Baby: My two year old daughters developmental milestones

My daughter just turned two last month but since her birth the paediatrician has always been happy with her development, I remember at four months he said I don't have to bring her back for her six month checkup because she's already doing things babies do at six months, like for example sitting without support. Not to brag but I think her development has just been phenomenal. Before I became a mom I knew nothing about a babies development and growth. I just saw others babies now and then, oh ok now you walking, when I see again, oh my now you started talking but now since I have my own I see everything from where to when, from how to now. I have loved every single thing about her development but the talking part to me is my absolute favourite, I am just totally amazed each and everyday by the things she says and answers back, the things she remembers, things I told her days ago she tells me and I'm just astoned.

About following instructions, hanging washing has just become so much fun and passing pillows when making the bed, to bringing the broom when I want to sweep. Operating a phone so smartly at age one and two from changing screen savers, taking selfies and playing games. And don't even talk about asking hundreds of questions a day.

Little did I know the story about the terrible two's, sorry new mommies but that story is so true ,the tantrums and demanding behaviour just got worse, stamping feet to knocking her head against a wall or where ever the hell she can. I've read that expressing emotions at two years old is so normal but sometimes I feel like pulling my hair out because of these tantrums and naughtiness from scratching in the toilet to demolishing my favourite lipstick, these are just a few of the things this naughty little girl is doing.  

Even though she can speak nicely now, the Mommy word is still my favourite. All these moments just make my day, it puts a smile on my face and fills my heart with love and joy no matter what kind of day I had.Remember If there are any areas where it seems like your baby is lacking don't forget all children are different, some talk earlier than others and some have more teeth than others, each child learn and develop different. Most importantly we must give them all the love and attention they need. 

These pictures where taken at the Cape Town Gardens, we took my daughter to go and run around, see  the squirrels and just have some fun.

This last picture just shows how much she loves sequins (like mother like daughter)...she stopped several times to look down and play with the sequins on her top.

Thank you for reading and keep Shining♡

Xoxo Nadia

Mother's Day

So the day is here, the day where some will see their children for the first time this year, where some will get spoilt and pampered and some won't even get a call or a flower. Yep that's the reality of what's happening, I ask myself the question,how do you do that to your own mom,the one that brought you in this world? They say Jannah(Heaven) lies at the feet of your mother.

For all the years when we where struggling to fall pregnant I always wanted to be a Mom and celebrate Mother's day,just to be part of it, I remember in May 2011 just before Mother's day when I lost my first baby bean (had an Etopic Pregnancy  and lost my one Fillopian Tube) I thought I'd never have children and never celebrate mothers day and here I am on my second mommy's day with my baby almost two and thinking of planning baby number two. hehe all too good to be true,I'm so grateful,algamdulilaah ♡ she is my angel.
So for all the gorgeous women out there struggling to fall pregnant, keep the faith,keep the hope and never stop praying and believing,miracles do happen.

I never understood the reason why Mommies always had tears in their eyes for any phony reason like watching something on tv,reading something or just watching their kids do things ,  becoming a mom, I now understand why, ,,the joy,the pride the love they hold in their heart for that little one that makes them so soft.
Our children are our Angels send from Allah _ God .When pregnant we carry them near our hearts for months ...they hear our heartbeat.

Our mom's did a great job raising us, teaching us right from wrong, teaching us religion, school work, house work,some stayed home some had to work to make a living like mine, even though my mom were always working, I understood, I knew why she had to work, for me, but I never forgot what she thought me.And I'll always be grateful for that, Love you mom. This Unconditional love I now experience makes me realise how much I mean to my own mom.
To those of us that still have our mom's with us,we sometimes don't realise how lucky we are, myself included, this will be the first Mother's day my husband will be without his mom, a lot will feel lonely, lost and sad while others will be celebrating and enjoying the day with their mothers.

Being Mom is a tough, tiring, exhausting, never ending, non paying job , but I wouldn't trade it for anything, my daughter makes me so tired at times but brings me soo much more joy and happiness :)

To all the mommies out there ...
You all doing a pretty good job
Even though at times it feels like we failing
Like we cant go on,
we want to dissappear,
we want to give up, we can't move forward,
we tired all the time,
we do so much and neglect ourselves
yet get so little appreciation at times
Just remember, We, Us,You,
-> We doing an Awesome job,
♡Happy Mother's Day♡

In my first week as a mom, experience  unconditional love 

Myself with my Mommy and my daughter 

My first Mother's Day 🌸 2014

This beautiful poem I got from a other mommy blog, its so beautiful and so true just had to share, beware the tears......

From the moment you hold your baby in your arms,
you will never be the same.
You might long for the person you were before,
When you had freedom and time,
And nothing in particular to worry about.

You will know tiredness like you never knew it before,
And days will run into days that are exactly the same,
Full of feedings and burping,
Nappy changes and crying,
Whining and fighting,
Naps or a lack of naps,
It might seem like a never-ending cycle.

But don’t forget …
There is a last time for everything.
There will come a time when you will feed
your baby for the very last time.
They will fall asleep on you after a long day
And it will be the last time you ever hold your sleeping child.

One day you will carry them on your hip then set them down,
And never pick them up that way again.
You will scrub their hair in the bath one night
And from that day on they will want to bathe alone.
They will hold your hand to cross the road,
Then never reach for it again.
They will creep into your room at midnight for cuddles,
And it will be the last night you ever wake to this.

One afternoon you will sing “the wheels on the bus”
and do all the actions,
Then never sing them that song again.
They will kiss you goodbye at the school gate,
The next day they will ask to walk to the gate alone.
You will read a final bedtime story and wipe your last dirty face.
They will run to you with arms raised for the very last time.

The thing is, you won’t even know it’s the last time
Until there are no more times.
And even then, it will take you a while to realize.

So while you are living in these times,
remember there are only so many of them
and when they are gone, you will yearn for just one more day of them.
For one last time.

-Author Unknown-

To the person who wrote this poem, Thank You.

Wow this just made me so emotional and brought sad tears to my eyes, to think it will all come to an end but we don't realise it as they grow. This again just a reminder what motherhood is about and how important it is to treasure every moment of it, the good and bad.

Again Happy Mother's Day ♡ Enjoy your day.

Baby Bum-Bums

 

It's twelve and I'm on my third cup of coffee for the morning already, but what can you do if you so tired and need to stay awake for babies sake. We on day five already in the hospital, keep thumbs that we go home today, gosh a person get no rest in this place but at least the food is good and I don't have to cook, hehe.

Shazia going straight for the pudding, lol

Shazia's breakfast 

The last time I wrote a post like this was in January when baby Shaz was admitted, we where doctor in, doctor out and no one could tell us what was wrong with her,for weeks she was vomiting every time she coughed, until she was hospitalized and several tests where taken and they found out it was a disease called Pertusses  ,read more about it here mothers-instinct

So here we are again, same thing , we saw different doctors and pharmacists in the last three weeks but no one could really help her. I just feel so frustrated, tired, angry,emotional all at the same time, to think she must always be hospitalized for them to take the matter seriously and to find out what is wrong with her ,after I've been explaining the same thing to all of them,or must it go on for weeks before its serious.Don't get me wrong I have nothing against doctors ,infact I always  admire them for their hard work and little sleep, but when it gets to my daughter its a different story.(says every mom ever).
Well let me start from the beginning, it started with just a runny nose, the next day me and hubby decided she stay home because she didn't look too good and her eyes where red, then the night the fever started, vomiting and diarrhoea .The next morning she was so sick and weak, lack of energy,  she was just crying whole time, so to the doc we went and he said she's got an all-in-one ,ear and eye infection, nose and throat,vomiting and diarrhoea.After a few days of taking medicine and antibiotic(gosh seems like my poor child live of antibiotics) she was fine, besides the diarrhoea. Days passed and still the diarrhoea didn't stop, So I went to the pharmacy to get stuff where they told me to take her off milk for at least twenty four hours and just give glucose water and nothing else not even food , gosh how on earth am I going to do that, we just walking out the pharmacy there she's already asking for chippie. So that didn't quite work out because after a few hours I felt too sorry for her, she was hungry and crying for milk, so maybe that's why the glucose water didn't work, so ya her tummy was still the same and well the ointment and powder thing they gave didn't work.I thought I'd give it a few days maybe it will go away ,it just got worse, so bad that every time I cleaned her bum I cried with her, my husband thought I'm mad but seriously I couldn't take it anymore ,he had to take over, her bum was so bad, raw and bleeding and not getting better ,obviously because the poo not stopping.

So our next stop after another few days was the 24hour emergency at the hospital, they still didn't admit her to get better,just gave ointment and things to drink again.I would have been so happy if this doctor just booked her in, but he said she's fine and she's eating and drinking and not vomiting.I know but the poo not stopping and her bum just getting worse. By then I was so tired already of cleaning bum whole day, she was scared of cleaning because it hurts ,she didn't even want to sit in a bath, the pampers where just flying up to fifteen nappies a day, money don't grow on trees do they.
 I've been trying different bum creams, I let her walk around for few minutes for it to dry out a little, this one says try this,that one says try that, my word, what works for one might not work for the other, everyone is different,but I rather won't name all the stuff because maybe it does work but just because the diarrhoea didn't stop it didn't help. It's almost three weeks, doctors,pharmacies, everyone's advice, I'm fed up so I just decided to use vaseline, pure clean unscented vaseline, old people remedy.

So after all this drama and going for week three already with diarrhoea, then I saw blood in her poo, phoned the pediatrician, explained everything to the receptionist and she was so helpful and kind, even though they where fully booked she got me an appointment with the pead, I knew he was going to book her in so I already packed her bag.So after taking tests on bloods, urine and poo and what ever else, It was found that the bad bug was caused by antibiotics previously taken, and she's getting the correct treatment now and not the next best thing they think is needed for diarrhoea, this isn't just any diarrhoea.
Clostridium difficile Infection (info taken from here Cdiff-patient)
Take antibiotics only as prescribed by your doctor. Antibiotics can be life-saving medicines.  When a person takes antibiotics, good germs that protect against infection are destroyed for several months. During this time, patients can get sick from C. difficile picked up from contaminated surfaces or spread from a health care provider’s hands.

I feel grateful that the core of the problem was found but doctor checked her ears and she needs to see the ENT now again, doctor said get it sorted while we here,one thing after another.

Here's babies that's so sick and has diseases so bad that this problem seem so small, my heart goes out to them and their parents, we can only say is Algamdulilaah(all praise be to Allah ) , she's a live, she's with us,  she's fine and healthy besides the poo and bum,and it won't be long then we back home.

And to end of on a good note, in this difficult time I managed to get her of her beloved dummy, yeah! No more looking for dummy.I can't believe how easy it was, after a day of no dummy she asked where it is so I said dummy gone, she repeated after me saying dummy gone and showed with her hand, asked me several times on different days and I told her each time mommy told you dummy gone :)
On that about always looking for babies dummies, my new instagram friend and great business minded mommy is selling hand made Braided Leather Pacifier Clips she makes herself by the way, l will definitely be buying them for my second baby because I'm always looking for dummies,go check it out on her blog here follow link
Here's a picture of Shaz while being sick at home and last days with dummy,still so naughty while sick.

As a mommy I always tend to feel guilty when my precious angels get sick ,we as mommies ask ourselves is it something we did, but its not our fault, babies get sick very quickly, they pick up germs anywhere and there's nothing we can do about it.I guess we can only be there for them,look after them to the best of our ability, care and give all the love we have.

My reason for writing about my daughters sickness is to inform other mommies, so if the same happen to them they will know what to do,what not to do,how quickly to react and not go through the long channels of suffering like me.
   
                                                                         Thank you for reading and keep Shining ♡ Nadia SS ♡

DIY: Baby Photo Shoot

Hi there !
We all love taking pictures right! But I'm sure everyone went through a time where they took like more than twenty pictures of the same pose but only used one picture ,because you maybe felt only that one picture looked right. One of the reasons why I take my hat off to photographers, It may seem easy to just pick up a camera and take pictures, but its not, you must know what you doing.Well I'm no photographer I just love taking pictures, but have you ever thought of a job of a photographer and how difficult it must be for them at times but yet they must still deliver quality work.

So a while ago my friend Lesley and I did a DIY Photoshoot with baby Shazia (my daughter), she got her camera ready and I got the outfits and décor ready because that's what I do best. I was so excited because I thought it would be fun, it actually was no joke at all. It was tiring, we had to entertain baba, she's normally a very happy baby but that afternoon she wasn't, it was a very hot day and it was during her nap time and to top it off she had a cold,  so she was very grumpy and not in the mood. Shazia is not like other baby's ,she's super busy and can't sit still, so yes it wasn't easy.  Lesley set up a place in her room but that didn't work out too well, I realised she loves the outdoors so outside we went and it was lovely, light ,and a naturally beautiful atmosphere outside ,and guess what? ....Shazia loved it , she began to smile and be herself and went on posing on her own. hehe.

So a lesson learned while taking baby pictures, a lot of patience required, not during their supposed to be nap time and outdoors is probably the best, well every baby differs but you know what your little one loves so work from there  :)

So here's a few pictures of the Photo Shoot....Tell me what you think.

Photo credits: Lesley Bruce (Graphic Designer and sometimes Photographer)

Thank you for reading and keep Shining ♡ 

xoxo Nadia SS 

Mommy Talk: a Mothers instinct

Hey Shinies

So it's back to normal, back to work, back to action.
For those that didn't read my previous post, Happy New Year to you.

Today I'm sitting at work, all alone, my colleagues only starting next week, while I am sitting here I so just want to be home, home with my sick little girl. As I left this morning she cried her lungs out (like some people say),she always cry when I leave but not like this morning, she will cry but before I start the car I usually hear her stop, I felt so sad, a baby wants to be with their mommy when they sick, everyone knows that rite, no matter how much they are over their daddies or grannies, they want their MOMMIES! That's why I always say I so envy stay at home moms :(
                                      

I remember when I was pregnant and I said I'm scared to become a mother, I'm so scared I'm going to make a mistake, and mommies always told me you will get your motherly instinct, it kicks in as soon as you become one, that's so true. A mothers instinct is never to be ignored. A month ago my daughter got sick, fever, cough ,vomiting and didn't want to eat at all that day,  we took her to the doctor and she said its tonsillitis ,it got worse, she started vomiting each day and the cough just got worse.
A week passed and no improvement, I went to the pharmacy ,explained and they said that she's swallowing the flem and its making her nauseas then she vomits, another week went by and no improvement, still the same case, bringing up all her food when coughing. Took her to a different doctor which then said her tonsils does look swollen and red, again antibiotics, ear infection and nose meds and off we go.
Two weeks passed by and no improvement , fever again and still the bad cough and bringing up plus now she has a outbreak on her skin and lips too , I knew something wasn't rite, so I decided to go see a specialist at the hospital, explained everything ,he prescribed medicine, a whole lot ,again antibiotics!, gosh my poor child lives on antibiotics, he gave two options, said its up to me, either see how it goes for two weeks after taking the medicine then if it continues come back OR we book her in now and take tests to find out what's causing this, I sat and my thoughts just went mad in my head,,,,I'm supposed to start work tomorrow, my poor baby, what if this, what if that, then I just said, 'Book her in'. I knew I wasn't going to get any sleep in the hospital, I'm gonna hate it when they draw blood and stuff and she cries for me but I just want her to get better, and to find out what is wrong with her.

The best decision I made, after taking several tests.The results came back that she has Pertussis —commonly called whooping cough is a highly contagious bacterial disease caused by Bordetella pertussis. In some countries, this disease is called the 100 days' cough or cough of 100 days.
Mommies read up on Pertussis sometimes we think a cough is just a cough and will go away.
She had all her vaccines done but still got it. To think for a month she was walking around with this disease, I'm glad I went with that gut feeling and trusted my instincts, I don't know what could have happened because I read it can be fatal, we went out a lot over December, we thought that she'd get better by the day because two doctors and pharmacist said its tonsils and flem, she was her normal self, running around, busy little girl like she is, just that cough bothered me that didn't want to go away, and vomiting every time is not good at all.So mommies trust that instinct because no doctor or nurse or pharmacists knows your child the way you do.
The sunday before I took her to the hospital we had lunch at a friend and her daughter is also sick now, has a fever and sores in her mouth, still figuring out what's wrong with her.
 Everyone in the house, myself ,husband and mom got antibiotics prescribed to take.

Any parent will tell you the worse thing is to have a sick child, you feel more sick but must keep strong for babies sake, to see your poor little girl or boy in pain and you can do nothing but give meds. Wait I'm lying you can give love, lots of love and prayer :)
The connection of mother to child might be more deeply rooted than what one might initially think.This experience has been a guide for me to block out the noise of others and always trust my motherly instincts, because no one knows my child better than me.

                                

        I just felt like sharing my story, always trust your instinct, especially when it comes to a baby.

                                                                   Happy Weekend and Keep Shining
                                                                         xoxo Nadia SS

Family time:Strawberries galore...

Hey Shinies
hope everyone doing good, why not? Festive, holiday time is here!

So we had a few visits to Stellenbosch since October, we're exploring that side of the world, I feel that we always go to Cape Town side if we go out for the day. I must say I've been enjoying it so much, Stellenbosch has so much to offer, so it means we will still have to do a lot of visits before we see and discover all the beauty.

If you feel for some strawberries or just a outing with the kids/family there's Polkadraai Farm and then there's Mooiberg Farm both Stellenbosch side. We visited Mooiberg Farm located on the R44 between Stellenbosch and Somerset West,if you on that road it will be hard to miss the colourful scarecrows and animals on the sidewalk and don't even talk about the breathtaking landscapes.
There's a lot  to keep you and the kids entertained, strawberry picking with the family, a restaurant for the hungry tummies and a farm stall that sells lovely jams, pickles,dried fruit and many more to take  home.

So where ever you go shop you need to obviously pay for your goods then you can eat it, oh gosh how difficult was that with picking strawberries, while you pick you want to take it from there in your mouth, my mouth was watering to just take a bite. Well my daughter did the tasting, there were just no stopping her from that,lol. It was my first time picking,defnitely not my last, and it was so much fun.After paying I just couldn't stop eating that beautiful sweet delicious red strawberries. yum!

Look at that facey..hehe....this was the look in the begining and after that she couldn't stop eating and smiling.

She's soo busy..

They do the picking,,I will do the smiling :)

I will definitely go again, the strawberries are much cheaper than what they are in the stores and obviously much fresher too, we just picked them, they weren't in the fridge and well the truck and ten other places they normally go to before it reach our tummies..hehe.

love this pic,,,she has the strawbeery on her fingertip ...

We then looked for a place to have a picnic, we went to the Jan Marais Nature Reserve, so beautiful there.I took some pictures but were to tired to walk around, hubby and I just chilled on the blanket with our goodies and the girls had fun at the park.

.                                                                    Thee end...
                                                          Hope you enjoyed my pics :)
                                


                                                            XoXo Nadia SS
                                                      and don't forget to keep Shining!