Answer:

        # create the first node 
        li      $v0,9             # allocate memory
        li      $a0,8             # 8 bytes
        syscall                   # $v0 <-- address
        move    $s1,$v0           # $s1 = &(first node)
        
        # copy the pointer to first
        sw      $s1,first 
        
        # initialize the node
        li      $t0,1             # store 1
        sw      $t0,0($s1)        # at displacement 0
        
        # create the second node 
        . . . .    
        
        .data
first:  .word  0    # address of the first node