Babaseyi

is a Yoruba name which means "God has done this." It is a name given to my son by a Nigerian family I grew up in church with. There is a Nigerian tradition of naming ceremonies where people give a child a special name that they will personally call him/her. I feel so honored that our family friends would care so much about our son to give him a special name. I don't know where my ancestors came from, but it's likely they were from West Africa, which includes Nigeria. Who knows? I can't help but feel like his Yoruba name is a part of reconnecting with something special and sacred.

For the past week and a half, I've been in my hometown with my husband and my parents chilling hard. I have been a complete bum and have enjoyed every minute of it. Being lazy has been interspersed with meeting up with family and friends, enjoying lots of holiday food and each others' company.

Before arriving to spend time with my family, my husband and I had what I guess you'd call a "babymoon." We spent a couple of days at a bed and breakfast en route to our final destination, got massages, ate some good food, went to a live show, and just generally vegged out. It was probably the last time for a while that we'd get to do something nice together, just the two of us, before the baby comes.

I am currently 36 weeks. As in, literally 4 weeks to go before I reach my due date. I truly can't believe it. It feels like there's still so much to do before I'll feel "ready" for the baby. I don't know if I'll ever feel ready. One of the things I'm looking into is hiring a doula, particularly since my ideal is to have a non-medicated birth. There's furniture yet to arrive—chest of drawers, bookshelf, glider. There are clothes to be washed, child care options to be explored, books to be read. It doesn't seem real.

We head back to home base tomorrow morning. This will be the last time I visit my parents' home before I become a mother. I'm not ready to leave. I've never been good at saying goodbye, even for a little while.

This new year will bring its challenges, for sure. But it will also bring one of the most exciting experiences of my life—bringing our son into the world. May I never forget that God has done this.