Bumpdate: 30 Weeks!!!

You saw the title...let's  get into it!

General Stats

Getting closer!!!!!!

     30 weeks -- can you believe it?!? I swear I say that every time but really, can you believe it? This past week has been pretty uneventful. We did make some major headway in the nursery but of course I'll talk more about that during Operation Nursery; and like the rest of my pregnancy I'm still relatively symptom free. I guess you could say I'm battling the typical third trimester discomfort but I take it with stride, drink lots of water and generally just listen to what my body, and obviously what my baby needs. I have given into my sweet tooth though...blame the typhoon lol.
     When should I start taking bets on Prince Liam's arrival? Any takers?




Baby Buys
   
      I totally cracked on my no buy, but I swear it was completely justified. And they were pretty small purchases so no biggie. I ordered a hanging wet bag for the changing station and finally found a map big enough for the main nursery wall. See, told you nothing major. Well, there were those 2 new outfits and the ridiculously adorable elephant bookends for his bookshelf but that's neither here nor there. I would show you a picture but we still need to find a bookshelf, which oddly enough has proven to be way more difficult than I assumed (mostly because of price...I'm not spending $20 on a USED bookshelf that costs $15 new in the regular world)...gotta love Oki. I'm not worried though, we'll find one sooner or later.
    (Shameless registry plug)
Amazon
Target

Don't Forget About Mama
     SO MANY LISTS!!!!! Nursery checklists. Packing lists. To-do lists. Lists, lists and more lists. It's a little overwhelming but I'd rather be overly organized than running around like a chicken without a head. When I'm not obsessing over lists, I've been dedicating some time to just relaxing and reading whatever catches my mind. Right now I'm really enjoying Half of Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. It's kind of an oldie (written in 2006) but it is a wonderful story with great character development. In the world of non-fiction, I'm sampling a few different books about natural childbirth and so far they have all been really helpful and full of information. I just want to be prepared...or least informed. 

Operation Nursery

His diaper station wall! I just love the mirror.

     Lots going on in the nursery!! Well not a whole lot but it's coming together and I couldn't be happier. As you can see from the picture all of his diapers are prepped and ready to go! I just love the way they look displayed on the wall . On the left is his newborn stash which mainly consists of prefolds and covers, although we do have a couple newborn pockets and one all-in-one. On the right is his one-size stash and we still need about a dozen more before saying it is complete. We did register for one-size diapers but just incase none are gifted to us we're totally prepared to purchase whatever else we need. Isn't this wall just the best! I'm so glad I was able to find a circular mirror, I really don't think a rectangle or square would've had the same affect. 
     But on the same subject of walls, the map I ordered finally came in and although it was a bit of a challenge for me to hang it up, I absolutely love the color it brings into the room.

I kind of want to get an inspirational quote or scripture vinyled to go above it but I'm not entirely sure. I mean it looks great without it but I don't know, we still have some time so no rush. 

     I still plan on doing a full nursery tour (picture or video...I haven't decided yet) in August, but I want to wait until after the shower because I feel like then it'll be at its most complete. I'm really happy with how it has turned out so far and just can't wait to finish it. Moreover, I can't wait for Liam to see it. 









Extras

(Acquired from Tumblr)

     Isn't this picture simply amazing? I found it on mamaamoon's tumblr (check her out y'all. She's super chill) and just had to download it for myself. It just really speaks to me and I love it. It's amazing to think that in 9 weeks, give or take 2 weeks, I'll be holding one of God's most precious creations -- gosh, our lives are going to change so much. Jeremiah and I give all thanks and glory to God because we know none of this would be possible without him. Furthermore, we are very appreciative of the wonderful support system we have found in our Okinawa family, you guys are so amazing and loving. And of course we are beyond greatful for our stateside family as well. We love all of you so much and thank you from bottom of our hearts for already showering Liam with so much love. Uh, I'm going to start crying.

It's a Lion on my Liam!!

(Courtesy of Swirls and Twirls Henna)

Bumpdate: 26 weeks

Good morning loves! I hope your mornings are starting off well. As you can see from the title -- it's time for a new bumpdate!!! And believe me, we have a lot to cover, so let's not waste anymore time and get this show on the road:

Quick stats
     

26 weeks 2 days! My hair looks amazing!!!

In my last Bumpdate I said I was going to try and crank these out weekly...well not a lot happened last week so I decided to skip it, but now in my 26th week of pregnancy I am over the moon excited! I mean think about it, I'm 5 days shy of my third trimester! That's 13 short weeks until Monk Monk is here!! (Honestly I think it'll be more like 10 or 11 weeks but we're trying to keep with the schedule here). We don't have a scale but I'm sure I've gained at least a pound since our last chit-chat, and although earlier in my pregnancy I expressed some apprehension about gaining the dreaded pregnancy weight I've more or less come to terms with it because I know it's what's best for my little Prince. I'll admit, it is still a little hard to look down and see a belly but aside from the occasional freak-outs, I'm finally starting to adjust.  


Baby Buys

     A little over a month ago I put myself on a strict no buy until after the baby shower and believe it or not I've been doing pretty darn well if I may say so myself. We did end up buying another crib but I'll talk more about that during "Operation Nursery". We also bought some art supplies, but I don't really count it even though they are for decor purposes. (Again, we'll talk more during ON).
     I am going to order the baby shower invitations this week, so I guess you can count that as a baby buy. They're beyond adorable...gotta love Etsy! Oh, and speaking of the baby shower, we have released our registries!!!!

• Amazon 
• Target 

Please feel free to take a look at them and if you do plan on ordering, especially from Target, do it ASAP. The baby shower is scheduled for August 2nd and Target is slightly notorious for putting even the smallest things (i.e. a really cute jacket) on a boat (6-8 ship time...minimum). It doesn't happen all the time but we don't want to take any chances.

Don't Forget About Mama
     
       I bought my first maternity shirt!!! I got it second hand so it was only $5 and while it is pretty cute, I probably won't be buying a whole new wardrobe. It is super hot in Okinawa and I plan on living in maxi skirts and dresses the entire time. I might get a pair of shorts or two but I don't want to get ahead of myself.
      Not really baby related but I took my Senegalese twists out last week and although it takes me longer to get dressed and ready now I am loving having my hair back! I love my curls!

Operation Nursery

      Now it's time for what you have all been waiting for!!!! Operation Nursery is definitely a go and although I won't show you everything (got to leave a bit for the imagination --- aka a big nursery reveal in August), I will give you little sneak peeks of our progress. Last week was all about the dresser and as you can see from the before and "kind of after" photos, it's undergone a major face lift.

                 

Before

Kind of after

      Eeek, I can't wait until you all get to see the finished product! It was definitely a labor of love but I think it looks great! As mentioned earlier, we bought another crib and while it was a hard pill to swallow, it's better this way. Originally I had purchased a used crib from Okinawa Yard Sales and with every intention of painting it I was super excited about finding such a quality piece of furniture for "cheap". As I researched different ways to paint and refurbish the crib, I met a lot of resistance, especially regarding the safety and toxicity of whatever paint I would ultimately choose. Nonetheless, I pressed on, fully determined to sand, prime and paint my dream crib. Well, insert rainy season, a broken sander and a husband who sleeps during the day because of mids, I quickly realized that this was project I was simply not ready nor equipped for. After licking my wounds and coming to grips with a failed project, I put on some pants and headed out to the BX. Luckily, I found the perfect crib for an even more perfect price and we're putting it together tomorrow morning so I'm a happy camper. 

***DISCLAIMER*** For anyone thinking about refurbishing a crib, please do not let my experience discourage you! It is definitely possible but please do your research, gather an abundance of materials and prepare for a lot of work.

      Is it just me, or does Pintrest bring out your inner arts and crafts guru? While licking my wounds about the crib, I decided to get a jump start on some of the decor I want in the nursery and since I had all the material for my canvas boards I figured why not knock these out of the way. I still have a few left to do but I'm loving the results so far. 

I love it! And it was super easy!!!

Extras

     I do have a few extras to report but I think I'm going to do a separate blog post on them because they're kind of a big deal and really cool! 

<3 ya!!

Operation Nursery is a go!

Hey y'all!!

This weekend is super exciting because we're finally starting to set up Liam's nursery!!!! We were going to finish sanding and painting the crib this weekend but Jeremiah jacked up his shoulder lifting weights, so we're painting the dresser instead. I am so excited! We're going to do a basic navy blue all over, and then once I buy the acrylic paint - in yellow of course, I'm going to add some pinstripes to give it a bit more life and detail. Hopefully we can also change out the knobs, it just depends on what we find out in town. (I'm telling you! Don't take Home Depot for granted people, because one day you will find yourself on a tiny ass island overseas and something as simple as finding knobs for a dresser will turn into the hunt for Atlantis lol.)  

Because the dresser is currently housing his OS diaper stash, extra inserts, liners (so excited about cloth diapering) and various gifts (mostly clothes) we have received along the way, I'm going to take this opportunity to start organizing his clothes and closet. I know it doesn't seem like much but I'm super excited to finally start setting up Monk Monk's space and with my third trimester coming up (although I feel great), I really want to get all the big things, i.e. furniture projects taken care of so I can really focus on adding all the finishing touches for the remainder of my pregnancy.  

The other day I was telling Jeremiah that I feel so incredibly blessed for experiencing such an easy pregnancy. In addition to the fact that we're married, stable, loving and absolutely over the moon about our son, I haven't really experienced any of the "ailments" of pregnancy. I've had very little to no morning sickness (there was that one time a few weeks ago with the mac n cheese though), debilitating fatigue, soreness, pain - nothing really and it has truly helped curb some of my anxieties about being a FTM. (My emotions can be all over the place sometimes though.) And as an added bonus, it has made it all the more easier to enjoy this wonderful phase of life. With that said, I understand that everyone is not keen to this type of experience. In fact, I understand that for some people, pregnancy is a very scary and difficult time in life. For anyone who may be reading this who has experienced or is experiencing a difficult, high-stress or high risk pregnancy, please know that my genuine prayers are with you. And regardless of what you are going through or dealing with, whether it be emotional, physical or environmental, always remember that no matter what you are an angel on earth who has been hand selected to watch over and guide one of the Lord's most precious creatures. You are the second coming of Superwoman and the original 3-D printer! 

GET SOME!!!!

<3 ya!!

P.S. I will try my best to capture our weekend project/adventure on camera...I just need to find my battery charger!!!! 

Bumpdate: 24 Weeks

Hi all!!

I can't believe my last bumpdate was 7 weeks ago! I am so sorry. From now on I promise to get these out weekly. With that said, let's get it started:

Quick Stats

Last week at 23 weeks 3 days <3

I am 24 weeks pregnant!! 6 freaking months. It's astonishing how quickly time is passing us by. My baby shower is in 8 weeks, my due date is in 16 weeks and we still haven't started setting up the nursery...YIKES!! So many projects, so little time!! Eh, we'll get it done and of course the camera will be there every step of the way. Let's see, at my 22 week appt I weighed 122lbs, and although I have put on weight since my last check-up, my doctor is still a little concerned. But like I said in my last bumpdate, I'm not really worried because at all of his ultrasounds Liam has measured at least one week ahead and I've always had trouble putting on weight...some call it a blessing, some call it a curse. Honestly, my biggest focus is that I remain healthy (pre-pregnancy, during and post). Besides, I' m definitely showing now and he is more than living up to his nickname (Monk Monk) with all the moving and kicking he does. (I LOVE IT!!)

I haven't measured my belly in a while but it's very much there now and unfortunately I'm having a little bit of trouble adjusting to it. I know I'm pregnant and with pregnancy, of course comes a belly but as someone who has always been very fit and in shape, it's kind of hard looking down every morning and seeing such a round tummy. However on that same token, I love being pregnant and I know I am extremely blessed to 1) be able to experience this wonderful stage in life and 2) have such an easy pregnancy, I really couldn't have wished for it be any better. And of course, I couldn't have wished for an any more wonderful husband to share this with. Yes, he works my everlasting nerves sometimes, but that never changes how much I love him and appreciate all he has done and all he is doing for our little family. (I am a little salty though because he let a stupid gecko into the house and then left me to deal with getting it out of the house)

Baby Buys

Believe it or not, nothing! I did participate in a clothing swap on base a few weeks ago and while I was a little apprehensive/skeptical, I was able to score some really great finds and I can't wait to see my little man all dressed up. But yea, other than that we probably won't be buying much for awhile because (and I mentioned this in my previous post --> Horrible Blogger) we have released the registries and I want to give everyone a chance to help us bless our baby boy. If you want to take a peak, we are registered at Target and on Amazon - just search by name (Tiffany or Jeremiah Dobson) and city (APO/AP).

Oh! How could I forge, we got a glider/rocking chair last week! Technically it isn't a "buy" because we actually got it for free. It needs a little cosmetic work - nothing a slipcover can't solve but structurally, and most importantly it is sound. If y'all haven't noticed, we purchased a lot of the furniture used and from the beginning this was kind of my plan because I really want to customize his nursery. Living on an island means we have limited resources and naturally everyone tends to have the same stuff because we all shop at the same places. This is my first baby...I just want to be different - and have a really cool nursery.

Don't Forget About Mama

As mentioned earlier, I have had a very easy going pregnancy. No morning sickness, very little fatigue and outside of some pains here and there I'm still feeling pretty good. At 24 weeks I'm still in my regular clothes (woot!) and crossing my fingers that I can avoid maternity clothes throughout the summer (i.e. maxi dresses/skirts, regular dresses/skirts, etc). However, I do have a small, but growing pile of "Yea...can't really fit this anymore".

Operation Nursery

Ooo wee!!! We are definitely slacking in this department! Because we purchased everything used we have quite a bit of refurbishing to do (mostly painting) but obviously those take time. And then outside of the furniture, we have so many projects to do! Thankfully, we're getting started on them this week, so this section will definitely be seeing a lot of action and updates.

Extras

Honestly, nothing much. I'm feeling a ton of movement and I absolutely love it. So far his favorite nursery rhyme is Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and of course, he loves snuggling with Sneak and Spike. Don't ask how I know, I just do :D

<3 ya!