The novel coronavirus pandemic has caused many to press pause on lots of what was once taken for granted. There was no pressing pause, however, on mothers giving birth. Indeed, in the midst of wretched despair and fear there was hope. Hope for a better quaility of life, hope for kindness, and hope for light at the end of the tunnel.

The Style Observer (SO) celebrates all mums today and welcomes the new ones.

Mum: Janelle Pantry-Coke

Amari Elise Coke

Weight: 5 lbs 5 oz

Date of Birth: November 8, 2019

Zein Leila Coke

Weight: 4 lbs 9 oz

Date of Birth: November 8, 2019

On choosing their names…

When I heard I was pregnant with fraternal twins I knew right away that I wanted them to have dissimilar names. Since they were not identical, the thinking was they were two distinct persons who happened to be conceived and born at the same time. I also wanted them to have names with strong meanings, and so “A & Z”, as they are fondly referred to, were given names on the opposite spectrum of the alphabet… Amari and Zein Coke. The name Amari is of African-Yoruba origin and means ‘strength’. And the name Zein is of Arabic origin and means ‘grace and beauty’.

On lessons from motherhood…

From the stress and anxiety of a twin pregnancy to the roller coaster of the first few months of motherhood, my life has changed completely for the better. Being a mother has taught me the importance of living in and enjoying the present moment. Prior to having kids, I was always focused on what’s next, whether that was a professional or personal future state. Now, seeing my babies grow and evolve into little human beings drives home the point that life changes happen so quickly. If you don’t stop and enjoy each stage, each milestone and each memory, before you know it you would have missed those precious moments. Through my kids, I have learnt to slow down and to enjoy life’s simplest activities.