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!

Anniversary

One year ago today I married Samuel.  I can't believe how fast the time passed!  In the past year we have...

Had many adventures...

Gone on several fun trips...

Spent some great time with our families...

Experienced some fun new things...

 

(Disclaimer: Samuel has been fishing many times in his life, but last summer was my first time doing the whole process of catching a fish, gutting it, and then eating it).

It has been a great year and I am excited for the years to come!

Through the Ages

Recently I have been thinking about all the post 1900 time periods in America and how they each have their own distinct culture, history, fashion, music, media. They are pretty distinctly different too, they each have basically their own personality. There is the 20's with the jazz age, flappers, and push for liberation... the 50's with the poodle skirts, diners, and rock n' roll... the 70's with the hippie culture and clothing... the 80's with the bright colors, pop and techno music, and spandex... and so much more between. I have found that many girls have a particular time period that they relate with most. I have friends that are all about the 50's culture, the 70's influenced style and colors, or bright colors and fun music of the 80's. And styles always cycle over time so we always see fashion influenced by the different time periods. Recently I have been thinking about which time period I most relate to since I don't really relate as much to the most prominent ones even though I think each era has some really cool, unique things to offer. Well I have finally figured it out: the 1940's! There are so many things that I like about the 1940's although I have discovered most of them in the more recent years of my life. As a teenager I didn't really like a ton of 'old' movies or music. Maybe it just had something to do with being a teenager, but I have found more recently that there are actually a lot that I like. Some of my favorite movies from the 40's:


I have also found that I really like the music of crooners like Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby:


I also like the classic style fashion of the time period with women in dresses and guys wearing suits (not that I am complaining about wearing pants now, I am completely okay with that).

I've got to say I really like the fedora too

My favorite time period of all time is still definitely the Medieval age (I will always love the castles, royalty, knights, and more!) but the 1940's is my favorite of the modern ages.

Creation Appreciation

This weekend a couple different things made me think about the creation and how I took it for granted a lot of the time- some aspects more than others. I went to the Bean Museum for the first time with Samuel Friday night and it was really cool to see all of the taxidermy animals. Samuel's child like excitement for all the animals made me see how truly amazing animals are and that were given a day in the creation. It made me think back to my childhood and all of the animals that I liked, as well as the other aspects of the creation I really enjoy as well.

As a child my favorite animals were the polar bear and the cheetah:



Then a little later in my childhood I became obsessed with monkeys(which I still really like)



Samuel's favorite animal is the penguin:


He also really likes wolves and says that if he were an animal he would be a wolf:


Of all the plants that were created, I would have to say my favorite are the lily and big, strong trees. Especially ones you can build tree forts in or hang swings from :)



There are many different landscapes that I love, including the rolling hills, snow covered land, and the mountains


Water bodies such as the ocean are always a beautiful sight as well. Water in general is a beautiful thing in the way that moves, reflects light, etc



There are many beautiful forms of light as well, my favorite being the sunset

And of course, I am also grateful for the creation of man which is also a pretty beautiful and amazing thing.