This post is SPECIAL for all of my out of town friends and family. There are a lot of you! I am overwhelmed to have so many beautiful people following my pregnancy and interested in my progress. I thought I would share a quick blog about what exactly a naming ceremony is, since it is not part of our English/American culture.
First, for a bit of a history lesson. My husband, Oladapo, is a native of Nigeria, of the Yoruba tribe. The name of his tribe is also the name of his tribe's language, Yoruba. You can always tell by someone's name what tribe they belong to. In Dapo's immediate family, their names begin with or contain the phrases "Ola", "Olu", "Ayo", such as Oladapo Olufemi Temitayo, Olakunle, Olamide, Diekolola, Olabambo and Kayode. My son, Olujimi Ayomide Toluwani, is named likewise.
When we married I always told Dapo we lived in America and should name our children accordingly, so they wouldn't be teased or made fun of. However, when I became pregnant with Jimi my heart changed, and I wanted my husband's children to know where they came from and had only a few restrictions on what I was willing to name them. For instance, if I couldn't pronounce it properly, the name went out the window. There are a few names that I can't say right because of the language.
I was elated when I found Olujimi was a name, and that he would go by Jimi, because what American has never heard of Jimi? Right? We all know or know of a Jim, or a Jimmy, or a guitar shredding Jimi. It just so happens my dad's name is Jim, short for James. So we kind of accomplished two goals with one name; bestowing a traditional Yoruba name on my son while making it an American name as well. I am happy to say that this baby will also have a Yoruba name while also having an English name. We finally settled on her name shortly before Christmas.
Which leads me to the announcing of the name. In Nigeria they have what is called a naming ceremony. It is similar to our baby showers in that the families that come bring gifts, and similiar to a baby dedication as well.
The ceremony is performed 7-9 days AFTER the birth of the baby, and the entire community is invited. Any of you who know Nigierians know they like to party. And party all night, usually! People come and bring gifts to the parents of the child, and then an officiant will announce the baby's name, then introduce the baby to certain elements that the father picks out. Naming ceremonies are done a little differently by pagans than by Christians, as in a Christian naming ceremony you would not introduce the baby to the god of iron, but you might if you were a pagan who believed in this deity. We are obviously only interested in the parts of the ceremony that are going to glorify God.
We are introducing the same elements to this baby as we did to Jimi. They are water, salt, honey, fruit wine, the Bible, and money. Each element is given to the baby to taste, except for the money, it is given to the baby's hand to grasp. It is believed that she will make good use of money, and not for evil if she does. You are sort of decreeing things over her life with each element. For example, with salt: when any person is said to be as salt to his people, it means he brings joy, happiness, and even sweetness where there is bitterness.
It will open with a hymn, name and meaning announcement, have the element introduction, then a part of the program that is like a baby dedication, close with prayer and then the party begins. They feast and make merry till the wee hours of the morning.
In Nigeria, this is the custom and the way things are done. Here, however, our custom is that you don't leave the hospital until you have a birth certificate with a name on it! So, obviously she must be named, just as Jimi was, before leaving the hospital. And, we will likely announce her name unofficially in correspondence when she is born, just as we did with Jimi. Then, as many of you as we are able to cram into our house will come and party with us on February 8th and hear the official name!
Feel free to ask more questions, I'll update this with answers.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Friday the 30th
They say all good things must come an end. This is especially true of pregnancy! I had my weekly OB visit and my blood pressure was 144/88, I gained one pound and the heartbeat was 155. She did not wiggle and squirm as much today, I suspect she must be engaged and didn't have as much liberty to do so.
Dr. Rushing said I am dilated to "a good 3", am both thinning and softening and she is still "a little high". He said hold on and left the exam room. I told the nurse that must be good because he never leaves and comes back. He asked what am I doing on Friday? I said, having this baby, I hope!
He did tell me if my water breaks or I start contracting that I need to "come on". I relayed to him that I am not interested in keeping this child in my body any longer than absolutely necessary, so not to worry about me trying to "wait it out" till Friday!
We had Jimi on a Friday, also, Friday the 13th. It is nice because you have the weekend in the hospital and then spend a full week at home by yourselves. My parents are coming in the following Friday, the 6th. So this means we are moving the naming ceremony for the baby back a week to Sunday the 8th.
We don't know that we will have internet access in the hospital, so don't expect pix and/or updates until next week. If we can post them sooner, we'll surprise you! Till then...
Dr. Rushing said I am dilated to "a good 3", am both thinning and softening and she is still "a little high". He said hold on and left the exam room. I told the nurse that must be good because he never leaves and comes back. He asked what am I doing on Friday? I said, having this baby, I hope!
He did tell me if my water breaks or I start contracting that I need to "come on". I relayed to him that I am not interested in keeping this child in my body any longer than absolutely necessary, so not to worry about me trying to "wait it out" till Friday!
We had Jimi on a Friday, also, Friday the 13th. It is nice because you have the weekend in the hospital and then spend a full week at home by yourselves. My parents are coming in the following Friday, the 6th. So this means we are moving the naming ceremony for the baby back a week to Sunday the 8th.
We don't know that we will have internet access in the hospital, so don't expect pix and/or updates until next week. If we can post them sooner, we'll surprise you! Till then...
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Still Comfy
Update on OB visit...I think I might've gained a pound, and my blood pressure was 138/84. The baby hid from the doppler radar...just as she has the entire pregnancy. When the nurse couldn't find the heartbeat, they brought in Dr. Rushing, and he couldn't get it, either. They wound up sending me to ultrasound to see the heartbeat. I was not worried, as you could see the glob of baby turning from one side of my stomach to the other as she tried to outrun the nurse. The placenta was right on top of her heart, so that's why that was all they could hear. When we went into the ultrasound room, the technician said, "oh, dear, these last few days are the hardest. I can always see it on the mother's faces". I guess I should have worn makeup??
Dr. Rushing checked me and I am finally dilated, albeit only to 2 cm. However, the baby is still high, so there will be no induction. She must be comfortable. I am glad one of us is. Dr. Rushing did make me feel better by telling me if I can be patient and let my body do this myself, I will be more successful than if he does induces me. True, true.
Dr. Rushing also said IF I make it to my appointment next Tuesday we will pick a date for inducing. I like how he makes it sound so conditional, as though there is hope that this child wants to come where she can stretch her legs a little.
So, another week to go. At this point in my pregnancy with Jimi, I was checking into the hospital at 4 cm. Whoever said the subsequent pregnancies come sooner fed me a big fat helping of lies! Nonetheless, I am reminded of Isaiah 66:9, which says:
"Shall I bring to the time of birth, and not cause delivery?" says the Lord. "Shall I who cause delivery shut up the womb?" says your God.
and Psalm 71:6:
By You I have been upheld from birth; You are He who took me out of my mother's womb. My praise shall be continually of You.
Dr. Rushing checked me and I am finally dilated, albeit only to 2 cm. However, the baby is still high, so there will be no induction. She must be comfortable. I am glad one of us is. Dr. Rushing did make me feel better by telling me if I can be patient and let my body do this myself, I will be more successful than if he does induces me. True, true.
Dr. Rushing also said IF I make it to my appointment next Tuesday we will pick a date for inducing. I like how he makes it sound so conditional, as though there is hope that this child wants to come where she can stretch her legs a little.
So, another week to go. At this point in my pregnancy with Jimi, I was checking into the hospital at 4 cm. Whoever said the subsequent pregnancies come sooner fed me a big fat helping of lies! Nonetheless, I am reminded of Isaiah 66:9, which says:
"Shall I bring to the time of birth, and not cause delivery?" says the Lord. "Shall I who cause delivery shut up the womb?" says your God.
and Psalm 71:6:
By You I have been upheld from birth; You are He who took me out of my mother's womb. My praise shall be continually of You.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
43 1/2 weeks
My mom has never been shy about letting me know that I was born nearly a month late. She has also never failed to inform me of the 10 lbs and 12 ounces that I weighed at said late delivery. I used to laugh about it, but then one day I heard that daughters usually follow their mother's pregnancy/labor/delivery patterns. Uh oh...
Well, those were the days when OB's would let women go excruciatingly long over due with children. Apparently they weren't big (pardon the pun) on monitoring weight gain, either. My mother had horrible acquaintances that, in her words, came over just to see if she could really still fit through the door. She was 120 lbs pre-pregnancy, and gained 95 pounds with me, nearly doubling her weight. She must have been so miserable!
I saw my doctor today. I will be 38 weeks on Thursday, and he had said if "conditions were favorable" he would induce me at that time. No such luck! I am not dilated and the baby is content to stay on my bladder for another however long. I did get Dr. Rushing to promise not to let me go 43 1/2 weeks. I tried to get him to swear I wouldn't tear, either, but he was not willing to give his word on that one. My blood pressure was its usual self at 138/88 and I gained a pound.
We had to wait a little longer than usual, but Jimi was SO well behaved, I was SO proud of him. I did enlist the help of the nurse to get Dr. R to give me an ultrasound to either confirm or dispel my suspicions that the baby is gargantuan. I mentioned to Jennifer that some of my friends who had gestational diabetes had ultrasounds to make sure the baby was not too big, and that was why I wanted it. Once I mentioned that, it seemed she was willing to try to help my cause (I may or may not have said it, but I have been asking for an ultrasound for about 2 months now).
When a room was available, the nurse came and got me and took me to...ultrasound! Yea! Too bad Dapo had a work meeting today and couldn't join me. Dr. Rushing measured the baby's head, found some kind of limb to measure, and did some general picture taking. I didn't recognize too much, but at some point thought I could make out her hand over eyes. Her head is 8 point something cm diameter, and all of the various things which were measured showed her right around 37/38 weeks. Best of all, the estimated fetal weight was 7 pounds, 3 ounces. My doctor likes to make sure you don't get your hopes fixated on anything, so he added, within +/- 15%, so she could weigh up to 8 lbs.
I have come to terms with the fact she is probably a little like her mother, and just doesn't want to see this big, bright world yet. I suspect she is just waiting to be born under President Obama's administration. 8 pounds? I'll take it, even if I can't take it now.
Well, those were the days when OB's would let women go excruciatingly long over due with children. Apparently they weren't big (pardon the pun) on monitoring weight gain, either. My mother had horrible acquaintances that, in her words, came over just to see if she could really still fit through the door. She was 120 lbs pre-pregnancy, and gained 95 pounds with me, nearly doubling her weight. She must have been so miserable!
I saw my doctor today. I will be 38 weeks on Thursday, and he had said if "conditions were favorable" he would induce me at that time. No such luck! I am not dilated and the baby is content to stay on my bladder for another however long. I did get Dr. Rushing to promise not to let me go 43 1/2 weeks. I tried to get him to swear I wouldn't tear, either, but he was not willing to give his word on that one. My blood pressure was its usual self at 138/88 and I gained a pound.
We had to wait a little longer than usual, but Jimi was SO well behaved, I was SO proud of him. I did enlist the help of the nurse to get Dr. R to give me an ultrasound to either confirm or dispel my suspicions that the baby is gargantuan. I mentioned to Jennifer that some of my friends who had gestational diabetes had ultrasounds to make sure the baby was not too big, and that was why I wanted it. Once I mentioned that, it seemed she was willing to try to help my cause (I may or may not have said it, but I have been asking for an ultrasound for about 2 months now).
When a room was available, the nurse came and got me and took me to...ultrasound! Yea! Too bad Dapo had a work meeting today and couldn't join me. Dr. Rushing measured the baby's head, found some kind of limb to measure, and did some general picture taking. I didn't recognize too much, but at some point thought I could make out her hand over eyes. Her head is 8 point something cm diameter, and all of the various things which were measured showed her right around 37/38 weeks. Best of all, the estimated fetal weight was 7 pounds, 3 ounces. My doctor likes to make sure you don't get your hopes fixated on anything, so he added, within +/- 15%, so she could weigh up to 8 lbs.
I have come to terms with the fact she is probably a little like her mother, and just doesn't want to see this big, bright world yet. I suspect she is just waiting to be born under President Obama's administration. 8 pounds? I'll take it, even if I can't take it now.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Good Boy
After opening our presents on Christmas, my living room looked as though a cardboard bomb had exploded. There was a lot of wrapping paper, too, but mostly cardboard boxes from the various shipments Grammy sent and Mommy got online. Some boxes were too big and cumbersome to wrap, so they just got a bow. The drums were one such present.
Jimi is really starting to be helpful of late, so Dapo started showing him how to throw the wrapping paper away in the garbage. In retrospect, we should have used a black trash bag for this task, but as they say: live and learn. We were so proud of our little helper that every small fistful of paper that went into the garbage brought laudations of "Good Boy!".
Since that glorious Christmas morn, we have come to find various household items in the trash. A shoe, socks, remote, telephone, and legos, just to name a few, have been tossed into the garbage at Jimi's whim.
On Sunday I came home from church and was on the phone with my mom. Jimi is usually ready for a nap by this time, and since he snacks at church, he goes straight to bed when we arrive back at home. When we got inside, my mom asked, "what did he just say?", to which I replied, "I do not know". This is often the case, although I am getting better at deciphering his language. "He said it twice, I heard him," she insisted, "have him show you". I knew Jimi's mind had since moved on, but to appease my mother, I asked him to show me. He took me to the back door, which has a window pane inside of it, and I knew this was just an attempt to go outside. I relayed this to my mom, sure that the moment had passed to find out what he was trying to say.
By this time I had moved into the laundry room to hang his diaper bag for the next excursion, and he followed me. I picked him up to carry him to his crib. As we walked through the kitchen, he said it again. "There he goes again!" my mom said. Such a curious Grammy! I put him down for his nap and went back to the kitchen. I had walked by the garbage can when he had said the last thing he had said. I opened up the garbage and there lay my favorite blouse! As I picked it up, the pear core and seeds it had been laying on since morning fell back into the trash and I suddenly knew what Jimi had been saying.
When you tell him good boy, he tries to repeat it and it usually comes out as "gee-gah". I asked my mom if what she had heard was "gee-gah" and she said, "yes". I relayed to her that he had said "gee-gah" because he was walking by the trash and was telling me what a good boy he was for having attempted to throw away my favorite blouse...
My blouse (which is one of the only ones that fits this late in my pregnancy, I might add) is now sitting in the dirty clothes hamper! Every time we hear the lid on the garbage now, we look to see just how good of a boy Jimi has been.
Jimi is really starting to be helpful of late, so Dapo started showing him how to throw the wrapping paper away in the garbage. In retrospect, we should have used a black trash bag for this task, but as they say: live and learn. We were so proud of our little helper that every small fistful of paper that went into the garbage brought laudations of "Good Boy!".
Since that glorious Christmas morn, we have come to find various household items in the trash. A shoe, socks, remote, telephone, and legos, just to name a few, have been tossed into the garbage at Jimi's whim.
On Sunday I came home from church and was on the phone with my mom. Jimi is usually ready for a nap by this time, and since he snacks at church, he goes straight to bed when we arrive back at home. When we got inside, my mom asked, "what did he just say?", to which I replied, "I do not know". This is often the case, although I am getting better at deciphering his language. "He said it twice, I heard him," she insisted, "have him show you". I knew Jimi's mind had since moved on, but to appease my mother, I asked him to show me. He took me to the back door, which has a window pane inside of it, and I knew this was just an attempt to go outside. I relayed this to my mom, sure that the moment had passed to find out what he was trying to say.
By this time I had moved into the laundry room to hang his diaper bag for the next excursion, and he followed me. I picked him up to carry him to his crib. As we walked through the kitchen, he said it again. "There he goes again!" my mom said. Such a curious Grammy! I put him down for his nap and went back to the kitchen. I had walked by the garbage can when he had said the last thing he had said. I opened up the garbage and there lay my favorite blouse! As I picked it up, the pear core and seeds it had been laying on since morning fell back into the trash and I suddenly knew what Jimi had been saying.
When you tell him good boy, he tries to repeat it and it usually comes out as "gee-gah". I asked my mom if what she had heard was "gee-gah" and she said, "yes". I relayed to her that he had said "gee-gah" because he was walking by the trash and was telling me what a good boy he was for having attempted to throw away my favorite blouse...
My blouse (which is one of the only ones that fits this late in my pregnancy, I might add) is now sitting in the dirty clothes hamper! Every time we hear the lid on the garbage now, we look to see just how good of a boy Jimi has been.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Nothin' Doin'
Yesterday was my 37 week OB/GYN appointment. Besides the fact I gained 5 lbs in 6 days, there was nothing of interest that occurred. My blood pressure was about the same, the baby hates her heartbeat being monitored, and I have not progressed in the dilation/thinning arena.
I know that my pregnancies have pretty much run the same course as my mom's did. First one was a boy and everything was wonderful. Second one was a girl, and left much to be desired. An item of interest is that my mother's second child (that would be me) did not come until she was 43 1/2 weeks. The good news? Once I decided I wanted to be born I arrived in three hours, start to finish.
So I called my mom and told her not to buy her tickets for what we all had hoped to be a delivery next week. Funny how two weeks ago I could not see how I could make it another month, while now I cannot see not going another month. As a friend of mine who is an L&D nurse rightfully puts it, the most unpredictable animal on the planet is a woman about to have her second child. My husband whole-heartedly agreed!
I see Dr. R next Tuesday, so stay tuned!
I know that my pregnancies have pretty much run the same course as my mom's did. First one was a boy and everything was wonderful. Second one was a girl, and left much to be desired. An item of interest is that my mother's second child (that would be me) did not come until she was 43 1/2 weeks. The good news? Once I decided I wanted to be born I arrived in three hours, start to finish.
So I called my mom and told her not to buy her tickets for what we all had hoped to be a delivery next week. Funny how two weeks ago I could not see how I could make it another month, while now I cannot see not going another month. As a friend of mine who is an L&D nurse rightfully puts it, the most unpredictable animal on the planet is a woman about to have her second child. My husband whole-heartedly agreed!
I see Dr. R next Tuesday, so stay tuned!
Friday, January 2, 2009
New Year's Resolution
I went to bed at 930 and woke up this morning around 1:30 to use the restroom. Dapo was particularly restless, rolling over a lot and the likes. Somehow I wound up thinking for about an hour before I decided to get up. After I write this, I'll do some homework and then I'm sure I'll be ready to sleep again. I must be getting ready for changes to my circadian rhythm.
On Wednesday I had my last bi-monthly OB visit. I'll start seeing him every week now until the baby is born. All of the women in the waiting room were as pregnant, or more, than I was. I was seen at a different office (the one actually at the hospital) and so I asked if that was where they send the REALLY pregnant women to. My nurse told me that they were only working a 1/2 day and so they were only seeing the women who really needed seen. Glad to know I qualified.
I have only gained one pound in the last 6 weeks...due in large part to the dietary changes made thanks to the gestational diabetes diagnosis. I am eating well, so I know the baby is doing fine. The baby's heartbeat was 158 and my blood pressure was 128/82. The top # is usually higher. I have been having dizzy spells, and Dr. Rushing said it is nothing to worry about.
The best news of the visit is that the baby is no longer breech. She is head down and he said she isn't "dropped" but she is down. Not sure the difference, but glad to hear we are making progress. I am not dilated, either. Dr. Rushing reiterated that he would induce me IF my body was showing some indications of being ready to be induced, i.e. dilated, baby dropped, thinning, soft, etc. He will do it as early as 38 weeks. I will be 38 weeks in two weeks from yesterday.
Knowing this gives me plenty to think about while I cannot sleep. Things to do (we need to find someone to watch Jimi, get ahead on my homework, stock our freezer with easy to cook meals...), wonder what she will look like, remember to count her toes and fingers, etc. The best part about pregnancy is that you get to know your baby when no one else in the world does.
Seeing the light at the end of the tunnel somehow makes the misery tolerable. My mom mentioned that I slept a lot more when I was pregnant with Jimi, which is why I don't remember the end as much. So, I made a resolution to sleep more...I just am not doing that right now!
Two weeks seems like a long time, but I tell myself it is the length of that vacation you went on that flew by, or it is the amount of time it has been since I last saw Dr. Rushing. If I just take a week at a time, then a day at a time, I can pace myself. Compared with the other 8 months of pregnancy, this should go by the fastest. Right??
Well, Happy New Year to everyone. The best part about it being a new year is that the month (and the year) is finally the same month as my due date. No longer do I say "in January", because he were are! And my New Year's Resolution?? To have a baby, of course! Now there's a resolution I'll have to stick with!
On Wednesday I had my last bi-monthly OB visit. I'll start seeing him every week now until the baby is born. All of the women in the waiting room were as pregnant, or more, than I was. I was seen at a different office (the one actually at the hospital) and so I asked if that was where they send the REALLY pregnant women to. My nurse told me that they were only working a 1/2 day and so they were only seeing the women who really needed seen. Glad to know I qualified.
I have only gained one pound in the last 6 weeks...due in large part to the dietary changes made thanks to the gestational diabetes diagnosis. I am eating well, so I know the baby is doing fine. The baby's heartbeat was 158 and my blood pressure was 128/82. The top # is usually higher. I have been having dizzy spells, and Dr. Rushing said it is nothing to worry about.
The best news of the visit is that the baby is no longer breech. She is head down and he said she isn't "dropped" but she is down. Not sure the difference, but glad to hear we are making progress. I am not dilated, either. Dr. Rushing reiterated that he would induce me IF my body was showing some indications of being ready to be induced, i.e. dilated, baby dropped, thinning, soft, etc. He will do it as early as 38 weeks. I will be 38 weeks in two weeks from yesterday.
Knowing this gives me plenty to think about while I cannot sleep. Things to do (we need to find someone to watch Jimi, get ahead on my homework, stock our freezer with easy to cook meals...), wonder what she will look like, remember to count her toes and fingers, etc. The best part about pregnancy is that you get to know your baby when no one else in the world does.
Seeing the light at the end of the tunnel somehow makes the misery tolerable. My mom mentioned that I slept a lot more when I was pregnant with Jimi, which is why I don't remember the end as much. So, I made a resolution to sleep more...I just am not doing that right now!
Two weeks seems like a long time, but I tell myself it is the length of that vacation you went on that flew by, or it is the amount of time it has been since I last saw Dr. Rushing. If I just take a week at a time, then a day at a time, I can pace myself. Compared with the other 8 months of pregnancy, this should go by the fastest. Right??
Well, Happy New Year to everyone. The best part about it being a new year is that the month (and the year) is finally the same month as my due date. No longer do I say "in January", because he were are! And my New Year's Resolution?? To have a baby, of course! Now there's a resolution I'll have to stick with!
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