Future Books and Reading...

... will be posted at http://jennylouraya.com, my personal blog for mainly Motherhood, Books, and Appetite.  See you there!

Getting Back on Reading...

It's not that I've stopped reading altogether, but for the last months, I have not read a FULL book or novel. I have read little things, short things, magazine subscriptions that I got one way or another.  Some of them are:

       














and the hubby has been getting in some really awesome magazines that I take a look at when he isn't on them:

   














So now, can one see that I have not chosen to just stop reading?  I should be posting about my readings but for awhile, I kept saying that I should only post about the books I read.  Well, no more.  This is This Mommy's Library and just as the public library, I too shall contain magazines and other means of reading pleasure.

Oh mommy it's fulling!!!! It's spilling!!!

The cries of my daughter only seconds after she said, "Ewwww." and I hear a toilet flush

Apparently, it never went down all the way from a previous business and she came face to face with it.  She did what anyone would do: flush it down.  But instead of going down, it just came up and over.  Grossssss I know, right?!  She was so scared and she turns to run but I was already right there and held her - kind of.  Her feet were wet so I was a little over here to not get wet too.  I cleaned her up and what I could.  The rest is history.

So this brings me to this next book that I'm reading Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook: The Essential Guide to Caring for Everything in Your Home.

I have learned so much from books and despite my hoot and hollering about getting "Home-y" I've never actually read a 'cleaning' book.  I do follow the FLYLADY.net system which is about getting habits established so that one does some cleaning every day.

My hope with this book is to learn better ways of cleaning.  I already do a bit a day, but how can I do this better and get better results after the elbow grease is done.

It is a big book!  I know where I am heading.... page 307 Bathrooms.

The Baby Whisperer Book

I am looking into this book again:The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems (by Teaching You How to Ask the Right Questions): Sleeping, Feeding and Behaviour - Beyond the Basics from Infancy Through Toddlerdom  I was going to return it to the library yesterday morning but could not find it.  I found it later that night under my daughter's bed; it had fallen in between two pieces of furniture.

I started reading it again?  Why?  Because it was 1 am, and already, my son has woken up at 9pm and midnight.  He goes to sleep just fine at 630 but every 3 hours or so he gets up to nurse.  I initially wanted to throw the book away because of the tone was just.... condescending, it was my-way-or-else language, "a 6 month old should be sleeping through the night," "no matter what you do, do not feed your child after 1am or you will regret it," "the biggest mistake a parent can do is bring their child into their bed"... just too many things that doesn't jive with my attachment parenting.

I had just finished the No-Cry series by Elizabeth Pantley and that has worked miracles in getting both my kids to sleep.  Too many things in Tracy's book was contrary to Elizabeth's (who I like and feel like she is my friend after reading 3 books of hers) but the problem now is that the little one wont stay asleep. Elizabeth has tips for it too but it just was not working so I availed myself to another "baby sleep expert.".

I did not get to bed until almost 5 am.  I was doing the Pick Up Put Down Method after his 3 am wake up; I pick baby up when baby cries and put baby down the second he stops.  With those instructions, I was putting him up and down practically every second. Baby would fall asleep the second I held him and wake up the second I put him down.  Eventually, he cried longer so I would not put him down so quickly.  He was so tired, he wasn't even doing the motions and movements for milk.  He just kept scratching his eyes and pulling his ears.

He just wanted to be held.  And so I did.  I counted to 60 as I held him upright with his head on my left shoulder.  After 60, I peek to my side and he was asleep with a tiny snore.  I laid him down the last time... until 7:10 am.

Baby woke up, and that was a good thing.  I wanted to do the schedule she had laid out in the book for a 6-8 month old (baby is 7 months old).  This schedule has more feedings, which I suspect could be the reason for his frequent wakings.  He is 75% percentile in height and weight and mommy's milk may not be enough for this super big boy.

So today, he ate solids twice in addition to milk twice at 15 minutes or longer (he is a snacker).  He also took two naps and both times I tried the PDPU method.  Same thing as last night, so after almost an hour of it, I eventually ended with the 60 second count and he was asleep.

It is almost 7pm right now.  As per the author, I am to give 2 cluster feedings if he is in a growth spurt.  I honestly don't know if h is having one, so I will do a feeding anyway at 730 and 930 pm..

I will update and report the results tomorrow.  I hope to be asleep way before 5am this time.

Now off for my 3 years old's evening routine.

Just one more day and it is October. What will you be reading this coming month?

i did finish Septmber's book, 'Seasons of Life' by Jim Rohn; another book i highly recommend reading. It is an easy read and the slow reader I am took only 2 days total. Derived from one of the oldest metaphors across all cultures, the seasons, the book is full of insights and lessons in a way that is new and refreshing. It gives practical ways on how to handle the inevitable as well as the controllable things in our life.

Since The Seasons was such an easy read, I added 'Getting Things Done' by David Alen for the month. It was only a couple of hours as an audiobook. Very well written from a professional organizer and time management consultant. Because of this book, I revamped my organizational household journal. I've taken pictures of it to show you. i just need to upload it now. Keep posted and i should have it up on here in a couple of days. This new binder is way more efficient and it makes sense. There is no more hiding of papers in this thing.

With my body going back to normal after giving birth, I am revisiting fashion and the first book I read on it is Victoria Beckham's 'That Extra Half an Inch.' Lovely book.... everything from the affordable to the luxurious, she features in here. I have put a couple of tips to use already but definitely this arena of my life need an overhaul. It is a great read, as if your girlfriend is talking to you, and it helps knowing that she somewhat has a clue of life with kids as she has 2 little ones herself. It is hard not to read this book and not want to go shopping. When I read the first chapters almost 3 weeks ago, I wanted a pair of dark perfect fitting denim jeans and to this day, I am still itching for some. But with a tight budget, and with kids needing winter clothes, it just has to wait.

Getting Things Done is done

I listened to audio version of this book, about two hours long, in a matter of 2 days.  My toddler thinks that the iPod is hers to listen to her ballerina music at all times or watch her Sesame Street podcasts.

The best thing I got out of this book is how to set up a system that worked for me.  I have had a household binder that was alright but I was still all over the place.  David Allen broke it all down and now I am so much more confident in meeting all the demands of motherhood, wifehood, the home, social events, and other personal interests of mine.  I will never miss anything important to me again!

First Jim Rohn book I'm reading

If you ever need a good kick in the butt to get on course and stop complaining and blaming... THIS is the book to do it.  A very easy read and that is coming from me, a very slow reader.  I could have been done in less than three days of three short sittings but the hubby decided to reread and take the book to work with him after I had been sharing what I had picked up from it.

I definitely recommend that the whole world reads this.  It will change you... you will become... and you will really live life to its greatest capacity.


I was telling my hubby how much I was really enjoying this book that he spent some $$$ to get me all of Jim Rohn's work.. He's got a way with me =)