The Blogger Mommie

I'm sure most of you would have seen a video on Facebook. One that describes how a wife, after an argument with her husband walks out of the house leaving their baby son in his care. How he writes his wife a letter after spending a couple of days in "her shoes" and appreciates her for being an incredible Mom. Well, in my case, there was no fight or walk out but an incredible spate of luck that gave my husband one whole precious week to bond with our son. Not to get me wrong and not to blow my trumpet either but he's been doing his best ever since our little heartbeat bounced into our lives. Unfortunately, a job that requires almost 16 hours a day spent traveling and working (yes! no kidding) leaves him very little time to be as hands on as he'd like to be. So when he recently moved jobs and had a one (and half-ish week) at his disposal, I backed off and gladly let him step into my shoes for a week.   The result was priceless. It's no secret that my...

A birth plan was something I did not bother about too much when I was pregnant. I secretly hoped (no, I knew) I would have an uncomplicated, normal delivery because 1) I walked a lot and exercised actively during my pregnancy (Aha!). 2) My mom shared her birth story of how I popped out with such ease and more quickly than anticipated (Hurrah!). 3) I followed all the advice and instructions my doctor gave me and most of our discussions were very positive (Lah-de-dah!). And finally, 4) I prayed to God everyday assuming he'd do the trick and give me that perfect birthing experience (Hm!) . So in spite of being a little on the short side, I consoled myself because my mom is short and I knew many like me who had lovely birthing experiences.  Alas, not so lucky indeed because 18 hours into labor, I managed to dilate to a measly one centimeter. So amid all the beeping machines, an epidural that was topped four times and the look on my husband's usually calm face(that meant somethi...

February 5, 2015:  the day my life changed. Forever! That's the day he was born, my precious son. The day I became a mom. Congratulations and blessings complete, my son was handed to me and everything went fast forward from then. If only I knew how chaotic my world had just become. One year and a few days later..... February 11, 2016:  my actual eureka moment as a mom. He said it.... he said Mamma! This was the day I had been waiting for. So I clapped ever so loud, made a big celebration noise and made him repeat it over and over again (much to his surprise and then irritation). I didn't stop there; I had to save it - for life, for memory, forever. So I recorded it, took several videos too, (just in case) he forgot the word as quickly as he said it. It took one long year but the moment my son said "mamma" was by far better than the first time I laid eyes on him. It was that exact moment that I realised that every little struggle encountered in the past y...

Every day I come across horrific stories of child abuse happening around the world. A more alarming fact it that a majority of the offenders are "known" and come in the form of relatives, neighbors, everyday people we trust and teach our children to trust. In many cases they go undetected for years because the child, (or teen), being abused can be terrified that they won't be believed (and this is what the abuser will probably use to control the situation). So in most cases, they choose to camouflage the abuse and by then, the damage is irreversible with everyone wondering how it could have been prevented.   Today, it’s no more sufficient to just teach our children about the "good" and "bad" touch and assume that we've done our part by educating them. No! • We need to be vigilant • We need to stop thinking that it can never happen to our children because we've given them a few tips on how to identify abuse and communicate with us ...

I never imagined I would say this or want to quit my job. I had everything under control including a foolproof plan on what to do once my baby was born. I wasn't going to let anyone or anything change that (another one of those wishful thinking moments before motherhood jolts you awake). My friends (even colleagues) often questioned my decision and I 'shooed' them away with very indignant responses. I had my priorities lined up, I was in charge, who knew better than me! and then 'poof' it all vanished after my little son made his grand entrance. As I settled in as a new mom and with every passing day, I began to dread going back to work. Everywhere I went I'd see mom's hanging out with their kids, sipping coffee and catching up with other moms (while their babies slept peacefully in prams). I constantly bumped into mom's who praised their choice of  staying home  to raise their kids. I secretly wished for the same and began to do the unthinkable. I...