His favourite clothes!!Spongebob & Spiderman!

i love outdoors!!

i love to ride my bike!!

i love playing soccer too!!

...and even handball!!!

My Johari has grown in stature, size, language and even preference.
Now he is two years old and seven months.His preference of clothes is any clothing with Sponge bob, spider man or sports-related like basketball and hockey!
Any piece of clothing without these three pictures is considered obsolete and not fit for wearing according to my Johari.So then it means i have to do his laundry more often to avail his favorite clothes. And so what becomes of the ones he doesn't prefer to wear?they are getting smaller while stacked in his ward robe.
The other day i wanted him to wear a shirt and tie suit to church and he plainly let me know that "inamnyonga" to mean his neck was being constricted by the tie~so i gave up on that although he would have looked very smart!And he is not the type to force anything on, i think it runs in the genes so i let him wear something else.
That's how well my son Johari is doing.Keep it up dear!

My Johari's first and second birthdays and other developments!

OK lets go!!!!!

Am wonderfully made!!!

OK lets finish this mum and grandma!

Johari's first birthday party was celebrated on 7th March 2009 at Impala Club-Ngong Road Nairobi with about 100 guests in attendance.The birthday cake read:Happy birthday Johari Ongweny,Daddy One, We love you!
The second birthday was celebrated in Westampton New Jersey, 595 Fort Drive~Auntie Penny and Uncle Abu's residence; we had just relocated from Kenya in Nov.2009.
Johari I love you, you are special to me, my blessing!Thank you for allowing me to be your mummy.God bless you very much!
Johari now speaks both English and Swahili including words like"gotta", "hi-five","mine","go to school",eat food like this","potty","shower" etc.In May 2010 he was 2 years,3 months old.
These days he is singing very many songs including "Baby" by Justin Bieber and "Hey soul sister" by train.He even tries to do the pin drop style as shown by his older cousins Eddie and Brandon and also stinky leg by Jerry.
He also sings"Twinkle twinkle little star,how i wonder what you are"
Am glad that he has also learnt a few gospel songs like "Read your Bible pray everyday if you want to grow""Jesus loves me this i know for the Bible tells me so"So he has experienced a little of both worlds but i pray that he will grow to develop a bias for the gospel music.
My Johari loves to drink his "Mi yo" to mean Milo before he goes to bed.He loves his blue,green capped sippy cap.Oh and it was very hard trying to get him off his feeding bottle.He preferred his Lactogen Formula to mummys milk at 3 months old when he stopped breastfeeding.
When i weaned my Johari at 4 months old i fed him mashed/blended potato, spinach, carrot, tomato all in one rich dish and later graduated to Ugali and Spinach plus Mala which he called "ma ya".Desert included a fruit smoothie of paw paw, water melon, passion, banana, avocado and mango mmmmm!!delicious!
After Johari's second birthday(2 years) he has created a great interest in hockey, golf and base ball aiming at the ball quite accurately and hitting it with energy like he has been practicing all his life.I guess it runs in the blood/genes.He has particularly broken many of Auntie Penny's "mwikos" and serving spoons while playing his sports as he uses them as golf clubs and hockey sticks.
Johari also loves to water the sukuma wiki and grass at the back yard and play with the hose piped water then runs to mummy after that dipping wet and coughing!!
Johari's first pair of shoes were navy blue and white in color from Auntie Carol Mumo who visited us at Nairobi Hospital on day 3 of our stay.Thanks Auntie Carol God bless  and to all the many others who have
blessed us in many ways!
Johari when in Mummy's tummy loved(my cravings) Brook side Yogurt a big one 500 milligrams with fruit in it especially straw berries!mmmmm yummy!,and also grapes and avocado.I literally ate avocado for breakfast, lunch and dinner!!
Wow my Johari you have come along way by God's sufficient grace and i have the confidence that you are destined for great things because not only are you my child...you are my miracle child...i love you Johari keep going dear!!

Down memory lane with Johari!

Johari at about five months old July 2008 in his crib

Well; today i decided to go down memory lane with my Johari since i started blogging when he is two and half; i kept a written journal of his development:
Among Johari's mile stones were crawling on the 3rd of August 2008.
On Sunday the 11th of January 2009; Sunday morning as we were getting ready to go to church "Mum Mum".He was 11 months old then.How beautiful!
Johari you are my blessing...my gift...my baby...my son.Am glad that when i desired a baby God chose you for me and am happy because you are very very special to me~you fill my world!I love you very much!
My Johari started calling his own name in early July 2009 through to November 2009 and he called himself "Ye ye"Just don't ask me how Johari becomes "ye ye".Auntie Cathy and Uncle Kiarie can remember tell us about this.That was very interesting.
Edna, his caretaker can also attest to this and she was the only and best caretaker for Johari my son.God bless you Edna together with Ivy your daughter~you have been a big blessing in our lives and we love you!
My Johari attempted to start writing on 25th of February 2010 just after his 2nd birthday.Love you i know you will grow to value education because knowledge is power!Keep up the good work and God bless you my son Johari!

Diapers are becoming history!!

Johari ,Mummy and Baraka in New Jersey USA-Jo at two years three months old!

My dear Johari you have grown so so fast!i remember it was just the other day when i celebrated your one week birthday, now you are two and half years old and you have achieved so so much.
You my Johari no longer eat pureed food, the bananas, the potatoes and the spinach all in one mix together~although that was really nutritious when we gave it to you when i weaned you.And oh i forgot to mention that after my maternity leave of about 3 months i went back to work~my bank job!so you saw me less and less and you decided to stop breast feeding because the formula e milk was more available and whole some to you.It was a little disappointing but i understand what happened~ it was to your satisfaction so am glad you stopped breast feeding at 3 months old.
So you are almost done with diapers now and that will be history.Initially you wore Pampers, soft and clean.i loved them the smelt good.I used to buy you the Jumbo pack but when you started teething and having loose bowel movement every few minutes i had too replenish the stock more oftenly from Nakumatt, Nairobi-Kenya.
My Johari you started with the Pampers Mini for the first 4 months then moved to Midi for a very short while like a month and then moved to Maxi where you have been for some time now, you sometimes use Huggies too.
So as u learn your potty drill which you are doing very well at i know that soon Diapers will be history for you and even pull ups.Yippee Hurray!!

Johari's first birthday party!!

Johari's birthday party was held on March the 7th 2009 on a Saturday at Impala Club-Ngong road Nairobi,Kenya.My wish for you was and still is that you will grow up to be a God-fearing gentleman who is fine and wise.The bash was actually at the cricket pavilion next to the swimming pool.In attendance was about 100 guests including family members, my colleagues, my team mates~Sliders Hockey Club,my friends and their friends too.
"Johari before you were formed in mummy's womb,the Lord knew you.He alone knows the plans he has for you and i know beyond the shadow of a doubt that they are good plans...in fact perfect plans for you my son"
Journal entry 17.2.2009
"Happy birthday to baby Johari,may he grow and become a n expert letter writer like some one else we remember!" Auntie Rhoda Chep
"Happy birthday 2 uuuuu!Ongweny; Ritengo for your first birthday"Uncle Obwocha

"My son; the Lord is your shepherd;you shall not be in want.He has inscribed you on the palm of his hand.He will never leave you nor forsake you"Mummy -18.02.2009
"You Johari is the best thing that has happened to me in a long while...in fact in a life time.I love you,love you,love you"-18.02.2009
It was a great day and we thank God for being our Ebenezer ,Our Jireh and Our Rohi

Journal entry 20.9.2010 Johari's milestones!

My Johari, My Prince,my gift, my blessing!!

Brandon,Johari and Jerry July 2010~New Jersey~USA

On Monday the 20th of September my very precious son did two significant things:
One; I had taken him to the park to play in the evening and so we started off with the see-saw before we moved to the hop, step and jump, the slides, the basket ball court and finally to the swings!So when i put him on the swing i gave him a few pushes to get his projectile motion higher; so he gets to some point and he tells me "Mummy that's enough" so i stop pushing him.So as i get into my own swing to start swinging he goes like " Mummy i push you?"Ohhhh that was so sweet of him to actually offer to push me!i thought that was brilliant because children learn from us older ones so so fast.So i told him "no thank you"  that it was okay and i  would push myself.That was special to me!
Two; when we got home from the park, i wanted to give him a shower but instead he wanted a bubble bath.So he goes like "Mummy i want a bacco gum" that sounded so funny because he meant a bubble bath.So sincere and timely.Anyway finally i prepared for him the bubble bath and he had a good time in the water.
When i look back, i thank God every day because my Johari is brilliant and he is growing tremendously well and these days he even tells me "Mummy,give me two minutes" when he wants to go potty or use the bathroom.can u imagine that?With his two fingers out showing me what he means!amazing!
God thank you for my precious jewel Johari!

A love story for my Johari!

Mummy and Johari-July 2010 New Jersey,USA

Mummy and Johari-a kiss for mummy will do just fine!

Come my darling, come my dear, come hear a story about a very special baby, come hear a song about you Johari.
Before the first stars blazed in your sky, before the sun ever kissed you, before you cried your first cry, we loved you.
When you started kicking i loved the feeling of those kicks~day and night and even while i was at work serving customers.
When you came into my arms; tiny like an atom, slippery as salmon, loud as a lion, fast like lightning we already knew we loved you Johari.
My Johari; you had tiny little hands with perfect nails and fingers like the petals of a flower and yes we loved you.
Johari you came complete with ten little toes as sweet and pink as candies,yes we knew we loved you even more.
Johari you had two little bright eyes and one very small nose and lots of hair for a new born.Johari you had no teeth at all; still we loved  you.
Johari you had round cheeks, tiny little lips,a round little tummy with a freshly cut umbilical cord, a round little bottom and we all loved you.
Johari your smile on day three was the sun and the moon,your crying, your burps were bells since we loved you.
So we cuddled you, we snuggled you and we juggled you Johari; we watched you while you slept, we listened to your heartbeat as you slept because its true that we loved you.
We clapped with you, we danced with you, we dried your tears and soothed your fears just because we loved you.
Johari we tossed you high and we kept you dry, we fed you and soothed you to sleep; do you know why? we loved you.
Johari you burst upon our world like a comet, like a galaxy of stars, like a birdsong in the silver silence of dawn and how could we help but love you Johari?
I had dreamed a baby, I had wanted a baby, I got a baby  and that baby was you Johari and oh how we love you Johari!

Always choose wisely!!

My Johari,
Decisions are incredibly important things!
Good decisions will come back to bless you!
Bad decisions can come back to haunt you!
That is why that its so important to take your time to choose wisely
Johari choose the things that will reflect well..
on your ability, your integrity, your spirit, your health and your tomorrows, your smiles, your dreams and yourself
You are such a wonder Johari.You are the only one in the universe like you.
I want you to take care of that rare and  remarkable soul.
I want you to know that there is someone who will thank you for doing the things you do now with foresight, wisdom and respect.
Its the person you will be some day tears later.
You Johari have a chance to make that person so thankful and so so proud.
All you have to do is remember one of the lessons i learned when i made a similar journey~
Each time you come to a crossroads... choose and choose wisely!

My Johari uttered"Mummy i love you"!

This is my replica...my very precious adorable Johari; my son

Mummy and Johari~Wananchi wazalendo~at 2 years old

My Johari and baby Lesley~all smiles~August 2010 in NJ, USA

Two days ago on 14th of September 2010 after i had given my Johari his evening shower he just hugged my shins (because of his height) and said "Mummy i love you".The feeling was just so nice as i wondered what exactly triggered him to deem it fit to let me know that he loves me.Then again my Johari usually says i love you too after i tell him i love you but this particular time; it was self initiative.My son Johari i even wondered whether you really understood the meaning of the words you just uttered~how ever it did not matter all that mattered is that you said them.So i guess maybe the shower made him feel so fresh and relaxed and nice and he thought mmmmhhh its about time i let my mama know how i feel!
My Johari am proud of you because you have shown your smartness so early just at two and half, amazing!
Keep it up and you know what the sky and beyond is your limit.
I love you too honey and am so proud to be your mummy!

Johari no matter how old you are...

Johari; your presence, your happiness, your health and safety mean everything to me.
Johari; i always think of you my child; my son and love you as much as ever!
I enjoy being you mummy, being with you,nurturing you and am very pleased as the young man you are turning out to be-active,smart,brilliant and alert.Joyful as ever!
Your voice Johari is one of my favorite sounds, morning and evening; your laughter always delights me!
You should always believe that you are capable and worthy; precious and unique-and act accordingly!
Johari you have touched my heart and made me proud more often than you could imagine!
Memories of you are very dear to me Johari and sharing special times with you makes them all the more enjoyable!
You Johari bless my life in more ways than one; you bless my life in a million ways and am thankful for the friendship we share.
There is nothing you could ever do Johari to lessen or dampen my love for you.Being your parent,being your mummy has given me so much happiness to the greatest degree and warmth that fills my heart.
Am in awe that you came into my life Johari and made my dreams come true!!

Johari; you were born to win!!

Johari,
You are just as special as anyone else,just as talented and gifted; so do not hide your light,your heart, your gifts.Let them shine and shine hard!
Do not be afraid, your talents will not let you down.Do not worry about failing for you cannot fail in what you were born for.Johari, you have what it takes and i can tell from the way you respond to situations from this tender age of two and half!
Find your passion in life; polish it daily and use it to make your dreams come true-You Johari can do it-go for it!!
You may see yourself as a star or feel like one; but our feelings have a habit of misleading us sometimes; they often prevent us from seeing ourselves in a true light.My Johari you actually possess more star like qualities than you can imagine; you are capable of achieving much more than you think-so do not listen to your fears and doubts-ignore them my son and they will get out of your way as you reach for your goal!
Johari; focus on what you can accomplish and give it your all; everything you have.Good things will happen and doors will keep opening for you my son!
In the heavens there are billions of stars.Galaxies and galaxies each with its own beauty,light and purpose.So do you!My son Johari, on the stage of life where we live; everyone who lets there light shine is a star and a winner too.Do not diminish your own light by comparing yourself to others.Remember that other stars only help us to shine brighter and be more beautiful!
As it is possible to count the stars; so too its impossible to know the depth of the wonderful things that could happen if you step out in faith and dare to let your light shine and win!
Take that chance my Johari; whenever it presents itself-when ever opportunity knocks-someone is going to see your light and be blessed and so will you.
And that is what you were born for Johari.You were born to shine.Johari you were born to win.Go for it!

My Johari be true to yourself!

My Johari 2010 New Jersey USA

My Johari"video game fanatic"2010

My Johari~be true to yourself!

My Johari,
be true to yourself, be true to your dreams and keep them alive.
never let anyone change your mind about what you feel you can achieve.
always believe in yourself  Johari.Be true to your self in the paths you choose.
follow your talents and passions; don't take the roads others say you must follow because the are the most popular. Take the paths where your talents with thrive- the ones that will keep your spirits alive with enthusiasm and everlasting joy.
Most of all my Johari; never forget that there is no brighter light than the one within you.
Keep on being true to yourself.Keep shining your light on us so that we will always have a reason to smile.
Follow your inner light to your own personal greatness, and remember that we admire you Johari and love you just as you are.
My Johari be true to yourself!

My wish for you my Son Johari!

Mummy and Johari 2010

Brandon,Johari and Jerry 2010

I want your life to be such a wonderful one.
I wish you peace, deep within your soul;
joyfulness in the promise of each new day;
stars to reach for; dreams to come true and
memories more beautiful than words can say or actions can express!

I wish you friends close at heart; even over the miles
loved ones~the best treasures we are blessed with~
present moments to live in; one day at a time~
Dear Johari i wish you serenity~with its wisdom; courage with its strength!
new beginnings, to give life a chance to really shine.

I wish you understanding~not only of how special you really are
but of life in general and how it really is!!
I wish you a life journey that is safe from the storms of life;
but warmed by the sun~a path to wonderful things;
an invitation to the abundance and variety life brings;
and an angel to watch over you Johari for all the days to come!
I wish you all of the best that life has to offer!

To my Remarkable, Adorable and Amazing Son Johari...

Johari in celebration mode!!! August 2010 NJ-USA

My remarkable,Adorable and Amazing Johari Ongweny with his "friend"@Chucke E Cheese,NJ,USA

Everywhere you journey in this life, you will go with my love by your side.
Forever it will be with you, truly,joyfully and more meant than words could ever express or say!
You, Johari are the joy of my life, the source of my dearest memories, the inspiration for my fondest wishes and you are the sweetest present/gift that life could ever give to anyone.
I love you so much and i want you to remember that every single day!
I want you my son to know that these are things i will always hope and pray for you~

That the world and life in general will treat you fairly~that people will appreciate the one in a million person you are,just like your mummy.
That you Johari will be safe and smart and sure to make good choices on your journey through life.
That a wealth of opportunities will come your way!
That your blessings will be many, your troubles few and that life will be very generous in giving you all the happiness and success that you deserve,my son Johari.

You are not just a fantastic son, you're also tremendous,rare and an extra ordinary person.
All the different facets of life that you will reveal to the world and the ones known only to those you are close to are extremely impressive.And as people look even deeper,i know they will discover how wonderful you are inside.

I will always love you Johari,with all my heart and i couldn't be more proud of you if i tried.
You're just so remarkable,adorably amazing!!

My Johari,My love!

My Johari my love!2009

My Johari; My blessing!~2009

If ever you want to know that someone in this world thinks the sun rises when you smile and that nothing is as amazing as your hearty laugh!
If every you feel the burden of guilt or failure and believe that no-one could love you just the way you are, then always remember these words...because i love you unconditionally.
I love you exactly as you are  my Johari
When i delivered you, the miracle never ever left my heart and you changed me forever.
Every second,every minute you are with me is a gift no-one could ever put a price on.
Always remember that you make my life so wonderful, you are my love!my sunshine!

My Son, the sky and beyond is your limit!

My beloved son Johari~the sky and beyond is your limit!

 My Son Johari
You have the ability to achieve whatever you set your mind at, to attain whatever you seek.
Within you is every potential you can imagine of~
Always aim higher than you believe you can reach.
So often, you will discover that when your talents are set free by your imagination,
you can achieve any goal even the one that's seems impossible at first!
If people offer their help or wisdom as you go through life; accept it gratefully.
For you can learn much from those who have gone before you.
But never ever be afraid or hesitant to step off the accepted path~
and head off in your own direction if your heart tells you its the right way to go for you.
Always believe that you; my  dear son Johari; will ultimately succeed at whatever you do,
and never forget the value of courage, persistence, discipline and determination.
You  my Johari are meant to be whatever you dream of becoming,
and the sky and beyond is your limit~in other words there's no limit,go for it dear!!

To my Son Johari,i love you!

My Johari at Two years four months old~New Jersey USA

My Johari at two years four months old,New Jersey USA; Beautiful smile!!keep it up!

I feel so fortunate to have you for a son Johari
I love your bright face when we talk seriously about the world
I love your smile when you laugh at the inconsistencies in the world
I love your eyes when you are showing emotion
I love your mind when you are discovering new ideas
....and creating dreams to follow!
I want you to know that i enjoy you so much and
i look forward to any time and every time we spend together
Because not only are you my adored son
but you are also my friend.
Am so proud of you and i love you very much!

God we thank you for Johari!

Mummy with colleagues(L to R:Mzee Mwangi, Charles,Mummy,Catherine, Teddie,Teresa and Florence) at Barclays~Moi Avenue Prestige Nairobi~Kenya.Johari mummy's tummy

Mummy with my Johari in my tummy and Auntie Norah at Parkie Church Nairobi~Kenya

Mummy with Johari in the tummy in South B Nairobi~Kenya~about 4 months of Johari

Mummy fully loaded with Johari in South B Estate-January 2008

Mummy at Barclays~Moi Avenue Prestige Nairobi~Kenya!December 2007

Mummy the banker at Barclays Bank~Nairobi Kenya and my Johari in the tummy~October 2007

My Johari: that's Babu/Tata (my dad) who you were born to replace and you are named after him

My one day old Johari~Nairobi Hospital-Kenya 17th February 2008

Aunties Jael, Rhoda and Dorsi visiting Johari- 2 months:

Franca:Nairobi~Kenya

Auntie Mercy carrying Johari~April 2008

God we thank you for you chose in your own appointed time to bring us together~to start a life-long journey together;for better or worse,in sickness and in health till death do us part~we thank you!
On February 17th 2008 Johari Ongweny Ongweny was born at Nairobi Hospital, Nairobi Kenya at exactly 12.35pm~on a Sunday just after the Sunday morning sermon.My precious jewel,my son.
Johari was born exactly one year later after my dad's demise :- February 17th 2007; actually on my dad's first memorial~that to me was a miracle in its own right because as i was pondering about my dad's first memorial i was also pondering about Johari's Expected Date of Delivery~do you picture that?
Johari was 3.09 kg when born~a healthy young boy~my boy~my son~my child!
Most of the time he stayed in the nursery with his colleagues and on day 3 he was already smiling especially when he knew his "son" Mokua was around visiting him.
That was awesome~simply breath~taking just to imagine that God would deem it fit to replace a life lost with another one by blessing us with a child~ a boy child.I thank you every single day for my miracle baby Johari!