I am Tamiya…

**Before you start reading, this post may create graphic images in your mind. Will contain all kinds of references to ones, twos, bums and loos…**

Boobah has been fully potty trained for a couple of months now, I think it’s been 3 months of no-nappies-ever-again. We made the transition from nappies to underpants fairly smoothly. Although, my child has been very against making a number 2 in his nappy since about 18 months. He’d let us know and then we’d have to put him on the potty or loo, he’d do his thing and we’d put the nappy back on. It took us much longer to get him to actually make a wee in the potty or loo and I thought we’d struggle with this hurdle for a good while to come. However, when Boobah finally got the hang of it, we were over day time nappies in just over two weeks, and night time nappies followed about a week thereafter.

There’s only been two accidents at night since, and I think that is very commendable on my little boys’ part, don’t you agree?

Normally, whenever the need arose, Boobah would proudly announce that he needs to go, and whomever he chose as the potty partner for the day, would have to get up and rush with him to the loo. Once there, you’d have to help him strip his pants, pick him up onto the loo so he could commence with his business and when finished, you’d have to help him off, wipe his bum if needed, and then proceed to dress him. Then, one day, when he’d had to go 5 times in 5 minutes, each time interrupting whatever mommy-business I was busy with, I just told him to go. “Drag your plastic chair in front of the loo, then go by yourself”, and that’s exactly what he did. He managed to get his pants down by himself, get up onto the chair, turn around and then sit down. I was so proud of my little big man.

This carried on for a good long while, and he only ever shouted for help when he felt he needed to wipe his bum and I needed to pass him some loo-paper (he can’t reach it by himself). When he was done doing whatever it is he needed to do, he’d get up and off, and proceed to run around pantless until I eventually demanded him to come to me so I can dress him again.

That was, until two nights ago. The same story as before, he needs to go and stuff like that (although, now would be a good time to let you know that when we’re at home, he doesn’t even proclaim the need to go anymore, he just goes when he feels like it) and I think nothing of it. Until about 10 minutes later, I realize he hasn’t made a squeak or a peep for a very long time. Initially, I worry about this, not necessarily for his safety, but more because all parents will know this: when a toddler is too quiet for too long, they’re usually up to something, and that something is not always a good thing…

Anyhoodle, I get up and walk quietly to his bathroom, to check up on him, and there my boy is, busy pulling up the last bit of his shorts over his bum. He had dressed himself!! (Okay, so his underpants were inside out, but who cares, right?!?!) I was beyond excited and shouted and screamed with joy and cheered and grabbed my boy-child and hugged him tight, all the while telling him what a big boy he is and how super proud mommy is and he’s super clever for being able to dress himself and that he has made me the happiest mommy in the whole wide world!! And specially how proud I am of him being such a big boy now.

I was, and still am, really really proud of my little boy. My heart still swells. He’s learning so much, so quickly, and is overcoming hurdles and milestones all by himself. He really is becoming less of my baby, and more of my big boy every day!

Much love x 2.25

Since we found out about PlusOne, I have involved Boobah in everything. He was the first person we told (even though he is only 2 years and 8 months) before anybody else. I plan on taking him with me to all the doctors appointments, and I want to create a bond and a sibling love between Boobah and PlusOne from the start.

When PlusOne comes along, I don’t want Boobah to feel any less loved or less important than what he is now. I don’t want him to feel replaced by PlusOne. I want him to understand that a mommy can love two children equally as much and that a mommy’s love never ends.

Boobah, being young as he is, has already grasped the concept of ‘Mommy is having a baby’ and that the baby stays in mummy’s tummy. He knows she is very little and will take a long time before she can come out and he can finally meet her. He fell in love with the idea of a baby from the word GO and constantly refers to PlusOne as HIS baby. Boobah will do things for the baby that he will not do for anyone else. When he’s in a mood, he won’t kiss anyone hello or hug anyone or even talk to anyone. But he’s always more than willing to kiss his baby and hug her and tickle her and play with her, regardless of his mood.

One of his favorite things to do at night, is lie on my legs, with his head resting on my tummy. He then proceeds to tell PlusOne bed time stories and he sings her lullabies. He doesn’t tell her the story of Little Red Riding Hood/Wolf/Three Little Pigs (a mashup, his own version of it) , because the story has a wolf in it, and PlusOne will be scared of the wolf and he doesn’t want her to be scared. So he makes up his own stories as he goes along. He’s told her all about Ben 10 and Granpa Max and Gwen and how the Omnitrix works. He sings her all of his favorite songs (currently Afrika Sonsak from Robbie Wessels and I gotta feeling from BEP and Slaap ‘n Bietjie from Lize Beekman’s Lullabies cd).

This then gave me the idea of Project Pregnancy. Because Boobah is so young, in order to fully explain to him the looooooooong time that PlusOne is going to stay in mummy’s tummy and how she is still very tiny and needs to grow a whole lot more before she can come out, this is what we’re going to do:

I’ve come across a website that gives a great week-by-week account on the progress of your pregnancy, with pictures and everything. And I got some A2 cardboards at work yesterday. I then divided the cardboard sheets into 4 blocks, and wrote the week numbers at the top. Every week I’ll print out that weeks’ info, so that Boobah and I can cut out the pictures and stick them in the relevant block. This way, we can count down the weeks, and also check how PlusOne grows bigger. I think this will give him an even better idea of the whole pregnancy. We’ve stuck the first sheet on Boobah’s wall in his room. After all, it is HIS baby…

I’ve also shown him how big she is, using his own body. Right now, PlusOne’s about as big as the first digit of his thumb. And I have to say, I think he really gets it. I told him that PlusOne needs to grow till she is as big as his WHOLE arm before she can come out, so he knows there’s still a long way to go.

And last night, as we got into bed, he looks at his wall and says, “Look mommy, there’s PlusOne. She’s *this* big (and he shows me his thumb). Hello PlusOne. G’night PlusOne” and he blows her a kiss.

Much love x 2.25

I know they say every pregnancy is different and this is definitely true for me. My pregnancy this time round has been way different to my first one with Boobah. I have been sick more times than not, the weirdest things make me sick and I just generally feel different. Which is why I’ve come to the conclusion that PlusOne has to be a girl. That, and my mommy instincts have also been telling me so…

I have an aunt, let’s call her Holi, who is very much into the whole holistic way of living. She is also my god-mother. Never mind the history, though… Holi can *see* (sense/feel) things. Spiritual things like auras and energy and things like that. When I was younger, I always thought she was a bit weird, but loved her anyway. Now that I’m older, I’m trying to understand her ways more.

Last week, when we were visiting to break the news and such, she turned to me and asked if I’m pregnant. Quite taken aback, I said “Yes, how do you know? Did my mum tell you?” Her response was no, but she can see an extra bit of energy above me. The type of energy she normally sees around pregnant women. And it’s a girl-energy. She went on further to tell me that on Christmas Eve, when our whole family got together, she’d already sensed the same energy, but because we didn’t say or mention anything, she didn’t take it any further. Now, I can tell you, on Christmas Eve, I was pregnant already and must’ve been about two weeks along. For some reason, this thought makes me smile. It makes me happy.

Normally, I wouldn’t be talking about stuff like this, because people have had very averse reactions to it. I don’t mind though, as I’m a very open minded type of person. It’s not that I necessarily believe in this, but who’s to say it doesn’t exist?

Anyhoodle, last night we went around there again for dinner and the likes and I sat with Holi for quite a while talking about a whole bunch of stuff and I asked her again if it’s still a girl. She laughed and confirmed that it was. But then she suggested we use a different method of checking. Before you pull your face and freak out and scream in horror, this is actually not so outlandish. This particular method of gender prediction has been around for ages and ages and has been used countless of times by many a mom-to-be (and even silly school girls) for the fun of it. It’s called Pendulum Swing or something similar.

What you do is take any form of a pendulum (be it  crystal, a ring on a necklace or even a piece of gum on a string) and hold it over the persons’ left wrist. Now you can proceed to ask your questions. It’s advisable to first find out what your yes and your no answers look like (whether it’s a clockwise or anti-clockwise swing motion) so that you can correctly see your answers. Holi asked the questions first. She got a No for “Is it a Boy” and a Yes for “Is it a Girl”. You may or may not believe me, but when she hung that pendulum over my wrist, not touching the skin at all, I could actually feel something in my wrist. Like a pull or something, but definitely a change. Was quite a weird feeling.

I then proceeded to ask the same questions, but silently in my head, because that also works, and to our surprise, I got a yes, then a no and then a nothing. I asked 3 questions: Is it a Boy, Is it a Girl and Is it twins? For the twins question, I got no answer. No movement, no nothing. That was strange. But what was even stranger was me getting a yes for a boy and a no for a girl… So we checked the pendulum to make sure what my yes and no should look like. This is something we didn’t do prior to me asking the questions btw. It turns out, my yes and no, is the opposite of Holi’s. So I also had a Yes for Girl and No for Boy. With regards to the Twins question, Holi also asked, and she got such a strong NO feeling. But that would make sense though, because both The Dad’s and my families aren’t prone to having twins…

So there you have it. It *has* to be a girl!

Much love x 2.25

This weekend, we got to spend some quality time together. This does not mean that we are entirely broke and *had* to sit at home staring at each other, but rather that we got to do some things that we all enjoyed and we got to do them together.

On Saturday morning, we decided to go see a movie. An animation that Boobah could watch with us (because otherwise what would be the point of quality-family-time without the WHOLE family?), and the only animations/kid movies playing currently is Planet 51 and Alvin and the Chipmunks. Needless to say, we settled on Planet 51. We went to Greenstone, our local mall and wanted to have a quick bite for breakfast before the morning movie starts. As we drive in at the boom gates to collect our parking ticket, a very nice gentleman hands us a pamphlet for the new Maxi’s restaurant that has opened. The breakfast image looks quite delish and we decide that maybe we should try them. We did, and I can honestly say that our experience there have been one of the best dining out experiences we’ve had in a veeerrrryyyy long time. Service was prompt, our order was spot on and best of all, they are very kid friendly. We ordered a Cheese Griller and Chips breakfast for Boobah, almost as soon as we sat down, thanks to the prompting from our waitress. When his food came, it was Ready-to-Eat hot, not burn-your-mouth-so-hot-mummy-has-to-blow-it-cold-until-she-feels-dizzy hot, which is fantastic, as little kids often lose interest in food really quickly…

That being said, when our food came, it was piping hot, just as you would expect adult food to be. Their portions are generous, service was great and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. #Superbrandplus Maxi’s Greenstone!

The movie we watched was pretty awesome too, as far as animations go. The official description of Planet 51 goes something like this:

“American astronaut Captain Charles “Chuck” Baker, lands on Planet 51 thinking he’s the first person to step foot on it. To his surprise, he finds that this planet is inhabited by little green people who are happily living in a white picket fence world reminiscent of a cheerfully innocent 1950s America, and whose only fear is that it will be overrun by alien invaders–like Chuck! With the help of his robot companion “Rover” and his new friend Lem, Chuck must navigate his way through the dazzling, but bewildering, landscape of Planet 51 in order to escape becoming a permanent part of the Planet 51 Alien Invaders Space Museum.”

I had too much popcorn during the movie so shortly after having had breakfast, making me feel quite uncomfortable, but that’s my own fault. After the movie, we went hom where Boobah and I had a terrific 3 hour long nap. Those are just the best.

On Sunday, the Outlaws invited us out to lunch with them That very rarely happens and when it does, it’s not always a very splendid occasion. However, the Outlaws, and specially my FIL, were nice company for a change. We went to Fahrenheit, just up the road from where we live, because they have a wonderful kiddies playground area. Boobah always enjoys it when we go there. Anyhoodle, the food was good, the company was good, the atmosphere was great and then….

…Then there was a playground bully. Two actually, but the one boy really irked me A LOT! He must’ve been about 4 and a half, judging by his size and vocabulary. Compared against my 2 and a half year old, he’s a big kid and should know better. This snotnosed kid not only shouted at Boobah, bossed him around and was generally just rude to my kid, he pushed him off the Pilot’s seat in the airplane because he wanted a go. He didn’t ask politely, he didn’t even ask, he just shoved Boobah off the seat, so that my kid went flying and smacked his head against the side of the plane! I was absolutely LIVID! If I hadn’t had a crying Boobah in my arms, I would have grabbed that kid out the plane, marched to where the tables were and demanded to know who his mother was! My legs were actually trembling from anger. The mother was nowhere to be seen. Not once did we even see her take a stroll on the playground to check whether her child was still okay.

On a later occassion, when the child again terrorised my boy, The Dad had had enough and went up to the kid to ask him what his problem is and where his mother is. Only then did a woman come running along to find out why a man was admonishing her child. In his fury, The Dad explained in the least amount of words required what a snot her child is and that he has no manners nor respect for other children. She told us that she would deal with her child, and a while later they came to our table so the kid could apologise to Boobah. I felt sorry for the mother, not for the kid, he didn’t feel one ounce of sorry or regret…

Yes, I realize he is also still a small boy, being only 4, but this is where I’d like to blame the parents for their child’s behavior. Surely when at a restaurant or public place, you keep an eye on your kid. Even if the play area is secure. You check to make sure they’re there/fine/not hurt/behaving/sharing/not doing dangerous stunts… You don’t just sit on your ass, drink wine and socialize with *your* friends. Surely you teach your child manners and acceptable behavior, public or not, and wrong from right? You teach them this from a young age, don’t you? You show them that it is important to care about others feelings and to be nice? To ask and not demand?

Or is it just me…?

Much love x 2.25

With Boobah having been an only child for so long, an only child who doesn’t go to daycare or creche or preschool but stays with his gran every weekday, he has not yet mastered one of the most fundamental character traits a human requires: Sharing…

Now that there’s a sibling on the way, it’s something he’ll have to learn (or be taught) before the new baby arrives. Unfortunately he’s going to have to share one of his most beloved things: his gran who looks after him. And he’s going to have to do it with a smile.

I’m not quite sure how we’re going to tackle this hurdle just yet. To be honest, the very thought of this task makes me feel apprehensive. Any ideas and helpful hints will be welcomed with open arms! How did you handle this when your second child was born?

I know this has to happen, and soon too, to give us as much practice time as possible to master the art of sharing, but it doesn’t make it any less daunting!

Much love X 2.25

We told Boobah about the exciting news that we’re going to have another baby. And we told him before we told anybody else, which I feel is just fair, as he is our most immediate little family and the new baby will probably have more impact on him than on anyone else. This was about 4 days before we broke the news officially.

Boobah is now 2 years, 8 months and a few odd days and as some of you will know, toddlers this age talk. And they talk A LOT! And they can’t keep secrets…

So guess who told my MIL about the new arrival? This is how it went down:
Boobah: “The baby is already big”
MIL: “Baby?”
Boobah: “Yes, the baby”
MIL: “What baby, honeypie?”
Boobah: “The one in mummy’s tummy…”

I’m not sure if that was a good thing or not, but she did take the news surprisingly well. More so than last time. Admittedly, our circumstances of conceiving were MUCH different this time than the first…

Much love x 2.25

Last week Saturday, whilst still on holiday, I asked The Dad if we could stop by the pharmacy and buy some tests. What tests, he asked? I just looked at him with those eyes and he immediately caught on. He said okay, but he doesn’t really feel that it’s necessary and he doesn’t want to put me through the same heartache as all the previous months had delivered. We bought them anyway. Two of them. Two different ones. Just in case, you know? I could hardly contain my excitement and curiosity but duly waited until the next morning like the instructions said.

The next morning came, I peed in a jug, so I don’t mess any on my hands and promptly did the tests – both of them, together. The results:

Yup, that’s TWO lines you see there. Not one, but TWO!

I was super excited when I saw that, and immediately woke The Dad up to share with him the good news. He was elated. I’m glad he’s happy, because it’s his baby too…

Later that morning, I asked Boobah if he wanted a baby? Yes, when?? was his reply. Shame, my poor nunupie. I’m not sure if he really understands that it’s going to be a looooooooooong wait still, but he understands that the baby is in mommy’s tummy and that it’s HIS baby.

The Dad and I agreed that we would first do the blood tests to confirm the home tests before we tell everyone (although, I told my mom immediately… She was ecstatic!). We did them on the Tuesday, and they also came back positive. So that’s a triple confirmation. We’ve started telling people already (infact, my whole Twitterverse knows, as do everyone who’s my friend on Facebook). I know they say you should generally wait until after 12 weeks before telling everyone, to wait for the danger period to pass and what not, but I figured I didn’t have a high-risk pregnancy last time and I’ve already started taking my vitamins and drinking more water and cutting down on my smoking*, so we should be okay this time too.

We are now 6 weeks and 5 days pregnant

Much love x 2.25