Happy 3rd Birthday Mocha Baby!

"Can God do it again?"

I asked myself this question over and over from the moment I realized I was pregnant with Mocha Baby. I was painfully aware of what a blessing it was to have healthy children. God had already given me four. Was I pushing it to expect any more? If I was faced with special challenges, would I be up to the task with 4 other children to care for? I knew I'd take the job regardless, but I wondered if I'd be able to do it well.

I think I fell prey to this kind of thinking because I was older than 35 when we conceived Mocha Baby, and the pressure to do more prenatal testing and be "extra" careful implied that something could go wrong for us now more than at any other time before. I appreciated the support if a challenge developed, but I felt robbed of a peaceful pregnancy.

I empowered myself by building up my support systems. I worked at accepting help from my friends. I hired a doula who offered pregnancy counseling, prenatal advice and availability for labor and two post partum visits. Most importantly, I worked hard at praying, believing and trusting God that whatever he gave me would be right for me. I tried not to worry. I was up and I was down. It was definitely a process.

My cup overflowed with Mocha Baby--as you can see she exceeds my hopes and expectations.

On this day, I'm reflecting about how much my heart can grow and stretch to love each child I'm given like they are the only child I have. To God be the glory!

Comments

Please leave that baby's hair alone!

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Mocha Mom Speaks about Length Retention and Protective Styling

My hair on the day I put in my Braidlocks before the shrinkage set in. I considered making another video, but opted to return to my first love--writing. I've been reflecting on the many responses I've received on my Hot Topic: The Tangle Teezer is Breaking my Hair video. I've been wondering if there's a little more to my success story. There was a time my daughters' hair remained the same length year after year. I thought their hair wasn't growing or had reached terminal length--meaning their hair had grown as long as it could possibly grow. It never occurred to me that their hair was breaking off at the ends as quickly as it was growing in from the roots. Culturally, as people of African descent, we do many things to our hair that's death to our ends. I never set out to retain length. Something changed in me during a completely unrelated experience. I talk about it in detail in my post Her mother needs to do her

Cherish My Daughter

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