what i've been reading

sorry that i've been neglecting my blog a little. truth is, i've had my nose in some good books recently. you know, the kind which are hard to put down. the kids have also been keeping me quite busy recently and the cold season gave us another hit. fortunately, it seems we are all on the mend.

so what books have i been so hooked on? i have worked my way through three novels since christmas and taken a dive into two or three others -- it has felt like a real pleasure to have the energy and time to get through one novel, let alone three of them. so, without further ado, the books are: "one more day" by mitch albom, "bed rest" by sarah bilston, and "baby proof" by emily giffin.

"one more day" was a gift from eric for chistmas. i have read "the five people you meet in heaven" which was of a similar nature. regardless of that , "one more day" was and is a memorable book. if you're in the mood for something a little philosophical and enlightening -- i'd recommend it. if you've ever lost someone you loved and wished you could spend one more day with them, learn one more thing about them -- you'd probably enjoy it, though would need a good upbeat follow up to mellow you out.

"bed rest" was one i rented from my library and was picked up in part by a recommendation from my cousin and in part because of an invested interest for my sister-in-law who has been on bed rest with twins. given the premise of the book, i thought it'd be a good pick to gain a little perspective of my sister-in-laws experience if nothing else. as it turns out, the story line was more about relationships, expectations met (or not) and less about the ups and downs of bed rest during pregnancy. however, it is a good read and encourages a little self-reflection on how the history of our own relationships can impact our current ones.

my favorite of them all is, "baby proof". this will hit the mark with anyone approaching, nearing their thirties or living their thirties and soon to be leaving their thirties. giggin's writing is fast and quick witted with a tang of "sex in the city" kind of feel to it with a bit of "bridget jones diary" thrown in. i loved her writing so much that i have already ordered her other two books at the library (something blue and something borrowed

as i mentioned, i've also had my nose in a couple other books. these two fall into the non-ficiton variety. "you: the owners manual -- an insider's guide to the body that will make you healthier and younger" by michael f. roizen and mechmet c. oz m.d. ironically, it was a birthday gift, given to me by my babysitter. i've had a browse through it and have become somewhat inspired and motivated but am also left with the all encompassing overwhelming feeling of -- "oh my god i'm killing myself slowly. damn it, i must eat more veggies and drink more water, and have fresh fish at least three times a week, do some form of aerobic exercise three times a week, take a brisk walk every day, squeeze in yoga somewhere...." oh how that high rocky mountain to optimal health just gets steeper and steeper. will i ever stop feeling overwhelmed by it all?

the second non-fiction i've read a few chapters of is, "sleeping through the night" by jodi a mindell. as you can guess, my wonderful little boy (whose really not that little at 28inches going on 29 and 17lbs; i'm now purchasing size 12-18 months clothes for him!) is not yet sleeping through the night. i rented the book from the library (a new favorite fad of mine is to borrow rather than buy)to refresh myself on what the baby guru's have to say about the topic. from what i gather, ryan and i are doing a pretty good job in the sleep department but could benefit from a little tweaking. on a good night, he goes to bed around 6:30pm, feeds around 11pm, then at 3am ish and again around 6:30 - 7 am ish. my goal is to wean him from the 3am feeding around six months and eventually drop the 11pm feed sometime thereafter. we'll see how it goes. we'll be introducing solid foods soon so that may affect his sleeping and nursing habits too. my goodness how quickly they grow, how quickly time passes by -- did i mention that he has just started to learn how to sit unassisted for brief periods of time? i'll be sending him off to college before i know it and will be wondering where the years have gone.