Another Book

So I recently finished another book. This is the book that I read for May. I'm typically not a very fast reader, but for some reason this book was a super fast read for me. It was definitely interesting and well written. The story takes place in the 1960s in Jackson, Mississippi. It's about the relationship of African American maids and the family's they help. A movie was made last year based on the book, so now that I've finished the book, maybe I'll have to see the movie.

Baby Update

So I took this pictures last week, hoping that I would find time to post them some time this week and here we are, so they are a week late, but it doesn't mean we aren't excited.

I had another appointment with the doctor at 24 weeks and everything is going well. Heart beat sounds good, and my weight gain seems to be on track. As you can see from the picture our little girl is starting to make room for herself in my tummy.

I have started to feel her kick with more aggressively lately, which is kind of fun. I can know tell you they are kicks and not just flutters. Dan asked me the other day what it felt like, and the best way I could describe it was kind of like a bubble popping in your stomach.

In other news, we got ourselves a pack-n-play, from a couple on craigslist. It just so happened that when Dan was up there picking up from them he noticed they also had a crib that they were trying to get rid of. Along with the crib they were giving away a glider chair, so now we have all the furniture. The next task is I need to find fabric I like to create the baby blanket. Also, if we get ambitious enough, we might try reupholstering the chair. It's a project, but it could be fun.

Books

One of my goals this year was to read one new book a month. I enjoy reading, but I find that when I don’t focus on it I will find other things to do instead. That being said, so far this year I’ve done pretty well. I’ve read the following books each month:

January – Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

This is a book that I actually read as part of a book group. It’s a novel about two girls in nineteenth century China. The history and culture in this book were very interesting. The two girls talk about their experience with foot binding and other Chinese traditions. It was an interesting, quick read. 

February – Little Princes by Conor Grennan

I LOVED this one. Maybe it’s because of the memories of Nepal that it brought back for me. Or maybe I was just inspired by the power that one person can have. This is a true story based on Conor Grennan. He originally decides to take a year out of his life and travel the world. He starts his adventure off by volunteering at an orphanage in Nepal. It is here that he falls in love with the little boys that have been orphaned by children traffickers. During the civil war there, parents were promised that their children would be cared for in exchange for money, but the children were abandoned and left as orphans. It’s kind of sad what these kids go through, but most of the book is about Conor and his desire to reunite these children with their parents. He even started a nonprofit foundation in Nepal called Next Generation Nepal, whose goal is to reunite the families. It is amazing what he accomplishes.     

March - The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

This book was a very interesting read. The author takes a different subject each month and focuses on what she can do to make herself 'happier'. I think one of the things that I liked about this book, is that the author is not an unhappy person to begin with, so she just knows that there are things that she can do to make herself happier. Also she isn't perfect, so she shows that it's definitely something you have to constantly be working on. I love that she focuses on anything and everything from organization to relationships. It definitely helped me see that there are always ways that I can be happier about where and who I am.

April - Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis

Much like Little Princes this book is so inspiring. The book is about a young woman, Katie Davis, who right after high school travels to Uganda to teach kindergarten at an orphanage. The book talks about how she discovers that Uganda is where God wants her to be. She ends up staying and sharing the love that God has for all of His children with the children and people of Uganda. It’s amazing how much faith she has. She talks about how even on her hardest days, she sees these people and feels God’s love for them and longs to share it with all of them. Not only is her determination, but her faith is very inspiring.     

April Bonus - The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

This was actually the second time that I've read this book, so it doesn't really count as one of the new books I read this year. But I reread it in preparation to go see the movie. It’s definitely a quick read. It seemed that once I got started with it I couldn't put it down. I really enjoy books that keep me moving through them.

I have a couple other books that I will be picking up in the next couple of months, but as always looking for any good suggestions that you may have.