Urban Mommy

A Quick Moment :)

2008-01-25T23:28:00.000-08:00

I’ve snagged a moment to update….I hardly know where to begin! Many of you are already familiar with these happenings, but I just want to fill in the rest of you who only know that…..well, my baby was born on Monday!

First off, I just want to clear up any confusion about the pronunciation of my baby girl’s name, Kajanàe. The first syllable is pronounced like the first syllable of the fabric cashmere, so the “j” has the phonetic “zh” sound, if that makes sense. The rest is self explanatory…and the accent is on the final syllable…so something like “KazhanAY” except with a lot prettier spelling! :)

My water broke Monday morning, and the labor progressed fairly quickly. We called my sis-in-law Ebony to keep Kimora and Kariah so that my parents and siblings could be at the birth. Being my typical uber-prepared self, I had everything ready to go weeks in advance. Jamal packed my luggage in the car…and then we were off to have a baby! At this point…still soooo surreal!

By the time we arrived at the hospital, much to my surprise, I was already four centimeters dilated. They hooked me up with an epidural pronto….and no pitocin required this time! :) I was in labor a total of five hours, including pushing time—a much shorter labor than those with my two older daughters. As she was crowning…my goodness!...no longer surreal at this point! I could certainly believe she was coming as I experienced the proverbial “ring of fire.” I’m going to be quite blunt here and say…gosh, I’m not a very large person! But hey, a twenty-seven year-old body is resilient, thank goodness.

Little Kajanàe Samaria entered the world as a wailing bundle of joy, and was INSTANTLY loved (well, we loved her in utero, too!). Upon first seeing her, I was overwhelmed with love for this beautiful little being, and then overwhelmed with a strong déjà vu feeling….Kajanàe favors her big sister Kimora sooo much!!! Yes she is a typical ________baby (insert our last name). Supposedly the combo of Jamal and my genes creates a distinctive look…the best of both, we’ve heard! Kajanàe has a head of dark curly hair. Her facial features are dainty and fine, and her eyes are big, dark, and sparkling….she has the longest eyelashes I’ve ever seen on a baby. She had that coming to her, though; that’s a trait from both mommy and daddy! :)

Jamal and my mother were both in the delivery room with me. In the waiting room were my sisters Corinne, Acaijah, Ciahnna, Seanice, Kaneefa, and Jaslene; my brothers Coran and Tyrel; and of course my daddy. That evening and the next morning many friends and extended family came to visit. Thank you all so much for your love and support. Big hugs to you guys!

I came home the next day, on Tuesday, with Kajanàe. We’re indeed a very busy family, but in the absolute best way possible! Kimora and Kariah are adjusting very well. When Kajanàe cries they will run over to her and pat her and say, “It okay Kaji.” So cute! That warms this mama’s heart! Kajanàe is such an easygoing baby; she will literally only cry if she’s hungry or tired. The poor thing won’t even let me know when she has a dirty diaper…so I check regularly so that my little girl isn’t laying around with dirty panties! :( She will wake up twice a night to nurse and fall right back to sleep; no complaints here!

We’ve been home for a few days now, so I think I’ve established a fairly effective routine. Having three under three (three kids under age three :)), I need to be very schedule and organized!

As many of you know, I’m still nursing Kariah, so I’m currently tandem nursing. The only change in Kariah’s behavior since the birth of the new baby has been the frequency that she wants to nurse. So, sometimes I’m nursing two babies at once! Kariah asks to nurse several times daily; at this point I’m indulging her, considering the change in our family dynamics. I think this is the best decision in helping her to feel secure. For those of you who were asking about her health…she’s much better now! Thanks for your concerns.

I was just thinking, a day would be a complete waste if:

-I haven’t glorified God in all I’ve said and done and sought to live by Jesus’ example

-I haven’t held my baby, looked into her eyes and sung her to sleep

-I haven’t played with Kimora and Kariah, hugged them tight and kissed them goodnight

-I haven’t snuggled with Jamal at the end of the day and told him how very enamored, in love, and blessed I am to have him as my husband.

I don’t plan on having any wasted days! :) Well, this has turned into a LONG moment! I will stay in touch and keep everyone updated as best I can….I promise! To quote our current favorite bedtime story, “Goodnight stars, goodnight air, goodnight noises everywhere.” <3

And Then There Were Three......

2008-01-24T16:55:00.000-08:00

Hello all!

Officially announcing the birth of our newest little addition,

Kajanae Samaria
Born Monday, January 21, 2008 Martin Luther King Jr. Day
6 lbs. 13 oz. 19" long

We're overjoyed and VERY busy....I promise more birth story details....hopefully tomorrow!
<3 you all. Thanks to our wonderful family and friends for your overwhelming love and support. Now I'm Kimora, Kariah, and Kajanae's Mommy! ;)

Whoa Baby!

2008-01-21T17:12:00.000-08:00

Hey all.

This is "Urban Daddy" reporting....or Kimora and Kariah's Daddy (dang she's hilarious).

Most of you all were and still are in the waiting room, but for those of you still out of the loop, shawty had the baby today- a little girl as we anticipated. Lia and the baby are doing very well, as are Kimora and Kariah. I'll let her announce the details, but she instructed me to make an entry in her blog. So here I am. Proud papa.

-J

Sigh

2008-01-18T14:19:00.000-08:00

Well...tonight is my husband and my official last date before the new baby is born. We're going to Bacchanalia's to eat and then the Sutra Lounge afterwards (to dance! ;).....two of our favorites here in Atlanta. We plan to resume dates after the baby is born ( a twice a month tradition), but we'll be taking the baby along (!) since she will be nursing.

My parents are coming over to keep Kimora and Kariah tonight. Tomorrow is Kimora and my "date" together, and Jamal is spending the day with Kariah. Then on Sunday, after church, we'll switch kids. Just squeezing in a last few hoorahs before our daughter is born! Ahhh! The anticipation is killing me...and it's sooo surreal that I'll actually be having a baby within the next week! :)
<3 you guys...have a great weekend!

Sage Advice :)

2008-01-16T14:41:00.000-08:00

"Don't spend your life wishing for Friday, because you'll miss out on a lot of great Wednesdays."

A Day for Doors

2008-01-15T20:23:00.001-08:00

A very special person shared these words with me today. I found them to be highly inspirational, considering all that God has recently been writing on my heart. I hope you can find some wisdom in them as well:

"Today is the day for doors. Today is the day to recognize the doors that are all around you. I want you to recognize the doors that I've put in front of you. I want you to see what's been closed and what is being closed and what is open and what is being opened.

I want you to stop pounding on and mourning over the doors that I have closed or am closing and I want you to start walking through and rejoicing over the doors that I have opened and am opening for you. They're not one and the same.

Have you become so enamored with one particular door that you can't see your way clear to walk through another door that is standing wide open? I'm telling you that some of you have set up camp and made your home at closed doors just because you thought it had your name and address on it. While other doors stand wide open to you.

Today is the day for you to leave the one and walk through the other. Will you stop eyeing and grumbling about the doors you see being opened for others and walk through the doors that are standing wide open for you. Will you stop giving yourself to one solitary door at the expense of what I want to give you?

This isn't the day for closed doors, it is a day for open doors, but you cannot walk through the one until you abandon the other. The closed doors are being closed so that the open doors can be opened.

There are occupational doors, and relational doors and ministry doors and geographic doors into nations and doors into worship and doors into hearts and doors into places that you have only dreamed about and whispered about behind closed doors. I'm telling you delivery room doors are being opened today, and doors to fortified places are being forced open for some, and for others doors into realms that you wouldn't dare to walk through if you didn't know I was making the way.

You can't open the doors I've closed but you can walk through the doors I open. It's up to you......."

May each of you walk through the doors He is opening for you! <3

Oh Well....

2008-01-14T21:28:00.000-08:00

No success here. I slept for about two hours and then woke up to feeling the baby kicking my ribs. I couldn't return to snoozeland, so I'm on the computer! Where else at this hour?
As you all know, I love babies and celebrities, and celebrity babies! :) I just left a few comments on one of the sites that I follow regularly. Unfortunately, the comments are generally unmoderated, so some rather nasty and vile comments appear. I have made some really cool cyber friends on the site though, and a few (a much smaller portion) that I could certainly live without! I just get so sad when others try to emulate a person that would have grown up in the type of area that I did...disrespecting us...perpetuating stereotypes. Coran- I'll have to let you read some of the posts next time you're over. You'll probably tell your baby sister to stay away from there! :)
There is a really neat site called Celebrity Baby Blog that gives excellent up to date news feeds...and the comments are monitored! Yippee! :) I've actually started going there; so Ebony and Seanice...I would definitely recommend it!
Well I'd better try to sleep again. I keep hearing Kariah on the monitor because she's breathing heavy due to her cold. Poor little thing! I try so hard to keep things clean for K&K, but sometimes a bug here and there is inevitable!
<3 you all...have a good week.

This Momma is Pooped!

2008-01-14T18:40:00.000-08:00

It's only 9:40 PM right now...an unheard of time for me to go to bed...but I think I just might. In recent weeks, I've really been savoring my pregnancy, knowing that this will be my last one for a while. However, at this point, I'm just ready for baby # 3 to boogy her little butt into the world! I'll miss having a little constant ally with me at all times, but I am anticipating her birth now more than ever! Better go sleep while I can...goodnight all! <3

Thanks Big Bro!

2008-01-14T14:24:00.000-08:00

I had the pleasure today of meeting with my big bro Coran. We ate at the California Pizza Kitchen....a very neat lunch spot! We even got to watch our pizza bake in the wood-fired oven.
I always enjoy spending time with my brother. I've watched him morph from an aspiring rapper into a dignified real estate developer (even so, he'll still bust out a lyric now and again! :) ) I appreciate his input on many issues, including racial reconciliation and white privilege. Our conversations never fail to be deep and in depth....thanks for being such an intelligent, thoughtful big bro! <3 u
My fantastic sister-in-law kept the girls....upon returning home I learned that Aunt Ebony had not fixed lunch as I had instructed....Kimora and Kariah only had eaten ice cream...and moose tracks at that! No wonder K&K love their Aunt Ebony so much! Those little girls will be eating their veggies tonight at dinner.... :)

Hmmm...I'll Think About It

2008-01-13T15:55:00.000-08:00

Well, I've already received input from many of you guys about my new blog. You'll have to be patient! :) I still plan to work more on layout and personalization. Many of you have asked about photos...and I have to say that I probably will not be displaying pics on my blog. Most of you I see weekly if not daily...so I think you will remember how we look.

Here's the deal: I love the whole "global campfire" concept of the internet. However, I'm still not comfortable with putting everything "out there." My name, my husband's name, my daughters names, and my foster sisters names are mentioned on here, as well as our city of residence. (Although, Atlanta doesn't narrow us down much!) Probably visual representation would be a bit much! Okay later guys...love you!!

Test Post!!!

2008-01-13T10:16:00.000-08:00

Hello all! Just testing out this system. I know many of you who begged me to start a blog don't even have one....so apparently my writings will be a monologue. At least you will still be able to read my wonderfully perceptive thoughts! :) <3 you all