The new milestones of babies and mummy at 5 months

   Recently, Iola has developed the skill of talking real loud. Today, at FHE, he spoke quite loudly to his cousins.  I thought he was scared but he looked like he was talking to them. It was a sight to see. Of course Jordan wasn't there because he was at work but when I told him he was sorry to have missed  it and has  been trying to get Iola to talk loudly but to no avail...alas.
   Because they are five months they see things a lot more clearly which is a good thing but a bad thing for a mummy who is trying to sneak off to change the laundry  load, or trying to put down the baby in his crib to sleep.<oh darn it> For example, Today I tried to be super mummy and boil the bottles while both boys where awake...hahaha I succeeded but only because I have trained myself to not panic over two fussy babies because heaven knows that these two were angry at me for not paying more attention to them. Every once in a while I would show my face to them while Iola was  in the bouncy chair and Ikaika was  in the swing...they would smile but as soon as I walk away they would start to fuss again. Boiling the bottles took longer than the normal time it would have taken if they were asleep.I also tried to get in a laundry load. I had to throw them in the dryer to dry instead of hanging them on the clothes line. Ikaika wasn't going to put up with the cleaning nonsense. So by that point the boys were restless and was more or less angry with mummy. Imagine carrying a baby and smiling at him and smiling at your other baby who is still in the bouncer(reassuring him) and  trying to hold a cough in (oh, forgot to mention I'm sick) as to not scare the baby in the bouncer or wake up the almost-sleeping-baby in your arms. I bet if I was looking at myself I'd probably have to laugh or probably cry? hmmm no I think I'd have to laugh.
     Speaking of laughter--the boys laugh on demand now. What a joyous sound to hear. Whenever I speak to them they laugh(probably laughing at the crazy, funny-looking lady) Ha!

    Here is a video of uncle Jalen making Ikaika laugh.

 Here are the boys in their crib a few days after being home from the NICU<so small and precious>

Here are the boys in the same crib picture taken last Saturday<getting bigger and still precious!>

Hope you guys enjoy the pictures and video!

Back in High School...

     Today I stumbled across the song "Where is the Place?" and boy did memories come flooding through the flood gates. In High School (Fiji LDS Church College) our choir master put together a school choir where only certain members were selected out of each form(or class) to represent the school. Being in the choir was the "it" thing. During lunch hour we were allowed to eat for the first fifteen minutes and the rest of the hour was allocated to choir practice. If you were late the penalty was either 2 rounds around the gym in 1 and half minutes or worst...humiliation of self by singing a solo in front of the choir. Being a freshman in high school (grade eight) that was a nightmare that I didn't wish upon me or the other seven classmates that were in the choir.
   Okay, back to this song...The school choir planned a three day trip to the west side of Fiji where we would hold a fireside for the saints in Nadi. This song was the main attraction. We practiced this song for hours and days. The choir was made up of about hundred and fifty students and split into different parts and so we learned in parts and on certain days would the choir come together to hear the master piece sung together. Everyone wanted to sing the song right, wanted to SING and wanted to let others know that we knew this song held truth. I had the opportunity to sing the solo part, along with three other girls (one of them being my sister Kawehi) while the choir stood behind us. The power that the choir carried seemed to lift us as we sang our parts together.
    What a lovely memory...oh sweet  sweet youth...lol

Here is a picture back in the days...I'm a bit older in this photo. However, I'm with my friends who were also in that choir. Yeah, in this photo we just finished playing basketball against another school.



Where Is the Place?
Words & Music by Steven Kapp Perry

Solo
We seek it in cathedrals, in the stars,
Or on a lonely mountain face
Longing to knock upon the doors of heaven
Longing to find to a holier place
Could there really be such peace on earth
Somewhere beautiful and safe?
Someplace where answers
for the heart are found--
Where is the place my heart can call home?
Where is the place
The place my hearts longs for?
Where heaven and earth embrace?
Is it a dream?
The place that I long for?
Where is the door, where is the key
Where could that holy place be?
Women
Here is a place of peace
Sheltered within the temple
And here you,ll find rest and revelation
Here you can quiet your soul
Here is the place
Here in the temple
Where heaven and earth embrace!
Come and be taught
All who are humble
Learn grace by grace
Learn to see the Lord,s face
Here in his holiest place
All
From our very first parents the story's the same
We're all outcasts of Eden
Finding our way home again
Here is the place, here in the temple
Where heaven and earth embrace!
Come and be taught, all who are humble
Learn grace by grace, learn to see the Lord's face
Where is that holy place?

One day at a time

Total Blank! Over the past five months our world has been one heck of a roller-coaster ride. why pay to go to theme parks when you get the ride right in your home. "tickets are good for life" Right! Iola and Ikaika (our sons) surprised us and came two months early at 28 weeks with one weighing 2 pounds 11 ounces and the other weighing 3 pounds 4 ounces. I think my mummy radiator was off the charts and close to broken during the boys stay at the NICU. I knew I was a new mummy but lacked the proof except for the huge scar on my lower tummy telling me that indeed I once was pregnant.Hormones were broken. Poor Jordan held up our family until I could clearly think and discern for myself. I don't think I was depressed (you know post pregnancy thingy) but Jord says I definitely was so. The story is one in its own and quite a long one at that. If I could sum up everything in one word I choose Faith...or maybe Scary...probably both.Here are pictures of Iola and Ikaika one day after birth and pictures of them at four months. enjoy!

Here is Iolakona in his incubator right after surgery.

Here is Iolakona at four months at his aunts home.

Here is Ikaika getting ready for surgury to have his IV lines put in.

Here is Ikaika at four months at his aunts home.