last night a DJ saved my life... (the natural journey continues)

RANDOM THOUGHTS TO WARM UP TO WRITE AFTER BEING WITH A 3MONTH OLD ALLLLL DAY:  Well this is an odd scene, me in sweatpants, flip flops, a Harvard  tshirt sitting on the patio deck of a sports bar with Mya singing on a track as the grown and sexy groove behind me.. Shoot I wish I would be embarrassed, no way chicks dress like dudes these days and tape down their breast - so I'm good... Well actually I'm exhausted, could fall asleep right here - but I needed a break from mommy duty so here i am plus I wanted to get in on the .25 wing special lol..

now they playing my girl Beyonce...Mission 1 get my eat on.. mission 2 try to avoid lung cancer from these idiots smoking in this 95degree humid heat are you kidding me it's 2010 the information age and people still purchasing cancer sticks... mission 3 drive home and fall asleep in record time - get me bodied lol

REAL ENTRY BEGINS HERE.. 
So a DJ didn't save my life... But Chris rock did ruin it.. After watching his documentary Good Hair during my pregnancy I decided to stop perming my hair... I  mean I owed to my unborn baby to keep her from the chemicals seeping from my head to her placenta.. lol... plus these days keeping my hair jermack, bounce back, beautiful is a cinch with the help of Dominican blow dryers and ceramic flat irons.. 


(Wait did this guy just tell this girl "come on out here and have a drink with daddy" ... I'm sooo glad that I am out of the game... no longer putting up with lame crap for a free drink.. And on that note I'm no longer sucking my stomach in tonight.. Maybe if they think I'm still pregnant they will stay away from me..)

...so like I was saying I decided to go natural for my little girl.. I  wanted to be able to honestly look her in her eyes one day and say  "baby your hair is beautiful just the way God made it.. God makes each little girl special from head to toe... You do have  Good Hair" 

that meant that I was going to have to preach by example
and grow my perm out...


Key word = GROW.. I had the perfect "grow my perm out" plan = keep
getting it pressed and trimmed until all the perm was gone... That was
working fine until Summertime in the ATL set in.. It was a waste if
time and money to pump two bottles of "B"milk, get a babysitter, sit
in a shop for 3hrs and spend $45 just to have my hair last 30mins
after I walk outside on my date with my hubby..  (just for a visual reference here is my hair the last time i got it pressed 5/20/2010) 

So I had a second "grow out" plan.. Let my mom cornrow my hair down
while I explore the wonderful world of wigs... Now this was going
great... My first wig got rave FB reviews... And I must admit it made
me feel sexy and sassy again... My hubby said it made me look like a
Atlanta black girl and not an African  American... ROFL... but He also said the purple streak it had made my attitude a little more "hood" than he was use to seeing from me,:(... but what the hay I was feeling good, feeling great and for 30bucks I could become a new chick every two weeks in less time and effort then ever before 

But on Wed June 16th something crazy happened.. perhaps i forgot to take my prenatal vitamin and my hormone levels went haywire.. Like I can't believe what I did... 
I combed out my braids and washed my hair... that was normal.. then I put in a heap of conditioner to detangle my hair... that was normal..  I looked in the mirror and thought the following to myself -  "wow my hair is really wavy, kinda looks just like Mclovey's super soft and curly "good hair",,, i mean she is my baby and that means her hair prob comes from me,,,, and it's been bout a year since my last perm so if I cut it it'll prob be long, where are the scissors I'll just CLIP... OMG" (that was not normal)

Just that quickly, without rational thinking... I cut my hair off...
Instantly my hair dried and shriveled up like the burning bush... I
immediately knew that I was making a crazy decision, but just to make
sure I CUT another section...  I looked like a rooster... My mom took
the scissors from me and said "let me do the rest cause I can see
better than u"... Clip cut whack... As my hair feel on the floor I
began to weep and exclaim - "I look horrible".. WHY did I do this???.. I just spontaneously cut off all my hair... I never wanted to do the big chop cause honestly i am not fond of Afros... So the truth is that i wanted to be natural but look permed... But now all my straight locks were in a Wal-Mart plastic bag... I cried and screamed so much that my mom frantically walked out the room and started praying.. My dad made itworst by saying Mclovey is not going  to know who you are anymore...

I cried all the way to Deeply Rooted, a natural 

hair salon in the ATL that i now highly suggest to hook up your hair, where my friend and a stylist calmed me down... Well calmed me down after they talked me into taking my hands from over my tear filled eyes for long enough to get myself and the baby out of the hot car... as i sat in the chair i felt and looked like Florida Evans... damn damn damn james... i wanted my hair to be "good hair"... the kind that in long and soft, the kind that curls when wet not... oh you know what "good hair" is.. and my hair looked like it could be the poster child for 'a raisin in the sun'

**** note to self... this is not these chicks hair... its all weave... what i wanted was the fantasy force fed to me by the media of what "good hair" is... hair has been just one of many tools used to make women of color hate themselves and covet others that look the closest to the people who have been broad casted as powerful and attractive for sooo long.. i hate to admit that i too, a vocal supporter of anything that has to do with the the empowerment and advancement of black people was afraid of my real roots...*****

they assured me that it did not look nearly as bad as i thought... that someday i would love this decision (which had to be a result of my hormones still balancing out)... and that i would look cute when i left... i had nothing to loose... except more tears... so i let them style my hair, avoiding all mirrors, as much as possible... 
i left the salon, which did a great job, feeling slightly better... after a pep talk from my sister i was convinced not to get a hotel room to hide from my hubby who true to character had nothing but kind words and a warm embrace for me... i went asleep still constantly saying the phrase "i cant believe i cut my hair" ... the next day i had a convo with a girlfriend of mine who has been natural since high school... she gave me the 411 on how to rock my new short puffy doo... so i followed her advice - made-up my face, put on some big earrings and lashes, threw on an earthy outfit and stepped out into the world confident... 


(joyful sigh) the response was great... everyone loved it... plenty of FB and live compliments like this was a bold and on purpose, super sheek move on my behalf... and i must admit, that after a day of getting use to the unfamiliar person in mirror,  that i do look good... i guess some emotional mistakes turn out okay...  now i am loving the new, no, real me... do u know that this is the first time ever that i have "played" in my hair after getting it done... wow this really is freedom.. so DJ play my song... "i am not my hair"

i'm the world's greatest..i

If anybody asks you who I am, Just stand up tall, Look 'em in the face and saaaaay... 

yep my baby is the world's greatest baby ever... sure you might think that your little tike is a champ, but i am so sorry to inform you that my Baby Love is simply the best... and here is the proof... during the first week of June she had a week of triumph.. every day she conquered a new task and usually left me in awe with my mouth open and sometimes tears in my eyes... so i am going to just be totally un- PC and use this blog to brag on my baby... and show u some new cute photos

5/28 Friday: McLovey grabbed her own pacifier and put it in her mouth... i just happened to be sitting in the back seat with her to watch this take place... and after about 8mins of dropping her binky and poking herself in the eye or cheek she finally landed it square in her mouth... i yelled "you did it girlie" which startled her and unfortunately made her spit it out... hahahaha... this was simply amazing... it was the first time that i had proof that her hands really worked since newborns rarely open their hands..but she did it and has now perfected her paci-in-mouth technique

5/31 Monday: McLovey swam for first time, on Memorial day, i couldn't resist taking her to the pool... primarily because it gave me an excuse to put on her super cute swimsuit, but also cause she loves water... well she had a blast kicking her feet and trying to drink the water... i had a blast watching... note to self - see you at the 2028 Olympics on the platform

6/1 Tuesday: McLovey sat alone, balancing on her bottom,  this was just too amazing to me.. in the middle of playtime i realized that she no longer needed my full time support and could balance alone for short periods of time... the topple over that follows is just as cute... 

BONUS EVENT!!! McLovey smiled at me, her mommy, while nursing... ohh my word, nothing can melt your heart faster than a baby looking up at you and smiling with pure satisfaction while on your boob...

6/2 Wednesday : McLovey grabbed.. and held... and played with her Toy!!! prior to this it was just me entertaining her by playing with her toys for her... but not any more... come here toy - let me put you in my mouth.  

6/3 Thursday: McLovey first airplane ride with NO FUSS... sure i saw all the frowns and rolling of the eyes as my hubby and i boarded the plane with our baby... all the passengers thinking in their heads "not a baby"... but they just didn't know that my baby was the world's greatest baby ever... she was sooo perfect... i nursed her at take off, burped her as we reached the maximum level and by the time drinks were served she was sleep... PERFECTION!!! 

BONUS Event - McLovey wipe her mouth with my breast pad... okay perhaps this is an odd achievement to you but it is clear to any mommy that this just means i am raising a perfect little lady with great table manners

6/6 Sunday: McLovey held her bottle by herself for first time... while in the airport, preparing for our return flight, i gave McLovey the last bottle of pumped milk, (which i had to nearly fight with the TSA worker with to get it screened without going through the x-ray machine), to my surprise she grabbed it and held it all herself... i was shocked because i only feed her from a bottle about once per week... but she was holding onto her Avent like she was a Similac baby... need i say more.. 

It's the greatest... Can you feel it

i'm going back to cali...

shout out to my neighbors and friends who are also new mommy's and have shared all their tips... it truly  takes a village to raise a child and i appreciate your help... so i want to pay it forward by sharing these great tid-bits with you blogspot

if your baby is having skin issues try using California Baby body products... McLove was having some serious dry and rough skin/scalp problems until i cut out all the traditional, popular, smell-good baby products and began to only use this all natural, mommy invented, product suggested to me by a neighbor... yes it is a little pricey but my baby's skin and scalp is 100% better now - smooth as can be

(the doctor was quick to suggest Eucerin and Aquaphor, i tried it but hated it cause it made her skin feel sticky) i credit this suggestion to McLove's sista from another motha mother- my neighbor who gave birth on the same day i did... we are so east coast but our babies' skins scream "west side" hehehehehe








if you are having trouble getting your life in order and on a functioning schedule than read

On Becoming Baby Wise by Ezzo and Buckman...  i promise you that you and your baby will feel more refreshed and happier in no time... come on i wrote a whole blog entry in honor of this priceless knowledge... i credit this book and the neighbor that noticed how pitiful my husband and i were looking while trying to calm our baby and ultimatley lull her to sleep by forcing her eyes closed by the sun during an evening stroll... she suggested it to making my time as a stay-at-home mommy sweet... i promise everyday since then has been precious and enjoyable... don't worry about the crying on this photo she was just trying to tell me she was sleepy ... lol

if you are having a hard time getting your baby to sleep comfy in their crib all night... then try rubbing your scent on their blanket... it helps your baby relax and feel secure... i also do this when i take her to my mom's house to be watched while her dad and i go out on dates...  i believe my baby Love knows that the people and place can be trusted if they/it smells like her mommy - the perfect blend of warm milk and sweat hahahahaha now that is real love ... thanks for the tip daddy dan

stay tuned for my favorite tips and buys for breast feeding in public, saving bucks on butts, and hiding your left-over baby belly... i cant focus on this right now because there is a huge crisis o my head - literally:( all i can say to my fellow prego and newbie momma chicks is HORMONES ARE REAL!!!