Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Ear infections and miracles

Maaveave is quite prone to ear infections. Especially since Saturday, I took him for a swim at Tanoa and sure enough, he woke up crying on Sunday saying his ear was sore. Lucky John was there to give him pamol and comfort him.
His last ear infection was in May while we were in NZ. I remember it was a Wednesday night and he would wake up in tears from the pain. Early Thursday morning, John's siter Ina and I took him to see the doctor. He confirmed his inner ear was red and that he needed antibiotics. After we got the medicine, he took the first lot. He threw up. Tried to feed him but he didnt have an appetite. Tried to force him but he threw up again. This went on for the whole day. About three oclock, I tried to give him toast. Nada. And each time he took the medicine, he'd chuck it up again.

Around 5ish in the evening, John's sister signalled me silently and said to please tell the people at the door that her husband was not at home and still at work. I turned around to see two elders at the door. John quickly said to open the door. They were two Samoan boys from Samoa. I invited them in and asked them immediately if they could give my son a blessing as he was sick. They looked a bit alarmed and asked if I was a member. I said yes and so they came in and we went to the room and they gave Maaveave a blessing. We walked back outside and I led them to the garage where John's sister's husband was. I said thank you and went back into the house. I walked in and found Maaveave at the table eating a bowl of tuna and rice! He finished the food and John and I exchanged knowing glances. I was amazed at how much our Father in Heaven loves us and said to John that we needed to sit down and give thanks. He called everyone together and we delivered a very thankful prayer that evening.
What a miracle!

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Sometime around March, I noticed that people would be looking at my stomach at Maaveave's school. I often felt I should just look at them and wait for their eyes to meet mine then say, "Yeah, Im fat. And you're ugly. Go jump off a cliff or something." Until the day parents were invited to come in and see children's work at school and I had a nice little chat with Maaveave's teacher. Maaveave apparently tells her that God gave him a baby sister and its in his mummy's tummy. Apparently this he tells everyone. That explains the stares at my stomach. And it doesnt help that there is a healthy amount of lard sitting at my middle.

Discussions around baby 3 have been a frequent. My ovaries literally squeeze me when I see a new baby. I saw one particular cute saiga looking baby on Sunday at church and I wanted to take him hostage. When I think about lugging my swollen body around in that last trimester not caring about the pain of birth but just to get the baby OUT. Then there are the sleepless nights and early early morning calls to John cursing him for being in Savaii and not sharing the pain (the call is to mainly wake him up too so that he suffers along with me). The constant crying and you not knowing what is wrong and feeling helpless and useless. Being constantly attached to another human being and not being able to even go use the toilet before you hear them screaming the roof down. Ahhh..the list goes on. But to top it off - John being in Savaii. I have refused to have this bother me for a while but everytime he so much as breathes the word "baby", I release my venom that is my whole, "when you find a job on this island" speech and he quickly retracts and says to just leave it. And I am standing strong on this.

Monday, June 06, 2011

Chrsitmas Break Part II

Well, not really. Its now June and boy, has there been a load of things happening. There always is.

First thing: I got baptized on 12 February 2011 and am now a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints - so dont try and shove alcohol down my throat like my husband does.


Its been great learning about the so many things I thought I knew! Will provide more of that as we go along but lets just talk about this weekend...

Another trip to the bigger island with Papalii C and faletua. We went to Le Lagoto on Saturday. What do you mean we were going to watch John marry a palagi couple and I was in shorts and a t-shirt, Trish in tights and polo shirt while our husbands looked awesome one in a Mena and the other in his spotless white I-am-the-wedder-man shirt. Only felt a little bit uncomfortable until my butt was back, parked confortably in one of their poolside chairs and sipping a ice-cold glass of yummy pineapple juice.

Maaveave enjoyed his two hour dip in the pool under the moon - yes it was dark by the time he woke up from his long nap in the van and thus, swimming in the moonlight. Hello Sunday morning, he woke up and had a frog in his throat. Either way, was a fun night and since everyone else that could drive was under the influence, I had to drive the long 40 minute drive back to Sapapalii.

Sunday was the usual - church in the morning then there was a massive spread of talo, luau, oka poge (my favourite), supo kauau pipi, mamoe kao le umu and puaa from the day before re-cooked in the umu cause it was very rare when they first put it on the table.

Ate too much then onto the boat and we were rocking back and forth to Apia trying very hard to keep the poge from jumping back outta my stomach. Oka se sou!

We are back to reality and am all of a sudden interested in the SWA position advertised in the paper - only they are asking for a Certificate in Management and I dont have one :)