Book Club Reads

As many of you know, I’m a member of the Association of American Women (AWA) here in Aberdeen. It’s through this organization that I participate in many of my ‘activity groups’ such as Mahjong, Hiking (well, that one is on the backburner for now…) and Book Club. I’m technically the ‘leader’ of the Evening Book Club, but we rotate hostesses so there isn’t much work to be done on my part. The biggest job I have is twice a year, when I consolidate all of the suggestions members have made on which books to read and put all of the books into a survey broken down by genre for us to vote on as a group. 

We had our first meeting of the ‘new year’ last night and it occurred to me that y’all might be interested in which books we’re reading this Fall and Winter. I know I’m always looking for new suggestions on what to read so hopefully you’ll be inspired by the following list. (All photos and descriptions taken directly from Goodreads.) 

October (Mystery/Thriller genre): Before I go to Sleep by SJ Watson

(We always plan a spooky thriller type book for our October meeting in honor of Halloween. This particular book is coming to theaters near you in 2014, starring Nicole Kidman and Collin Firth.)

Goodreads synopsis:
'As I sleep, my mind will erase everything I did today. I will wake up tomorrow as I did this morning. Thinking I'm still a child. Thinking I have a whole lifetime of choice ahead of me ...' Memories define us. So what if you lost yours every time you went to sleep? Your name, your identity, your past, even the people you love—all forgotten overnight. And the one person you trust may only be telling you half the story. Welcome to Christine's life.

November (Historical Fiction): Sarah's Key by Tatiana De Rosnay

Goodreads synopsis:  
Paris, July 1942: Sarah, a ten year-old girl, is brutally arrested with her family by the French police in the Vel' d'Hiv' roundup, but not before she locks her younger brother in a cupboard in the family's apartment, thinking that she will be back within a few hours.

Paris, May 2002: On Vel' d'Hiv's 60th anniversary, journalist Julia Jarmond is asked to write an article about this black day in France's past. Through her contemporary investigation, she stumbles onto a trail of long-hidden family secrets that connect her to Sarah. Julia finds herself compelled to retrace the girl's ordeal, from that terrible term in the Vel d'Hiv', to the camps, and beyond. As she probes into Sarah's past, she begins to question her own place in France, and to reevaluate her marriage and her life.

January (Non-fiction/Memoir genre): The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls

 Synopsis from Goodreads: 

Jeannette Walls grew up with parents whose ideals and stubborn nonconformity were both their curse and their salvation. Rex and Rose Mary Walls had four children. In the beginning, they lived like nomads, moving among Southwest desert towns, camping in the mountains. Rex was a charismatic, brilliant man who, when sober, captured his children’s imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and above all, how to embrace life fearlessly. Rose Mary, who painted and wrote and couldn’t stand the responsibility of providing for her family, called herself an “excitement addict.” Cooking a meal that would be consumed in fifteen minutes had no appeal when she could make a painting that might last forever.

Later, when the money ran out, or the romance of the wandering life faded, the Walls retreated to the dismal West Virginia mining town—and the family—Rex Walls had done everything he could to escape. He drank. He stole the grocery money and disappeared for days. As the dysfunction of the family escalated, Jeannette and her brother and sisters had to fend for themselves, supporting one another as they weathered their parents’ betrayals and, finally, found the resources and will to leave home. 

February (Science Fiction/Fantasy): Of Bees and Mist by Erik Setiwan 

Goodreads synopsis:  

Of Bees and Mist is an engrossing fable that chronicles three generations of women under one family tree and places them in a mythical town where spirits and spells, witchcraft and demons, and prophets and clairvoyance are an everyday reality.

Meridia grows up in a lonely home until she falls in love with Daniel at age sixteen. Soon, they marry, and Meridia can finally escape to live with her charming husband’s family—unaware that they harbor dark mysteries of their own. As Meridia struggles to embrace her life as a young bride, she discovers long-kept secrets about her own past as well as shocking truths about her new family that push her love, courage, and sanity to the brink.

March (Contemporary Fiction): The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Goodreads synopsis:  

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.

April (2nd Historical Fiction choice): And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini

Goodreads synopsis: 

In this tale revolving around not just parents and children but brothers and sisters, cousins and caretakers, Hosseini explores the many ways in which families nurture, wound, betray, honor, and sacrifice for one another; and how often we are surprised by the actions of those closest to us, at the times that matter most.

Following its characters and the ramifications of their lives and choices and loves around the globe—from Kabul to Paris to San Francisco to the Greek island of Tinos—the story expands gradually outward, becoming more emotionally complex and powerful with each turning page.

Lately from my personal reading library, I can also recommend: 

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And at the tippy top of my ‘want to read’ list is currently: 

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But of course, once baby boy is born, I’m sure all of my spare reading time will be consumed with text regarding breastfeeding and sleep scheduling and child brain development. Right now, I’m rotating between these three:

 

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Anyone have any great book recommendations, either of the ‘for-fun’ or ‘educational’ variety? What is your book club reading this Fall?

Bump Day: 39 Weeks!

At 39 weeks pregnant, it’s weird to think that this might be my last ‘Bump Day’. Though many first time moms go over their due date, my midwife confided in me at my last appointment that she really didn’t think I’d make it to 38 weeks. I wonder if she’ll be surprised to see me if baby doesn’t come before my 39 week check up tomorrow. I felt some rumblings this weekend that I thought were surely the onset of labor, but 4 days later, I’m still sitting here baby-less.

Since we’re only one week away from Baby Boy’s due date, I’m feeling a bit nostalgic about the last 9+ months. I wanted to take today as an opportunity to reflect on this time in my life via a FAQ/interview type format.  

When did you find out you were pregnant? 

On Valentine’s Day. Jonathan and I had been trying to get pregnant off and on for 3 years without success. Due to a really erratic cycle, we just couldn’t seem to get the timing right and my midwife in the US was starting to suspect that my eggs might not be mature enough. My best friend Talia made a referral for me to get in to see a fertility specialist to run some preliminary diagnostic tests while I was visiting the States. We figured we’d run the tests and then follow up on our visit to Louisiana in May/June and take it from there. 

Before leaving for my fertility appointment, I took a pregnancy test just in case. I had the test sitting on the bathroom counter while I did my makeup, and almost forgot to even check it before I left. Afterall, I’d taken possibly 50 of these things before, all with the same result. However, while I was putting on my mascara, I glanced at the test out of the corner of my eye and saw something I had never seen before : two lines; a positive result. 

I started screaming and my mom came upstairs to see what the fuss was. I couldn’t speak so just gestured to the pregnancy test. She was confused because she’d never taken one before so didn’t really understand what I was so hysterical about and all I could do was keep pointing at it. Finally it clicked and we both started crying. 

The hardest part was having to keep it a secret from my Dad and brother for the next 2 days. I wanted to wait to tell Jonathan in person and didn’t think it was fair to tell the other men in my life before I told Jonathan. 

I was very proud of my Mom for keeping it a secret. That’s probably one of the hardest things she’s ever done.  

Did you have any intuition about it being a boy or a girl? Yes and no. When I first saw the test result, I just knew it was a boy. So did my mom. But when Jon and I had our first ultrasound, we started having an inkling that it might be a girl. It wasn’t until I had my 18 week ultrasound with Talia that I was 90% sure it was a boy. I think that she and I are just so close that her knowing gave me a better inclination as to which it was. It was still exciting to have so many of our friends and family with us to celebrate the moment when we officially found out.

Is your ‘bump dress’ a maternity dress? No. It’s just really stretchy. And it keeps getting shorter and shorter… 

But I’m glad it made it through the whole pregnancy. I thought I might have to switch it up for a while there.  

What was the hardest part of pregnancy?  

The first trimester. I was just so nauseated. I remember people trying to comfort me by saying, ‘oh it will only last a few more weeks’ and I just honestly didn’t think I’d survive it. The very worst was weeks 8-10, but I spent the better part of a month laid up in bed watching Friends reruns. In week 10, I finally got a doctor to prescribe some pregnancy-friendly nausea medicine, but by that time, I’d made it through the worst of it and only used them when we were going out to a restaurant. 

Another hard part about this early phase is that you usually haven’t announced your pregnancy yet so you’ve got to act like every thing is peachy-keen. I’ll never forget when Jonathan ordered for me at an Indian restaurant and they brought out a teeny tiny chicken and put it in front of me. I shot him a look and he knew that he better get that offensive bird out of my sight immediately or I would spew. I think a few people started to suspect something at that dinner... 

Also, I remember going to a bar and Jonathan asked what I wanted to drink. To throw off the scent, I winked and said ‘A Rum and Coke’ thinking he’d know that was code for ‘Coke’. When he handed me my drink, I took a big swig of it to prove to everyone that I wasn’t pregnant by drinking a mixed drink, only to take a big gulp of actual Rum and Coke. Apparently, our friend Luke accompanied Jonathan to the bar so he had to order a real mixed drink to throw him off. 

The next week was our group ski trip so we decided to come clean right away. I couldn’t get through a week of not drinking wine or using the chalet sauna or hot tub without everyone knowing. 

Plus, the decadent French food being served to us every night was making me sick, so we had our chalet angels pick me up a cheese pizza every night and I ate on the couch while the rest of the crew was served their wine and fancy food in the dining room. 

Other than the nausea and keeping the pregnancy a secret, the hardest thing was probably having to stop jogging. I made it til about week 27 but at that point, it became so uncomfortable, slow, and laborious that walking was much more preferable. Hard to believe I haven’t gone for a run in almost 3 months! I caught the running bug back in high school and it’s been a part of my life ever since.  

Do you miss alcohol?  Yea, but I had a pretty low tolerance before getting pregnant so other than the occasional glass of wine or two, I don’t feel like I’m missing out on much. Football season has been hard. Nothing makes me want to reach for a beer more than LSU football. I miss sushi and jogging more than alcohol though, that’s for sure.  

What are your biggest cravings? For a while, it was any sort of red meat. Now I just crave American junk food. I actually had a dream about velveeta cheese slices last night. Scotland is possibly the worst place to be in terms of pregnancy cravings. I’m so hungry all the time and yet there really isn’t much that is delicious, fast, and convenient here in Aberdeen, whereas America is overflowing with yummy options. I really miss Wendy’s but have been making due with Burger King lately. 

Too bad the closest one is a 20 minute drive from my house:(. First world problem? 

What was the best part of being pregnant? 

Um, you usually get special treatment. That’s not always the case here in Aberdeen though… I’m surprised at how many people still will run me off of the sidewalk or cut me off getting into line at the grocery store. But I do think the bump helped me pass my driving test so I’ll take that! 

I also really loved my gender reveal party and baby shower. Those were very special occasions that reminded me of what great friends and family I have to support me and Jonathan and baby boy.  

What are you most looking forward to about not being pregnant anymore? 

Not having to pee every 30 minutes. Not having to eat every 30 minutes. Getting back into shape. Eating sushi. Being able to touch my toes/tie shoes/zip boots/etc. And of course, meeting our little man!!! 

Alright, that’s enough blabbering for today. As a recap, here are some past Bump Pics to show you the slow progression. 

And as a special treat for the 39 week bump shots, I decided to have Jillian take them with the gorgeous sunset in her backyard as the backdrop. 

Maybe I’ll see you here for a bump day next week, or maybe bump day will be replaced by Baby Boy’s weekly pics. Who knows!?!?!?  

Winter Running Gear

I’m sorry that my blog has been so sporadic lately. The truth is that right now I am quite pre-occupied and more than just a little baby obsessed (imagine that). Yesterday it hit me that as soon as baby boy arrives, it will be at least 8 weeks until I get a full night of interrupted sleep again. And let’s be honest, that is absolutely the best case scenario. 

I’m sure in 2 months’ time I will look back bleary-eyed at this blog post and laugh and laugh at my optimism and naivety that I'd have one of those babies that sleeps through the night at 2 months old. But for now, it’s basically what I have to tell myself to push through the nerves. The other thing that is getting me through these final days/weeks is the thought of *not being pregnant anymore*. 

Being pregnant hasn’t been as bad as I thought it would be, but it still hasn’t been a cake walk.  I am ready to drink wine and eat sushi and go through a 30 minute span without having to go to the bathroom. I’m sure during those newborn weeks and months, I will look back on pregnancy and dream about how easy it was to get up and go without worrying about feeding time or nap time or towing along an infant and all of their necessities. 

But one thing that I am absolutely looking forward to with anticipation is being able to run again. A friend of mine had her baby about 3-4 weeks ago and was already able to go for a short jog. I was so jealous and it got me pumped up for how soon a run might be in my future. I’m guessing my re-entry will be more on a 5-6 week timeline, but still, Jonathan and I are already brainstorming on how I’ll be able to squeeze an hour or two away to be able to hit the trails again. 

My goal is to run a ½ marathon or similar distance before baby boy is 6 months old (around April timeframe). I feel like that goal will help me get back into pre-pregnancy shape and from then on I can just maintain until the next rug-rat (Lord willing) makes it’s way into my uterus. 

Running in the winter months is hard in Scotland. The days are short and the trails are soggy and cold and often times saturated with ice and snow. 

I still had a great time last year getting out in the brisk air with Bailey, but I remember several times coming home with miserably soaked and freezing cold feet. 

I’m hoping to avoid frostbite this winter so have begun my research on which running shoes would be best for the type of training I hope to do. Before baby, I mostly did trail runs, but with baby and BOB stroller in tow, I’ll probably intersperse that with some paved trails to make for a smoother ride for baby boy. 

Ideally, I’d like a shoe that is water resistant and offers support and stability, but is still flexible enough for running off road. Any of your runners out there have a recommendation for me? These are a few that I’m leaning towards. 

1. The Nike Air Pegasus Shield Trail (90 pounds)

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I'm all about brand loyalty, and after some failed experiment with New Balance and Adidas and Puma, I found that Nikes were the most consistent with my particular running style and foot. Their new 'Shield' line is water resistant, and this shoe is specifically designed for trail running. I'm not crazy about the design, but I'll choose function over form any day and plus, these shoes will be caked in mud from day 1 so I'm not too concerned with that. Nike has a whole range in this direction that are basically road shoes with a few trail features added on.

2. Brooks Adrenaline ASR 10 (100 pounds)

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Referred to as a 'hybrid' shoe, this footwear is supposed to be good for both trails and road running. It's water resistant, has great reviews and is a favorite brand among marathon runners. I guess my only hesitancy is that I've never owned a pair before. Still, it seems to check all the boxes I'm looking for, so it might be worth the try. 

Any other brands or models I should be checking out? What do you think?