As I reflect on 2019, I am filled with thankfulness.

It was right before the New Year (2019) that I took a test and discovered I was expecting baby #2 aka Bibs. I didn’t know if the baby would be a boy, a girl or twins. I freaked out for a split but then my head reset because this was what I prayed for and was having unending debates about (insider). I knew God would not give me what I could not handle and he would give when he knew I was ready. So that was how we started 2019! A baby on the way. Lol 

At the close of this year, while I type this, Bibs is busy being Bibs (crying and cooing) down stairs with her daddy and I am taking a break from editing a video due tonight during Crossover service. 

For those that were sent here from my most recent Instagram post; 

A gentleman’s family is when a couple has a boy child first and then a girl. It was my Internet family Twin who educated me on this. (Digression: I’ve met some really great people via Instagram, I call her “family twin” because we have our kids in the exact same order, year and within a few weeks/months of each other. All we need is an IRL meet up to solidify the friendship..lol)

Anyway, not only did I learn what a Gentleman’s family was, I also learned a few other things that I will be carrying on into the New Year: 

1. Admit when you need help AND TAKE IT – It’s ok to “ABC” ie Always Be Closing aka Get Things Done but it is also ok to admit when you need help, accept the help offered and not feel pressured to immediately return the favor. That’s three things in one but they all fit together. I am so appreciative of my tribe/family. Whether it was watching my babies or helping with my business etc.. they were there for me… Bless Y’all.
2. Capture the moments but more importantly… LIVE IN THEM. With each passing day, the world becomes more and more connected. We can see what’s happening in Nigeria, Australia or even Antarctica in a matter of seconds (some times live). Friendships based on common interests are no longer limited by geography. However, with this phenom, there is an undeniable pressure to present ourselves to the world as interesting, funny, charming, beautiful etc. There is a pressure to always be at the most fun or photographic places. There is a pressure to always POST. Always Share. We find ourselves spending more time taking, editing and posting the perfect picture(s) & stories rather than living in the moment with all of our senses. There is nothing wrong with capturing these moments but if you don’t actually experience them outside of your phone, what’s the point? LIVE YOUR LIFE 
3. FAMILY FIRST. ALWAYS. 
4. Get out of your comfort zone. There is more than what you know.  – I met a man who had never been outside of the city of Baltimore until his girl decided that she wanted to raise their child in a safer neighborhood. They moved to Baltimore county, which for him, was major. Moving out of his area was a shock but it opened his eyes to the possibilities. There was more to life and living than what he had known. It was different but he was embracing it. Had he not decided to move out of what he knew his whole life, what do you think could have happened? This also goes hand in hand with the next lesson.
5. Don’t limit your dream to what you think is attainable. Go beyond it but HAVE A PLAN. The biggest mistake any of us can make is limiting our dreams and aspirations to what we think we know and understand. Without realizing, we settle ourselves for what we think is good (or good enough) for us. There is so much more in this world we can accomplish/attain. We also have to be willing to work for it. I was listening to a podcast the other day and the guest said something so eye opening. He said while trying to get a bank loan for a project, he learned that the energy needed to get $100,000 was the same energy used to get $1,000,000 so why not go for it. And he did. So if you have an idea for a business, project or goal, go beyond that, then work backwards to figure out the steps needed to reach it. 
6. Surround yourself with people (or at least one person) that pours into you. You could be a giver/supporter all you want but once you are empty you will have nothing left. It’s much harder to fill a tire that is completely flat. Don’t let yourself get that far. This also goes for prioritizing your health. Rest & Recharge, Fam. 

And that’s it folks. That’s the sum of every lesson I learned in 2019. I think these are great foundation blocks to build on for 2020 so welcome to the New Year!

I can’t wait to see how this goes.

Mikki

How do I keep this short an sweet?

Welp.. I’ll start by sharing a story… lol

Like I you may have guessed in my last post, my prayer was for a happy-healthy baby girl and when I found out I was pregnant, no one could tell me otherwise. There was a day I was walking through security heading for a meeting and one of the guards looked me in the face and with a smile say “Ohh you are about to have a boy aren’t” My face went from sweet and angelic to something else because he quickly said (while holding up his hands “Or I could be wrong… only God knows”. At that point, I was near the end of my third trimester and I was over it.

Now that I’m thinking about it – I wonder what my face did look like. LOL

Anyway… The season before the gender reveal was a time of acting in faith. The sales were good and I saw so many cute things. I bought a dress here and sweater there. I also started saving little girl hairstyles.

The first dress I bought, I brought home and hung it up in the kids closet. When Hubs saw it, he asked me what would I do if we had another boy… I said I would either keep them or gift it to another little one. He laughed. I got the same flake at work but hey…God is Good.

Disclaimer: When I was pregnant with Bubs, I prayed first for a happy healthy baby, and secondly for a boy (hence the Batman onesie here).

Honesty moment – I was a bit nervous about being a girl mom but I know He wouldn’t give me what I couldn’t handle.

So that was then. And this is about 10 days after delivery… Grandma calls her Big Mama (I’ll explain) but that nickname is definitely not going to stick… I’ll figure it out once I get to know her personality.

For now… 🙂

All newborn photos were taken by me and I love them even more <3

If you made it this far, you are a real one. Thanks for the indulgence…I hope to see you here soon. Don’t forget to say Hi in the comments and Instagram

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We are finally getting down to the Nitty Gritty of this SWDYM series. Yay!

Honesty moment: This post might have been split into two but the way life is currently set-up… Let’s just call it a twofer (two for one deal)…

The Gender Reveal

In the beginning, I don’t think I was ever nervous about whether I would have a boy or a girl. The first and foremost was to have a happy healthy baby. My MIL once told me [paraphrased] you can’t change the bread once the dough is in the oven. So if you want X you have to start praying and preparing from now. I believe God always saw my heart concerning this but I still kept it in prayer.

In our house though… It was a split vote. Hubby thought Boy and I thought Girl. When we went for the sonogram (19 weeks) we let the tech know that we didn’t want to know yet and that she should put it in an envelope. Would you believe I carried that envelope with me for months. I think I was only tempted to open it once. And it was out of annoyance. Everyone had something to say about the gender and really it was a bunch of emotional projection. I wanted to prove them wrong because- God…

I love planning parties and thought about throwing a Baby sprinkle/Gender reveal to celebrate but at some point… I was just tired. Being pregnant, working, running a side business AND chasing a toddler was a lot. I wanted to prioritize rest and sanity. Besides.. with the theme I had in mind… It would require a few trips up the ladder and more than a few squats and weighty lifts. I was not going to take that chance.

With my sense and sensibility, I tied the gender reveal to my maternity shoot and got everyone in on the action. I have to thank my sweet sis Aderonke for being our secret keeper. Once she knew.. she stayed mum the whole time and helped order the color canons used for the shoot. I wish she had been able to make it for the shoot but she was there in spirit and whastapp lol

Enough with the story… Time for the pics….

So…Ladies and Gentlemen…. It’s a….

A Girl!! An answered prayer…A mini me!

The Baby Reveal

Ok… I may have to post this tomorrow. It’s getting too long and I’m so emotional. lol

If you are following me on Instagram. You just might see the baby Her before I post pics here. 

If you made it to the end of this post… you are a real one!

See you tomorrow!! 

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Today, I finally get to share the second half of my maternity shoot… this also doubled as our family gender reveal!!

During my pregnancy, I often found myself thinking about what would and would not change when we became a family of 4.

For starters, Bubs would no longer be the baby of the house and after conversations with more experienced parents, I realized that this might be much more of a transition for him than for us. When a new baby comes into the fold, family roles begin to shift consciously and unconsciously. Mama and Papa are already parents, so a new baby doesn’t make you more of a parent. It just means you have more work to do. Bubs however, has never been a sibling or had to share attention/space so this is huge. With this half, I wanted to capture who were (two parents and a toddler) before we became who we are now (two parents, a toddler and a baby). lol

Secondly, my body would change. How? I’m still not sure. I feel like snap backs (even though I don’t exercise) are easier with the first child since everything was pretty tight to begin with. But with subsequent kids things tend to shift and not bounce in the same spot they once were. With that being said… I am still ready for whatever changes may come and will embrace them to the best of my abilities because #SelfLove

Thirdly, marriage. With more kids, come more responsibilities. You need more time, more money and a whole lot of patience to love and care for them equally. Especially during the early stages. That could mean less time for spontaneity, romantic gestures, date nights and general quality time. It doesn’t mean that they can’t and won’t happen. It just means that we have to put in the work. Welcome to the “season of intentionality”. So if it means dropping the kids off at grandma’s to have a date lunch instead of dinner, then that’s what we are gonna do. Mama and Papa need to get it in some how 😉

Quite a few other things were on my mind but I’ll share later… Hope you enjoyed the pics. FYI – The last pic is a peek of the moment we discovered baby’s gender. Don’t be mad for not sharing today… you’ll just have to visit the blog again for the next post.

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