Shelly's Quiz

Shelly from The Cunningham Family in bush Alaska challenged her readers to take part in a quiz she made.  (Click HERE to read her original post.)  So, sit back and enjoy as I try to answer truthfully!

What is your biggest fear?

Right now, not being able to handle TWO little ones and 4 months later becoming the sole breadwinner while I put Paul through school.  This second baby has some great timing (as did the first) and is throwing us for a little loop!  When I think about where we are in life, moving back to a college town to be students again, having two kids and a mortgage, and me taking over the income responsibility for a few years, it scares me!  It makes me think of the song, Sounds Like Life to Me by Darryl Worley.  I'm sure Paul feels the same way!  HOW DO PEOPLE DO THIS?!?

And your smallest?

I have to agree with Shelly on this one...my "smallest" greatest fear is spiders.  The other day I found a spider crawling on our front door.  SO CREEPY.  I was way too much of a weenie to kill it with a tissue, so I devised a plan using what I had near me:  an aerosol can of sunscreen and matches.  Let's just say I fried that sucker. 

...The next day, I found a big, hairy, red, dead spider, and it was RIGHT NEXT TO MY FOOT! 

Kharma???

Any pet peeves?

Um.....yes.  Too many to count!  Please refer to my "It Bugs Me..." tab at the top of my blog.  It's a working list!  My biggest pet peeve is probably when someone pronounces a word wrong, and just keeps doing it.  Examples:

• "Suposably" instead of supposedly (Youtube wasn't allowing me to embed this video, but go watch it!  It's of Joey on Friends.  CLICK HERE.  SOOO funny.) 
• "Expecially" instead of especially
• "Expresso" instead of espresso

 I don't know why but...it just drives me nuts.  Am I insane?

If you had four more children (two boys and two girls) what would you name them?

Oh my goodness, FOUR MORE?!?  I can't even imagine having two total right now!  Alright, let's see...I think I'd want 1 girl and 3 boys.  Names:

• Olivia Taylor
• Emerson James
• ....?
• ....?

(I thought about it for 20 minutes and still have NO idea!)

What is something you regret?

Not planting a garden in our yard the summer before we moved to Colorado.  Living in an apartment, I realize how precious land is now!  I miss it.

What moment do you remember most of elementary school?

I think it was like on the last day of 6th grade...a few of my friends and I crossed over to the little kids' playground and got to play on their toys!  We had always wanted to do it...not sure why.  It was cool at the time.

This is the BEST picture I could find of my elementary (Marrion Elementary) on google.

Who is your longest friendship with? (excluding relatives)

Brittnee Thompson.  Our parents were friends, and then we just sort of grew up together.  Her grandma watched me occasionally (which I loved), and she spent the night at my house I don't know how many times.  One of the fun things I remember about our friendship early on were our matching outfits!  Our parents would get us matching dresses/sailor outfits, etc, and take us for pictures at the mall--I still have mine, but they are at home in Washington (otherwise, they would be on this blog!)

What is the weirdest spiritual/paranormal thing you ever witnessed? (ie miracles)

Probably watching Paul bless Hayden as a newborn during sacrament meeting at church.  I was a little nervous and on edge (being a new, tired mom), but Paul seemed to be just fine.  I asked him if he knew what he was going to say during the blessing, to which he replied, No.  This was about 15 minutes before the blessing.  I didn't think he would have written out what he was going to say, but I thought he would have been thinking about it and have some sort of idea.  He told me (I'm paraphrasing here and using my own words) that he didn't want his own ideas and wants for this baby to get in the way of listening to what the spirit would tell him during the blessing.  I was kind of taken aback by his answer, and then overcome by his trust in the Lord.  Hayden's baby blessing was so remarkable and specific to him--I came away grateful for a husband with such faith.

The church building in Rexburg, Idaho where Hayden was blessed.  (Again, this is not my picture...just the best one I could find on google!) 

March 20th, 2011(1.5 months old):  Hayden on his daddy's lap after being blessed.  I stayed up till midnight the night before finishing his "sleep sack" tie onezie for his special day.  My advice:  Don't do that, lol. 

If you were in therapy, what would you be discussing?

Probably the way that I and we (Paul and I as a team) discipline Hayden.  HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU'RE DOING IT RIGHT?!?  What if I'm too harsh and scar him for life?  What if I'm being too lax and Hayden never has respect for authority?  So much to think about there.  

If you could learn more about any one thing what would it be?

Too many things!  I love to learn.  At the moment, I would say I'd want to learn more about being a better homemaker!  How do you stay organized, teach your children what's really important, give your husband the attention he needs, etc.  It's hard, people!  Awesome...but hard.

Top 3 favorite desserts?

1. Paul's Chocolate Chip Cookies
2. Cheesecake (my own is usually better than anything you can buy)
3. Jaciva's Seventh Heaven Cake ( so good...my mom always used to buy me this cake for my birthday)
4. HONORABLE MENTION:  I can't talk about desserts and not mention Paul's grandma's Chocolate Cake!  I just can't.  It's amazing.  Super moist, rich, and homemade chocolate frosting.  I will never ever want for another chocolate cake recipe.  It's that good.  (Message me and I'll share it with you.  If enough people want it, I'll put it up on the blog.)

Favorite nail polish?

• OPI Mrs. Oleary's BBQ
• Mary Kay's Lavish Sable
• Rimmel Clear (I NEVER put color on my fingernails.  I either use a few coats of clear topcoat, or do a french tip.)

Rimmel Lasting Finish Pro--I love this polish because the brush is kind of fat and coats my nail in one or two strokes.  Aaaaaand, because it's clear, I don't have to be too precise with it.  I love the consistency, too.

Mary Kay's Lavish Sable.  This color is SOOO rich.  I'll be sad when I run out--it was a limited edition color that came out last winter.

Mrs. OLeary's BBQ by OPI

Knowing what you do about my life in rural Alaska, what would you find most challenging about living here?

I think I'm with you Shelly!  I would have a hard time not having breaks from the kids.  We have Date Night without Hayden 3 times a month where Hayden gets to go to someone's house and play with children his age.  I would SOOOO miss that time with my husband. 

I think the isolation would also be really difficult.  And probably not really having a car.  That would just be strange!

Everyone says they wish they had twins… Why would YOU want them?

I've always been amazed by twins.  They have such a special bond---I've always wanted to witness that as a mother.  Twins run in my family, so you never know!  After having one child though, I don't know how you survived!  

Favorite ALL TIME (could read a hundred times) books?

I LOVE the classics--anything by:

Jane Austen

Oscar Wilde

The Bronte Sisters (this is Emily).

 There are more....maaaany more.

Thanks for the quiz, Shelly :)

 

 

How we KNOW we're having a girl...

Alright, so a lot of people lately have been asking if we know the sex of the baby yet.  Well, we don't.  Not officially at least.  I have an O.B. appointment TO-morrow morning.  It's my first time with this doctor (I had to switch...long story) and so I'm reeeeally not sure what exactly my appointment will entail.  I guess I'll be 15 weeks so they MIGHT do an ultrasound to determine the sex....or they might wait till my next appointment (when I'll be 19 weeks). 

Before I tell you how we know the sex, I'll tell  you what we want.  I really don't mind what we have either way.  If we have a boy, he'll be able to wear all of Hayden's clothes.  Everything will get passed down and worn in the exact same time that Hayden wore them (you know, because their birthdays will probably be 1-3 weeks apart).  Plus, having 2 little boys would make for some great play time once they get older!  Lots of great things about 2 little boys.  

Now, if we have a girl, that would be awesome too!  One of each, nothing wrong with that!  I'm sure they'd still make great play-mates, and that she would just be the biggest daddy's girl.  Paul has sort of been craving that :)  And there's also the fun dressing up and doing girly things together in the future.

So there you go.  Paul's shooting for a girl, and I could care less.  Just looking to love on this next baby!

Now, on to why I'm writing this post:  We're both kind of sure that I'm having a girl.  YUP!  A girl.  I know all pregnancies are different, but seriously it's been different!  

• Reason #1:  With Hayden, my skin was glowing and I only had 4 headaches/migraines (which is amazing because I'm a chronic migraine sufferer).  So far with baby #2, I've had too many to count.  Poor Paul has had to run to the convenience store many a time for a fountain Mt. Dew.  Oh yeah...it has to be a fountain drink.  Mt. Dew from a bottle for some reason isn't as effective at getting rid of my headaches.  It's probably all in my head (HA!  get it?!??!).  
• Reason #2:  Also, I'm having an acne breakout.  So glamorous.  I know.  With Hayden my skin was GLOWING.  Even Paul noticed.  Not this time!  
• Reason #3(The most important of all!):  Boy first, girl second seems to run in the Kirby gene pool.  Paul's brother Aaron came first, Emily second.  Aaron had Mr. Spencer first, and Anni (SP.?) second.  

So there you go!  I might have more news for you tomorrow depending on what happens at my appointment.  What do you guys think we're having?