Author Archives: Stella.

1. We’re now eating!

Guys, we’re finally eating!!! I didn’t think it would happen this soon but here we are! Pretty much everything is pureed right now.  He’s having fruits, porridge, yoghurt and mashed potatoes with pumpkin and banana. Yum!!! I think I can safely say he’s a very good feeder, we hardly ‘fight’ during his meals. Especially the fruits😂😂😂.

2. Little man is now sitting!

Y’all should have seen me going to buy his little chair 😍😍😍. I’m so proud of his small achievements❤️. Now I can see him trying to stand up on his own and I am so here for that!!!

3. Is everything a bouncing castle?

Lil Man will literally climb up your tummy and bounce on it like a whole bouncing castle. And his tiny legs are so strong 😂😂😂.

4. Why are we eating everything?

As I type this, he’s struggling to get my sandle off my feet so that he can eat it. 😑 When you pick him up, he’s so busy trying to get your hair into his mouth. Every toy he has goes straight to his mouth then when it doesn’t fit he then uses it as a toy😂😂😂. When he stumbles and fall on his tummy, he wants to eat the ground or the carpet. Whew!!!! What?!

5. Lights. Camera. Action!

I’ll be trying to get a pic of his smiling with no flash on and I’ll spend a whole day on that. But when the flash goes on!!! When the flash goes on the widest, most beautiful smile I have ever seen comes to play 😍😍😍. I could spend a lifetime looking at my baby smile.

So I’ve picked the little man up and I’m fighting my hair off his hands. See you next time.😘

Not so little man.

Seeing Rafiki grow and hit milestones has been one of the most exciting thing in my life. And it’s very true that they grow so fast!!!

Mine!

Anything that lands on his hands now belongs to him! And if you dare take it away, you’ll have the longest day ever. I want to believe that it’s just a stage he’s at because…!!! This boy loves his cocomelon, and he wants to be the one holding the phone as he watches it. How? How is he so grown?? The other day he could not even unfold his fist to save his life and here we are grabbing everything!

We can sit now!

He still needs to be supported, but for a few seconds he’s able to hold his weight. I’m here for this! When I see him sit, I get so happy and excited. I now can’t wait to see him stand 😍😍😍

Can we shower forever?

Sulwe loves bath time!!! He now cries when you take him out of the water. Immediately he sees his bath water he starts kicking frantically! so cute!!! And once he’s in the water, he tries to kick/splash the water. I dread the day he will perfect his splashing skills.

Not the clothes!🤦🤦🤦

If he was to be asked, Rafiki could live without clothes. He loves it when we’re changing his diaper and it’s the Olympics putting one back. He’ll kick, turn and twist. You’ll be over there wrestling a baby over a diaper. Same thing when it comes to dressing him after his bath, and this is now combined with sleep; one fussy baby.

I feel that motherhood is a series of wanting your baby to hot one milestone, then once it happens, you want them to move to the next😂😂😂 So let’s wait together
Till next time 😘

Guess who’s back like they never left?😅😅😅 Yea.

Hope you’re well and the new year is kind to you. It’s been 22 weeks since I updated on here so that makes us 5 months and a week!!! And boy has it been a ride!

I honestly have no idea where to even start! Our little man is not so little anymore 😭.

1. Tummy to back.

Yeeees! He can now roll himself from his tummy to his back. The first time he made a complete turn I was so excited!!! That’s all I could talk about at work😅😅😅 So he turned the first day, gave himself a break 😑 until around 3 weeks later then he started turning again and he hasn’t stopped since then😍.

2. Hand to mouth .

Literally 😅. This young man has his own mantra: If it’s in my hand, it belongs in my mouth. And the speed at which he grabs things is alarming. It got to a point you cannot eat while holding him, he’ll grab your food before it even gets to your mouth 😂. His hand to mouth coordination is still not perfect, sometimes he’ll grab and feed his nose 😂😂😂. It’s the cutest thing ever!😍😍😍

3. Screaming match!

Young Man discovered he could scream and we have had no peace around here. I want to say it started maybe three weeks ago. He will scream and scream and scream. And when you try to imitate his screaming, he screams even louder 😂😂😂I guess he’s trying to communicate, but until we understand him, we scream.

4. The last shot.

We did it! We got the 14 weeks shots and it was quite interesting. So it’s a combination of 3 injections, two on one thigh and one on the other thigh. I had already been told how these shots are horrendous and I was very ready for the sleepless night that was to come. So we went for the shots and he cried for a while but by the time we were leaving the hospital, he was okay and already asleep. So we got home, and we were just observing him and checking his temperature once in a while. Time went by and the little guy was very okay, he was laughing and playing around. Night came and he slept so soundly! Morning came, temperature is good, baby is happy, life is good. We spent the whole day we’ll and obviously, if this baby hasn’t cried since yesterday, he won’t cry at all, right? WRONG!

It was in the evening at around 7pm and Sulwe started crying out of the blues! So I thought maybe he’s a little bit hot and I dressed him down. He was still crying and was inconsolable!!! Temperature was okay but the little man wasn’t. Luckily, we have a neighbor who is a doctor, so I just rushed him there, he was given some medicine and after 30 minutes he was asleep. That was such an experience because he cried around 36hrs after his shot.

4. Not so toothless.

Yaaay! Sulwe’s little teeth are starting to show through the gum😍😍😍. It’s quite exciting because I personally think baby teeth are the cutest!!! I can’t wait for them to fully show 😍😍

A lot has happened since the last post, I won’t unpack it all at once. Stay tuned. We are back now 😂😂😂. Thank you for your patience and for reading this post. See you next week 😘

Heeeey! Hope you have been well that past week. Today I wanted to talk about things that babies get away with that you would never😂😂😂. Let’s do this!

1. Loud burps!

Haha! Every time Sulwe burps, you’ll hear his grandma and I say ” Good boy!”. We are actually congratulating him for burping loudly 😂😂😂. Must be nice. So I was actually wondering, when does it become unacceptable to burp out loud without excusing yourself? I’m here to see that transition 😂.

2. Crying when sleepy.

I understand Sulwe crying when hungry, when wet and when he wants some attention. What I don’t understand though, is crying when he is sleepy. Young man, when people are sleepy, they sleep,not cry!😂

So you can imagine if everyone cried when they were sleepy? That’s a world I do not want to live in! But when babies do it, very normal and acceptable 😂😂😂

3. Living in pajamas.

Sulwe spends a good chunk of his day asleep. So he is always in his zip up rompers. The joooyyy!!! The days where I get to spend my days in PJs are heavenly! He best enjoy these days😂😂😂

4. The stare!

I saw somewhere that children stare too much for people who can’t fight😂😂😂. The accuracy!!! Sulwe will stare at you for a whole minute! Without blinking or looking away. Then he’ll find something else to look at and it gets it’s minute of Fame. It’s rude to stare but when this little munchkin does it, it’s so cute! I low-key love it when he stares at me, when he shifts his gaze I try to jump in there and block whatever he’s looking at😂😂😂.

For all these, I’ll be very keen to note when it stops being cute 😂😂😂. And I’ll be sure to update you on here.

I know I’ve been spontaneously lazy, but I show up eventually,yeah? Thank you for coming along, we appreciate ♥️. Till Thursday ✌️

Two weeks since my last update and they flew right by! Where to start?😂😂😂

A lot has happened since my little star was born, I have learned a whole lot. Let’s unpack.

1. Sulwe had his first jab😭😭😭

Did you know, your heart is capable of being broken after being broken? I didn’t think so until I had to watch him getting the shot😭. So we got home and he was sound asleep, and I thought we were in the clear, joke’s on me! Sulwe woke up crying and he was inconsolable! Nothing was working, not a song, not standing up, nothing! I just ‘packed’ my baby and went to my Grandma’s house😂😂😂 I honestly felt like I was loosing it 😭.

He finally went back to sleep but then came the fever. Whoa! This is a child that only knows happiness and smooches on his Chubby cheeks, then all over sudden, this happens 💔. It was a day I will never forget! I have now gathered some tips to ease his pain the next time he’s getting his shots, I’ll tell you what works and what doesn’t.

2. I might be ambidextrous 😂😂😂

This young man is in my arms almost all day and night 😍. So I find myself using my left hand which is my less dominant hand to do a lot. 😂😂😂 It was uncomfortable at first but now I’m getting used to it and I’m loving it. Superwoman, aye!?

3. Toothless smile.

I know I said last time that he is already smiling, but guys, he is really smiling!!!🤩🤩🤩 Who knew that a toothless smile could be so CUTE!? He smiles so hard it almost becomes a chuckle 😍😍😍 I am obsessed 😂😂😂 I now can’t wait for him to laugh out loud 😂😂😂

4. A perfect fit!!!

I experienced Sulwe’s first real tantrum! Hair pulling, foot stomping tantrum! Again inconsolable crying. Apparently he was feeling hot because immediately I dressed him down, he calmed down. Phew!!! A lot of trial and error going into this, yea?😂😂😂

5. We love print and music!

If there’s one thing you can bet on to calm Sulwe down, it’s ‘ The cupcake song’. 😍😍😍 My snookums boogums😂😂😂. And also when his grandma sings for him; not me, no, his grandma only 😂.

He is also attracted to prints and patterns 😍.

6. Bath time!

Sulwe didn’t like bath time before and he would cry a lot when it was time to take a bath, but now!!! Mr Man cries after his bath, he enjoys his bath time very much! I am a happy mother!♥️

This is such an amazing journey, thank you so much for coming along with us ♥️ Till next week!

We’re on our second month and the tantrums are now full blown! Sulwe takes the matter of crying quite seriously, he understands the assignment,lol!

This week has been a little bit of everything! Let’s dive in!

1. The medicine!

So, he’s under medication and that’s the time of day I totally dread!😬😬😬 This young man has pipes for days! It’s like he is always trying to outdo the previous cry😂😂😂. It only gets louder! Trust me. The medicine is actually sweet, I know sweet is relative, but there’s the universally accepted sweet 😂. When we are down to the last drop is when he starts liking it, well!

2. His first doll😍

I can feel the love that went into making this beautiful doll! Sulwe was gifted by Grandma Carol (The cake grandma 😍) We don’t have a name for it yet, but I have a feeling this will be a personal favorite ( for me or for him😂)We are adding this to his file😂😂😂. I cannot wait for him to start playing with this cutie!

3. First social smile 😍

I told you guys earlier that Sulwe smiles when drifting in to sleep, now we are very sure we saw his first smile when he was fully awake 😍. He was smiling at his Grandma ( Grandma Mangie). A cute, toothless smile😍😍😍. After a night of no sleep, it was as if to tell grandma thank you for the sweet lullabies 😂😂😂. After that one smile, I haven’t caught another clear smile, but hey, there was that one!!! And it was enough to last us to the next🥺🥺🥺.

4. Routine.

I tried to set a routine for him and he is not here for it😑! Young man is operating on his own terms. He will sleep and wake up as he pleases😂. Which is okay for him, but now it’s hard to ‘sleep while the baby sleeps’. And it’s like he senses that people are getting ready for bed, so here comes the waterworks!!! Hope to fall into a permanent routine soon, but no hurries.

5. Up a size!

Yaaay! My baby is growing so fast, we’re up from size 2 diapers 👯👯👯. And also we have outgrown some clothes. Everything is happening so so fast! Some rompers need to be cut for him to fit into them! You know when you’re always holding him, you don’t notice the growth, but when his clothes don’t fit anymore, then you see it!.

I am very excited to see what this second month brings👯.

Thank you for coming along with us so far❤️. Until next week ❤️

Phew!!! We are four weeks old now! The only sad thing about getting to four weeks is I’m one month less of my maternity leave 😭😭😭. But a lot of amazing things have happened these first four weeks 👯👯👯

This fourth week has been particularly interesting, Sulwe showed his “true colors” 😂😂😂. Let’s dive in!

1. Baby Sulwe was quite a quiet baby during week 1. He first cried after his birth, and then he was calm, very calm, just darting his big eyes across the room. When he woke up at night, he hardly cried, unless wet or hungry, the usual. Came week 3! Sulwe would wake up at 10pm and wouldn’t sleep up to around midnight then up again at 3.

Then came week 4!!!😭😭😭 This young man starts crying at 10pm, he will not let you sleep, he prefers you standing and a song would be much appreciated while at it. So it’s midnight, and if the neighbors don’t hear a child crying, you bet they’ll hear us singing songs to the baby. 😂😂😂 Anything for my son, aye?

2. We found the thumb!!!

Sulwe sucks on his fist😂😂😂. Up until this week we weren’t sure which finger he wanted to suck on. Then he found it, it’s the thumb. I’m not sure what my feelings were before about children sucking their thumbs or fingers, but now it looks a little bit cute😂😂😂. So yaaay! We’re no longer trying to fit a whole fist in this tiny mouth.

3. Speaking of…

He finally used his pacifier! I had tried to give it to him when he was around 2 weeks, and he wouldn’t have it, he totally rebelled against the pacifier. Either he did not know how to use it, or I was not patient enough with teaching him. This week though, his grandma sat patiently with him and next thing, it’s in his mouth and it’s not falling off 😂😂😂. I must say I was a little jelous, seeing as now we have another “pacifier” other than me😭😭😭. But I can live with a little competition 😂.

Now, this pacifier comes in handy at night when his highness won’t sleep. You just shove it in his mouth and you have some minutes to sit down 😂. It really does pacify, so yaaay!

4. I heard a chuckle!🥺🥺🥺

When Sulwe is sleepy, his eyes will cross and then he’ll let out the most beautiful smile I have ever seen 😍. Now just yesterday, I heard a chuckle!!! Oh my goodness! My heart skipped a bit, trust! I’ve been holding him when he is drowsy, just to confirm 😂😂😂. And today, I confirmed!!! He now chuckles when he is falling asleep. When he’s been crying and starts to fall asleep, I look out for that smile and then I’m sure he didn’t sleep while angry 😂😂😂. Is it just me?

5. The sun is out!

Now we no longer have to worry if we are overdressing 👯👯👯. We are still using a heater when taking a bath just to keep him warm and cozy.( This heater was gifted to us by Shushu Roda😍😍😍 Forever grateful. We’re keeping the receipt for when black tax will apply 😂😂😂)

Sulwe is really growing fast! I’m so happy to be able to document the whole journey, thank you for coming along ❤️. Till next week 😘😘😘

Heeey! I missed my update yesterday, so sorry about that. This week I’ve been a little under the weather, so my baby’s mood and routine has been all over.

Today I want to take you on a tour of my Google search history and the tabs that I still have open😂😂😂. Should be fun! I currently have 96 tabs open on Google😂, I’m going to narrow them down to only ten that are relevant to Sulwe’s development. Let’s go!

1. Normal body temperature.

When Sulwe was a just a few days old, his tummy would get extra warm after feeding, just his tummy. Now that we’re three weeks old, his nose gets extra cold from time to time😂😂😂. So, understandably, I need to know what his temperature should be before I panic and take him to hospital for a cold nose😂. Google is accurate on this, but you also need to be advised by the doctor on the normal body temperature and danger signs in regards to temperature. You also need a thermometer to check the temperature.

2. Why would baby be crying while breastfeeding?😭😭😭

This google search was originally because of my friend who was experiencing it, and then Sulwe started the same habit. The article I opened was so extensive and I wasn’t able to concentrate through the crying baby. So this happened for three days consecutively, and that’s when I discovered that he cries while breastfeeding when he is very sleepy 🤦. Babies are very funny humans 😂😂😂, crying because you’re sleepy, wow! There are other reasons for crying while breastfeeding, you eventually narrow down to why your baby cries.

3. Co-sleeping.

Those who I talked to will tell you my mind was so fixed on having Sulwe sleep in his crib from day one, but by the time he was born, his crib was not yet ready so we had to co-sleep. Right now, I cannot imagine him sleeping alone in his crib ( it’s more me than it is him, but moving on😑😑😑…). Co-sleeping is actually a very broad topic as I have come to know, there’s how to safely co-sleep and a lot of research should go into it.

4. Is kitten litter toxic to newborns?

When I was expectant, I read that expectant women should not clean up the kitten’s litter box because it is toxic for them and could be a health hazard to mom and baby. We are currently at home and Sulwe’s grandma has 4 cats😂😂😂, so I had to Google and confirm if the litter would have any effect on him. It’s not like he would come into contact with it, but we have to know, right?

5. How long should a newborn bask in sunlight?

The first time we went basking was a scary experience, we didn’t even last 5 minutes. He was so hot to the touch and I panicked,😂😂😂. I should mention that this was not the noon sun, it was the 4 o’clock sun. Deep down I knew that 3 minutes of sunlight was not enough, but also I was not about to give myself another panic attack, so I googled and also asked his grandma how long we should be basking. We bask for 10-15 minutes when the sun is out, I think that’s sufficient.

6. Baby milestones month by month.

I am so excited to see my L.O grow that I have to know what to expect, this search was done when we were 2 weeks old😂😂😂 and it’s a month by month milestones search, so yes, we are very eager!!!

7. Should baby Feed immediately after spit up?

😂😂😂. The first time I saw him spit up the milk, it was a lot of milk and I assumed that now his tummy was empty 😂😂😂, so I tried to feed him again and he wouldn’t open his mouth, only for him to spit up again! Now I was sure that his tummy was empty, but he still wouldn’t open his mouth. As usual, I was ready to take him back to hospital, but I decided to first google and I got a lot of contradicting information so I decided to just give him some time, I also would be amused if someone was giving me food after throwing up😂😂😂. After 30 minutes, we were back to feeding 👯👯👯

8. Can spicy food affect breastfed baby?

When I was expectant, one of the unsolicited advice I received was not to eat spicy food because I’d ‘burn’ the baby😳😳😳. I had to confirm with Google if I’d ‘burn’ his mouth if he breastfed after eating some spicy chicken 😂😂😂 and no, so far, so good.

9. How soon can I use a carrier on baby.

Some people say that if you keep carrying your baby when he cries, he’ll get used to your hands and will cry when you lay him down. I strongly feel that it is the mother who gets more attached 😂😂😂. I was looking for options to have him next to me every minute and a carrier is the solution, I can have him lying on my chest as I do my chores😍😍😍. So I need to know, how soon can I carry him???

10. Best medical insurance in Kenya.

This is much needed now. We were doing some research on the best insurance that can cover us as a family. One of the most important thing as a parent is to be sure that you have a solution in case of anything, and that’s why I think insurance is important.

Google and YouTube are important for research, but the information you receive should be backed up by your doctor.

Thank you so much for stopping by, till next week 😘😘😘

We are two weeks old now. Yaaaay!!!
I’ll tell you one thing for sure, a lot can happen in a day. A whole lot! Now imagine a week😂
I really think I’m getting the hang of it. And it feels like I’m in a loop; Wake up, feed, change diaper…and repeat!
So, what happened in week two?

1. Sulwe had his first proper bath!

Yaaay!!! So, before the cord fell off, we were just having sponge baths, and when it finally happened, we could have a bath! Here comes the problem; this is a tiny human being, who can’t support his head using his neck. I don’t know how I should be holding him😭😭😭 Tell me how we are going to have that bath… Lucky for us, his grandma came to the rescue. I’m not going to lie and say that he didn’t cry, lol! That’s the first time he slept for almost four hours non-stop! 😍

2. Sunlight!

We talked about his jaundice last week. I am happy to say that the eyes are now clear! No yellowing anymore and that is one less thing to worry about!
It’s been an oddly cold month… I thought we are in August! But that week had some days with sunlight and aren’t we thankful! Sulwe absolutely loves the sun!(pun intended) He sleeps so soundly after basking. The sunlight was also recommended to make sure the jaundice clears… So rain rain go away 😂

3. Heat rash.
The doctor confirmed that the rash was due to heat. I can explain!
Our apartment is on the ground floor of a building that has 3 floors, and the third floor is under construction, and it’s the cold season. You can now guess how heavily I dress him. Add onto that a room heater.
After the diagnosis, I turned it down a notch👌 just a little, because I am not about to nurse a cold in my Little One. He doesn’t wear kofias any more, if it’s cold I just swaddle him nicely in a warm blanket and the rash has significantly reduced. In another week he should be doing IG reels on his skin care routine 😂😂😂

4.Uji accident!😳😳😳
So in our culture, after delivery, you should get someone to seriously feed you. I mean stuff you with food and hot fluids.
The Mister signed up for the vacant position and he got the job, yaaay!
So this Sunday morning he’s making us some uji😋😋😋Then suddenly I hear him groaning in pain! The uji boiled and was now overflowing from the pot, and he’s trying to turn the gas off, and mmh… you can guess what happened. Poor guy! He still made the Uji and served us breakfast in bed. Thank you for the uji Wuon Sulwe ❤️

Two weeks is such a long but short time. My boy is getting heavier and he’s now a little less fragile. Some nights feel longer because he just wakes up at 1 am and will not go back to sleep till 3 am, so it’s just me and him looking at each other, saying nothing 😍, and waking the Mister every 30 minutes to catch him smiling 😂😂😂 but those are moments I really treasure.
I’m currently working on a routine, if it works, y’all will be third to know😂😂😂

I was just about to post this blog when Sulwe’s grandma brought us a cake😭😭😭. I’m yet to taste it because it’s still hot😋. We are happy. Thank you Shushu Carol❤️

Till next week. Thanks for stopping by. We appreciate your time!.❤️❤️❤️

Well! It’s been a week with a small human in my house. All I can say, I think I’ve already seen it all! LoL.

Baby Sulwe Rafiki Ong’iyo was born on the 29th of July. Every day something really exciting or frightening happens. Let’s do a quick recap of Week 1 with Sulwe, shall we?

Day 1. Baby is finally here!

Sulwe was born with a whooping 3.5kgs! And the moment I saw my son, I believed in love at first sight. Here was this tiny human, with big bright eyes and a head full of hair, tiny little hands with tiny little fingers. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. Literally. All I could do was stare at this beautiful thing. And how his tiny little hands held my finger 😍😍😍. And then it happened!!!… My first panic attack. He spit up water. WATER! To say I was shaken to the bone would be such an understatement. You should have seen me rushing down the hall, my baby on my hip, to get a nurse. LoL!

So apparently, this happens because he might have swallowed some amniotic fluid, and it really is nothing to cause any alarm. 😂😂😂. The rest of the night was great, just a lot of staring at my Star.

Day 2. We came home.

Day two was a chill day, sleepy baby and all we did was feed and sleep. Quite uneventful, as it should be 😂😂😂

Day 3. Yellow eyes.

You know how when you’re in love you just want to look deep into their eyes and make them understand how much they really mean? Yeah, that’s what was happening when I noticed a yellow tint in the eyes.This was around 11pm. I have never been so scared in my life and I was ready to get him to hospital that minute! Gave the doctor a call and they assured me that we can wait till morning to get to hospital. 6 am found me ready to leave, he was diagnosed with mild jaundice, which should clear up within a week. Exclusive breastfeeding and sunlight was recommended. I’ll be sure to update on the progress after his next check up.

Day 4. The hiccups!

Did you know babies hiccup? I did not and it was not easy listening to those tiny hiccups. They don’t last for long, maybe 3-5 minutes. I had to Google and what works for Sulwe is the same technique for burping, rubbing him gently on his back until it stops.

Day 5. Rash.

I am still yet to figure out what is causing a rash on his forehead, could be heat, not sure yet. But it developed on day 5. An update will be on the next post.

Day 6. Burping through the nose?😳

How? How does that happen? One minute we are lying in bed peacefully, connecting through eye contact 😍 and suddenly, a gush of white liquid comes from the nose… It’s well in the evening we can’t start preparing to go to hospital, so who do we consult? Dr, Google(you should see my Google search history). So this is actually a normal occurrence in babies and no need for any alarm. Phew!

Day 7. And the stump is off!!!

We marked the end of week one with the stump falling off. It’s actually a frightening experience because you have to be very very delicate and careful with the wound, but after it fell off, I felt so relieved. I can now hold him confidently when burping without worrying if I’ll upset the area.

The Highlights!

1. Waking up every hour or two to the cutest little face in the world 😍

2. The little smiles he throws here and there I think when he is dreaming. ADORABLE!

3. The deep connection I feel when we are feeding. That is unmatched guys❤️

4. Such a good feeling when he clutches your finger with his tiny little hands😍

5. Watching him grow every single day. It’s like he is playing cat and mouse with us, one day he resembles his father, the next, I feel like he resembles me… So we are currently in a guessing game. An update will definitely come through!

That pretty much sums up Week 1. It’s been a rollercoaster! Can’t wait to see what the future holds for my little munchkin!

Thank you so much for visiting my blog. Let’s go through this journey together, yeah?