Dates Suggestions

Jacob and I went on so many fun dates when Jacob and I was in a relationship stage and in engagement stage. We still go on dates during our marriage. I would like to share some fun dates that Jacob and I did together and I also would like to share some fun dates suggestions with you of what you and your partner (boyfriend or girlfriend or fiancé or fiancée or husband or wife). 

Our first date ever in person; Jacob and I went Skiing. Jacob and I absolutely had so much fun with skiing. Jacob has taught me how to ski because I haven’t gone skiing prior to meeting Jacob. Jacob has shown me a lot of patience while him and I was skiing. Skiing was our first date that we ever did in person. 

Jacob and I went to a zoo in Sunshine Coast. We got to walk around together in the zoo to see some Australian native animals (such as kangaroos, koalas, dingoes) and other animals) and it was fun. We even saw a kangaroo that was laying on the ground. He thinks that the kangaroo was either same height as Jacob is or taller than Jacob. 

Jacob and I went ice staking, we had so much fun with ice staking. I couldn't remember if Jacob went ice skiing prior to our ice staking date. 

Jacob and I’ve attended sessions at multiple Temples (mostly sealing sessions). We went to Provo City Temple, Oqurrih Mountain Temple, Salt Lake City Temple within 48 hours after meeting each other in person which sounds super impressive to me that we did that. We also attended sessions in Brisbane Temple, and Dallas Temple. Sealers at the Provo City Temple and Salt Lake City Temple thought Jacob and I was already married. They’ve asked for one of our last names and assumed that we had the same last name. I still remember the funny story behind Provo City Temple experience that Jacob and I had. I would share it in a different blog post. 

Jacob and I went bowling, and it was so much fun. I don’t remember who won. If I remember correctly, Jacob won and had better scores at bowling than my scores at bowling.

Jacob and I went to multiple fast foods in Australia and United States. I wanted Jacob to try out some Australian foods and Jacob wanted me to try out some American foods. I would admit Jacob loves eating Australian lamb at Australian Subway.  He was disappointed that Australian Subway menu didn’t have Australian lamb on the menu when we were on vacation with E in late January 2023 to February 2023. Jacob would admit that I’ve enjoyed eating American bacon. The Australian bacon and American bacon in fast foods tastes completely different. 

Jacob’s relatives hosted thanksgiving lunch in November 2018 when Jacob and I was boyfriend and girlfriend. I didn’t celebrate Thanksgiving as growing up but I knew the purpose of Americans having Thanksgiving. I remembered shortly after Thanksgiving in 2017 was when Jacob and I’ve met each other on LDS Singles website and when I’ve messaged Jacob on Facebook for the first time. 

Jacob has met some of my relatives when Jacob and I was into our sixth month of dating as boyfriend and girlfriend. I’ve met some of Jacob’s relatives when Jacob and I was into our ninth month to tenth month dating as boyfriend and girlfriend.  

Jacob and I had so much fun to go ring shopping together. There was multiple sales at multiple stores when we went ring shopping. I had multiple choices of rings that I’ve loved and I couldn’t decide. I couldn’t remember if it was Jacob or myself to make the decision of what rings. My rings are a bridal set (engagement ring and wedding ring) and we’ve purchased it from Sam’s Club (similar to Costco). 

Prior to meeting Jacob, I didn’t ever think that my engagement ring and wedding ring would be purchased somewhere where you can get groceries at, somewhere where you can get electronics at and so forth. I’ve accepted my rings to be purchased anywhere. 

If you've read this far into this post, let me share with you some dates suggestions. 

You and your partner can go somewhere to do fun activities together such as biking, bowling, ice staking, skiing, etc. You and your partner can go to the Temple, participate ordinances together, and pray together. You and your partner can go rings shopping together if we both ready to take the commitment to be engaged one day. 

You and your partner can go to a restaurant or fast food place to eat and chat. You and your partner can meet each other's immediate relatives. You and your partner can meet each other's extended relatives. You and your partner can sit down at a public park and chat. 

Stay Tuned.

All Feelings do Matter

This post should take five minutes to read from start to finish. All of your feelings do matter and they’re valid. Let me share how can we express some feelings. 

Feeling Comfort: We can feel comfort by taking care of ourselves (physically, mentally, and emotional needs). We can feel comfort by listening to several past General Conference talks that has topics for what type of circumstances that we’re currently going through in life. Whenever we feel comfort, we’re expected to feel loved. 

Feeling Confident: We can feel confident whenever we’re going to pass a written test before getting a learners permit. We can feel confident whenever we’re going to pass a drivers test (road test) right before getting a drivers license. We can feel confident whenever we’re going to accomplish any of our short-term goals. 

We can feel confident whenever we’re going to accomplish any of our long-term goals. We can feel confident whenever we feel that we’re making the right decisions. We can feel confident whenever we feel that we’re making the right choices. Whenever we feel confident in something, we’re always expected to feel not confident at times. 

Feeling Happy: We can feel our happiest mood whenever we are having our best days. We can feel our happiest mood whenever we are having our happy days. We can feel our happiest mood whenever we are having fun. We can feel our happiest mood whenever we are having our happy evenings. 

We can feel our happiest mood whenever we successfully get our dream jobs. We can feel our happiest mood whenever we’ve accomplished any of our short-term goals. We can feel our happiest mood whenever we’ve accomplished any of our long-term goals, and so forth. Whenever we feel happy, we’re expected to feel sad at times. 

Feeling Grief: We can feel grief whenever one of our relatives who passes away. We can feel grief whenever one of our true friends who passes away. We can feel grief whenever someone else who we know (once cared about) passes away. Whenever we feel grief, we’re expected to feel hope. 

Feeling Hopeful: We can feel hopeful whenever we find ourselves taking small steps towards a better future. We can feel hopeful whenever we find ourselves getting support or encouragement from relatives. We can feel hopeful whenever we find ourselves getting support or encouragement from friends. 

We can feel hopeful whenever we find ourselves getting support or encouragement from others that I didn’t mention previously. Whenever we feel hopeful, we’re expected to feel hopeless at times but we shouldn't let ourselves down whenever we're feeling down. 

"All feelings are valid, it's what
you do with them that matters."

Feeling Lost: We can feel lost whenever we experience major changes in life. Those major changes can be moving houses to a different location that you aren't familiar with, getting into a new job position at work, getting a new job that isn't at current employment, and so forth. 

We can feel lost whenever we aren’t sticking a routine. We can feel lost whenever we feel pressured how to run our lives. We can feel lost whenever we feel pressure to be settled into a career that we didn’t originally planned to do as a career. 

We can feel lost whenever we go through financial responsibilities. Whenever we feel lost; we’re expected to make new changes, make some adjustments if necessary and time will continue moving forward. 

Feeling Loved: We can feel loved by relatives. We can feel loved by friends. We can feel loved by anyone else who we love. We all deserve to feel loved.  Whenever we feel loved, we’re expected to also feel appreciated. 

Feeling Safe: We can feel safe whenever we’re inside our house. We can feel safe whenever we’ve made it safely to any appointments of where we need to go throughout the week. We can feel safe whenever we’ve made it safely to go to any groceries stores throughout the week. Whenever we feel safe, we also feel secure. 

Feeling Tired: We can feel tired whenever we’re experiencing sleep issues such as getting not enough quality of sleep overnight. We can feel tired whenever we’re experiencing anemia (meaning iron deficiency). We can feel tired whenever we’re experiencing Vitamin D deficiency. 

Stay Tuned.

Ideal Future Husband List

This post should take five minutes to seven minutes to read from start to finish. I know there is such a thing of creating lists for future spouses while people are dating and while people are being single. I do remember creating lists of some qualities and other things for an ideal future husband to have during my teenage years. I don’t remember where I’ve placed those lists. I’m truly blessed daily for meeting Jacob and to be married to him. 

One of the lists that I’ve made was while I was still in High School. After I’ve graduated High School, I’ve made another two lists. Prior to meeting Jacob and while I was going on dates with other men, I’ve learned what I really would like to have for an ideal future husband. 

When a former friend has asked me to write down a list of my ideal future husband to have, and I’ve said yes. It seems an easy task for me to do. I’ve asked her to write down a list of her ideal future husband to have. I don’t know why but we didn’t ever share each other’s lists. I know that I didn’t mention about certain things on the list. Let me share with you several of those certain things wasn’t on the lists and explain to you why. 

I didn’t mention about where I would like to meet ideal future husband because I didn’t want to feel too picky. I knew variety of ways how to meet and where to meet. I feel if I narrow it down to where to meet him, I would be letting other options missed out without giving them chances. 

I didn’t list about what language does he speak in. I knew in my mind that I definitely prefer a future ideal husband who understood English language very well because I know that I prefer to continue communicating with my native language (Australian English language) to him. 

I'm happy to learn a new language but I didn't want to have a language difficulties and have constant misunderstandings during marriage due to having a different language. I’ve already learned some basics of learning German language and I've already learned some basics of French language prior to my eighth grade in school. I’ve also already learned basics of Tongan language when I was eighteen years old. 

I didn’t list about someone who would be with me to attend every birth because I know births can be unpredictable. Considering I was born twenty two days (three weeks and one day) overdue via emergency cesarean (c-section) after my Mum had forty hours labor.  

"A godly man is:
1. Faithful 2. A spiritual leader 3. Respectful
4. A Family man 5. A provider 6. Honest 
7. A good communicator 8. Happy
9. Loving"

My list of ideal future husband was simple but long. Let me share with you some of the things that I’ve on the lists.  However I did list the following; 

* Someone who takes their time to get to know me and not rush into things. 

* Someone who has served a full-time mission and returned home with honor. 

* Someone who would love to share new ideas with me. 

* Someone who would be willing to take me on dates. 

* Someone who supports me into doing photography.

* Someone who would love to go to the Temple and participate ordinances with me. Someone who’s Temple worthy, and holds a current Temple Recommend. 

* Someone who has a career. Someone who has mindset to stay with one career unless it’s absolutely necessary to change career choice. 

* Someone who would love to share their mission stories with me at anytime. 

* Someone who would help me of doing household’s budget.

* Someone who would be on the same page as me. 

* Someone who supports me to be a stay at home Mum one day. 

* Someone who would love to have a family with me one day. 

* Someone who would love to share new ideas with me. 

* Someone who would love me unconditionally.

* Someone who would be trustworthy.

* Someone who would make me smile. 

* Someone who would make me laugh. 

* Someone who will be the main provider of the household. 

* Someone who sets their short-term goals. 

* Someone who sets their long-term goals. 

You may be thinking Jacob and I’ve rushed into marriage. We didn’t rush into marriage. We’ve asked each other over three hundred questions while we were dating. We got to know each other really well. The topics of questions that we’ve asked each other was Spiritual, Family, Finances, Expectations, Your Relationship, Past History and Trust, Love, Intimacy, and Communication, and Social Media and Technology. 

Jacob do make me smile. Jacob do make me laugh. Jacob did serve a full-time mission and returned home with honor. Jacob shares his mission stories with me at anytime. Jacob loves sharing with me new ideas and I love sharing with him some new ideas as well. Jacob and I often do our best to be on the same page on everything. Jacob supports me for me being stay at home Mum. Jacob loves taking me on dates.

Jacob and I go to the Temple whenever we can. I know ever since we've three children who has our attention lot, living over two hours (slightly) from the nearest Temple, and sometimes Jacob works on Saturdays or sometimes something else comes up for Jacob to be unavailable; we go to the Temple as a married couple and participate ordinances together at least once a year. We'll do better to make new adjustments for us to go to the Temple more often. 

Jacob does hold a current Temple Recommend. Both my Temple Recommend and Jacob's Temple Recommend expires the same month in the same year. Jacob seems to be enjoying his current employment despite the days are long and the nights are short and despite of him training new workers. He loves his career path. 

I strongly believe that Jacob does set his own short-term goals and his own long-term goals. Jacob doest love me unconditionally, he's trustworthy, and he does support me into photography. To be honest, I’ve always wanted to marry a guy who has blonde hair, blue eyes, and taller than me. I prefer someone who has close age gap between my age to their age. 

Have you created a list of what you have for ideal future spouse to have (if you aren’t already married)? Do you have to make some adjustments to your list/s to match to your current spouse/partner? 

Stay Tuned. 

E's NICU Experiences

This post should take no longer than five minutes to read from start to finish. Trigger warning: This post does mention premature. I strongly believe premature will be triggered because not every premature baby stays in the NICU.

NICU experience and expectations would be different for each individual to have. Let me share with you my experience of E being in the NICU. After E was born, she was sent to the NICU and she has stayed for thirty-three days. Thankfully she didn’t have to stay in NICU until her due date. I've heard from a NICU nurse that babies who has been born prematurely mostly stay in the NICU until baby's/babies' due date.

I know that I've felt sad for weeks about reminding myself that I won’t be feeling any more E’s kicks in the womb, and my pregnancy journey with E has ended (earlier than expected). Within an hour after E was born and while I was early stages of recovering in my room at the hospital, I was given breakfast to consume and I was able to pump colostrum. I got so excited for wanting to visit E in the NICU. I wanted to see how she was doing and I was looking forward to the first time holding E after she was born. 

When I first held E, I felt so much gratitude instantly that she’s alive and I’m alive. I’ve made it through the emergency cesarean (c-section) despite how much pain that I’ve felt. When the first NICU visit comes to an end, I didn’t want to leave. I kept telling myself that I should’ve been still pregnant with her if I didn’t have any complications towards the end of my pregnancy with her. 

"tiny but MIGHTY"

During E’s stay in the NICU; I’ve learned how to use the breast pump for the first time and I don't even remember if I've heard breast pump prior to E's birth.

The first time experience of pumping was easy but after pumping for five days, I've started to feel exhausted but I didn't want to give up pumping. 

I’ve learned the different stages of breastmilk which includes colostrum, and learning the difference between fatty breastmilk and watery looking breastmilk. I've also learned more information about breast pumps (including how to clean them), pumping how to store colostrum and breastmilk and so forth.

One of the visits while I was still in the hospital for the first week; my OB came and visited me to say that it was a rare for someone at 32 weeks to pump colostrum. I didn't know what to say, and inner me felt shocked. I couldn't remember what my expressions was that I've shown outer me.  I truly feel there was a valid reason why I was able to produce colostrum and eventually breastmilk super early into my postpartum recovery. 

I was producing over 1oz (30ml) every three hours for the first several days and then gradually I was producing over 3oz (90ml) every three hours. Eventually I was producing over 5oz (150ml) every three hours. 

Every NICU visit; Jacob would go with me. Jacob and I took turns of holding E. Jacob and I took photos for memories and for us to look back one day how far she has come. Most NICU visits, I’ve given the NICU nurses for E to have the colostrum and breastmilk that I’ve pumped. Each NICU visit; Jacob and I felt so much gratitude that E is still alive. We’re very proud parents. The visits lasts one hour. 

Our visits always consist of; Jacob and I to take turns who says family prayers while one of us was holding E, Jacob says “I love you” to E, I’ve said E “I love you”, Jacob and I share to E about her to stay strong. Sometimes our visits consist of as additional to what was mentioned previously, Jacob and I share to E about we look forward to bringing her home one day, and Jacob and I also share a quick summary about our days was. 

One NICU visit, I’ve asked Jacob to give E a priesthood blessing. Jacob says “yes,” and he has given a powerful priesthood blessing to E. I didn’t remember what was said but I’m truly blessed for being married to honest and true priesthood holder. One NICU visit; I was able to bathe E for the first time. It was a sponge bath and it was fun experience. 

There was ten days when Jacob and I wasn’t able to visit E due to private reasons. During those ten days of not being able to visit her, I was able to drop by to the hospital once for the NICU nurse to collect breastmilk for E to have and I’ve called the NICU everyday to check on how E is doing and any updates. I missed E so badly during those ten days. Those ten days felt so long. I got so used to seeing her almost everyday and always look forward to visiting her. 

While E was in the NICU; I was able to focus on myself to recover as much as I can. I’ve pumped every three hours, I’ve slept so much, I still did laundry, and I still made dinner time to time. One of the NICU nurses has sent me a link to watch E on live through cam focuses on just E but the audio was turned off. I wasn’t able to hear her cries but I felt so grateful to still be able to see her. 

Stay Tuned.