Q & A: Answers

I’m performing my civic duty by serving on jury duty today – I’m hoping it doesn’t last too long.  Since I’ll be out of commission for the day, I thought I’d follow up on a post from a few weeks ago.

On my birthday, I asked if any of you had questions for me, and today I thought I’d answer them!  A few of them were similar, so I’ve lumped those ones together.

What are your plans for your 30th year?  What are some goals you’d like to accomplish in your 30s?  Do you feel like your 30s are going to be great years?

Honestly, I’m so excited for my thirties.  Everyone I know that’s in them or been through them has said they were some of the best years of their lives.  I really feel like I know EXACTLY who I am now.  I don’t have any big plans for this year, but I do have some goals for the next 10 – we’d like to buy a house and have 2 or 3 more kids for starters.  I’d also love to see this blog grow and go to a few more blogger conferences.  I want to see Abbie grow and change, go to her dance recitals or soccer games, help with her homework, and try a boatload of new recipes.  I can’t wait to see what these years bring.

Any vacations planned?

Nothing yet.  We’ll likely have to go to New York in the spring for a family event, but there’s no date attached to that.  I’d like to take Abbie on a cruise, but it’ll depend on where the house-buying stands.

Birthday plans for Abbie?

I talked about these in yesterday’s post!

Anything you’d do differently for your wedding?

If I could change just one thing?  I’d probably cut the guest list by a third.  A lot of people we invited we haven’t seen since our wedding (and that was 2.5 years ago).  I’d choose something more intimate, and I probably would’ve worked harder to lose some weight before the big day.  I wanted to lose way more than I did, but wedding stress got to me.

Free Starbucks drink, seriously?  What’s your favorite drink?  Do you always get the same thing, or do you switch it up?

Yep!  If you have a registered Starbucks card, you get a free drink on your birthday…and I’ve got a gold card.  I like to mix up what I’m getting, but I always get my drinks skinny.  Some of my favorites are vanilla lattes, mochas, hazelnut macchiatos, salted caramel mochas in the fall, and peppermint mochas in the winter.

Great, now I want coffee.  Why doesn’t Starbucks deliver?  Someone should get on that.

Have you left Abbie at all for a night or a date night since you’ve had her?

We’ve had a few dates, but nothing overnight.  We went out for dinner for our anniversary when she was 2 months old, to a friend’s birthday dinner at 6 months, and to a wedding at 9 months.  For our anniversary and the wedding, we left her with my parents, and for the birthday dinner friends of ours stayed with her (she was asleep the entire time).  I don’t think I’ll be ready to leave her overnight for a long time.  I want to be with her as much as I can, and I don’t know when I’ll be ready for the overnight thing.  It’ll probably be a few years from now.

What’s your best advice for new/newish moms, or something you wish someone had told you before 6 months?

One bit of advice Chris always gives is a great one – from birth, your baby is talking to you.  Whether they’re crying, talking, laughing – they’re trying to communicate with you.  It may take a little while, but you’ll figure them out.

As for one thing I wish I knew earlier?  It’s impossible to pick one.  I wish I had let Chris help more.  I was so stressed about everything – breastfeeding, naps, diapering…that I worried all the time.  I should’ve let him do more in those first few weeks so I could relax a little more, but that’s good to know for next time, right?