The Write Curl Diary

Thursday, July 29, 2010 6:25 PM

Posted by GG Renee | Filed under Musings and Reflections, Self-Discovery

Tuesday, July 27, 2010 1:16 PM

Posted by GG Renee | Filed under Healthy Natural Hair

My hair got deliciously thick while I was pregnant. I wish that I'd babied my hair more while I was pregnant, but I was so tired - particularly towards the end - and my hair regimen suffered. I didn't deep condition weekly, didn't moisturize nightly like I should. I did do pretty much all low manipulation styles like buns and twist outs, though, so hopefully I won't have any major setbacks.

Here is a picture of a twist out taken in the Spring 2010.



Here are pictures of a twist out from July 2010. I don't know if it's the pregnancy hair that hasn't shedded yet, but it looks fuller and longer to me. This could be due to other factors, such as the size of the twists and products I used. Either way, I'm happy with the progress.




I don't recall what products were used back in the Spring twist-out pic. For the July pics, I used SheaMoisture shampoo, Giovanni Direct Leave-In, BeeMine Luscious Moisturizer, BeeMine Juicy spray and shea/coconut oil mix. I really liked this combination.

Thursday, July 22, 2010 7:03 PM

Posted by GG Renee | Filed under Motherhood, Musings and Reflections

It's not for everyone, is it? Being a parent. Being a mom. The privilege and burden of it is overwhelming. A mother must accept the ambivalence of this role - the joy and the pain - to keep her faith (and sanity) intact.

Sometimes I miss the days when my heart just belonged to me. When I could be completely and utterly selfish with my energy, time, and money. Even when my kids are not physically with me - they are with me. I obsess over them and talk about them incessantly. I even annoy myself sometimes. But they are my own little personal miracles walking around everywhere. That has to be talked about, don't you think?

Speaking of thinking, just who do I think I am to be raising three kids anyway? When did I even grow up and start taking care of ME? So often, I stop and ask myself if I really know what I'm doing. Somehow, the unknown makes me feel alive. I don't always know what I'm doing; but I'm doing.

I worry about my kids. Even though I preach to others not to worry. Worrying is misuse of the imagination. Yet I worry. If I had one wish, it would be the ability to protect my kids from any and all pain - physical and emotional. And yet, that's not my job. Not completely. My job is to love them and teach them to love themselves, so they are strong enough to endure this crazy, unpredictable world.

The only training I have for this job is life itself. On the job training can get messy. Parenting is a dirty job. There will be mistakes and regrets. Trial and error. Constructive and not-so constructive feedback. Everyone's a critic, right? That's OK. When I hear opinions from friends, family and foes about how we raise our children, I take the criticsm along with the praise and keep it moving. Dwelling on what others think has never gotten me anywhere but stuck in my own head. This journey was custom-made for me.

"The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new." ~Rajneesh

Friday, July 9, 2010 2:14 PM

Posted by GG Renee | Filed under Uncategorized

Thanks so much for all of the well wishes, ladies! While I was catching up on emails and trying to get back in the loop, I was so pleasantly surprised and excited to discover that I'd received my first blog award from CJ at http://killsuperwoman.blogspot.com/.

I just recently discovered CJ's blog and immediately was taken in by the title alone. It's so crucial for women (especially mothers) to connect and share to remind us that all of the ups and downs that we go through are not only normal but necessary. (CJ - thanks so much for your honesty and sense of humor, which are equally important in my opinion!)

I'd like to pass the love on to my homie, Chic Mommy at http://www.chicmommycoolkid.blogspot.com/.

Thank you ladies for adding more sunshine into my life and sharing your thoughts and creativity on your blogs. Smooches!

Tuesday, July 6, 2010 3:55 PM

Posted by GG Renee | Filed under Motherhood, Musings and Reflections

On Saturday, June 26, I got together with a few of my closest friends to celebrate the upcoming birth of our third baby (due July 17). I'd insisted on hosting the lovefest, and I almost postponed it because I wasn't feeling well. Sure enough, in the early hours of Sunday morning, I started feeling crampy and just...not right.


I tried to sleep it off and it worked for a few hours. Eventually, the crampiness turned into full out contractions that kept getting closer and closer together. We headed to the hospital just after 4 PM. By the time I got admitted and the doctor finally made it to my room to check my cervix, it was about 5:30 PM. I was only 3 cm dilated and my water hadn't broken yet, so the doctor told me to walk the halls for a couple hours and then they'd check me again. They said if I wasn't making any progress that they would send me home. Since I was only 37 weeks along, they didn't want to give me any drugs to speed up the contractions.


It seems like as soon as the doctor left, the contractions got more intense and closer together. I told them I was in a lot of pain, but I was breathing calmly through the contractions and not making a fuss, so no one expected me to progress as quickly as I did. An hour and a half later at 7:05 PM, we welcomed our second baby girl, Skylar, into the world. She weighed 6 lbs 3 oz and was 20 inches long. Already tall and skinny like her mama. Although she was 3 weeks early, her breathing and vital signs were great.


It was a beautiful, intimate moment for us. I was incredibly lucid since I had no pain medication, yet I was calm and purposeful. Skylar was welcomed into the world by just her mommy and daddy (and a whole crew of nurses of course). The birth rooms of our two older children were literally filled with friends and family, which was a blessing of course. But this time, through the labor and ultimate delivery, it was just mom, dad and baby. Her speedy entry into the world was intense and yet peaceful. It is so surreal to have been the vessel that carried and delivered this child into the world.


This milestone showed me that I'm stronger than I think I am. I've had two children already, so one might think that I could deliver a third baby in my sleep. But spiritually, I'm in a different place now than I was when I had my other babies. This was a very different experience and it was significant to me in a brand new way. It was painful. It was scary. And it all happened so fast. All the while, I felt so peaceful and composed. I am truly proud of myself and will draw on this experience in the future when I feel scared and overwhelmed. Pain is temporary. Fear is an illusion. Courage is the faith and recognition that something else is more important than what you fear.


And here is what was more important: