I haven’t done a highlights post in forever! It feels nice to be back into blogging regularly :)
Here is what I was up to the past two months…
I read 8 books.
Which is a lot considering I was still coming off my reading slump last month.
Most Popular Posts
Where I’ve Been – It was nice to finally share with everyone our exciting news and explain why I’d been absent for several months.
25 Things: Ever After’s Château de Hautefort – I love that this post from last summer is still so popular, especially since it was on my bucket list for so long & I’d love to revisit it!
What I Watched
I finally got to catch up with my favorite web series! I updated my ‘Literary Vlogs’ sidebar to reflect some of the new YouTube shows I’ve been watching, like Northbound and From Mansfield With Love (adaptations of Northanger Abbey and Mansfield Park, respectively).
I relate very much to Catherine Morland…and of course, who doesn’t love Henry Tilney?!
I also caught up on From Mansfield With Love, finally. It’s a harder Jane Austen novel to adapt, but the frequent cameos from the minor characters make it pretty interesting :)
May & June Highlights
- Traveling – I traveled a lot the past two months. Probably more than a pregnant lady should, but I always had a buddy with me (either family members or Solo) and it was nice to visit friends and family.
- 2nd Trimester! – After the first trimester’s ups and downs, it’s been like a breath of fresh air being in my second trimester. We also got to see our “little baby french fry” up close and found out it’s a boy! Since then we’ve been preparing our tiny apartment (and ourselves) for his arrival. Every time I see a friend has had her baby I get a tiny bit jealous! For now, labor doesn’t scare me, but I’m sure that’ll change in a few months!
24 weeks as of July 6th!
- VACATION! – Last week we went on a family reunion cruise. It was wonderful :)
My husband and me in Key West (we also visited Cozumel).
Carnival Ecstasy
My mom’s side of the family :)
My brother would probably kill me if he knew I put this online, but I love this picture so much! We were all pretty exhausted on the drive back from Miami.
We also got to spend 4th of July at EPCOT so my husband and I got an unexpected Disney fix (thanks to my aunt’s sister who works at the parks).
Isn’t he cute? ;)
May & June Challenges
- Feeling hungry all the time – This has been the one pitfall to my second trimester. I feel like I’m hungry so often, and most of the time the only foods I want to eat are sweets and junk food =P I’ve always been active and have had a fast metabolism, so it’s hard for me to limit myself but I don’t want to overindulge at the same time.
- Missing having a job – I wasn’t able to find a job before we moved to Wilmington, and after I hit the 12 weeks mark I figured it would just be best for me to take it easy and pick up my job search early next year. But I miss having a routine and that extra income. If anyone knows of some reliable, non-telemarketing, work-from-home jobs, PLEASE let me know!
Things I’m Looking Forward To in July
- More traveling – Hey, it’s better to get all this traveling in now than when after the baby arrives!
- Catching up on reading – I’m trying to put a big dent in my Classics TBR plus I have tons of unread books on my shelves that I’d like to get to sometime this year.
- Summer activities with friends – We have some game nights and beach days penned down for the summer that my husband and I are both looking forward to (although I’m much more hesitant about the ocean after the 8th North Carolina shark attack this year was reported a few days ago…).
July To Be Read
My husband and I are continuing through our read along of the Harry Potter series. I started reading The Martian last month and although it’s holding my attention, it does take a while to read. I’m seriously behind on my Classics Club list, so I’m picking up Elizabeth Gaskell’s Wives and Daughters this month.
What was your favorite moment from June?
macarons & paperbacks 
Hallo, Hallo Maggie!
I sent you a PM about one of the s/o notices you placed within this blog post! It’s about one of the challenges your facing and something I think might help alleviate something your missing right now! I read this lovely post by email subscript (the best way to keep up with dear friends!) and wanted to let you know how happy I was that your 2nd trimester is going a heap better than the 1st! I was so very worried about you after I learnt what had happened — the cruise looked like the best way to ‘refresh’ yourself with a bit of a holiday and who doesn’t like spending time with the fam? :)
Glad your boomeranging back into reading — I am as well! I’ve been offline for 5 days due to lightning storms and the complications therein! Today is my day to get back onto the blog and pick up where I left off! Oyy vie.
Hope my PM gives you a bit of good cheer and a bit of hope! :)
— PS I wondered if “The Martian” would be a good fit for me — do you think it might be!? I’m selecting books to read ahead of SFN + SFE (i.e. Nov-Jan) to post reviews/showcases/discussions whilst picking several to read during the events too. I decided to manage it better as a 3rd year whose 1st/2nd years fell a bit flat around the edges! lol
Thank you so much for your lovely comment and your email! It did make me very happy :)
As for The Martian, if you like highly technical but realistic science fiction you’ll probably like this book. Most of it is written in journal format, but the narrator/main character is very funny so it keeps you entertained. It’s a slower read; I started it maybe a week and a half ago and I’m only on page 114. But it’s not boring :)
OH gosh! I had forgotten about YouTube shows…that’s still a new concept to me. After getting hooked on the Lizzie Bennet Diaries (and watching them ALL in the course of two days), it might be bad to get hooked on another. But I’ll probably watch one of the series that you mentioned here. ;-) I’m so glad that you’re not feeling as yucky anymore with your pregnancy! And honestly, I think you’ll be so ready to get the baby OUT that any labor fears you might have had will fly out the window. And yes, be careful at the beach! I’m sure you’ve probably seen this viral video already, but when you swim in the ocean, “YOU IN THE SHARK’S HOUSE!” http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/woman-video-n-shark-attacks-viral-article-1.2285220
Those pregnancy hormones during the first trimester turned me off to both books and my favorite shows, so I had TONS of YouTube episodes to catch up on. The LBD is so easy to binge watch. I’ve done it twice! If you like Jane Austen then you’ll probably like those two shows I shared. From Mansfield With Love is already pretty far along, but Northbound is only 5 or 6 episodes in.
And yes, that video is hilarious! Honestly, after being stung by a jellyfish and hearing about all these shark attacks around Wilmington, I am not eager to get into the ocean. I don’t blame the sharks at all, but I really don’t want to take my chances =P
You look gorgeous and those are great photos of your trip! What have you been craving to eat? I’m also curious to hear what you thought about Seconds.
Thank you!! In my first trimester I craved a bunch of different foods: bacon & sausage, green beans, mashed potatoes, candy. Now I don’t crave specifics, but I do always seem to be hungry for sweets and salty snacks. I’ve trying to cut back on both of those.
I enjoyed Seconds, but I thought it was fairly predictable. Have you read it?
Sounds like you’ve been eating a good mix of healthy and treats. I haven’t read Seconds, but I want to create a list of graphic novels to read.
I’ve only read a handful of graphic novels, but Seconds had nice artwork and it was enjoyable. If you do end up reading it, I hope you like it :)