Once again, I'm giving blogging another shot. I have tons of crap rolling around in my head at any given time, and staying home with 2 kids all day doesn't exactly give me any opportunity to let it out. My 3 year old does not want to discuss my feelings about the book I just read, oddly enough.

I mainly wanted to get back on the horse to talk about books- which is the whole reason I started the blog in the first place! I take the kids to story hour at our local library every Friday, and have approximately 2.5 seconds to run into the adult room (30 pound carseat and loud toddler in tow) and pick out a book or two for the week. If I don't prepare beforehand, it usually consists of me frantically thinking of at least one author's name I know. I run directly to that section, grab a book and run out before mayhem ensues, so it can be a little hit or miss with what I end up with. Little D does not quite grasp the concept of "quiet" in a library. So recently, it's been Jojo Moyes and Dean Koontz.

I started the Odd Thomas series. This is one of those rare occurrences where I've seen the movie before reading the book (Thanks Netflix!) I was pleasantly surprised that the movie was very similar to the book, and Dean Koontz is always a favorite. I've read several of his series, and the man can write a good story. Odd Thomas is a young man in a small town who sees dead people. He helps them with their unfinished business so that they can cross over. If you like a good supernatural thriller, this is for you. And while I already knew who the bad guy was thanks to the movie, I still think it was pretty unpredictable and will keep you guessing till the end. The next book in the series is Forever Odd, so I will be picking that up at our next library trip.

                                                   

Like everybody else in the world, I saw the trailer for the new movie, Me Before You, and fell instantly in love. The movie looked so good, and I knew it was based on a book, so I knew I had to read it first. When I checked at the library, it was checked out, but they did have One Plus One, by the same author. I had no idea what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised! It's a story about a poor English family, a hard working mother and the lengths she is willing to go to help her mathematically gifted daughter. The ending is fairly predictable, as these types of novels sometimes are. But it was a great read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I did end up getting my hands on Me Before You, and I'll discuss that in the next post. 

I'd definitely recommend either of these books, and am excited to share more of my recent reads with you!

What I Wish I'd Known About My Second Pregnancy...

While my first pregnancy passed by in a gauzy haze of naps, indulgent desserts, and full, shiny hair, my second pregnancy has been a little less magical and a little more like trying to hang on to a bucking bronco while holding a toddler, vacuuming the stairs and trying not to throw up. Here are some things I wish I'd known about pregnancy number 2...

1. People are not as excited!

When you announce your first pregnancy, it feels like the world has stopped to congratulate you. You've done something amazing! Magnificent! You smart girl, you! You've created life! With your second, you get a lot more, "hey, cool!" and a lot less "OH MY GAAAAAAAA THIS IS THE BEST THING THAT'S EVER HAPPENED!!!!!"


2. YOU are not as excited!

I have taken a ride on this train before. The rapidly growing boobs that feel like time bombs ready to explode at any touch, the equally rapidly growing belly that may (or may not) be more burrito than baby, the swollen ankles, the exhaustion... it happens faster, harder, and stronger than the first time around. And when you are chasing after a 2 year old, ain't nobody got time for swollen ankles. I barely have time to breathe; you think I'm going to chart my weight in a pregnancy app? HA!


3. Just because your first pregnancy was a cakewalk, DOES NOT MEAN your second pregnancy will be as lovely.

During my first pregnancy, I worked part-time, continued working out, my hair got shiny and full, I was barely nauseous and never once vomited. I didn't know it at the time, but it was a bit of a pregnancy unicorn. Fast forward to my second pregnancy. I work full time, have a (demanding) toddler, my hair is falling out, I spent the first month trying not to puke on everyone I saw, and have never been so singularly exhausted in my entire life. I haven't exercised in 3 months (unless you count hiking up and down the stairs to refill the sippy cup YET AGAIN) and don't intend to. Any extra energy I muster up will go for something luxurious, like shaving my legs.


4.  You will, at some point, FORGET you are pregnant.

With my first, I woke up every morning with one thought on my mind, "BABY!". I thought about it all day long, constantly checking the mirror for any hint of a bump, telling strangers, laboring over the decision as to which prenatal vitamin was best, pouring over websites and birth stories in my free time. There have been multiple times this go around that I have walked by the fridge, caught sight of the ultrasound picture, and thought, "Oh crap, I'm pregnant! I should probably take my vitamin..."


5. The terror. OH GOD, THE TERROR.

With my first, I was scared only of the pain of labor. I knew I would be a great mom, I would have everything organized and labeled, I would breastfeed exclusively, my child would never cry or want for anything.

HA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Now that I know exactly what I am in for, I am a little more nervous. Labor was cake compared to the first year. Don't get me wrong, the first year was full of amazing moments, more love than you can imagine, and all the baby smell I could get. But, when you start thinking about having TWO KIDS... it gets a little easier to dwell on all those sleepless nights, blow out diapers, and inconsolable crying (by both mother and child). I have this mental vision of me, sitting on the floor in my bathrobe with 10 day hair, crusted milk smeared across my front, trying to breastfeed while my toddler runs circles around me with a pair of scissor and no pants. Obviously, I'm optimistic.

While I can say that this second pregnancy has been night-and-day different from my first, (and many of these points are, obviously, tongue in cheek) I can honestly say that I am excited and terrified for how our little family is about to change. I can't wait to find out if D will have a baby brother or sister (in 4 long weeks!), can't wait to see him interact with the baby, and can't wait to do it all again!

Diving back in to blogging - Life Lately

Well hello there! It's only been about a million years since I stopped by this little old blog. I have really been missing it lately and thought it was about time to dive back in! So, without further adieu, here's what has happened in the last year!


We moved!

When last we spoke, we were experiencing a beautiful Montana fall. Well, then we experienced the not so beautiful Montana winter, and hightailed it out of that state faster than you can say negative 30 degrees. A cold weather fan, I am not. When my nostrils froze together one morning, I decided enough was enough! We moved back to North Carolina in February of 2014 and have been very pleased with our decision (until this week, when it's 105 degrees.. can't win for losing!).

On the plane back to NC, leaving 15 inches of Montana snow behind!

We work!

We found an awesome daycare for D about a month after we got back in town, and I found a fun new job! I've been working at a podiatry practice for a little over a year now, and really enjoy it. It's a small practice with one doctor and only 2 other employees, so it's a nice little family atmosphere. I recently obtained my Certified Physician Practice Manager credentials, so I'm excited for what the future holds for my career! Hubby finally got into the field he feels called to; IT! There's ups and downs with every job and every day, but for the most part, we are very happy with where we are.

Baby D!

Little D is not so little anymore! At 2 1/2 years old, he is a running, jumping, noisy, dirty, race car-driving,  loveable BOY! He has flourished in the daycare setting and really enjoys the socialization he receives each day, and has made some cute friends. Potty training is a work in progress (please, someone else tell me you are just as bad at it as I am?!?) but we will get there eventually. And eventually had better come before December because....

Baby #2!!

We are expecting Baby #2 on December 25, 2015! It's been a crazy interesting journey getting to this point (more on that later) but I am feeling great, baby is doing fantastic, D is adjusting to the idea, and we are all just over the moon! I don't even want to talk about the stress I feel when I think about the month of December... D's 3rd birthday, all the craziness that goes along with Christmas, AND a new baby?! Send help now. Or just frozen meals. Or both.

Overall, life gets better and better each day. My faith in God gets stronger with each hurdle we jump through as a family and I know the plans He has for us are far greater than what we have for ourselves! I'm so excited to be back on the blog and documenting this fun journey called our life!!!

Want to follow along? Check me out on instagram!

Introducting: Port & Co.

Hello friends! Welcome back.




I'm sure you have noticed, there are a few changes around here! A Bookworm and a Baby is in the process of becoming Port & Co.! I'm very excited about rebranding the blog with a very specific focus in mind.




I have a lot of fun and exciting things in store, so stick around!!

I want you to stay (talking to you, fall)

Today was one of those rare, but glorious, days that start out rough and end beautifully. I started off running dumb errands and arguing with insurance companies, and ended playing in the leaves with a suuuuper excited D.

It was 60 degrees and sunny, the kind of perfect fall day that begs you to be outside. D and I split a turkey sandwich at Jimmy John's (the kid can eat, I tell you), hit up the library for story time and a little book browsing, played at the park and picked out a pumpkin. I swear, it was the sort of day that makes me want to be a stay at home mom forever! All that fun erased all the worries about stupid grown up things (pfft bills- lets play in the leaves!) and totally recharged my batteries.

Fall can go ahead and stay awhile, if you ask me.

Halloweenie

I'm getting pretty excited for D's first Halloween! His costume is adorable, he's going as a baby duck! I plan to be a cow, force my brother into being a pig, and my dad will be Old McDonald! My mom has to work and Hubs will still be in Salt Lake, or they would be (forced into) farm animals too :)

We got into the Halloween spirit today, with skelly jammies, pumpkin sippy cup, and festive cupcakes! I've got plans to do some serious damage to a pumpkin patch tomorrow, then get carving! We've had fabulous fall weather so far, and I'm hoping it holds- no snow during trick or treat for us!

What are your Halloween plans?

Oh hey blog

This past week has been part whirlwind, part laziness! I've been spending extra time with my baby boy (hence the lack of blogging) in case I go back to work soon. He's grown so much in just the past 2 weeks- crawling like a champ, pulling himself up on furniture, saying "mama", "dada", and "kitty", and eating everything in sight! He is absolutely the joy of my world.

This past weekend, my mom and I took the horses for a ride through the Scratch Gravels, and had such a great time! The weather was great and we saw some great views.

My hubby left for a business trip to Salt Lake City yesterday, he'll be gone for 10 days! It's times like this I'm so happy we moved out here, because I have the awesome help of my parents while he's gone. Miss him too much already though!

Now I'm going back to playing cars with my boy...he especially likes it when they crash lol.

Boys.