What I'm Reading :: September

I took a couple of months off from posting while we were getting used to a household with two kids. This new 'normal' didn't really leave much room for reading either! By the time the kids go to sleep at night, my eyes are just about closing and I would be passing out on the couch.

I did find some time though while we went on a mini vacation to read a couple books while the baby soaked in the ocean air and slept like a champ. Now that we are getting into more of a routine at home as well, I find some quiet time to catch up on some of the books I had lined up for this month that I wanted to share.

I also wanted to share with you the really neat Book Club that I've joined online. It's open to everyone and it's actually really cool. I don't generally post about things unless I really truly like them or find them to be really helpful/interesting. This is one of them! It's called Book of the Month Club and it is an online book club subscription that takes information about you (after filling out a short survey) and provides you with a list of five books each month to choose one from that will be mailed to you to keep and read. 

It's a pretty neat service and a great online community of avid readers that you can discuss the book with if that's something you like to do. If you like to read often and are looking for great books, this is perfect for you. Some of the best new and upcoming novels are chosen, as well as some great classics. Right now they have a great deal going on where you get 30% off a 3 month subscription and a free tote bag with the promotional code 30TOTE or you can try a 1 month subscription for only $5 with the promotional code READ5. Can't beat getting a great book for $5 in the first month! 

Here are a few of the books I've been reading this month:

After You

I read Me Before You last summer while on vacation and absolutely loved it. It was one of those books that moved slowly with so much detail but you couldn't get enough or stop reading. I saw the movie a few months ago when it came out and loved the actors that represented each character and then I kind of didn't want the story to end so I decided to read After You. After You is a great sequel to the first and really captures what life is like for Lou after Will. If you liked the first, you will undoubtedly like After You. You can find it here.

First Comes Love

If you have ever read and watched Something Borrowed, you know Emily Giffin and her books. I love them and always get my hands on each new one she releases. This latest that was released this summer was another great one but differed than some of her previous work. This book mixed loss, love, motherhood, family, and everything in between with a beautiful message at the end. You can find it here.

The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo

I love Amy Schumer and was really excited for her book to come out. This was actually my first pick in the Book of the Month club subscription and so I haven't read it yet but it is on my list this month. I will let you know how I like it! You can find it here.

What are you reading this month?

Have a good week!

A Birth Story :: Theodore

The second littlest love of my life, Theodore David Brodie was born on Wednesday July 6, 2016, weighing 8 lbs 4 oz and made my heart burst and grow even more than I ever thought it could.

This pregnancy differed from my first in so many ways as every pregnancy does. It tested my faith, my strength, and at times made me feel so helpless. There were many ups and many downs as we navigated through all of the various appointments with different doctors, the numerous tests and monitoring, and ultimately the relocation to Philadelphia for the birth. I spent a lot of this pregnancy really excited to meet my baby boy as every pregnant mama does, but there was also a great amount of time that I spent feeling scared for his future and sad for what he would have to go through. Feeling helpless as a mom is such a painful feeling. I held onto whatever faith I had every day, praying that this little boy who I hadn't met yet but knew was going to be my greatest hero, would make his appearance and show us how unbelievably strong he was.

As the anxiety set in the last couple months before his birth, the doctors set a date for me to come in to be induced the week before my actual due date to avoid me going into labor at home and not getting to the hospital in time. They wanted to make sure the team of doctors that would monitor the baby was ready and waiting just in case Theo needed care minutes after birth. I was scheduled to be induced on  the evening of Tuesday July 5, 2016.

On Tuesday evening, David and I settled into our room at the hospital after dropping Penelope off at her grandparents. The nurses started the induction process that night and told me to get some sleep.Telling a mom she would be meeting her son super soon and then telling her to get some sleep is not a good combination and I don't think that really ever works...ever. I was way too excited/nervous/anxious to sleep that night and so I tossed and turned until the morning. David snored, all night.

Wednesday July 6, I woke up to contractions and so the nurses decided to give me a round of Pitocin around noon, which would increase the intensity and timing of contractions, while David ate a cheeseburger in front of me. To be fair, I told him to eat because I knew sooner or later, I'd be squeezing the life out of him. My contractions went from somewhat strong to completely debilitating within a few hours but my stubborn self kept pacing back and forth in the room, swaying on the rocking chair, to get through each one. From about noon to 3pm, I walked around breathing through every contraction until finally at 3:30pm, I decided to ask for an epidural, not realizing that it was way too late, little boy was ready.

Around 4:10p.m. the anesthesiologist came in to give me the epidural. As he laid me down to give me a test dose of the epidural, to make sure my blood pressure would not drop too low, my water broke and then all I remember is screaming to the nurse that the baby was coming! The team of doctors scrambled to get ready for his arrival as I squeezed the life out of the nurse and David's hands. Finally they allowed me to push, and after about 3 pushes, Theodore made his way into the world! I instantly forgot about the crazy amount of pain I was in when I saw his little face and heard his little cry. I never believed women when they said that they forgot the pain when the baby arrived, but you really do in some strange, bizarre way. Theodore was an angel from the very beginning, crying only as his eyes met the world and then immediately calmed down once I held him.

He was doing so well after birth without any visible complications and so the doctors allowed me to hold him for about 10-15 minutes or so before they took him to make sure he was stable and get him ready to go to the NICU, where we could go and visit/sit with him afterwards.

Penelope came to visit her new brother that night. Having no clue that this little boy would be coming home with us in a few days, she begged to hold the baby in the NICU. It was the sweetest thing I have ever seen.

The days following the birth, Theodore spent in the NICU. He was monitored, tested, and proved to us how strong of a fighter he is, as he fed and grew each day and was able to come home after only three days. The doctors went over his current condition and how well he was doing that he wouldn't need any immediate care until his surgery around 3 months old.

Theodore came home and has been doing so well in the last two months. He has been growing and making everyone he meets fall in love with him. He is my calm in this big crazy hectic life. He is my my calm, as his sister the tornado runs through the house each day. I live to hear his little sighs each day, and to see his sister hold him and give him kisses, as he smiles and she says "He laughin at me."

As we are a month away from his surgery, we are soaking in every minute of every day with him, watching him grow, and loving every moment. My heart is so full, yet breaks a little every day knowing that his little body will have to go through so much so soon. My little fighter has completely stolen this mama's heart and will every day for the rest of my life. He has taught me more about myself than I could imagine, has given me strength in times where I didn't think I had anything else left, and has given me the greatest gift I have ever known, along with his sister, by making me their mom. He's my hero, my heart, and the littlest love of my life.