Ari's Mommy

Thank you for the support you have shown me throughout my blogging journey. Just by opening the site, you have made a tremendous impact. We can all agree that getting people to sit and read an insert is difficult, let alone having them sign up to your website. So again I say thank you.

That being said I would like to invite you to continue the journey with me on our new platform. Yes…we have a new home now! Join us at ArisMomie

Please continue to show your love by reading and sharing the inserts.

Love ArisMomie…

She wears my shoes, Plays pretend makeup and insists on having my watch on her wrist.

When do you share clothes with your kids? Ari started trying my shoes on lately and her attempts ultimately end with her flat on her bum which does not bother her one bit because as fast as she falls she gets up and tries again. She is 1 year 9 months but feels she has earned the right to wear my shoes, watch and my clothes. I thought we would be doing this in her teenage years but I guess now is the time. Of all these acts of independence, she pulled her best work when she smeared my lipstick all over her face, clothes, and floor. How she reached the shelve where I keep my makeup is still bothering me.

Baby wants what Mommy has: Trying to do anything with a toddler around is almost impossible especially because they run on a crazy level of energy. As soon as you touch something they want it and that’s it! Sweeping the floor turns into an adventure of exchanging the broom with each other and eventually ending with no work done at all. Don’t get me started on mopping, Ari loves water and she does everything in her power to try to topple the bucket over, but I always catch her in the act. 

My baby is a bully! I think I didn’t realise exactly how much Ari loved wearing and playing with my things. Yesterday in Church she decided to tug at my earings while pointing at her own earlobes. This was her way of saying put them on me instead (we are still working on the talking thing). So the problem was that she had her own earing on and trying to explain to her that you can’t wear Mommy’s because you have your own would be pointless. So I got creative and clipped them onto her earrings, because I can’t bear to be that Mom with the screaming child in Church. Ari moved on to my watch which I also had to take off for her as if that was not enough she went for the necklace! She must have felt satisfied because she yelled, “Papa Papa” and showed off her arm with a smile, clapping and screaming at her Dad to notice her. Despite my attempts at avoiding a noise outbreak, I found myself shuffling my way past people with the occasional “sorry” to go outside to calm my hyperactive toddler. 

Putting your best foot forward, for your kids… Having Ari wanting to wear my clothes and accessories was the cutest thing ever. But more than anything this has shown me how much these little people look up to us. We are their first teachers, their role models and their first idea of a hero. It’s a lot of pressure but that comes with the ‘Mom’ title or the ‘Parent’ title in its entirety. I do not take these roles for granted if anything it is my pleasure to be her mom. Although I have my flaws, for her I can be Wonder Woman herself!

How to Raise Kind Kids: And Get Respect, Gratitude, and a Happier Family in the Bargain a book by Thomas Lickona, which is a good read for parents and helps give tools that can help in the quest to raise kind, compassionate, courageous and self-respecting kids. Another great article from Scary Mommy, which highlights how much the world needs kindness and this Mom teaches and encourages her kids to show kindness and to do an act of kindness. 

Being a first time Mom I understand more than anyone how overwhelming being a mom can be and sometimes I wish someone can whisper in my ears how much of a good job Hubby and I were or are doing but honestly whatever we portray and teach our AriBear, we can never know what she will turn out to be till she has grown up, there are no sneak peeks into the future. This article by Motherly is a lovely and eyeopening read on raising kids with kindness and compassion. And I think the 10 secrets they refer to in the article are a great start with the kids. 

“Love and kindness are never wasted. They always make a difference. They bless the one who receives them, and they bless you, the giver.” -Barbara de Angelis

Love Ari’s Momie

How do you stop your child from their naughty acts? Do you use a calm voice to reprimand your child? Are you a yelling parent ? Should you worry about your yelling?

Ari knows exactly how to push my buttons…she took my phone and put it outside the door just like that. It was such a blink of the moment situation one minute its on the couch and the next thing I don’t see it at all. I asked Hubby if he had seen it and his answer was no. I was frustrated because I couldn’t get an answer from the blabbing- baby-talking Ari so I just walked around the house randomly looking and mostly following Ari’s every move. Lo and behold I found it outside. Ari must have decided she would rather have the phone lying on the ground just outside the kitchen door.

I scream at Ari because that is what she responds to? Ari understands what is wrong and what is right so she has started a sneaking routine or being naughty in secret routine. She was super quiet for some time and when I got to the kitchen she had emptied the box of cereal and moved on to a bag of marshmallows which she had scattered around her. The funny part was that she had managed to do the sticky gooeiness with the marshmallows. When I spoke to her telling her to pack the marshmallows back in the packet (yes it was a new packet so we pack them back in) she looked at me and went back to her playing. If I raise my voice just a decibel she responds and stops whatever wrong act she was or is doing. This is what works for us at the moment…

How do I stop my child from her naughty deeds? Ari likes to spill her juice, bottle or her food, for some reason they all look better or probably taste better from the floor. So I would tell her to stop in a calm voice when I see her do it. My AriBear is such determined little thing she will walk away from my site of view and do exactly what I told her not to do, only she will do it “without Mommy seeing her” in her mind that is. This child will hide with the wall or just have her back to me and with her 21 – month old reasoning no one is looking! She will have a little shock when she sees she has been caught but then she will carry-on spreading the food all over the place making a mess. My strategy of reprimanding her is:

1. Call her name, squint my eyes in that ‘you better stop right now’ way.
2. Tell her to stop in a very calm stern voice
3. Tell her she must stop for the second time because I won’t repeat myself, still in a calm voice
4. Breath and tell myself I am doing great…

It gives me great pleasure to tell you none of these have helped me so far with Ari, if you have been following the blog you know she explores and destructs (previous insert) all the time. She ignores me, throws the bowl/bottle at me for trying to stop her or the one she does so well, she turns her head and her whole body away from me and continues with whatever she was busy with. Yes, I get dismissed! Raising my voice just a little bit, dare I say yelling, which is working for me at the moment and we are happy to stick to this strategy. With the promise of revisiting other methods in time.

The depths of the naughty acts…I think these little buggers know exactly what is right and wrong but decide they will do what they want despite all of that. We were at the ATM standing in a long tiring line when this child decided she wants to pull my dress up. It was such an unexpected moment I was trying to pull her away and to pull the dress out of her grip all at the same time but she just got under my dress and covered herself – shock does not even begin to explain how I felt. Ari had never done this before which is why I was in utter shock but she pulled off the whole act like a pro and I am pretty sure I flashed a couple of people!

Am I wrong to yell at my girl? Ari is 21 months old and the act of trying to reason with her is something I yearn for especially when she is busy turning the house upside down and driving me insane. Am I wrong to yell at her to stop trying to stick her head in the freezer or trying to fiddle with the electric cables, well I probably am because no one wants to be screamed at? My failed attempts at saying, “No Ari”, or “Stop it” is met with a giggle, a smile and a continuance of whatever it is. The laughs and giggles are those that say, “you caught me, Mommy, just hang on I want to continue just for a little bit more with my silliness. I will be working on these 10 ways to stop yelling, although I think Ari needs to grow just a bit for her to understand certain things.

Have a look at this great article that gives good insight on how to deal with toddlers and discipline strategies. When raising kids any help is great and any advice could be the right one.

Love Ari’s Mommy…

When she came back from creche I immediately saw that she was not 100% but I brushed it off as tiredness or maybe hunger. One thing about my girl is that she loves her food and mostly her bottle. After bath time I tried to feed her, she refused so I thought I would try after five minutes but we had no luck.

She started being irritable, crying and being clingy. She refused to eat and eventually settled for her bottle she drank all 180 ml of it. I was happy because it meant she would calm down and sleep. But she slept for all of 30 minutes and woke up like she was being beaten up and started crying. How she cried is what alarmed me. It was more of a pleading, painful torture cry. My heart felt like it was being wrenched from my chest when her cries included “mama, mama” then she would change and cry “papa papa” almost as though she was pleading for us to help her.

One of the first things I do when Ari is sick is to check if she has a fever or not. I checked and she felt fine no heat at all but being sure is key, so I checked with a thermometer and it was normal. My girl kept at it with the ears so I thought maybe that was the problem but she showed no other symptoms of an ear infection. No mom wants to see their little one in pain and if there was a way of taking the pain then I definitely would. She would go from my arms to her dads almost as though it got better when she moved between us. Just yesterday she was screaming and laughing talking to herself and the wall in a language only she understood. Looking at her I didn’t see the energetic girl from yesterday, she was weak and sad.

I had a habit of wanting to rush to the emergency room whenever something wasn’t okay with our girl but I have improved. I am a lot stronger now, I guess it has to do with the fact that Ari has been okay lately with the occasional cough and runny nose but nothing that would need a doctor. When your child is sick you feel pain , it hurts more when you don’t know what the problem is you start imagining and creating scenarios that only drive you over the edge.

My aunts are nurses with a pediatric background so I would call them when I had a problem concerning her just to bounce ideas on someone, it helps sometimes but the last time I did that my aunt was ready to jump into the next flight and I had called way past a decent hour to call anyone. Must be the wailing she heard over the phone and me barely holding my tears that scared her. I don’t call now I seek help then call when I can give a clear story, I figured it must be very stressful and scary for the next person especially because we are a good couple of hours from each other.

The doctors’ diagnosis was that she is constipated after checking her ex-ray, giving us a syrup, and a pill to stop the vomiting and finally prescribing some medication. You know sometimes as parents when your child is sick you create a big problem/ diagnosis in your head so when you get the correct one you almost want to ask “are you sure doctor?” with little or no medical background we dare to question doctors…I blame it on the Mama Bear effect always wanting to protect, defend and make everything better. In my case the crying persisted when we got home even after the medication…such a scary moment.

Being in the hospital makes me nervous its the smell of the hospital, seeing other injured people in the emergency room, the machines and the entire hospital environment. I think the worst is having an over-friendly nurse attend to you I always wonder if she is trying to make me feel better so I don’t realize how serious we have it or if she genuinely is just a very nice person. And seeing my girl on the hospital bed takes me back to when she was sick and we stayed for 4 nights and 5 days yes I remember every single minute of them…let me tell you everything about a hospital makes you appreciate your home, the bed, the food, and a good shower or bath. It’s something I wouldn’t want to go through again…well if I had a choice that is!

If you are not satisfied with the diagnosis you get Mommy then seek a second opinion. The worst thing would be to sit with a sick child with the wrong medication and a frustrated Mom. After getting a second opinion Ari is better, but I still need a minute or two to really calm down.

Being a mom is a journey and one day at a time we take…

Love Ari’s Mommy…with a heavy heart

If like me, you don’t have a helper or nanny then you know that anywhere you need to go, baby tags along. I have to weigh first how much Hubby might need me or if he could handle whatever it is on his own. Then I let him go without us because toddlers are an unpredictable volcano waiting to erupt at the slightest of provocation…what am I saying they don’t need any of that to act up. So if I can save us an adventure to the mall then by all means. I always lie to myself and say we will be in and out of the mall and home before Ari gets restless, who am I kidding.

Today was a thing out of a comedy sitcom, we started on a good note. Ari was excited to be somewhere new and different, and much to my worry she was happy to sit in the trolley. The best advice when at the mall is to get a trolley, it helps if you don’t have a stroller. In my case, Ari wants to be part of whatever is happening and that means being inside the trolley Mommy is driving.

All was well, Ari in the trolley Mommy and Daddy busy running errands with the occasional tickle and giggle for our girl then she decided she would rather walk with us. She ran all over the place screaming through giggles of excitement (from the freedom I suppose), waving at anyone who offered to wave back and giving smiles to those who gushed over how cute she was. Ari is a colourful character! Hubby and I took turns chasing her and apologizing to people she bumped – some people are just not patient when it comes to kids running around the store. Little do they know that as parents we choose our battles, running toddler or a crying tantrum filled toddler.

The funny part is when she recognizes things we put in the trolley and cries for them like bread, juice, chips, and fruit you name it, she wants it. She either eats what she wanted or throws it on the floor – a colourful girl I said. A plan that has been working for me is opening a pack of chips and settling them next to her on the trolley she gets busy eating and we get on with our business. Her quest to uncover the mysteries the store had, lead her to grab the hand of a manikin dressed in women’s clothing, she must have thought it’s a person. She was so cute tugging at its hand, she is so adorable!

The fact that she can walk and grab things remains to be the scariest thing ever, especially in stores where you would have to pay. Imagine paying for things you won’t ever get to use! Ari grabbed a bottle shaped like Peppa-Pig it was one of those themed bubble baths for kids. I politely told her to put it back but she gave me that look that said I am about to tear this whole Woolworths store with my cry. I let her hold on to it till the till then she focused on grabbing her shoes – which we were buying for her, from the lady processing our payment, very territorial girl and Mommy is resourceful for tricking her to forget the bubble bath.

By the time we made our way out of the mall I had already given up on the judgment stares I got for letting my baby lie on the floor or letting her stand just randomly with me by her side till she was ready to walk. Or letting her think she could drive the trolley and bumping the shelves and everyone in her effort to break away from my control of the trolley. Then finally letting out a hysterical cry when I decided her tantrums would be better than the damage she would create for us driving the trolley with her head bent down because she knows nothing about watching your surroundings and being careful not to bump into things.

You would think I am used to her unpredictable state by now. When she is behaving she does it excellently and when she challenges you with a tantrum, even your neck starts sweating…you never know what her next move would be and just a little secrete these monsters feed off the mercy of bystanders who beg for you to forgive the cute adorable baby!

The is no plan to deal with unexpected horrors of going out with a toddler, be a Mom outsmart them, play tricks and remember to breathe!

Love Ari’s Mommy…

Being a new mom can be tricky, there are so many issues one needs to get through. Firstly, you deal with your own emotions, sure you had 12 months to get used to the idea of a new member coming into the family but it changes when they are here. It’s a whole psychological transition that you have to deal with. 

Secondly, cultural pressure (for other people), coming from an African background there are different beliefs in different cultures which many people apply or practice. To name a few a new mom is required to stay at home in confinement during the first month of the baby’s birth, and having to shave the baby’s hair when they turn one, the list goes on and on. The sad part is when you decide not to apply any of these beliefs, then you are deemed as “not doing right by your child”.

Everyone wants to be an expert I used to make a joke, telling Hubby that other people have honestly labelled themselves experts the way they go on telling you not to give the baby this milk when to start them on solids and all other things baby or children related. Might I just add that all these would be based on their experiences with their children? Because all babies are different just like we are different from each other, so using a technique that works for this baby for another baby would be a fruitless exercise.

The pressure is there and can come from family, friends and your immediate surroundings. I mean there is always someone who feels they know best and perhaps you might not perform to their said standard and thus coming across as a poor performer. It’s trivial if you ask me but people are complicated.

I am sure we all have those people in our lives who will make it their life’s mission to enforce their beliefs on you, never mind the fact that you have your own beliefs and principles. Don’t get me wrong I gave and still give advice, well it’s more of me sharing what I have experienced with my Ari but by no means do I make it seem like my advice is the gospel. It honestly comes from a good place and an effort to try and help in whatever situation the person might be going through.

As a Mom, you will get advice from the moment you get pregnant up until your child is an adult, it’s human nature to share experiences and to share personal opinions but you know what you want. So it’s up to you to take all those pieces of advice and research you might have done for yourself then decide what works for you and your children. The key is to make informed decisions, that are best for your child/children it might not be what works for your neighbour but that is okay because it’s different strokes for different people.

There are so many things to deal with as a mom especially if it’s your first child but remember there is no said perfect way of doing things so we do what works as mothers. There is no formula for raising the perfect child (previous insert). And all babies are different so ultimately you do what baby needs.

It’s all about trial and error, we learn as we go along!

Love Ari’s Mommy!

I am at a point where I cannot believe that Ari’s tiny hands can do so much damage, I mean she is only 19-months. But everywhere she passes she leaves a trail. She can just decide to empty the cupboard so all the pots, pans, dishes everything will be laid out on the floor and then she will walk away leaving them there. Or just throw her clothes all over the floor, lie on them and then decide she would like a change of outfit… 

Her best work is done with silence and very intense concentration and focus. So I woke up one night looking for her bottle, I knew I had put it in her cot but needless to say I found it at the far end of the bed but I also found Hubby’s glasses carelessly lying on the floor and I knew something was wrong but at 2 am nothing makes sense. 

When morning came Hubby noticed that his glasses were broken. Yes, broken! My AriBear with her tiny hands must have thought they were an adventure to explore, she probably tossed them aside when they became boring. Which explains why we found the lens under the bed. So Mommy Being Mommy came to the rescue, I glued them back to working condition…I have this DIY (do it yourself) thing on lock-down! I suppose he has learnt his lesson after my tireless efforts of telling him to put his things in “Ari safe areas”. 

Can we talk about how fast this girl works? I put my eyes on the TV screen for just a minute and the next thing she is covered in white powder all over her face. She emptied the Custard powder and kept smearing it all over her clothes, face, and hair she offered me a hug when I tried to stop her. She looked so cute with her face covered in powder and arms spread wide open to welcome me in a hug…she is so manipulative acting innocent! She wouldn’t let me clean up the mess and tried the waterworks (tears) but I swept it all up. 

I honestly wish I knew what goes on in Ari’s head just to get an idea of how she sees and conceptualizes things. She has this thing she does where she will stare at something almost like she was planning her next move. The other night she pushed a chair towards the counter got on it and grabbed her Sippy cup – she must have been thirsty is all Hubby and I concluded after recovering from our shock. Although I am still wondering how she put that plan together. 

She is an absolute breath of fresh air; every day is different filled with its own set of adventures. Like shoving a piece of toilet paper up her nose. I thought she had a “boogie man” so when I looked closely into her nostrils my heart almost stopped when I saw it, luckily it was not that deep and I could pull it right out. So now the toilet paper has been relocated to an “Ari free zone”. 

Apart from the dangerous things which we put away from children’s reach, there are still some things we never anticipate would be harmful to them. Where I see a plastic bowl Ari sees something she can stand on. It doesn’t matter how small or big the bowl is she turns it upside down and stands on it. And as if that is not the worst she would clap her hands and giggle.

She wanted to go outside but it was raining and when I told her we couldn’t because of the rain she threw her head on the floor and won herself a great big bump right in the middle of her forehead. Well, I reduced the swelling so it’s just the mark left now…

If you have any words of wisdom I am happy to receive!

Love Ari’s Mommy…

You can never prepare enough for travelling especially when you will be doing it with children. Something always pops up before the journey begins, during the journey or the best scenario which would be after the journey itself.

We were preparing for our journey and nervous does not even begin to describe how I felt. And as if I was not anxious enough my Lili Pops got a cold night before we left. She was coughing right through the night and I barely got any sleep. All I did was look for syrups I could give her to help calm the cough down all night with power naps between each hysterical cough.

When the baby is sick everything goes sideways, plans and schedules all have a way of being missed because all attention and energy go to the little frail not so tiny human. But luckily I managed to get all we needed with a quick stop at the pharmacy for medication, a last-minute car inspection, and then the mindless driving around before we finally pulled out.

The weather is such an important factor to account for when going from one province to another. Well, the temperature in the car plays an even greater role. What I mean is that it needs to be comfortable for the driver and the passengers as well. Ari does not like to be hot at all so I had to dress her in a very light romper/onzie and because it was a hot day the air con was on all the way. Another very important factor is to hydrate always!

Having a good car seat is an investments, we got Ari the Joie Stages seat. The great thing about this one is that you can use it from birth right up to 7 years, but if you are looking for something different have a look at their products. Joie really caters for all!

We drove for 6 hours with occasional stops and me giving Ari medication every once in a while. She was an absolute darling, she slept most of the time and when she was awake she would sing and laugh. And during stops, she was happy to be in her Mommy’s arms (she has days where she can be clingy but adorable), All I was thinking at that moment was why in the heavens I worried about the road trip…

It got a bit dark outside that’s when she started her first cry, I gave her juice thinking she was thirsty but that kept her quiet just enough for her to spill it all over herself, it took just a minute and then she wailed like she never was still a minute prior. She went on till I had no choice but to jump to the back seat, unbuckle her (only to find that she was soaking wet from the juice) so I had to undress her and I sat with her crying hysterically.

The good thing was that we had just 30 minutes before we reached our destination but even that felt like a lifetime. I was running out of tricks to get her quiet then I decided we should use the cooler box as a drum and sing! So creative of me right? It helped for like a short while before we managed to get to our destination. I was losing my mind and Hubby kept asking what was wrong with her… Like I speak baby!. It always amazes me how he looks at me for answers regarding Ari. I suppose mothers should have them in his mind.

All I can say is babies and not so tiny babies/toddlers don’t do so well being cooped up in one place for a long time. Remember they find pleasure in moving around and exploring so the mere thought of being trapped in one place can send any of them into a frenzy. The way she cried, my goodness I can still hear her… Let’s just say I am okay with not having another road trip for the next couple of months.

The best advice I can give when preparing for a drive would be, 1. Try and leave as early as possible while the baby is asleep even if they wake up while you are preparing its okay. As soon as they get into their car seat they will sleep. 2. Have clothes for all types of weather packed close for any emergency. 3. Pack medication, paracetamol, a thermometer and any cough syrup. 4. Take a break when they are awake, avoid waking them when sleeping. You are more likely to cover more distance while they sleep. 5. Put the car seat in a sleeping position so they can relax and sleep easily. 6. Cover the back windows with those sun shields to prevent the sun from burning baby. 7. If you have cartoons to play for them while you drive PLAY them, have toys on hand for distraction. This can give you some time to buy before they get bored and get fidgety. All the best for your journey may yours be a smooth one…

A very happy new year to you and your families!
Love Ari’s Mommy

I have so many descriptions for being a Mom but the one that speaks to me right now, is an adventure – filled with happy times and emotional days. By this I mean we can have sunshine and happiness in the morning and end of the day emotionally drained.

So Ari is quite comfortable in the walking department, she can even run for some distance and because of that, I would believe that she would do it with ease right? wrong! I don’t know why I still keep my hopes up with this girl but she seems to do the very opposite of everything.

We were doing our shopping the other day and I had with me a fully stocked baby bag, and her stroller. We had just driven around the mall for well over 30 minutes when my girl made it very clear that she wants none of that being in a stroller business.

The shopping ordeal bordered around being a family outing and quickly decelerated to being a tantrum escapade. The tantrums were because I wouldn’t dress her in a dress she picked form the shelves (in the shop) and then my highlight was when I put her in a jean jacket to check the fit. I had no idea she would love it to an extent of wanting to leave with it, I would have bought it but man it was a tad bit too out of the budget for a toddler jacket.

Needless to say despite her disapproval I took it off her and she threw a masterpiece of a tantrum the one that is accompanied by wiggling yourself free from whatever grip while kicking and hitting. I might have found a little door in my head where I snuck in for the silence and tranquillity, while she lay on the floor carrying out her performance.

I just stood there watching her all zoned out, (inside my secrete door of silence), customers kept starring but I had no care at all. Hubby’s “save Ari moments” didn’t help she just wanted me despite her crying. I eventually carried her out of the store and because she is a cheeky little thing she cried the whole way out and gained us a bunch of spectators – she is such a performer.

Well like a rainbow at the end of each storm our day ended on a much lighter note. We went on a treasure hunt for lactose-free ice-cream in the city to spoil our girl. We found a cosy little store called Unframed Ice-Cream (@lifeunframed) in Kloof Street Cape Town, they use coconut milk for their vegan selection and have sorbets as well. She had the time of her life and of course, Mommy was capturing every single moment of it. She kept sharing her ice – cream with her Daddy. She can be cute at times.

Raising a child with allergies does not have to be a great big struggle, things are much easier now with a wide variety of products ranging from snacks to the food you can get whatever you are looking for just google shops that cater to your need in your surroundings.

Merry Christmas to you and your families!

From the moment you find out you are pregnant you have little milestones or should I say certain moments and memories that you make and build-up. Some milestones could be ones we would like to achieve and move past, like the “danger zone” in pregnancy, these are the weeks in pregnancy referred to as high risk – this is from 0 to 12 weeks when a woman has greater chances of experiencing a miscarriage, more on high-risk pregnancies. And other milestones and memories are ones we want memories so hard to relive them without forgetting any detail.

There are however other risks associated with the pregnancy but they decrease after the first trimester. You are advised to wait until the first trimester is over before sharing the news with other people. Just for precaution. I found out about my pregnancy at 7 weeks and after the 8th-week doctor’s appointment, I was sharing the news with anyone who cared to listen, FIRST TIME MOMMY traits!

With the whole build-up, we then get the ultimate gift…the birth. This marks the epitome of greatness. With it followed by the anticipation of when your little one would sit on their own, then the crawling and while you are still wrapping your head around that they get up and walk. My goodness, the walking is scary! This is when independence kicks in full force, baby can go where she wants and my favourite one: baby can crawl into any tiny space and just sit there with no worry t all, this one still drives me into a frenzy. 

Where am I in the build-up? My AriBear is to the date (officially) 18 months old she is not 2 years yet. She is at the stage of going from being as cute as a button, adorable to an extent where you want to cry and then she becomes a monster screaming while throwing her head all over the place. She is my very own theme park full of all the emotions.

The other day she just ran to me and hugged me – cute. A song came on while we were watching TV she quickly grabbed my hands so we could dance while nodding her head sideways and jumping up and down (her effort to dance) – adorable right? Then I caught her pouring her juice into her bum cream (tub)and drinking from it when I took it she threw herself face down on the tiled floor and screamed her tiny lungs out for a full 5 minutes – monster! 

Her most favourite thing to do at the moment is shoving anything that could fit into the toilet (this is her shoving her ball inside the toilet). I am still surprised my phone is surviving these toilet soaks. My highlight and I think I speak for so many parents when I say, are Baby’s first words. I mean the ones she says with meaning.

A couple of weeks ago just randomly, AriBear wanted me to pick her up and she just screamed “Mama Mama” I looked down at her with a look of fulfillment. I honestly had no idea till that moment that I was waiting to hear her say those words. I think she might have seen how happy I was because now she is almost using it to soften me up or to get away with the naughty things she does. 

The build-up of milestones and memories for our children are beautiful puzzles that fit so well together. They outline all that baby learns and achieves throughout her growth and development. And in so many ways they give you a peek at the character your baby might have. It’s so exciting to see my AriBear interact with my friend’s children, she is the type to run to you and hug you – a happy baby she is.

I had to be somewhere and Hubby couldn’t stay with her as well so my friend stepped in. AriBear had gone from being under the table to sneaking into the corner to just dancing to music she heard – her very own entertainment. Her dad and I are on our toes, literally all the time we can never know what she will do next, but we are loving every second of it even the days I don’t like, I love!

What memories and milestones are you building-up?

Ari’s Mommy ❤ ❤