Author: Osemhen

Pregnancy Diary: Part 3 (Giving Birth)

Published by Osemhen

Sooo…you might have noticed that it’s been awfully quiet around here for a while. I literally just found the time to open WordPress…and to breathe…and to take a proper shower…and to think…because, would you believe it, I am now a mother! A couple of weeks ago, a little human being whipped and nae-naed his way out of me. He did whip and nae-nae, I have video footage to prove it! I will be keeping that to show his friends when he’s a teenager and starts to annoy me. This was my perfect, ideal birth plan. At the 39-week mark, with my husband and aunt in attendance, go into labour. Manage the pains of first stage labour with activities like sitting on my exercise ball, long walks, baking, reading a book, taking a warm shower etc. After my water breaks, proceed to the hospital with my packed bag containing my music player, framed pictures of calming scenery, energy drinks and cookies for my nurses. At the hospital, chat with my nurses. Brave the pain. Dance a …

Forgiving All Wrongs

Published by Osemhen

Hola, everyone! Thanks for being patient; this post was supposed to go up last week Sunday but I’ve been super busy with a lot of things. Thank you for all the likes, shares, kind words and comments on my last post :D. Like wow! I was a bit apprehensive about blogging about being pregnant but your responses made it worthwhile. I tried to respond to everyone but couldn’t and I figured I’d just go ahead and give you guys more posts. Know that I read and treasured each comment, and your prayers are a huge help. First of all, how did December go? In the midst of all the feasting and turning up, how did you help to feed the hungry? I hope the ideas I posted were helpful. Pope Francis officially kicked off the Jubilee Year of Mercy, ushering in a year of dutiful and deliberate kindness. The custom of a Jubilee Year is derived from the Old Testament: Leviticus 25: 8-13. In summary, the Jubilee Year was celebrated as a year when slaves and prisoners …

My Pregnancy Diary: Part 2

Published by Osemhen

Thank you to everyone who responded to my call for feedback in my last post! It was very helpful and I will definitely be taking your ideas onboard. The winners of the giveaway are Ife, Sumbo and Nikki *rings bell* Congratulations! I’ll contact you directly on how to get your prizes. For everyone else, don’t worry. I have more giveaways planned this year! Now on to today’s post. Announcing our Baby I must be honest. Kae and I discussed whether going public with our pregnancy would be a good thing. The typical thing is to keep it private. Understandably. On one hand, there’s the superstition associated with sharing good news. Some believe it attracts envy, jealousy, ill-feelings, “bad bele” and in some cases, voodoo against the unborn child. Some others just want to enjoy these precious moments with only family members and close friends. And besides, being private about it means no awkward explanations are needed if there’s a miscarriage, a still-birth or other complications. Then there’s aesthetics. There are women who don’t think they look good …

Eurekanaija 2015 in review

Published by Osemhen

Hello, guys. So 2015 was a good year. I was genuinely and pleasantly surprised by the number of views I got. Thank you all for sharing this blog with your friends, for reading, for commenting, for liking. Thank you for all the love. I’m currently restrategizing for next year. I’m owing blog posts (I know!) and I really want to host at least one face-to-face event and proper giveaways. I’m also looking forward to doing collaborations with my favorite bloggers so look out, world! Your feedback is invaluable. I really need you to tell me what you’d like to see more of (or not!). So please, get in touch with the form here. Tell me what I should keep doing, start doing or stop doing. What would make you read this blog more? What would make you comment more? What would make you share posts from this blog with your friends? This is really important to me. In fact, it’s so important that I’m going to tie my first giveaway to this. Three people will …

2015 in Books: Classy, Sublime & Intelligent

Published by Osemhen

In typical eurekanaija fashion, I’d like to talk about my favourite books of 2015. My criteria for this list are: Re-readability: I’d totally read these books again in 2016. Change factor: These books changed me or helped me find/create myself. Let’s jump right to it, shall we? 1. Emily Post’s Etiquette: Why:  I was talking with one of my friends early in the year and we lamented the fact that we didn’t go to finishing school. Etiquette is the next best thing. What I Loved: First published in 1922 and constantly updated since then, it remains an enduring reference point for good manners. Before you roll your eyes, it’s not just about using the right fork or the proper way to pour wine (even though I learned that too). The book continuously emphasizes the most important etiquette of being kind to other people. From tipping service staff (waiters, salon attendants) to putting phones away at dinner tables to proper behaviour at different places of worship to introducing people to each other so they aren’t left standing in awkward …

My Pregnancy Diary: Part 1

Published by Osemhen

“Well, madam. I’m pleased to inform you that you’re pregnant.” I face the doctor, stunned. It is such a cliche moment. The day before, I nearly cut myself with a knife because my hands were trembling so hard. I thought I had a fever (or Lou Gehrig’s). The thought of pregnancy might’ve crossed my mind but I dismissed it because…Nollywood. Nollywood taught me that the first sign of pregnancy was puking your guts out, and I wasn’t puking my guts out. And a part of me didn’t think I could get pregnant without fertility drugs. Call me pessimistic but I know so many women struggling to have babies that I was starting to accept that as the new normal. “You’re married, aren’t you?” The doctor asks me quizzically. My reaction isn’t what he’s expecting, I guess. Lol. I smile. “I am. Thank you, doctor.” “You’re welcome. So come back in 4 weeks, and we’ll see if this pregnancy is viable.” In other words, we’ll see if you haven’t miscarried. So brutal, really. There are a …

5 TedTalks Every Young Professional Should Watch

Published by Osemhen

TedTalks are my second favourite podcast series to listen to, after The New Yorker Fiction Series. I think I get just a little bit smarter every time I hear one. Sadly, however I find myself with less time to listen. Going to fix that, I promise. In the mean time, I thought I’d share my faves with you this fine Monday morning. Kickstart the work-week with these inspirational TedTalks that make you want to give yourself a rousing pep-talk in the bathroom mirror. You can do this! You’re winning! You’ve got this! You’ll make it! Let’s Go! Meg Jay’s provocative message on reclaiming the most defining decade of your life: Why 30 is not the new 20. [ted id=1741] Sheryl Sandberg’s insightful talk that kind of summarises her book, Lean In (a.k.a. The Feminist Manifesto): Why We Have Too Few Women Leaders. [ted id=1040] Shawn Achor’s utterly funny talk on how happiness actually leads to success, and not the other way round: The Happy Secret to Better Work.  [ted id=1344] Nigel Marsh’s inspirational argument on how to …

"Blessed Are The Merciful": Christmas is for Giving

Published by Osemhen

Hello! As promised, I’m continuing the Works of Mercy series. But first, how did last month go? We dedicated November to burying the dead and praying for the Living and the Dead. Were you able to use some of the suggestions here? Did you come up with yours? This December, the focus is on “Feeding the Hungry.” What are your most vivid childhood Christmas memories? I remember the food. Mounds of bright orange jollof rice, peppered chicken, elbow-licking egusi and pounded yam, fried rice, moi-moi, plantain, chin-chin, puff-puff… I remember drinking so much Fanta, my stomach would be distended from all the gas. Christmas was for food. As I grow older, the tradition of endless feasting hasn’t waned. Even if I’m not cooking, I know that merely dropping in to visit someone on Christmas Day guarantees me a full belly. Not having food to eat on Christmas Day is almost an oxymoron. Not possible. And yet it’s a very real reality for some families. There are families that have no food to eat, not just …

My Big Fat Nigerian Wedding: Five Favorite Moments

Published by Osemhen

On November 29th, I would’ve been married “traditionally” for one year. Looking back now, I realize I never blogged about the whole experience of planning a “typical” Nigerian wedding. So in honour of this anniversary, I want to share my five favorite moments from the event we dubbed “The Carnival”. The first time K saw me in all my regal Esan splendour/glory: Lol! Esan women love their coral beads. I’m not often vain but even I recognize that I must have looked a sight. I wore almost 8 lbs worth of coral jewelry. I felt like royalty, like an Edo warrior princess. I didn’t want to take off that outfit. It was one of those once-in-a-lifetime moments and I loved it. The entrance dance: I think I only vaguely appreciated the fact that it was my traditional wedding when I woke up that morning. I had a sense that I was a participant, and nothing more. I was dispelled of that notion the moment K and I danced in. There was this roar of appreciation and …