Nigeria Trip // Day 8-Lagos grandma's party

The main reason we all hauled ourselves over to Nigeria in the first place was for my grandmothers 90th birthday celebration. We had all agreed years ago that we would all go home to visit for it so when it arrived we got ready and went home. It was a surprise for my grandmother and really nice for us all to spend a concentrated 10 days together seeing as we live so far away from each other and only get together every so often fro weddings or graduations. 

Grandma's birthday party started out a bit slow for us because we had partied a little too hard the night before, not going to sleep until after 2:30am and having to be up and dressed by 8:30am. I realized when my alarm went off at 7:30am that I am no longer the spry youngster who could stay up late and get up looking and feeling great. I felt like I had been through a storm so I went back to sleep. I heard a sound and opened my eyes to my mother standing over me fully dressed telling me she was leaving without us! I jumped up and started trying to scramble myself and my daughters together but it just wasn't happening. Mom eventually left with my husband, cousin and nieces but myself and my three sisters were still trying to get ready. When the driver returned to get us, we rushed out knowing we were late but hoping everyone else was on Nigerian time (to be fairly tardy is customary and expected) as well. We arrived 45 minutes after scheduled time for the start of the service and walked in with our heads down but others came after us as well. 

There was prayer, blessings, singing, communion and rejoicing for grandma and this was only the beggining. When the service ended, we served lunch, the traditional party food of Nigeria, Jollof rice and chicken. I went into the back to change and feed Evalie and suddenly heard this loud music, we glanced out the window there were a troop of Abang dancers performing vigourously. The colorful outfits, drumming and cowbells filled the courtyard of my aunts house and soon enough everyone poured outside to join in. My grandmother was brought out in her wheelchair to see the traditional efik dancers and you couldn't capture the joy she had, you had to be there. Even though her eyesight is failing and she cannot walk very well, she was able to dance in place and she smiled for the first time in a while, she was very happy surrounded by her kids and their kids and the kids. Honestly it was over 100 degrees outside but we just couldn't go in. We stayed out and danced, the kids danced too. It was absolutely amazing. 

The crowd was filled with family and friends, many generations of the family all at once together celebrating the woman without which we wouldn't exist. 

When we finally tired out, we went in and took a break to cool off. My mom and aunt changed grandma and the little girls. Once everyone was changed, we headed to the Pattaya Restaurant for the dinner party. The place was nicely decorated and very quickly filled up with people from grandma's church, friends of the family, a lot of us and then grandma arrived and the party began.

The restaurant was located in Victoria Island so as usual we got all cool and refreshed but then sweaty in the car ride over because for some reason the cars can't handle the heat in Lagos. The Pattaya venue was air-conditioned so we got some relief as soon as we got in. Evalie was miserable by this time, she just didn't like the heat one bit.

Mothers and Daughters

All I really wanted for Mothers day was a few good shots of my daughters and I and some rest. I got both..sort of. Although I had imagined a more glamorous photoshoot, my husband decided to shoot the pictures and I was a bit self conscious (..lets face it..when am I not..?) After two cups of sangria and some snacks in the grass we were able to get a few decent shots before we went home.

Big Girl Room

I guess it must be the first child syndrome or something, but with Arielle with many things including sleeping in her bed, we have been very lenient..even possibly negligent just to avoid upsetting her and maybe ourselves. So as a baby, her crib was really only used for naps here and there and for night sleeping a bit but as soon as she found our bed, she never left until a few weeks ago! She had a toddle bed which she barely slept in at night but pretended to sleep in while playing. When Evalie was about to be born, we had gotten very uncomfortable and tried to get her to sleep in her bed but it was tough to not make her feel like the new baby was taking her place. 

After Evalie was born she mentioned how much nicer Evalie's room was than hers. She promised she would move back to her room if it were pink so last week we finally did it. I gave into pink! We bought the final stage in her convertible crib/bed series and got to painting. I was a bit nervous about the "pinkness" but closed my eyes, held my breath and went for. 

 The room had previously been a subdued orange and cream two toned paint with a silly monkey bed set from when she was a baby. It transformed into a toddler room and accumulated a few more pieces of furniture and toys. It became a bit chaotic but "lived in"(or so we thought..) So now we were faced with getting rid of a bunch of her baby stuff and replacing it with a few things that may be a bit more appropriate to a 4.5 years old. 

We set her bed up in our room which made her really happy, emptied out all the toys and moved the dressers into the middle of the room. That took much longer than actually painting. It felt great to get the paint on the wall and see what the antique pink would really feel like in the space.I was afraid it might look like Pepto Bismol. 

The original nursery had carpet and an accent rug on top, changing table, diaper genie and loads of color. I thought it was a cute..non pink room for a girl but this time around, I felt really neutral while decorating Evalie's room. Obviously the neutrals allow the baby to grow into the room and make it easier to change the look with accents, so I was looking for a pink that wouldn't overwhelm the room. 

. The original room...circa 2008

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1. The toddler room..circa 2011

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Although we retained most of the furniture, it looks dramatically empty different! It's definitely nice, but seems very bare. I like it though. The bed rails conversion kit was a bit pricey from Roberto at Casa Kids but I was pleased with it when we put it together. The twin bed gives her so much more room to roll around and I can even sleep in there too.

Happy Mothers Day

my first birthday

To have had the opportunity to become one, I am forever grateful. Motherhood is beautiful, its empowering, it breaks you and builds you up. It is a time of many challenges, it questions everything you know to be true and teaches you new lessons. It is a time of growth, doubt, servitude and contemplation. It redefines you and bring forth a clarity that lay dormant. It is like no other, they are like no other. Mothers are creators, nurturers, entertainment, an ear that listens and shoulder to lean on. Motherhood is something you can never understand through words, its an experience and journey that once it begins is consuming, continuous and infinite. You never forget the moment it begins and thankfully it never ends.

October 3 2008 ( Arielle, 2 minutes old, 8lbs 3 oz. 19.5")

July 11 2012 ( Evalie, 2 minutes old, 8lbs 3 oz. 21")

Arielle, one day old

Evalie, 4 hours old

I still marvel at having done this once and then again, I wonder if I'll have another chance to experience the time, anticipation, aches and pure joy of meeting your own child. I am thankful to share my life with these two little girls. I can only hope they value me as much as I value my mother.

New York , Spring 2013