Sitting here with Darius at Red Robin, I can’t help but reflect on those unforgettable memories of being pregnant and raising my kids. Some people might laugh when I talk about the saying, “Do as I say, not as I do.” I know it sounds like a contradiction, but that’s the truth of being an imperfect mama just trying her best.
When Darius asked me why I didn’t always follow the same advice I gave him, I had to be honest: “Because mama hasn’t completely broken all her old habits yet, baby.” I’m still on my journey of being “delivered” from some not-so-good ways. But that doesn’t mean I don’t know the right path to teach my children.
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I can’t help but laugh thinking back to my pregnancy with Darius. That boy had me gaining up to 230 pounds! I remember constantly feeling hungry—and acting a little wild in the grocery store. I’d crack open a soda right there in the aisle, tear into a snack, and just leave the empty container in the cart for checkout later. I even ate sushi and crab—things I look back on now and think… Girl, what were you doing?
“You know,” I told Darius, “I was eating sushi while you were in my belly, and you kept flipping and turning around like crazy!” I laughed. “Maybe that’s why you always say you feel like ‘one of the girls’ sometimes!”
It’s funny how different both my pregnancies were. With Darius, I craved fruit and couldn’t stand eggs—now he loves eggs. Everything I disliked during pregnancy, he loves now. With Dalvin, though, it was a whole other story. I was eating pepperoni tacos like crazy—and now both me and Dalvin are hooked on them. I even gave him a whole taco when he was just a year old!
“Dalvin used to cling to my hip like glue,” I said, smiling at the memory. “Even as a baby, he must’ve smelled those tacos and thought: ‘Just wait till I get me one of those!’”
What’s so special is how each child reflects the cravings I had while pregnant. Darius, with his smaller frame, smaller appetite—just like me when I only wanted light fruits during his pregnancy. And Dalvin? That boy can eat! Just like me when I was pregnant with him.
“Mama has a small stomach,” I explained to Darius. “Not on the outside, but on the inside. It fills up faster than most people’s. You’re the same way, but Dalvin… he’s built different!”
These memories remind me that every child is a unique gift. Their personalities, even their eating habits, start forming before they’re born. And while I may not always be the perfect mom, the love and care I have for my babies never changes.
