Leap Year Day

Today is officially the last day of my leave. After the weekend I will be back at work. Robert and I went to the park, and I tried to get the sights and sounds and warmth of leap year day; a day we get to enjoy only once every four years.
It turned out to [...]

Leap Year Day

I have to post today because it is leap year day. In my culture Leap Years are believed to be fraught with difficulties and tragedies. I am having a lot of difficulties at this time, but I am grateful there are no tragedies.

My silent partner is still very much the same. He neither [...]

Six Months’ Wonder

Happy birthday dear Robert, you have reached the milestone of half-a-year. On this occasion we have scheduled you for a routine check-up at the Paediatrician.
Your measurements on this fabulous day:Weight 7685g; Length 70cm; Circumference of Head (COH) 42.5 cm.
There is significant improvement from Nurse B’s last measurements (200g increase in weight and 1.5cm [...]

Mommy’s Separation Anxieties

It has been a busy week, and I have many things on my mind. I am still trying to find a nanny to look after Robert on the weekends when I am supposed to work for full 8-hour shifts. Initially I shrugged this problem off, Scarlett O’Hara-style, and thought I would deal with it later. [...]

The History that Brought us Robert

Looking at my son I cannot help think about all the history that contributed to his presence with me today. I think about all the choices grandparents made to bring him about, and all the mixture of genes and traits that shape his every characteristic.

This post is in memory of my grandmother, who [...]

Powerless

The problem with marriage is that you take the power of shaping your destiny from your own hands and give it –at least partially- to someone else. I now realize with certain bitterness that this is where I am at. It is depressing to see my efforts of trying to forge ahead thwarted by the [...]

Sitting Pretty

Robert is now finding it easier to sit for a longer time unassisted. A week ago, it took his full concentration to keep himself balanced, now he is starting to play and grab for stuff from this sitting position. I still need to be around him to catch support him if he flops over unexpectedly, [...]

Let’s (not) Turn Him into a Pumpkin

Thirty five minutes left to midnight, and I am tempted to wait up and see whether my husband will come back as a pumpkin. Good for him, this is the second Friday in a row where he has been out. It makes me feel less guilty about the small tubs of ice cream, the Chocolate [...]

Making Plans

The countdown is on. I am going back to work in less than three weeks. Today I even received my shift plan, and it is time to make plans for the next phase. I will be working four-hour shifts during the week, and full eight-hour shifts on some weekends. Ron and I agreed that I [...]

The Pharaohs

Egypt won their sixth Africa Cup of Nations championship (AFCON) yesterday. In this country most people would have preferred it to go to Cameroon, not North Africa.
There is a deep divide between the north and south, even here in Africa. The prevailing feeling is that the northerners are not real Africans, and this perception might [...]