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!!!! 

REGISTRY!!!!

A lot have been asking so here ya go!!

Amazon
Target

<3 yall!!

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!

Horrible Blogger!!

Hi all! Remember me? I know it's been absolutely forever since my last blog post and normally I have some kind of excuse but not this time, I really just never got around to posting. My sincerest and deepest apologies, I didn't forget about you...I swear!! After finishing the semester, the days and weeks just rolled past me. I was so focused on catching up on sleep and being lazy...it's kinda sad now that I think about it. Regardless, I should've kept up with my blog so I promise this won't happen again.

In my defense, my absence wasn't just sleeping and eating cereal all day, aside from finishing up my first year at LUO (woot!!) I was able to finally tackle a big project that has been on my mind for quite some time. Living in Okinawa is great, but living on base kind of sucks because most of the housing layouts are so weird. Ex: our living room is a horribly shaped rectangle and without some serious imagination, and Pintrest we're really limited on what we can do. Luckily, I have some imagination and am hopelessly devoted to Pintrest, so I spent about a week moving things around, decorating, reorganizing and just making everything feel more home-y. I meant to take before and after photos but I totally forgot to do the befores, and I'm not all the way satisfied yet so the afters will have to wait but what at I have done definitely qualifies as a major improvement!! Ugh! I swear we have the worst designed housing ever...imagine a cement box with really big, ill placed windows and way too many random closets. Oh! and two really small bedrooms, a unnecessarily large kitchen, decent sized bathroom and a laundry closet (it doesn't qualify as a room).

But in other news, can you believe I am 24 weeks pregnant!! It's all going by so freaking fast! A couple weeks ago, my friend and I started planning my baby shower and obviously I'm super, freaking excited! It isn't until August 2nd, so I won't go too far into what we talked about but as we get closer to the date I'll definitely get y'all up to speed because you already know it is going to be AWESOME!! For now, I'll let y'all in on the theme because it's kind of my favorite part: CARNIVAL!!! Initially I was going to go with a circus theme, but clowns are at the circus and quite frankly clowns are really creepy. Since baby shower planning has officially started, Jeremiah and I figured it would be a good idea to get a registry (or two) in order and dun-da-dun-tah!! here they are: Amazon & Target.

Yes, for the purpose of addressing proper etiquette, we realize that we are releasing the registries earlier than "acceptable".  Well darling reader, some companies, particularly Target, can be very iffy with their shipping and if something can't be shipped via plane, they will more than likely place the item on a boat which means we won't see it for at least 6-8 weeks *hint, hint*. Of course this is not the norm but we don't want to take any chances. (When we first moved here, it took two and half months for our bathroom trashcan to get here because it was shipped via boat). Also, we want to give people a chance to shop around. Personally, whenever I'm presented with a registry, I take a look at it to get an idea of what the parents need and if I can find a similar or the same product somewhere cheaper it's a win-win in my book. And of course, a lot of family members have been asking about it so I am happy to finally deliver "the goods". HOWEVER PLEASE TAKE NOTE!! MY ONLY RULE!! Because it is so early, if you do not want a package opened before the baby shower please let us know!! Send a text, a Facebook message, call us on skype, e-mail us - do whatever you have to do to get us the message. I love getting packages and its really hard to resist the urge to tear the box open and reveal the hidden treasures. (Okay, maybe it's not that serious but still just give us a heads up.) And if for some reason the links above don't work, you can search for our registries by name and city: Tiffany or Jeremiah Dobson/APO, AP.

I have some pregnancy updates but I'll do a separate post for that (I'm going to post it right after this one...I SWEAR!!)

<3 ya!!

THE WAIT IS OVER!!!!!!

Ok y'all the time has finally come and the wait is OFFICIALLY OVER!!! Place your final bets...

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How about a countdown!!!!

10...

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1...

J.R. <3

BUMPDATE: 17 weeks

I know, I know I promised y'all a bumpdate last week but I never really got a chance to get around to it until now so...here ya go!


Since this is my first official bumpdate, here's a quick run-down of how they are going to go:

• Quick Stats
• Weeks pregnant, belly measurement, pictures, ultrasounds, etc
• Baby Buys
• Any baby or nursery purchases from the week (pictures included)
• Don't Forget About Mama
• Quick recap of how I'm feeling.
• Operation Nursery
• Updates on all nursery projects...get excited!!!
• Extras
• Anything else I feel like telling y'all lol

Quick Stats

<3 <3 <3

Let's see, I'm 17 weeks+3 days and at my last appointment (16 weeks) I was 118lbs. The doctor expressed some concern considering I hadn't gained any weight since my 12 week appointment but I'm not really worried...it's not like I'm not eating. I've always had trouble gaining weight, even as kid, but I'm sure the weight will come eventually. (Truthfully...it can take as long as it wants lol). 

I'm measuring 30"!! I know that's not a lot but it sure sounds like a lot to me. A lot of people have actually been noticing my growing bump and although I do like the attention, it's a little embarrassing. And I am definitely NOT looking forward to the unsolicited belly rubs  

As you may remember, we had an ultrasound appointment last week but I'm not showing you the pictures. Stay tuned though, because we are doing a big gender reveal on Easter. Eeeek, I'm so excited!!!!!

Baby Buys

We finally found a dresser! I can't wait to start refurbishing it, it's going to look amazing!! We also bought a couple pacifiers, a yoga ball and pregnancy/body pillow to help alleviate my hip discomfort (see below).

Don't Forget About Mama

Holy hips stretching! My hips have been killing me the last few days. I think it has to do with my uterus moving closer towards my belly button but OMG it is a terrible pain. Thankfully the discomfort has been subsiding but ugh...definitely no bueno. Other than that I feel great. 

Operation Nursery

May 10th! May 10th! May 10th! Well actually maybe like the 11th, 12th or 13th, but regardless I can't wait until this semester is over so I can dive into all of the nursery projects I want to do. Here's a link to my Pinterest board if you're interested in my craft ideas: Baby & Nursery Projects.

Extras

I didn't want to include this in 'Baby Buys' because it seemed a little creepy but we hired our doula! It took some convincing but I'm super excited to have her apart of the team. It's only been about a week so I can't really comment on our official doula experience but she'll definitely be apart of my later blogs. Should I do a 'Why We Hired a Doula' blog? Sound off in the comments :D

That's it for now! Do you like the organization or should I try something else? As always thanks for reading! See ya soon!!

<3 Tiffe

P.S. 

I can't deny y'all...here's a pic from our appointment last week!!

So freaking adorable!!!!!!