This Really is a labor of Love

This has been such a whirlwind for me. My emotions are not in check at all, most days are great, I find that as long as things are maintaining an even (albeit terrifying) keel then I do fine. But as soon as there's a bump in the road (and it seems there have been several), I can't keep it together. It's awful, because I am the kind of person who maintains composure A LOT easier then I have been able to as of late. I realize I have all kinds of preggo hormones raging through my body, plus I am terrified, and am living my life in a vacuum, at the mercy of other people, all things I do not enjoy. I try to cut myself some slack, but realistically I struggle.

Upon being readmitted to the hospital at 24 weeks, I came in terrified. Not as planned, no smooth transition. I had started having pinkish fluid, and was fearful my placenta was tearing away (abrupting), or that something was really wrong. Upon arriving, the drs and nurses were not concerned, its perfectly normal they told me. I was like - well if its perfectly normal then why did it just start today, why hasn't it been pink all along, what happened between today and yesterday to make it pink. I felt like demanding an ultrasound, figuring that would give them and me and better idea of what was going on. All these questions, and no REAL answers, it could be one of many things they tell me. Well that doesn't put my little mind at ease. A full 24 hrs later they did an ultrasound (a biophysical profile which showed not enough measurable fluid as usual....), and sure  enough my placenta was fine and the bleeding wasn't coming from my uterus. A brief sigh of relief ensued. Only to be followed with more questions, ok so why the pink fluid. The answer it's likely coming from your cervix - ok so new fears, why is my cervix bleeding - am I going into labour? And then the pink fluid stops as quickly as it started. Why? It seems I will never know. But I made it to 24 weeks 1 day!

The first couple of days were hard settling into the hospital. I miss home, I miss Hannah, and life outside here. But I know I am in the best place, and I have two babies to worry about, Hannah, and the one inside me fighting for it's chance at life. And I want that chance to be the best chance possible, which means staying here growing this sweet babe for what seems like a very very long long time. Mid February to be exact. Christmas, New Years and Hannah's birthday all need to happen first. Because if they don't then they will all look very different then they do right now. A whole new level of terror will set it. I have seen first hand how terrifying it is to go into labour after your water has broken far to soon. There have been several women, some who came before me and some who came after, that have had there babies. Each and every time my heart aches for them. I count my blessings everyday. Everyday I am still pregnant is a huge blessing.

So, today I ask that you think about all the moms whose babies were born to soon, and have started the second round of the fight of their lives. The mom's whose babies are hooked up to machines, and can't be held. Please give them the strength to endure that. Please give me the strength to endure this.

Amy

How I Managed my Stay at Home Between 21 weeks and 24 weeks!!

Just thought I would blog a bit about how I did with my stay at home between being discharged from the hospital, at 21 weeks 5 days, until my return at 24 weeks. I was really torn about going home or staying in the hospital, in one way I was in the very best place I could be for baby and myself, but realistically, they would not doing anything for baby until 24 weeks (viability), and I have a sweet little girl at home who was missing me terribly and I was missing her. We were not prepared for this to become our new reality. Our home was in the midst of being decorated for Christmas, and ironically, my husband was preparing for surgery the very next day (the day after my water broke), for a hernia. So, I let my house go a little figuring I'm going to be housebound taking care of Eric for the next couple of weeks. And then baby pulled trump, surgery was cancelled, and childcare in the form of grandma's and aunts and neighbours was established. I am soo thankful to everyone who has supported us through this process, I feel like I am in a bit of a fog, I cant remember what I said/did ten minutes ago, and the passage of time seems to meld together, but is passing so slowly. I can't keep track of things.

I am so glad I decided to go home for that time period. I missed my home, my baby girl and just seeing her in her element at home. We read lots of books together, and she often came up to me " Mommy I snuggle you". I love those snuggles and cherish every single one of them. I got to spend time with my dogs and cats and enjoyed home cooked food (cuz this hospital food is yucko). i made lists upon lists for how to find Hannah's clothes, how to run the washing machine, how to manage Hannah's daytime routine. I tried to prime myself for the reality that in just a short time I won't be here to oversee that its running smoothly. It was a good thing to do. It has made me feel like at least I have laid the foot prints for her to have some stability. That little girl is my world and I miss her like crazy!!!!!!!!!! I miss checking on her after she's fallen asleep and having her grip my finger in her tiny little fist. Someday I hope she understands how much I love her, and how even though I am not doing this to her, I am doing it for her, and her baby sister or brother who she will cherish for the rest of her life.

We planned an uneventful relaxing day for the Sunday of my return, we were going to just enjoy each others company, have a nice supper and then head up to the hospital. Unfortunately, the transition from home to hospital was not smooth. I ended up having some bleeding and pink amniotic fluid, so the return to hospital was rushed and panicked. I had to do one of the hardest things i have ever had to do, leave the house with my baby girl screaming at the top of her lungs for mommy to stay with her. it was awful. I felt like the worlds worst mom, and yet there was nothing i could do. She came up to visit me later that evening once things had settled down and i was settled in my room, and was really unhappy to leave but was really happy to see me.

They say the pink amniotic fluid is somewhat to be expected, as my water has broken and there's less of a cushion between baby and my uterine lining. However, it still terrifies me. I feel like I am living in perpetual terror. It's very difficult to keep my head on straight and be my normal positive self. I am trying to convince myself that everything is going to be just fine, and to minimize my stress, but it is very difficult with this fear looming over me. But I am making it my goal to stay positive. So please keep me and my family in your thoughts. Thank you soo much.....

Amy

A Not So Great Update.... Coming to you from the hospital...

I have to admit, I have been avoiding this blog, and well the computer in general for the past couple of weeks, it's way to tempting to google my symptoms and freak myself out anymore then I am already. The other reason I have been avoiding you all is because I do not want to admit out loud (or type) that this is really happening to me right now. I am literally hanging on by a thread and I am terrified every second of the day. I am grateful for each day though, and am trying my damnedest to stay positive and give this baby every single shot at life I can muster. That said it is completely out of my control.

On the early morning of Tuesday Nov 15th, I was asleep in bed and felt a small gush of fluid. I thought 'hmm that's strange, maybe I have to pee without knowing it and baby just kicked my bladder. So I stood to go to the washroom and experienced a second small gush, and fluid running down my legs, with no urge to pee. I was totally at a loss for what was going on, I never went into labour with my daughter, she was a scheduled c-section. However, surely I was not in labour, I was on 21 weeks and 2 days, way to early for baby to make his/her debut. So, I did what any woman would do, called my mom. She of course advised me to call the hospital, so I did, and they of course advised me to come in and they would determine whether or not I had "just peed myself without knowing it."

So, I called my hubby home from work, got grandma to come watch Hannah (after some much needed snuggles of course), and we headed into the birthing unit at the hospital. They right away had me do a urine sample (it of course was inconclusive), and then whipped out the big guns to do a quick bedside ultrasound to determine my placenta position. As they were scanning me it appeared that my placenta was covering my cervix (placenta previa - which was news to me I just had a perfectly normal ultrasound 3 weeks ago), so they required a more thorough look with one of the fancier machines upstairs (IN AN HOUR - longest hour ever - or so I thought then). So, we were wheeled up to ultrasound, and the technician there (whom I did not love as she was very tight lipped and kept leaving to consult with the dr) at least told me I did not have placenta previa (but something told me this was not good news, I mean it was good, but more bad was coming). I asked her how could it have looked like it downstairs and not up here (as I saw the scan downstairs and this one looked entirely different). She informed me sometimes when we have a contraction, the placenta balls up and occludes the placenta (GREAT SO NOW I'M CONTRACTING!!!! - was what was running through my head"). I have had many many ultrasounds, and while looking at them had never seen what I saw next, I could determine where baby was, and where my super full bladder was, but there was this third pocket of fluid (or organ as I thought it was, but when I asked the technician she simply told me it was part of the ultrasound and the drs would give me the results (it was infuriating - I wasn't asking for details per say I just wondered what part of my anatomy that was). After a few more "go empty your bladders and I will scan again", the ultrasound was wrapped up and I was wheeled back to the birthing unit (without any pictures of my sweet baby, another sign as I look back, that the prognosis was emergent). The drs came in and told me they were going to do an internal to check for any leakage of fluid through my cervix (which was not fun), and naturally produced a rather large 3rd gush of fluid. And it was concluded, I am in Preterm Premature Rupture of Membranes (or PPROM). F-ING great!!!

I was quickly admitted, and more drs were dispatched to my bedside, one of whom I will call Dr Doom and Gloom. He quickly informed (and scared the crap out of us), us that I would go into labour within the next 48 hrs, and since baby is not viable til 24 weeks they would not making any attempts to save baby, but that he (my hero), could terminate my pregnancy. As he was speaking those words to me, the very life inside me he was kicking and flailing around. I did not even look at my husband, but quickly stated that would not be happening. I'd gone from "did I pee myself, to sheer confusion, to utter panic and now to sheer terror - all in one morning." I called my mom and she came to the hospital immediately. I did not even know I was crying when she same in, that's how much shock I was in, the tears didn't stop despite no effort on my behalf to start them.

My poor sweet husband, equally terrified, watching his wife and his world fall apart. Thankfully, once they settled me in my room, Dr Doom and Gloom was relieved of his duties, as he was not being called in to deliver the baby, and a Maternal Fetal Medicine Dr came in to talk to us. She was great, honest, but gave us that little piece of hope we needed to cling to like a life preserver. She told us yes I could go into labour in the next 48 hours and so they would monitor me for infection here at the hospital, but I could also carry on and be pregnant for another 16 weeks. There are no guarantees baby will make it those 16 weeks, and even if it does, it may never have the lung capacity to breathe on its own, but it is a possibility. All the while this baby inside me was kicking around, showing me it's up for the fight (and probably protesting its diminishing accommodations). She said that if I did not go into labour in the next 48 hrs (which was a real possibility as I was dilated 1 cm) and did not develop an infection this would be a great sign, and I could then go home and continue monitoring for signs of infection and be on bed rest at home, and then at 24 weeks be re-admitted and monitored much more frequently and treated much more aggressively. There were things they could do then, as she put it.

So we waited, had another ultrasound the next morning, and the fluid levels were diminished from the previous days, but not what they expected to see, they figured I would have little to no fluid. This helped them determine the hole/tear in my amniotic sac must be a "high leak", which apparently is a good kind of leak, because it will be more difficult for an infection to get all the way up there. And as an added bonus baby still has some much needed fluid. Luckily for us, labour was not imminent, and I was able to go home for those two and a half weeks to try and imagine my world, and how things were needing to transform. More details on how that looked next update.

As of right now, I have some requests, I need all the prayers and positive thoughts you can sum up to rally around this baby, and me and my family and friends who are supporting us through all of this. It has been one hell of a ride (and not in a good way), but somehow we are getting through it. I need to remain calm and positive, and really focus on that and making it through this one day at a time. I also need you to pray that I do not go into labor, or develop and infection. These are all very critical things. I will try and update as I can but the nights are long for me, as this is when I seem to leak more, so I tire easily during the day.

Thank you for your prayers and good vibes

Amy

I'm BACK!!! And I have some exciting news to share!!

First and foremost I would like to apologize for my absence, at first it was an issue with lack of energy and not feeling well, and then it turned into a google account verifier problem!! But the important thing is - IT FINALLY let me login to my own blog!! And more importantly I'M BACK!!!

Now onto the exciting news, and an explanation for my health related absence. Someone has some very exciting news to share...

Hannah's finally going to be a big sister!!! She is super excited and sooo are we!!! Words cannot even describe how over the moon and beside ourselves thrilled we are!! We look forward to welcoming our new addition to our family in March 2012, technically I am due the 25th but due to the fact that I am considered high risk, the baby will likely be here in the beginning to mid March via c-section.

Now onto why it took me 17 whole weeks to share our exciting news. In the beginning of the pregnancy I was considered high risk, and was put on light duty from 5-12 weeks because I had a nasty subchorionic hemorrhage. What that means is no friggen fun. It threatens your pregnancy because it causes the placenta to tear away from the uterus, which could cause the whole pregnancy to miscarry. So, it was a pretty scary time, but luckily the bleed reabsorbed itself, and was completely gone at our 12 weeks ultrasound, but up until that point we had weekly ultrasounds to monitor if it was growing or shrinking. So, now they only risk to the baby is that it can cause preterm labour because it affects the quality of the placenta, but they will monitor that down the road, and isn't much of a concern for me because given my past experience the drs were really pushing me to have Hannah 6 weeks early, and we settled on three. So, I have to continue trust that God has a plan for this baby, and that my Dr's will continue to shine like they have so far, they really have been phenomenally supportive.

So, that's my exciting news, and my grand re-entrance into blog land. So stay tuned for the details on how I told the hubby and our families and the renos we have been doing to our house in preparation for baby's arrival.

Most of all thank you for staying loyal even though I was M.I.A.

Sincerely
Amy

Please Excuse My Absence!!

I'm still feeling under the weather, but I promise I will be back soon with some awesome content. For now I will leave you with some of the photo's Ashley took at my cousins wedding (the one Hannah was a flower girl in) and one the grooms sister took of Hannah with the beautiful bride.

Thanks for sticking with me through this lack of posting.... Hopefully I'll be back REALLY soon!!

Hope everyone's having a great summer!!

Amy

What a Weekend!!

We had a super busy whirlwind weekend!! Hannah was the cutest flower girl, and I promise to post pictures once I'm feeling a bit better. Unfortunately, I have been having some issues with my blood pressure that led to a trip to the hospital on Sunday night, but I am on "light duty" at home, so please keep me in your thoughts that my issues resolve themselves in the next little while.

I think I may have just overdone it on the weekend. So I am taking it easy, and putting my feet up as per Dr's orders. We had a great time on the weekend, and Hannah was adorable. She even managed to speed walk up the aisle instead of running. My sister got some cute family pictures of us, so I'll be uploading them as well.

So stay tuned for those updates!! Hope everyone had a great weekend!!

Amy

What I Am Loving Wednesday!!

So, my friends, this will probably be my last post this week until next Tuesday, as we have the big wedding happening, and it's a long weekend, so of course I have jam packed it full of all kinds of fun!! So, I'm not MIA, I'm just having an amazing weekend!!

Now, onto the What I'm Loving Wednesdays!!

So, I am loving soooo many things today....

First off I am loving that I got all the bridal jewelry done, and even managed to sneak in a necklace for Ashley to wear to her weddings Friday as well. I love the way it turned out also...

Excuse the blurriness, I was using my iPhone....

I am loving that Hannah is going to be a flower girl on Friday, and she is soo proud an excited. She will pick flowers from the garden and walk around saying "I'm a flower girl". Soo darn cute, now if only her elbow and knees that are skinned would heal up stat...

I am loving that I will get to see my dad's side of the family. We don't see them often enough, so I am looking forward to seeing everyone, especially my cousin Melissa whose wedding it is. Her hubby-to-be is a real sweetheart.

I am loving that I am getting my hair done on Friday for $15.00. I am looking forward to having half an hour to myself on what I think will otherwise be a hectic day :). I love being pampered so it will be soo nice to get my hair done. I am just going for something simple but I am loving both of these hairstyles I found on Pinterest.

I love this one, but without the flowers, but it might be a bit overstated, screaming I got my hair done...

I love this one, I'm just not sure if I want to go with the simple back, or have it braided and joined at the back

 

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Like this but then curly like the above one..

Which one are you guys loving?

I am also loving that it cooled off a little bit yesterday so I was able to have the windows, and front door open all day!!

So, those are some of the things I am loving today!!

Hope everyone's having a fabulous week, and has a fabulous weekend!!

Amy



Weekend Recap!!

Well, we did it again!! Had an AMAZING weekend! This weekend was a lot more low key then the last one, and certainly more low key then the next one. But it was still great!!

Friday night I was home alone with Hannah, so once she went to bed I watched "Definitely Maybe", which was an okay movie, not great, but not bad, I didn't regret watching it lol.

Saturday morning we got up, had a nice breakfast and then quickly packed up a picnic and headed into the splash pad we were loving two weekends ago. We met up with Ashley, and had a picnic in the park, and then headed over to the splash pad. There were a few glitches, like the fact that I forgot Hannah's swimsuit (of all things to forget going to the splash pad), and we arrived at the waterpark at 12:20, only to find out there website was wrong and the don't open until 1pm. So, slightly annoying, but a quick trip to WalMart and a new swimsuit was purchases (and on clearance for $5.00 too). After the waterpark we headed out for some ice cream, and then came home and Hannah and I had a nap, it was fabulous. We went over to the neighbours open house for about an hour, then came home BBQ'd some steaks, and had a delicious spinach and hard boiled egg salad... mhmmm,... I could eat one right now... then my best friend and her kids (and hubby) came over and we sat outside and watched the kids play. Then we had a huge storm roll through, tornado warnings were even issued for our area. I always hate when tornado warnings are issued, or even just severe storm warnings, after Hannah has gone to bed, it makes me anxious. I always contemplate waking her up and bringing her down to the basement. Crazy!!

Sunday morning we went out for breakfast with Eric's mom, and then headed into town for groceries. Came home and had a family nap, which was really nice. Then spent some time outside. Then Hannah and Eric went down to the rec room/play room while I finished up the bridal jewelry for this weekends wedding. I must say they look pretty darn good.

Bracelets, the maid of honors is braided the rest of the bridesmaids are just twisted...

The Earrings, sorry it won't rotate...

Necklaces

Sunday night we started watching the movie "Fair Game" (but I was too tired to stay up and finish watching it but I finished it yesterday), and it was a good movie.

Yesterday was another good day. Eric got done work early (to take me to a drs apt) but it was still nice to have him home early. We have an incredibly busy weekend coming up. It's my cousins wedding and Hannah is the flower girl, so I am really looking forward to it!! I'm really looking forward to seeing my cousins that are far away!! So it's going to be crazy busy, but I can't wait!!

Hope everyone had a great weekend!!

Amy

What I Am Loving Wednesday!!!

So, it's Wednesday and time for my weekly link up with Jamie at This Kind of Love

I think it would probably be faster for me to list the things I am not loving today because I can't think of a single one!! I am truly having one AMAZING WONDERFUL week!!

So, for starters, I am LOVING all the good news we have gotten this week. Our car is fixed, my hubbie received recognition for 10 years of dedicated service with the fire department, we have made significant gains in potty training. We found out that our building plans are going to be built, and the builder wants to PURCHASE the plans from us, Hannah has been absolutely adorable!! All in all an amazing week so far!!!

I am also loving this post by Ashley over at Life As I Know It!! I love the idea of blessings in waiting!!!

I am loving the amazing weather we have had all week, and the fact that it is going to continue right into the weekend. This will nicely allow for our picnic date/water park visit with Hannah's favorite aunt Ashley!! (and uncle Mike)....

I am loving that I am almost done all the bridal jewelry I have lined up this week.

I am loving my new hair color... and I even managed to take some self portraits of me and my hair in my dress for the wedding next weekend!!

New dress and new hair!! Excuse the self portrait!!

and an even worse up close shot... but I'm loving my hair!!



I am also loving that we booked our mini summer vacay!! I was looking to go to Great Wolf Lodge, here in Canada in Niagara Falls, but it was CRAZY expensive. It has an amazing water park, and I had heard great reviews about it. But at $460.00 for one night, I think I'll wait until Hannah is older. So then a friend of mine told me about this amazing water park hotel she stayed at in Frankenmuth, (which is nice and close to Birch Run an amazing shopping center I have never been too, and we all know how much I like to shop and in the States of all places). It's called Zehnders Splash Village, and we are booked in for two nights, and it includes 4 meals for $460.00!! Great deal!! I can't wait!! August cannot come fast enough!!

So. like I said I am LOVING a LOT of things. I am sure I am leaving some out, but alas I need to get back to my beading projects!!

Hope everyone's having just as an amazing week as me!!

Amy

Amazing Weekend Recap!!

Wow!! I am in a great mood today!! It's amazing what a morning to yourself getting your hair done can do for you!! But, more on the one later.... first my weekend recap!!

We had an amazing weekend. Friday night we headed into town to go to a Folk Fetsival, having never been to one before I really did not know what to expect. But it was soo much fun!! We first stopped off at People's to pick up our newly shined wedding rings, and then to get my new Kobo Touch (which by the way I LOVE, and I had an amazing saleslady, who instead of charging me the upgrade - as my regular kobo stopped loading new books on me, so I wanted to upgrade, and the newer one costs $30.00 more, which I was happy to pay, and she waved it!! Gave it to me for the same price (essentially free). So thank you super sweet Chapters lady!! You set my night off to a great start!! Then we headed to the folk festival, had a great time checking out all the different vendors, enjoyed a Copper Top Pizza, and let me tell you it was soo good, I regretted my decision to share with Hannah. It was delicious. Then we headed home to put the munchkin to bed. Enjoyed a quiet night at home.

My self portrait of my newly shined rings!!

The next morning we got up to find out my PVR was broken, it was very heart breaking for Hannah, but after an hour on the phone with Bell Canada, I ordered myself a new one for rent, in High Def, for less money, so at least it was an easy fix. Then our local fire department (the one my hubby is on), was having their 40th anniversay open house, so we headed down there for some lunch, and had a great time there. My mom came down and joined us (as she was babysitting Hannah for the evening while we attended the awards ceremony for the fire department and the BBQ). Hannah did not enjoy Sparky the fire dog (dressed in costume). She spent the afternoon with Grandma lazing in her pool. Then we headed out to the award ceremony, which was really nice, they spent a lot of time recognizing the retiree's, the firefighters were recognizsed with pins for their years of service, and even the wives got a framed photo of the fire department and a hat. It was a really nice evening, and they BBQ'd steak, so it was good eats as well. I went home before the after party as it was 11:00pm already and I was whooped.

The next morning we had a great morning together. Hannah was adorable, and we spent the morning playiny with her, and then headed over to my best friends place where she played with her sons. Then headed into town for groceries. Another GREAT day!! So. all in all an amazing weekend.

We had some running around to do yesterday, and Hannah spent the evening playing with the neighbours. And then this morning, even better, I got to be pampered, and get my hair done, and I am loving it. I'll try and get my hubby to take a picture of it tomorrow, with me wearing the dress for the wedding so you can all see how nice and fresh it looks!! I love it!!!

Hope everyone had a fantastic weekend as well!!

Amy

"House Rules" - Book Review Journal

This book was a great book to read, sometimes a little bit frustrating for me, and it hit very close to home for me. I myself was a personal support worker for a man with an autism spectrum disorder, and I truly loved my job. I give Emma (Jacob's mother) all the credit in the world, and Jodi Picoult for the immense amount of research she had to have done to portray Jacob so accurately. Caring for someone with an autism spectrum disorder is a CONSTANT, there is no "time off", even though it is much needed. But, on the other side of the spectrum, I totally see why she loves her son more then anything in the world, from two perspectives, one of course being that I am a mother myself, and the other being that I truly enjoyed the good aspects of my job. The good times made the bad times blend into the background, instead of standing out at the forefront. Unfortunately, my job came to an abrupt stop when I was assaulted by the man I was supporting. He injured my neck (amongst other things), and I now have a dysautonmia, which causes my autonomic nervous system to become dysregulated (short and simple = I pass out - every other day pretty much). I am not trying to paint the picture that all people with autism spectrum disorders have aggressions, because they certainly don't. In this case, the attack came without warning, and unfortunately for me, I wasn't equipped to handle it, being single staffed and driving a vehicle at the time. I try and look back on my time as his support staff fondly, but unfortunately, my injuries have rendered me at times in need of a support worker (having passed out and broken my wrist for example). It's been a LONG road for me, and I have learned sooo many things about myself I didn't know, and have seen how much stronger I am then I ever thought I could be. I am certain at the end of the book that that is the way Emma feels. She has waged a war with the devil, and she's got back up fighting.

From a more technical aspect of the book though, I HATED the ending, or lack there of, I am going to have to go back, and find a better copy of the book for my ereader (because the one I had was INFURIATING, it took literally 5 minutes to just turn the page), and re-read the ending, because I never did find out if Jacob was sentenced or acquited or what happened? Did anyone else get that impression to or did I just miss a HUGE part of the book?

Of course, I am back, linking up with Blonde Undercover Blonde for her Book Club Fridays!!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!!

Amy

What I Am Loving Wednesday!!

Well, let me tell you, Blogger has been giving me a run for my money, not letting me log into my blog, so I apologize for the prolonged absence. But man I have had an amazing couple of days!! I'll be scheduling some posts, so that hopefully should Blogger decide to not let me log in it will at least blog on my behalf... if that function works when it won't let you log in....

Anyways, onto What I Am Loving Wednesday!!

So, for starters. the thing I am definitely loving most is THIS GIRL!!! I mean seriously how cute is she!! She literally brightens my day every single day!! I have such a blast with her everyday!!

This was Hannah's idea of golfing yesterday!!

And, as you can see in the background of that last picture I AM LOVING THIS WEATHER!!! I mean, seriously it has been gorgeous!! We have spend soo much time outside!! We are loving it!!

I am also loving our potty training successes... more on that in another post...

I loved Hannah and I's mini - vacay to the city, to stay with Grandma this past weekend!!

I love the amazing waterpark we found on Sunday, and thoroughly enjoyed, we will be going back there for sure!!

I am loving that all preparations are done for the wedding that Hannah is in (as a flower girl), at the end of the month, all our outfits are bought and coordinated, and Hannah's dress is altered and ready to wear, my dress is a perfect fit (I'll post about that one later too... maybe even include a pic of me in it...).

I hope everyone is loving everything in their lives as much as me right now...

Amy

What I Am Loving Wednesday!!

I am linking up with Jamie at This Kind of Love for What I am Loving Wednesdays!!

Ahh!! I am loving soo many things today!!

I am loving my amazing family, and the great weekend we just had!!

I am loving the gorgeous warm weather and sunshine we have been enjoying for about 6 days straight now!! Fabulous!! Hannah is loving her "cool" (her cold pool - lol)!!

I am loving that my hearing with the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board is over, and it was way easier on me than I anticipated it being!! Amen to closing that chapter of my life!!

I am loving the way Melissa's wedding jewelry is shaping up!!

Yep, I took this picture of myself with my iphone!! LOL

I am loving Hannah's sweet little mumbling of "I love you mommy" in her sleep last night when I went in to tuck her in before I went to bed. It seriously melted my heart!!

I am loving that I am all caught up on laundry!!

I am loving my followers, only 7 more and I am doing a jewelry giveaway!!

So, umm yah, totally loving all kinds of things today!!

Hope everyone is having a great week!!

Amy

Hoping you can send some positive thoughts my way!!

First I would like to apologize for the lack of posting, I have been crazy busy in many awesomely amazing ways, lots of family celebrations this past long weekend. But, we are home now, and hoping to get back into the full swing of blogging on Wednesday.

Tomorrow, however, is a day I have been dreading for 6 years now. I have my hearing with the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board. I am hopeful, and will be glad to have it all done and over with, but I am terrified about having to go through what happened during my assault. So, I am asking for your positive thoughts tomorrow. I am hoping that they will not make me talk about the assault in great detail, but at this point I am prepared that that is a very real possibility. So I am taking tomorrow off from blogging, and have my hearing tomorrow morning, so hopefully it will be an end to the nightmare I have been through, not a continuation.

Thanks for your thoughts and understanding...

Amy

Potty training!! Some successes, some not soo much...

We have started potty training in this house, and like many mom's have said to me before, it's not going the way I expected. She gets the idea of it, as she wakes up in the morning (albeit with a wet diaper), and tells me (as I am changing her diaper),"I go pee", and she proceeds to go to her potty and pee on it (successfully the last three mornings - so I count that as routine now lol - it happened the magical three times). We get really excited, cheering and clapping, and she is clearly really proud of herself, and she gets two jelly beans of her choosing for pees, and 5 for poops. But then, after breakfast I try everything but standing on my head to get her to go potty (because surely she has to go again after her breakfast milk), and it is not happening.

She then will pee after her afternoon nap, and sometimes wakes up from her nap exclaiming "I pee", and if I can get in there fast enough get her pants off, and get her to the potty we have success, but if not, then I find a warm wet diaper, so it seems she knows she is peeing when she pees. She tells me after she pees "I'm soaked mommy", and as cute as it is to see her say, I feel defeated.

I really imagined this being like a one week project that only involved pull-ups over night, and no pants during the say until she was trained, but that is just not happening. She hates the idea of wearing no pants, and kicks up a stink to have her pants put back on, and I tell her it's easier to not have to worry about that part just yet. It seems she just wants to potty when she wants too, and not when the "I Go Potty" app chimes her too, or mommy or daddy prompt her too.

Help!! Any tips ideas, or suggestions are very welcome!! PLEASE.....

Hope everyone's having a great day!!

Amy

"The Postmistress" - Sarah Blake - Book Review Journal Entry #1 Book Club and Boost My Blog Friday!!

"What would happen if a postmistress chose not to deliver the mail?

It is 1940. While the war is raging in Europe, President Roosevelt promises he won't send American boys over to fight.

Iris James is the postmistress of Franklin, Massachusetts a small town at the end of Cape Cod. She firmly believes her job is to deliver and keep people's secrets, to pass along the news of love and sorrow that letters carry. Faithfully she stamps and sends the letters between people such as the newlyweds Emma and Will Fitch, who has gone to London to help out during the Blitz. But one day she slips a letter into her pocket, and leaves it there.

Meanwhile, seemingly fearless radio gal, Frankie Bard is reporting the Blitz from London, her dispatches crinkling across the Atlantic, imploring listeners to pay attention. Then in the last desperate days of the summer of 1941, she rides the trains out of Germany, reporting on what is happening to the refugees there.

Alternating between an America on the eve of entering into World War II, still safe and snug in its inability to grasp the danger at hand, an a Europe being torn apart by war, the two stories collide in a letter, bringing the war finally home to Franklin. " via

This book is quite a lengthy one, and I have to praise Sarah Blake on her attention to detail. It's as if you can see the story coming alive right up off the page. Her descriptions of the surroundings of the characters is very realistic, and not too lengthy. I don't tend to like book about war, which sounds quite hypocritical because I have high praise for all then men and women who are involved in any aspect of the war. For some reason though I don't usually enjoy reading about it. This book is about everyday life amongst the war, and is told from almost every angle. It was easy to imagine yourself in the positions of the characters, but impossible to understand what it was that got them through what had to be the most challenging and heart wrenching times of their lives. Here are some of the excerpts that I love:

"'Put yourself in the place of any of these men,' she said as she slowed to her ending. 'Not one of them wants to be the one who gets it. Still, there comes a wild, intoxicating rush where you take your heart in your hands and hurl yourself right into the teeth of the danger, to forget the danger. So be it, you think, it's all up to God' - she smiled - ' and some men. Over here, you close your eyes, do your job, and fling yourself toward it - whatever it may be.'" page 41

I think this quote says a lot about the mindset of the people who were enlisted in the war, voluntarily, or called to serve. I don't think anyone person looked forward to engaging themselves in it but it was a reality that you couldn't blatantly ignore. And just knowing the possibility of enlisting is looming would be scary enough, I can't even begin to imagine what it's like the very first time you show up at a hospital to work the front lines. I imagine that you really can't be shocked by it. You really do have to close your eyes and fling yourself at it, not knowing exactly what you could be getting yourself into.
"'Sweetheart, there are people over there who need help, who need another pair of hands, and I can bring them. That's the deal. That's what you were saying without saying it right out. When we know there are people in need, right now, in the same breath as what we are breathing, we cannot look away. It is not abstract. We have to go. That is humanity. The whole thing relies on it. Human beings do not look away.'" page 93

This quote was one that as a wife of a firefighter, I often find aspects of his job unimaginable. I don't want my husband to be the guy that's going into a building that's roof could collapse, or a car that could catch on fire any second, but he does it without even thinking about it. It's his job, and I think if he stopped to think about it, then that's when it would/could trip him up. That said, I also cannot look away, if there's a car accident that I end up at with my husband, then I am soo very concerned about the people, and how their families are going to react, how they are just going about their business, and are about to get a call that will stop their day to a grinding halt. So, you go, you help, you do whatever you can to get these people through a terrible time in their life, and it is soo true humanity relies upon people like my husband, and each and every one of us, to fulfill the needs in our societies. Just look at all those places facing devastation from storm damage, and how their communities have rallied, and turned something terrible into an experience that has shaped them as a person and as a community.

Overall, I would recommend this book as a winter read, not a summer read, it's the kind of book that makes you want to cuddle your family close at the end of a long cold day and be thankful for everything around you. It's also a longer book, and I find in the summer time I like to read shorter books. And that my friends, is my link up for Book Club Fridays today, head on over there and check out what other bloggers are reading this week. Stay tuned for the second half of my book review next week.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!!!

Amy

P.S - I'm also linking up with Design in Chic for Boost My Blog Fridays!!!

What I Am Loving Wednesday!!

So, it's that time again for What I'm Loving Wednesdays!!

I am loving our gorgeous weather we have been having, and that I have air conditioning to block out all the things I am allergic to!!

I also LOVED Ashley's necklace (seen here on the Bachelorette) from Monday night, and am working on making myself one similar..



I am also loving my sweet girl Hannah (yah I know what else is new...) LOL

I am also loving that the bead organization is 90% done so that portion of cleaning up and organizing the spare bedroom is almost done.

I am loving my Kobo, because it means I can donate my books!! Clearing out some more room in my spare room.

I am loving the new show "The Voice", it's really great!!

That's about it!! Hope everyone's having a great Wednesday!!

Amy

Weekend Recap!!

Yes, I know it's a Tuesday, but I had such a fun weekend I decided to extend it into Monday (and truth be told I spent yesterday doing all the things I didn't get done on the weekend because I was too busy having fun).

Friday night we spent the evening at home playing with Hannah and the neighbours. Once Hannah was down for the count Eric and I watched the movie "Just Go With It", he liked it better then I did, it was okay, nothing remarkable, and not overly funny.

Saturday morning we had a nice breakfast together and then packed up the car and headed to Grandmas (where we were meeting to walk down to Kidsfest - it's a 2 minute walk from her place). So we met up with Grandma, slathered on the sunscreen and headed to the park. Hannah LOVED kidsfest, they had bouncy obstacle courses, kiddy rides, a ginormous slide, ice cream and all kinds of fun food. She played steadily until about 2:30pm when it was soo hot she started to get cranky, so we figured we'd head back to mom's, change her into her swimsuit and head down to the splash pad instead. But Hannah had other plans, she fell asleep on daddy in just her diaper. It was soo cute!! So we let her sleep for an hour and a half, and then we headed out for dinner, got some organizing done around Grandma's place, she still settling in from the big move. Had a delicious dinner at Jack Astor's, and then headed home after supper. It was a great day. Minus my freaking allergies, they can take a vacation anytime now...

Sunday, Hannah and I started off the day by letting daddy sleep in. Happy Father's Day daddy (or 'Happy Cake' as Hannah calls it). I baked him a carrot cake to take for dinner and boiled some eggs for the caesar salad we were bringing to dinner at his parents house. He didn't want to have anyone over for Father's Day this year (like we usually do), so we headed into town to meet up with my dad for brunch. That was lots of fun, then we came home and he relaxed around the yard, Hannah helped him work/play in the gardens. he spent the day doing whatever he wanted. Then we headed down to his parents for dinner, came home and went to bed. We were exhausted. What a busy weekend, and we hadn't even done groceries.

Monday, we headed into town for my dr's apt, then headed to the grocery stores to get some food. That took all morning and part of the afternoon. I had a nap while Hannah nap, since I am having issues sleeping at night thanks to these stinking allergies. Then we had some supper, played outside for a while. We went and visited the ducks, that just had baby duckies, so that was super cute to see. Then some Mennonites came and delivered some fresh local strawberries (can you say delicious). Hannah was super thrilled to see the horsies. I tucked her into bed, and started making Eric some homemade hamburgers. What a process but he had them for lunch today and said they were delicious.

So, that's my weekend recap, on a Tuesday, with no pictures because I forgot the memory card for the camera at home. So I apologize.

Hope everyone had a great weekend too\

Amy

Book Club Friday - "The Wedding" - Book Review Journal Entry

After thirty years of marriage, Wilson Lewis, son-in-law of Allie and Noah Calhoun (of The Notebook), is forced to admit that the romance has gone out of his marriage. Desperate to win back his wife, Jane's, heart, he must figure out how to make her fall in love with him... again. Despite the shining example of Allie and Noah's marriage, Wilson is himself a man unable to easily express his emotions. A successful estate attorney, he has provided well for his family, but now, with his daughter's upcoming wedding, he is forced to face the fact that he and Jane have grown apart and he wonders if she even loves him anymore. Wilson is sure of one thing--his love for his wife has only deepened and intensified over the years. Now, with the memories of his in-laws' magnificent fifty-year love affair as his guide, Wilson struggles to find his way back into the heart of the woman he adores.-via

I really loved this book. Such a great story about a mans love for a woman, its nice to know that men can (in fiction and hopefully in real life think the way Wilson does. I loved reading about the process of Wilson falling in love with his wife all over again, and would highly recommend this book as a great summer read. A love story, or a love that was always there, but not always acknowledged. A couple of the excerpts I love are:

"All of those events create their own stresses, and when two people live together, the stress flows both ways. This, I've come to believe, is both the blessing and the curse of marriage. It's a blessing because there's an outlet for the everyday strains of life; it's a curse because the outlet is someone you care deeply about" - page 9

I loved this quote because it is soo very true. Everyday life gets in the way of marriage, at the exact same time as it weaves you and your spouse together. Some it truly is a blessing and a curse. Some of the best of times in my marriage are watching my hubby doing a mundane task (like painting Hannah's bedroom), and some of my most frustrating times in my marriage have been the daily grind that happens when I have to constantly remind my hubby the dishwasher needs to be empty, laundry in the hamper, garbage out... etc. It really is a great comfort to know that someone is on this road with you. Someone whom you can go to when you don't know what to do, or where to go.

"But love, I've come to understand, is more than three words mumbled before bedtime. Love is sustained by action, a pattern of devotion in the things we do for each other every day." page 53

Again, this quote is soo true, its  so easy to say those three words and go to sleep, and think you are doing your piece in showing your partner that you love them. But it really is a case of actions speak louder then words. And my hubby unloading the dishwasher without needing to be asked shows me that he loves me more then three words muttered somewhat obligatorily. When I see him being patient with my daughter I love him more, and I take the opportunity to go in and show him that love with a hug and a kiss on the cheek, and telling him how much I love seeing him with her.

"I learned, for instance, that while wounds can be inflicted easily upon those we love, it's often much more difficult to heal them. Yet the process of healing those wounds provided the richest experience of my life, leading me to believe that while I've often overestimated what I could accomplish in a day, I had underestimated what I could do in a year. But most of all, I learned that it's possible for two people to fall in love all over again, even when there's been a lifetime of disappointment between them." page 190

I also loved this quote, and everything it says. It speaks volumes about how love can stand the test of time and the strains of life, and triumph in the end. I especially liked reading this passage after a rather disappointing night in my own marriage, where I didn't feel like I was being heard, and he didn't seem to care that he wasn't hearing me. It was good to know it will get better, and has, and will continue to go back and forth I'm sure, because real relationships are work, and that they are the most precious thing you can have.

So, I highly recommend this book and thoroughly enjoyed reading it! It may even be a book I go back and read again and again.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!!

Amy

P.S - I've linked up with Heather and her Book Club Fridays so be sure to check out the other reviews!!

Can you see it?

You can barely see it...

and again it just looks like I forgot to shut the front door...

You can kinda see it here...

It being my new screen door, it really is invisible!! Dakota already tried to run right through it and bounced off (lucky for him and me, I would have been soo upset if just one full day after installation it got destroyed). Here's a few shots of some of the changes that have been happening around here:

on the stair case going up

close up

on the staircase going down...

closeup...

I also have the new ottoman, and some new happenings in Hannah's bedroom, so stay tuned for those pics...

Amy

What I Am Loving Wednesday!!

It's that time of week again, I'm linking up with Jamie for What I'm Loving Wednesday

I am loving that I found this super fun event to take Hannah to on Saturday, so I am looking forward to a super fun family day out at Kidfest on Saturday. They have carnival rides, and games, and food, and it's all oriented to kids 3-15 (even though Hannah's only 2 and a bit she's still going to LOVE it). And as an added bonus it's supposed to be super nice out Saturday, so if we get hot, they have an awesome splash pad just down the street we could take her to to cool down!! Really excited (as I am sure you can tell...)

I am loving my new screen door, and so is Bits, she has been sitting in front of it the whole day.

I am loving the fact that it's much warmer out today, and it looks like we are in for a warmer stretch.

I am loving my new coffee table storage ottoman. After literally YEARS, of looking I found one that goes really well with our couch. It was soo hard to find a leather one to match, so we went with upholstered instead, but I am loving it. (I promise I will take pics of it in my room really soon).

And of course I am loving sweet sweet Hannah!! That girl seriously is my LIFE!!!

What are you loving today?

Hope everyone's having a great Wednesday!!

Amy

52 Books in 1 Year!!

That is my goal!! And I think I can do it!! I found a cool little tracker challengey thing on Goodreads and thought it would be fun to see if I can make it happen. So I've created a page on my blog (for all you non-Goodread-ers) to track my progress. So far this year I have read 13 books, which doesn't sound like that much considering we are 6 months into the year, but hey I started the challenge late and I am still hoping to achieve my goal!! I love to read, and although my Kobo sometimes gives me grief I LOVE reading on an e-Reader that tracks my progress through the book and saves my pages.

So, if you are a member on Goodreads, come find me, according to them, having friends makes it more fun, which made me laugh reading that!!!

As for today, I'm just waiting for the screen door installers to come and install my new screen door, and for my new storage ottoman (don't worry pics will be coming).

Hope everyone's having a great day!!

Amy

Weekend Recap!!

I'm posting later in the day today because I have had a hell of a day. I have been all over the map emotionally, and I am finally going to write this mish-mash post that will hopefully recap my weekend, and some things I am feeling right now so I can put them to rest.

For starters, my weekend, Fri night, Eric was working, so I pretty much beaded jewelry and relaxed at home with Hannah.

Saturday, Eric was also working all day, so I hung out with Hannah at home and just had a low key day. When he got home we went back into town to get groceries, and at Hannah's adorable request picked up pizza for supper. We just had a quiet night at home, nothing exciting. Eric was exhausted from working afternoon shift to day shift, and then throw into the mix a firecall which he had to wear an air mask for 2 hrs straight.

Hannah got into my 'ipstick' on Saturday afternoon, I just loved this shot of her, what a little bum!!!

Sunday we "decorated" Hannah's bedroom in the morning, and Eric got some things hung around the house I had been wanting put up for a while (pics to come soon). We wanted to get some work done outside, but it was cold and yucky out... We had a nice dinner together and enjoyed some quiet time at home with Hannah. Eric went down to his parents to install their new-to-them dishwasher. he came home and went for a walk with one of his buddies.

Today, has been a rough day. For some reason Hannah has been ultra-clutzy, or just coincidentally has gotten hurt soo many times today. We have had lots of melt downs to the point that Mommy might have one soon. I'm sure that I am just already stressing because I am disappointed in how a friend handled a situation and that's left me feeling like I got slapped across the face by someone who I felt close to, and who I thought understood what I have been going through. When in reality, she was lying, and I was very sympathetic to her situation, offering any encouragement I could, meanwhile the entire time, she was lying to me, and was not going through what she said she was. And now I am hurt, because, not only did she out and out lie to me, she made me feel sorry for her, and what she was going through, because I am also going through it, but she really isn't/wasn't. So I feel betrayed, and then like she slapped me across the face with my own set of circumstances. It sucks. I don't want to be mad, I just don't know how to handle it? And ideas on how I deal with it when she actually tells me she has been lying? I value our relationship, I'm just quite hurt right now.

So, back to today, Hannah has been elbowed in the nose (BY ME - accidentally of course - making me feel like worlds worst mommy, when I was just trying to get her dressed), she did a face plant off the slide and split her lip open and then banged her head hard on the wall during a temper tantrum because she wanted to go outside and I (Heaven help me) had to go pee. So, we had a great time at the park with a friend and her boys, which was awesome, but Hannah's had a rough day, not soo awesome. Plus I'm feeling offended, and hurt, and apparently have a short fuse today (according to my oh-so-supportive hubby (NOT). He just informed me that if I continue to be in a bad mood I will not be getting my promised foot rub tonight.... like that's going to help turn my mood around. Anyhow, like I said, a range of emotions today, and on that note I am signing off.

Hope everyone's having a better day then me....

Amy

"Eat, Pray, Love" - Book Review Journal #2 and Book Club Friday!!

So today I am linking up with Heather to finish my review of "Eat, Pray, Love"(you can read the first part here). I loved all the comments I got last week and welcome my newest followers, remember, when I hit 50 followers I am going to do a giveaway (read the details about that here). So, in the final installation of my review of this book (I definitely needed two since it was over 500 pages), I chose the excerpts that spoke to me the most. The first one was:

"...I see how everyone is held so reassuringly in their positions over the years. First you are a child, then you are a teenager, then you are a young married person, then you are a parent, then you are retired, then you are a grandparent - at every stage you know who you are, you know what your duty is and you know where to sit at a reunion. You sit with the other children, or teenagers, or young parents, or retirees. Until at last you are sitting with the ninety-year-olds in the shade, watching over your progeny with satisfaction. Who are you? No problem - you're the person who created all this. The satisfaction of this knowledge is immediate, and moreover, it's universally recognized. How many people have I heard claim their children as the greatest accomplishment and comfort of their lives? It's the thing they can always lean on during a metaphysical crisis, or a moment of doubt about their relevancy - If I have done nothing else in this life, then at least I have raised my children well." - page 165

Elizabeth spends a lot of time in the book trying to define herself and become grounded, and it is quite a struggle, especially when she's used to being defined based on her relationships with other people. This is something I think we can all relate to, and I don't know if its a good thing or a bad thing. Everyone struggles to be autonomous, yet at the same time be the best mom, best employee, best wife, so do all those things combined make me the best ME, or am I nothing more then the best employee, when I am an employee, and then not when I'm not in that setting? I must say I look forward to future family reunions when I can look around at my progeny and have that be part of how I define myself, and I feel it will be the strongest suit I could wear to any business meeting, because raising a family is hard work, maintaining relationships is hard work, its not always fun, but it really is an amazing accomplishment, and to be able to look back on that someday I feel as though I will beem with pride. I struggle with being able to define myself, so truthfully I don't define myself, I just live each and every day to the fullest and enjoy moments that come and go with my friends and family, and try my best to savor these relationships, because I believe they really do help keep me grounded in ways I would not even know how to do myself.

"The other problem with all this swinging through the vines of thought is that you are never where you are. You are always digging in the past, or poking at the future, but rarely do you rest in the moment. It's something like the habit of my dear friend Susan who - whenever she sees a beautiful place - exclaims in near panic, 'It's so beautiful here! I want to come back here someday!' and it takes all of my persuasive powers to try and convince her that she is already here. If you're looking for a union with the divine, this forward/backward whirling is a problem. There's a reason they call God a presense - because God is right here, right now. In the present is the only place to find Him, and now is the only time." - page 223

Ugh!! I do this all the time and I hate it, I'm in Florida on vacation and loving my vacation and already thinking about the next time I come back instead of truly being in the MOMENT. I feel the strong emotions of absolutely loving where I am, yet my mind starts wandering to the next time I can come back. Have you ever struggled with that? It's so true that living in the present is so key to finding peace within yourself, if only I could find the key for living 100% in the present...
"I have searched frantically for contentment for so many years in so many ways, and all these acquisitions and accomplishments - they run you down in the end. Life, if you keep chasing it so hard, will drive you to death. Time - when pursued like a bandit - will behave like one: always remaining in one county or one room ahead of you, changing its name and hair color to elude you, slipping out the back door of the motel just as you're banging through the lobby with your newest search warrant, leaving only a burning cigarette in the ashtray to taunt you. At some point you have to stop because it won't. You have to admit that you won't catch it. That you're not supposed to catch it. At some point, as Richard keeps telling me, you gotta let go and sit still and allow contentment to come to you." page 259

I need to remind myself this excerpt over and over, I have gone back and read it soo many times. I feel like I am always chasing something, especially with a two year old, chasing the goal of potty training, when I really feel like she will get a hang of it on her terms not mine, but I feel this strong source of pressure, that I think I am imposing upon myself to have her potty trained. maybe it's induced by society, maybe it's wishful thinking, but it really does feel urgent. And then I give up, and she tells me, "mommy I poop on potty", and that sense of urgency floods right back in. No contentment, just pure frustration. Which can't be helping anyone, and certainly isn't getting her potty trained. Contentment is a lot like the previous excerpt describes, you need to learn to savor and enjoy the fact that she isn't potty trained, and that is isn't the end of the world, and admire how cute her little padded bum looks in a diaper, and how adorable she is when she exclaims "I'm soaked" even though you wanted her to go on the potty more then you had any idea.

"You gotta stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone oughtta be." - page 251

I like this one because I often wish my life away, only to disappoint myself. This week will be the week that I.... and then disappointment, instead of just being content or better yet making things happen for myself. I think that is the key, we all need to stop wearing our wishbones, and grow a backbone, and make things happen for ourselves, instead of wishing your life away.

Overall, this book had a lot of great analogies, but they really were well hidden in the midst of an entire chapter about an Ashram, or yoga. Not a quick read by any stretch of the imagination, and probably not something I would want to read again. I really looked forward to the movie, figuring it wold be a shorter version of the movie and the messages would come across a lot clearer, but the movie also dragged and I had to watch it in two sittings because it was quite slow moving. It would be really hard for me to recommend reading either the book or watching the movie because neither was great, but both had the potential to be amazing.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!!

Amy