ONE YEAR OLDER

Am a year older. Being a year older means a lot of things,achiebemnets and highlights,
lowlights and areas to work on.

One year older means a lot of things but this is for you - My Baby.

Oluwatimilehin - i only had the Lord wen u were born and so shall he be with you all your
life.

When i first got pregnant, i was happy and scared. Why both, you may ask? I was happy
because i would have someone to call my own and i was scared cuz i didn't know the first
thing about being a mother.

No one knows and you may never know all your life, but you were my saving grace.

Your first movements inside me, made me start counting down the days.

Labour- O joy of joys- you made it under 6 hrs. I guess you were just as impatient to see me
as i was to see you.

When you were placed in my arms, i knew a girl had gone and a woman had arrived.

I remember your first smile, ur first sitting and ur first crawl. Your face with the first
teeth, the first time you stood on your own and your first steps are firmly etched in my
brain and nothing can take them away.

I remember you hated taking a nap and i must have tried every trick in the book by the time
you were 6 months. You still hate takin a nap.

When you spoke, you spoke my name with only the vowels. You threw the consonants away.

My baby is now a toddler and people don't beleive you are mine.

I recall you first punishment - u were just under 2, u looked so cute when kneeling down.

You started school and i had to let go, i wasn't your only world anymore.

Our paths from here on hasn't been the smoothest- I wont win best mother awards but i win
awards for being your loving mother. I have made mistakes, Lord knows i have but i guess
we've both turned out pretty well.

You are 9 now and soon u'll be 10, the crossing point. I guess i have to start letting you
go but i dont want to.

Oh my baby, i wish you were still little, so i could pick you up and throw you in the air,
or i could put you on my back again.

I would do anything to hear you ask 2 watch PostmanPat again, but you've grown.

I want to take back those times i shouted at you because of my frustrations, not of anger or
hardships but of being alone.

My baby - you'll never know what it means to be alone and lonely as long as i breathe.

I would love to give you a bro or sis to play with cuz i know you want 1, but ur nana would
kill me if i came home with a babe in my arms without a mister.

I know i can never be mother and father but i promise i'll do my best.

You feel its time you started growin up and you want to be a big boy. Nature must take its
course but u'll never know its the little things u do that lets me know i still have my
baby.

- When you turn back at the school gate and wave 2 me.( i can't walk you 2 school anymore -
u r a big boy).

- When you try to "scope" me a million times a day with Can i?

- When you come home full of excitement. I did this n that and my teacher gave me a sticker
4 being good and you put the sticker on my shirt.

- Most especially when you come home and say i made this for you in school or i painted this
for you.

- How ur face changes and start answering questions with yes ma at the sight of "eba stick"
or thought of punishment.

All the unconditional love a child has, u give 2 me and am truly grateful.

So my dear boy, its not me Single girl that is a year older, its your mother, the one trying
to get all things right that is a year older.