25 Random Things About Me

This has been going around Facebook. I resisted making my list for a while, then I realized how much I enjoyed reading other people's lists. So I thought maybe other people would enjoy mine. I am posting it on the blog for my own records (I plan to print and bind my blog entries each year) and for those readers who don't have a Facebook account.

Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.

1. I was once part of a waterski pyramid.

2. I have travelled through much of northern and central Mexico on motorcycle, as a member of a Mexican motorcycle club. For a while I had a 600cc crotch rocket, then I rode an 1100cc cruiser.

3. My Mom now owns that 1100cc cruiser. I sold it to her when I got pregnant with Eva. I think I still have my chaps. (Both my parents own leather chaps, too!)

4. I love being a Mom. It is really challenging and tiring, but I love it.

5. I played the electronic organ for many years. One day I'd like to have a piano, and learn to play it well.

6. I have a French Immersion high school diploma. Never really felt fully bilingual, though. I can still understand French reasonably well, but if I try to speak it, it comes out as Spanish.

7. I have been fascinated by pregnancy and childbirth for as long as I can remember... it wasn't until a couple of years ago that it dawned on me I could make a career out of that fascination (thanks Erin for the inspiration). I'm now studying to be a Certified Childbirth Educator. I want to spread the word that childbirth isn't inevitably a horrible, excruciating experience!

8. I enjoy the slow pace and relative simplicity of life here in Mexico. But I miss our friends and family. And resources like a public library and the Y and Old Navy.

9. Because I am a reserved person it takes me a long time to develop new relationships. And sometimes I am socially awkward.

10. I played ringette for many years. Gave it up to play hockey instead. I am looking forward to lacing up again sometime in the future. There is actually an ice rink here and opportunity to play a little, but I didn't bring my equipment down.

11. I LOVE to read. I used to read only fiction. Now I read books on pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, natural family planning, parenting, nutrition/food, and the Bible. I don't remember the last time I read a novel. I do fit in Reader's Digest once a month, though.

12. I have read the Bible cover to cover in the space of one year. Twice.

13. Andrew is the perfect man for me. There is no doubt in my mind that God planned us for each other. I am so blessed to have him as my husband.

14. I used to be a horrible cook. If you could call my meals "cooking". Now I'm pretty good, and getting better.

15. I have a love/hate relationship with cooking. I enjoy it a lot until the point in the week when I run out of recipe ideas that make my whole family happy. Then I dread it. I hope the kids get less picky as they grow!

16. I was a vegetarian for a decade or so. The first time I ate poultry again was at Christmas dinner a few years back. "Psst, Andrew! Slip me some turkey from your plate!" No one noticed. Not even his smirk. The first time I ate beef again was at a Brazilian restaurant. I ate a lot. Mmm.

17. Over the past year or so I have been trying to conquer my sweet tooth. Refined sugar does terrible things to the body. My family is getting dragged along on my quest, like it or not.

18. I have never broken a bone. Here's hoping I never do.

19. I can't walk past my computer without checking for new email or new posts on the numerous blogs I follow.

20. I trust God to direct the path of my life. I don't worry too much about tomorrow. His plans for me are way cooler than anything I could ever come up with.

21. I wish I could sing.

22. I love to travel. The return on investment is fantastic.

23. I never pass on "forward this or else" emails. So far, I haven't been cursed.

24. I love to play cards and board games. Unfortunately, it's challenging to sit down to a game at this juncture of life.

25. I long to eat locally grown organic food. Easier said than done here in Torreon, to my knowledge. In the meantime I content myself with the tiny organics section at the supermarket. Where the carrots actually taste like carrots. Takes me back to eating them, still garnished with dirt, straight from our garden at the lake.

What Eva Knows For Sure About Men

This afternoon Eva helped Micah get all dressed up in some of her new clothes. Including pink princess panties. Terrific.

She told Micah that he looked fantastic. She said that he looked like a man. "Because you have a big tummy, and mans have big tummies!"

Micah-ism

A couple of days ago, Micah was looking for a spatula. The one I always use when I'm making French toast. He couldn't find it so he came to ask me if I knew where it was.

"Mommy, where french toast spoon?"

Gotta give him credit. I knew exactly what he was looking for! Very creative.

Second Born Meme

1. WAS YOUR SECOND PREGNANCY PLANNED? Yes
2. WERE YOU MARRIED AT THE TIME? Yes
3. WHAT WERE YOUR REACTIONS? Thrilled!
4. WAS ABORTION AN OPTION FOR YOU? Absolutely not.
5. HOW OLD WERE YOU? 33
6. HOW DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE PREGNANT? Home pregnancy test.
7. WHO DID YOU TELL FIRST? Andrew, then our parents, then everyone we knew
8. DID YOU WANT TO FIND OUT THE SEX? I was open to it. We were living in Mexico at the time and having ultrasounds at every appointment. So we found out. We were glad.
9. DUE DATE? October 11
10. DID YOU HAVE MORNING SICKNESS? Not really. Bit of nausea. I don't even remember being particularly tired. Of course, we were busy moving to Mexico so I was pretty distracted.
11. WHAT DID YOU CRAVE? Milky Way bars
12. WHO/WHAT IRRITATED YOU THE MOST? My aching tailbone
13. WHAT WAS YOUR SECOND CHILD'S SEX? Boy
14. DID YOU WISH YOU HAD THE OPPOSITE SEX OF WHAT YOU WERE GETTING? No.
15. HOW MANY POUNDS DID YOU GAIN THROUGHOUT THE PREGNANCY? Something like 35, maybe 40
16. DID YOU HAVE A BABY SHOWER? He was 2 weeks old on Eva's second birthday party, so her family party was kind of a baby shower too.
17. WAS IT A SURPRISE OR DID YOU KNOW? No surprises
18. DID YOU HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS DURING YOUR PREGNANCY? I thought my water broke at 22 weeks and that was scary. But all was well.
19. WHERE DID YOU GIVE BIRTH? St. Boniface Hospital, attended by a midwife, my Mom as our doula, and Andrew
20. HOW MANY HOURS WERE YOU IN LABOR? 7 hours
21. WHO DROVE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL? Andrew and my Mom. Dad stayed home with Eva
22. WHO WATCHED YOU GIVE BIRTH? Andrew, my Mom, the midwife, and a hospital nurse
23. WAS IT NATURAL OR C-SECTION? natural
24. DID YOU TAKE MEDICINE TO EASE THE PAIN? No need. I had a terrific support team and an uncomplicated labour.
25. HOW MUCH DID YOUR CHILD WEIGH? 9 lbs
26. WHEN WAS YOUR CHILD ACTUALLY BORN? October 17, 2006
27. What did you name him/her? Micah William Willms
28. OTHER NAMES YOU CONSIDERED? Christian, Logan, William... Even though William was our favorite, we didn't want him to hate us forever for it ("Wee Willy Willms"). Hence the middle name.
29. HOW OLD IS YOUR SECOND BORN TODAY? Two

First Baby Meme

from Melissa

First Born Share
Here you go mommies - a different kind of survey for a change - it's all about your first born! Just copy and paste it in a new note for yourself!

Let's see how much you remember:

1. WAS YOUR FIRST PREGNANCY PLANNED? Yes, but we thought it would take a few months
2. WERE YOU MARRIED AT THE TIME? for a month
3. WHAT WERE YOUR REACTIONS? Joy and disbelief
4. WAS ABORTION AN OPTION FOR YOU? Absolutely not.
5. HOW OLD WERE YOU? 31
6. HOW DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE PREGNANT? I did a home pregnancy test. Andrew didn't know I was testing. I stuck the stick through the shower curtain to show Andrew and he insisted on reading the instructions several times before he would accept the results I had reported.
7. WHO DID YOU TELL FIRST? Andrew, then our parents, then everyone who cared and didn't care
8. DID YOU WANT TO FIND OUT THE SEX? No
9. DUE DATE? October 30
10. DID YOU HAVE MORNING SICKNESS? Some nausea, no vomiting. Lots of sleepiness.
11. WHAT DID YOU CRAVE? Grapes. Chocolate (but pregnancy didn't bring that on)
12. WHO/WHAT IRRITATED YOU THE MOST? I loved everything about it except those few weeks of yuckiness
13. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CHILD'S SEX? Girl
14. DID YOU WISH YOU HAD THE OPPOSITE SEX OF WHAT YOU WERE GETTING? No
15. HOW MANY POUNDS DID YOU GAIN THROUGHOUT THE PREGNANCY?Something in the neighborhood of 45. In retrospect I should have cut down on the chocolate.
16. DID YOU HAVE A BABY SHOWER? yes
17. WAS IT A SURPRISE OR DID YOU KNOW? One was a surprise
18. DID YOU HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS DURING YOUR PREGNANCY? No
19. WHERE DID YOU GIVE BIRTH? St. Boniface hospital attended by a midwife, a doula and Andrew
20. HOW MANY HOURS WERE YOU IN LABOR? 44 hours from the first contraction; 14 hours of active labour
21. WHO DROVE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL?Andrew
22. WHO WATCHED YOU GIVE BIRTH?Andrew, our midwife, our doula, and a hospital nurse. My mom finished two books in the waiting room.
23. WAS IT NATURAL OR C-SECTION? natural
24. DID YOU TAKE MEDICINE TO EASE THE PAIN? No. Andrew worked hard putting counterpressure on my hips which made every contraction 100% less intense. Bonnie the doula was great at rubbing my back and holding my hand, encouraging me, keeping my gown closed when I walked to the bathroom, putting cool cloths on my forehead when I felt hot and covering me up when I felt cold. I had everything I needed.
25. HOW MUCH DID YOUR CHILD WEIGH? 8 lbs
26. WHEN WAS YOUR CHILD ACTUALLY BORN ? October 31, 2004
27. What did you name him/her? Evangeline Catherine Willms
28. OTHER NAMES YOU CONSIDERED? Christian
29. HOW OLD IS YOUR FIRST BORN TODAY? Four

Confession, of Sorts

I wish I could just continue to let you believe that Eva is an art prodigy, but honesty prevents me from keeping the following information to myself:

She told me today that when she did that horse, she first traced the outline of a horse puzzle.

It's still pretty impressive, but not quite as impressive. Sorry.

In other news, Eva told me yesterday she loves school!

Eva School Update

Last week was much better for her! She is trying to be more open. She is still not excited to go to school in the morning, but she is dawdling less. Her teachers have noticed a difference in her social behaviour. I'm so glad that she is trying. It won't take long before she is really reaping the benefits.