Lynn Murphy Mark
02/13/2022
Dear Baby Momoh,
It is near the end of August, 2017, and today is an important day – your parents are getting ready for your arrival. You might come tonight, or maybe tomorrow, or, at the latest, Thursday. There are hundreds of people waiting to hear about you when you leave Mama’s tummy and come into the world. You will be greatly celebrated!
I am your grandma, your Ya-ya. I have been with your parents for a week, waiting for your appearance, for which you are a little late. Your mommy and daddy and I have had a nice visit. I am so happy that you are coming to these two wonderful people. They have created a sweet room for you to grow up in – it is painted and decorated just for you to enjoy! There is a crib all ready for when you move from your parents’ room to your very own room. You already have toys to play with and clothes to wear. You will be a well-dressed young man, just like your daddy!
At your house, you have a beautiful big back yard to play in when you are ready. Until then, there is a big deck in the back where you can enjoy some sunshine and fresh air. You will get to watch the trains as they go by – they are great big machines that carry people from one place to another, and they go right behind your house so you can see them and hear them too. Sometimes they make a big whistle sound to let you know that they are coming.
August 30, 2017
Dear Cameron,
You and your mommy worked really hard today so that you could be born! You came out of mommy’s tummy at 6:41 in the evening. We could see right away that you are a beautiful baby. Your daddy cut the cord after Dr. B got all the goop out of your mouth and nose. You were a goopy baby, just like all babies are when they are first born, and as soon as your mouth and nose were cleaned you gave your first little cry. That’s how we knew that you were OK, and then the nurses took you to a “panda warmer”. That is a little bed that had been warmed up just for you. The nurses cleaned you up. Then they weighed you: everyone was impressed that you weighed 10 pounds and 5 ounces, and that you were 22.5 inches long. That means you were a big baby! And, you have lots of hair on your head!
Your mommy and daddy and I were all crying just a little bit – tears of joy to see you after waiting for 41 weeks to meet you! Dr. B was busy taking care of mommy while daddy stood by the panda warmer and looked at you and admired you for a long time. He couldn’t keep his eyes off you for very long!
The nurses asked what your name was going to be. Finally! The big secret was about to be revealed. I listened as carefully as possible so I wouldn’t miss it. And your mommy and daddy said, “It’s Cameron!!!” What a great name for you – it took them a long time to pick exactly the right one, and then they kept it a secret until you were born!
After you were all cleaned and weighed and measured the nurses brought you to mommy and put you on her chest. There was a very nice nurse named Luz who noticed that right away you were interested in finding something to eat. She gave mommy some ideas about how to feed you your very important milk that comes straight from mommy to you. Luz was impressed that you were trying to find some food and you weren’t even an hour old!
When Dr. B and the nurses were sure that mommy was OK, you were moved to another room where you would be able to sleep right next to mommy and daddy. They were pretty tired but very excited about you and they wanted to tell the family that you had arrived. You have family in Nigeria and family in the U.S. and everyone had been waiting to hear all about you.
August 31, 2017
What a busy day it was for you and for mommy and daddy!. Nurses and doctors came in and out of the room lots of times to do tests, or talk to us about your care. Everyone said what a beautiful baby you are. Daddy was still calling people in Nigeria to give them the good news. I asked if I could start telling my friends about you – lots of people were waiting to find out about you and your name and how you were getting along! (As you grow up, you will discover how important it is to have good friends wherever you go…)
Mommy and daddy were pretty tired but so happy that you arrived. All of us kept looking at you as if you might change from one minute to the next but you just kept being very cute. You were a little sleepy too after a hard day of work being born. The nurses showed us how to wrap you nice and snug in a blanket, since you were still used to being inside of mommy and being kind of squished in her tummy as you got bigger. You seemed to enjoy being swaddled – and daddy is very good at swaddling you just right to make you happy.
The best part of the day for me was to get to hold you for the first time. Someday, when you are a grandpa, you will learn just how sweet it is to hold the child of your child!
Mommy was learning about the best way to feed you so that you can keep drinking her milk. It is the best food that you can have because it is made just for you and it helps you grow strong and be healthy. Later that night mommy went to a class about bringing babies home from the hospital because you were going to go home the next day! Some friends came by to see you and admire you. All in all, a busy day!
September 1, 2017
GOING HOME DAY!!!!! There were lots of preparations going on in order to get you in your car seat for your ride to your house . The nurses reviewed all your test results – all of them normal, meaning that you are a healthy baby. Nurse Olga came in to be sure that you and mommy were comfortable with you drinking your milk, and it seems that you are. So, everything was OK and it was time for your trip home!
Daddy went and got your car seat and somehow you fit just right into the seat with all its belts and buckles. Then you were carried to the car, but not before all the stuff that your mommy and daddy packed for the hospital was put in the car. There was a lot to pack – a suitcase, lots of bags, and pillows.
Yaya was waiting at home for your arrival. I watched out the window so that I would see your car pull into the driveway. I wanted to get pictures of you coming into your house for the first time. This is a very exciting, important day for Cameron Babangida Momoh and for your parents! After a long time of getting things ready for you and waiting for the day that you came home, it was finally time for you to see your house and especially your room!
When you got here, I took pictures of your parents carrying you into the house for the first time. Daddy carried you in from the car, still in your car seat, and you sat in the living room for a while. It looked to me like you were wondering where you were. For being only a day and a half old you have already been in lots of different rooms – the room where you were born, the baby nursery, your hospital room, and now your very own living room.
Welcome home, Cameron!