Baby Wise by Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam

When we brought Aubrey home from the hospital, I think we were all sort of sick of having such a strict routine.  We let Aubrey eat whenever she wanted and sleep whenever she wanted.  And then that sort of backfired when her sleeping got really disorganized.  I was talking to a dear friend about it and she lent me this book.  It is really good and it has helped a lot.  Aubrey is starting to sleep for long stretches at night and she is much happier during the day.  I like this book because it is moderate.  It talks about having a routine, but being flexible.  It teaches that the routine should serve you and your family, not the other way around.  So this book has worked really well for me.  

The List by Melanie Jacobson

John's mom gave me this book when she came to meet Aubrey.  It is a very fun and quick read.  It's about a Mormon girl who doesn't want to get married until she has completed all the adventures on her list.  But she meets the man of her dreams and has to decide what's most important.  It was definitely an accurate portrayal of the Mormon Singles scene.  It was a very nice distraction while Aubrey was in the hospital.  Thanks, Janis!

Half-Baked by Alexa Stevenson

So, you know that song "Killing Me Softly?"  The narrator describes going to a concert and the song performed describes exactly what she's feeling.  That is how I felt when I read this book.  

It's a memoir of a mother who goes through IVF, gets pregnant with twins, ends up on bed-rest, loses one twin and takes care of the surviving twin through a long stay in the NICU.  Sound familiar?  It did to me and it was extremely cathartic to read this while I was recovering.  The author has the same gallows sense of humor that I do.  She describes the incredible anxiety that came with that whole journey.  It was just so reassuring to know that other people went through what I was going through and survived and their babies were okay.  I spent several afternoons crying over this book shortly after Aubrey was born.  It helped me to have courage.