Quick Before I Get Sidetrack'd

Things are going well around here.

Enjoying the pretty weather – playing outside, walks, trips to the park.

Not getting as much sleep as I’d like (on that note, why does the 3 week old growth spurt hit right at the height of sleep deprivation?  That only adds insult to injury).

Managed to clean the kitchen (except for mopping) and dust part of the living room today – progress on the housekeeping front.

Looking forward to a visit from Matt’s parents this weekend.

Hope you’re all having a good week.  I’ll try to have some real content to post in the next day or so.

To celebrate Spring and the Spring Reading Thing, Sidetrack’d is hosting a book giveaway!

An Irish Country Doctor by Patrick Taylor

This was a light and fun read that left me with much the same feeling as the books in Jan Karon’s Mitford series.  Living in the small, rural Irish town of Ballybucklebo during the mid-twentieth century, the two main characters endear themselves to you with their quirks, faults, and the way they interact with each other and the interesting clients of their medical practice.  If you are looking for a warm and happy read, I would recommend you check this one out.

From the back of the book:

Barry Laverty, M.B. can barely find the Northern Ireland village of Ballybucklebo on a map when he first sets out to seek gainful employment there.  But Barry jumps at the chance to secure a position as an assistant in a small rural practice.

At least until he meets Dr. Fingal Flahertie O’Reilly.

The older physician has his own way of doing things.  At first, Barry can’t decide if the pugnacious O’Reilly is the biggest charlatan he has ever met or the best teacher he could ever hope for.  Through O’Reilly, Barry soon gets to know all of the village’s colorful and endearing residents and a host of other eccentric characters who make every day an education for the inexperienced young doctor.

Ballybucklebo is a long way from Belfast, and Barry is quick to discover that he still has a lot to learn about country life.  But with pluck and compassion, and only the slightest touch of blarney, he will find out more about life – and love – than he ever imagined back in medical school.

If you would like to be entered in the drawing for this book, leave a comment on this post; you don’t have to be a blogger to win, just be sure to leave a valid e-mail address when you comment.  I will close the contest around noon on Friday, March 28, and determine a winner using the random number generator at random.org.  The winner will be announced here at Sidetrack’d and notified by e-mail and/or a comment on their personal blog.  This is my personal copy of this book, so it has been gently read.  I will be happy to ship to US addresses via USPS parcel post or media mail.

I hope to have a couple more giveaways during the Spring Reading Thing, so check back over the next several weeks.

An Ordinary Life has teamed up with Sleepy Wrap to offer a great babywearing giveaway – one lucky winner will receive a new wrap (in either black or red) plus $100 cash from Sleepy Wrap!

I’ve had my eye on these wraps since my SIL got hers; she has raved so much about it that I decided I definitely need one when Baby Boo arrives. The Sleepy Wrap website has a bunch of great testimonials as well, such as, “Your Sleepy Wrap is awesome. My son Juš likes it very much. I can’t imagine my life without it.” by Nika K.

And now I should say that if you’re interested check out the contest here, but I really don’t want to because I want to win this one myself!

Welcome to Sidetrack’d and my little corner of this big bloggy party! Grab a cup of coffee or tea and a snack (sorry I don’t have anything prepared, we’ve been under the weather this week) and come hang out for a while.

A bit about me…

I am Jana, wife to a wonderful man, Matt, and mom to an adorable 19 month old girl (Little) and to Baby Boo who will grace us with his presence in a few weeks. I spend most of my time chasing Little, reading Dr. Seuss books, and taking care of my family and home. In my spare time, I enjoy reading, blogging, cooking, hanging out with friends, and being outdoors. If you spend any time here, I hope you will realize that I am a Christian and strive to raise my children to know and love Jesus. If you are interested in learning a bit more about me, click here to view my latest meme.

A bit about Sidetrack’d…

I started blogging just over a year ago as a way to stay connected to friends and family and to connect with other blogging moms. Like my life (and the way my mind works), the writing here is somewhat scattered. I write about my family, my life, my faith, my goals with a bit of baseball, books, comedy, and video games thrown in for good measure. I’ve found this is a good way to journal some thoughts, record stories about Little, and “hang out” with some online and distant friends.

Thanks for stopping by to visit; I hope to see you again soon. I look forward to meeting many new bloggers during the party and have a feeling that the Ultimate Blog Party ‘08 is going to be even bigger than last year!

One of the fun things about this party are all the great prizes; if you haven’t checked out the prize list, you really should hop over there. Of all the cool things they are giving away, my top 3 picks would be:

~#26 – Nursing cover by The Pitter Patter Boutique
~#22 – Nursing cover by Peekaboobaby
~#37 – Moby Wrap offered by From Dates to Diapers

If these three are taken, I’d love to have any of the following (in no particular order): 4, 34, 77, 84, 103, 137, 141, any of the Amazon, Target or Starbucks GCs, or anything related to toddlers (girl) or babies (boy).

Thanks to 5 Minutes for Mom for throwing a great party! Enjoy!

I’ve been tagged for the Crazy Eights meme by Lu, and so, I present you with several things (in groups of eight) that you may or may not want to know about me.

8 things I want to do before I die

1. Know that my children have accepted Christ and will be with Him for eternity
2. Go back to school (right now I’m thinking nursing or lactation consulting)
3. Travel to Europe and visit several countries via EuroRail
4. Train for and run a marathon
5. Learn to sew
6. Make a quilt
7. Know my grandchildren (and hopefully great-grandchildren)
8. Celebrate my 50th wedding anniversary

8 things I say often

1. There ya go (I’m discovering that I say this anytime I do anything for Little)
2. Alrighty
3. No or Stop
4. I’m not sure what that means (to Little)
5. I love you
6. We’ll see David and Lindsey later (or tomorrow, in a few minutes, etc)
7. I don’t know; what is that?
8. I’m doing pretty good; we’re kicking along (when asked about the pregnancy/baby)

8 songs I sing over and over again

1. The Itsy-Bitsy Spider
2. Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes
3. It Is Well With My Soul
4. Jesus Loves Me
5. How Can I Keep from Singing Your Praise
6. whatever we sang in church on Sunday
7. If All the Raindrops Were Lemondrops and Gumdrops
8. whatever is currently stuck in my head

8 things I’m passionate about

1. My God and my faith
2. My marriage
3. My children
4. My friends
5. My extended family
6. Nursing baby Boo
7. Babywearing Boo more than I did Little
8. Getting Boo into the world safely

8 books I’ve read recently

1. The Kite Runner
2. The Nanny Diaries
3. An Irish Country Doctor
4. Pride and Prejudice
5. The Birth Book
6. The Foot Book
7. Mr. Brown Can Moo
8. Pajama Time

8 things that attract me to my best friends

1. Love of Christ
2. Sense of humor
3. Common interests and values
4. Honesty and sincerity
5. Ability to converse (in a meaningful way, not just talk)
6. Ahead of me in life and wiser than I
7. Have fun just being together
8. Our families (husbands and children) can be friends as well

8 people I think should do Crazy Eights

1. Lauren
2. Sheryl
3. Leah
4. Lora Lynn
5. Diane
6, 7, 8. Anyone who is interested

Let me know if you decide to play along.