Post-Grad and Loving It: Book Review and Weekend(s) Recap

First, I'll start with a book review on a different parenting style I have read, then I will recap the weekends I missed blogging!

Bringing up BéBé: Book Review

Let me start by saying…I have not finished this book yet. My sister gave it to me for Christmas because she knew how much I enjoyed studying French in college and high school. However, once I finally got the chance to open this book (I am about halfway through)…I LOVED IT.

This book is written by an American mother (she is a journalist from New York) who marries a British man, and has to move to France with him because he is a writer for French sports teams. After they marry, they decide have a baby together and raise it in France instead of moving back to the United States or Great Britain. When she brings her baby for playdates with French and American mommies, she notices the differences in how French children act versus her own child and other American children. French children are incredibly well-behaved, while her own kid and other American kids are constantly “wanting” and “needing” things. She starts keeping a journal of the differences she notices so she can start to implement these in her own child (and write this book), because they are things that help create a behaved child.

Now, I do not have any kids yet (but one on the way!), so I have no idea if these tactics are even feasible. But, from what I have read, I really like the things I have learned (how to get a baby to sleep through the night, how to make sure you get “adult time” to have coffee with friends, appropriate “snack times,” etc.). From some of the reviews of the book I’ve seen though, I know there are a few tactics coming up that I may not agree with. However, I’d be VERY interested to have my mommy friends read this and tell me their opinions! Whether they have a baby on the way, toddlers, teenagers, or adult children, I’d love to hear their thoughts. They may hate this book, or love this book. Everyone has their own parenting style!

Keep in mind, when the writer moved to France, she HATED it. When she learned the French ways of parenting, she also had a VERY hard time adjusting to their ways versus hers. She is not an advocate for French parenting (neither am I- I have no idea if these "work" like she says since I have not raised a child yet), but she is merely trying these tactics on her child. She still has some of her own ways of American parenting, but implements the things she likes in French parenting. Also, since she is immersed in the French culture by living there, she kind of does not have any other choice but to use some of their tactics since they are used in the French schools and daycares. Also, a lot of French nannies refuse to nanny for American parents because they find American children to be harder to watch after. The parents can also be hard to deal with because they are constantly “hovering over” their kids.

Like I said, I’m really interested to have my mommy friends/those considering having a baby read this book (if they even have time to!). I’d love to hear what everyone has to say. Also, there are TONS of opinion articles on this book: some bashing her ways, some praising. It’s all about how YOU choose to raise your child. Am I going to “love” all of her tactics by the time I finish this book? Definitely not. Will I consider and try some of them? Absolutely yes…Lord willing!

Now that I’m done discussing a book I haven’t even finished yet (but am eager to!), I’ll share some things that happened over the weekends I missed blogging about.

Patrick and I had a date night to PF Chang's last weekend (I crave Chinese food), and it was incredible. We dressed up since we decided we will stay in for Valentine’s Day and make heart-shaped pizzas (he knows the way to my heart). We also did some things around the house, like hung shelves, he worked on the bathroom so it can hopefully be somewhat ready for this weekend, and ran some errands. One of his tenants (who is also one of his best friends) moved out, which was very sadL. We love Andy! Plus he dates one of my best friends, Amanda, so I won’t see her around the house (“the farm”) as often. So now we have his room open for storage until the bathroom and shed are finished. Once those are finished, we can move things back into the garage (which we use as a workspace for tools/things for the unfinished bathroom) and move things into the shed so we can make that room open to be the baby’s room! Also, we will officially have the house to ourselves come March…his other tenant, Frank, (also one of his other best friends) will be moving out. We are going to miss both Andy and Frank them terribly, and I know the dogs will, too!

Over Superbowl Weekend, we celebrated my mother-in-law's birthday, and we watched the (devastating) Superbowl. Obviously, I wore my Manning #16 Tennessee jersey, and I still love Peyton no matter how he or the team played! We also bought a new front entrance table and put in a new storm door since the one that came with the house needed to be tossed. The new one traps the warm air inside so we can actually leave the front door open and look out the glass door outside (and so can the dogs!).

Also, I don't know HOW I haven't written in detail on this (I touched on it in my last post)....but my sister-in-law, Crystal, who I am SO blessed to call family now, is also expecting! She and Peter (Patrick's older brother) are expecting their fourth child. They have two boys and a girl already. Crystal's due date is only 3 days after mine! So, I can definitely say I enjoy having someone to chat with about being pregnant and "mommy" things, especially when we go on family vacations and can't partake in some of the activities. Plus, we get to play with her precious children. She finds out the sex of her baby next week, which we are both eager to know if we are having the same or different. It will be neat to have cousins who are so close in age, since Peter is the only one of the four Laiti boys who has children already. Also, Crystal and I need to take a "baby bump" picture soon!

Patrick and I are SO excited for our 20 week appointment tomorrow…pray it all goes well! This will be our second ultrasound, which is the one that will show whether we are having a boy or girl! We will not have the ultrasound technician tell us, but write it down so we can give it to Kristina at Cupcaked Bakery so she can make us pink-or-blue-filled cupcakes for the gender reveal (which is how we will find out boy or girl!). This weekend and the gender reveal party can’t come fast enough! Hopefully the baby isn’t turned in a way that they can’t tell if it’s a boy or girl…that would be terrible! Wish us luck!

-LL