What I read in February

I tried to be really intentional about my first month of postpartum healing this time around and I feel like I did a good job! I napped or rested in bed reading during a lot of baby's naps plus I employed the same trick with this baby that I used to use during nighttime (early morning) feedings- read on the Kindle so I don't engage/stimulate baby during sleep hours yet don't fall asleep! But I didn't do much audio book listening since I wasn't doing the workouts, driving, or chores that normally make sense as audio book time.

First, grown-up reads...

📖 Bible study: Proverbs! Still focused on a very slow bible study- quality, not quantity.

📖 All That Really Matters (Christian, fiction)... I am really fascinated by the overall idea of influencers (it's such a strange byproduct of an internet-heavy world, isn't it?) and really enjoyed this novel about a popular makeup influencer and her time mentoring young adults who have aged out of the foster care system. I'm not at all interested in book 2 but I am really loving Nicole Deese lately so I'll be reading it anyway!

📖 Bitter and Sweet (Christian, fiction)... Yet another book exploring family dynamics and character development. I am forever drawn to deep, rich stories like these. This one is set in South Carolina and focuses on a toxic adult sister relationship + some ties to their great grandmother's past.

📖 Boost Your Breast Milk (secular, nonfiction. Parenting? Health?)... Good, short and to the point, helpful!

📖 The Brain's Way of Healing (secular, nonfiction, health)... I didn't read the whole super long book, just parts that matched up with a loved one's condition. So fascinating!

📖 Formula of Deception (Christian, fiction, suspense)... I was really into this Alaska suspense book but there was a point right near the end that kinda pulled me out of the story. I will try more Carrie Stuart Parks in the future.

📖 Habits of the Household (Christian, nonfiction)... I adored this book! But I do think you won't get much out of it if you aren't actively parenting young children.

📖 Meet Me in the Margins (Christian [but not really], fiction)... I read this because Janssen said it was a good clean read for teens + I'm a sucker for a good book about books/writing. I am not a sucker for romance but they're growing on me IF they're done right. I loved this one! 

📖 A Time to Stand (Christian, fiction)... I was so curious to see how this one would go- a black lawyer who feels called to defend the white police officer who shot an unarmed black teenager. I have liked the other Robert Whitlow books I've read and I liked this one, too. 

📖 Plus the designated chapters of my ongoing baby reads this year, What to Expect: The First Year // The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding // The Wonder Weeks 

And for my kids' shelves...

📖 All of Creation (Christian, upper middle grade, nonfiction)... I've always thought it so strange that an environmental sustainability focus is so often seen as almost anti-Christian. The environment was hand-created by God, we live here, it's the thief who came to destroy, and besides, God is pretty clear in Genesis that we're supposed to take care of our world. This book did a good job of laying out practical things we can do to protect specific plants/creatures/habitats in a very Biblical, faith-focused way. #Christianhippie 🤷🏼

📖 The Blind Girl's Song (Christian, middle grade, fictionalized biography)... This was a well-done, engaging biography about the author of many famous hymns. I enjoyed this one and think a lot of music-minded kids will enjoy it, too. 

📖 Can You Survive: an Alien Invasion (secular, middle grade, fiction, choose-your-own-adventure)... Something that interested my son... Fluff of course, overall fine. Like most of these kinds of books, some adventure paths were better than others.

📖 DNA by Alvin and Virginia Silverstein (secular, middle grade, nonfiction)... Short and informative with fun tidbits thrown in.

📖 Flight of the Eagles (Christian, middle grade, fantasy)... I was curious to see if this 90s story would be too old and outdated for my oldest but it wasn't! He definitely plans to continue the series.

📖 Heroes: Incredible True Stories of Courageous Animals (secular, nonfiction)... These are all stories about animals helping during wars. Some stories end sadly but it's a good read for kids who can handle that.

📖 Kate and the Spies (Christian, middle grade, historical fiction)... This Revolutionary war novel is the third Sisters in Time book I've read and it's going to be a definite hit with one of my kids.

📖 Lena in the Spotlight series- Hello Stars // Daydreams and Movie Screens // Shining Night (Christian, middle grade, fiction)... I liked this Faithgirlz series about a young lady becoming a movie star overnight. Lots of good faith content in these.

📖 The Misadventured Summer of Tumbleweed Thompson (Christian, middle grade, historical fiction)... Really liked this one and know my kids will love it so already planning to use it as our next read-aloud! 

📖 The Mythmakers (secular, YA, nonfiction, graphic novel)... This is a great look at the lives + relationship of JRR Tolkein and CS Lewis which I'll definitely hand to my kids as high schoolers. I also loved this author's Bonhoeffer graphic novel in a similar style.

📖 Nicholas Quick and the Man from the Chaos Dimension (secular, middle grade, fiction, fantasy)... Fantasy is never my favorite but this one was fun and then was a hit with my oldest.

📖 Who Were the Navajo Code Talkers? (Secular, middle grade, nonfiction, history)... I don't love every book in this series but I did really enjoy this one!

📖 Winning the War in Your Mind for Teens (Christian, YA, nonfiction)... Wow, what a powerful read period but especially for supporting teens through those hard angsty times. 

Picture books we enjoyed this month: The Book Bus // Buzzing With Questions // Captain Cat // I Will Rejoice // I've Loved You Since Forever // The King Without a Shadow // Pa, Me, and the Sidewalk Pantry // The Prince and the Porker // Race to Kindness // Take Heart My Child // What's Inside a Flower // The Wonderful Things You Will Be // You Are My Happy  

9 powerful Christian memoirs by parents whose children faced a medical crisis

This is a very specific type of memoir and it's definitely the most painful kind I read. In this season of my life I can't imagine anything harder than seeing my children suffering through a medical condition. I learn so much from the parents of these books and their faith journey (and resilience!) is so inspiring to me. 

These books aren't for everyone and they certainly aren't light reads but if you can handle them you'll walk away with so much more than you brought in! 

Anchored... Kayla Aimee tells the story of her micropreemie daughter's long NICU journey with wisdom and a great deal of humor. 

Blessed, Blessed, Blessed... This is Missy Robertson's (of Duck Dynasty) story about her daughter's cleft lip and palate journey. Mia's attitude is also very inspiring! 

A Different Beautiful... This is a beautiful story. Courtney Westlake's daughter was born with an incredibly rare disorder which has affected both the function and appearance of her skin. Courtney has learned to navigate it all with grace and to redefine what beautiful looks like. 

Forgiving God... Hilary Yancey's picture-perfect pregnancy was quickly turned on its head when her baby was given multiple diagnoses. Craniofacial abnormalities and a missing eyeball are just the beginning of her son's struggles and Hilary had to really come to terms with what this all said about God and his love for her and her son. 

Heaven is for Real... You've likely heard of this book, or at least the movie. This is Todd Burpo's story about his son Colton's appendectomy and Colton's insistence afterwards that he spent his anesthesia time in Heaven. 

A Love That Multiplies... I know a lot of you have no interest in the Duggar family but I was really into this family back in the day. It was an appropriate show we could watch with our kiddo! This particular book is heavily focused on the NICU story of their micropreemie, Josie. 

Miracles from Heaven... This is a crazy powerful story about a young girl's gastrointestinal disease and its sudden disappearance after she fell through the trunk of a tall tree. This one was made into a movie starring Jennifer Garner. 

Through the Eyes of Hope... Lacey Buchanan has a beautiful story here about her son's journey after amniotic bands prevented the growth of his eyes during her pregnancy.  

Unreasonable Hope... Chad Veach has a very powerful story to share about his daughter, Georgia. Georgia has a rare condition called smooth brain but Chad and his wife have an incredibly powerful faith (unreasonable hope) that God will heal Georgia. 

I'd also love to take a moment to remind you of one of my books, Blessed by Birth. While most of the birth stories in this book are just fun and happy moments, a handful of them contain health struggles as well. If this type of memoir moves you, it would mean the world to me and the other contributors if you would consider checking out our book!