Happy Birthday Book Chat!

Today is The Book Chat's birthday. Usually Jessica gives us a topic to discuss, today she said,
"So today, for the book chat prompt, if you'd like, just pick any topic over the last year.  It can be one you already answered and you want to answer again, or maybe one that you missed the chance to answer before. "

I've chosen a topic that I missed. I loved reading everyone's response and taking a peak into their world of reading.

Much to Joey's annoyance, my end table often looks like this. I have a bad habit of reading a book and then just leaving it where I finished it.

Most of my book shelves are neatly organized. Most of them.... 

Sometimes the get shoved full of papers, toys, and things that don't really belong there.

I LOVE that Noah enjoys books. I often find him sitting in the 

dark sneak reading long after I've told him to go to bed.

The book chat has been so much fun for me. If you love books you really should join in. You won't be disappointed!  Happy Birthday to you book chat!

Pandemonium - Review

There are no words....
Well actually there must be words or I couldn't blog about this amazing book.

If you haven't read Book #1 Delirium I suggest you go read it immediately and THEN pop back over here to read this review. If you choose to read this review first you might find out something you shouldn't.

Here we go...

Love. Love. Love.
I sat down with this book on Friday night and read every moment that I could. I finished Sunday afternoon. In this book Lena has escaped her former life. Sadly Alex didn't make it with her =(
We follow her as she forms a new life at a homestead full of new characters. We also see her become a part of the resistance. The book jumps back and forth every other chapter between Lena's struggle to fit in at the homestead and her crazy journey as a resistance member. There is never a dull moment. The story moves along so smoothly and every time you close the book you will be hoping to open it again soon. I only wish that the last book was out. Waiting to find out what happens is going to be torture! The end of this book will leave you mouth hanging open wishing there were just a few more pages left. GO. READ. IT.

I just found out that Lauren Oliver wrote a short story called Hana. It is about Lena's best friend from the first book. You know I will be reading this asap!


SPOILERS BELOW!!!!

I was so excited when Lena realized that the woman who helped save her was her mother. I really hope that they have a reunion in the last book. I'm not getting my hopes up though. Her mom didn't leave her a message or anything to say, "Hey I still love you...", which made me a little sad and made me think that maybe all that time locked away changed her mentality and motherly feelings.

I was anti Julian from the moment I could tell she started to have feelings for him. He just seems so naive and childlike to me. Plus there is the fact that I was holding out hope that Alex would somehow come back and Julian would just cause problems. THEN on that last page... I squealed with excitement! My husband gave me a funny look. He doesn't understand the power of a good book. There is of course Julian to deal with. I don't want him to be heartbroken but come on! It's Alex! I just hope all that time in the crypts didn't change his personality =(  He did seem pretty harsh when he said, "Don't believe her."

I have my fingers crossed!

Sleep!

I want to sleep and sleep well. I want to close my eyes at night and not open them until my alarm clock rudely wakes me. But alas this is not to be. There are two things keeping me from dream land.

One- I have to pee ALL THE TIME. It's not uncommon for me to wake up 4 times at night to stumble to the bathroom. This is due, according to the experts, to the increased performance of my kidneys as well as the fact that shortly after becoming pregnant your body starts producing more blood, ew.  Which of course leads to extra fluid to be pumped through those excellent kidneys.  All thanks to tiny baby. Thank you tiny baby =)
I forgive you.

Two- Snoring! Not mine... Joey's. He actually had surgery, painful surgery, about 4 years ago to stop his snoring. It worked for a while but for some reason it has started again. I am a REALLY light sleeper. It wakes me up constantly. After trying to get him to stop 3 or 4 times I gather my things and head to the peaceful quiet of the guest bedroom. I think if I waited longer than that I might actually punch him in the face. How can someone snore so loud and not know it? I'm pushing for him to go to a sleep clinic. The snoring must stop!

Needless to say all of this leaves my groggy and a little grumpy the next day. I have to nap! If I don't I end up falling asleep while helping Noah with homework or I have to go to bed at Eight. That is Noah's bedtime and I miss all of my good shows if I go to bed that early.

So the solution is.... Do nothing about reason one. All pregnant women pee a LOT.
Get Joey to go to a sleep clinic ASAP! Sorry Joey....

The Book Chat- Books as Movies

When I first hear that a book I love has been turned into a movie I am excited. Shortly after that I feel a little scared. Most movies don't live up to the books. So while I live in fear that the movie will shatter the awesomeness that was the book I still have hope that it will blow me away. 

I would love to see The Night Circus as a movie. I know it would be visually stunning if it was done right. I can just see all the special effects and the beauty of it all playing out on the big screen.

I didn't expect to like The Key to Rebecca as much as I did. It was a great mystery/thriller and I'm sure it would make a great movie. 

Goodnight Nobody is a chick lit book BUT it is also a mystery. I loved it as a book and I'm sure I could love it as a movie.

And now I'm returning to my spot on the couch I have slept all day and I am still exhausted. I would also love to eat a salami sandwich but I'm not allowed to eat salami...grrrr Even if I was allowed to eat it I'm sure as soon as I smelled or tasted it I wouldn't want it anymore. Sigh.... second trimester please get here. Sickness and fatigue is SUPPOSED to fade them. Here's to hoping.

Our Little Baby

I have a due date of September 24th. Noah is counting down the days. He is so excited. He talks about things he wants to do with the baby and how much he wants to hold it. He is going to be an amazing big brother.  I had to ask my doctor to give me something for my morning (ALL DAY AND NIGHT) sickness. Now I have Zofran and it is my friend. I only take it when I absolutely need to. If I'm going to go to the store or have an appointment somewhere and I'm feeling awful I'll take one. If I'm feeling yucky at home and I don't have any plans I try to just tough it out. Even though it's deemed safe I'd rather not put something in my body that I wouldn't otherwise be using unless it's really needed.

I've been a naughty blogger lately. It seems that food isn't the only thing that makes me queasy. Sometimes just looking at my computer screen or cell phone makes me sick. I have no idea why. This poses a problem for my blog. Some days I can't even read a book. I usually get car sick if I read in the car but never just reading on the couch... I am definitely ready for this phase of pregnancy to pass. 

Usually around 2 everyday I feel fine for about 2 hours. It's really very strange. I know I should use that feel good time to relax and enjoy not wanting to puke BUT I use that time to clean up and try to get stuff done around the house that I've just been thinking about doing all morning. 

Noah was born in Germany. At every appointment they did an ultrasound. I'm going to miss that. It was amazing getting to see him grow at each visit. 

Here is a quick clip of our teeny tiny baby. If you pay close attention you can see the heart beating. I showed Noah a picture of what a baby looks like at 8 weeks. He said it was gross...and it is lol. I assured him it wouldn't look like that for long. I pulled out his baby book and we looked at all of his ultrasounds. I can't wait to see him hold this tiny baby =)

baby 8 weeks from Ashley Bailey on Vimeo.

Liebster Award again =)

I was nominated for the Liebster Award a while ago. I was nominated again by Melissa from Press Play.  Thank you Melissa! If you have never visited her blog you should! I feel like if we met in real life we would be instant friends. =)

These are her questions for me:

1. Why did you start blogging, and more importantly why have you chosen to continue it over the years?
I started blogging as a way to keep in touch with my family. I also wanted a way to keep track of all of the stuff that was going on in our life. It has become so much more than that. I had no idea the blogging community was filled with so many wonderful people. 

2. What was the ONE most important moment of 2012 for you, and why?
When we arrived back in Louisiana for Christmas. As we crossed over the bridge into my home town I knew that no matter where I go I will always want to be there. I have very high hopes that we will move back someday...or even just closer. I didn't realize how much I would miss that place.

3. If you were on a deserted island and could have any three things, what would they be?
A notebook, a pen, and a pillow...I need a pillow!

4. What is your current favorite song that I should be listening to?
I'm addicted to this song thanks to Becky from Ballistic Gypsy. I actually heard it in the car the other day and was way too excited lol.

5. What is one favorite blog post you have written? (post a link!)
My favorite posts are the ones where I've documented the funny and sweet things Noah says. 
Link to "Noah Says"

6. Name one of your guilty pleasures.
Reality TV...  I can't help it! I watch Teen Mom, Jwow & Snooki (don't judge me), Buckwild, Sister Wives, and I'm sure there are more that I can't think of right now.

7. If you could give a piece of advice to yourself when you were 15, what would it be?
Oh dear sweet Ashley be nicer to your mom. She really has your best interests in mind. Listen to your dad. He's going to be right 99.9% of the time. Spend less time worrying about having a boyfriend and more time enjoying just being 15 and hanging out with your best friend doing stupid things you'll laugh at someday.

8. What book are you looking forward to reading in the near future?
Gone Girl   I've heard so many different things about it. Some people love it and others hate it. I just want to find out for myself.

9. Tell your readers something they may not know about you!
I have a tattoo. It's of a moon with tiny stars. I got it when I was 16 or 17 and only because my mom said I could. I think I was so excited about the idea of being allowed to do it that I didn't put any thought in it. I often forget that I have it and kind of regret it because it doesn't have any real meaning to me.

10. You’re told that you have to drop one of your social media accounts- which one, and why?
I actually only have Facebook. I know shame on me!

11. What is one thing that you truly could not live without?
Books! I love to read. It makes me a little sad when I meet someone and they say they don't read. I want to shake them and say, "But your missing out on so much!!!!" 

And now my 11 facts:
1. I am a rule follower. My husband picks on me for this. I go out the out door and in the in door. Rules are meant to be followed lol. 

2. I always forget how old I am. When someone asks me how old I am I usually tell them I'm a year older than I actually am. Then Joey usually looks at me like I'm crazy and corrects me. 

3. I forget to make Noah's lunch almost everyday. I remember right when we are walking out the door. I have to run into the kitchen and quickly pack his lunch.

4. I pretend to speak Spanish at home. It's really very easy. Just add os or es to the end of every word. Joey finds it quite annoying. 

5. I want to do so many adventurous things but I've never taken the time to go do them. Rock climbing... White water rafting...Sky diving...

6. I am insanely clumsy.

7. I am horrible with math. I mean really bad!

8. I know I'm an adult but I don't feel like an adult. I often look at my life and think how did I get here? How am I a wife and mom? Am I qualified to do all of this stuff?

9. If I could have any job in the world I would want to be an actress. I think it would be amazing to take a story and bring it to life to share with so many people. 

10. Sometimes I'm a little to hard on myself. I have to take a step back and remind myself that no one is perfect and I shouldn't push myself to be perfect. 

Book Review: The Night Circus

Image via GoodReads

This book was recommended to me by Jessica. She has never steered me wrong with a recommendation. 

I started reading this late at night on Wednesday. I spent all day Saturday and some of Sunday finishing this book. Every time I put it down I wanted to pick it up again. When I wasn't reading it I was thinking about it. I was hoping I could steal a few moments to read just a couple more pages.

You have never read a book like this.
You have never seen a circus like this one.

"The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night. 

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands. 

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead."

This book is written so beautifully.  Erin describes every aspect of the circus world so perfectly without being overly detailed. You can see the circus. You can see the characters. It is a love story but not a mushy gushy one. Celia and Marco are bound to each other to complete the game. Neither of them really knew what would unfold as they played. They didn't expect their actions to touch those around them. 

I loved this story. I already miss the characters and I've just closed the book. I wish this circus was real. I wish I could climb into their world. 

*** I've just read this for the second time and I love it even more. The imagery in the book is amazing. You are THERE in the middle of it all. I want these people to be real, to know them, to ask them my many questions. You will not regret reading this book. You will only regret reading it so quickly that it's over and you want it to begin again. 

Friday's Letters

Dear Snow,

Enough. We got more snow than I'd like to have yesterday. We shoveled the driveway three times! I see a snow blower in our future.

Dear Puppy,

We miss you but things have been much smoother. I took Artoo back to his foster mommy. I have a suspicion she is going to adopt him. She missed him so much. It was just getting worse everyday having him here. Bella was not adjusting to living with him. She was very on edge all of the time. She wasn't eating. It just wasn't a good situation for her or for him. He deserves a happy home and so does she.

Dear Tiny Baby,

Please stop making me feel sick. It is not fun. I would like to eat like a normal person again. My doctor said if it doesn't get better soon she will give me some medication. I'm hoping it just goes away soon...

Dear Noah,

You have been very independent lately. Waking up on your own. Getting dressed. Getting breakfast. Thank you! I feel awful and I needed a break. You are growing up way too fast for me....

Happy Friday Everyone!

The Book chat: Re-reading Books

I usually don't re-read my books unless I am in a situation where I've already read all of the books I have and am desperate to just read something! That was in my pre-Kindle days though. Now if it's late at night and I'm out of books to read I can quickly download a new fun book. 

There are a few books that I have read over again because I enjoyed them so much the first time.

The Harry Potter series. Honestly I see myself reading about Potter again some day.

The Twilight books.

Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult

There are also a few books that I chose to go back and read because I read them so quickly and didn't really absorb the book. Sometimes I'll pick up a book that I haven't read in years because I can not remember what happened. I'm this way with movies too. I'll tell Joey, "Hey there's this great movie on tv. It's about blah blah blah." Then he will inform me that we saw the movie a few years ago. As I watch the movie I slowly start to realize that YES I have seen this but I have no idea how it ends. I guess my brain just absorbs so many intelligent thoughts throughout the day that it can't possibly store the details of every book and movie. 

For the most part once I read a book I put it away and don't pick it up again.  That statement makes me a little sad. Books are meant to be read not just kept on a shelf. But like Jessica mentioned in her post there are so many new and great books written all the time. How am I to keep up if I'm re-reading all the books I have? I guess I need to find a happy medium. I'm sure there is a way for me to experience the magic of a new book and find time to read an old favorite. 

Book Review: Before I go to Sleep

Image via GoodReads

You can download this book for $2.99 from Amazon! Click HERE to get it!

I loved this book. 

"As I sleep, my mind will erase everything I did today. I will wake up tomorrow as I did this morning. Thinking I’m still a child. Thinking I have a whole lifetime of choices ahead of me. . . ."

Memories define us. 

So what if you lost yours every time you went to sleep?

Your name, your identity, your past, even the people you love—all forgotten overnight.

And the one person you trust may be telling you only half the story.

Welcome to Christine's life.

The story is about Christine. She has been in a terrible accident causing her to lose her memory. Every morning she wakes up and remembers nothing. She depends on her husband Ben to fill in the details of her life. She is secretly meeting a doctor named Dr. Nash. He gives Christine a journal and tells her to write in it everyday. Each day he calls Christine and explains who he is. He reminds her of their scheduled meetings. He reminds he to write in the journal. Ben does not know about the journal. Christine writes things that she begins to remember. It helps her link her life from day to day. 

There are two things written on the first page of the journal. Christine's name and... DON'T TRUST BEN!

Slowly Christine starts to realize that the one person she needs most is keeping things from her. Very important things.

This book had a great twist ending. I had to stay up late finishing those last few pages. It is not a scary book, just suspenseful. I can not read really scary things! I'm a baby...  You'll want to keep reading and reading to find out exactly what is going on. Sometimes I was just as confused as Christine trying to fit all the misshapen puzzle pieces together. I was right there with her trying to tell what is the truth about her life and what is a lie.

Get it! Now! Read it!

I will be reading more from this author! 

A Baby!

Those lines don't lie. I was thrilled to finally see them! We are all very excited. Noah is hoping that there are three babies. One boy and two girls. I told him I'll be pleased with one lol

I think it's pretty funny that I was actually pregnant at my doctors appointment where I was complaining about not being able to get pregnant.

This pregnancy is already kicking my butt. It is nothing like when I had Noah. With him I felt a little sick in the morning but after I ate I was fine. This time I feel awful all day and all night. I hope it passes soon!

Noah has been so sweet. I told him that some women just feel sick when they are pregnant and that I will be okay. The poor guy had a tummy bug on Friday night. After I got him tucked back in bed he told me he though he was dying. I assured him he was not dying and then he said well then I must be having a baby too.

He will be a great big brother.

Peak and Pit Friday

The pit?

Definitely the decline of happiness with the puppy. We went from a rough start to doing okay and now to just awful. He is making Bella miserable. She hides a lot from him. When they do play it turns into me separating them because it s no longer playing but fighting. I've already talked to Joey and Noah about the possibility of him going back to his foster home. It is just sad to see Bella going from confident and happy to this. We really didn't anticipate bringing another dog into the house being a big issue. She likes other dogs. I guess she just doesn't want to live with one. 

The peak!

-Noah is doing great in school. I am super proud of him.

-Joey's grandma is coming to stay with us for a little while.

-I stocked the kitchen with lots of yummy ingredients to try out some new recipes.

-We already finished our taxes. Woohoo!

Now go link up!