SPOTLIGHT ON.... Cecilia's Mama! « Back to Group Discussions

[Knitting Mama]

This is my spotlight thread! 

People can ask you questions, and you can answer (or not, your choice). Or you can just share if you want to. It's up to you!

To get the ball rolling, here are a few starter questions!

1. Backstory! Tell us about you, where you came from, how you got to where you are now. 
2. What are you craving right now?
3. If someone handed you $1000, no strings attached, what would you do with it?
4. What's your favorite type of soup?
5. Talk about your house a little-- are you happy where you live? Best part about your house? Worst?

[Knitting Mama]

1. Backstory! Tell us about you, where you came from, how you got to where you are now. Grew up in upstate NY (first Orange County, then Ulster County). I hated it, there was very little opportunity for anyone who was at all "left of center," and my family was not treated well, given that we were both Jewish and liberal hippies. In many ways, the area we lived in was rather redneck, and nearly everyone had cousins all over town, except us, of course. When I was 16 my family moved to Arizona. I was happy to have a fresh start, and there was a lot more for me to do here. I moved to northern Arizona for college, and was sad to come back to Tucson. It did lead to me meeting my husband (eventually), but I really miss northern Arizona.
2. What are you craving right now? I had lasagna for dinner and I'm pretty full, so not really anything!
3. If someone handed you $1000, no strings attached, what would you do with it? I have a very special trip coming up in May that we will probably have to use tax return money to pay for (especially since Cecilia will be over 2 and we'll have to pay for a seat for her), so I would put it towards that.
4. What's your favorite type of soup? I'm not a tomato soup girl (though tomato based soups are fine) or a cold soup girl, but otherwise, I've pretty much never met a soup I didn't like!
5. Talk about your house a little-- are you happy where you live? Best part about your house? Worst? Not happy at all with our house, but most of that is mental rather than having to do with the physical house. We bought at the worst time, when it was still a seller's market in 2007. We paid top-dollar for our house, and it's worth a pittance now, so we're paying a super overpriced mortgage on it. I think I'd be less bitter about our house if it was more affordable. We'd be doing just fine on one income if our mortgage wasn't so ridiculous. Not to mention we'd be able to afford to do the things that we need to make the house more livable if we paid less, like making the backyard something usable.

[ilovetchotchkes]

Zomg! you're a fellow MOTT? 

[Knitting Mama]

My maiden name is very close to the name of a Hasidic branch. 

[MsZelda]

1. what is the best vacation you have ever been on?

2. what would be your dream vacation?

3. how many children would you like to have?

4. how many children would you have is money was no issue?

[Knitting Mama]

1. what is the best vacation you have ever been on? Our honeymoon was to Disney World. That was so much fun!! It won't be cheap, but I'd love to take my kids there someday too! Just before I got pregnant with Cecilia, we took a road trip across the northern US, stopping at tons of National Parks and Monuments. I LOVED that trip! That one is probably more doable with the kids because it's cheaper.

2. what would be your dream vacation? Dream vacation, hmm....probably a European tour. I'd love to see the UK, France, Scandinavia, maybe Italy. Oh and I would love to find the village in Russia that my family is from. If it's my dream, then it means money is no object and we could spend months touring different countries!

3. how many children would you like to have? I would like to have four or five, but that's not very likely.

4. how many children would you have is money was no issue? Money isn't really the issue, it's my health. I'm 33 and have chronic illnesses that make me already high risk for pregnancy. Having children over 35 isn't really advisable, though I suppose we'll see what happens when we get there. My husband wants two, but is open to talking after this baby comes, so there's a small amount of hope.

Edited by Knitting Mama - 2/7/12 at 12:34pm

[Sol_y_Paz]

What is your favorite movie of all time?

What is your favorite food for a snack?  For breakfast?  Dinner?

Do you have a cat or dog or any other animals? 

If you could go anywhere for a one week vacation right now where would it be?

[Knitting Mama]

1. Favorite movies: The Breakfast Club is probably my #1 favorite, but I'm actually not a huge movie person, preferring books most of the time. I did really like the latest Star Trek movie, though! And I am nervously looking forward to The Hunger Games. 

2. Sushi is my favorite food, followed by pretty much all Asian cuisine. I love cheeses, yum yum! When I'm pregnant, potatoes top that list, too!

3. I have four cats. Yeah, it's a lot. They've all been around longer than I have had kids. I guess they were sort of my substitute kids before I had my own!

4. Right this minute, I want to go somewhere where the weather is cool but not cold, and where I can relax a LOT. No idea where that would be, though!

Edited by Knitting Mama - 2/7/12 at 2:47pm

[intime0]

I can't wait for the Hunger Games!!!  We get movies about 2 months after the states though and it drives me BATTY!!!

What are you most looking forward to with having 2 children?   What are you most nervous about?

Have you bought anything for the baby?

Will you be having a baby shower or blessing way? (I know that's often based on what part of the states you are in...southerners use any excuse for a party...but I didnt know about where you were.)

[Knitting Mama]

I'm nervous about how to have enough energy to successfully and gently parent both kids. I get overwhelmed sometimes as is with just one, and sometimes I admit I think I'm absolutely insane for wanting more! My friends with many say that it gets easier the more you have, but I guess I have to experience that for myself. I am really looking forward to seeing my kids playing together and loving each other as they get bigger.

I haven't bought anything for the baby yet. We'll be getting a new carseat sometime soon, but otherwise I'm going to try to use most of what we already have from when my daughter was an infant. I will also try to knit some stuff as soon as I finish the two projects I'm working on.

I think I want a blessingway this time. I don't need stuff, and I think blessingways are awesome. I really want to find someone to do a henna belly on me!

[Sol_y_Paz]

Originally Posted by Cecilia's Mama 
3. I have four cats. Yeah, it's a lot. They've all been around longer than I have had kids. I guess they were sort of my substitute kids before I had my own!

Glad you kept your sweet kitties even though life changed.  How did they do with your baby Cecilia?  Were they interested in her or scared of her?  I think I remember you saying they are super affectionate when you are pregnant?  

[Knitting Mama]

They were really good with her, actually! I was afraid that they would lose it when she was crying, but they really did well. The only negative thing was that we had to stop them from sleeping with us at night because one of them took to eating my hair. Not even exaggerating, I woke up one morning and had a chunk of hair bitten off that was like 3" long (the rest of my hair was at least 12" long). It was crazy! So...we've kept the bedroom off limits since then. 

[Sol_y_Paz]

Glad they were good with her.  But LOL that is crazy about your chunk of missing hair! 

[Mama Chickadee]

Its been fun getting to know you :)

What is one thing (item, experience, value) from your childhood you most hope to pass on to your kids?

What has been your proudest moment in life so far?

How do you and DH pick names for your kiddos? 

[Knitting Mama]

Those are some good questions! I think the biggest thing that I would like to instill into my kids is that love and caring trumps all. I was poor growing up and we're by no means rich or even comfortably getting on now, but I still feel like I had a very lucky and happy childhood, in spite of a lack of material things, vacations, etc.

Birthing Cecilia and her being healthy, alert, bright-eyed and wonderfully even-natured in spite of the complications from labor is my proudest moment by far!

Names are hard for us!! I like more unique names that aren't widely heard myself, and my husband prefers more common names (his name is a very common one and he never had any issues with that growing up, so I think that is part of why he prefers run-of-the-mill names). We had a hard time settling on Cecilia, with my first choice, Nyssa and his first choice, Laura, being shot down. But when we finally decided on it, it seemed perfect. It's not popular and she's the only one I know of this generation, and it's traditional and therefore appeals to my husband. We're trying to work our way down to a few choices this time around. Vivienne and Eleanor are at the top of our girl's list, but I feel like this baby is a boy and we have SO not narrowed down boys' names yet...

[Knitting Mama]

Bump, if there are any last questions before tomorrow's new thread.