Hair Today

'Be prepared, work hard and hope for a little luck.  Recognize that the harder you work and the better prepared you are the more luck you might have'. - Ed Bradley 

Hi everyone!!!!

So 14 days left and its getting real up in here!!!! One more midwife appointment and sister coming next week, then the week afterwards, meeting with my medical staff and then on the 24 the BIG DAY!!!!!  So to get ready for this and everything else, I am in the process of getting my hair braided. I plan on keeping these braids for 8 to 10 weeks if possible. Pregnancy has done some major changes to my hair, firstly its broken off at my temples and nape, secondly its extremely dry and bristle at the ends even though I keep that moisturized and well trimmed. I have split ends that go into 3's and then knots at the ends. The one positive thing is that my hair is very thick and seems I have a lot more of it. My color is still fabulous. 

I decided to first oil my hair with castor oil and de-tangle. Then I washed my hair with a tea-tree oil based shampoo afterwards I wanted to use the L.O.C method ---- which is Liquid, Oil and Cream before styling. 

I used water for my liquid and Castor oil for my oil. I then used my shea butter mix that I recently blogged about as my cream. Then I wanted to do a roller-set, but being 8 months pregnant and my concentration levels ain't so high lol. So I decided to instead do a bantu knot and then comb that through and get my hair braided. Onto pictures. 

My bantu knots

See that grey? Not happy

Gorgeous knots

unraveling them...

This color is a combination of my real hair color and the red henna application I had done in India. 

More grey hair!!!!! Urggggggg

Curly Head

So am now getting my hair braided and then will put together an oil mixture for my edges, scalp and length of the braid. I cant wait to see what my postpartum hair is going to look like. I mean pregnancy hair wasn't so great, so am hoping afterwards looks fabulous. Either way, like my dad said his great grandmother used to say, even dogs shed hair.

Okay darlings, am off, need to finish this hair and then will come back with braided hair pictures.

Love, Kisses and Knots

My baby's journal

'Listen, dear diary, I will tell you what I will tell no one else'. - Ella Gertrude Clanton

Hi everyone

So we have made it to 36 weeks and according to my app, I am as big as a watermelon!!!!!! I certainly feel like it, will hopefully take some maternity pictures in the next few days. This is just a quick post about what I have been up to over the course of my pregnancy. And that is keeping a journal. I have always had diaries as a young girl, so when I got pregnant, I wanted a keepsake for my baby to one day have and read and look through. Here is what I have. 

My baby Journal and the ultrasound pictures to go into it. 

The front cover

Some of the sub-sections to be filled out

This page will be filled out soon!!!!!!!

Cant wait to add these to my book.

Home picture goes here...

First night at home!!!! Cant wait for this day, seriously!!!!

Last week Friday, my mom, my dad and I went to my last sonar scan before the big day, my midwife wanted to check how big Afropean Baby is and how much room is left. My mom and my partner had already been and I wanted to share this experience with my dad. During his and my mom's time, there were no such things (words from my mom). So this was really special and to make it even more so, Baby proudly showed the goods (or lack thereof) by opening the legs wide!!!!! This child is not shy.

Below is the scans I got to keep and earlier ones.

Face - eyes, mouth and nose. (sometimes I can see it but now not so much) 

Babies head, nose and mouth. Cute little nose.

My favorite one!!!! Love that little hand.

Apart from keeping a journal, I also opened a Hotmail account and I write emails to my baby. These include my feelings, pictures and anything interesting that Baby may want to know about later on in life. My family history, how I met my Boo, what he is like, hopes and dreams for Baby Afropean etc. I love these two ways of 'communicating' this special time with my unborn child.

Ok, so thats it. Off to bed now, midwife meeting tomorrow morning.

Peace, Love and Memories

249 Days

'I Love you without knowing how, or when, or from where. I Love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride. So I Love you because I know no other way'. - Pablo Neruda

Hellooooooo

So according to my app, I am exactly 249 days pregnant!!!! Seems a lot huh?  All I know is I am 35 weeks and 4 day or more precisely Baby Afropean will be here in exactly 20 days. Yep TWENTY days. Tomorrow will be 19, then Saturday 18 and Sunday 17 and Monday...... you get my drift. Baby is coming fast. These last few days have been kicking my butt, am totally taking things easy now. Like 'Easy like Sunday Morning' (Thank You Mr Richie!!!). 

Yesterday, Boo and I went to the mall to buy Afropean Baby's coming home from the hospital outfit. I wanted something festive and gender neutral, even though we know the sex of the baby. And here is what we picked out. 

Very colorful

No better mathematics!!!!!

Cutest socks EVER!!!!!!

 ohhhhh I just love it. 

The yellow jersey and socks were bought by ouma (grandmother) aka, my mom. If there is anyone more excited about Baby then its my mom, this is her first grandchild. and she has waited 31 years for this day lol. So you can only imagine how excited she is, as is my dad. And well my brother and sister, our older (half) sister already has 3 kids, but from the 3 of us from my mom, I am the first to go down the family route. So we know Baby Afropean will be nicely spoilt till my siblings have their own babies.

Also, if Baby sticks to schedule, which I really hope Baby does, then we will have the coolest birth dates EVER!!!! 23, 24 and 25. My man was born on a 23rd, I was born on a 25th and Baby will hopefully be born on the 24th. So Baby needs to stay put and enjoy the free food,  somewhat limited space and kick away lol hahahahahha.

For me, need to finalize my hospital bag, do my music playlist, braid my hair and wait for my sister to get here. I take each day as it comes, lots of rest, feet up, massaging the belly with my Shea Mix - its expanding more (how I don't know) and itching and am getting a few stretch marks (warrior stripes if you will), so need to keep it nice and moisturized and a few more photo-shoots.  Last Baby sonar tomorrow. Three more midwives appointments and then medical team meeting and sister coming. That's just what must be done in 20 days!!!!! Ohhhhhhh Spring is slowly creeping!!!! There is still snow, but its melting and sun shines everyday. Winter coats are packed away!!!!! So excited now really.

Love, Joy and Counting Down

Pregnancy Book

'There is no end to education. It is not that you read a book, pass an examination and finish an education. The whole of life, from the moment you are born to the moment you die, is a process of learning'. - Jiddu Krishnamurti

Hi everyone

Today I want to post about my pregnancy book that I have been reading and learning from and taking notes from. Now I know there are tons of books out there, but this particular one is one that I love and is for me very informative. This book as well as what was handed out to me by my midwife (hospital Manuel pregnancy books and leaflets), my What to Expect When you are Expecting app on my Ipod as well as watching documentaries like Super Nanny, One Born Every Minute,  Teen Moms and  16 and Pregnant (guilty pleasure)  etc is how I am getting my self ready. Although I do know there is no 100% way to be really ready to be a mom or give birth. I am just in the process of becoming aware of what is to happen, might happen, may not happen and not being frightened of the whole process. 

Here is the book I am reading. 

4th Edition Pregnancy Childbirth and the Newborn: The Complete Guide

Here are a few interesting Chapters. 

'Good Nutrition during Pregnancy'

'Second Trimester Changes for you and Your Baby' 

 'Second Stage of Labor: Birth of your Baby'

Breastfeeding

'Postpartum Fitness'

 Here's my book again.  Spilled some oil on it lol hahahaha 

This book for me is seriously very good, not just for before you get pregnancy but during your pregnancy as well as a chapter for second pregnancy or multiple babies and the normal taking care of a newborn, taking care of yourself and much much more. I also like that it takes the fathers into consideration and there are inserts from real life situations and comments from mothers and fathers. So I will probably pack this book for my hospital stay. Something to read through again and again and again whilst Baby Afropean gets sleep and grows.

Note: This book was bought with my own money and I am not saying that You should go out and get it. Nope, this is what works for me and what I like and enjoy. I just wanted to share what I am reading. This is also not a review of this book, just my observations upon reading this book.

Joy, Love and Being Prepared

Skin care and hair care products

'Do you love me because I am beautiful or am I beautiful because you love me?' - Oscar Hammerstein, II

Hi all

So am in my 35th week and still 3 weeks to go. So excited now. Two midwife appointments, a sonar scan, meeting with my medical staff and my sister is coming, all in 24 days !!!!!!!  Last week, was hard to sleep and its not getting any better, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel lol. I know it will all be worth it when I have my baby in my hands. I just need to make sure Baby Afropean stays put.

 I said I would do a quick post about the products I am currently using for my skin and hair. So here is what I use. 

Shea Butter Mix and Aloe Vera Gel

Whipped Shea Butter Mix

Oily and creamy enough for me

My new love.

Shea Butter Mix: I whipped Shea butter with coconut oil and  sweet almond oil with a generous helping of Aloe Vera gel. That's it. Very basic. I use this mix for my hair and my skin. 

I also apply just the Aloe Vera gel to my skin where I have my belly band and under my eyes. And if I don't forget, then I apply it nightly to my face before I hit the sack.

This week, I plan on deep conditioning my hair, washing it and then adding this cream concoction than braiding my hair for a few weeks. I wanted to hold off until maybe 20th April, but I cant manage my hair anymore. Lets just say, I must have missed that whole, hair growth, lush and full and beautiful hair part of pregnancy, because my hair fell out in the front, its dry, its breaking, and I have split ends from hell. So after baby gets here and we have a routine going, will figure out what to do. But for now, its braids. I keep telling myself, its just hair. No worries. Will sort it out later after my Love is born.

Note: Please if you do decide to use my Shea Butter mixture recipe please first do an allergy test against the Almond oil. Some people are allergic to it. I am not a doctor nor am I a professional. This concoction is one I have done for my self and have been using all these products for a long while now. 

Peace, Blessings and Concoctions. 

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