Inspiration: Moving and Project Nursery

Some of you may know that my family and I are moving. We are not moving far, we are still in the state of NJ and were still in the same city of Elizabeth. I have hated the apartment we are in for the year we have lived in it. The neighbors are noisy like I could never believe, I just hate this apartment. I hated this apartment so much, I never decorated. I left the walls white, I added a few curtains and that was it. Why? Because I gave myself a year to live here and get the heck out. Now, we are moving to a better place, we downsized, but we get so much in return. Now that I am happy with the place, I really want to have a nice space, something like that you would see in the magazines, but not for the price. To start this goal, I wanted to begin with the girls room. Since we lived in this hell hole, I really did not make their room a nursery or a transitional toddle room. I want them to have a nice space. As I researched with Mr. Google, I found this website ProjectNursery.

I was so amazed at the different ideas from other parents, guides and tools they had on their website. Where was this website when I was designing the nursery for the girls in our old place? Anyway, I was inspired by so many rooms but this one I really fell in love with.

Aqua and Pink from Project Nursery

Then I did a Google search and fell in love with the powder pink and aqua.

I don't know if it is the wall decal or the curtains, but this is the room that I am trying to mimic, or get close to. So far, we picked the color that we found at Home Depot.

Rivers Edge

I found the lamp that was in one of the pictures from target. The person originally paid $29.99 for the lamp, but I found it on clearance for $13.98. I just was not going to spend $16.99 on a lamp shade.

Target also had the white picture frames on sale for $2.00!!! I purchased four.

Ikea has the storage unit for $73.00, that I would like to get.


Project Nursery is a very useful site when you need inspiration, ideas, for babies or kids room. They even have ideas for birthday parties. My plan is to take the room that has inspired me and get items for less. I plan to go to the thrift store and find a white dresser.

Mya and Milani: 18 Months

I failed the blog for 30 day challenged, I failed the New Years resolution already. Basically, I have not kept my word on blogging regularly. In my defense, here is what I am working with:

1. Working on my masters
2. Working full time
3. Girls are in daycare and bring back colds, flu's, everything
4. I had the flu
5. Moving
6. Trying to finish the final paper work for my non profit
7. Did I mention working full time?

I have a lot on my plate. However, I do vow to take time during work (when I get in on time), to blog. Writing is my stress reliever. Also, I start to ponder what topics I want to write about. What will captivate my audience? Who actually reads my blogs? Then I thought, Jamila, just write for you. Write anything you want in regards to being a mom, a new mom, and a mom of twins. Write about your obessions, new baby products, what is going on with the twins. So, that is what I am going to do. Anyway, this blog is not about me, it is about my favorite two girls in the world! Mya and Milani. I missed their 17 month report (my bad), but here is their 18 months.

Mya

 

 

Weight: 27lbs

Height: 30 1/2 inches (Find out exact height January 26)

Favorite Toy: Ride on car she got from Christmas

Favorite Show: Dora the Explorer, favorite song "I'm the Map!"

Favorite Saying: "ADADADADAAAAA" or "MAMAMA" or "Yeah"

Anything New? Mya has a total of 12 teeth. She recently got two back teeth at the top and two back teeth at the bottom. She has become more picky in eating than anything else. Mya loves putting objects in my hand for some reason. She loves to dance now and pushes every object across the floor. She now waves bye bye. Other than that, she is still your sweet Mya. Loves to talk, clap her hands and eat her favorite snacks, which are fruit and cheerios.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Milani

 

 

Weight: 25lbs

Height: Find out January 26

Favorite Toy: Puzzles

Favorite Show: Team Umizoomi

Favorite Saying(s): "Hi" or "Car" or "Job" or "Bye-Bye"

Anything New? Milani said a new word "car" she spins around, and dances on her tippy toes. She loves to eat and is now trying to feed herself with the spoon. Milani mimics everything and she even takes my hands and puts them on parts of my body.

 

 

These fun loving twins are growing up so fast! Until 19 months.

 



Mya and Milani: Fav Moments of 2012

As 2012 comes to end, I must say I was continually blessed. I was able to move into a new apartment (which we are about to move again), I was able to go back to work with a new job, found an affordable day care and best of all, I was able to see another year of the growth and development of my now 17 month old twins. Here is my favorite pictures of them from the year 2012. Enjoy!

January 2012

Mya and Milani at 6 months in our second apartment

Mya sits without support


February 2012

Giants in the Superbowl (and won!)

Aunt Taffy and Trippy finally visit the girls

March 2012

Milani finally understands the walker 

Mya understands too

The girls visit their GiGi at work

April 2012 

Easter Church time (Milani)

 Milani visits her Nana (dad's side) she is 94 years old!

Mya and her nanny

May 2012

Mondays on Preemietwinsandme is Milani Mondays (we stopped, but we may continue)

Milani's first tooth comes in 

First day of daycare! 

June 2012

Milani and her uncle

 Mya and GiGi

Fun day at the park

 We are crawling!

July 2012

Happy 1st Birthday Mya and Milani!!

Cake made by Make my Cake in Harlem

Beach theme party and Milani wanted out of the turtle

August 2012

The day at the beach (for the first time)

It was a long day

One of the hottest days in the summer (Mya)

Milani, she looks tan!

September 2012

The twins were trying to escape

At their uncles sixth birthday

October 2012

Milani decides she wants to sit on her play kitchen

We are walking with the push toy!

November 2012

Milani watching Gabba

Mya taking a step

Thanksgiving 2012, with GiGi, great-grandma Bonnie and great-grandpa Boss

 First time at a hotel (Thanksgiving 2012) Just walking around lol

Ordering at Ihop

 Milani discovers how to hug her dolls

December 2012

We were going to take Christmas photos, but it didn't go too well (Mya)

 Milani by our Christmas Tree

 Christmas Morning! Opening the second gift

Milani's first car

Mya has one too.

And there you have it. Our wrap up of 2012. The girls learned to walk, eat more table food and has gone away from baby food. They shake their heads no, clap, mock you, throw tantrums, argue with each other, love each other, and being lovable toddlers. I can't wait to see what is in store for 2013!

Share you photos!

I Say Keep the Stretch Marks and Baby Fat!

Two things mothers can't wait for after the baby is born; work out intense to get their pre-baby figure and get rid of the stretch marks. As I write this blog eating a double chocolate chip fudge cookie from Subway's, you probably see where I am getting at.

Before I gave birth to my twins, I was not a size zero; I had a little budge, but I was not fat. Lets go back even further; all through high school and junior year of college, I was considered skinny. I was 110 lbs forever and it wasn't until I got a car during my junior year of college that the fat kicked in. Yes, I was not affected by the freshmen fifteen, more like the junior twenty. Let's fast forward. I was never health conscious either. I did and still do eat what I want, but it is nothing major. I do not stuff my face with five waffles, chicken wings, french fries, McDonalds daily, etc. I do not stuff my face with salads every day either.

There were days that I would look in the middle pre-babies and say "I really need to loose this weight," and then a week later, I would get bored of exercising and start eating junk. After my twins were born, like most mom's, I decided I needed to loose the belly. Being teased for being too skinny for a long time, I was content with the thickness that I had developed, but I did want my old flat stomach again.  I joined Weight Watchers and I even coughed up $100.00 for Insanity DVDS  and although I did see results with Insanity, I slowly found myself getting bored and having the urge to eat the junk foods again. By the third week, I stopped; I got unmotivated.

I went back to the mirror and I took a hard look at myself and I wasn't ashamed of what I saw. Weird right? But I wasn't. Here I was a 26 year old African American women who did what others dream of, having twins. I turned to the side and noticed the dark stretch marks that had made a home around my body and I was proud of them; it reminded of me what a blessing it was to carry my girls for as long as I did; it reminded me of how amazing a women's body is, what changes we go through. Even with my bulge, people still tell me I look great for carrying twins or I do not look like I carried twins (that could also be because I look so young).

Who am I trying to impress? My fiance? Who may think I should loose the bulge, but loves me regardless, but in the past, I was teased for being too skinny, now I get teased for being thick or they are not use to me being this thick. It's a loose loose situation in regards to my families approval.

One day, I will be ready to "Dig Deeper" and loose the bulge, as of now, I am content how I look and who I am. I say Keep The Stretch Marks!!! I say Keep The Post-Baby Body!!...Until you are ready to loose it.

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As founder of Project Bump, Inc., I am distributing NICU Christmas Care Packages to mothers and children of Overlook Medical Center in Summit, NJ. If you would like to donate anything to our 25 packages, please contact info@projectbumpinc.org. A list of the items are below.