15 Weeks

This week was full of traveling fun!  At the start of the week, I went down to Little Rock, Arkansas to visit my twin brother, Tim and his girlfriend, Natalie.

Tim and Natalie

Tim and Beth 

(yes, I had fun with photoshop :)

We went to a barbeque at an old friend's house, and I got to experience what life is like when everyone you know has a baby or child.  There were several kids there for me to practice my mothering skills with, but I chose the path of less resistance and let their mommies do most of the work while I relaxed and ate corn on the cob.  Care-taking will be there in January...until then, let the kid-free times roll! ha!  It was peculiar to be on the receiving end of so much mommy advice, but always new and interesting.

I also learned that I am woefully under-educated on Baby Lore.  I didn't know there was food to eat to encourage a particular gender, or that I should be consulting a Chinese calendar for Baby Mildren fortune telling, or that I could simply hang a paperclip over my stomach to be really sure of the gender.  I will stick to waiting for the sonogram!

Near the end of the week, James and I went down to southwest Missouri near my hometown of Neosho to go on a float trip with good friends, Danica and Linden.  It was very relaxing, and being around childhood best friends is about as fun as it gets.  I am trying to train Baby Mildren early that summer will be his/her favorite season and that swimming will be his/her favorite summer pastime.

This week I have been reading books gifted to me by friends, and each book has a completely different purpose.

Books I've read this week:

Belly Laughs

This book from was very funny and very silly (thank you, Mandi and Aaron!).  Jenny McCarthy hardly has the final say on pregnancy, but some of her advice was pretty great and I definitely laughed out loud often.  Having skin issues?  McCarthy suggests women have two choices: "wear a buttload of makeup, or stop caring."  Knowing me, I will probably choose the latter :)

Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child

My dear friend and pediatrician Brandi claims this is a wonderfully helpful book (thank you, Brandi!), and just look at the title!  We all know that I live by the motto, "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Beth," so this book is right up my alley.  I have read the first few chapters, and I am already sure this will be one of my go-to books come January!  Of all of the issues of raising a child, none worries me more than getting enough sleep (mine and Baby Mildren's!).  James is in complete agreement, and he plans on reading this book, too.