20 Things.

I thought it'd be a fun little blog post to write up 20 random things about me (I actually stole the idea from Ellie's blog over here!)...cause I bet I have a few fun facts about me that even my three loyal readers don't know!  And fellow blogger friends (ahem, Tiff and Lauren!): if you wanted to get in on this post and do one yourself, I wouldn't mind :)



1. I LOVE BABIES.  Like an unhealthy obsession.  Haha.  I enjoy being pregnant (for the most part!) and I want a big family.  I love my two kiddos more than anything in the entire world, but know we aren't done having kiddos yet.  As much as I'd love another kid like yesterday, we have a plan for future bebes and I do want to give my body time to heal and recover since I have had 2 c-sections and will probably have more in the future.



2. In 2013 at 38 weeks pregnant I was inducted into my high school's athletic hall of fame for softball.  This was an incredibly huge honor for me and I still get goosebumps walking through the halls of my alma mater seeing my picture on the hall of fame wall.  CRAZY!





3. I played college softball and it paid for my undergraduate degree.  I played 3 years at SIU-Carbondale (Division I) and my senior year I transferred and played at the University of Missouri-St. Louis (Division II).  I was awarded a few honors at UMSL and finished my collegiate career on a high note, batting .401 and playing in every single game in the outfield my senior year.


4. Until February 2014 I was legally blind, having -8.0 vision in both eyes.  I couldn't see squat!  However I had PRK surgery (cause my eyes were too bad for lasik) and now I have 20/20 vision!  Even almost 2 years later I still reach for my glasses and occasionally try to take out my contacts.  PRK was super painful (like 5 days) and took about a month to have my vision "set" and not be blurry and go in and out, but it was worth every.single.cent. I paid and all of the pain and inconvenience it caused!  Not being a slave to my contacts/glasses anymore has been liberating!


5. When I was little I was mistaken for a boy all.the.time.  I dressed like a boy, had short hair, and my name is Alex, which I've met far more male Alexs than females.  Plus, I have two younger brothers, so frequently "Alex, Ben, and Charlie" were called "3 handsome little boys."  I was very much a tomboy (and heck, still am kinda!) and have been called a boy more times than I can even recall.  I sign my name or introduce myself as "Alexandria" first to people ALWAYS now so they know they're dealing with a gal.  I correct them to calling me just Alex after we've met :)



6. I have a reality TV obsession with 4 shows that I can NEVER EVER miss an episode (if the DVR accidentally doesn't record them or another show trumps them, I get so so so upset): Guys Grocery Games, Survivor, Bringing Up Bates, and 19 Kids and Counting (or more recently since it was canceled, Jill & Jessa: Counting On).  I have never missed an episode and have watched and rewatched these shows over and over again.


7. Cloth diapering is one of my favorite things EVER.  Probably one of the reasons I want more babies--more fluffy butts to put in my lovely cloth!  (And yes, it is MINE cause I freaking bought it.)  I have made so many friends through cloth diapering AND learned so much in the process about everything from different types of diapers to wash routines and much more.  I know it's weird to some to love something so much that is literally shit in, but don't knock it until you try it!



8. I lived in England for almost a year and it was one of the best experiences of my life.  I recommend to everyone that if they have the chance to live/work abroad, DO IT.  You will not regret it.  It opens you up to such vast cultural experiences AND helps you get a job (really, it does!  Employers like worldly experiences!) in the future.


9. I LOVE reading birth stories.  If a lady is willing to put her birth story out there for others to read, I appreciate that soooo much and love reading them!  I am a sucker for birth photos (@birthwithoutfear IG's feed gets me every.single.time) and the stories that accompany those.  In another life I'd have totally been a labor and delivery nurse.  When I come across birth stories, I get giddy, bookmark them, and read them when I'm relaxing.  I LOVE THEM!  Patrick's birth story was recently featured on this blog and I loved rereading it again (yes, even though I wrote it :)


10. I am the pickiest eater EVER.  Seriously.  I like ketchup but hate tomatoes.  I like onion rings minus the onion insides.  The list goes on.  But, despite my chicken finger and fries persona, I really love watching the Food Network and Cooking channel.  They make 95% dishes that I would never eat, but I just love watching other people cook and create things with food!  I truly wish I wasn't as picky of an eater as I am, but I can't help it...I really just don't like a lot of foods!

11. Mike and I are both OCD about the laundry -- aside from diaper laundry which we do every 3 days or so -- and we do at least 1 load of laundry a day, if not more.  We have laundry hampers in each bedroom but NEVER use them -- all laundry gets tossed directly in the washing machine (which is behind our bedroom) and when it's full: we wash!  Yes, we wash darks and lights together and all that jazz...we've been doing it for years and never had a color bleed or issue.  Woot.


12. 10 years ago I would have laughed in your face if you told me that the one thing I am soooooo looking forward to getting in the near future is a minivan!  Our city house is under contract and hopefully closing soon which means it's minivan time for Alex!  I am so excited about this--I never thought I'd ever willingly drive (or heck, WANT) a minivan, yet here I am giddy with excitement about it AND googling the different options we can get on the one we go with (still trying to narrow down which type we'll get).  EEEKKKK!  Soccer mom, here I come!

13. I drink at least 5 liters of water a day, if not more.  I.am.always.thirsty.  I contribute most of this to breastfeeding/pumping, but I swear I was just as thirsty when I was not nursing and/or pregnant.  Water is my go-to beverage...on occasion I will have an A&W or Mug root beer or a glass of 2% milk with ice cubes (if I'm having oreos or brownies), but water is my jam.


14. Going along with #13, I HATE beer.  I loathe it so much.  Again, I wish I liked it and wasn't so picky, but alas, I do not.  I can't stand the taste.  So, when it's time to consume adult beverages, I prefer frilly girly drinks like limearitas or wine coolers.  My drink of choice is Malibu rum and coke (thank you Adie and Haley for introducing me to that heaven!) or moscato if it's vino night.  Again, I'm super picky, even when it comes to my beverage consumption!


15. In 2012 I became a Google Certified Teacher (traveling to London, England to attend the Google Teacher Academy) and it was one of the coolest experiences of my teaching career and life.  Being a Google Certified Teacher has opened up so many awesome opportunities for me and has allowed me to meet and connect with so many amazing people.  I wear my GCT badge with honor!



16. I have a pair of Google Glass and I really haven't used them much at all since I got them in the summer of 2013.  Actually, I think they are dead as a doornail and need to be charged...the last time I wore them I think was when I photographed my cousin's engagement last year!  Mike had planned on wearing them for Rosie's birth but we were told literally as we were walking into the OR that he couldn't use them to record video--only snap pics--and I was like "just forget it and use my big camera to snap pics instead--so that idea got scratched.  I'm using #16 here to try and commit myself to use them AGAIN and see what cool things I can do with them...stay tuned!


17. I have an addiction to technology.  I mean, it's justified, right?!  My masters is in technology and my JOB is 100% dealing with technology.  However, I really REALLY love technology and am connected in every way possible.  I have an iPhone, 3 MacBooks, 2 Chromebooks, 2 Apple TVs, 2 iPads (the kids use them), 1 Nexus 7, 3 deactivated iPhones used for social media managing and music, Google Glass, Amazon Fire Stick, GoPro, Apple Watch, and probably a zillion other things I can't think of right now.  Mike always jokes that this technology "fad" will be going away... HA!  Right.  But I really am a hard core tech fiend--I love when a new tech toy comes out and get giddy with excitement until I get it.  Some girls go crazy over shoes or purses or clothes...for me, it's technology.


18. I am ridiculously organized, borderline OCD (I always joke that I have OCD--and I probably do to some degree, but not to the extent that I can't function normally because of it).  My house is always organized, dishes always put away, beds made, and so forth.  I have a system for how I plan and keep track of my school lessons, projects, and schedule, and have a completely other system for our personal lives calendar and happenings.  I have 6 email accounts and ALL OF THEM have ZERO unread messages...and my home screen (see above) is always free and clear of those pesky notifications that drive me INSANE to have the little red numbers on there.  I have a mental date every month where I go online to pay the bills (never need a reminder!), and a specific way to organize and catalog the excessive amount of pictures I take, among other things.  Organization and planning could be my middle name! (except when it comes to finding out if we're having a boy or girl--that we don't like to plan for!!)

19. I have about 15 books I've downloaded on my Nook as well as like 10 actual books that I really WANT to read but have yet to find the time to actually do it.  I'll try before I go to bed but as soon as my head hits the pillow I'm usually asleep within 5 minutes--not kidding.  And nap times when I'm off work are usually reserved for housework stuff or blogging...and then when the kiddos are awake there's ZERO time to read.  I'm hoping to find some time this year to actually start and finish a book, cause I do love to read oh-so-much!



20. I hardly ever know any of the popular "pop" songs playing on the radio or what the cool kids are listening to.  I tend to listen to country music, oldies, or hits from my favorite musicals!  When my students talk about a certain band or song, most of the time I nod my head and pretend I have an idea what they're talking about but really have NO clue (then I secretly go YouTube the song so I'm not completely out of the loop).  I could listen to the Jersey Boys or Wicked or Book of Mormon or RENT soundtracks all day every day.  I LOVE MUSICALS SO MUCH.

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WHEW!  So there you have it folks!  20 completely random facts about me!  Truthfully, how many were you surprised by?!  Haha, I'm sure not too many...most of these I've alluded to at one point or another on the blog I'm sure.

Anyways, that was a fun little post to do -- almost like the Taking Stock posts I love oh so much!  I hope my fellow blogger buddies do one too...cause I'd love to read others too!  Next to reading birth stories, these might be my new favorite posts to read!  Random facts are fun!

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