On me

I was thinking today about my Tuesday introductions and it occurred to me that I should have started with myself. Duh, Rachel. Because it might be that someone out there wants to know really obscure things about me to get to know me better.

I was born 30 long years ago and lived a fairly sheltered life as an only child on a farm in the middle of nowhere. Literally nowhere, as the road I lived on ran for 1 mile, crossed the county line, and ran another mile. That's it, 2 miles of road and on it sat the farm that has been in my family for 200 years.

I decided after high school that I was something of a free spirit. I had Jay when I was days shy of 21 and his birth changed my life dramatically and I grew up.

Even though I'm a converted Jew, I graduated from a small Christian college with a degree in Justice Administration and Religious Studies. Instead of going on to law school, I became the editor of 4 small newspapers in the county I live in because the schedule is more flexible for Jay and I.

I have never been away from my child for more than 24 hours. This drives Micah nuts, because he dreams of taking a weekend, just-us trip. I hate to tell him, but it's never going to happen.

I have been called crunchy and a hippy more times than I care to count. I try to buy as much organic as I possibly can, with the exception of Micah food which I have slowly been trying to switch over, even though I know it will never happen.

If it were up to me, we would have a whole houseful of kids. Not Duggar-style, but pretty much as many as God saw fit to bless us with. However, I will be getting my tubes tied after Bean is born. There are two reasons: I hate being pregnant and Micah says 2 kids is enough. Plus, at this point I feel like I'm getting too old for this. I always thought my dad was old when I was growing up and I will be the same age when Bean is born that he was when I was born.

I have very strong opinions and I very rarely change my mind. I either love you or hate you, I don't have much middle ground. Most of my closest friends have always been guys, I don't like to get involved in the cattiness of other women. My husband is my best friend. I have a great relationship with my mom, even though I resented her when I was younger for being so sheltering. My dad and I co-exist more than anything, we're too much alike to really get along. We're both bullheaded and opinionated.

I always think I would like to be a stay-at-home mom, but then I'm home for a few days snowed in with Jay and no work and I miss my job terribly. I only work the hours my son is in school and when Bean is born, I will only be in the office about 6 hours a week. I don't believe in babysitters but I don't see anything wrong with parents that have to use them. Jay has always just had too many health issues for me to trust him with anyone other than me, my mom, or one specially chosen occasional caregiver.

I've been told I'm complicated, but I don't really think that's the case. I'm just me, take me or leave me. Although I hope that this glimpse into me hasn't caused you to want to leave.