For the Love of Books part 1

'Reading a book is like looking through a window'. - Zetta Hupf

Hi All

Happy Easter weekend to you all!!!!! 

As a lover of books I wanted Afropean Baby to also have this love of books. So I looked around trying to find suitable African and African American books, religious books as well as the normal traditional books that children know and learn from. Basically a culturally diverse introduction to the World.  My mother was kind and generous enough to order and pay for these books, and for that I am extremely grateful. So here is just a small collection of Afropean Babys' library collection. 

Our Books

Spread out to see them better

Whose Toes are Those?  by Jabari Asim

Whose Knees are These? by Jabari Asim

Favorite African Folktales edited by Nelson Mandela

We All Went on Safari - A counting Journey through Tanzania by Laurie Krebs and Julia Cairns

Mama Panya's Pancakes - A Village Tale from Kenya

Let's Eat! - Children and their Food Around the World by Beatrice Hollyer

Emeka's Gift - An African Counting Story by Ifeoma Onyefulu

One Big Family - Sharing Life in an African village by Ifeoma Onyefulu

A is for Africa by Ifeoma Onyefulu

One World Many Religions - The Way We Worship by Mary Rose Osborne

I loved reading these books as a preview of what I would be sharing with Afropean Baby. Plus I started reading to my Love and we are establishing a wonderful bed time routine. All that is needed now is to Video tape the movements of the kicks and one more sonar. We are have 25 days to go and counting down to the Big Arrival.

Blessings, Love and Reading

My morning

'I'd rather have roses on my table than diamonds on my neck'. -Emma Goldman

Hiya 

I had a rough night last night Baby Afropean kept me up and awake, which is great on one hand because I know baby is  active and moving and I need to count the kicks but the timing sucked, we talking bout  2 am to about 5 am with breaks in between. So what a wonderful surprise I got from my Boo, to wake up to gorgeous roses on my bed!!!!!! I swear, I seriously lucked out with my man. I am truly Blessed. 

My gorgeous morning gift.

close up

To date I have received red roses, huge sunflowers and daisies from him, including numerous breakfasts in bed, songs, random dances, cute notes and foot massages. And each time, I am well surprised and its unexpected but always Always appreciated and warmly Thanked.  Now its off to bed and  to give Thank  to my Creator for Blessing me with such an amazing man and father for our child. Its days like these I look forward to tomorrow, because its always a surprise. 

Blessings, Joy and Roses

Baby Products part 1

'It is the nature of babies to be in bliss'. - Deepak Chopra

Hi All

So we are just under 30 days then Afropean Baby will be here!!!!!! Hectic times these next few weeks will be for me. I have about 5 weeks left. So you guys should know me by now and know I am all about natural products for my skin, my insides and my hair and the same will be for baby M - my Love has a name picked out already. 

My stash 

We are going the cloth diapering route - here is one of the 3 different colored ones we got.

 This has settings that can be adjusted according to babies' size as it grows. 

The cloth inside that gets washed

 It can be placed into the top part and bottom part

 Instructions on how to wash and care for the cloth diaper

Burt's Bees- Shampoo & wash (Natural 99.0%)

BIO2 You- Baby Nappy Diaper Cream (100% Natural oils and extracts)

Note: these little guys my folks got from a hotel they were staying at in Lithuania

Himalaya Herbals - Moisturizing baby soap (oils of Olive and Almond)

Himalaya Herbals - Nappy Rash Cream (Almond oil & Yashada Bhasma)

Himalaya Herbals -Baby Lotion ( Almond oil and Olive Oil)

Himalaya Herbals - Nourishing baby oil ( Olive oil & Winter Cherry) 

As baby gets older about 4 or maybe 6 months will start introducing  my natural oils and butters to it. But coconut oil will be in heavy usage with the cloth diapers. 

Here are a few reasons why we decided to go the cloth diaper way: 

- Cloth diapers saves a lot of money. 

- Cloth diapers grow with baby they are adjustable from new born up to toddler years. 

- They can be put on just as easily as a disposable diaper

- In my opinion they are healthier for the tushie (bum) than disposables

- Allow more air flow which results in less rashes

- They fill up less landfills, poo goes where it needs to go right in the loo. 

- Less pollution - no need to throw away. These can keep for years and can be reused for next baby even. 

- They are just so cute and fashionable, so many colors and prints to choose from!!!!!

- I was cloth diapered, as was my brother and sister and my man and my folks. And I really want Baby M to be as well. 

- Washing cloth diapers isn't hard. 

Please note these are my opinions after careful consideration. I did my research and weighed up my pros and cons. Also the products that Baby M will be using were all bought and paid  for and nothing is a paid promotion. 

33 Weeks!!!

'May the sun in his course visit no land more free, more happy, more lovely than this our own country!' - Daniel Webster

Hi All

So Yesterday was the 23 Independence Celebrations of Namibia and here is what I wore. The celebrations were fabulous getting to spend time with other Namibians here in Stockholm. Loved it and best part was that the celebrations were at an Ethiopian Restaurant and we had a live Musician - Namibian who is currently living in Norway. So it was all good. I can now take off try Ethiopian food off my food bucket list. Onward to the pix......

Side view

Just my bump

Front view

My hair was gelled in the front with IC Fantasia Gel and Put into a puff. The top is an African print/wax from Zambia which I paired with black leggings. And my earring are made from bottle tops and have an image of an elephant on them with the name Namibia printed under the elephant. 

My gosh time is going so fast now!!!!!! Seriously, from the 24 of March I will only have 30 days left till Afropean Baby is here. Am seriously so excited. Everything is ready, my hospital bag is packed, can hardly see my feet anymore (which is an indicator that my bump is mos def growing lol. Baby Afro is keeping me up at all hours and my back, hips and boobs are definitely ready for baby lol, but will just be a bit more patient for the next few weeks. 

Peace, Love and Growth

32 Weeks Pregnant!!!!!

'Everything grows rounder and wider and weirder, and I sit here in the middle of it all and wonder who in the world will you turn out to be'. - Carrie Fisher

Hi All

So we are in the last stretch, am officially 32 weeks pregnant, with about 6 weeks left!!!!!! Cant believe it, I remember when I was 6 weeks Pregnant and I had my first doctors appointment after taking my home test - I loving-ly call it pee on a stick thingie. And now baby is kicking away and keeping me awake at all hours of the night. I love those moments and feel so special since baby doesn't like it when anyone else puts hand to tummy!!!!! This baby knows mama's hands. I think that is one thing I will miss terribly after I give birth. Onto pics......

Us at 32 Weeks

My lovely bump.

All grey.

So I went to see a specialist about my leg and it was decided that I am definitely having a c-section, I knew this already in Windhoek, so no surprises there. Actually it was a pretty quick decision with this doctor, he asked me to get on the bed and lift my leg stretching it backwards and folding it as though I was ready to give birth, That didn't go too well, my leg was shaking so bad and the pain was intense at my hip area. Couldn't even lift the leg off the floor and that was at 28 weeks plus looking at my x-rays, it was a done deal.Moreover I am back to wearing my built up shoes because it seems my left leg is back to being short again. Am hoping this is a short term thing I mean after all the work I put into stretching it out and doing my leg exercises!!!! But alas, will see what happens after April   So now, I have my date, my room booked and in April will meet up with my team. And when time comes for Afro-pean Baby to be born, my sis will be in the room taking pics and perhaps my mom if they allow a second person or if sis cant handle the job.

Surprisingly, I aint scared so much about the operation, more about getting the needle in my back, so not looking forward to that but I gather at that point, I will just be happy to do anything to get Afro-pean Baby in my arms. Plus I have done so much reading about c-sections and Swedish birth practices as well as my midwife being super excellent with me that I am well prepared. All that is needed now is rest, food, maternity bra's and getting through these next 6 weeks.


Peace, Love and Excitement