Lupus and when it all began…

I don’t even know where to begin? Since 2012 I’ve been battling Rheumatoid Arthritis and that has been a struggle on a day to day basis, so now that I’m living with Lupus it has been physically and emotionally overwhelming. I had put blogging on hold around August of 2014 because my husband and I were preparing for Ellyse’s first birthday party in California. The summer of 2014 was one to remember, such great times we had with family. If I had known that would’ve been one of the last times seeing all of our friends and family for a while then I would of cherished every minute more dearly. September second, a day after Labor day which we spent at the beach, I found myself in urgent care with what I thought was a fever. I was given some pain medications and sent home. I wasn’t too worried about it ’cause we had a flight back to Colorado to catch the next day.

Once reaching home in Colorado things seemed to change, I noticed my health getting worst. I had less energy and more joint pain than usual. About three weeks later after attending CSU’s 1st home football game for the season of 2014, I found myself rushing to the emergency after the game. I went in because I just couldn’t stand the pain I was feeling. It was like I just got hit by a bus and I had shattered every bone in my body. The pain was radiating all over my joints; It hurt when I would move. I was since then admitted and then discharged out of the hospital every two weeks after that first time rushing into the emergency and I mean EVERY 2 weeks!! It was like my body started acting up every saturday night and then I found myself in the emergency getting admitted again.

The first time I went into the hospital I was told that my kidneys looked dehydrated and that I was to be admitted for fluids and was given stronger pain medications to help with the pain because they were unsure of what was causing the pain. The second time I was admitted for the same reason because I was still dehydrated. The 3rd time was when I had more blood test done and a Kidney Biopsy which tested me positive for Lupus Nephritis. Late September I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Lupus Nephritis. Lupus Nephritis is an inflammation of the kidneys caused by systemic lupus erythematosus. In layman terms and how I understand the type of lupus I have is that its an auto immune disease where my own body is attacking itself and in my case my body thinks its protecting my kidneys, but its actually attacking and damaging them. So yeah… the only person strong enough to kick my butt is myself lol. Lupus has been attacking my kidneys for sometime now and I just never knew it. Mentally I wasn’t prepared for all that was about to happen over the next few months. After finding out the proper diagnosis, the doctors were keen on setting me up with the right treatments and medications all with the hopes that I didn’t need dialysis and my kidneys would gain more function on their own. During all of this I wanted nothing more but to be home with my husband and daughter. I put them before my health. I found myself always fighting to come home from the hospital when I knew I needed to stay. Guess that’s why I kept ending back in the hospital almost every week. I honestly didn’t think I was that sick, like on the verge of dying kind of sick. I felt fine, looked fine and was still able to get up everyday to take care of Ellyse. I totally ignored what the doctors were telling me about how aggressively the lupus was attacking my kidneys and that I could DIE. I just figured I’d get better in a few weeks like all I had was the flu or a cold. In my mind I felt as healthy as a horse! When the doctors would stress the seriousness of my condition all I heard was “wham wham wham Lupus blah, blah, blah”. I was a really bad patient and didn’t take anything seriously because I was scared to believe that I was at the brink of death when I mentally felt healthy. On top of being sick and battling kidney failure, adapting to the new medications was hard for me. The medications were so strong I couldn’t keep them down and not to mention the amount of meds I was put on so quickly was a shock to my body. I also have low platelets which caused uncontrollable bleeding. One time I blew my nose and had my first nose bleed that wouldn’t stop for two hours and was one of the reasons I went to the ER again… Talk about traumatizing for your first ever nose bleed lol. One of the times I was admitted I was given fluids to help keep me hydrated, but seeing that my kidneys weren’t working the way they were meant to, I retained all that water weight and was a swollen ballon for weeks! I felt soooooo ugly! I hid at home until the swelling went down (which never happened till I started dialysis) Oh not to mention Chemotherapy!! Ugh, my hair started falling out after my first treatment. My husband would hold me and let me cry my eyes out every time I brushed my hair. Lets just say this was a very dark time for my inner Fashion Diva as I struggled to keep up with my physical appearance. In between the months of September till just after Halloween I had been in and out of the emergency for a total of eight times. The last time I was discharged from the hospital just before Halloween, I was given my first Cytoxan chemotherapy treatment and then was scheduled to return a month later for my second treatment on December twenty second as an outpatient . That month was the best month I got to spend with my tiny family at home, going christmas shopping and preparing for Christmas. I felt ok and normal because I was telling myself that it was for the simple fact that I was needed at home. Eli had to go to work and living in Fort Collins we didn’t have too much family to rely on to help us watch Ellyse; just friends and amazing church members from relief society who offered to watch Ellyse the times I was stuck in the hospital and Eli had to go to work. I am so grateful for the help we received during that time. The amount of thanks I have inside could never be truly expressed. Still ignoring how sick I was becoming I put all of my focus and strength into my family and my sister and brothe-in-law who came to visit with her children for the holiday season. I was excited that this was going to be our first white snowy Christmas in Colorado.

I woke up on December twenty second, all the children were still sleeping. I snuck off down stairs to make myself breakfast, but for some reason I felt different that morning. I knew I didn’t wanna go in for chemo but I knew I had too. It’s like crazy to think that that was the last day in my home and I didn’t even know it. I found myself staring at my kitchen appreciating it a bit more that day. Looking at my decorations in the living room five seconds longer than I normally would. I had an eerie feeling that something was not right but I just couldn’t put my finger on it. Feeling a bit sad, I sat on the stairs in my home with my dog Princess Cleo taking selfies and sharing my ham and cheese sandwich with her while I waited for my ride to Chemo. I kissed my husband and the sleeping children as I left the house not knowing that that was to be one of the last times I would be there. Upon arriving to the Chemo Outpatient Centere I was under the impression that it was only going to take me about six hours, then I would be home. As the nurses tried to get the IV site in my arm, my veins kept popping. It was from that moment that the nurses and doctors became suspicious that something else was wrong and that I should be admitted to the hospital immediately.I was hopeful that it was only going to be a overnight stay because Christmas was two days later, but that hope was taken away when I found out what lupus was doing to me now. Later on Christmas Eve, I found out that not only was the Lupus attacking my kidneys, but also my blood cells causing me to need numerous blood transfusions, platelets and extensive  Plasma treatments and also the start of dialysis to help my kidneys along while my body was fighting through my blood cells being destroyed by lupus. Geez! I felt like I was a snowball of problems that holiday season! I sat back in my hospital bed all by myself and watched all the important holidays pass me by. I watched my daughter open her christmas gifts through FaceTime. I also counted down on New years eve with my husband through FaceTime… I even spent my birthday on January ninth in the hospital! lucky for me the hospital staff were nice enough to let us use the Sun room to accommodate a few family and friends for a small birthday party. I never wanted Eli to bring Ellyse to the hospital because I felt there were too many sick people there and it was not a place for a healthy baby to be, plus it was below fifteen degrees outside and it started to snow really bad christmas day, I seen it as me still trying to “mother” from a far even if it meant sacrificing them seeing me to keep my husband and daughter nice and healthy, then thats what I wanted. Mentally I couldn’t take it anymore… staring at the same four walls and the same ticking clock day in and day out, sheesh! man I can see and understand why people go cuckoo after awhile in the hospital because I started to get anxiety being in the hospital for staying so long. I don’t want to go into hard core details because this blog would never end so I’ll save all the medical talk for my book I’ll probably publish someday lol. Long story short, I couldn’t afford to stay in the states for all the treatments I was going to need to stay alive. The doctors felt it was the best decision to continue treatments in New Zealand as I am also a New Zealand citizen. Going to New Zealand where health care is free, was looking like my best and was actually my only option considering I was in need of so many different treatments besides starting dialysis.

In critical condition, I was dialyzed then discharged from the hospital January 12th 2014 at eleven o’clock am. My flight back to New Zealand was at three o’clock pm that very same day because I was due for another dialysis session in the next seventy two hours and my flight back home already took up about twenty hours of that time. All I can remember is walking into my home in Colorado seeing my family and friends packing my luggages in a hurry. All I could do was breakdown and cry. I hadn’t been home in almost a month and I was realizing that it was going to be the last time I was standing in the first house Eli and I consider a “home” for us and the first house we brought our daughter home after she was born. I was taking all of this in…because in a matter of two hours, I had to get in the car and zoom down to Denver International Airport to catch our flight. To make matters worst, Eli and I hadn’t even gotten the chance to sit and talk and say goodbye properly because I was so sick in the hospital. Eli was so busy helping me and Ellyse through the airport and security and making sure we made the flight because we were late. As we reached the gate, Ellyse ran to the window and dragged Eli with her to look at the plane.  I sat in my wheelchair too weak to move. Five minutes after watching them play at the window, the gate agent signaled that it was our turn to board. My heart dropped as I looked to Eli. I had felt heart break before but this kind of heart break was more than I could bare at that time with everything that was happening. To be stuck in a hospital for a whole month then sent off to another country and having to leave all my friends and family suddenly, and then having to say good bye to the love of my life, ALL at the same time?! My gosh! I’m surprised I am still alive. Eli kissed and hugged us, both of us full of tears he said to me “I love you with all my soul” and I replied “I love you with all my heart” this being our saying that we have always said to each other since we were seventeen years old.  Those being our last words to each other, Ellyse and I were wheeled off to board our eigtheen hour flight back to New Zealand.

I was so weak the whole flight through but kept praying for the strength to stay awake for Ellyse’s sake. Just getting out of the hospital, all I wanted to do was lay my head down and rest but it was just me and Ellyse. I found myself dosing off here and there, but I’m so grateful for the flight attendants who helped us though the flight from Denver to San Fransico then to New Zealand. When we touched down in Auckland I was beyond exhausted. I could barely hold onto Ellyse. It’s a miracle I made it just before I passed out with Ellyse in my arms in front of my Parents and older siblings. As I was being wheeled out to passenger arrival, I seen my Mom and yelled out for her, then my vision started to go black and I passed out. I’m forever thankful for the two Air New Zealand flight attendants that helped collect our luggage and pushed us through to meet my family who was waiting for us. To be honest I don’t even remember what happened next? I just remember a glimpse of getting into an ambulance and then waking up in the hospital. It was a scramble to get things together for me here in New Zealand. Doctors here knew nothing of how critical my lupus was and that I was due for Dialysis again from leaving the states. Luckily things fell into place where as I received all the continuous treatments I needed to stay alive. I lived out of North Shore hospital here in Auckland for two months. I am now at home with Ellyse but still return to North Shore hospital for dialysis 3 days a week for four and half hours. I’ve completed four sessions of chemotherapy that has helped stop my lupus from attacking other organs in my body, but my lupus is still very active. My kidneys however, won’t recover from the damages lupus has done over the years when I was unaware I even had lupus. I’m now awaiting a kidney transplant. I’m here in New Zealand until my Lupus goes into remission and we find a successful donor who matches me. I’ve sat quietly to myself a million times and cried out to Heavenly Father “why me?… Why my tiny family!? Did I really deserve this?” Then I would paste things from my past and tell myself that that was why I’m suffering now. I know Heavenly Father isn’t about revenge. So I’ve come to the conclusion that “Every thing does happen for a reason” I may not know why it’s all happening to me now, but I’ll find out soon enough. Every thought I’ve had and belief has been tested. I’ve considered turning my back on everything I’ve ever known and was ever taught but then I thought to myself “I’m rock bottom right now, with nowhere else to go but up. Should I just stew in darkness or look up for hope?” Simple as that. Should I live life hating everything because of a sickness, or see the beauty in the rest of my life to come? This is a new journey and battle my family and I must endure and I’m proud you’re here supporting us. Kind words of encouragement goes a very long way… You’d be surprised how much you’ve touched a person though a simple Facebook message or Instagram comment, thank you. As for now I’ll be here in New Zealand awaiting my kidney transplant and fighting this battle as hard as the Japanese fought against Godzilla! 🙂

-Ace Mamii

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From Memories to a Mile Stone: Eli’s Graduation

This week is one of those stressful mommy weeks. Lets just say there is so much to do in so little time… cleaning, washing and shopping. We will be accommodating 13 people in our home this weekend, all family members who are driving up or flying in for Eli’s graduation ceremony! I’m super excited to have everyone! This week marks a major mile stone in my husband’s life. He will be the 1st person in his family (and mine) to graduate from a university. It’s sad to say, but most Polynesians do not choose to further their education after high school or are not presented with the opportunity to do as such. This is why it is such a big deal to us! This weeks blog is dedicated to my loving husband! I’m just going to take a small trip down memory lane and tell you guys about his educational journey that has brought him to where he is now.

Like I mentioned so many times before, Eli and I have been together since our Junior year of high school. I went to Long Beach Jordan High School (best school ever!) and he went to some high school that granted themselves, “The Home of the Scholars & Champions”… Long Beach Polytechnic High School (MACHO ego much??). Lol theres a bit of rivalry between us seeing that our schools are both on the same main street, but a few miles away. In the spring of 2009 we both graduated on the same day, at the same stadium, but just at different times. Being able to watch each other graduate was one of the best moments in our lives, because we enter the real world together.

We were both looking to go to a community college. I wanted to go to Long Beach City College because I had so many connections that I had made during high school and Eli wanted to go to LBCC with me as well! He had plans to play football for LBCC. As the summer went by Eli and I started receiving phone calls and visits from other community colleges who heard Eli was not going to a university straight out of high school. These colleges were very interested in Eli that they started to call me! These colleges knowing that I wanted to attend LBCC had a big affect on Eli’s choice and why he wanted to attend LBCC, as well. They tried to persuade me to go to there college. One college that stood out to me for Eli was Cerritos Community College. The coach called me up one day asking me all sorts of questions and started stating his reasons why Cerritos College was the best choice for Eli. He compared Cerritos and LBCC and I realized that Cerritos to me, was looking like a great choice for Eli, so I agreed to help persuade Eli to go to Cerritos College. Long story short after weeks of fighting and disagreements, Eli finally went to Cerritos College!  As for me, I didn’t end up going to LBCC, but decided to travel to Australia instead. Eli’s choice to attend Cerritos was probably one of the best decisions he’s ever made for his athletic/educational career.

He was the starting defensive end at Cerritos College for both freshman and sophomore years! He had a great freshman year and was also starting his sophomore year off strong that he attracted the attention of Washington State University, which he later took a trip to WSU and then accepted their scholarship offer. He was well on his way to becoming a Cougar, but about 7 games into his sophomore year, the unthinkable happened. During their game against El Camino College, Eli Tore his ACL. I will never forget Eli’s face as I rushed down to the field when the trainer announced his injury; Eli was crushed. He sat the rest of the season out, but managed to play their very last game of the season. With his knee injury playing a big factor in his athletic career, we were worried WSU would not want him anymore. A few months after season we had a pleasant visit from the Washington State head coaches that ensured Eli still had his scholarship and they were looking forward to us moving up to Washington.

As fate may be, All the coaches at Washington State got fired, therefore resulting in Eli losing his scholarship. Eli continued to go to school and strengthen his knee in case another school came along. We started losing faith that Eli would get picked up, slowly but surely, division two schools started calling. We met with more coaches and learned about more universities. Time was drawing closer to graduation and the lucky winner ended up being Colorado State University. The same thing that happen to Washington State with the changing of coaches happened here at Colorado State, too.  It was at this time in Fort Collins where an unfortunate event occurred where CSU were in need of defensive linemen in which opened an opportunity for Eli to become a part of the Ram Family. In May of 2012, Eli accepted a scholarship from Colorado State and it was at that moment where our “Rocky Mountain” lives began; A “Bold New Era” had begun at CSU. Over the past 2 years, Eli has studied his butt off, I gave birth to my beautiful daughter Sweet Ellyse and we have managed to truly call this state “Home”. Since Eli has been here with CSU, the football team has been on the raise! We ended last season with a epic win in the New Mexico Gilldan Bowl against… wait for it… WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY! sheesh talk about karma! lol Life out here in Colorado has been nothing but good to us. 

All those hours I’ve seen Eli put into earning his college degree is truly a blessing. Someone had once told us that “Eli making it to the NFL would be the only way he could feed Ellyse.” I cannot express my gratitude to my husband for making the choice to stay behind and graduate. I love him for the simple fact that he sees more value in his bachelors degree rather than a NFL contract. He makes so many sacrifices for Ellyse and I that I want him to know that his sacrifices are being noticed and not taken for granted. I’m so thankful he is my husband. He is the true definition of the “WORLD’S #1 DAD/HUSBAND!” I love you Eli and will continue to love you everyday till eternity. Thank you for your hard work honey… Congratulations!!!

Graduation pictures to come later on next week!

Ace Mamii 

 

My top 3 Easter sweets!

I’m an addict of sugar.  I’m in love with Valentines day, Halloween and EASTER!  These are the 3 biggest holidays that revolve around candy.  Fun fact: “After Halloween, Easter is the biggest candy consuming holiday. 120 million pounds of candy are bought each year, enough to fill four dump trucks.”  My love of chocolate stems from having an older sister who is just as crazy about chocolate as I am… crazy teaches crazy lol. Back in New Zealand, my older sisters raised me while my parents worked. Chocolate was a part of my daily meals when in their care. Growing to love chocolate gave me more reasons to look forward to holidays like EASTER!

My addiction to Easter candies started when I was 5 years old.  In New Zealand Blockbuster would have an annual “Easter Coloring Competition.”  Children from the ages 5-12 would be given a coloring sheet with an Easter bunny on it and were told that who ever had the best coloring would win a grand Easter basket filled with goodies! The coloring submissions were displayed on Blockbuster’s windows until it was time to make a decision on whose drawing would be crowned winner. I was only 5, so my artistic skills were still developing… My sisters took it upon themselves to color and enter the competition using my name and age. Long story short, WE WON! oh it was the biggest Easter basket i’ve ever received! Technically I didn’t earn it, but it came with at least 30 chocolate eggs, 4 big hollow Easter bunnies and a bunch of random other candies. Lets just say that Easter was the best Easter of my LIFE! lol. Since then, I pride myself on knowing which Easter candies are the best. Here are a few of MY personal favorite Easter candies:

Cadbury Creme & Caramel Eggs

I can remember these eggs ever since I could remember my 1st Easter. These are popular in New Zealand just about any time of the year. Upon moving here to the States in 2003, these Cadbury eggs were not sold here at the time.  It wasn’t until a few years ago, Cadbury eggs made a lasting impression on the U.S. making it possible for Cadbury eggs to be sold every Easter. I’m not a big fan of the Creme eggs (Chocolate egg with insides that look like real egg yoke) but I am a lover of the Cadbury Caramel Eggs! I prefer the Cadbury eggs made in NZ, AUS or England because I feel the quality of chocolate is richer, but will settle for the Hershey-made Cadbury eggs.

Russell Stover Solid Chocolate Bunny

Eli has a thing for SOLID chocolate bunnies and is on a quest to find the biggest SOLID chocolate bunny he can find. We have not found one yet, but at our last grocery trip we found ourselves down the Easter aisle. The largest solid bunny we found were the Russell Stover bunnies. These bunnies were on sale 2 for $6, so Eli and I decided on buying one bunny each. Before buying the chocolate, Eli grinned at me and said, “When I was little, I always thought that the eggs came from the bunnies, which sucks because the chickens get no credit for making the eggs…stupid bunnies” lol.  After his funny little story, he bought his solid chocolate bunny and I purchased my caramel-filled bunny. This was the best $6 we have ever wasted.

PEEPS!

Ok, this love of peeps started here in America. Most people hate Peeps but I am absolutely in LOVE with PEEPS! something about the sugar coating over the marshmallow…*hmmmm Peeeeeppppssss, slowly wipes drool* it blows my mind that something so simple can be so delicious! If your not a fan of peeps, try it with Hershey’s chocolate and graham crackers like a peeps s’more… it’ll change your life lol.

Now I understand Easter isn’t about the chocolate. Easter serves a more meaningful purpose to our lives. The remembrance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. God sent Jesus to Earth to teach us a better way to live. Though His ministry lasted only three years, His teachings have influenced billions for nearly two millennia, but the greatest gift Jesus gave to us, was His life. He paid the price for our sins, died on the cross, and rose from the dead—providing an example that we too, will one day return and live with God someday. I have a true testimony of the gospel and of our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. He suffered for me and my sins and in return I will honor and remember him and his teachings always. I will strive to make sure these teachings are passed down to Ellyse and my future children. They will understand that Easter and chocolate bunnies are just a mere part of Easter and that the true sweetness of Easter comes from our Savior’s doing.

Happy Easter! May your easter eggs and chocolate bunnies be plentiful on this joyous day lol.

Ace Mamii

Bucket List: Samoa

Samoa, a beautiful independent country located in the heart of the south pacific ocean. I’ve had the amazing pleasure of visiting Samoa back in 2009. The Island’s essence has captured my heart and its memories will always replay freshly in my mind. Most Samoans have not had the pleasure of visiting the mother land yet, this blog is a little push to help you place Samoa at the top of your bucket list! I have always had a bucket list after I graduated from high school and I can proudly say that Samoa is the first thing on my bucket list I have crossed off! Here are 4 reasons why Samoa should be on your bucket list!

 

The Beach / Rock Pools

Man oh man… the beaches in Samoa are seriously postcard worthy! Clear water and fishes swimming about your feet, its something you don’t get a lot’ve here in America! Every beach and rock pool I was able to visit was breath taking! With the humid weather in Samoa I went swimming just about everyday! My favorite beach is Matareva Beach located in Lefaga Safa’atoa (My daddy’s village). I discovered the true meaning of “soaking up the sun” at this very beach. With my fala (woven matt) laid out on the white sand, my pisupo (corn beef) and rice along with my fresh coconut was the epitome of my dream vacation!

Fashion: Island Style

I am one to rock a puletasi (traditional Samoan women’s wear) any chance I get! I love collecting Samoan earrings and bracelets. Shopping at the flea markets in town is an experience to remember.  When visiting, I dressed like the obvious tourist walking through the flea markets which is bit of a challenge. I had people selling me things left and right! I had Puletasi’s and Lava lava’s (sarong) in every color of the rainbow waved around in my face. I had a little kid following me around the market with a box of gum saying “Tina fia fa’atau se pulu?” (Mother, do you wanna buy some gum?) haha. Besides the craziness, the items are all original and beautiful. I must have gotten a million pair of earrings and lava lavas, but you can never go wrong with Island style.

Food… Nom nom nom.

Okay, I don’t even know where to start?!? I go into food coma just thinking about the food in Samoa. Most of the food choices are not the healthiest, but hey!… I’m on vacation and i’m going to live a little and eat a lot, or until I pass out lol. My absolute favorite thing to eat was a Keke pua’a (pork bun) and a fresh coconut to wash it down with from the markets in Apia. There are also the banana chips/taro chips, milk biscuits, masi saiga and Twisties!! (kinda like cheetos but chicken flavored) ugh… I’m making myself hungry lol. I don’t even wanna get into main dish details… Just know that my words are not doing any justice, the food can only be explained through taste buds.

Culture

For the two short months I had in Vaimoso (my mommy’s village), I was able to complete a long overdue reunion with some dearly missed family members. I got the chance to learn about my parents childhood, my family history and status. My most grateful experience was learning the traditional way of the islands and having the chance to brush up on my samoan speaking. It’s a major difference being Samoan and raised away from Samoa, than being born and raised in Samoa; a must-have cultural experience!

 

Hope my blog inspired you to push visiting Samoa to the top of your bucket list! My husband and I are planning to make a bucket list trip to American Samoa someday soon. I will be blogging about some of the places I’ve had many of my favorite adventures, and hopefully some of the locations that remain unchecked on my bucket list.  Now that I have my own little family, our bucket list is growing! I’ll make sure to keep you all updated on the “Edwards Family Adventures!”

Bucket list: Samoa crossed off my list! Next stop (next bucket list blog)… Australia!

-Ace Mamii

Questions? Just comment and feel free to share 🙂    

 

10 unique Baby Keepsake Ideas!

I’ve had a terrible case of “writter’s block” this past week which lead me to facebook for suggestions for this weeks blog.  My cousin Austin (also known as my best-est ever-est cousin in the whole wide world hehe) commented with the idea of writing a letter to Ellyse.  A letter of my goals,dreams and hopes I have in mind for her that I want her to know for the future.  This letter suggestion inspired me to blog about this weeks topic; Baby Keepsakes!!!  There are so many new mommy’s (and soon-to-be-mommy’s) like me that I thought of making this weeks blog fun and beneficial just for you hot mama’s out there!  Ever since Ellyse was born I have been obsessed with keepsakes!  I would save everything she ever touched! lol.  I’m big into scrapbooks but never really find the time to sit down and work on them and kinda find it boring at times. I started looking for better ways to preserve all of Ellyse’s baby Items. I will be sharing 10 fun and unique keepsake Ideas I am currently doing for Ellyse and some cool ideas I’ve come across!!

1. A letter for the future.

 

I would have posted her letter here on my blog, but I feel it is something close and personal I prefer Ellyse to have all to herself!  In my very first blog post, “The Story Of Sweet Ellyse” I mentioned that I did not have any future plans for her (Because she was meant to be a boy) and that I felt guilty about it.  I feel this is a great way to redeem myself.  I plan on writing a yearly “goal letter” to her as she grows.  Writing her letters as she grows, gives me the chance to reflect on many memories I am sure to share with her as she matures into a young woman. This will give me the opportunity to write about her hobbies and whatever sports she was interested in that specific year and I could maybe predict future goals for her in the following years to come. Even if it’s a small prediction of her being a ballerina or the next Misty May (Famous beach volleyball player).  Of course she wont be able to read these letters until she’s 18 years old.  This ensures that I am able to voice my goals and dreams for her in private, and avoid pressuring her to live by them.

2. Vacation Postcards

This wasn’t a keepsake idea, but I am making it into one.  The Idea is to buy a post card when you’re on family vacations or fun trips together, write down the fun activities you did that day, date it and then send it to your home address on that very day.  I love this idea because it saves me time from trying to think back after our vacation and then writing about the memories weeks later.  Instead, I will have a post card full of fresh memories waiting for me at home! The only place we have been as a family (besides Cali) that we consider a “Vacation” is New Mexico.  On our stay in Albuquerque, Ellyse and I were able to witness one of the craziest comeback wins that my husband and the Colorado State football team accomplished over Washington State in the 2013 Gildan New Mexico bowl.  After the game, I managed to snag a postcard from the hotel lobby and share my experiences within it.  Now when I look back on that day, I can recall many of those same experiences that I’ve shared throughout the postcard.

3. Charm Bracelet

Eli and I creatively thought of an idea of buying Ellyse a charm bracelet. We would buy her Charms that represent a special time in her life. We would be collecting charms as we come across them. One of her 1st charms is a baby Ram with a pink bow. This ram was made by a talented friend of ours who is also a CSU football girlfriend 🙂 This “Rammie” represents the beginning of her life. When Ellyse was born, the guys on the team has dubbed Ellyse the first official girl on the CSU football team lol. What better way to represent CSU than with a Ram!

4.  Pappy,Binkie,Dummy

Ellyse lives off of pacifiers! The two things she demands before falling asleep is her toy monkey Kawully and her Pappy “Pacifier”. I’ve collected a variety of pappys and will continue to collet them until she’s done with the whole “pacifier stage”. My plan is to take a picture of Ellyse with a pappy in her mouth, then border the picture with her pacifiers in side a shadow box frame.

5. Ellyse’s Email

I’ve setup a future email account in Ellyse’s name that is linked to mine.  That is until Ellyse becomes of age to handle her own email. I have been sending random funny pictures to her account so that when she opens her email, there will be pictures of Ellyse all throughout her childhood.  This is one of my favorite ideas, because it really helps me out a lot.  How many of you “photo-frenzy” parents have come across this problem before?  Sometimes my iPhone has a mind of its own and doesn’t want to connect to my computer, so I can’t back my phone up to save the pictures. I figured, instead of going through the hassle of trying to reconnect my phone, I simply send her pictures to her email where I know she will someday see them. It’s a quick and fast way of sending important pictures to her email when I am at a party or event.  Also (pay attention photo-frenzy parents), you can delete it off of your phone for that extra storage space (you know you will need) and not be concerned about losing any of your pictures!

6. Outfit Baggies

I loved all of Ellyse’s outfits when she was just a tiny 6 pound nugget. Her outfits are so small and cute. I always made sure to take a picture of her in her outfits. Now that she has outgrown her outfits I don’t want to put them in storage boxes to collect dust or sell her outfits because they hold sentimental value in each outfit. I pressed her tiny outfits and taped them inside a ziplock bag (so they will remain fresh & clean) along with a picture of Ellyse on the day she wore that outfit.

7.The “AnaLia” Updates

This idea was brought to my attention by a good friend of mine named Emerald and her adorable daughter AnaLia. Emerald takes a monthly photo of AnaLia and lists all of the new things she started to do that month: like how much she weights, if she has started to crawl and some of AnaLia’s favorite things to do. With social media being the greatest leaders of today’s generation, I thought this would be the cutest way of keeping distant relatives updated with your babies new adventures.

8. Birthday Newspaper

I think I seen this idea on Pintrest somewhere… But the concept of this keepsake is to purchase a newspaper every year on your child’s birthday. I thought it would be pretty mind-blowing if my parents did that for me, because I would get to see all the events that happened on my special day. Something historic could on happened on my 7th birthday, yet I was only worried about what flavor my birthday cake was lol. I can only imagine Ellyse’s curiosity as she reads historical events that may occur on her birthday when she was too young to understand. This idea would serve two purposes: it is memorable and educational.

9. Graduation Storybook

A father did this keepsake for his daughter, he took one of his daughters favorite children’s storybooks and had every teacher his daughter ever had (K-12)  write on a page. He started from her preschool teacher all the way to her teachers from her senior year. The father had each teacher write a encouraging letter to his daughter that would help motivate her for college. I’m sooooo doing this keepsake for Ellyse when she starts school!

10. Mula Letters

I came across this keepsake on Pintrest when Ellyse was born; it’s my all-time favorite. Every year on Ellyse’s birthday, Eli and I agreed to write her a special letter along with $100 to seal in an envelop (we plan to put more money if we can spare it). We will be storing them away somewhere safe until she prepares for college. These letters and money will be a memorable gift for her as she is “leaving the nest”. It’s a great investment, instead of giving Ellyse the money upfront, it will show her how hard Eli and I strived to save for her future. We want our children to know that education is important for their futures and to show that we (like any other parent) will be supporting them as they mature into the bright adults we know they’ll be . The letters will explain our struggles as a young family and we hope these letters will motivate them to work hard, strive to become great, and never take the price of every dollar for granted.

I hope you enjoyed reading these 10 unique “Baby Keepsake” ideas. I never really paid attention to when parents would say, “Cherish those times because they grow fast!”, but I do now. Ellyse is 7 months old and shes growing entirely way too fast for my liking. Time is impatient and waits for no one, that is why I will do the best I possibly can to KEEP her tiny memories for my own SAKE.

Please feel free to comment and let me know what you think!!

-Ace Mamii

A kiwi living in America

I have been living here in America for about 11 years now. Although I have lost most of my accent and adapted to the American culture I am still a true Kiwi Kid at heart. I was born and raised in Auckland, New Zealand in a major suburb called Henderson just west of Auckland city.

 I was able to attend Kindergarden and Primary (Elementary) school while I was in New Zealand. I went to 3 different primary schools: first, I attended St. Leonards Road School in Kelston then I went onto Henderson South Primary School. After visiting America in 1998, I then attended Henderson North Primary School before permanently moving to America in 2003. Transitioning from Primary Schools in New Zealand to attending an Elementary in America was a big cultural shock for me. I wasn’t able to experience the things I used to do or play the way I used to play. The school curriculum was also different. There were so many changes I had to adapt to as a young kiwi (slang for New Zealand born citizens) living in America. This past weekend was Polyfest (I will elaborate more on Polyfest later in my blog) and as I started reminiscing on life in New Zealand as a young girl, I realized that my daughter Ellyse will not get to experience the great memories I had as a young kiwi. From my experiences in Elementary, and with the help of a couple of my nieces and nephews attending grade school today, I can recall a list of great memories I had in Primary School that Ellyse will most likely, not be able to experience:

NO Shoes, NO worries

I know having no shoes are a safety regulation here in America, but growing up in New Zealand shoes were optional. I loved walking bare foot! I don’t know why they let us choose to wear shoes or not, but it was the best thing in the world for a 5 year old. I lived 2 houses down from Henderson North Primary school so I would walk to and from school with no shoes on and no one had any problems with that. You could even go to the mall rockin the “bare foot swag” and it was pretty normal. I remember my first day in Elementary during recess, I went to remove my shoes to go play. All the kids looked at me like I was some wild child. I made it through about 10 minutes of recess before a teacher caught onto me and demanded that I put my shoes back on. It was very uncomfortable for my first year, but I got used to it. The picture above is my sister’s very first Class picture back in 1987 at Henderson South Primary School. There is a little girl with no shoes on and it was perfectly normal.  I know shoes prevent a lot of injuries and protects homes from any hitch-hiking germs, but wouldn’t it be cool to choose?

Morning Work outs

Every school was different but what my primary school used to do every morning was line up all the children and do a 30 to 45 minute work out. We would run laps (some of us with no shoes on), do jumping jacks, push ups etc. and this was every morning (unless is was raining). It promoted an active lifestyle and helped wake children up in the mornings so that they can focus better throughout the day. I hated it back then, but now when I think about it I would love for Ellyse to work out every morning. I know there are extra curricular activities like P.E. and sports, but these workouts were daily regardless if we had P.E. or not.  Also, there are so many children that choose not to play sports or give half the effort in Physical Ed, maybe mandatory workouts wouldn’t be such a bad Idea. It may even help lessen the numbers of obese children here in America… I’m just saying.

Harold The Giraffe 

Life Education is a non-profit organization in New Zealand that would come to Primary schools by invitation. Life Education teaches children how their bodies operate and all the different ways to take care of themselves. Each class will take turns going inside the trailer where they will learn and be entertained by a giraffe named Harold. I loved every time I would see the Life Education Trust trailer parked on school grounds. It was an exciting way to learn about being healthy, making healthy choices and becoming familiar with our bodies. Harold The Giraffe will always be apart of my childhood.

Swimming

Just about every primary school in New Zealand had a swimming pool.  Considering the fact that New Zealand is surrounded by an ocean, water safety is very important. Swimming lessons occurred weekly, and each class would rotate swim schedules. Many classes dreaded morning schedules because of how cold mornings are, lol but loved when it rained because it would actually make the pool warmer, at least I hope thats why it was warm lol. My experience of packing my Togs  (What New Zealanders call bathing suits), changing into them and then learning how to swim is one memory Ellyse wont be able to experience, unless she’s signed up for swimming lessons.

Visits to the dentist during class

At Henderson North, we had a small dentist clinic located on school grounds, and looked similar to the clinic pictured above. Children are entitled to free dental care within the school dental services. During class, you would get a dentist slip that would let you know it was your turn to see the dentist. Most kids hated going to the clinic, but I loved it! The dentist would clean your teeth and look for cavities and filled them if needed. It was always funny to see the other kids come back to class playing with their numbed lips. These school dentist trips helped catch early dental problems and also helps build confidence in children when visiting dentists in the future.

Singing Assembly

This is a typical assembly at a primary school. Each class would sit in a straight line on the floor facing a projector filled with lyrics of songs on each slide. I had so much fun learning new songs each week. We learned songs such as the Taniwha (taa-knee-faa) song, Puff the Magic Dragon, the theme song from the television sitcom “Friends” (go figure) and the New Zealand national anthem both in english and Maori. We would learn these songs and then sing them in between certificate ceremonies.

Polyfest

Polyfest is composed of College (what New Zealanders call High School) students. The purpose of the festival is to demonstrate the students pride in their cultural identity, heritage, and bring schools and different cultures together. Students compete in traditional Polynesian dances. There are generally 6 stages: Maori stage, Diversity stage, Samoan stage, Cook Island stage, Tongan stage and Niue stage. These students practice very hard each year when competing in Polyfest. I however, wasn’t given the opportunity to experience performing in Polyfest due to the big move to America, but attending the event and watching the competitions were just as fun. My older brothers who attended Kelston Boys College and my older sisters who attended Kelston Girls College had the pleasure of competing in Polyfest. I love the thought of Ellyse learning about our cultures history in school. Knowing she will learn how to dance in our traditions of Samoa or any other Polynesian cultural dance would be something a Samoan parent would be proud of. There are Polynesian dance groups she can join here in the states and she most likely will in the future, but the fact that our Polynesian culture is taught in school is one of my top reasons for wanting my daughter Ellyse to have my kiwi experiences.

My husband and I have strong ties and family here in America.  This is our home now and we don’t see ourselves moving to New Zealand anytime soon.  I can always try to mimic my kiwi experiences for my daughter and future kids. I now pledge my allegiance to United States of America, but I will ALWAYS be a Kiwi Kid.

-Ace Mamii