili is such a cute little ball of squish.  To some parents he might not be the most ideal child, but I'm learning that it's all about perspective.  Here's what I mean.

- he's a snacker, no full meals, he wants to eat every hour, every half hour some times, so I am constantly nursing him.  The upside?  All that nursing means lots of calorie burning - when I went in to be induced I weighed 208lbs (disgusting, I know).  After 2 weeks, despite a c-section, I now weigh 173lbs.  No exercising, just straight nursing.  It's the new weight watchers, I'm telling you!  So I really don't mind feeding him all the time.

- Viliami hates his bed.  He'll sleep for like 30 minutes in it, and that's it.  So I've been keeping him in our bed at night.  Lots of people are against it, say it's dangerous or that we're setting ourselves up coz he'll want to sleep there forever now.  But the upside is, when he's in our bed, he sleeps the whole night, and I mean the WHOLE night.  I have to wake him up for feeds, which I do lying down while I fall back to sleep.  So I've been getting 8 solid hours sleep a night.  That is a DEFINATE upside.

It's been hard not being able to pick Malachi up, or do things that I usually would do, like laundry etc, but Tui's made it so easy for me, all I do is enjoy my boys.  I am so in love with all 3 of them.  It's amazing how you think you love someone 100%, but then some how you find that you love them more.  I love Tui and malachi more now that Vili is here.  It's the best.  I love being a Mum.  Love love love it.

Let's hope I still feel that way after Tui goes back to work and I actually have to do it on my own.....

Journal Entries, again.

This will, fingers crossed, be the last time I have to do electronic entries for my boys.  Because hopefully our stuff will leave Hawaii on the 19th of this month (yey!) and make its way down to us a week later.  So consider yourself lucky that you get yet another glimpse into the life of my little monsters.

Malachi.

Malachi is now a big brother.  His little brother Viliami was born 20 days after Malachi's 2nd birthday.  Not quite as big as Malachi, 9lbs oz, so my 10lb 10oz-er still takes the prize.  Malachi is loving his role as big brother.  From the get go in the hospital it was "Mumma, where's baya (brother)?....I hold it (him)?"  He wants to hold him ALL the time, although only for about 5 seconds before he's trying to push the baby away so he can run off to his next adventure.  He's been very helpful, bringing things for the baby, sharing his toys (even when we don't want him to, like while the baby is sleeping and Malachi's dumping cars and trucks on him), taking nappies to the rubbish, delivering messages for Mummy to Daddy.  He's always concerned with whether the baby is awake or asleep, he loves it when he moves and makes noise, and loves to give him kisses all the time.  He's a great big brother.
His love for cars seems to be never ending.  And he's constantly coming up for new things for his cars to do.  Recently they've been lining up and racing and then coming to the petrol station to fill up with gas.  They go with him to bed, to church, in the car, to change his nappy, to sit in his high chair and eat, everywhere we'll let him.  He just loves them.
He has learnt to sing his ABC's (properly now) and sings it ALL THE TIME, as fast and as loud as he can.  He is working on his Tongan alphabet too.  He's started memorising books and tells me off if I try to skip pages or change the words (when I read his digger and dumper book, he corrects me that diggers are actually called excavators.), and often rattles the stories off to himself while he's playing.  He loves Thomas the tank engine and now can name probably 10 of the engines by sight (which is impressive considering I still can't).
Malachi has recently been very concerned about people being happy.  He asks us a billion times a day, "Mummy, you happy?" and if i'm not, he'll kiss me and say, "See, now mummy's happy".  He even wants to make sure his toys are happy, and if he thinks they're sad, he hugs or kisses them to make them happy.
He's an interesting little boy when it comes to doing jobs and cleaning things - he absolutely loves it!!  It amazes his grandmother, she's never seen a child be so excited and willing to help.  He cleans up all his toys of his own account, or with a little reminder, he begs us to let him vacuum or sweep, if he can get his hands it, he'll use a cloth and wipe down everything, he hands me the pegs while i hang out he laundry, he likes loading and emptying the dishwasher, you name it, if other kids hate doing it, Malachi loves to do it.  I'm hoping that this last long enough for him to do jobs properly so I don't have to do any.
But as always, sleep is an issue.  Lately the issue has been nightmares about monsters, probably due to him watching the entire Star Wars series with Uncle Richard.  I'm hoping it's a very VERY short phase.
He's just such a great little kid.  He makes us smile very day.  He's so happy and loving and easy going.  I hope his brother turns out like him.  It would make my job as a mother so easy.