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project life 2013 : weeks 50 – 51

More Project Life catch up!

This is from December 9 – 22, so basically the buildup to Christmas. I’m really glad I did the holiday minibook, because it allowed me to focus on the everyday stuff here and not be overly full of holiday stuff.

I did include a couple of holiday things that were also in the minibook. The completion of my niece’s stocking was a huge deal to me. I also put in a picture of Meredith at her Pappy’s nursing home Christmas party. The rest of this side is just extra fun stuff.

On the right side I started with my overview of the week with all the extra stuff that I didn’t have photos of. Then there are a couple pictures of my shopping trip with Dad and Meredith, some of her being adorable, and all the little baby boy clothes that we finally put away.

I always mean to include more quotes from Meredith, but then forget to. At least I have my “Meredith lately” blog series to refer to. :)

February 24, 2014
favorite nonfiction books

I use Grammarly’s grammar check because although you might not be able to tell from the way I look when I drop Meredith off at daycare right now or the frequency of baths taken around here, I DO have some standards.

I read a whole lot more fiction than nonfiction, so when I do read it I try to make it the good stuff. A lot of the nonfiction books I read are faith-related, but since I’ve already written about my favorite books on faith I didn’t include any of those on this list. Here are the ones I absolutely loved.

Nicholas & Alexandra by Robert K. Massie – This biography of the last Tsar of Russia and his wife really is a case where truth is stranger than fiction. So much drama and intrigue and I loved every word.

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand – The subtitle says this is “A World War II story of survival, resilience, and redemption,” and that’s a perfect way to describe it. I cannot even believe what this man went through and the way that his life was transformed.

And the Sea Will Tell by Vincent Bugliosi – My husband is a true crime fanatic, so that means I don’t have to wade through all the junk (because a lot of that genre really is terrible) and can go straight to the good stuff. He says this is the best true crime book he’s ever read, and it was completely riveting to me too. It’s unique in that the author was also the defense attorney and the evidence was seemingly insurmountable.

Great With Child by Beth Ann Fennelly – In a different vein, this is a memoir about motherhood in the format of letters written to an expectant mother that is gorgeous and poetic and just perfect.

Columbine by Dave Cullen – An account of the Columbine shootings, the boys that did it and their families, and the community. It was researched for ten years, the story is fascinating and in-depth, and the author is even witty. My eyes were opened.

The Hot Zone by Richard Preston – This might have been the first real nonfiction book I ever read. It’s the retelling of a near-outbreak of a strain of Ebola virus in the U.S. and I felt like it could have been the screenplay to a movie. It was intense and thrilling and for a long time afterward I was terrified of this disease.

Your turn! I have more fiction books on my to-read list than I know what to do with, but I’d love more nonfiction recommendations. What are your favorites?

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This post was sponsored by Grammarly, but all opinions are my own.

February 20, 2014
project life 2013 : weeks 48 – 49

I haven’t given up on Project Life! It’s still totally in effect, and I’ve finally started to work on catching up. Expect to see several updates on it over the next few weeks.

This spread is from the weeks of November 25 to December 8 which included Thanksgiving.

On the left side are all photos from Thanksgiving, a journaling card about the holiday, a movie ticket stub for a date night, and an iPhone screenshot of the weather when it finally got cold.

The right side had the rest of everyday life stuff. We decorated for Christmas, the Starbucks red cups came out, I went to an event with my mom, and Meredith came with me to a doctor’s appointment due to a power outage at her school. The only journaling I did on this side was a little about that day since it was out of the ordinary, and a week in review card for all the other stuff that happened.

I made this spread extremely quickly and it’s not a favorite but right now I really, really just want to get 2013 finished. I’m hoping to spend a bit more time on 2014’s spreads but the most important thing is just to do them!

February 18, 2014
liam at one month

He:

>Has gone through a growth spurt in the past week and I’m noticing a lot more chub on him. He no longer fits into most newborn clothes.

>Never had his days and nights confused, for which I am extremely grateful, but lately he has started waking up around 3 a.m. and never really going back to sleep.

>Doesn’t cry much, but grunts a lot and makes noises that sound like a goat.

>Had his first bottle today and drank from it without any problem.

>Is a good nurser, although he needed quite a bit of teaching at first.

>Still has his cephalohematoma, but it has hardened and shrunk some.

>Doesn’t like baths yet.

>Is barely ever referred to by name in our house, but is just “baby brother.”

>Has an extremely affectionate big sister.

I:

>Am still on blood pressure medication that gives me headaches every other day.

>Have zero pants that fit me other than yoga pants, and am thinking a lot about my postpartum wardrobe.

>Miss my puppy, and still can’t believe that she’s really gone.

>Keep being surprised at how light Liam’s hair actually is, especially in the sunshine.

>Will be on maternity leave for about another month and a half. So far I feel like I’ve made good use of the time, but there is still a lot I’d like to accomplish.

>Am really looking forward to getting back into a routine eventually.

>Can eat ice cream again without feeling sick!

>Love the warmer weather that we’re having, and intend to get out and about more now because of it. Trips to the craft and thrift stores are in my near future.

>Met another mom with kids the same age as mine while on a walk today, and now I’m scheming how I can become friends with her.

>Am feeling a lot more like myself lately.

February 17, 2014
quick takes

one

This has been a really long and stressful week, and I’m not even working right now. The emotions of losing our dog have gotten to all of us. Monday night after the long day at the vet Meredith had a fever, so she stayed home with me on Tuesday. She was cranky and didn’t nap, so by the end of the day I was in tears exhausted. Wednesday our other dog Eddie had a panic attack that wouldn’t go away so I spent much of the day standing up because if I sat down she wouldn’t stop clawing me and Liam. Yesterday was better but I had a doctor’s appointment so I made the long trek to the medical center in the middle of the day (found out my blood pressure is still high), then I stopped by my work unit and spent a couple of hours talking which was nice but drained my energy. I am really trying to enjoy today since nothing is going on. Tomorrow and Monday I will have both kids home with me by myself again.

two

David and I don’t do anything big for Valentine’s Day, but he surprised me with a few treats this morning and it really brightened my day.

Tomorrow we are also planning an at-home movie date, and if I can bring myself to start pumping today we might even get to be completely alone.

three

Random hobby updates: I finished season 2 of Downton Abbey yesterday and I’m way into it right now. I’m also so close to finishing 30 Rock. I’m halfway through Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers for book club. Liam’s baby book is updated. And the autumn sampler I’m stitching is coming along well:

These were probably my favorite squares to stitch so far.

Next week I’m going to start tackling Project Life. I would also like to start planning some updates to the nursery to make it a little less girly. I ordered Liam’s birth announcements, so as soon as they arrive I want to address them and get them sent.

four

I have a bunch of other things on my mind that I am working through in my personal life and can’t update on yet, or am planning to blog about soon. Stuff like Bible study, my job, my personal style as I transition out of maternity clothes, the diaper situation, natural health & beauty products, photo printing, how to fit exercise back into my life, and eating well – for starters. As you can see, I have a lot of time to think lately and my mind has been busy. So look for some of that in the future.

five

What would this be without a baby picture? My littlest Valentine and I wish you a happy weekend.

He’s totally looking at me with love and not just hunger, right?

February 14, 2014