Another Winter Book Challenge (Can I Do It?!)

Call me crazy, but despite my participation in the Semi-Charmed Winter Book Challenge, I have stumbled upon another challenge that just seems too fun to pass up. I read about the Book Challenge by Erin on another blog (kicking myself for not remembering whose) and loved what I saw, so I'm hoping the fact that it runs from January-April will allow me to try my hand at completing both!

Here are the categories and the books I've chosen for each (and if you're interested in playing along too, here's the Facebook page for the challenge):

5 points: Read a book, any book that is at least 200 pages long. | TBA

10 points: Read a book that begins with the “A”, “An”, or “The”. | The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty

10 points: Read a book with a two word title. | Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline

p/c

15 points: Read a book with an animal in the title. (Examples: Animal Farm by George Orwell, Dog on It by Spencer Quinn, The Horse Whisperer by Nicholas Evans) | The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

20 points: Take the first letter of your first name…Read a book that the title begins with that letter. (Examples: Erin – title should begin with ; Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Foer or The Enchanted by Rene Denfeld will count too) | The Kind Diet: A Simple Guide to Feeling Great, Losing Weight, and Saving the Planet by Alicia Silverstone

20 points: Read a book set in any country in Europe. | All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

25 points: Read a book from the NPR’s guide of great books from 2014. (There are so many books from a variety of genres in this list; good luck choosing!) http://apps.npr.org/best-books-2014 | Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

30 points: Read a book by a favourite author that is not a re-read. | The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling)

30 points: Read a book by a comedian or comedic actor. | I Am America (And So Can You!) by Stephen Colbert

35 points: Read a book about science, discovery, or a scientific process – non-fiction only. (This list should help: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/692.Best_Science_Books_Non_Fiction_Only) | The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World by Michael Pollan

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Have you read any of these books?

Top 10 Favorite Posts in 2014

When I started drafting this post, I thought I would share my 10 top read posts in 2014. But as it turns out, the posts that were most popular were mostly, not some of the ones I was most proud to have written. Soon after making this discovery, I decided to scrap what posts came up most frequently in Google searches in place of the posts that were near and dear to my heart this year.

Without further ado, here are my...

10. The Mixed Tape

August 29, 2014

A look back on Chuck and my relationship through the lens of our favorite music and mix CDs.

9. Love is Hard to Do

March 24, 2014

A post about struggling to love those in our lives who are hard to love.

8. Two Years as Mrs.

September 2, 2014

A celebration of our second wedding anniversary.

7. I'd Be Okay with No Babies

February 14, 2014

A little over a month before we conceived Baby Pep, I talked about how I felt about never having children.

6. Five Years Later

January 7, 2014

A reflection on my time in Uganda, five years later.

5. Never Throw Out the Instructions for a Pregnancy Test

July 3, 2014

A post about finding out we were expecting.

4. Guest Post: Uganda Studies Program Alum Spotlight

March 4, 2014

 A guest post on my study abroad program's blog on how my semester in Uganda shaped my personal and professional development.

3. I Was a Victim of Domestic Violence

February 20, 2014

I shared the truth about being a survivor of domestic violence.

2. Being a Boy Mom

August 6, 2014

I realized the reality of what having a little boy meant to me.

1. Grandma

September 22, 2014

A dedication to my life's greatest role model.

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What posts were your favorites of the year?

38 Weeks

Baby Pep,

Last week your Mom got the news that her test results came back positive for Group B strep. I know that there are far worse scenarios we could be facing as we rapidly approach your birthday, but it was still unsettling news to say the least. At our 38-week appointment on Monday, I received a little reassurance. Although your Mom will have to get an IV (Boo!), as long as I get my medicine, you should be safe! Mommy's midwife also filled her in that we haven't made any progress since my last appointment. To which I say, "DROP, BABY! DROP!"

I'm still 1cm dilated and my cervix is apparently miles away. Although I've had some not-so-fun days, physically I'm still feeling really good. The last week or so have made me so crazy thankful for my employer. I have such a kind and understanding team working alongside me and I feel so happy and fulfilled doing my job that there's a small part of me that feels sad that next week will be my last time working there for awhile. (I told your Daddy to record me saying that so I can't play it over to myself when I have to go back after my maternity leave is up).

I hope one day you find what you're truly passionate about, Pep. It is the hugest blessing in the world to love what you do. I can't wait to be the one to support and encourage you as you embark on your journey to find out.

Although, both Daddy and I are feeling anxious and impatient, you come when you're ready, Pep. We'll be ready to catch you in our loving arms whenever you decide it's time.

All my love,
Mommy

Pregnancy Truths: Round 3

At 38 weeks, the end is in sight and though the first 8 months of my pregnancy were incredibly good to me, shit is getting real, y'all. 

Check out Round 1 and Round 2 of my Pregnancy Truths.

Pregnancy Truth #1:
Your nipples will become unrecognizable.
Guys, this is not an exaggeration. I read that your nipples become darker to help the baby locate the breast while nursing, but I was totally unprepared for what can only be described as Godzilla nips. Seriously, they are 3 times their normal size. It's not cute.

Pregnancy Truth #2:
You might will pee your pants.
Once the baby starts running out of real estate, your stomach, lungs and bladder will all start getting squished. This means that you will have the appetite of a mouse, walking across a room will leave you winded and oh yeah, sneezing and laughing will become very risky behaviors. There have been numerous occasions when Chuck and I have been goofing off only for me to let out a huge burst of laughter followed by a mad dash to the bathroom.

Pregnancy Truth #3:

You probably won't be sleeping.
I've somehow been fortunate enough to not be among the ranks of pregant ladies who get up every hour to go pee. That being said, insomnia has not alluded me. Between heartburn, backaches and the complete inability to turn off the constant baby to-do list in my brain, sleep hasn't been great.

Pregnancy Truth #4:

You might fall even more in love with your partner.
Chuck and I both remarked how uncharacteristically affectionate and clingy I've been lately (in a good way, of course). I'm not a super physical person, by any means, but Chuck has been so great to me as of late that I can't help but shower him in kisses! He continues to go beyond the call of duty and would drop everything for me if I asked him to. He is such a wonderful husband and is going to be a fantastic father. I can't help, but fall deeper in love with him each day :)

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What are your pregnancy truths?

Secrets to a Healthy Pregnancy

As of my 37-week appointment, I have put on approximately 20 lbs, up from my pre-pregnancy weight. The recommended amount of weight gain for someone with a normal range BMI is 25-35 lbs. So how I have kept a healthy weight throughout my pregnancy?

1. Genetics

I wish that I could boast about how I'm a healthy-eating, exercising machine and that is the sole reason for my less-than-excessive weight gain, but alas, I have mostly genetics to thank. Every woman's body is different and reacts to pregnancy differently. For me, I was blessed with a mother who weighs about 100 lbs soaking wet. I won't for a second pretend that this has nothing to do with my success in putting on a healthy weight.

My Grandma and super cute, pregnant Mama (with me in her belly!)

2. Healthy Snacking

From day one, my appetite has been thrown off so much by this pregnancy. I'm a pretty healthy person, but I do struggle to get enough protein in my diet because I just don't like meat, beans or dairy very much. Well, my body knew what I needed and all I want to eat these days is MEAT. Not only that, but my taste buds have effectively rejected anything remotely healthy throughout the last 9 months. I brought a salad to lunch one day and gagged through eating it. Not pleasant.

My key to ensuring that I'm still getting the fruits and veggies I need has been healthy snacking. Especially toward the end, I haven't been able to eat big meals anyway, so I throw a handful of snacks into my work bag and just munch throughout the day. 

Some of my favorites are: yogurt, unsweetened applesauce, Fiber bars, and bananas.

3. Maintaining my Pre-Pregnancy Activity Level

I admit, after I ran my Quarter Marathon at 7 weeks, I totally stopped running. I wasn't feeling super fantastic and I had achieved my goal of finishing the race, so the motivation to continue just wasn't there. That being said, I also didn't immediately plop my butt on the couch for the next 7ish months. Throughout my pregnancy, while I haven't followed any particular exercise regimen, I've maintained my pre-pregnancy activity level. 

I continued working in my employer's community garden through November. I always opt to take the stairs versus the elevator and if I have the option, I always choose to walk rather than drive. One of my favorite things to do on the weekends is to make the 1+ mile walk into town and pay a visit to the library, farmers market or our local candy shop (remind me what I said about healthy snacking???). My in-laws also live about a mile away, so on warm nights, I would sometimes opt to pay them a visit for the sake of getting some physical activity in.

After finishing my first Quarter Marathon at 7 weeks pregnant.

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I realize that none of my tips are particularly exciting. However, I feel like a lot of women use pregnancy as an excuse to lay on the couch and indulge their inner junk food demons. Labor is an intense physical process and I've tried to make sure I didn't slack off too much and make delivery any more difficult than it already is. A healthy Mama makes for a healthy baby and my experience has taught me, when it comes to pregnancy weight gain, it's simple: eat your veggies and get off your butt!

How did you stay healthy through pregnancy?