Hello, friends. It has been some time since I checked in on here. Our daughter, Nora, joined us on February 3, and since then, life has been what I like to call “survival mode.” They say “the days are long but the years are short,” and they (whoever “they” are) are not kidding. Most days early postpartum I sat on the couch, holding my baby in-between feeds and watched a lot of television. A lot of television. I am now close to entering month 3 of my 4-month maternity leave and I am wondering where all the time has gone.

Nora is an extremely easy baby. She’s a great eater and sleeper. When she was born, however, I expectedly got diagnosed with postpartum depression and anxiety. I immediately began treatment, but it has still been a harrowing journey. I plan to write more about my experience with PPA/PPD, but for now, I wanted to share what I have been reading and watching since I last posted!

What I read

I am happy to share that although I am still making the time to read when I can. I expected that I would have been reading nonstop once Nora arrived, but the first few weeks were too exhausting to concentrate on books. I simply existed, and that’s it. Once I found a groove, I started to read more while I fed my baby or pumped at night, and I’ve read a few books. Here they are:

The Fourth Trimester: A Postpartum Guide to Healing Your Body, Balancing Your Emotions, and Restoring Your Vitality by Kimberly Ann Johnson

This was an interesting book all about the trimester that no one talks about … the fourth trimester. There were some chapters that I skipped based on personal beliefs, but overall, I enjoyed the main premise and tips on how to take care of myself during one of the most challenging times of my life.

House of Sky and Breath (Crescent City #2) by Sarah J. Maas

Well, it’s safe to say that my time reading books by Sarah J. Maas are at an end. I finished this one extremely disappointed (and not at all “mind-blown” like other fans). Such a bummer.

How Long ’til Black Future Month? by N.K. Jemisin

I was extremely excited when I found out that N.K. Jemisin wrote short stories, so I downloaded this on my Kindle as soon as I could. There were definitely some stories that I liked more than most, and I am glad I read this insightful collection.

The Huntress by Kate Quinn

Kate Quinn has become an auto-buy author of mine, so I went into The Huntress with high hopes. It was … in a word … “okay.” The Huntress wasn’t her best and most interesting book. It was super predictable, and the characters were flat. I do look forward to downloading her new one, The Diamond Eye, once I am done with the Darker Shades of Magic trilogy!

What the Fireflies Knew by Kai Harris

I was really looking forward to this one … but it was too linear and boring. The main character was flat and there weren’t many dimensions to the plot.

The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Soloman

My goodness did I love The Ex Talk! It was funny, quirky, romantic, and not to mention, filled with NPR/public radio nerd references! An easy 5 stars from me!

What am I reading now?

I am currently reading The Circus Train, a novel by Amita Parikh. It is a historical romance, coming-of-age story that was just released the end of March. It is giving me major The Night Circus vibes (not in a good way, seeing as how the titles are so similar), but I really appreciate the novel’s attention to disability. I also just started A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab, one of my most anticipated fantasy series. To be continued …

What I watched

While I nursed my baby, burped my baby, and held my baby … and pumped milk for my baby, I watched a LOT of television. I am usually a big habitual television watcher. I will watch the same movies and television shows (lookin’ at you, Gilmore girls) just for comfort. But, since I have 4 months with my baby, I figured I would watch shows that I’ve been meaning to get to, but never had the “time.” So, here’s what I watched since February (in bullet form):

• Seinfeld (Netflix) – A classic rewatch. I haven’t seen some of the episodes before, so it was nice to have a quick laugh during the darkest days of postpartum.
• Love is Blind S2 (Netflix) — A hot, hot mess. Loved it.
• Emily in Paris (Netflix) — Terribly terrible, yet entertaining.
• Inventing Anna (Netflix) — VERY good.
• The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon Prime) — Amazing.
• The Office (Peacock) — Rewatch!
• Parks and Recreation (Peacock) — First time ever. I know. But guess what? I already want to watch it again.
• Ted Lasso (Apple TV) — Really good.
• The Ultimatum (Netflix) — GAH. Awful. But so good.

What’s Next on TV

• Once Upon a Time (Disney+)
• The Mandalorian (Disney+)
• Downtown Abbey (Netflix)
• Outlander (Netflix)

Any recommendations? Feel free to share in the comments!