Fries with Gravy

1. How long have you been a Mom?
The oldest turned 8 in October

2. How many children call you Mommy/Mom/Mama?
Technically, 3.  My nephew calls me "Momma, Momma" and then gets a good look at me and corrects himself to, "Deena, Deena"

3. Girl? Boy? Both?
Boy, Girl, Girl

4. Did you know what you were having?
Yes, I'm impatient and curious and had to know how to decorate.  Classic Pooh for the boy (how I loved the idea of English Christopher Robin) and some pink and green Waverly coordinates for the girls.  

5. How old were you when you became a Mom?:
24

6. How long were you in labor?

After a seemingly sucky pregnancy with toxemia and a month of bedrest, I was (finally!) induced at 7am for Seth and he was born at 3:16pm.  It was easy and I pushed for exactly 15 minutes. Claire and Grace were born by c-section, 9 weeks early.  No labor, but more worry and pain than should ever be considered natural.  Awful pregnancies, easy births.

7. What’s your favorite thing about being a mom?

"Because I said so! bwahahahaha!"  I'm also pretty fond of making pigtails.

8. What’s your least favorite thing?
Company in the bathroom.  ahem.

9. Do you want more kids?
Nope.  I think one day when they are all teenaged and surly, I'll want to adopt one.  But then I might just want a Winnebago and some time to hold an actual conversation with my husband.  It depends.

10. Do you plan on having more soon?
That is so not in the plans. 

11. Does daddy change diapers?

Of course he did.  Otherwise, terrible, terrible things.

12. How many times have you been peed on?
At least a few. 

13. Barfed on?
Claire was on reflux meds from minute one.  Enough said.

14. Is your child named after anyone?
Claire's middle name is Kathryn after Doug's mom.  Grace's first name is Sarah after my mom.  Seth is lucky he has a name besides "Baby Boy"  because it was that much effort. 

15. How did you come up with their name(s)?
We were altogether disagreeable on names except for Claire's.  Seth was a compromise between Heath (his) and Alex (mine).  Seth sounded soft and cultured yet masculine and potentially quarterback-ish.  We both loved Claire.  Sarah Grace was an answer to a prayer - poor little dear weighed 2.5 lbs. when she was born... Sarah was my mother and she died right before I found I was pregnant.  Grace was simply God's gift. 

16. When your child gets in trouble, who is the bad guy?
I am the bad, bad guy.

17. And who is the good guy?
Daddy.  Pfft.

18. What is the longest you have been away from your children?
Went to Charleston, SC in 2005 for 3 days.  Went to Berkeley Springs, WV in 2006 for 3 days.  Hey...6 days total.  Not counting the NICU stay for the twins when they were born - that was 6 weeks.

19. Bedtime routine?
teeth brushing, a book, prayers all the way around & turning on the music.  Daddy sings a crazy amount of songs that I just can't deal with because MY GOSH, I'm done, aren't I??

20. Are your toes painted?
But, of course.

21. Last movie you saw in the theatre?
Um.  Um.  Curious George?  Nacho Libre?  WAIT!  Devil Wears Prada?

22. Last time you had a date?
A couple weeks ago we snuck out to Chinese food by ourselves.

23. One thing you will not give up just because you’re a mom?

Painting my toenails?  Sex?  Beer? 

24. One thing you did give up now that you’re a mom?
Career

25. Best mom perk?
Track pants?

26. Snack you sneak bites from your child?
Yeah...all of them. 

27. When the kid is napping, you are?
As if they napped in the past 3 years.

28. Where is your child now?
Asleep.

29. Favorite place to buy maternity clothes?
Target.  And Motherhood.

30. If I could do it over, I’d do this differently:
Milk pregnancy and it's aftermath for all that it's worth, claiming pain and ineptitude at every turn.   SERIOUSLY.

31. What is the craziest thing you have said/done/taught since becoming a mom?
It varies by the day.  I'm pretty crazy.  Santa has a hidden camera in the ceiling fan.  Be good.