30 Things in 30 Days... About Me!

(I first came across this challenge on Six Cherries on Top, who linked up with Best of Both Worlds, who originally got the list/inspiration from Hopes and Dreams.)


1. List 20 random facts about yourself.
2. Describe 3 legitimate fears you have and explain how they became fears.
3. Describe your relationship with your parents.
4. List 10 things you would tell your 16 year-old self, if you could.
5. What are the 5 things that make you most happy right now?
6. What is the hardest thing you have ever experienced?
7. What is your dream job, and why?
8. What are 5 passions you have?
9. List 10 people who have influenced you and describe how.
10. Describe your most embarrassing moment.
11. Describe 10 pet peeves you have.
12. Describe a typical day in your current life.
13. Describe 5 weaknesses you have.
14. Describe 5 strengths you have.
15. If you were an animal, what would you be and why?
16. What are your 5 greatest accomplishments?
17. What is the thing you most wish you were great at?
18. What has been the most difficult thing you have had to forgive?
19. If you could live anywhere, where would it be and why?
20. Describe 3 significant memories from your childhood.
21. If you could have one superpower, what would it be and what would you do with it first?
22. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years? 15 years?
23. List your top 5 hobbies and why you love them.
24. Describe your family dynamic of your childhood vs. your family dynamic now.
25. If you could have dinner with anyone in history, who would it be and what would you eat?
26. What popular notion do you think the world has most wrong?
27. What is your favorite part of your body and why?
28. What is your love language?
29. What do you think people misunderstand most about you?
30. List 10 things you would hope to be remembered for

5. What are the 5 things that make you most happy right now?

1. Bean has started singing along to songs, the best she can anyway. And it's so cute to be driving in the car, or cooking dinner, listening to music and have her sing, "Oh, oh, oh!" or clap at the right parts. She dances along, and pumps her fist - usually with the beat, too! Cracks me up. Cute girl.
2. Iced tea. Just normal bagged tea, brewed hot and then poured over ice. Love it so much in the summer.
3. The temps have been in the 80s again instead of the high 90-100s. Going outside doesn't make me want to murder people anymore.
4. Summer produce. Melons and squash. Berries and peaches! Mmmmmm!
5. Every night when I open the windows when I go to bed I'm reminded how lucky I am to live somewhere where it cools down to the low 60s every night in the summer. I love sleeping with the windows open.

6. What is the hardest thing you've ever experienced? 
I think, honestly, it'd have to be my c-section/postpartum period. I was planning a natural birth, it didn't happen. I had a c-section. Due to severe sensitivities to pain meds all I could take after the surgery was 800mg Motrin. I've never felt pain like that before in my life. Breastfeeding was a complete nightmare for 12 weeks. I thought I was fine at the time, but looking back now 2 years out of the gate, I most definitely struggled with postpartum depression and was pretty much just surviving day to day.

7. What is your dream job, and why?
I would love to be a lactation consultant and a labor doula. I feel so passionate about breastfeeding and childbirth - that every woman should be able to have the experience that THEY want to have - and would love to help them achieve that. So many women feel bullied by their Drs, family, friends, etc to have a birth that fits a certain 'mold' and then end up regretting things. I would really love to help women make educated choices and support them if they need help or reassurance.

8. What are 5 passions you have?
1. Breastfeeding/Childbirth (as stated ^above)
2. Eating a vegetarian diet. Not contributing the the animal abuse that has become our food industry.
3. Photography, even though my talent pales in comparison to so many other photogs out there.
4. Family. Specifically my little family unit. Jeff and Bean are my world.
5. Reading. I love to read.

9. List 10 people who have influenced you and describe how.
(in no particular order)
1. My mother. Duh.
2. My grandparents. My grandpa was the larger-than-life male figure in my life, and my grandma and I shared a special relationship as well.
3. My first best friend, Jes, and her moms. Jes was my saving grace when my mom dropped me off at summer-day-camp at 6 years old and I melted down. She hugged me and we were fast friends. I'm thankful that through FB I've reconnected with her. She's a beautiful, talented, actress living the dream in NYC. Her moms were the first in a long line of friends in my life living the GLBT "lifestyle". I'm so grateful that I was surrounded with all different variations of 'normal' when I was young, it - no doubt - made me who I am today with regard to how I deal with non-traditional situations.
4. My friend Nina. I didn't realize it when we were in middle and high school, but her friendship has taught me a lot about being there for someone, and a lot about forgiveness.
5. Lurlene McDaniel. She's an author who writes young adult novels. Her books taught me a lot about myself. I was constantly reading her books from ages 9-16.
6. My lactation consultant Tiffanie. If it weren't for her there would have been no way that I would have succeeded in giving my daughter breastmilk for one-day-shy-of 17 months. She saw me at some of my lowest points and calmly helped me through them. She was/is a constant sources of strength and knowledge to me.
7. My lactation consultant Stacey. (see above, ditto.)
8. Jeff. My best friend. My love. I don't know how I got so lucky.
9. My cat, Whitney, and my dog, Daisy. My childhood pets. They might as well have been my siblings. They really taught me how to be responsible for someone else, and to love unconditionally.
10. Madeline Jo Bean. I thought I knew what it meant to 'love' before her, but what I feel for her cannot be described. The minute she came into my life I was transformed. There is a quote, "The decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body." ~Elizabeth Stone And I feel that it describes motherhood the best that I've found. The minute I became a mother I could not fathom my life without her in it. It is the most terrifying, and most gratifying thing, I've ever done.

10. Describe your most embarrassing moment.
I know I've had a lot of them, but there isn't one sticking out in my memory as being THE MOST embarrassing. I guess one of them was when I had my first kiss. I wasn't expecting it. I was walking behind my boyfriend, smiling while we were talking, and he abruptly turned around and kissed me. Except we clunked our teeth together really hard. I don't know if that should have been his embarrassing moment or mine, but I remember feeling mortified that I made such a rookie mistake.

11. Describe 10 pet peeves you have.
1. Words pronounced incorrectly. Suposably. "Let me axe you a question." Irregardless. Towards. etc.
2. Lip smacking.
3. When people take for-ev-er to get their thought out. "T-t-t-today Junior!!" (That was a joke. If someone has an actual speech impediment it doesn't bother me!)
4. There/their/they're, its/it's, your/you're and seen/saw I'm positive we learned the difference between those words in grade school and yet, people who graduated high school can't seem to get them straight.
5. Nail clippings being left around the house.
6. The toilet paper being put on the holder the 'wrong' way. Yes, I understand that there is not actually a right/wrong way to unroll your toilet paper, but I like the sheet to lay on TOP of the roll, not to fall behind it. It drives me BANANAS. I've been known to change the direction the TP rolls in friends/family member's houses.
7. One-uppers. You're telling them about your hospital experience and before you finish their sentence they're telling you about the time they almost DIED in the ER last year. You tell them how proud you are that you got that promotion and they're telling you about the FABULOUS job offer they just turned down because it wasn't good enough. You're telling them that your major complaint with your home is your small kitchen and they assure you that it's bigger than THEIRS is, so you should just be thankful. SHUDDUP!!!! It's one thing to relate and commiserate, it's another to be a constant one-upper.
8. Chewing with your mouth open.
9. Talking to people who aren't listening. ESPECIALLY if they called me. You called me, you asked me about something, I'm in the middle of telling you about something, and it's OBVIOUS you're not paying attention. Why am I wasting my time? Why did you call me?
10. Dirty clothes left on the floor 3" away from the dirty clothes hamper.