Thoughts on Duggar Baby, Pregnancy, Social Media, Privacy, and other Randoms

I don't watch 19 Kids and Counting, but of course I know who the Duggars are. I've seen a couple of episodes of the show. If there's an article about them in a magazine, I'll read it; and I plan on reading their new book- Growing Up Duggar because it came highly recommended by a fellow blogger and I usually enjoy autobiographies/memoirs.

Over the summer, one of the Duggars got married and a few months later announced she is pregnant. Earlier this week, I came across this article titled She Announced Her Pregnancy Way Before 12 Weeks. Why More Women Should Consider Doing the Same. I had some thoughts about the article, pregnancy, and our plans for our own baby that I'd like to share.

Let me start by saying to each his/her own. I don't believe that there's a "right" way or time to announce that you're pregnant. My issue is with the article being titled "why more women should consider doing the same" and kind of insinuating that if you're pro-life and believe life begins at conception, you should announce you're pregnant earlier than the traditional 12-14 weeks most couples wait. I am VERY thankful that I have never experienced a miscarriage. I have to say that it was definitely a fear of mine and played into our decision on when and with who we shared our news. The minute I saw those 2 lines on the pregnancy test, I believed that I had a living person inside of me. Yes, part of me couldn't wait to tell everyone; but another part of me enjoyed those moments where Lee and I were the only people who knew about this precious new life we'd created. We savored those special moments with each other.

After our pregnancy was confirmed at the doctor's office, we told our parents and siblings. Then, after we had that first big appointment at around 10 weeks, we told our extended family and closest friends. Those are people that we would have wanted to grieve with us if something had happened. I do agree with what the article says about miscarriage not needing to be so taboo. There are several bloggers that I respect a lot who have shared their own stories of miscarriage. The difference is that they shared it months (sometimes years) after. They've had time to grieve and process. I'm glad they shared their story, though, because I believe it can be of help to people who go through the same thing. It can also be good for them to get support from others who've gone through the same thing. To me, there's a difference between sharing about it after the fact versus sharing about it in the moment.

I believe that when you share news of a pregnancy is your personal decision and people make different decisions for different reasons. It's not a reflection of what you believe about when life begins. The problem is that with social media, we now seem to live in a world where people think they're entitled to know people's private business. If you're on social media, you probably have those friends who share their every thought and action.

I've really struggled with the role I want social media to play in my life over the past few years. I see the benefits of it and don't want to get rid of it completely; but sometimes I have to fight the urge to post something on social media. I have to remind myself that a) no one really cares and b) some things need to be kept sacred.

I've had several friends and acquaintances (aka "friends" on Facebook) who've had babies over the past few years. Different people have different approaches. Some people give you a play by play (i.e. I'm at 2 cm. My water just broke. We're heading to the hospital. It's time to push. etc.). Some people let you know they're going to the hospital, then you hear nothing else until after the baby is born. Some people don't say anything about it at all. All this got me thinking about what I want to do when that time comes. I can see the benefit to letting people know you're going to the hospital. It's good to know that people are thinking and praying for you. I also know that people want to know that the baby was born and everything is okay. People also like to see pictures of babies, myself included. I know that as a parent, you must be excited to show off your little bundle of joy.

However, I think back to the days before social media. Every acquaintance didn't know the details of your baby's birth. People could hear through the grapevine that your baby had been born and they'd see it when they saw it. You'd let the people that mattered know. That's the approach I think I want to take. I want to let the people that matter to me know what's going on. I will gladly text or email pictures to family and friends. I think I want to stay off social media for a while after our daughter's birth. I want to savor those first moments as a family of three. I don't want to be distracted with the online world. I don't want to be so focused on posting and updating that I'm missing out on memories.

So, I know this post has been a lot of random thoughts. I just think that sometimes we need to back up and remember that we don't need to know every detail of people's lives as they occur. Similarly, we don't have to share every detail of our lives as they occur. Some things are private and personal and it can be easy to forget that with the overload of information we have coming at us on a daily basis. What and when you share shouldn't be a reflection of anything you believe.

I've shared my random thoughts...now I want to know yours!

What are your thoughts on sharing about a pregnancy really early? What are your thoughts on how much is shared on social media? Do you prefer sharing most details of your life or do you keep some things private?

7 Movies (adapted from books) to See Before the End of the Year

I am a book fan all the way. However, I do enjoy a movie occasionally and when they create a movie based on a beloved book, it often gives you more to look forward to.

A year ago, I did a Page to Screen series here on the blog where I shared why I like books better than movies and this still holds true because very often the movie just doesn't live up to the book. However, there are exceptions and some movie adaptations are pretty good. There are even some books that I would like to see become movies. There seemed to be a lot of movies coming out this year based on books. I didn't see most of them. However, there are 7 movies coming out by the end of the year that I would like to see.

1. Mockingjay- Part 1

I wasn't a huge fan of The Hunger Games as a movie. There was just too much of the story that revolved around Katniss' thoughts and I didn't think that translated well onto film. However, I enjoyed Catching Fire a lot more. I think that Mockingjay will be the best film of the series because this is where most of the action was in the books. 

I read this book before I started reviewing books, so I don't have a review to share with you.

2. The Best of Me

Nicholas Sparks' books turned movies are hit or miss. A couple of them are some of my favorite movies and some of them were pretty terrible, in my opinion. I wasn't crazy about this book, but I do look forward to seeing the movie. It seems interesting how they're going to include both the story of the couple in the past and in the present. Plus I want to see how they ruin the ending because they always ruin the endings of Nicholas Sparks' movies. :)

I also read this book before I started doing book reviews so I don't have one to share.

3. Dark Places

 

This definitely has the potential to be a very creepy movie because it was a pretty creepy book. So, I'm not 100% sure that I'll like actually seeing the things that happened played out. I couldn't find a trailer for this movie, but you can read my review of the book to learn more on my thoughts and see more of what the story is about.  

4. Gone Girl

I enjoyed this book up until the end. However, I think it has the potential to be a great thriller of a movie. Plus the book was such a huge hit that I feel like they're going to do it justice with the movie. 

I read this book before I started reviewing books so I have no book review to share. 

5. The Giver

This book has been on my to read list since long before I knew it would be a movie. I have many teacher friends who told me it was a must read. I just haven't gotten around to reading it. Now that the movie version is coming out, I want to be sure and read the book before I see the movie. I also look forward to it because this is one of the original dystopian novels.

6. If I Stay

This book has also been on my to read list for a while, but I haven't gotten around to reading it yet. Even though I wanted to read it, the book description didn't fully explain to me what it was about. When I saw the trailer, I became a lot more interested in this story. So, I also want to read this book before I see this movie.

7. Serena

From what I've read, it looks like this movie was made in 2012, but they can't seem to set a release date. So, hopefully this will be released before the end of 2014. I read this book when I saw that it was going to be a movie. I found the book to be pretty disappointing and boring overall. However, I think the movie has a lot of potential especially since it's starring Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper. There is no trailer for this movie yet and I also haven't written out an actual review on the book yet either. 

Are there any movies (based on books or not) that you are looking forward to before the end of the year?

3rd Trimester is Here: A Pregnancy Update

I am officially 30 weeks as of today. Time is really flying by and I'm trying not to get anxious or nervous about Baby Hall's arrival. A few weeks ago, I shared how I haven't been able to focus a lot of attention on blogging and on how certain things in my life I want to keep private. I still feel that way which is why I haven't blogged too much about pregnancy. But for those who are interested, I thought I'd share my bumpdate pictures along with a little update on how I'm doing.

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This is around 12 weeks. This was after we had our first big doctor's appointment. This was the first time we heard Baby Hall's heartbeat and saw her on the ultrasound. This was when we started sharing our news with friends and extended family (our immediate family and closest friends already knew).

The first trimester is over, so this is around 14 weeks. This is around the time that I shared the news with the blogging world. I had a really easy first trimester. I only got sick once. I occasionally would feel nauseous, but could quickly fix that by eating. I was really tired, but luckily I was tracked out of school for a large portion of my first trimester and did a lot of napping. 

I hit 17 weeks around the time my school year was ending. I was tired and busy as I had a friend coming up to visit and then Lee and I went to the beach with my family. I knew I could expect to start feeling her soon, but didn't know what I was to expect. I also went shopping for some maternity pants around this time.

Near the end of my break from school, we found out that Baby Hall is a girl. My mother's intuition was wrong because I was convinced we were having a boy. It was exciting to see her on the ultrasound again, but this time her little body was bigger and more formed. She was keeping most of her face hidden in the placenta though. No matter how much she was jiggled and poked, she wasn't moving her face. I still wasn't feeling a lot of movement at this point. I would feel things sometimes that I thought might be movement, but I wasn't too sure.

My new school year has started by this point and you can tell I'm exhausted. I wrote it on the chalkboard because it's all I could think of plus I look worn out! We announce Baby Hall's name to our family and friends around this point. Her name is something we're going to be keeping on the private side so you won't see it posted on this blog. Sorry. I'm starting to feel more movement, but it's not consistent at this point. I mainly feel her at night or in the morning when I'm being still and relaxing.

The second trimester is also now over for me. I would catch my reflection in the mirror and would be a little shocked at how big my belly was getting. It seems to grow overnight! I got to see her on the ultrasound again as we tried to get a better picture of her face. She still had it close to the placenta and she also had her hand up in her face. I'm hoping this will mean she likes to cuddle. I could tell that her face has filled out some more. She looks more like a baby than an alien. I'm feeling a lot of movement now and it's all throughout the day. Lee hasn't been able to feel her yet, but we both talk to her.

My only pregnancy cons have been the little bit of nausea in the beginning, some heartburn, being really tired, coughing, gaining weight, and stretch marks. Compared to stories I've heard from other women, I'm feeling very blessed. In the upcoming weeks, we're going to be working on her nursery and I look forward to sharing that with you.

August Book Review

It's funny because in my first trimester of pregnancy, all I wanted to do was lay around, sleep, and watch TV. I didn't care about anything else. As I've neared my 3rd trimester (and am now in the 3rd), TV hasn't interested me at all. All I've really wanted to do is read. So, I read a lot this month. Here's my thoughts on what I read.

Confessions of a Shopoholic by Sophie Kinsella

Book Description:
Becky Bloomwood has what most twenty-five-year-olds only dream of: a flat in London's trendiest neighborhood, a troupe of glamorous socialite friends, and a closet brimming with the season's must-haves. The only trouble is, she can't actually afford it --- not any of it. Her job writing at Successful Saving magazine not only bores her to tears, it doesn't pay much at all. Still, how can she resist that perfect pair of shoes? Or the divine silk blouse in the window of that ultra-trendy boutique? But lately Becky's been chased by dismal letters from Visa and the Endwich Bank --- letters with large red sums she can't bear to read --- and they're getting ever harder to ignore. She tries cutting back; she even tries making more money. But none of her efforts succeeds. Her only consolation is to buy herself something ... just a little something ...Finally, a story arises that Becky actually cares about, and her front-page article catalyzes a chain of events that will transform her life --- and the lives of those around her --- forever

Book description and image via Goodreads

My Review:
Lately, I've been reading a lot of Sophie Kinsella books. Some are fun, easy reads while others just don't live up to the "fun" heading in my opinion. This is one that I wasn't crazy about, yet I'm reading through the whole series for some reason. I guess I'm hoping one of them will be more enjoyable than the others. I find Becky difficult to like. I mean...how naive and silly over shopping can you be? Maybe I just don't understand addictive behavior. Also, in my opinion, a relationship between her and Luke didn't bloom naturally. I enjoyed the movie better (and that's rare for me to say!).

I grade it a C.

The Preacher's Daughter by Beverly Lewis
 
Book Description: 
Paradise, Pennsylvania, is likened to a little slice of heaven on earth...but for Annie Zook--the preacher's eldest daughter--it seems like a dead-end street. She is expected to join the Amish church, but at 20 she is "still deciding." Because of the strict rules that guide the Plain community, she must continually squelch her artistic passion, although it has become her solace.

Book description and image via Goodreads

My Review:I knew this book was a series when I started reading it and I honestly didn't expect to continue with the series. The book was okay, but overall just not very exciting. Then, things picked up in the end and I decided I needed to see what would happen in the next two books.

I grade it a B.




One Thousand White Women: The Journal of May Dodd by Jim Fergus

Book Description: 
One Thousand White Women is the story of May Dodd and a colorful assembly of pioneer women who, under the auspices of the U.S. government, travel to the western prairies in 1875 to intermarry among the Cheyenne Indians. The covert and controversial "Brides for Indians" program, launched by the administration of Ulysses S. Grant, is intended to help assimilate the Indians into the white man's world. Toward that end May and her friends embark upon the adventure of their lifetime. 

Book description and image via Goodreads

My Review:This book has an interesting premise and I like how it's written as if it's really someone's journal. It makes it all seem more realistic. I also enjoy seeing more books that show how Native Americans have been mistreated throughout our history. It's a sad reality that needs to be told. It didn't have the happily ever after ending I was hoping for, but I appreciate books that don't take the easy way out.
I grade it an A.

The Undomesticated Goddess by Sophie Kinsella

Book Description: 

Workaholic attorney Samantha Sweeting has just done the unthinkable. She’s made a mistake so huge, it’ll wreck any chance of a partnership. Going into utter meltdown, she walks out of her London office, gets on a train, and ends up in the middle of nowhere. Asking for directions at a big, beautiful house, she’s mistaken for an interviewee and finds herself being offered a job as housekeeper. Her employers have no idea they’ve hired a lawyer–and Samantha has no idea how to work the oven. She can’t sew on a button, bake a potato, or get the #@%# ironing board to open. How she takes a deep breath and begins to cope–and finds love–is a story as delicious as the bread she learns to bake. But will her old life ever catch up with her? And if it does…will she want it back?

Book description and image via Goodreads

My Review:



This is a Sophie Kinsella novel that I enjoyed more. It was fun, although very unrealistic. But what fun is reality sometimes? I wish the ending had provided a little more closure, though. I did like how the character grew and changed throughout the story. I think that always makes a story more enjoyable when you get to watch the character grow and learn.

I grade it a B.


Shopoholic Takes Manhattan by Sophie Kinsella

Book Description: 
With her shopping excesses (somewhat) in check and her career as a TV financial guru thriving, Becky's biggest problem seems to be tearing her entrepreneur boyfriend, Luke, away from work for a romantic country weekend. And worse, figuring out how to pack light. But packing takes on a whole new meaning when Luke announces he's moving to New York for business--and he asks Becky to go with him! Before you can say "Prada sample sale," Becky has landed in the Big Apple, home of Park Avenue penthouses and luxury boutiques. Surely it's only a matter of time until she becomes an American TV celebrity, and she and Luke are the toast of Gotham society. Nothing can stand in their way, especially with Becky's bills miles away in London. But then an unexpected disaster threatens her career prospects, her relationship with Luke, and her available credit line! Shopaholic Takes Manhattan--but will she have to return it?

Book description and image via Goodreads 

My Review:
After the end of Confessions of a Shopoholic, you would have thought Becky had learned her lesson, but no. She's up to her same old tricks. This is only the second book and I'm bored with her antics already. I hope things change up a bit in the rest of the series. How many times can she naively overspend? Why doesn't someone get this girl some professional help?

I grade it a C.

I Didn't Come Here to Make Friends: Confessions of a Reality Show Villain by Courtney Robertson

Book Description: 
Courtney Robertson joined season 16 of The Bachelor looking for love. A working model and newly single, Courtney fit the casting call: She was young, beautiful, and a natural in front of the cameras. Although she may have been there for all the right reasons, as the season unfolded and sparks began to fly something else was clear: She was not there to make friends. Courtney quickly became one of the biggest villains in Bachelor franchise history. She unapologetically pursued her man, steamrolled her competition, and broke the rules—including partaking in an illicit skinny-dip that sealed her proposal. Now, after a very public breakup with her Bachelor, Ben Flajnik, Courtney opens up and tells her own story—from her first loves to her first moments in the limo. She dishes on life before, during, and after the Bachelor, including Ben's romantic proposal to her on a Swiss mountaintop and the tabloid frenzy that continued after the cameras stopped rolling. For the first time ever, a former Bachelor contestant takes us along on her journey to find love and reveals that “happily ever after” isn't always what it seems. Complete with stories, tips, tricks, and advice from your favorite Bachelor alumni, and filled with all the juicy details Courtney fans and foes alike want to know, I Didn’t Come Here to Make Friends is a must-read for every member of Bachelor nation.

Book description and image via Goodreads

My Review:
I stopped watching The Bachelor around 2009 with the whole Jason, Melissa, Molly debacle. That was just too much for me! So, I knew nothing about this woman. Of course, I'd heard of Ben who was the Bachelor when she was on as a contestant. You can't help but see the pictures splashed across the magazines and most recently, he'd been connected to Kris Jenner. Anyway, I read the book because I wanted that "behind the scenes" look at a reality TV show. That part of the book was very interesting to me and helped me give this book a higher grade. On the other hand, I found this woman very annoying. She definitely has no problem kissing and telling. She loved to name drop all the celebrities she's dated or slept with. She also likes to tell what they're like in bed among other private things. I love how in the beginning, she brags that she can count on only 3 hands the number of men she's slept with. Um...that's a lot.... Read this for the look at how reality TV is made and just suffer through the rest of her tidbits.

I grade it a B.

The Englisher by Beverly Lewis

Book Description:
The artistic daughter of the preacher, Annie Zook finds herself at a crossroads struggling to find her place in the Plain community. Her life becomes strangely intertwined with two outsiders--one a longtime pen pal, the other a forbidden love. 

Book description and image via Goodreads

My Review:This book continues the series after The Preacher's Daughter. I enjoy getting a look into the Amish culture. There are definitely things about their culture I don't understand and I didn't realize that they don't believe in having a personal relationship with Christ. I felt the same way I did with the first one, that a lot of the writing was boring. However, I was just curious enough that I wanted to see how it all would end.

I grade it a B.



The Brethren by Beverly Lewis

Book Description: 
Annie Zook, the Amish preacher's daughter, is caught between two worlds. Living with shunned friend Esther, Annie longs to return to her forbidden art and the idyllic days spent with Englisher Ben Martin, before her father ordered her never to see him again. Stunned when family secrets come to light, Ben determines to solve the mystery of his past. Will his future include Annie--or will the Brethren always stand between them? 

Book description and image via Goodreads

My Review:
This is the last book in the series, so everything is coming together. Throughout the series there were actually a lot of sub plots to keep up with. I see where they all connect, but I feel like the author could have dialed those back more or executed them better. You were constantly switching back and forth amongst characters and plots. A lot of things were actually left hanging at the end of the series and I would have liked to have seen those wrapped up better.

I grade it a B. 

Maid to Match by Deeanne Gist

Book Description: 
From the day she arrives at the Biltmore, Tillie Reese is dazzled—by the riches of the Vanderbilts and by Mack Danvers, a mountain man turned footman. When Tillie is enlisted to help tame Mack's rugged behavior by tutoring him in the ways of refined society, the resulting sparks threaten Tillie's efforts to be chosen as Edith Vanderbilt's lady's maid. But the stakes rise even higher when Mack and Tillie become entangled in a cover-up at the town orphanage. They could both lose their jobs...and their hearts.

Book description and image via Goodreads

My Review:
This is probably my favorite book I've read this month. It takes place in Asheville and in the Biltmore which I recently visited, so it was fun to be able to visualize the house better. It's also my favorite genre-historical fiction. This is also a Christian fiction book, but unlike many books in that genre-it's not overly cheesy. It's still very realistic. There were elements of romance and helping others. I will definitely be looking into more books by this author.

I grade it an A.

You can follow along with what I'm reading through Goodreads or check out my Bookshelf for more information on my rating system and book challenges I'm participating in.

Have you read any of these books? Have you read anything good lately that I should add to my to read list?