30 Before 30 Update: June 2013 Edition

June was a crazy month, but I did meet my monthly 30 Before 30 book goal while on bed rest and finished cutting out all the pieces for the baby's quilt. 

And of course, I met my natural childbirth goal!!! Read Ry Guy's Birth Story here.

Here's what I read this month:

Swinging on a Star by Janice Thompson (#2 in the Weddings by Bella series).  This was a fun novel about a wedding planner and her crazy family and even crazier clients. The story was cute.  I expected an easy read, liberally sprinkled with humor and slightly cliche romance.  It was definitely funny, but not terribly cliche, as I'd expected.  I found it heart warming and a great way to spend a few hours.  If you like predictable, light-hearted Christian fiction, pick this book up; you'll enjoy it!

Your Best Birth by Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein.  I highly recommend this book if you're expecting a baby, especially if you're a control freak (like me). Ricki and Abby found a way to capture their passion for midwifery and childbirth with this work.  I appreciated their emphasis on being informed and flexible.  Although neither of the authors were able to have the birth they wanted the first time around, they were so positive about making their experience the best it could be under the circumstances.  That really touched me, since I found myself in a similar situation. The birth stories they included from other moms were great - I enjoyed reading about their experiences...It was because of Kellie Martin's story that I started researching the Foley induction method that I ended up using. 

Ricki and Abby also did a video (The Business of Being

Born) and a miniseries (More Business of Being Born) about birth and related issues.  They're on instant play on Netflix, or you can purchase the dvd's on Amazon; I highly recommend taking the time to see those as well as reading their book.