Pages of Penrose | Books of June

A very short list this month.  I only post books that I finish in each month, and I'm currently reading and listening to two very long books so they don't quite make the cut for June.  I did, however, very much enjoy this book:

It's about a woman who's mother dies and leads her to search for some answers about her mother's past in the old historic town where her mother grew up.  The plot was very interesting, especially if you like historical facts.  I enjoyed how the story played out with the research and piecing together bits of information that she gathers, since her mother was very private and did not share about her life prior to marriage.  Additionally, there is a bit of a love triangle that plays out between some of the main characters.

This would be a great beach read, or book to read on a long car ride/flight.


Check back with me at the end of July to see what I'm reading this month--they are some great ones!

Remember to follow along with me on Goodreads.  I find so many great recommendations on there!

Baby #2 Bump-date | 19 weeks

I feel like a picture-taking failure thus far because the picture above is the single belly picture I have taken with this pregnancy.  #imsorrysecondchild

For comparison sake, here is my 20 Week Bumpdate with Ryleigh.


How far along? 19 weeks, 5 days!

Total weight gain: +11lbs

Maternity clothes? Yes, over the last couple of weeks I've switched from belly-banding my regular pants to just wearing maternity and hello stretchy waistband.  I should have made the switch sooner.  Also wearing some pre-prego skirts with elastic waistbands and lots of dresses/maxi dresses.

Sleep: Pretty well these days.  Still very tired at points throughout the day too.

Best baby moment this week:  We had our anatomy ultrasound on Wednesday which is always so fun.  This little one looks so much like her big sister, at least so far.  Long, active legs and her bone structure/profile is incredibly similar to Ryleigh's.  It will be very interesting to see if they end up with the same coloring because I think they are really going to favor each other.  Also, on Tuesday she decided to start being much more active throughout the day and hasn't stopped since.  

Miss Anything? Sub sandwiches.  It's funny because I would eat them when I was pregnant with Ryleigh, I just always made sure to make sure the whole sandwich was toasted to try to zap any possible bacteria.  I guess because of all of the Listeria outbreak recalls on food lately I have been more hesitant this go 'round and haven't eaten any.  Also, I could really go for a good sushi dinner at Enso.

Movement: Yes! I've felt her little flutters for a couple of weeks and this week she's gotten much more active/stronger.  

Food cravings: Fruit with cool whip.  Milk. Tons of Milk.  Ice/Shaved Ice.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing that I have noticed yet.

Have you started to show yet: Yes, a decent little bump :) I don't think I have quite 'popped' yet though.

Gender: GIRL!  Jake was right.  Her name will be Aubrey Kate. 

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time:  Happy/tired.  

Looking forward to: Starting to plan nursery ideas and Ryleigh's "big girl room" ideas.  Also, when I was pregnant last time during summer, it was the very beginning months and being outside in the sun at all was really effecting me, unless I was able to cool off in a pool.  Just a few minutes in the hot sun would have me feeling physically ill and extremely tired.  I'm so happy that that doesn't seem to be the case this time!  We recently decided to go in with some friends on trading up to a much newer pontoon boat and I have a feeling we will be spending most of our free time out on the water this summer!

Pages of Penrose | Books of May

Here we are, already recapping my Books of May! Where has time gone?!




I am so looking forward to the Me Before You movie that is coming out soon, but I wanted to read the book before seeing the movie.  I'm usually like that with books turned into movies.  I thought the book was really good.  It brings out the true emotion of such a complicated situation.  I highly recommend it.

Next up was The Rumor by Elin Hilderbrand, one of my favorite authors at the moment.  Maybe it's my love of New England or maybe it's the way she weaves a story together. Probably both.  I really enjoyed the different storylines in this book.

The Matchmaker was another Hilderbrand book this month.  The synopsis of the book had me thinking this storyline would be a little bit different than it was, but it was entertaining none the less.  It wasn't my favorite Hilderbrand book, but still a good read.



Remember to follow along with me on Goodreads to see what books I'm loving these days.

Baby Walden #2 is our second Baby GIRL!

Exploding Golf Ball Set 

We went to 3D Dreams to find out Baby#2's gender this past Saturday.  We had not been to them before and they were fantastic!  They are qualified ultrasound technicians who actually specialize in high-risk pregnancy ultrasounds, and they do 3D Dreams as a little side business.  She was so nice and took time to show us hands, feet, heartbeat, the baby swallowing, kicking, nasal bone formation, blood flow overlay, etc.  I was really impressed because I was not expecting it to be that detailed, but it was very similar to a full anatomy ultrasound at my OB's office.

With Ryleigh, we were the only ones who knew and we surprised everyone else.  This time, I thought it would be fun if we waited and had them put their decision in an envelope.  We gave it to one of my friends so that Jake and I could stay surprised for the reveal.  

Since this was our second go'round we wanted to keep it simple and low key. No big party, just a family gathering with beautiful weather, pizza, snacks and cake.  I'm sad that I did not get a picture of the cake, but it was a bundt cake that I made adapting this recipe into a pink & blue velvet cake with cream cheese whipped frosting and chocolate flakes on top.  

It looked so pretty when it was cut!

We are excited that Ryleigh is going to have a little sister!  

Aubrey Kate will be arriving sometime this October.  

Mother's Day Weekend + first Baby #2 Purchase!

We had a great weekend full of Strawberry Festival fun, family time, dinners outside, and a little pampering.  

To say that I am incredibly excited about this next item is an understatement.  I guess this is considered my first official purchase for Baby #2, although it's arriving today (my Mother's Day present) and I'm going to start using it immediately :) haha. 

For that last 2+ years I've been using my Built Go-Go Diaper Tote [I purchased the Mini Dot pattern] and have been more than happy with it.  I love the size, pockets, material, design, everything of this bag.  However, after two years of hard use it's finally showing some wear (mostly just that the outer bottle pockets have a few holes in the seams and there are a handful too many crumbs inside that will just not come out no matter how much scrubbing of the corners).  

It was time for a new bag that would be baby & toddler friendly, and I'm loving the idea of a backpack design option.  After doing a lot of research and considering several options, I found the bag that seems to have everything I could want:

The Ju-Ju-Be Legacy Collection BFF Convertible Diaper Bag

I purchased that first pattern, "The Duchess" which is a black & white dot with gold hardware.  Apparently I can't seem to get away from that pattern.  I love that it is neutral and sophisticated but fun and Jake wouldn't mind carrying it.

Here's why I love the design:

--Definitely big enough for baby & toddler items

--Backpack straps, top handle, and messenger bag strap options (very versatile!)

--tons of pockets inside and outside

--The side Bottle Pockets are insulated material

--Structured bottom with metal feet

Here's the other thing I love about this bag--It keeps going on sale! It sells from Ju-Ju-Be online for $180, and I found it $30 for $150 when I bought it last week.  When I pulled it up to link to this post, I saw that it's on sale even deeper today for $130!  

In other news...In 3 days I get to hear baby's heartbeat again and in 5 days we should know if our second child is a son or a daughter!

  

Pages of Penrose: Books of April

Not an incredibly lengthy list this time.  I guess other things have kept me busy and these were longer books so somehow there are only two on my list for my Books of April...

I love Liane Moriarty.  She's such a great author that packs a lot into a storyline.  What Alice Forgot is another fantastic book from her!  I'm excited for her new book that is coming out in June because I have read almost everything she's written already!




Read my thoughts on Five Days at Memorial here.


Remember to follow along with me on Goodreads to see what books I'm loving these days.

Pages of Penrose Review: Five Days at Memorial by Sheri Fink

Wow, wow, wow. Where to begin with this book?  Sheri Fink does a great job at reporting the events that took place at Memorial Hospital in New Orleans during the Hurricane Katrina disaster.  The entire time that I was reading the story, thinking of what the doctors, nurses, and patients were going through is unimaginable.  If you or someone you know is in the medical field, I highly recommend that they read this book.  It may open their eyes to some procedures that need fixing in their own hospital (although I know that after Katrina many hospitals did re-vamp policies specifically because of the issues that these people faced).

In terms of the actual book, Five Days at Memorial:  Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital
, I understand why it was so lengthy--Sheri Fink certainly had a lot of information to tell.  However, that being said, as a busy mom with lots of other things going on each day it was a bit longer than I would have liked.  Perhaps instead of the book having two parts, it became two separate books in a set.  At 592 pages, it was a bit of an intimidating or daunting task to finish!

If you like books about true life events or natural disasters, make sure to grab a copy of Five Days at Memorial.

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*I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review. All opinions are my own.