I've been reading like a fiend lately, and really enjoying what I'm reading. The last few books read as follows...

YOU: The Owner's Manual (Michael F. Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet C. Oz, M.D.)
- I'm still working on this one. They're the folks who came up with the Real Age concept. I heard a review/interview on NPR about a month ago, and picked up the book that very same day. It's funny, interesting, and it seems they did their research. This book covers many areas of health, knocks some of the myths about our bodies, and gives a multitude of tips and hints and guides about making the most of our years on earth.

Ina May's Guide to Childbirth (Ina May Gaskin)
- This was part of my mailorder of books the other week. Mmmmm. Delicious birthstories told by the women themselves. These tales are the Feature of this book, supplemented with down to earth ways to ease your birth, whether at home or hooked up to an IV in the hospital. My favorite parts of the Contents Page reads as follows:

The powerful mind/body connection

the pain/pleasure riddle

sphincter law
etc...

With the greatest take-home message being: Our bodies know what to do. Sometimes they just need a little help breaking away from our brains to allow our muscles to DO what they need to.

And I just now finished reading Baby Catcher: Chronicles of a modern midwife (Peggy Vincent)
- More birth stories! I especially enjoyed the way I could relate to her as a student nurse at her first birth, and the evolution of her understanding of birth. I feel as though the things she's learned have passed to me to learn from as I evolve in my nursing/birthing/life.

I look forward to reading They Fought Like Demons: Women soldiers in the civil war (Deanne Blanton and Lauren M. Cook)
- I first happened upon this book in a library about 6 years ago. I haven't had a chance to read it yet, and it was the third book that I got in the mail last week! I'll let you know how it reads.

In the meantime, I'm enjoying this gorgeous sunny day off that I have today. In the last week I've confirmed things with our photographer, picked my dress, and am working on foodstuffs ideas! Reading is an excuse to get on the orbital on my days off.