Pregnancy Update: Week 21

This update is a little late, because G and I were in Destin with family all last week. It was such a wonderful trip! We both really needed to get away for a little while and recharge (especially the Hubby, because he's been working so hard lately).

21 weeks!

Baby Girl's movement picked up significantly while we were at the beach, which makes us think she's going to be a beach lover just like we are! Every day was filled with very strong movement, sometimes startling me because I was sure she would come busting out through my stomach at any moment. Both my aunt and uncle were able to feel her move, which was really cool. She's also started doing this really weird (yet awesome) thing where some part of her is really far forward and to one side, so that when I look down at my stomach, there is very obviously a baby part bulging out. It usually feels really hard when I put my hand there, and sometimes she starts wiggling as a result of the pressure.


Yesterday afternoon, I put on some music while G was working in the house. Not long after it started, Baby Girl began moving like crazy! She must have really liked what I was playing, and maybe that means we have a future piano player or ballet dancer. It was such a neat experience.

Women's Bible Study has started back up again at our church, and we're going through Spiritual Parenting by Michelle Anthony. Despite being one chapter into it, I'm already being challenged in a big way. Hubby and I read it together on vacation, and it really made me reevaluate how I've planned to parent until now. If you're a parent or grandparent (or will be soon), I highly recommend that book.

In other news, I'm pretty sure Baby Girl likes ice cream.

Pregnancy Update: Week 20 - It's A...

20 weeks!

It boggles my mind that I am half-way through this pregnancy already! Time really has flown by (though I fully expect it to slow down in the last month). It's amazing how quickly your life can change.

Today was THE day; the long-awaited day on which we would find out the sex of our sweet little one! G and I were pretty confident it was a boy. For some reason, it just "felt" like a boy. So what if you can't actually "feel" the sex of the baby? Anyway, I had been so certain this entire week that it was a boy, when last night, all of a sudden, I no longer felt sure. What if it wasn't a boy? What if it was a girl? Even before I found out I was pregnant, I knew I would love our baby regardless of the sex. I don't think one sex is better, or even easier, than the other. Yet I did like the idea of having a little boy first, both because he would be the "firstborn son" in every way, and he could play protecter to other children we hope to have down the road. Plus, my husband's family is notorious for having boys first (if any girls enter the picture at all)! On my dad's side of the family, I was born first, and so was my cousin. We're both big sisters to our younger brothers. For this reason, I knew it could go either way for our baby.

All morning long, I was so excited and wound up. I ate a little for breakfast, but had no appetite until after the ultrasound appointment and prenatal checkup. I picked up Hubby about thirty minutes before the appointment, and we were off. As you can imagine, everything seemed to take a long time. When we got to the appointment, we had to wait a bit before we were called back for the ultrasound. Then, we had to wait even longer (and mostly in silence) for the ultrasound technician to take measurements of the baby and get the necessary photos. Because of how the room was laid out, I wasn't able to see the screen at first (though G got to watch while the technician worked). Finally, when it was time to learn the sex of the baby, she turned the screen around so I could see it and asked my husband to come closer to me. She went through each of our concerns, and said the baby looked healthy. I watched the screen as she spoke, and suddenly felt overwhelmed. That was our baby! When I found out about the pregnancy, I didn't cry. When I heard the heartbeat for the first time, there still were no tears. But when I saw my baby on that screen, a rush of emotion hit me, and I finally cried. They were tears of joy, of course! Then the moment we had been waiting for arrived, and the technician told us the news: It's a GIRL! G and I both were in shock! We couldn't be happier though (and aren't a bit disappointed about it not being a boy), and now I can get excited about little bows, ruffles, and frilly things.

Anyway, by the time we got home, I was hungry and exhausted. It's amazing how much energy it takes to be so excited! I ate a small meal, then proceeded to finish calling family members (which G and I started doing in the car on the way home) to tell them the news. What a day!

Our little baby girl!

Hubby and I decided to eat dinner out tonight, and then we went to BabiesRUs to pick out something girly. We settled on a cute pair of baby shoes, which is our first gender-specific purchase! Mom had the same idea, and also went out to get some girly baby things. This little girl is already so loved, and we won't meet her face to face for 20-ish more weeks!

The first of many girly things!

In other news, I've eaten a lot of red meat this week, which is a great source of iron but it made me sluggish and uncomfortable. My belly is continuing to grow and stretch, and I've had some occasional muscle pain. It isn't severe, but it makes getting around and sitting still rather unpleasant sometimes. It takes me a little while to fall asleep at night now, even when I'm tired after a busy day. At my last prenatal checkup, the midwife told me that my Vitamin D was just a little low, and this time they recommended taking a supplement to ensure that it stays within the normal range. That's everything I can think of for now! Thank you, Lord, for a healthy baby girl!

Pregnancy Update: 19 Weeks

So it begins. 

I haven't rested as well over the last few nights, partly because we got in bed late a few times after working on house projects, and partly because I kept feeling the baby move. Until now, I've only really felt him or her squirming when I laid on my stomach. Because I'm getting bigger, it's no longer easy (or comfortable) for me to lay that way. Now if I want to lay on my stomach, I have to sort of angle my belly so that I'm not putting my weight straight down on top of it. Typically, I alternate laying on my left and right side though, since that seems to be the most comfortable position to lay in now. Last night, I got up at least five times - no joke - to go to the bathroom (without drinking anything in between visits, so I don't know where all of that liquid is being stored), and the baby was very active. As frustrating as it is to not get much sleep, I wouldn't trade those baby wiggles for anything! I also felt a lot of movement when I was sitting on the couch a couple of days ago. I didn't want to get up because I could feel everything so well, and there's nothing quite like feeling your baby flip around inside of you.

My pre-pregnancy pants don't fit anymore. Well, they still fit, but they won't zip up or button at all. I did the rubber band trick for about a week before that really wasn't working for me anymore. A friend from our LifeGroup (who just had a baby a few weeks ago) let me borrow a belly band to use, and I have a pair of maternity jeans, so I shouldn't have any pant problems for a while. I also ordered two maternity maxi-skirts and a maternity swimsuit online this week. Hopefully they will fit well!

We are officially one week away from learning the sex of our sweet baby! How can it feel both like you've waited forever to find out, and also like the time has flown by? We have our names picked out (though they'll remain a secret until the baby is born), but knowing which name we'll be using is going to make all of this feel even more real. There's a baby in there - a human soul, hand-crafted by God Himself and made in His image - and they're about to have a name. A name is so significant! I don't think it's an accident that many of the people who were recorded in Scripture later became or displayed the meaning of their name, and G and I have put lots of thought into what we want to name our child.

I want to take a moment and praise my husband. On Sunday, I was very grouchy. It started when I didn't eat breakfast (it's sometimes hard to get in on Sundays because I'm getting ready for church, and I don't want to get up earlier than I have to), and then few things sounded good to me for lunch. We were going to visit the in-laws (they were having a party to celebrate my birthday), so we decided to just pick something up on the way. That wouldn't have been a problem, except we decided on a restaurant that ended up not being at any of the exits we passed! We even got off of two exits, certain that it would be close by, and we were wrong both times. After the second wrong guess, we settled on food from Wendy's (not the healthiest choice, I know, but it tasted good and we were hungry). By that time, it was 12:30, so both of us were needing to eat. We finally made it to the in-laws house, only to discover that there had been a miscommunication about what time everyone would be there! Everyone else had been there for a while, and we were the last ones to arrive. There had also been a misunderstanding about food because of the confusion over the arrival time. We thought there was only going to be cake, when in reality my mother-in-law had cooked a big, delicious lunch for everyone (which we did partake in, despite the fast-food run)! The day ended up being great, and I realized how wrong my attitude had been. My Honey was so patient and loving toward me, even when I was pouting in the passenger seat of the SUV because we couldn't find the restaurant we had decided on. He had every reason to let his attitude turn sour, and I almost wished he would have scolded me because his compassion made me feel worse about how I was acting. His positive attitude kept me from getting grouchier, and his kindness made me feel cherished and safe. He's such a wonderful husband, and it's such a privilege to be his wife.

On our way home, we met my parents for dinner and picked up the crib from their house. We had to take it out of the box to make it fit in the back of the SUV, but we got it home safely. It's absolutely perfect, and there wasn't a single scratch or dent on it! Of course we had to set it up right away (which is one of the projects I mentioned previously that kept us up late), and I couldn't get over how beautiful it is or how perfect it will be in the nursery. The real challenge will be keeping the baby from biting on it as they get bigger, which is why I added rail guards to the registry yesterday.

Here is our newly assembled crib! It's sitting in this room
(which is not the nursery) until we are able to move downstairs
to the master bedroom. The paint color on the wall that you can see
 here is also the color we plan to use in the nursery.

Last night, we met with our LifeGroup and had dinner together. We picked out a study to do for the new season, and were able to catch up on everyone's lives. This time around, we're doing Andy Stanley's iMarriage (you can watch it on YouTube here). G and I did it when we were going through premarital counseling, and I cannot say enough about how wonderful it was! I still think back to what I learned two years ago, and we were hoping for a chance to go through it again. Anyway, one of the couples had a new baby, and I got to hold her a few times. She was so sweet and beautiful, and it made me think about our baby and what he or she will be like. Hubby and I have daydreamed many times about what their eye and hair color will be, who they'll look like, and what kind of personality they will have. It's so neat to think that God already knows what our child will look like and who they will become. I'm excited to find out for myself very soon!

"Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward." -Psalm 127:3

Pregnancy Update: 18 Weeks

What a week! Normally, I don't have many new things to report, but this week there have been several changes. The biggest change I've noticed over the last seven days is the increase in baby kicking. I don't even have to lay down on my stomach to feel the movement, either. Often, I'll be sitting in a chair or on the couch when I feel the baby wiggle. Though I can't be sure, it sometimes seems like the baby will start kicking when G and I are talking to each other. If he or she is hearing us and responding with movement, that is really cool! Another thing I've noticed is that my belly is staying significantly bigger now. There are still some days when I wake up that it looks a little flat, but most of the time it pooches out. A lot. And when I eat, well, that's something else entirely. The moment food hits my stomach, I start looking like I'm about to go into labor!

Because I had something going on that took me away from the house almost every day this past week, my exercise and healthy eating dropped off some. I did manage to get in lots of walking, though; just not as much with the prenatal workout DVD. My weight is taking its sweet time in going back up, but I do think I'm gaining. This morning before breakfast, I weighed in at 119.4, which is the highest it's been in quite some time.

We bought a crib on Monday! I've had my eye on one from Pottery Barn for a while, but it was pretty pricey. Originally, G and I were going to ask friends and family for PB gift cards that would help us get the crib, but then Mom and I went to a PB Outlet and I found the exact crib I wanted at a dramatically reduced price. After talking to Hubby over the phone in the store, we decided to get it. We spent about what we would spend on a really nice crib from BabiesRUs, and there's just no beating PB's furniture quality. It's a convertible crib, so as the baby grows, we'll be able to adjust it to meet their needs. The box was huge, so I had to leave it with Mom and Dad temporarily, but we're hoping to get it here sometime this weekend and put it together. I can't wait to see it assembled! There are a few more pieces of PB furniture we would like to get for the room (though we won't be in need if we don't get them), so if anyone wants to know what we would like, we're still welcoming gift cards to Pottery Barn and also Restoration Hardware. We've registered at Target and BabiesRUs for everything else.

From what I can tell, most of my family members (and several in-laws) think that we're having a girl. G and I feel like we're having a boy, though. We will hopefully find out in a couple more weeks! In the meantime, I am scouring Pinterest for good gender reveal photos. Some people have gender reveal parties and I think it's a cute idea, but it's really not my style. Personally, I can't justify throwing a party just to tell people the sex of our baby. It's so much easier (and cheaper, and faster) to take a picture, call people, or announce it on Facebook. I know, I'm a kill-joy.

I've been getting up early with my Honey every day for a while now, and I feel so good! I rest well at night and I have a lot more energy in the morning. When I was younger, I always considered myself a morning person. When G and I got married, he said I was more of a "mid-morning person," since it took me a while to wake up. Well, the morning person has returned because except for the initial roll out of bed, I am wide awake and cheerful! There's something special about being up when the sun is rising. It's like you get a stronger sense of the presence of God (I do, anyway).

A sweet lady from my parents' church gave Mom the first and second Babywise books to give to me. I'm really excited about adding them to my reading list, because they had already been recommended to me by another friend. Since I'm very much about putting the baby on a schedule (specifically Dr. Denmark's schedule), I'm interested to see what the authors have to say and see whether or not their advice differs from Dr. Denmark's.

Recently, I looked through the pregnancy pictures that we've taken so far and I couldn't believe how much I've changed physically in such a relatively short period of time!

My first belly photo was taken at 6 weeks.

This photo was taken two days ago on my
birthday (almost 18 weeks).

Mom says I'm showing WAY earlier than she did with me. Apparently she didn't really show with me until two weeks before I was born! Since I'm not even half-way through the pregnancy yet, I think my belly is going to be huge (yay)! Between you and me (and basically everyone else), I'm still hoping to be surprised by twins at the ultrasound appointment. It highly doubt that will happen this time around, but a girl can dream, can't she? In other news, I'm pretty sure I caught a stranger noticing my belly for the first time the other day, and that makes me happy. I wanted to go up to them and say, "Oh, this thing? That's my baby bump. Wanna touch it?" However, they probably would have been seriously creeped out, so I just kept my mouth shut and smiled to myself. Thank the Lord that I'm shy, guys.

Pregnancy Update: 17 Weeks

17 Weeks

This past week, I started the prenatal workout DVD that one of my friends let me borrow. I am really enjoying it so far! The workouts are very easy to do because I can still have a conversation, but not strenuous enough to really wear me out (my arms and legs are a little sore, though). Hubby and I are also trying to get as many walks around the neighborhood in as we can.

On Tuesday afternoon, G and I had a chiropractor appointment. We started going to the chiropractor a few months after our wedding when Hubby hurt his back doing yard work. At first, I was very skeptical. Lots of people I know had been to the chiropractor with very little success, and honestly, I thought they were all quacks (sorry to all the chiropractors out there). G's older brother went to school with the chiropractor we now visit, and recommended him to us. After getting used to the process, and seeing immediate results with my Honey after being adjusted, I jumped on board and started going regularly as well. I was very impressed with how much better I felt right away, and I didn't even know I was hurting! Anyway, later that night after our appointment, at about 10:40pm, I was laying in bed on my stomach to see if I could detect any movement from the baby. Up to this point, I had felt nothing that I could confidently say was a kick or wiggle. After laying on my stomach for about 15-20 seconds with my hand on my abdomen, I suddenly felt this flurry of movement that could only be the baby! My heart skipped a beat! It felt like something was kicking me wildly from the inside, and it completely caught me off guard. I couldn't believe I was actually feeling something so significant because I hadn't expected to feel anything at all (especially not thrashing). A few minutes later, Garrett felt what he described as movement from one side to the other, as if the baby were turning or flipping around. We were so excited! Needless to say, I didn't sleep well that night because I kept wondering if the baby was kicking. Then, yesterday morning, I woke up on my stomach (which is normal for me) and I felt more movement! I have no doubt that getting adjusted greatly contributed to our ability to feel the baby, and highly recommend that anyone and everyone search high and low for a great chiropractor - even if you aren't pregnant.

Since I lost about five pounds during the first trimester, I've been doing what I can (healthfully) to gain the weight back. When I remember, I weigh myself in the morning before breakfast. Yesterday, I weighed in at 118.8lbs, which is up several ounces from a few days ago, but today the scale read 118.4. I haven't been a big eater since my teenage years, and back then I realized that a lot of my eating and snacking came from boredom rather than actual hunger. So towards the end of my highschool years, I became more conscientious about when I was starting to feel full, and I would stop eating at that point. It was a really great thing to do (because I was seriously becoming a glutton), but my metabolism is so high that it makes it hard for me to gain much weight. This is both a blessing and a curse, I guess. Anyway, at this point in the pregnancy, I'm fixing myself bigger portions of healthy food, and trying to eat as much as I can. I'm still not going to eat if I'm feeling full, but I try and push through the frequent moments when I just don't want to eat anymore. Usually in those moments, I still feel hungry, but don't feel like I can eat (which probably makes no sense to anyone else unless they're also pregnant). I think it's helping so far. My end of the day weight will frequently be several pounds heavier than my morning weight, and I am seeing a gradual increase in that as well.

My beautiful Katherine Anne
on the day of my wedding.

Last week, G and I went on the hunt for more baby names. Until recently, we had a name picked out for a boy and a girl. We're keeping the names a secret until the baby is here, but since I had to cross the girl name we had off the list, I can share what name we had picked out. Our girl name was going to be Kathryn Ann (Katy Ann for short), after my best friend Katie who died in a tragic bicycling accident in April of this year. It turns out that G's cousin named her little girl Kathryn Anna though, which was too close, so we decided to pick a new name. I'll find another way to honor Katie. It's surprising how difficult it is for me to find a girl name that I like. We have three or four boy names - first AND middle - lined up, which is great if we have all boys, but for some reason I'm not liking a lot of the girl names that are out there (and using names from The Lord of the Rings would put me on a whole new level of geekiness). I think we have decided on a replacement name though, which I like just as well. Unless another close relative turns up with the same name (which isn't likely), we should be set!

Stretch marks still haven't made their appearance, though I fully expect them to at some point. There was one day when I had worn sweatpants, and the elastic left an imprint on my skin that I thought were stretch marks at first (major pregnancy brain moment), but it was a false alarm. I'm trying to put lotion on as often as I can to keep my belly from getting dry and itchy. There have been several times recently when my lower abdomen felt really tight and uncomfortable. Most of the time though, I feel normal. For the record, I think stretch marks are so beautiful. They are a medal of honor, and a testimony to the pain and struggle a mother has experienced to bring forth new life into the world. Whenever I get them, I'm going to wear them proudly.

Yesterday, I talked to a lady from the midwifery I am going to use to deliver my sweet one, and we discussed ultrasound appointments to determine the sex of the baby. Originally, they sent you to a separate place for the ultrasounds, but since some recent changes have been made within the company, they now offer ultrasounds at their main offices. This is super convenient for me! We worked out scheduling, and decided the best day for me to come in for an ultrasound - and my next prenatal appointment - is on August 28th. I have to wait a week longer than what we had planned previously (August 20th), but I'll be exactly 20 weeks on that day, so I think it will be better. That way, I'll have no hesitations on whether or not the technician is correct about the sex! At that point, what we're having will be pretty set in stone.

I am also researching childbirth classes in my area. So far, the Bradley Method seems most appealing to me. Not that it doesn't work or anything, but I'm just not into all that "hypnobirthing" stuff. The idea that my G could have a role to play in the labor process is also something I like. If anyone has any suggestions about classes or videos that would be good to watch, or good food to eat so that I can gain weight (without binge eating Taco Bell), I'm all ears!

Pregnancy Update: 16 Weeks

It's so weird to think that in four weeks from today, I'll be half-way through this pregnancy (and we'll hopefully know the sex of the baby)! There isn't a whole lot to report in this post, because not much has changed from last week. I did start registering for baby things at Target and BabiesRUs, though. My friends and family have offered very helpful ideas on what to register for. Honestly, G and I are minimalists, and I don't believe half of the stuff out there is actually needed for babies. So whether we get much of what we register for at baby showers or not, I think we'll be okay.

It could be my imagination (or wishful thinking), but my belly seems noticably bigger every day. I'm not even that large yet, and I have already caught myself sitting and standing more slowly, and holding my stomach when I move from one place to another. I looked down at my toes yesterday, and noticed a very obvious bump sticking out. Before long, I won't be able to see my toes at all! Hubby even notices that my stomach is growing, though he doesn't mind at all. He actually thinks it's cute (hurray for me)! The skin around my lower abdomen has started feeling a little uncomfortable. To borrow a line from Bilbo Baggins, it feels "like butter scraped over too much bread." Okay, maybe that's an exaggeration. My stomach does feel tight sometimes, though!

I still haven't gained back the five or so pounds that I lost because of food aversions in the first trimester, but I'm hoping to see some improvement soon. My appetite has definitely picked up, and I'm able to eat larger portions at most meals. Last week, I discovered Annie's Organic Gummy Bunnies at Kroger. They are really good. Although I've probably eaten more of them than is necessary, I think I've done pretty well considering that gummies were my favorite junk food as a teenager. Seriously, I used to down a massive family size box of Welch's Fruit Snacks in a week or so. I won't embarrass myself by revealing how many packs come in that particular box (I know. You're going to have to look it up, aren't you?).

My water intake wasn't great last week, so I'm going to try and drink more this week. I did drink a lot, just not much water. It just didn't taste good to me, so I drank almond milk, apple juice, or hot pregnancy tea most of the time. As far as exercise goes, I still haven't established a regular routine. G and I have been walking around our neighborhood several times a week, and the midwife said I only need about 120 minutes of activity a week (which is very easy to get in), but I want to do as much as I can to get oxygen to the baby. A sweet friend from my small group brought me a devotional and a pregnancy workout DVD, and I'm looking forward to trying that out.

BabyCenter sends me email updates every week about what this next week of pregnancy could hold for me, and how my baby is developing. This week, the email mentioned that I could start feeling movements from the baby this week - although it's likely I won't feel anything until week 20 since this is my first pregnancy. I've actually felt something a couple of times that seemed different than normal gas or stomach gurgling, and it's actually broken my focus on whatever I was doing at that moment. The fact that they drew my attention so suddenly makes me think it could be the baby, but I can't be certain. It felt like one fairly strong little tap, and it's only happened twice. It will be so cool when I start feeling regular movement for sure! I'm pretty sure most of the movement I feel is just gas, though. Lots and lots of gas.

Pregnancy Update: 15 Weeks

Wow, I'm 15 weeks already! There hasn't been much to report on since my last pregnancy update. We've had a lot of remodeling stuff going on around the house, which made it more difficult to post every week. Plus, I've been doing a terrible job at taking regular pregnancy photos!

Anyway, I'm feeling really great at this point. My energy is completely back now, and I've started getting up at 6:30 in the morning with Hubby every day. In the past, I have tried - and failed - many times to get into a regular early-morning routine. My expectations this time around were that it would be really hard for me (just like all the other times). To my surprise, it's been so easy! Thank you, Lord. The first couple of days left me feeling a little tired later, but it has never been so easy to get up in the mornings as it has been over the last few weeks. When we first got married, I would get up with G every morning. But between sicknesses, late nights spent remodeling, and then the pregnancy fatigue, I somehow got out of that habit. Because I want to put the baby on a schedule right away when he or she gets here, I knew that it would be crucial for me to get in the habit of rising early before he or she makes their grand entrance into the world. Honestly, I feel even better now that I'm getting up early and getting in bed before 11pm! It still takes me fifteen or twenty minutes to really wake up after I get out of bed, but afterward I feel cheerful and energetic until the evening rolls around.

I haven't had any aversions to smells at all, though I did cook a meal recently that was on the spicy side, and I suddenly did not like the way it tasted and couldn't bring myself to eat it. My Honey was sweet enough to make a quick Chick-fil-A run for some chicken noodle soup, which I promptly scarfed down. What's up with that, by the way? I couldn't stand Chick-fil-A for the longest time (probably because I used to eat there every week for a while before marriage), and now I am always in the mood for a large bowl of their soup, or a chargrilled chicken wrap with ranch dressing! Pregnancy is weird. In other food-related news, I have really wanted mashed potatoes and gravy. Not just occasionally. No. All the time. It always sounds good! I don't have to have them, though, so I only get them when we eat at a restaurant. I had a sudden and unusual craving for chili cheese fries from Sonic (not recommended, since every time I've ever eaten them has left me feeling horrible), but I've managed to avoid getting any. Also, every time we pass a Taco Bell when we're driving, I start tasting their food. Yes, I am aspiring organic/whole food junkie. Yes, I grew up on Taco Bell and I love it (and yes, I know how horrible it is for you). So far, I haven't caved to the demands of my cravings, though I sense there is a Taco Bell run in my future. Probably with my mom or brother. G can't stand their food, so his disgust helps keep me focused!

For a bookaholic like myself, I haven't read a lot of books since I've been pregnant. I have been reading a few, though, which are really good. I've also done a lot of reading on Pinterest about pregnancy, labor, postpartum (something I'm not as excited about), parenting, and homeschooling. So I guess I have been reading a lot, just not tons of books. Here are some that I'm either currently reading, or read just before getting pregnant (and plan to reread before Baby gets here):

• What to Expect When You're Expecting, by Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel
  Okay, it seems like EVERY pregnant woman has read this book. It's pretty good, and has a lot of helpful advice on what you may be experiencing during each month of pregnancy and how to deal with pregnancy symptoms, but given all the hype, I really thought the book would be better than it is. 
• Great Expectations, by Marcie Jones and Sandy Jones
  This book is very similar to What to Expect When You're Expecting, but it's broken down into weeks instead of just months, so I like it a lot better. It reads a little more casually, too, as if you were sitting down on the authors' couch and talking to them in person.
• Every Child Should Have A Chance, by Dr. Leila Denmark
  This is, by far, my favorite book on child training and parenting (and I actually read a lot of them when I was in high school and after I graduated). I had the privilege of going to see Dr. Denmark several times as a little girl (she figured out I had scarlet fever when none of the regular doctors could find out what was wrong with me), and I've always been impressed with her common sense and wisdom. She was very direct, and some of the things she says in her book can sound a little harsh, but I love her advice on caring for newborns and toddlers. If I could, I would give this book to every expecting mother! This is one I read just before I got pregnant, and I will definitely be reading it again now.
• Dr. Denmark Said It! by Madia Bowman
  This book was written by a mother who took her children to Dr. Denmark, and experienced great success when she followed her advice. She goes over the basics of Dr. Denmark's schedules, and includes several recipes (which I have used before, and really enjoyed). While Dr. Denmark goes into detail about the why's behind her parenting philosophies in her own book, Madia Bowman gives a less detailed list of the what's. It's a great companion book to Every Child Should Have A Chance.
• The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, by Diane Wiessinger, Diana West, and Teresa Pitman
  I haven't read much of this book yet, but I'm looking forward to learning the information it has to offer. In my mind, breastfeeding (which is the path I hope to take) seems natural - and therefore no big deal. Yet considering how many women find it challenging makes me want to learn as much as possible so that I'll be prepared for whatever difficulties may come my way.

That's everything on my reading list so far. I'm sure I'll add more titles as I finish each of these, especially as the countdown to Baby's birth begins in December.

Did you have any cravings during your pregnancy? If so, what were they, and how did you handle them? Are there any books you read on pregnancy or parenting that you found helpful?