A to Z Because I Can't Sleep

After two and a half hours of being in bed and not being able to fall asleep, I quit telling myself that "if you shut your eyes and lay still, you'll fall asleep." So here I am. Taking a pointless survey. But hey, I not-so-secretly love them. 

This is a long survey. Feel free not to read it, because it just might turn out to be a waste of your time. I'm just tired, can't sleep, and totally bored out of my mind.

A

Any particular reason you're taking this survey? Basically, it's because I can't sleep. But if I were to be completely honest, I love filling these out and coming up with remarks that I think are funny. 

Are you at school, work, or home? At home. In my bed. Derek is sleeping and so is Reece. I'm the only one who can't sleep.

Age at which you first drank alcohol? Well, never. I've never had a drink and I never will.

B

Bought anything lately? Um, I think the last thing I bought was apples and grapes at the store. 

Bravest person you know: Women who go through childbirth without epidurals. Seriously. Bravery at its finest.

Blondes or brunettes? Well, I don't like to take sides. That's why I am neither blonde or brunette. I'm somewhere in the middle.

C

Crappiest band? Silently Reveling. It's the name of the band I created on Rock Band when I was 18. We sucked. And I haven't played since.

Can your dad beat you in a race? My dad rocks. That's all you need to know.

Could you bungee jump? I think that before I had Reece, I would have said yes, without hesitation. But now that I'm a mom and have a sweet baby girl who depends on me, I don't think I could.

D

Drawing or painting? Well I can't do either, so neither! Take that you artsy people! (Don't worry, I'm not really mad. Just envious of your skills.)

Does your bedroom need cleaning? Nope, it sure doesn't! I actually do a really good job at keeping the room clean.

Do you like cats or dogs? I like both. I'm much more of a dog person, but I do like cats.

E

Ever swear at inanimate objects? No. I do tend to yell at them though. Especially copy machines when they won't cooperate. It's like I believe the machine can hear and understand me, and talking to it will help. Then when it doesn't, I yell.

Earn enough to pay the bills? Yup. 

Exercise or potato chips? Exercise. Definitely. Then I eat the potato chips.

F

Flowers or chocolates? Ninety-five percent of the time I will take chocolates over flowers. But I have to admit... flowers are a sweet gesture. They make me feel special. Where as, with chocolate, I feel special until I eat the whole thing and then I just feel fat.

Funnel cake or elephant ear? Elephant ear all the way!! I miss the Puyallup Fair...

Fired from a job?

G

Giving or receiving gifts? Giving gifts. Although the receiving really isn't all that bad, I get much more excited watching someone open a gift I've given them than when I open my own.

Going to the movies or a play? I like both. I love going to the movies and I love going to plays. 

Gone to the bathroom this hour? Nope.

H

Having a baby? I just had a baby five weeks ago! Definitely not time to be having another one.

Horses or cows? What kind of question is this?! Who would seriously choose cows?

Heavy or light-weight drinker? Heavy drinker, for sure. I can put down an entire gallon of chocolate milk all by myself. Boom.

I 

Is your hand bigger than your face? Please don't tell me that the person who wrote this survey was hoping people would really hold their hands up to their faces. It's not like they can virtually smash the hands of the people taking the survey into their faces. So what is the point of this question?

Inside or outside? Outside. Unless it's snowy. I only like to be out in the snow if I can be on a snowboard up in the mountains.

Instant or regular oatmeal? I personally like the instant oatmeal, because I don't like eating big piles of mush that have no taste.

J

Jaywalking or cross walks? Cross walks all the way. Jaywalking carries a pretty good fine, and it annoys the crap out of me when I'm driving and someone jaywalks. 

Jack or Jill? Well, considering that they both fell down the hill... neither.

July 4th or St. Patrick's Day? I feel as though it would be totally un-American of me to choose anything but the 4th of July. Conveniently enough, I love the 4th of July way more than I do St. Patrick's Day.

K

Kool-Aid or Crystal Lite? Crystal Lite! 

Kangaroo or Camel? Kangaroo, duh. They don't spit on you.

Ketchup on your eggs? Sometimes. Sometimes I like my eggs just as they are, but other times I just really crave that flavor combination.

L

Lived in a foreign country? Nope. Born and raised in Washington.

Lollipops or taffy? Taffy.

Loved more than once? Yes.

M

Month of choice? I'm going to choose more than one: September-December. Best time of the year!

Meal you cook best? Enchiladas

Miss the most? I miss being able to sleep at night!

N

Never will... ride the Extreme Scream.

Night owl or early bird? "I'm an early bird and I'm a night owl, so I'm wise and have worms." 

Note to self: Surveys found on the internet SUCK. These questions are lame. Yet I can't stop myself... 

O

Open your own jars? Of course I do. I'm my own woman! Unless I can't. Then I hand them off to Derek.

Offer to help old people? This question is pretty much asking if you have a heart. Who wouldn't offer to help old people?! Come on!

One defining moment: Giving birth to Reece.

P

Personal fact: I'm scared of the dark and I hate to be alone.

People person or introvert? People person

Pretty Woman or Sixteen Candles? I've only ever seen Sixteen Candles once, and I've never seen Pretty Woman. So I guess it's Sixteen Candles.

Q

Qdoba or Chipotle? I'm going to choose Qdoba because Derek and I at there on our honeymoon.

Quality time or acts of service? I'm guessing this is referring to the Love Languages. Quality Time.

Quantity or quality? Quality, in my opinion.

R

Roadtrip or flying? ROADTRIP!

Response to a sneeze? "Bless you."

Right or left handed? Right

S

Smell you hate: Skunk

Sushi of choice: Hate sushi. I've never tried it, but I know I hate it.

Stunning simplicity or extravagant ensembles? Simplicity. I don't know that I'm stunning, but extravagant is not my style.

T

Thank goodness it's... Friday. (It really is Friday.)

Think about most often? How much I miss my parents and siblings.

Today is... Friday, October 9th. Reece is 5 weeks old today.

U

Under my bed is... duffel bags, my backpack, tote bags, and a purse.

Underwear? Yes, I wear it.

Usually I sing... all the time.

V

Vitamins you take? I take prenatal vitamins (because I'm nursing, not because I'm pregnant again) and a B-complex.

Very much like? I very much like ice cream.

Voluptuous or skinny? Well, is this asking what I would like to be or which I really am?

W

Withdraws from... awkward social situations.

Weapons I own: My body! Just kidding. My body is not a weapon. And no, I don't own any guns or anything.

Waffles or pancakes? Waffles.

X

X-ray you've had? Um, besides x-rays of my teeth at the dentist's office, none.

X-boyfriend's name? I'm gonna go way back to preschool for this one: Dustin

X-tra toppings of: Well, I recently made a Cinnamon Cream Cheese Swirl Coffee Cake, and the next time I make it I'm doubling the cream cheese swirl and the crumb topping.

Y

Year you were born: 1990

Yard sale or good will? Both

Yellow or green? Green

Z

Zoo you've been to? Point Defiance Zoo

Zack Morris or Slater? Zack Morris. I was never really one for the typical jock.

Zits are... banished from my face. But they don't seem to listen very well.

I Couldn't Have Imagined This

There have been a lot of moments in my life that I feel have defined me. When I was baptized. When I first sang in front of an audience that consisted of more than old people at a retirement home. When I tried out for a play for the first time and got the lead role. When I finally let myself realize that I was in love with Derek. When I said yes. When I went through the temple for the first time. When I said yes, again, and became a wife.

All of those moments, along with many others, have shaped me into me. Then, this last February, finding out I was pregnant changed my opinion. I was going to have a baby, and I knew it was going to change my life. But I don't think I could have ever imagined this.

It's almost as if your heart grows an extra chamber, making room for all of the love that will fill you once you have your baby. It gets bigger every time they squeeze your finger. Each time they smile when they see your face. Each time they refuse to sleep until you hold them in your arms. Each time they poop so much that it goes up their back and you still think they're the cutest thing in the world, your love for them grows.

I've only had Reece for 33 days, but I already love her more than I thought I could.

I love my little family. Derek is the best husband and father. Seeing him with her is always my favorite part of the day. I look in Reece's eyes, and I see me. I feel like she is me. But she's not. She's a part of me, just as she is a part of Derek. But she's Reece.

She is the perfect, beautiful little baby that has become the most important defining moment of my life.

One Month

Reece is one month old today. Each day this month, I'm posting on facebook one thing that I'm grateful for. Today, I was tempted to post this since one month ago today, I was in labor:

Oh, epidurals truly are amazing.

Anyways, back to Reece and how she's doing!

She is still a perfect baby. Sleeps and eats really well. Doesn't cry unless she wants something (to eat, be held, or poop). 

She's getting a lot stronger when it comes to lifting her head. She can even hold it up for a good length of time.

She is still wearing newborn size clothing. Some of the 0-3 month clothes fit, but most of them are still too big.

She is consistently sleeping 5 hour stretches each night, which is WONDERFUL. Feels so good to get that much sleep at once. Hopefully in another month, we'll have her sleeping through the night.

When she was first born, I saw so much of Derek in her. I had a hard time seeing much resemblance to me. But now that Reece is getting older, I see more and more of me in her every day.

Who do you think she looks more like? I have a hard time deciding. I think she's a pretty good mix of the both of us.

But, Reece and I have a few similarities! We were both born on the day after our due date, and she was born at 6:41pm and I was born at 6:42pm. Pretty cool, huh? 

Well, I think so.

Reece and I even make similar faces and have the same nose:

And now, here she is in her church outfit yesterday! There is a possibility that I might be obsessed with my baby.

Pictures of her from today... one month old!