Books!

Well, I began this pregnancy like most first-time mom's-to-be - reading everything mom and baby related possible - from online articles to the practically required "What to Expect When You're Expecting" and even humor books like Paul Reiser's "BabyHood."  

However, I've now moved into cramming pleasure books into my free time since I know there won't be a ton of time for pleasure reading for awhile.  In the last month, I've read four books - "The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox" (for book club), "The Race" (for fun and since I can't seem to get enough campaigning), "Douglass' Women" (for book club) and "The Stranger Beside Me" (for pleasure - you know how I am so intrigued by serial killers- this one's Ann Rule's personal story of Ted Bundy - a MUST in the field of serial killer reading).  On the way home from book club tonight, I picked up "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" - another classic - on tape to listen to in the car.  Since baby can hear now, I figure just as much as I will be introducing him or her to the music that I listen to, I can also get them hearing the flow of books and great literature being read aloud.  I hope that my baby loves books as much as I do.   

There are a couple of quotes I love from the "Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society:"

"That's what I love about reading: one tiny thing will interest you in a book and that tiny thing will lead you on to another book, and another bit will lead you onto a third book. It's geometrically progressive--all with no end in sight, and for no reason other than sheer enjoyment."

-- Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows,
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, pp. 11-12

Unfortunately, I can't find the other quote I'm looking for (of course I have shared the book with friends and one of you people has it!)  But it is a beautiful one about the love of books and how wonderful it is to share and discuss a good book.  The passage is so beautiful I cried everyone time I read it out loud to someone.  (Or perhaps those were just pregnancy hormones?)   And one of my goals this year was to read more 'classics' or 'great' authors that I haven't read yet and I believe I've been doing quite well, including books such as "Catcher in the Rye," "My Antonia," and "The Road" (by Cormac McCarthy) - among a number of others.

Well, there's no way to ensure Baby G loves books, but I can sure try.  And you better believe I'm going to be stocking up on baby books to read out loud.

Baby G and I had our 24 week appointment today too - and everything's going just peachy!  (Even though we're not technically 24 weeks until Thursday).  Measuring right, heart rate of 158 bpm, and moving aplenty!  What a blessing to be having such a good, healthy pregnancy. 

(Thanks, Nadine- for the post idea!)




Post Script- Mom, who has the "Guernsey" book has sent me my quote!  Isn't it just perfect?!

"We are transformed ---- magically ---- into the literary society each time we pass a book along, each time we ask a question about it, each time we say, 'If you liked that, I bet you'd like this.' Whenever we are willing to be delighted and share our delight, as Mary Ann did, we are a part of the ongoing story of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society."

pp. 287-288