That Mother Lode

I am rarely alone because my shadows follow me around the house. Isis isn't allowed in certain rooms, but she sticks as close to me as she can and sometimes sits outside the door watching me. Ayomi crawls all over the house trailing me. One day, I walked out of the laundry room, and they were both sitting there waiting on me. They make me feel like I'm the most important person in the world, because I am, in their world.  Since Ayomi is mobile now, he likes to reach out to Isis and try to play. I tell him to be gentle because he pulls her ears sometimes. Isis allows him to touch her, even her hypersensitive paws, without fussing. She mostly avoids him though. She's never mean or aggressive, she just tolerates him while trying to get close to me. She no longer sits outside his bedroom door while I prepare him for bed. Instead, she prefers to stay outside and come in the house once he's sleeping. It's funny to watch her sniff and look to be sure he's not around be...

It's been more than 3 months since our family of 3 was formed. Ayomi is growing and changing daily. He's more active and attentive to the world around him. He's "talkative" and doesn't seem to care that I don't understand his language yet. His laughter and gummy smile brighten each day. He mostly sleeps through the night now. He's enjoying baths more, and we have a good bedtime routine in place. Isis sometimes sits outside the nursery door so she can see us getting ready for bed. (She's not allowed in bedrooms.) She generally ignores Ayomi and stays focused on me. I think they will be great friends once Ayomi is mobile and they can play together. Enjoying the beautiful weather together Isis sitting outside the nursery

I believe that names are important, whether naming people, pets, entities, etc. I'm always interested in the origins and I am intentional about correct pronunciations. What we call something is what it is and what it becomes. My mother told me the origin of my name when I was  a small child and it has always been a symbol of pride for me. I was named after the mother of John the Baptist, Jesus's cousin, and my name means, "consecrated to God" or "oath of God". Anytime someone says my name, they are declaring my dedication to God. My dog, Isis, was named after the Egyptian goddess, and she represents the royal throne. Throughout my pregnancy, people asked me the baby's name, and I kept it a secret.  Some people made assumptions. One friend said I would probably honor someone close to me. Another friend said that the name would be meaningful based on how much thought I put into naming my dog and other entities. My mother said if I had a girl, her name shou...

It was MLK Day (Monday), a day usually spent in service, but I felt like being lazy. I stayed in my bed for hours that morning, except for potty breaks. I knew I would be welcoming my baby in the coming days, and I just wanted to relax as much as possible. When I finally got out of bed, I decided to Netflix and chill on the couch. I took a nap and then woke up suddenly when I felt something wet on my thighs. Did I just pee in my sleep? As I walked to the bathroom, I felt a trickle down my leg. Liquid slowly streamed out a s I sat on the toilet,   but I realized it wasn't urine because I couldn't stop the flow. In disbelief, I said out loud, "My water just broke". I didn't panic. It was around 4:40pm. I showered, ate dinner, did laundry, and straightened up around my house because I knew the baby was arriving soon. I called my OB, doula, and my friend/birth partner to let them know what was happening. My OB was concerned that my membranes ruptured with no contracti...