BYU FOOTBALL - first game of the season

Waynes dad, Kalo, Kina, Sili, Kika, Leonne, Tali, my mom, Malia and I all went to the BYU vs. Northern Iowa game this Saturday. It was the first game of the season and the BYU fans came out in full force. You could just feeeel the excitement in the air. Apparently, however, the excitement wasn't enough to keep Malia awake - she fell asleep in her stroller while we were walking in before the game even started.

The weather was SO hot and Malia was turning beet red and I was about to confine myself to the shade of the tunnel when Kalo became my superwoman and volunteered to take Malia. She spent the rest of the game playing with her in the AC'd Cougar Room and I got to watch Wayne play. Thanks a million Kalo!!

Our little cougar. . .

Wayne and Michael played well - it was so fun to see them on the field. BYU had a great first half and a not-so-pretty second half, but the final score was 41-17 BYU, so we were all very happy (as you can tell by these photos) lol.

We met up with Wayne, Michael and Fui after the game, and after all the celebrating and picture taking, Malia ended the day just like how she started it - she fell asleep on Wayne on our way out to the parking lot.

GO COUGS!!

BABY KINA - Surgery Day

When I was a junior in high school I dislocated my shoulder and had surgery to repair it. Wayne's first surgery was on his rotator cuff and took place AFTER we were married. Our little baby Kina had her first surgery yesterday. She is one week old and she did super!! (This is a pic of the nurses wheeling her down to the OR)

During the surgery, the doctors closed the opening in her abdomen. Everything went smoothly - They said the opening was small enough they didn't have to use a patch or graft skin from another place and her bowels looked healthy. She will be on a ventilator for a few days just to make sure she continues to breathe with all the pain medication she is taking and after that it will just be the waiting game until she can eat and digest a little food.

Before she went into surgery, the nurse came and told me I could HOLD her. I was so excited! She put her into my arms and I was completely overcome with emotion. I was shocked at how light and tiny she was. She seriously weighs nothing! It was a beautiful moment that I will remember always - holding my baby for the first time. It was DEFINITELY the highlight of my day!(You'll notice the school spirit signs hanging on her crib - it's the nurses. They get a kick out of harassing Wayne).

Is there a RN in the house?

My MOM can help!! After graduating from her nursing program in June and passing the N-Clex on Monday my mom is officially Mrs. Ann Alisa, RN. Cool huh? After being out of school and working as a full time mom for 20+ years, she became a full-time student here in Utah for two years away from her husband in Hawaii. I think it's been really tough on both of them, but it was something she has wanted to do for a long time. . .and my dad was her number one supporter. Way to go Mom!! We're all so proud of you!!

lucky number 7

That's right folks. Malia now has 7 TEETH!! Well, 6.5 if you want to be technical . . . but we'll round up.

BABY KINA - a day at the hospital

Today, my mom, Tali, Malia and I spent the day at the hospital. Little Kina is doing great - as soon as we got there our nurse told us her bowels are completely reduced and the doctors are planning her surgery to close her abdomen tomorrow! I can't believe it! At the beginning they said it would be 7 - 10 days for her bowels to fit back into her little body, but she surprised all of us by being ahead of schedule. The doctors are very pleased. She was slightly uncomfortable today because of her reduced bowels and she cried a little, but after she received a little pain medication she was able to relax.

Wednesday is Parents Day at Primarys. They serve all the parents lunch, have a parent discussion (kind of like a support group), give an informative seminar (todays was on financial resources), and give away free baby stuff. It was very nice to meet and talk to other mothers going through the same thing we are.

While I visited Kina and attended the Parents Day, Malia had fun at the Forever Young Zone. It's this huge room that was donated by Steve Young to the hospital full of toys, books, videos etc. for kids. She LOVED it!

It was a fun day at the hospital. Vai and Tevita and the little girls are heading down tonight to see Kina before her surgery tommorow. We pray it all goes well!

Bishops Visit

Tonight we got a fun surprise. Our bishop from our last ward, Teina Ngatikura, his wife Ramona and our old Relief Society president, Vernetta Cline came to visit. They brought chicken, fruits and treats. It was so nice to see them and catch upon our old ward and friends. They also brought music - they are all talented musicians. Malia especially loved the ukulele. They sang her songs from all the islands and she danced and clapped her hands. They better watch out - pretty soon I'm gonna start calling them for a nightly serenade to put her to sleep. She loved it so much! Thanks for the visit!

daddy's little girl

Wayne visited Kina in the hospital. He is so busy with school and football, but loves to go see her and will do so any chance he gets. I can't believe how quickly her bowels are disappearing into her little body! She is looking great.

BABY KINA - We love our friends and family!

Since Kina's birth we have been completely overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support from our friends and family. We have received phone calls and emails from so many asking what they can do to help. People have offered up their homes in and near Salt Lake for us to stay if necessary. Many have made the long trip to the hospital to come see Kina and spend some time with us there. I know prayers have been offered in our behalf and we feel so much strength and hope from them. It is truly humbling to see the generosity and love from the people we love. I could never express my gratitude enough, but I want to say THANK YOU! Thank you! Your strength and support are carrying us through this challenging time. We love you!

Saturdays Visitors - Saia, Line and Spencer, Candice and Rocky, me and Wayne

BABY KINA - News Article

In Sunday's Deseret News, this article about Wayne and little Kina was printed on the front of the sports page. It was written by Dick Harmon, who has known Wayne for a long time. I thought it was beautiful and it's definitely something we will treasure always in remembrance of this time of Kina's birth.

Latu hopes 'dreams' can survive

Wayne Latu is one of those guys whose daily dose of positive energy oozes out in BYU's football practices. His smile is a shiny row of Chiclets. His optimism knows few boundaries.That's the way reporters found him after the Cougar running back finished BYU's Saturday practice. He paused for a quick interview before heading to the University of Utah's Primary Children's hospital where his second daughter, Amane Kina, born seven weeks premature, is battling for her life.
Amane Kina, which means "hopeful dreams" in Tongan, arrived Thursday after her mother, Mary Latu, was transported by helicopter from Provo to the University of Utah hospital.
"The little girl is just fighting for it," Latu said. "Right now the prognosis is that she will be in the hospital for three months. She has already had a couple of surgeries since she was born."

The infant, named after Wayne's sister Kina, weighed 3 pounds at birth. Her bowels developed outside of her abdomen, a complication that added to the ominous challenge of tiny developing lungs in a premature baby. Doctors have worked to enlarge the stomach cavity to re-insert the bowel. Latu admitted this is the first of many procedures his daughter must face.
"She's a fighter," he said. "She's just up there, you know, you become more of a devoted U. of U. fan when your little daughter is up there."
And with that, Latu exited. "Excuse me, I've got to run to the hospital right now."
"Everything is in good hands," said Wayne's older sister, Melba.
"The mom's doing fine, the daughter is getting treatment, Wayne went back to football practice today and his daughter is in one of the best care centers in the word. All expenses have been taken care of and they feel blessed for that. All they need now is emotional and spiritual support."
BYU president and LDS general authority Cecil O. Samuelson is expected to visit Kina this weekend and offer a blessing on the Latu child, according to Melba.
The family crisis is an interesting challenge for Latu, who has shown a heightened positive attitude so far in his BYU career. One of the top sprinters in the state while attending Orem and Timpview high schools, he has still been one of the fastest running backs in Cougar camp the past three years. Yet, he hasn't cracked the starting lineup.
His claim to fame was a 95-yard, 15-carry, 1-touchdown performance at UNLV in 2005, a game that was well in hand for the Cougars when Latu hit the field.
Still, every day of his BYU football career his enthusiasm over the most boring practices are legend. So are his sisters, all seven of them, who can be heard screaming his direction, in rock star fashion, at scrimmages and games.
"He's just a great example to all of us of how to deal with everything," said Melba. "He's an excellent father and husband because he's had the seven of us sisters training him his while life."
A concert pianist who has toured Tonga, China, Fiji and Canada, Latu is often called upon to play for team activities or firesides. He has a studio where he currently teaches piano to 10 pupils, He also speaks Spanish and French.
"He loves football, just being out there, and he loves teaching piano and hasn't given it up yet," said Melba.
"But what he really loves is life and he's anxious, willing and faithful in living it out and getting the most out of it every single day.
"Wayne stays upbeat and positive, even when it's scary, like when his wife left in the helicopter and he couldn't go with her. He already has another beautiful daughter (Malia) and an incredible wife, Mary, and he has things in perspective."
But even for Wayne, this one is huge. Little Kina's battle is a tough one. Right now, it's a critical fight that will test every bit of Latu's sky-is-blue and everything-is-OK attitude.
As football fades into the background, odds are, Latu is the man to handle this kind of fire.

***

We are so humbled by these kind words and want to thank Mr. Harmon for such a beautifully written article. The article and other comments can be found on their website at this link.

BABY KINA - President Samuelsons Visit

On Saturday night, President Samuelson called Wayne and asked if he could come and see us in the hospital. Aside from knowing Wayne through his position at BYU, President Samuelson is in Wayne's home ward and has been a close family friend for many years. Two and a half years ago, he was our sealer and married us in the Mt. Timp temple, so we feel he has played a very special role in our little family's' life.

Since he has extensive experience in the medical field and was President of Intermountain Health Care, it was especially nice to talk to him about Kina's condition and Primary Children's Hospital. He shared a little bit of the history of the hospital which he was involved in and it just made me even more grateful for this incredible facility. He was so gracious with his time and even chatted with our nurse, who has been there for 30 years, about the past. She was so excited to talk to him.

While there, we asked him to offer a priesthood blessing on Kina. It was beautiful and left me grateful and in tears. I'm so thankful for him, his kindness and goodness. I know he's a man called of God and I feel honored to be able to call him a friend.

Baby Kina - She's HERE!!

I know! I can't believe it either. She came early!! We've had a busy, crazy week in the Latu house with the arrival of our little daughter, Kina. Everything has happened so fast it's a little overwhelming and I think I've yet to wrap my brain around it all. One thing we are sure of though, is that we are very, very blessed. I thought I'd post a day-by-day account of events to keep everything organized on paper and in my brain. It all started. . .

Wednesday

Tuesday night, I woke up several times because of pains in my lower abdomen. I had gone on a long walk the evening before so I thought it was just growing pains or something similar. Before Wayne left at 7 in the morning, I told him I'd been in pain. He immediately said, "Let's go to the doctors". I, of course, said, "No" - I didn't want to make a big deal of it - my due date was not for another 6 weeks. Wayne left to football and about a half our later I started bleeding.
I was so scared. I called Wayne, my mom and then 911. The ambulance and paramedics were there in a few minutes. We went to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center and they checked me in. The bleeding didn't stop and soon it was accompanied by contractions. They said we may have to be transferred up to the U of U Hospital if the labor progressed, however, the doctors were very hopeful that I would stabilize and be home by morning. Still, they banned me from food in case of an emergency c-section and gave the baby a shot of steroids to help her lungs better develop in case of an early birth.

We hung out there the whole day - Wayne came from practice and stayed with me, which was very nice. The word got out and Fui and Leonne, all Wayne's sisters, and David and Shan came to visit. Fui said the football team had a special meeting for our baby and my little brother, Michael offered a prayer on behalf of the team. I was so touched.


Around 10 pm my contractions were coming 5 minutes apart and they were more painful. The doctor found I was dilated to a 3 and said I would be taken by ambulance to the U - we had planned to deliver there from the beginning when our baby was diagnosed with gastroschisis. It was a high risk delivery and she would need to be taken to the NICU at Primary Children's Hospital immediately after birth. The fact that she was coming early only made things more urgent and scary. He called the U to arrange the ride and they said they were sending the Life Flight helicopter to pick me up. It was my first ride in a helicopter!! The flight from Provo to Salt Lake City took 15 minutes. I definitely like this form of travel.

Once at the U, they hooked me up to everything and found I was already dilated to a 6. That was definitely a big surprise. The plan was to slow down my quickly progressing labor so the baby could have more time and receive her much needed shots which could only be given every 24 hours. Wayne arrived, laid out his little cot and went to sleep. I had an oxygen mask on and about 6 different tubes and wires going in and away from me. Needless to say, I was pretty uncomfortable and had a very, very long night.

Thursday

Even though they were giving me medicine to slow things down, it seemed the baby had other plans. My contractions continued and I was dilated to an 8 by morning. Soon, the decision was made to allow my labor to take it's natural course and have a baby. The pain was SO extreme. I think I was already so exhausted from the bleeding and the long foodless day before . . . I was not handling it very well, to say the least. I asked for an epidural . . . and it made a huge difference. They had to give me the shot twice because the first one didn't take, but when it finally kicked in I was able to relax.
Things went quickly from there. My water was broken and after 3 pushes Kina was born at 10:08 am. She was immediately taken to the U of U NICU right next to our room so they could wrap and protect her bowels. She weighed 4 lbs. 10 oz. and was 17 1/2 inches long. Wayne, my mom and Tali were present for the birth.

I got to see her soon after. My first thoughts were that she looked like Wayne. She has his mouth and her face looks like a Latu. She has a TON of black curly hair and long fingers. She is beautiful.
When we moved into our recovery room, Kalo arrived with Malia. The transport team from Primary Childrens Hospital brought in Kina en route to her new place in the NICU at Primarys and Malia got to meet her baby sister for the first time. It was a special moment.

The rest of that day was spent in bed recovering. Wayne went down for the first of Kinas operations - she got a silo around her bowels which will suspend them above her abdomen and make it possible for them to slowly fit back into her body.
Our family came up and everyone got to meet our little Kina, the newest addition to our family.

Friday

I spent most of this day in bed, but Wayne got to go back and forth to see little Kina. Kimberly Roy and Shan came up to visit in the morning, Vai, Kina and Leo came in the afternoon and the rest of the family came in the evening.

Kina seems to be doing very good in the NICU. The doctors like her color and are impressed that she can breathe on her own. In the evening she received a PICC line that goes in her arm, through a vein and to her heart. This line will enable her to receive medication easier and quicker and it can stay in for days or weeks, as needed.
I have felt so great and I feel like the recovery process is going very smoothly. I'm so grateful for the awesome nurses and doctors at the U and and at Primary's - they have been incredible.

Saturday

I felt great. I was moving around a little more and Tali was with me to check out around noon. I really enjoyed my hospital stay - everyone was so great and I got some much needed rest - but I was very excited to be home and with Malia again.
I checked in with Kina before we left and the doctors had just done their rounds. They reduced her bowels a little and said she was looking good. We're hoping for the best!

Tahitian Noni Party

Saturday was Tahitian Noni's Summer Party. Seriously, this company KNOWS how to throw a party. Leo works at TNI so we all got to go. There was tons of food, games, great prizes, an awesome show, huge blow up toys and more. Everything was free and readily available for everyone. They gave out a huge flat screen, trips to Hawaii and other fun stuff. It was the bomb. The highlight for me was the "Tahitian Noni Idol" competition. Leo competed in it and she WON! She sang Tina Turner's "Proud Mary" and girl, she did Tina PROUD. She worked the crowd and got everyone up and dancing. The first place prize was $1000. GO LEO!! Another highlight was the mini-olympics that we all competed in. The two events were arm wrestling and Hiro chugging. Every time someone won they received a $5 gift certificate to Target. Wayne won $165 in total. You do the math - that's a LOT of Hiro!!

Thanks for a fun party, Leo!!