Who I Am

The last book we read in our book club was "The Girl Who Chased the Moon". During one of our discussions one of the girls had a great idea. One of the subtle themes of the book was who someone was before they had children. My friend said we should all take the time to write who we are since this will likely change so much down the road. 

I'm 28 this week, 29 next week. I work with young children and love it. Ever since I was a little girl I loved babies and little kids. I played with dolls and then babysat as soon as I could. I love the little hugs, smiles, and belly laughs from the kids. I am extremely patient although I don't always feel it. I'm creative and a natural with little ones. I am a master manipulator with them and can encourage some pretty amazing things. 

I am extremely sensitive. I don't take criticism well and I blame others far too often. I hate to be wrong and rarely admit it when I am. W practically jumps up and down when I admit that he is right, it's such a rare occurrence. 

Communication is incredibly important to me. I prefer to talk things out until I'm blue in the face rather than ignore them. I don't just let things go very often. I think I'm pretty good at reading others. I ask direct questions in order to get direct answers. 

I'm incredibly comfortable in small groups of people I know well, but don't like large groups. I'm not the most talkative around my in-law's extended family because I'm a bit intimidated by them. I prefer 1:1 conversations. 

I love animals and my pets. I prefer cats over dogs, but love them all. My pets are my babies and I spoil them. My dogs only beg from me and they are rewarded for it. I can't imagine life without pets, it would be so boring. I love how one of our one dogs huffs and puffs in excitement each morning when we get up. My cat is very talkative and we have extensive conversations, or so he thinks. 

I'm nosy and direct. I want the info/gossip and will ask people things others probably wouldn't. This probably comes from my job and doing so many evaluations. You have to be direct in order to get answers. I think this makes W uncomfortable at times. You can count on me to ask the question everyone is wondering but too afraid to ask. 

I'm athletic but don't exercise enough. I wish I was happier with my body, but find working on it right now a real challenge. I think even when I get pregnant I will be better about exercising. Recently I've been horrible about it. 

I love any seafood and will try pretty much anything when it comes to food. I love soup and will eat it regardless of the temperature outside. I like all vegetables and always eat them first on my plate. One of my favorite vegetables is okra because I love the texture. I like foods with weird textures.

I'm a complete sarcastic smart ass. People pick up on this pretty quickly and tend to get a kick out of it. I know I do. W and I share a pretty similar sense of humor, but others don't always get it. We're always making each other laugh. 

I don't put up with a lot of shit. I advocate for myself and don't get pushed around. Maybe this comes from being the younger sibling and getting pushed around too much as a kid. I'm always on the quest for the most information I can get about things. I've contemplated a PhD many times and may pursue it someday. I really enjoy learning and am a seeker of information. 

I'm extremely close with my sister. We talk multiple times a week. I'm closer to my mom than my dad but have a good relationship with both. I have a little more complicated relationship with my step-parents but it is still good. I love my in-laws and appreciate all they do to support us, even if my MIL is a bit intense at times. My FIL is the shit.

I love to travel and try to take a vacation each year. In the past few years the theme has definitely been tropical. We went to Costa Rica, Aruba, the Dominican Republic, and most recently Mexico. We are looking forward to a trip to Maine in a few weeks. I'd love to go back to Europe some day. That will be when we are no longer saving for fertility treatments.

I'm extremely adventurous. When we repelled down waterfalls in Costa Rica they took a picture of each person at the top of the first cliff. Everyone looked freaked out and extremely scare. But there was me with had a huge smile, looking totally relaxed.

I have a big smile that is contagious. It's gotten me a lot in life and I pull it out when I really want something.  

I'm also incredibly persistent. Nothing has ever stood in the way of me and something I really want. I pursue my dreams even to a fault at times, but this is what makes me know I'm not giving up before I become a mommy. 

So there you have it. That's me...today at least.