Saturday 9 March 2019

How to plan a Naming Ceremony

We had our baby's Naming Ceremony in our parlour/living room, hubby & i handled the planning. I knew i wanted us to do something small because i wasn't up for the stress of throwing a big party (it's also not my style). The Naming Ceremony is typically done Seven (7) days after delivery but this can vary depending on your culture and church denomination. You may want to discuss with your spouse and parents while pregnant to know what applies in order for you to make the necessary preparations.
We had only 5 days to put things together for ours due to the time baby spent in the NICU (read my TMI Labor & Delivery Story) before we were discharged. My advice is to plan the basics ahead and decide on any vendors then finalize all arrangements after baby is delivered.
We planned for 30 guests (including friends) and used this number to make all our prep. We spoke with our pastor and agreed on having the ceremony by 10:00am. We informed her grandparents, aunties and uncles that were in town and a few friends (we told our friends to come in the evening though).
Things to do:
  • Inform your pastor and agree on a time for the naming ceremony
  • Invite guests
  • Make arrangement for Refreshments (Small chops, food, water and drinks) based on your estimated no. of guests (have extras for people that bring +1s) 
  • Get an outfit for baby (i had gotten a white gown and white shawl before having baby)
  • Get an outfit for yourself (the parents)- i had my tailor make me an outfit when i got back from the hospital and hubby wore a white traditional attire he had. I did my makeup myself.
  • Type out Baby's names and cut out several strips of the names (this will be distributed to guests). You can have someone design and print this for you, i did this myself and i printed it at home.
  • Type Baby's names and the meaning for the pastor to use during the naming of the baby.
  • If you having the ceremony in your Parlour/Living room like we did, it's good to have supplementary power supply (Generator, Inverter, etc.). You can have someone design and print this for you, i did this myself and i printed it at home.
  • Get a photographer or designate someone to take pictures and make videos during the event. 
  • Have your Parlour/Living room cleaned and dusted and you may want to rearrange your furniture to have more space or get extra chairs depending on your no. of guests.
We bought water and drinks and refrigerated them, i got a caterer to make Jollof rice and peppered chicken, she put them into 30 packs with spoons and serviettes and gave us the rest in a big cooler. We also ordered small chops which we served to friends who came in the evening with drinks.
The naming ceremony started around 10:00am and we were done by 12:00pm. 
The programme went as follows:
  • Opening Prayer
  • Praise and Worship
  • Sermon
  • Naming of the Baby
  • Praying for the Baby
  • Praise & Collection of Offering (the money was given to us to keep for baby)
  • Closing Prayer
We took pictures afterwards, food and drinks were distributed to guests and we exchanged pleasantries before guests took their leave. Only the grandparents and family stayed till evening before leaving.
Baby slept throughout the naming ceremony, i got some sleep afterwards as well. We tidied the house and took out the trash before our friends arrived in the evening. Some of them got packs of rice while others had small chops and drinks for refreshment.
The house was rearranged and tidied when everyone had left in the evening, we refrigerated leftover refreshments, took out the trash and went back to our regular routine.
Some cultures and churches do baby's naming & dedication and baptism after 3 months so find out what applies to you so you are not caught unawares. You can always tweak my recommendations in this post to plan your specific 'baby event' regardless of the date it will be held.
I'll do a post on how we collated all baby's names, if you are yoruba you know the deal, everyone wants to give baby a name. lol
Toodles!XooX

Wednesday 6 March 2019

How to get a Nigerian Birth Certificate for your Baby

Congratulations!! I'm guessing you probably just had your bundle of joy.
The Nigerian Birth Certificate is issued by the National Population Commission.
You will be given a Birth Certificate at the hospital you give birth once you have completed all the necessary documentation.
You the proceed to the National Population Commission and it's pretty straightforward if you are Nigerian and gave birth in Nigeria. I cannot speak for other scenarios.
Birth Certificate Process (For Abuja)

  • Go to National Population Commission (NPC), Masaka close, Zone 7
  • The Birth Certificate is Free for the first 60 days after the baby is born
  • You pay a #4000 if your baby is older than 60 days
  • Documents Required: Birth Certificate/Notification from hospital & Valid ID
  • You will be given a form to fill and submit
  • It takes 2-3 days for the certificate to be ready and you'll get a call or an sms to come for collection
  • Go for Collection of the Birth Certificate
It's best to process and collect your baby's birth certificate as soon as you can. It is the accepted proof that you are the parents of your baby and you will need it for any visa processing for international travel. You can scan it so you have a soft copy, laminate the hard copy and keep it in a safe place as your child will need it in the future.
Toodles!XooX


Happy New Year 2019!!

Happy New Year!! 
I know the 1st week of March 2019 is practically done and this is my 1st post of the year. I'm appalled at myself!!! lol. On a serious note though you guys already know the drill, Toddler mom life/work/business owner/event planner/living in Nigeria (NEPA,Internet, etc.) amongst other things,
time is like gold. Kindly bear with me, I have sooo much to share to new moms and moms-to-be but if i don't get this new year post out of the way, there will be no posts! I like things to be in order so much it gets in my way. 
This post is to get this post outta the way! and reflect a bit on 2018.

2018! What a year, it just might be my best year so far. It has been quite an experience being a mom throughout the year, working my job and business (@mimahcrafts on Instagram) and trying to master the lifestyle of a young new parent. There were also quite a number of birthdays, bridal showers, baby showers, weddings and other events/milestones where i got to celebrate with friends and family. It definitely had its downs but lets focus on the positives.
The highlight for me was our trip to Lagos for the Christmas holidays, i had not been on a plane since i had Kiara and i missed my Lagos people. We had sooo much fun and Kiki got to meet the Lagos friends, family and her Great grandparents. I got to visit some of the fun and food spots i had been eyeing as well as some events. We celebrated our birthdays (Hubby, Kiki & I-Birthday Post loading...) and chilled (which was exactly what i needed after such an active and busy year). 
2018 was a pretty dope year, i got some much needed rest at the very end of the year (I did not cook for 2weeks!!) and i'm thankful.

More posts are coming i assure you, i have sooo many notes i've made in the 1 year of me being a mom. I'm sure you guys will find very useful. Can you believe i'm a mom to a 1year old (actually 14 month old but who's counting right?!)! It seems like yesterday i was blogging about my Introduction Ceremony and now i'm a mom & we are approaching our 5year Anniversary. God is good and i count my blessings daily. 
How many times have i said mom in this post abeg. lol.

2019 did not start on the best note, we came back from holiday fun  in Lagos to my lil sister being very ill and hospitalised. Thank God for his mercies, she responded to treatment and is back on her feet. The year has been going really well otherwise and i'm grateful. May the odds continue to be in our favor. Amen.
Motto for the year- Do it Afraid (a.k.a Take Risks)
Toodles!XooX