Books Read in 2015

It’s hard to believe another year has already passed!  It’s crazy to look back at what I’ve read this year and see how many different books I’ve read and also how many there are that I have been wanting to read but still haven’t got to yet!  I’ll never get to all the books I want to read since there are so many already released books I want to read and then there are constantly new books being published that I want to read as well!

Once again audiobooks were a huge help in allowing me to read so many books since I listen to audiobooks while I clean, cook, do laundry, etc.

I read a variety of genres this year but my most read genre was definitely historical fiction.

As always, I do not necessarily recommend all the books on this list.  It’s my list of all the books I read and while I really enjoyed most of them, there were some that I didn’t.

My favorite books that I read for the first time this year are marked with a star.

 

Books Read in 2015:

January:

1.  Freefall by Traci Hunter Abramson (audiobook)

2.  Lady Emma's Campaign by Jennifer Moore

3.  The Greatest Gift by Philip Van Doren Stern

4.  The Other Side of Heaven by John H. Groberg (audiobook)

5.  A Generation Rising by Gerald N. Lund

6.  Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh (audiobook) (for book club)

7.  Paige by Annette Lyon

February

8.  The Undaunted: The Miracle of the Hole in the Rock Pioneers by Gerald N. Lund (audiobook) (reread/finished as I had read most of it several years ago)

9.  The Writing on the Wall by Dean Hughes

10.  When Books Went to War: the Stories that Helped us Win World War II by Molly Guptill Manning (audiobook)

11.  The Mistletoe Promise by Richard Paul Evans (audiobook)

12.  All Fall Down by Ally Carter

13.  Wedding Cake by Josi Kilpack

14.  Atlantia by Ally Condie (audiobook)

March

*15.  Troubled Waters by Dean Hughes

16.  George Washington's Secret Six: The Spy Ring That Saved the American Revolution by Brian Kilmeade (audiobook)

17.  Esther the Queen by H.B. Moore (audiobook)

18.  Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll (for book club)

19.  Seeking Persephone by Sarah M. Eden

20.  What is Lost by Lauren Skidmore

21.  Little Men by Lousia May Alcott (audiobook)

April

*22.  A Heart Revealed by Josi Kilpack

23.  The Survivor's Club: The Secrets and Science That Could Save Your Life by Ben Sherwood (audiobook) (for book club)

24.  How Many Roads? by Dean Hughes

25.  Friends and Foes by Sarah M. Eden

May

26.  Take Me Home by Dean Hughes

*27.  So Much of Life Ahead by Dean Hughes

28.  Mark of the Thief by Jennifer Nielsen (audiobook)

29.  An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir (audiobook)

30.  Miss Burton Unmasks a Prince by Jennifer Moore

June

31.  Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson (audiobook)

32.  The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West

33.  Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan (audiobook)

34.  Ben-Hur: A Tale of Christ by Lew Wallace (audiobook)

July

35.  Only the Brave: the Continuing Saga of the San Juan Pioneers by Gerald N. Lund

36.  Promises to Keep: Diane's Story by Dean Hughes

August

37.  Life, Animated by Ron Suskind (audiobook)

38.  I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith (audiobook)

39.  Our Only May Amelia by Jennifer Holm (audiobook) (reread)

40.  The Entitlement Trap by Richard and Linda Eyre (audiobook) (for book club)

41.  Matilda by Roald Dahl (audiobook)

*42.  A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett (audiobook) (I ended up hosting this book for book club in October)

43.  The Book of Mormon (reread)

September

44.  Royal Target by Traci Hunter Abrahamson (audiobook)

45.  Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo (audiobook)

46.  The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale (audiobook)

47.  The Story of King Arthur and His Knights by Howard Pyle

48.  The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis (audiobook) (reread) (for book club)

49.  The Sign of Four by Arthur Conan Doyle (audiobook)

50.  The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnnett (audiobook)

October

51.  Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee (audiobook)

52.  Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale (audiobook)

53.  Timepiece by Richard Paul Evans (audiobook)

54.  The Letter by Richard Paul Evans (audiobook)

*55.  Fishers of Men by Gerald N. Lund

56.  The Cross Gardener by Jason F. Wright (audiobook)

57.  The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

*58.  Lord Fenton's Folly by Josi Kilpack

November

59.  Shadows of Self by Brandon Sanderson (audiobook)

60.  Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (audiobook)

61.  Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor (audiobook)

62.  Faith of Our Fathers: A House Divided by N.C. Allen

63.  My True Love Gave to Me: 12 Holiday Stories edited by Stephanie Perkins (audiobook) (just listened to the ones I was most interested in)

December

64.  Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Ezra Taft Benson

65.  Autumn Masquerade anthology by Josi Kilpack, Donna Hatch, and Nancy Campbell Allen

66.  The Christmas Wish by Richard Siddoway

67.  When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead (audiobook)

68.  The Mistletoe Inn by Richard Paul Evans

69.  Home and Away: a World War II Christmas Story by Dean Hughes

70.  The Christmas Quest by Richard Siddoway

71.  Firefight by Brandon Sanderson (audiobook)

*72.  The New Testament: King James Version (first time reading it cover to cover)

 

I usually include Samuel's list of books read in the year as well.  He has been in the middle of about 6 different books, but hasn't finished any this year.  He has been doing lots of reading for med school though!

 

 

Books Read in 2014

2014 was another great year of books!  Audiobooks continued to be very helpful this year in allowing me to read more books, since I don’t have as much time to sit down and read a book with a little boy running around.  I continue to listen to audiobooks while I am cleaning, cooking, doing laundry, and exercising. 

I am still trying to be a lifelong learner by reading more non-fiction and classics than I used to now that I am out of college.  I had a goal of reading a total of 20 non-fiction/classic books this year and actually far surpassed that by reading 24 non-fiction books and 7 classics.  Well written non-fiction has actually become one of my favorite genres now.  It was my most read genre of the year.  Historical fiction was second highest with 15 books.  March, August, and November tied for being the month I read the most books in with 9 books in each of those months.  

In addition to 79 books I read this year, I read 4 full cookbooks [Miss Kay’s Duck Commander Kitchen (in Jan), Picky Palate (in Feb), The Pioneer Woman Cooks: a Year of Holidays (in Feb), and Six Sisters Stuff (in April)] and well over a 1,000 picture books.  It would be really hard to count all the picture books I read to Harrison through the year, but there were about 20 library books a week plus all the books at home that we read many many times.  I have put a star by my favorite books that I read for the first time this year.  There were many more that I really enjoyed, but these were my top choices of the year.  Samuel’s list of the books read throughout the year is at the end of my list.  I hope you all read some great books this year as well!

 Books Read in 2014:

January:

1.  Double Crossed by Ally Carter

2.  The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Anderson

*3.  Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain (audiobook)

4.  Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

5.  The Orchard by Krista Lynne Jensen

6.  The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley (audiobook)

7.  Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

*8.  Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand (audiobook)

February:

*9.  Longing for Home by Sarah Eden

10.  My Story by Elizabeth Smart (audiobook)

11.  Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces that Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely  (audiobook)

12.  The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie Andrews Edwards (for book club)

13.  The Distance Between Us by Kasie West

14.  The First Phone Call from Heaven by Mitch Albom (audiobook)

March:

*15.  My Name Used to be Muhammad: the True Story of a Muslim Who Became a Christian by Tito Momen

*16.  Hope Springs by Sarah Eden

17.  Letters in a Jade Dragon Box by Gale Sears (audiobook)

18.  Emma: a Latter Day Tale by Rebecca H. Jamison

*19.  David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the art of Battling Giants by Malcolm Gladwell (audiobook)

20.  The Reading Promise by Alice Ozma (reread) (hosted this book for book club)

21.  It’s Just My Nature!  A Guide to Knowing and Living Your True Nature by Carol Tuttle (for book club)

22.  I am Malala: the Girl Who Stood up for Education and was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai (audiobook) (also ended up being a book club choice a couple months later)

April:

23.  The Shadow Throne by Jennifer Nielsen

24.  These is My Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine by Nancy E Turner (audiobook)

25.  The Women of Duck Commander: Surprising Insights from the Women behind the Beards about What Makes This Family Work by the Robertson Women

26.  Split Second by Kasie West

27.  Glimmer of Hope by Sarah Eden

28.  Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell (audiobook)

29.  The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski

May:

30.  Cress by Marissa Meyer (audiobook)

31.  The Silence of God by Gale Sears

32.  Beauty by Robin McKinley (audiobook)

33.  What is Hidden by Lauren Skidmore (read an earlier draft before it was published, this was my first time reading the finished book)

June:

34.  Running for my Life: One Lost Boy’s Journey from the Killing Fields of Sudan to the Olympic Games by Lopez Lomong

35.  A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle

36.  Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo (reread from childhood)

37.  The Alloy of the Law by Brandon Sanderson (audiobook)

July:

38.  Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen

39.  Paperboy by Vince Vawter (audiobook)

40.  Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan (audiobook)

41.  Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo (reread)

42.  Edward Partridge by Hartt Wixom

August:

43.  Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick (audiobook)

44.  Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo (reread)

45.  How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell (audiobook)

*46.  Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

47.  Four: a Divergent Story Collection by Veronica Roth (audiobook)

48.  Walking on Water by Richard Paul Evans (audiobook)

49.  The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot (for book club)

*50.  On the Fence by Kasie West

51.  Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wildler (audiobook)

September

52.  Olivia by Julie Wright (audiobook)

53.  Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli (audiobook)

54.  Surviving Hitler: the Unlikely True Story of a SS Soldier and a Jewish Woman by O. Hakan Palm

55.  Baked Alaska by Josi Kilpack

*56.  Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (audiobook)

57.  Rocky Road by Josi Kilpack

58.  Rumors of War by Dean Hughes (audiobook)

59.  Since You Went Away (audiobook)

October

*60.  Gifted Hands by Ben Carson

61.  Fortune Cookie by Josi Kilpack

62.  Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder (audiobook)

63.  The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes

64.  The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner (audiobook)

November

65.  The Wives of Los Alamos by TaraShea Nesbit

66.  The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner (audiobook)

67.  Far From Home by Dean Hughes

68.  Five Languages of Apology by Gary Chapman (I hosted this book for book club)

69.  Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Fielding Smith

70.  When We Meet Again by Dean Hughes

71.  For Elise by Sarah Eden

72.  The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner (audiobook)

*73.  As Long As I Have You by Dean Hughes (I loved the whole Children of the Promise series, but this was my favorite book in the series)

December

74.  The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J Stanley (audiobook)

75.  The Power of Everyday Missionaries by Clayton M Christensen

76.  Becoming Lady Lockwood by Jennifer Moore

77.  Food: a Love Story by Jim Gaffigan (audiobook)

78.  A Christ Centered Christmas: Seven Traditions that lead us Closer to the Savior by Emily Freeman

79.  Standing By and Making Do: Women of War Time Los Alamos by Jane S. Wilson and Charlotte Serber

Samuel’s List:

-Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

- Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand

-Stories from the Life of Porter Rockwell by John W. Rockwell and Jerry Borrowman

Read partway through and he is still currently reading:

-Agent Bishop: True Stories from a FBI Agent Moonlighting as a Bishop by Mike McPheters

-The Lincoln Hypothesis by Timothy Ballard

Books Read in 2013

Another year has passed already!  This year was one of the biggest in my life yet with a ton of big changes.  It also happened to be my year with the most books read- 100 exactly!  The much higher number is due largely to the fact that I started listening to audiobooks regularly.  I got through a ton of audiobooks while working at the library for the first half of the year, because I was allowed to listen to them while I worked.  I also started listening to audiobooks whenever I was cooking, cleaning, or other similar things.  So throughout this year I usually always had one audiobook and one physical book that I was reading at any given time, and I usually got through audiobooks much faster since I listened to them while doing other things. 

Harrison was born at the end of August and so I thought that might slow down my reading quite a bit.  It did slow it down some, but I still find ways to fit it in- mostly by reading while I am feeding him or reading to him from whatever book I am reading at the time.  I also still listen to audiobooks while I am doing housework while he is sleeping.

I made a goal at the end of last year to read at least one classic or non-fiction book per month (for a total of 12), because I want to be a "life-long learner" and keep reading to learn things and challenge myself, in addition to reading for fun, now that I am out of school and won't be reading textbooks.  I ended up far surpassing that goal (mostly because of audiobooks, which is a good way for me to do many of those books).  I read 11 classics and 14 non-fiction books this year.  I have many more classics and non-fiction books on my list to read and I am going to keep up that goal for future years.

I kept track of which genres I was reading this year as well.  My most read genre was fantasy (15), with non-fiction (14) coming in as a close second place.  The other most read genres were dystopian (12), classics (11), and historical fiction (10).  I read many other genres as well including: suspense, fairy-tale retellings, spy novels, realistic fiction, culinary mystery, romance, science fiction, and inspirational.

As always, the fact that these books were on my list of being read this year does not necessarily mean I recommend them.  I didn't like every book that I read this year, and I can't vouch for all of them.  If you want to find out more about what I thought of certain books on the list you can ask me and I would be happy to share :).

*= Favorite books I read for the first time this year (I didn't star the favorites that I reread)

Janurary:
1.  What Every Body is Saying: An Ex-FBI Agent's Guide to Speed-Reading People by Joe Navarro
2.  The Reluctant Bachelorette by Rachel Renee Anderson
3.  Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Johnson
4.  Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (audiobook)
5.  Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
6.  The Host by Stephanie Meyer (reread) (audiobook)

February:
7.  The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis (audiobook)
8.  Delirium by Lauren Oliver (reread) (audiobook)
9.  Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver (reread) (audiobook)
10.  I Don't Have to Make Everything All Better by Gary and Joy Lundberg
11.  Legend by Marie Lu (reread) (audiobook)
12.  The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis (audiobook)
13.  The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer (audiobook)
14.  Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
15.  Princess Acadamy by Shannon Hale (reread) (audiobook)
16.  I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter (reread) (audiobook)
17.  Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter (audiobook)
*18.  Prodigy by Marie Lu
19.  Don't Judge a Girl By Her Cover by Ally Carter (audiobook)

March
*20.  The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (audiobook)
*21.  Palace of Stone by Shannon Hale
22.  Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine (reread- don't know how many times it's been I've reread it...many!) (audiobook)
23.  Requiem by Lauren Oliver
24.  Fairest by Gail Carson Levine (audiobook)
25.  Delirium Stories: Hana, Annabel, and Raven by Lauren Oliver
26.  Only the Good Spy Young by Ally Carter (audiobook)
27.  Out of Sight, Out of Time by Ally Carter (audiobook)
28.  Heist Society by Ally Carter (audiobook)
29.  Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter (audiobook)
*30.  The Rent Collector by  Camron Wright
31.  Peace Like a River by Leif Enger (audiobook) 
32.  Number the Stars by Lois Lowry (audiobook)

April
33.  The Runaway Jury by John Grisham (audiobook)
34.  Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers (audiobook)
35.  The Timekeeper by Mitch Albom
36.  City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (audiobook)
37.  Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (reread for the third time) (read first half with Samuel and listened to audiobook for second half)
*38.  Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
39.  Michael Vey: Rise of the Elgen by Richard Paul Evans
40.  The Runaway King by Jennifer Nielsen
41.  Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (reread) (audiobook)

May
42.  Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor (audiobook)
43.  Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter
44.  Crown of Embers by Rae Carson (audiobook)
45.  Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson (audiobook)
46.  Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
47.  A Tale of Two Castles by Gail Carson Levine (audiobook)
48.  Mind Games by Kiersten White
49.  Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery (audiobook)
50.  Step of Faith by Richard Paul Evans

June
*51.  Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson (audiobook)
52.  The Elite by Kiera Cass 
53. Graceling by Kristin Cashore (audiobook)
54.  The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (audiobook)
55.  Cross My Heart by Julie Wright (audiobook)
*56.  Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
57.  Pumpkin Roll by Josi Kilpack
58.  For One More Day by Mitch Albom (audiobook)

July
59.  Banana Split by Josi Kilpack
60.  Tres Leches Cupcakes by Josi Kilpack
61.  The Witch of Balckbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
62.  The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcom Gladwell (audiobook)
*63.  Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool
64.  The Guardian by Gerald Lund (audiobook)

August
65.  The Sandcastle Girls by Chris Bohjalian
*66.  Mayo Clinic Guide to Healthy Pregnancy (read throughout the year)
67.  The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin (audiobook)
68.  Fahrenheit 451 (audiobook)
69.  Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom (audiobook)
70.  Anne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery (audiobook)
71.  The Cadet of Tildor by Alex Lidell
*72.  Pivot Point by Kasie West
73.  On Becoming Baby Wise: Giving Your Infant the Gift of Nighttime Sleep By Gary Ezzo

September
*74.  The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson (audiobook)
75.  A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (audiobook)
76.  The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom
*77.  Blackmoore by Julianne Donaldson
78.  Chance Encounter by Jennie Hansen
79.  The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

October
80.  Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
81.  United We Spy by Ally Carter
82.  The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson (audiobook)
83.  Songs of Willow Frost by Jamie Ford
84.  Insurgent by Veronica Roth (reread) (audiobook)
*85.  Allegiant by Veronica Roth

November
86.  North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell (audiobook)
87.  Navigating Early by Clare Vanderpool (audiobook)
88.  Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
89.  The Romney Family Table: Sharing Home-Cooked Recipes and Favorite Traditions by Ann Romney
90.  Twitterpated by Melanie Jacobson
91.  A Countess Below Stairs by Eva Ibbotson (audiobook)
92.  Do Over by Shannon Guymon
93.  The Duck Commander Family: How Faith, Family, and Ducks Built a Dynasty by Willie and Korie Robertson (audiobook)

December
94.  The Reading Promise: My Father and the Books we Shared by Alice Ozma (audiobook)
95.  The 13th Day of Christmas by Jason F. Wright
96.  The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels by Ree Drummond (audiobook)
97.  Champion by Marie Lu
*98.  Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell (audiobook)
99.  Reality Check by Karen Tuft
100.  Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (read throughout the year)


The last couple years I have started including Samuel's list of books read as well, so here it is:

Samuel's Books Read in 2013:
1.  Calvin and Hobbes: Something Under the Bed is Drooling by Bill Watterson
2.  End of Empire: Attila the Hun and the Fall of Rome by Christopher Kelley (He had to choose a book to read for a history class and then do a project on it and this is the one he chose)
3.  Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
4.  The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
5.  Calvin and Hobbes: Attack of the Deranged Mutant Killer Monster Snow Goons by Bill Watterson
6.  The Spies Who Never Were by Hervie Haufler (started until Med School got in the way- will finish later)
7.  Saints at War: Experiences of Latter-Day Saints in World War II by Robert C. Freeman (started)

Birth Story

I knew it would be hard to remember all the details of how our son's birth unfolded with everything that is going on at the time and with everything that happened after so I kept some little notes throughout the day to keep track of everything and I wanted to type this up before I forgot more details.

I woke up a little before 4:30 AM on Wednesday August 28th with what felt like a bad menstrual cramp.  I had heard labor compared to that, so I wondered if I might be starting labor.  The 28th was my exact due date so I thought that it would be pretty neat if this actually was the day.  I had just been talking to Brianne, one of my best friends, the day before about how I should have the baby on the due date because that's unique and because it was her birthday.  I was thinking about that early Wednesday morning and getting excited thinking it might be the day and I would get to tell her.  Samuel kind of woke up around that time and I told him I might be in labor but to try to get some sleep until I knew.  I thought I would try to get some sleep as well while I could so that I would be well rested for labor but realized a couple minutes later that there were was no way that was going to happen as I experienced a contraction.  I had been a little bit nervous about how to know when my contractions were close enough that I should go to the hospital since I hadn't had contractions I could really time before that point.  I kept reassuring myself that when real labor came I would know because it would be a lot more intense.  My doctor told me I wouldn't be able to sleep through real labor and it was definitely true. 

So I got out of bed, grabbed Samuel's iPad and went out to the family room.  I had downloaded a free app that was a contraction timer and so I started using that to see where I was at.  I knew I was supposed to call my doctor when my contractions were about 5 minutes apart, lasted for about a minute, and had been going for at least an hour.  My contractions were already about 5 minutes apart and a minute long so I was just waiting to see if they would keep up.  I just played games on the iPad and kept counting contractions.  I was hungry and ate a granola bar, but around 6 AM I threw it up.

Samuel woke up when he heard me throwing up and came to check on me.  We both showered and got ready for the day, but it was really hard for me to do because my contractions were getting closer and closer together (about 2-3 minutes apart) and I was starting to feel them in my back as well as my abdomen.  It's really hard to get ready when you have to stop every couple minutes for a painful contraction.  

I called the doctor's office answering service about 6:30 AM and the doctor got back to me a little before 7 AM.  He told me to go to the hospital.  He said I did not need to super rush, but to be there within the hour.  Samuel needed to get something from school so he was going to drive there real fast and then come back and get me to go to the hospital.  It took him way longer than normal to get to school and back though because he got stuck in traffic and there was an accident slowing things down.  My contractions were getting worse and I threw up again.  When he got back he gave me a quick blessing and then we headed off to the hospital around 7:40 AM.

The drive to the hospital was the worst part of it all because we got stuck in rush hour traffic and my contractions really picked up in intensity.  They were coming every like 2.5 minutes and lasting for a minute each.  I felt them in my abdomen and back and down into my upper legs.  It took like 40 minutes to get to the hospital and it probably didn't help the pain that I was kind of stressing about it taking so long and not getting there when the doctor said to be there by.  I'm sure some of the cars next to us could guess that I was in labor when we were in stand still traffic and they could see me squirming and grimacing and grabbing Samuel's hand.

Finally around 8:20 AM we got to the hospital.  My doctor happened to be there doing his rounds at that time so he was able to check me himself.  He told me that I was 5 to 6 cm dilated.  The nurse got me all set up with everything, asked me lots of questions, and helped me through the contractions while we waited for the epidural.


I got my epidural around 10 AM and felt way better right away.  I was 7 cm dilated at that point.  I just rested for a while after that and waited for things to progress.  When I was 9 cm dilated my water broke.  I was really calm and relaxed during this time and was just reading, playing games on Samuel's iPad, etc.  I was super hungry since I hadn't eaten anything except that granola bar at the very beginning of the day which I had thrown up, but there was nothing I could do about that since I wasn't allowed to eat.

Around 3 PM they said I was fully dilated and effaced, but that I just needed to 'labor down' until I felt the urge to push.  The doctor said if I started pushing too soon I would just wear myself out.  So there was more waiting for us.  I still felt really good, but we were starting to feel a little impatient too, just wanting to move on to the next stage and start pushing.  Around 3:40 PM I started pushing.  Every time I had a contraction the nurse would have me take a deep breath, hold it for 10 seconds while pushing, and then let it out and repeat the process two more times.  The nurse said I was doing it right and that I was making progress, but it still took a really long time to get the head out because I was so tight.  The nurse told me she could see lots of dark hair on his head and that was exciting and encouraging.  I had to keep pushing for about 2.5 hours so I was starting to get pretty tired towards the end, and a little impatient.  The doctor did a little cut towards the end of my pushing so that I wouldn't tear.  Once the head came through everything else came through right away.  It was kind of a surreal feeling as I felt this physical and emotional relief as I felt the baby come out and I knew that I had done it.  He was born at 6:17 PM.  He weighed 7 lbs 15 oz and was 20.5 inches long.

Since the nurse had seen a little bit of meconium in the fluids while I was pushing they had the NICU come in to the room and take the baby as soon as he was born so they could check him out and make sure everything was okay.  The NICU said everything looked fine and then I was finally able to hold him.  Samuel and I noticed really early on how alert and attentive he was.  He kept looking around at everything and his eyes were wide open taking it all in.

 Around 7:30 PM I breastfed him for the first time and it was going well until the nurse noticed that he was breathing really fast and she was concerned about it.  She had the NICU come look at him.  I got to eat dinner (finally!) and then I was moved to the postpartum floor.  The NICU deliberated about whether he was just having a slow time transitioning with his breathing or whether there could be a bigger problem.  They were going to keep him in the nursery for observation, but then when the problem didn't stop decided to take him to the NICU unit for observation.  Samuel was really tired and had a headache since he hadn't been sleeping well the nights before so he went home to sleep that night.  After he had already left is when they told me our baby was going to stay in the NICU.  The NICU nurses didn't seem to be too concerned though and still thought it was just a transition thing since everything else was totally fine, so I was never too worried about him.  They took x-rays of his chest and everything looked normal.  His breathing was also starting to slow down.  So around midnight they took me to the NICU so I could breastfeed him.  Around 1 AM when they took me back I was finally able to try to get some sleep, but I couldn't sleep for more than like an hour without waking up from pain.  After getting some pain medicine and going to the bathroom and feeding him again around 3 or 4 AM I felt better and was finally able to get a couple hours of sleep until they brought him back to me to feed again around 8 AM.

My whole hospital stay went really well and I really liked the hospital and all their staff.  The other women in our ward here who have delivered at that hospital call it a 'spaspital' and I completely agree.  They had a huge menu of yummy food I could order whenever I wanted and all the staff were so nice and helpful.  It's pretty easy for me to accept help when people offer it, but it's kind of hard for me to ask for help, because I don't like being needy.  So while being there I had to get used to asking for help and it was probably good practice for me.


Before our little guy was born we were deciding between two names and we were going to wait until he was born until we decided for sure.  On Thursday we decided on Harrison Ned Price.  Harrison just seemed to fit him so much better than our other name in terms of looks and personality and everything.  The Harrison in his name is after Samuel Harrison Smith and the Ned is a Price family name (it is Samuel's middle name, his dad's middle name, and his grandpa's middle name).

On Friday we went home from the hospital.  We are figuring things out and loving spending time with our little Harrison!

 

 

9 Months

Wow, it has been a really long time since I have posted on my blog.  I haven't done a single post in all of 2013!  But I have found myself with lots of extra time right now as I am waiting on our baby's arrival (any day now!) and had some thoughts on my mind.

Today I was reflecting back on my pregnancy and thinking about all that has happened in the past 9 months.  At times the 9 months seemed to go by really slow and at other times it seemed to fly by. All in all, I think 9 months was the perfect amount of time for me to be pregnant.  At some points in the pregnancy I wanted to push back the due date because I felt like there was still so much to figure out before our baby came.  We didn't know where Samuel was going to go to med school yet and so had no idea where we would be living, we were really lost on what to do for insurance for the baby, and I felt like I still needed to learn so much more about labor and delivery because it seemed like everyone else knew so much more than I did.  I was completely okay with the due date still being pretty far off.

As my pregnancy got within a couple months of the end we had figured out a lot more and we knew where we would be living and had an apartment there (which was a really nice feeling), but there was still so much that needed to fall in to place first.  I didn't have a doctor lined up in Indianapolis yet, because we still didn't have things figured out with insurance.  And we were not even in the state I was planning to give birth in yet.  We hadn't bought the baby supplies yet since we didn't want to buy them all before moving, so we hadn't really done the things you often are doing at that point to prepare.  When people would ask if I was ready for the baby I kept saying that I really needed to move first before I felt ready.  About 6 weeks before the due date we made the big move to Indianapolis.  I was able to find and meet with a doctor a couple days after moving there and everything fell in to place really nicely to make me feel much more ready.  Samuel and I found out where we would be delivering the baby and took a birthing class at that hospital which included a tour.  That made things feel a lot more real and comforting.  I also took a lot of time during this time to study and learn a lot more about labor and the after stages (recovery, breastfeeding, etc) through books as well as manuals/handouts from the hospital.  I felt much more prepared and knowledgeable.  The combination of doing the physical things to prepare (meeting with the doctor who would actually be delivering me, buying and setting up baby stuff, etc) and the mental things through my studying brought me to the point of feeling ready and much more empowered to take on this new adventure.  I knew there would still be plenty of times to come with motherhood that I would have no idea what to do, but I felt much more capable and ready to face it.

I reached this point of feeling ready several weeks ago, but I knew that I still had weeks to wait until the baby actually came.  I felt fine with that though and felt patient and totally fine with waiting until my due date or a little after.  I enjoyed this time to explore the new area and to spend time with Samuel before he got busy with med school.  I also enjoyed having a relaxed schedule and being able to get plenty of rest and have some leisurely time.  After Samuel started going to school I didn't mind being at home alone during the days because I am pretty good at entertaining myself.  I tried to do a lot of productive things so that I wasn't wasting time and also enjoyed some fun things.  I don't get bored very easily so I was totally okay with the situation.  But then recently, within like the last week, I have started to get kind of bored and feeling like I am running out of productive things to do (there's only so many times you need to do laundry or clean the dishes).  Which is actually perfect, because now I am feeling very ready to be busier again and have things I need to accomplish, which a baby will definitely provide!  I feel like if the baby came a month ago I would have adjusted fine, but I probably would have wished I had a little more time to myself to relax or do other things.  But now I am feeling very ready to take on a new challenge!  

Basically the point of all that was that 9 months was the perfect amount of time for me to be pregnant- it got me right to the point of feeling physically, mentally, and emotionally ready for welcoming a baby to our family.

It's kind of crazy to look back on the last 9 months to see how much really happened over that time.  I realized that I lived in 3 different states throughout my pregnancy.  We had an especially full 9 months, including:
 
*Me completing an internship in Washington shadowing a therapist and living away from Samuel for about 6 weeks *Samuel deciding where to go to medical school *Samuel and I both finishing our last requirements of college and graduating with our Bachelor degrees* Two new nieces being born into my family* Moving across the country to Indiana where I had never even visited before and Samuel had only had one brief visit* Living in a brand new city and learning our way around and meeting new people* Samuel starting his first year of medical school*

It's amazing to see how much happened in our lives in that short amount of time as well as how much was happening inside my body during this time to form a little human being.  We are excited to get to meet him soon and welcome him in to our family!

Books Read in 2012

This was another great year of books!  I read an eclectic selection of books once again this year, with the most frequently read genres being: dystopian, fantasy, and historical fiction.  I read several classics as well, which I wanted to do this year.  Next year I plan to read even more non-fiction and classic books, especially since I am done with school classes now and want to challenge myself and continue to be a life long learner.

I came up with a great idea towards the end of the year.  While working at the library I kept seeing all kinds of books on CD and realized that would be a great way for me to read books, especially since I am allowed to listen to my iPod at work.  I started doing that towards the end of the year and I got through the books really quickly.  Sadly, my iPod died right when I was getting so excited about the idea.  I got a new iPod for Christmas though and am excited to go back to listening to books on CD next year.

In addition to all the reading I do for enjoyment throughout the year, I also had to do a lot of reading for school and read scriptures for church.  I only included on this list books I read from beginning to end though, so if I didn't read the entire textbook I didn't include it.  I certainly read a whole lot of words though, when you think about all the things I read in addition to the books on this list.  

Here is my list of books read in 2012, in chronological order of when I read them.  I do not necessarily recommend all the books on this list, although I did really enjoy most of them.

1.  The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis
2.  Paint Me True by E.M. Tippetts
3.  The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
4.  The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
5.  Supernaturally by Kiersten White
6.  A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
7.  The Pledge by Kimberly Derting
8.  Inside Out by Maria Synder
9.  Across the Universe by Beth Revis
10.  Outside In by Maria Snyder
11.  Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen
12.  Devil's Food Cake by Josi Kilpack
13.  Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson
14.  Austenland by Shannon Hale
15.  Jacob T. Marley by R. William Bennett
16.  Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
17.  Someone Else's Fairytale by E.M. Tippetts
18.  Everneath by Brodi Ashton
19.  The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott
20.  The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen
21.  The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman
22.  Passage on the Titanic by Anita Stansfield
23.  Divergent by Veronica Roth (reread)
24.  Insurgent by Veronica Roth
25.  Mother Had a Secret by Tiffany Fletcher
26.  The Night Circus by Erin Morgonstern
27.  The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (reread while reading it to Samuel)
28.  The Selection by Kiera Cass
29.  The Road to Grace by Richard Paul Evans
30.  To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (reread from many years ago)
31.  Cinder by Marissa Meyer
32.  Once Upon a Time: a collection of classic fairy tales by the Grimm Brothers
33.  Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
34.  Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
35.  Key Lime Pie by Josi Kilpack
36.  The Last Princess by Galaxy Craze
37.  Blackberry Crumble by Josi Kilpack
38.  Hidden by Lauren Skidmore
39. World Mythology by Ray Willis (for school)
40.  The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
41.  Warp and Weave collection of stories printed by UVU (for school)
42.  Teachings of Presidents of the Church: George Albert Smith
43.  Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson
44.  Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas
45.  The World of Downton Abbey by Jessica Fellowes
46.  Scorpio Races by Maggie Steifvater
47.  Endlessly by Kiersten White
48.  Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
49.  The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis (Listened to the audiobook version)
50.  The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis (Listened to the audiobook version)
51.  Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis (Listened to the audiobook version)
52.  Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis (Listened to the audiobook version)
53.  Les Miserables by Victor Hugo (abridged)
54.  Reached by Ally Condie
55.  The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
56.  A Winter Dream by Richard Paul Evans
57.  Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien (Listened to the audiobook version)


Below are pictures of some of my favorite books read this year.  They are listed in the order that I read them, not the order of preference.  If I had to choose my all time favorite book from the year it would have to be Les Miserables.















I kept track of the books Samuel read this year as well.  He read the exact same number as last year, so I guess that means he is consistent :).

Samuel's books:
1.  The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
2.  Every Patient Tells a Story by Lisa Sanders
3.  SOG: The Secret Wars of America's Commanders in Vietnam by John Plaster
4.  Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach
5.  Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson

Hope you all read some great books this year as well!