I was at my parents’ house last night, nursing Annabeth in the office upstairs while everyone else was hanging out in the living room. There’s a big bookshelf in that room that seriously might collapse if one more book gets crammed in it. Authors get sent all kinds of free books from their publishers, so our family never lacks in that department. I entertained myself by attempting to read the various titles, willing my blurry vision to focus. My eyesight is usually fine, but it’s been getting fuzzy at night since I’m a little sleep deprived. I was having trouble with one particular book title and then I realized it was Get Out of That Pit in Portuguese or something.
My husband, who loves to read books just as much as he likes to watch ESPN, certainly married into the right family. When we were newlyweds, he worked on the youth staff at the church we attend now. The church had a bookstore in it and staff members could have the cost of their purchase deducted from their paychecks. It was a little too easy, to say the least. Curtis came home with one or two new books every single week. He was only working part time and still finishing school, so it’s not like we had a lot of money to burn. I used to go in there and beg the manager not to let my hubby buy any more books. Jeanie, if Curt comes in here just tell him no! She always grinned and never made any promises.
Then for a season Curtis kept getting big boxes of old books given to him by his grandpa’s neighbor. Sure, these were free, but now there was the matter of space. Our house was absolutely overflowing with books. They were everywhere – under the bed, stuffed in our one small bookshelf, laying on the bar, stacked in random corners, and even filling our cars. It was madness. What finally saved me from losing my mind over those books was that with his next two jobs (including his current one), his offices had a whole wall lined with bookshelves. And there they all went. Give God some praise!
But don’t worry, we still have this next to our bed.
And since I cannot possibly leave you with such a tacky photo, here are some new ones of Annabeth. She was a month old on Tuesday. Can you believe it?
Here she is with her Big Pink Bear. I’m going to try to take her picture with him every month to show her growth.
She was obviously having some issues just now during our photo shoot. 
This was my first attempt at taking her picture with Big Pink Bear at just a week old. Apparently she’s just not that into him. 
So sweet…My youngest who is 9 years old now, was given a big pooh bear when she was born and it was fun to see her ‘grow’ while laying next to him!!!
Now the bear is in her room and I love to remind her of how much bigger that bear used to be…Oh how fast these precious little ones grow!
Love and Blessings,
Michelle in VT
Amanda,
As for the “tacky” photo – I was impressed there was no dust! Cluttered books yes, but no dust! This is great.
Well who could ever think Annabeth was not a very precious little girl baby – she is a doll and I love the bows. Since I have a two year old granddaughter who is 100% girly girl, I am enjoying these pictures. My daughter and husband also have a darling son who will be 4 in May – you will be amazed at their interaction as they grow, their love will too.
Thanks for the pics –
Your nightstand looks much like my own! But what a wonderful way to be tacky!
Well, Annabeth is absolutely adorable! And, I must admit, I am a book nerd too! My house sounds a lot like yours USE to! My husband isn't too happy about it either, but I keep bringing them home! To help on the cost, I got a job at Barnes & Noble working a few hours a week. That allows me the discount AND the opportunity to see all the latest reads!
How funny! I love the bow, and the bear… You may have set yourself up for a tradition of sorts… Like when she marries and has a baby, you can take pictures of her holding the bear… Then your grandchild next to it! Hopefully a girl or we will have to laugh at the boy later over the pink bear (if it’s still pink by then).
Love you all.
Judy
Aww, look at that sweet baby….upset and all! Maybe she was overwhelmed with the pink bear?
I know what you mean about books. Seems like they multiply like crazy!
I cannot believe she is ONE MONTH old. I was just thinking the other day, she must be two weeks or so. WOW! Time flys.
I love that bookstore story about Curt, I actually work in my church’s bookstore, so I can relate. When people want a book, they go, “credit or debit, debit shows up now so credit, which shows up later.”
The BIG pink bear fiasco made me smile, and the bows ya’ll put on her head. We are already starting with the BIG hair for her aren’t we.
Lots of love and Blessings in Him, who never stresses nor guesses,
Siesta OC
Aww, little princess, don’t cry!
We have moved 5 times over the past 18 years. At last count, we had 20 boxes of books. Since about 2007, though, we have stopped buying them and started using our wonderful, local library. Now, we only purchase books that we want to re-read!
Have a wonderful day, y’all!!
That little gal is PRECIOUS! Loving that big ol’ bow, as my girls could never leave the house without bows as big as their heads! I think, at least in Texas, it’s a way to do “big hair” before they actually have any!
I quit smoking 12 years ago and I figured all the money I saved on cigarettes starting going to book clubs and just books here and there-so I replaced a bad habit with a great habit!!!:)-your table looks like my night stand.
When my dear hubby told me that we had too many books, I shrugged my shoulders and said that there is no such thing. When we decided to trim our expenses I agreed to cut back on most everything, but he knew he had crossed the line when it came to books. I actually do buy fewer books since I have entered the world of serious study of “the Book.” Just might have saved our marriage–in more than one way!
I have the same problem with all of my books. My dear husband however does not read – unless it’s on the computer! I try and try, I beg, nothing. He will read a few pages of a book and stop. I on the otherhand, can’t seem to stop! I just finished “Redeeming Love” by Francine Rivers today, and am not in some unexplainable post reading grief. I can’t get Angel and Michael out of my head. That was the best book I have ever read – and I have read too many to count!!!
Annabeth is so precious. I can not believe she is already a month old.
it reminded me when I got married my husband had over 3000 albums. We lugged them from place to place for years. Thank goodness he could no longer buy them in stores. Finally he gave them all to his brother who collects everything. (Thankful he does not collect everything) Yay!
Curt’s stack looks like mine…
And I’m totally into your rocking chair…That’s one piece of furiture..
We have three entire shelves of Ukrainian books my husband brought back with us from Kyiv, and I ask each time we move- are you seriously ever going to read about the various parts of the body in Ukrainian when you don’t even know them in English?!!?
We did the same thing with my daughter and a Madame Alexander baby doll that used to be mine. It was so neat to see her grow past the doll’s size and keep going until she was dressing her up and playing with her.
I hove the huge bow! My sweet Emily wore giant bows and I loved them! She wore one to school one day and some one commented on how big it was and I laughted to myself, because it was one she had been wearing since before her first birthday!
She is now 16 and still all girl and I love her so much!
Tracy
Ozark, MO
My nightstand looks the same; and that doesn’t count my stack of new books to read in my study! Now to find the time….
Annabeth is precious and I love her bow. When my daughter was a baby she wouldn’t tolerate anything on her like that bow.
Oh my goodness, my mom has this bookshelf in that has just about everybook from my childhood along with my two sisters. It’s a little crazy. Especially considering we were big readers. Thankfully that has transpired into adulthood and now I’m the one with the book storing problems! Hopefully your babies will love reading too! My parents read to my sisters and I from the time we were born. I was a little high maintenance and they always has to make up stories for me….lol
Congratulations on the beautiful baby. Hopefully you will get some sleep very soon.
God Bless,
Hannah
My husband and I LOVE books but the sheer volume of them are driving us from our home. We’ve jokingly talked about getting a bigger house so that all our books can have a bedroom of their own. Needless to say, our bedside tables look much like yours.
PS. My nightstand looks just like yours too!
Books are just lovely! I am in charge of our church library, and I love to go in there and just see all those shelves of books, just waiting to be read!!! It’s just wonderful. Sigh! Although with the list I made from the last post, I’m having a hard time picking which ones to get first – have to stay in that budget! Thankfully the library already has a copy of Redeeming Love, hee hee hee…
Annabeth looks very cute, if not cheerful and happy, in her photos. She is absolutely adorable, and I imagine you will have some sweet times reading to her in that chair in the years to come.
Adrienne
ohhh! what a good idea to track her growth! So glad you are enjoying every minute, tired though you may be. love it!
All I can say is “what a doll!!”
Annabeth is SO cute! Your post reminded me of a book swap service I just signed up for. It is called paperbackswap.com, it has been a great way to recycle my old books and get books that are on my list to read. I have found several Christian living and Christian Fiction books that I have ordered. The only cost is when it is your turn to mail a book to someone which is about 2.50. I signed up so I could enjoy my books without the cost, but mostly to move out some books that I know others would like to read, this is my version of recycling…my green friends are so proud.
Oh my gosh, we have that exact bear except it is white and my son calls it “Frosty the Snow Bear.” She will learn to love it, I hope.
I just cleaned out our nightstands today. It was way overdue. You can read a book, even two or three, but a stack??
Annabeth is so precious! And I’m afraid my night stand looks just like that and there is no husband to blame it on! My bookshelves are overflowing and I give away boxes of books.
Blessings
Michelle
It is amazing how quickly time goes by! Annabeth it too cute for words!
My nightstand looks strikingly similar! I still have no idea why I can’t just read one book at a time!
What a beautiful little princess! It will be fun to watch her grow next to her pink bear! That’s such a great idea. We have friends that we were stationed with in the Air Force that did that–sure wish I had tho’t of it back then. I love her bows!
We, too, have a collection of books and not near enough space for them!!
Blessings,
Bobbie
You can never have too many copies of “Get out of that Pit” in any language!
Love the book stack reminds me of the chair next to my bed.
Annabeth is looking gorgeous. She is so sweet. I’ll be praying you catch some more shut eye!
Amanda,
What are you currently reading? And I’m thinking that is Curt’s night stand, so what does yours look like? 🙂
It would be cool if we could post pictures with our comment, for I’d take a picture of mine in a heart beat.
Lovingly,
Yolanda
PS: I’m in Esther, and where do i go? by Neta Jackson. Oh yeah, Practicing the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence as well.
I’m going to show my husband your post. I would rather be paid in books than cash…it’s faster, and eliminates the pesky middle men, Mr. Barnes and his sidekick Mr. Noble. My husband thinks man cannot live on the printed word alone, and prefers the money…silly boy! Fortunately, he makes the big paycheck and I have a part-time job from home to buy the books. It seems to work out.
That bow on Annabeth cracks me UP! Someday she’s going to look at these pictures, roll her pretty eyes and say, “Mother! WHAT were you thinking?” (I’m thinking of the plaid polyester bellbottoms my mother dressed me in at the tender age of 18 months…)
Amanda, I can relate to having BOOKS! After several years of buying books, I had to start donating them to the local library or giving them away. Of course, there are certain books (by an author named Moore) that I will NEVER part with. To cut down of buying so many books, if I can get it at the library, then I do. But, some books just have to be bought 🙂 Love the pictures of Annabeth…she is a little angel. Love & blessings, Donna in Texas
LOVE the pictures!!!
FYI- if you ever decide to donate your TONS of books make sure you keep a record. They can be a tax deduction!
Spoken like a true CPA, huh?
Amanda-
I have the SAME rocking chair, just a different fabric. I’d notice it anywhere……I spend LOTS of time in that thing! Hope you are as comfy as me at 2AM! 🙂
I have the same book space problem. Of course it makes me want a kindle, but I’ll always love a good real book too.
Your DD is adorable!!!! A month already? *Sigh*
Reading your post reminded me of many a moment in odd rooms breast feeding my own DD.
She is absolutely beautiful, Amanda. God bless you all.
Barbara S. Katy, TX
Love the pictures, even of the books, it looks just like our nightstand. Annabeth is adorable. I love all the pink. When I had my girl I was not into pink at all. Her bedroom is purple with blue, green, and yellow butterflies. My darling daughter can not get enough pink, and so in protest of her non-pink room started calling it the pink room! I do believe this spring we will be taking a paintbrush to it once again, and I must say pink has grown on my much to my husbands dismay.
She is soooo darling! Don’t you just want to hold her all day – and Jackson must be thrilled.
Books runneth over at our house too. My husband and I both love books. I work at a Seminary and they have book tables where you can get the used library books really cheap. Sometimes I have really have to restrain myself!
3 baskets by my side of the bed, 1 on my husband’s side, a couple on each night stand, 3 bookcases and random books floating around the house. Oh the joy of the books!
May Annabeth and Jackson inherit the love of reading that you and your whole family have.
Praise God for the ability to read!
Kim . . . who is
Grafted by Grace
Oh I so love the pictures!!! That is a great idea about taking the pic’s of her with the bear. Wish I had thought of that with my grand. Books!!! Oh I love them….I try hard to stick with the rent-a-book from the Library tho….saves on space big time!
Love love the photos.
And Oh Praise God, you mean I am not the only one with books pouring out of every corner of the house, and stacked in stacks in various places.
Oh, I am so relieved.
Please come tell my husband for me, that I am not the only one who does this………
Amanda, be glad that most of your books are at the “office”! I recently packed a lot of ours in boxes. My one-year-old has reached the “climbing bookcases” stage. So we’re at a new level of babyproofing. 🙂 I have toy boxes and chairs surrounding our bookshelves to keep her from climbing and/or pulling one over on herself!
And I’m not a bow kind of mom, but since Annabeth’s is brown I can dig it. Nice taste. 🙂
shawna-mygirls.blogspot.com
I have loved this post about books! My motto is books are our friends. You don’t sell them at a garage sale, but did you know that you can trade them in at Hastings and get a store credit? Can’t tell you the number of books I’ve traded in so I can buy new ones! Plus someone else gets to enjoy my old books at a discounted price!
Let’s hope she does not have an aversion to pink!!! Gasp! Too cute. Just too cute. Looking forward to the monthly pictures. What a great idea.
Yeah, we have books everywhere too. There’s not one room or closet(really) that doesn’t have books in it. And we have 3 floors!
My nightstand doesn’t look nearly that nice.
Melana in Wyoming
Amanda, I am not trying to “one-up” you but both of our bed-side tables look like that!!
Great post Amanda. I love that Curt loves books….as does the whole Moore family.
Annabeth is certainly a doll!!!!!
Hopefully she will soon take a liken’ to her Big Pink Bear.
Blessings,
Bible Bunny in No MI
I’m a major book person. The sight of the book piles at your house just make my heart warm!! LOL!! So does the sight of sweet AnnaBeth.
Leah
Your nightstand is speaking my language! Mine looks like that too. They pile up, then I clean then up and they pile up again. Along with paper, pens, colored pencils and a cup of coffee.(I treat my bible like a colorbook). I just love how they sit side by side staring at me, wondering if I’m going to read them. Sometimes just knowing they contain the Godly wisdom of others brings me comfort of knowing I’m not alone and a friend is nearby.
Your Baby AnnaBeth is so cute!
God Bless,
Suzanne from the Pacific NW
She is just PRECIOUS! I love her bow! So cute!
My bedside table looks just like yours! My problem is I always start a book and then never finish cause I find another one I am so excited about! I just keep rearranging my piles!
Have a happy day!
I can totally relate to the nightstand. As I looked at your, I totally turned around and it was almost a carbon copy of mine. We definitely need more bookshelves in our home. When I build my next home, there will be built in shelves everywhere.