1. What name did you and your spouse call your baby before you knew the gender?
Sadly, we called it "It".
2. When did "Oh-my-gosh-we're-having-a-baby" really sink it?
For me, when I saw the crib in the baby room. For Broc, "when she is actually born".
3. When you think of yourself as a mom, what's the first thing to come to mind?
To be honest, the first thing I thought of is getting the kids ready for school every day. They will look so darn cute!
4. Is your nursery complete? What's the theme and what do you have left to complete?
Nope! I still need to organize all the clothes and get them put away. I also need a shelf! And a way to organize all her bows and headbands!
5. List 5 qualities you hope your baby will possess:
Sweet, friendly, happy, SLEEPY, and beautiful.
6. What's your ideal labor experience?
Painless. But beyond that, I want to enjoy and remember every second of it.
7. List 5 things that have changed in your relationship with your spouse since you've been pregnant:
It's hard to make a list of something like this. Our relationship has
changed in a lot of ways. In some ways, we're a lot closer than before.
Words can't describe how awesome it is to know there is a little human
being in my belly that is half him and half me. It's neat to look at him
and think of him as a father- the father of OUR baby. I don't think
anything can bring two people together more than a little miracle like
that.
8. List 5 things you think will change once your baby arrives:
Sleep. Sanity. Free time. Priorities. Money.
9. Where do you think you'll be when you go into labor? Why?
I have nightmares that my water will break at work. Since I have requested my maternity leave to start the day before my due date, it is possible. :/
10. Have you been talking to your baby? Playing music?
Yes, we talk to her all the time. Everyone does. My mom, my sister Lexi, Keegan and Broc especially.
11. In what ways do you hope your baby is like your spouse?
In almost every way. I hope she is selfless and thoughtful. I hope she is polite and respectful. I hope she is funny and charming and a hard worker. All qualities I love about Broc.
12. In what ways do you hope your baby is like you?
I hope that she is proud of who she is and she doesn't feel the need to
hide/change herself or her values to fit in with others. I hope she's
creative and passionate. I hope she realizes the importance of family.
13. How long will you wait for the next baby?
Broc says BAM BAM BAM. Pop them out. But I think that I will want to wait so that they are just about 2 years apart.
14. What kind of grandparents do you think your baby will have?
The best. That is the only answer. I honestly cannot think of two better women to be her gmas than mine and Broc's moms. They are both the sweetest women I have ever met and both love her so much already. My dad will be the crazy funny gpa and Broc's dad will be the lovable teddy bear gpa. This baby is so lucky!
15. Who will be with you during labor? Who will visit you in the hospital during your recovery?
Broc better be there! And I want all the visitors I can get! We have tons of family so I don't think we will ever be bored.
16. How much will you tell your baby (child, teenager) about your past? Why/why not?
I want to be an open book for my kids. I believe we all learn from our past and those are experiences we should share, especially with our children.
17. Do you have any hopes for your child's activities? (Sports, academics, school preference, activities, etc)
I want my children to be involved and exposed to anything they show an interest in. Even if that means I have to sit through years of baseball games (not the biggest baseball fan). I want them to try new things, different things. And school will always be a huge priority. I look forward to late night science fair projects.
18. In what ways do you hope you'll parent like your parents did? In what ways do you hope you aren't like them?
As a child I always complained about little things my parents would do, but in hindsight, I love the way that I was raised. My parents taught me good principals by way of habit (I wrote in my journal every sunday for my whole life). I always felt loved and was told how important I was to them. I guess the only thing I would do differently, is let my children learn more from their mistakes. I didn't have a whole lot of leeway to make my own decisions as a youngster, maybe that is a contributing factor to why I am so indecisive! ha
19. Which childhood memory do you hope your child will have (similar to one you fondly remember)?
I hope that we have a big family. I also hope to make family time a priority. I think the relationships I have with my family are the deepest and most important to me in my life. I want to take lots of family vacations. Those were always my most fondest memories.
20. And finally, Be annoying! What "advice" do you want newly pregnant women to know?
You get much much bigger than you could have every thought at the beginning. Don't be afraid of maternity clothes. Document the whole process. Take pictures and write down your feelings. Enjoy every second. Even the crappy ones, yes there will be times when your ribs feel broken, like mine right now. But it is the coolest and most surreal experience I have ever had!
