Yesterday was lovely….
Friends I have seen since I’ve been back, friends I hadn’t seen in years and years… my grandmother and her best friend, my mother and her friends… they all came out yesterday afternoon to help me celebrate my baby and becoming a mother.
Mummy was in high gear preparing since Saturday, and I helped as much as I could… as long as it didn’t have much to do with cooking (as I still can’t stand the smell of food cooking) up to and including making some boss lemonade (that at the end of the night, was the one liquid refreshment that could not be found anywhere.
There was food… more food than the guests ate, and my mother worried about it for nothing. Only a few people didn’t show up, and the afternoon happened in waves. The early crowd came and went and then the late crowd closed us down.
The party started around 2pm (although scheduled to start at 4pm) and ended around 10pm.
There was so much laughter, we even had a marvellous little baby to cuddle and kiss and love up (and he adored it… he smiled and laughed. Hear his mother, “So many ladies, so few smiles…)
It was great.
Oyasdawta called from Jamaica, to wish me a good afternoon… with Osunsade in the background loudly singing tonelessly in the way only a 1 year old could… it was just delicious!
These wonderful people, helped me to really prepare for this baby. While it wasn’t as though everything I needed they brought, they certainly helped to dent the almost overwhelming list of things one needs to prepare for el bebé.
One sister brought me a bag full of clothes, onesies, hats and socks as well as a booster seat for the car for when my little man gets too big for the little one. One sister brought me a great bathtub with a built in seat, and lots of useful little things.
My grandmother crocheted an amazing receiving blanket, that Dayo will go into as soon as he is born.
One sister brought me a light-weight little carrier for when he’s newborn…
My mother’s friends gave me some money to help me out, but one in particular picked a card that reduced me to tears (not so hard considering I’m hormonal as hell…Hallmark! What else can I say?)
The whole afternoon was wonderful. I felt excited about the baby and woke up this morning feeling really wonderful (despite another night of tossing and turning) and thankful to have so many great friends who love and support me, and a mother who just worked so hard to make the day enjoyable for me and everyone who came.
Almost everyone who came got a little present from us, a little thank you for taking the time out to spend with us to celebrate the birth of this amazing little fellow in my belly.
(A little side joke: I was making the infamous disappearing lemonade, and sat down on the verandah to stir in the sugar. Without thinking I put the jug in my lap and stirred vigorously. Not realising the proximity of swirling juice and metal spoon knocking plastic tumbler, I stirred hard. My son was taken aback… he started to react to the noise so close. I stopped, poured that tumbler into a gallon bottle. He quietened down. I started on another jug. He did it again. I could almost hear him, “Mama what is that?!!” He was kicking in time to the rhythm of my stirring. Funny little boy.)
I took pictures of the party, you can see us here.
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