Reading to Babies

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We've all heard that reading out loud to babies and children is good for them. I remember my dad reading to me every night before bed when I was growing up--he'd even take whatever book we were reading with him on business trips and read to me over the phone if he couldn't be there in person. My mom would read to me, too. They had different styles of reading and different tastes in books. Reading was a huge part of my childhood, and I believe reading has had a huge impact on who I am. So, naturally, I wanted to be able to give that same experience to my children. I decided to start right away with Baby Boy. Being that he's just a month old, I figure that it doesn't really matter what I'm reading to him as long as I'm reading him something.

The first thing I read aloud to Baby Boy was this scientific paper. As soon as we finished that, I started reading him one of my favorites:

Harry Potter was something my dad read to me and we both loved. I'm sure this will not be the last time I read it to Baby Boy. 

What are your favorite books for kiddos?

Bump Books

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People who know me probably know I enjoy reading. So, of course, when I found out I was growing a human inside me, I decided to read up on this new (to me) subject. 

The first bump book I got was one that was recommended by someone I was in a class with, while she was pregnant, and I was not. It was The Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy. I was underwhelmed. The book didn't have all the factual info I was hoping for, and it felt like it was trying too hard to be cute. For example, every time the author talked about how you're pregnant for nine months, she put (ten) after. Exactly like that. Every time. Which might have been cute or funny the first time, but it's not even accurate. 40 weeks does not equal 10 months... it equals 9 months and 1 week. And you're not even pregnant when the doctor starts counting; it's 40 weeks from the start of your last period, and for the most part you're not fertile until about 2 weeks after that. Sorry if that's too graphic or too technical for anyone, but I really needed to get it off my chest. Speaking of which, the other ongoing theme that annoyed me throughout this book was the references to the "titty fairy" and how small-breasted women were always so excited to have their boobs grow during pregnancy. I miss having small boobs. A lot. When I went shopping for new bras and the saleswoman wanted me to try on a DDD cup, I literally started crying. Which was probably partly due to my raging preggo hormones, but still. Stop trying to tell me I should be excited about needing to wear a bra 24/7 or risk permanently damaging myself.

I wish I had gotten the second book first. I actually started reading Expecting Better before I finished reading The Girlfriends Guide, and finished it first. Expecting Better is the pregnancy book I would have written if a) I hadn't finished grad school recently enough that the thought of reading another research paper makes me want to puke, b) I hadn't finished grad school long enough ago that my access to the university library has been revoked, and c) a brilliant author named Emily Oster hadn't written it already. This book cites actual research that's been done by actual researchers on the various things you're told to do (or mostly not do) while pregnant. And then... she doesn't tell you what to do. Oster assumes that pregnant women are real people with brains and can make their own decisions when given actual information and data instead of just rules. It's a freaking miracle, and I would recommend this book not only to anyone who is pregnant, but to anyone who has ever thought about whether or not growing a human is something they might be interested in. 

Are there any other pregnancy books you would recommend? Or baby books, since I should probably start reading up on what to do when you have a small human in front of you and not just inside you?

Time-out

Last night, I realized I needed a time-out from being pregnant. I wasn't going to do anything crazy, but I was feeling tired of just "being pregnant." It seems like as soon as you start growing another person, everyone stops being able to see you as doing or being anything else. I was at a party recently and one of my friends introduced me to several different people as "she's pregnant." Seriously. I know she meant well and was just being excited, but I was kinda hurt. I didn't stop having a name or an identity when I started being pregnant. So last night, I put down the pregnancy books and the baby registry and did something just for me. Something I haven't done in a long time. 

What I really wanted to do was sit in a hot bath and read a trashy romance novel while sipping a glass of wine, but like I said, I wasn't going to do anything crazy. I settled for sitting on the couch and reading a trashy romance novel while sipping a bottle of water (and getting up frequently to pee). I stayed up late to finish reading it, which I haven't done since Twilight (embarrassing, but true). Even though I was using my belly as a book stand, I wasnt focused on being pregnant. I was focused on the ridiculous plot of the inconsequential story. And I enjoyed every damn minute of it. 

To all the other pregnant mamas out there, don't forget to take time to keep being you. You deserve it.