A case of mistaken identity

Love for NieNie

Blogland is abuzz today (okay, well at least a lot of the blogs I look at) with silent auctions--all proceeds going to the Stephanie & Christian Nielson recovery fund. This is the young couple who was in the plane crash a couple weeks ago (news story here and here) that happened in my hometown, I was surprised to find out.

I've been following Stephanie's popular blog, The NieNie Dialogues, for over a year now, and have grown to love her and her family, even though I don't know them personally. I tend to be cynical--weird, I know--so her unabashed love of family and homelife is refreshing to me. She inspires me to be a mother who enjoys her children, enjoys being a wife, enjoys homemaking.

And now she lies in a hospital bed, fighting for her life while her children are cared for by others. My thoughts have turned to Stephanie and her family often since I learned of the crash. Their recovery is expected to take months and will likely cost into the millions, so all the people that Stephanie has touched have joined together to show their love and support.

Go to DesignMom for a list of nearly 300 items that are being auctioned off starting today, lasting through the weekend. For more information about what you can do to help (send a card!) click on the button on the sidebar to be taken to the Nie Recovery website.

Start bidding! It's for a great cause!

Finally, it's happened to me!

Makai is in the school system! Even if it is for only 3 hours a day...

He went to his first day of kindergarten yesterday, and wasn't thrilled that he didn't "learn" anything. "We just talked about rules and stuff. I didn't even get any papers to put in my backpack! And our playground is called recess. " [Little does he know how he will come to love that word.]

He's excited to have a man-teacher, and is doubly excited that he has some friends in his class.

I wanted to take a picture of the kid, but he was walking too fast (and I had the other two kids, so couldn't keep up)! The only time I could get a shot from the front was quickly in the classroom before I snuck out.

School's out--running to the car to go home

Happy birthday to me!

I turned 31 on Saturday, and was actually awake enough to enjoy it (although I wasn't awake enough to take any pictures, apparently). My sister Symonie was kind to let us drop the kids off with her while Aki took me to lunch at Cafe Rio. We went back to her house for a baby-feeding session, then sang Happy Birthday and ate the incredibly awesome "Decadent Chocolate Cake" that she had made. You're the best, Sym! She also took me to Kohl's to get my present, which I love. Thanks again! And thanks for the birthday wishes via email, cards (and money, Mom!), and phone calls. I had a good day.

It's all coming back to me now

[First of all, I want to say that my blog is not going to turn into "Today in the life of Tevi..." documentary. However, he pretty much is my life right now, so that's what you're going to get for awhile. Like it or leave it.]
It was back to the hospital for me last week (recovery complication, you could say), but I'm all better now and am grateful to friends and family who took care of me and my kids during that time.

These days it seems I'm camped on the end of our couch for 80% of the day...still trying to make that whole "breast is best" thing work out for us. But hey, it makes for good reading time (never mind that the kids destroy the rest of the house while I'm otherwise occupied).

I can tell I haven't been a mom to a newborn in a few years. I took Tevi to the doctor's office sans diaper bag...no diapers or wipes, no nursing shield, no binkie. I felt only slightly dumb there in the waiting room while he was fussing. I'm just not in mom mode! Or maybe it's the sleep deprivation preventing me from thinking clearly. But little by little, it's all coming back and hopefully I'll remember and learn from my previous adventures in motherhood.

And now, a few pictures of when Shayla and [Big] Baby Max came to visit during Tevi's 2nd week of life--Max is 6 months older than Tevi...hopefully they'll be BFF-cousins while growing up.

Aki is in love with Maxwell. By the looks of this photo, Max just might feel the same way.We gave Tevi his first real bath, and it was a family affair. Scrub a dub-dub...*

While trying to take a decent photo of Tevi to send to his great-grandmas, we instead got several of the funny newborn faces he makes (and a sneeze).* - thanks to Shayla for the bathtime photos. And thank you for many other things...I'm so glad to have you as a sis-in-law!

1 week already?

Tevi is 1 week old today...it's been one of the longest of my life, but at the same time, it seems like I saw him for the first time just yesterday. The little duffer has jaundice and is sleeping on the lights tonight, so hopefully he'll do better tomorrow. I hate breastfeeding right now, but I know it will get better so I don't want to give up--I'm trying to power through it, with toes curled and swear words swirling through my head the entire time (those of you who've been there/done that will understand, I'm sure).

It's also our 7-year wedding anniversary today, but our celebration will be delayed, understandably. I guess having little Tevita here is celebration enough, and we do enjoy him.

Not really thrilled that his first outing into the world will be to none other than Wal-Mart.
Makai can't stay away. He LOVES Tevi...unfortunately, a little too much sometimes. :)

Here he is! Meet Tevi.

Our baby boy was born on Monday, August 4, 2008 at 1:33 P.M. in Tooele, Utah. He weighed in at 8 lbs. 12 oz. and was 22 inches long. He has a full head of black hair, big hands and feet, and a healthy appetite. We think we'll keep him.

His name is Tevita Kolomaile Peauma'a Funaki...his first name is after his Grandpa, Aki's dad. We've started calling him "Tevi" (rhymes with Chevy...not Levi). I've called him Ame more times than I can count. :)

My mom and dad have been here all week, and I'm so, so grateful for their help with the kids, house, cooking, cleaning, baby, etc. Seriously, my mother has supplied me (and my sweet tooth) with constant nourishment. And my dad even painted the baby's room. I don't want them to leave!

After coming home from the hospital, we've had several family and friends come to visit and take a peek at the little guy (some of these pics are from them). These are for Grandma and Grandpa Funaki in New Guinea.

[My brain isn't fully functional right now...so if I've left anything out that you want to know, just ask.]

I'm still alive...and still pregnant

But I won't be after tomorrow! Woo hoo! I go in at 6 am tomorrow to be induced. I'll finally get to meet the little fella who's been baking since November. Does anyone know if a Tongan baby name book exists? Because I could really use one.

Stay tuned for all the details you may--or may not--want to know.

In the meantime, here are a few photos from our too-many-relatives-to-process, double-family-reunion, very-uncomfortable-road-trip to Arizona last week. I helped plan the Udall reunion with my cousin Mindy--don't know what I was smoking when I volunteered for it. But my super-duper family came through in the end, and I am so grateful for all the help they gave to make the party a success. I have the best brothers, sisters, and parents...at least that's how I feel today. :)

We met in Mesa for Grandma Udall's 90th birthday celebration. She has about 40 grandchildren and 100+ great-grandchildren. It was pure chaos, but we enjoyed it.

Here's our tribe, minus Brigham, who's in Iraq. Aki, as usual, looks thrilled to be a Udall.

Grandma with most of her grandchildrenBoomer and Tennille were in charge of the pancake breakfast (and a whole bunch of other stuff)--total life savers!

Pool party! Aki takes on the nephews. (How anyone lives in Mesa without a pool is beyond me.)

Next we went up to a lodge in Greer in Arizona's White Mountains for a Larson Family Reunion (my mom's side). It was so nice: much cooler weather, rooms and food totally provided for, not as many people, and best of all--I wasn't responsible for a thing!

We enjoyed karaoke performances (Boomer serenaded Grandma Mimi with "My Girl") and presentedMimi with 86 birthday cards ranging from sappy to risqué. The next night, my mom and her sisters performed with their guitars, and we all saw a side of Risa we didn't know existed. :)

We spent a couple days in St. Johns at my parents house, and went to Eager for a day to spend time with my oldest brother Travis's family in their new home. It was really great to see all my family, and they all took good care of me. I was very lazy the whole time I was there--did nothing but sleep and eat!

some of the photos are courtesy of my SIL Heidi and niece Alli