May 8, 2015 by Stephanie

360 Months

My brother and I on my 6th birthday.

Since we are marking George’s age by month currently, it made me think about how many months I will be tomorrow.

On my 30th birthday.

That will make me 360 months old.

That is a whole lot of months.

30 seems like an age where everything is different. The pressure is on to really start adulting. It is time to be serious about family, about planning for retirement, about other adulty things that are oh so serious.

Does this look like someone who is ready to be adulting?

Some think not…but all of us in these photos have reached this time. And we are going to make 30 look amazing!

(Because most people think we are are in our early 20s…)

But to get serious with you for a sec, I think about my life in that 360 term.

There is something poetic about it.

As I turn 30, I really have made a lot of 360s in my life. I have developed and made complete turnarounds.

You make 360s as you go through different phases.

I am not who I was at 5. I am so glad I am not who I was at 15. I wouldn’t even recognize who 20 year old me was. And while at 25 I thought I had myself figured out, there was still so much for me to learn.

But then again, all of that is still a part of me. Even though I have changed every year, those pieces are still part of my inner circle. (See what I did there?) I realize what I have learned over the years has made me who I am today as I enjoy my last day in my twenties.

I have learned that play is important.

I have learned that drinking from a straw is really the only way to go.

I have learned that a good belly laugh can make everything seem ok.

I have learned that N’Sync is really the only boy band that is important.

I have learned that sometimes you have to put yourself out there even if talking to a stranger is the scariest thing.

I have learned that a headband will fix any bad hair day.

I have learned the right way to ride a roller coaster.

I have learned that sometimes that person only needs you to listen to their story, and that “Tell me more about that” is really the best question to ask.

I have learned that it is really not a good playground unless there is a swing set.

I have learned that there will always be room to improve, and that I will not always be perfect.

I have learned that a good book is one of the best escapes.

I have learned that making a list helps bring down my anxiety.

I have learned being a Royals fan is really the best kind of fan, and the wins are so sweet.

I have learned that I love teaching but not in the traditional sense.

I have learned your taste in things may change over time…Hello and Goodbye to that velour phase.

I have learned exercising can be fun when you find the right activity and/or people to do it with.

I have learned that sometimes you just need to eat a whole bag of Twizzlers.

I have learned music is a beautiful expression of emotions.

I have learned ice cream cake is the best kind of cake.

I have learned that it feels good to dance like no one is watching (even when people are watching).

I have learned that you haven’t experienced real joy until you become a parent.

I have learned that there really isn’t a bad pizza.

I have learned to show gratitude.

I have learned that there is so much joy when you hear someone you know is selling Girl Scout cookies.

I have learned that the good stuff in life doesn’t always come easy.

I have learned that I should wear sunblock.

I have learned that dogs are the most loving creatures.

I have learned that you cannot please everyone, and that you will be miserable trying to do so.

I have learned that education never stops.

I have learned that God is the ultimate redeemer.

I have learned that love is really what life is about.

So here is to the first 30 years and the lessons I have encountered. High Five Self.

Some people may think of 30 as a death sentence to the fun life and a time to stress about what they have not accomplished and that it is just the beginning of being old. I don’t believe that is the case at all. First of all, being able to celebrate another year on this earth is such a blessing. I LOVE birthdays! Secondly, I would have to say I have never loved my life as much as I do right now. I am fairly confident in who I am as a person and finally feel that things have fallen into place. Yes there are more responsibilities in this time of my life, but there is some sweetness in that stability that I am really enjoying. I feel like I can enjoy life a little more freely because I know what I like and am more put together in a sense. And seriously who wants to be a teenager their entire life?

Not this gal.

So 30 doesn’t seem so bad. I am not going to have a nervous breakdown or an existential crises because of being the big 3-0. I am ready to make the thirties my best decade yet!

And apparently I am in good company of people who are also turning 30 this year. 85 and alive!

PS. Derek Hough, we need to have a joint party some day. Just saying, our birthdays are a weekish apart. And I would make a great dance partner.

Now bring on the desserts!

May 7, 2015 by Stephanie

Relapsing Perfectionist

I am a self-proclaimed perfectionist.

I don’t like being wrong or in trouble. I like things to be squared away. I get worked up when things don’t go according to plan or I don’t meet the goals that are in place.

Being imperfect meant there was conflict, and I was not having any of that.

I have never been laid back, even though I strive to make it look like I am.

I have struggled with this anxiety for most of my life. I have had many moments of wondering what I did and how I could have improved. Many times sending me to tears of panic (or straight up panic attacks) that I have not met the bar I set for myself.

I am always concerned about what people think about me and how my reputation is viewed in the world.

Lately though, God has been putting so many things up in my face to address my perfectionist ways.

Seriously, it has been in a professional book I read, my personal devotional lessons, my women’s group devotional on Ruth, on a couple shows I watch…

I get it. I need to let some things go.

“We are saved by acknowledging our vulnerability, not by showcasing our ability.” -James C. Klagge

Here is the thing, in my perfectionist ways a lot of what I need is some sort of praise for my efforts to let me know I am doing ok. I like being recognized. I have a need to strike this weird balance of seeming to be humble and not demanding that praise, but internally my inner self is screaming for it. Really that isn’t very humble at all I realize. I don’t like asking for praise but it is definitely something that I need.

I became a perfectionist because I wanted that praise. I wanted things to be orderly and free of conflict. I wanted to feel significant. There are some deeper seeded things that have happened in my past that contributed to this which I won’t delve into here. The layers I still need to unravel for my own self-discovery and growth are many. Basically though, I wanted to be recognized on any level for the work that I was doing. I wanted to be a good kid, a good student, a good teacher, a good wife…you get the picture. It’s not really that I am in competition with others, but I am in a competition with myself. However looking back at times, I see that I came off as “better than” because I was trying so hard to attain perfection for myself. (Which is causing me some anxiety just thinking about how I may have come across…ugh the cycle of self-deprecation.)

“If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Gal 1:10

This turnaround is what gets me into trouble. I get too stuck on waiting for that praise that it becomes a vicious cycle of working to be perfect but then the pain of no one acknowledging it. When no one acknowledges it, I go down this rabbit hole of self-doubt and wondering if I could have done it better. I will beat myself down and guilt washes over me that I didn’t do my best. The should have/could haves wash over me like a tidal wave, and I have a hard time fighting back to reality.

Congratulations Steph, you changed another diaper or sent another email. There is not going to be a crowd applauding that so get over it.

However when I don’t get recognized, I become a little bitter and feel rejected. It’s just what I do. Like I said, most of the time that just sends me into a deeper frenzy of trying to find other things to be “good” at to showcase or work harder and bigger at said thing. (If you are familiar with StrengthsQuest, I believe this is a huge reason why Maximizer is one of my top Strengths.)

Other times that non-recognition comes out in the form of nagging aka adult temper tantrums. (Why didn’t you see me?Look at all the things I am doing!)

I see this nagging come out mostly with my relationship with Tom. I am sure it is because I feel most comfortable with him and on some level I know he isn’t going to leave me because of my perfectionist tendencies or bossiness. But needless to say, generally my outbursts or silent rebellions only happen with him and not my co-workers or friends. They get the other type of foolishness of trying to outdo myself.

Unfortunately, I have seen this bickering happen even more since George was born, hence the reason that God probably has been throwing up some “Get it together girl” signs in my direction.

I become irritated quickly with Tom when it seems like I am doing “all the work” but get no reward. Maybe it was the baby blues and woes of breastfeeding (that is such a one-sided/can’t be shared job) that exacerbated my perfectionist downfall, but I was a mess searching for that praise from Tom. In my head I needed him to recognize every time I spent hours washing pump parts or folded George’s onsies. I lashed out a harsh, “I’ll get it,” when George cried for the umpteenth time in the middle of the night desperate for a thank you from my slumbering husband. I became bitter when the academy started and he was gone late into the night and never felt like I got my time. I became resentful when he would come home and sit on the couch for 5 minutes while I was “slaving” over dishes. In my head all I could see was how much I was doing instead of what he had been through that day. I wanted him to help me or acknowledge me. I became a big calculator or scorekeeper, always looking to get paid back. It was about me, big ol ugly perfectionist me.

Another flaw of being a perfectionist is that I retreat when I am wrong. In my head I know I am wrong, but I dread admitting it out-loud. Once when I was a kid, I sat in our family room for an entire day refusing to admit that I said something I shouldn’t have. Stubbornness at it’s finest. I knew that I said it; I just didn’t want to say it out loud to my parents that I was wrong. I didn’t want it to be true, and I hate facing the music. Like somehow saying it out-loud would produce this dark cloud over my head that would never leave. Because sulking made me look like such an angel…I don’t know why I feel that if I admit failure, I feel that I will always be a failure. So I just hide from it instead. It is avoidance in the biggest way. I guess you could say that I am also stubborn along with the refusal that I have any ounce of bad in my body. I want the shroud of perfection to stay there, and I have some delusion that admitting faults is going to drastically change people’s perception of me. Like somehow they can’t move past that tiny indiscretion and get on with our day.

I need to remember that people don’t notice your mistakes as much as you think.

This may make Tom sound like an inconsiderate husband. I want to dispel that and say that he is indeed a fantastic husband. He shows me thanks in many ways, and I know that he does appreciate me. I also love being a mom, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to be recognized for the work that I do, even if it just about becoming a master poop cleaner-upper. My perfectionism just makes me delusional at times. Sometimes it has merit, but most of the time it just causes misplaced resentment. This is just me admitting some of my faults.

I don’t want to be the person who racked up what I did and was only looking for the recognition. I don’t want to be the person who hides in fear because I am human and had a moment of weakness.

I was feeling alone, lost, and very bitter. But I couldn’t admit it to anyone for fear of what they may say.

It became exhausting and almost paralyzing trying to win approval from others when really the only approval I need is from God.

I am never going to be perfect, but I can be me. I can be a person that God can use for His will, imperfections and all.

This is a daily struggle for me to accept hence the relapsing perfectionist.

But all I can do is be better than who I was yesterday and show deep care for those who come into my life.

This past month I have really been trying to embrace some of these lessons of letting things go and not being as concerned with getting praise. But with that, I also am learning to be more open with Tom about things that I need as well instead of just silently glaring at him waiting for his attention and putting him on notice because he didn’t do this arbitrary thing that I never asked him to do in the first place. I am trying to remember that he is not a mind-reader. I am trying to recognize the things that Tom does and not in relation to what I am doing. I am really trying not to dwell on things and move on. I am trying to see that perfect isn’t always the best. I am trying to understand that even if I make a mistake that it doesn’t define my whole being.

If you look throughout the Bible, there are scads of imperfect people that are doing His Will. God looks past our faults and still uses us. That is pretty comforting. In fact the more I dive into the Bible, I see it is through this that we make our impact.

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So this is me, a perfectionist, admitting quite publicly that I don’t have it all together.

That’s has to mean something, right?……You don’t have to acknowledge that.

May 6, 2015 by Stephanie

Fit for Me 18/52

What I did last week:

Saturday-I did a 1.5 mile walk with the dogs AND George. I have been too scared to attempt this until now. However with Tom’s weird schedule the past two weeks, he hasn’t been able to help with the dogs as much. And chasing them in the backyard just wasn’t cutting the crazy down. So I wrapped George to my chest, where he promptly fell asleep, and then hung on for dear life. This ended up being more of a workout that a normal walk because I am fairly certain my whole body was tensed up the whole time afraid I would lose the reigns. But we were successful in making a lap around the neighborhood, and we even passed another dog without any major freakouts. I don’t think we will do this often, but now I know that I can if the dogs are driving me crazy enough.

Sunday-I took the dogs on a one hour walk/run sans George. We found a tunnel on the golf course near our house. It was fun to explore a little with them.

Tuesday-1 hour BodyPump. I made it through every track but Shoulders. That track is always the enemy…

Impressed by:

Conquering a walk with all the kids. This is no easy feat, but we managed! And no one (but my muscles) got hurt in the process. We have a Tula on the way, so maybe I will be more inclined for more walks like this in future with that carrier.

Struggled with:

I had a couple days where I just didn’t want to work out, so I didn’t. But honestly, with assuming the role of single parent these past two weeks, I sat on the couch guilt free. Sometimes you just need to sit on your butt.

Did I meet my goal from last week?

Um no. There were no planks on my agenda at all.

What is my goal for next week?

Go “hiking” on Mother’s Day.

Fitness Thoughts:

I just want to mark the week that I am finally able to fit into that last pair of pants that was eluding me!!! I couldn’t find my black belly band to wear with my black work pants, so I went ahead and tried to button them. AND THEY CLOSED WITHOUT ANY PROTEST! I may have done a silent dance in my closet even though I wanted to jump on the bed and do cartwheels. But alas Tom was sleeping, so I just rejoiced very quietly. It’s taken me 8 months, but it feels so good to finally be back in ALL of my pre-pregnancy clothes. It made me feel ok about not doing any of those planks…

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May 5, 2015 by Stephanie

Conquering Mealtime

Feeding a baby can be very overwhelming.

What do you start with?

How much do you feed them?

How often do you feed them real food vs formula?

How exactly do you teach them to eat on their own?

Can I avoid them choking?

I am going to be covered in applesauce at some point in this process aren’t I?

It’s enough to make you cross-eyed.

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It can be seriously crippling to get lost in all the articles, books, and posts out there about feeding your baby from what and when to how and with what. You can spend days trying to read everything and come up with a game plan of how to attack this new part of parenthood.

I am here to help!

Well only sort of.

I have found that you can plan all you want to but ultimately your baby will be the driver of how meal time will go. So get ready to be messy.

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I had full intentions of doing BLW all the way, but George said differently. He hasn’t taken to all things solid. I have said it before that some days he will only do purees, and then other days he can’t get that toast in his mouth fast enough. Most days he could go either way as long as food is entering his body.

Exhibit A:

It is an exercise in patience and flexibility.

But beyond the food, you do need some good products like a bib and utensils. Otherwise every meal time means bath time.

I am here to share my favorites to help you in your search. Because we all have opinions.

First a bib.

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We love love love Snap Bibs.

I hate cleaning, so in my search I needed something that was going to make this messy process easy. These are a snap (put intended) to clean. The food sticks on the vinyl like material while they are eating but doesn’t stain it. (Caveat, it does stain the back a little. So if you have a munchkin who likes to fold up the bib and try to eat the bib with his messy hands, you will get stains on the back. But no one sees this part anyway.) Once he is done, I either take a baby wipe and wipe them off, let the dogs lick it (truth), or just run it under the faucet. We have used the same one for almost every meal for 4 months and the front looks as good as when we first bought it. It’s nice too when you are traveling because then you aren’t putting a messy bib into the diaper bag.

I will also note that I have even not wiped it immediately after he ate which caused the food to dry on there. You may think that the bib is doneso, but nope. Still just as easy to get the food off by just wiping it with a wet cloth or again just put it under the faucet.

Snap Bibs for the win.

These bibs are super sturdy. Unlike Velcro bibs, they stay put even with all the flailing and moving about little man does.

They come in all kinds of colors, so you have a lot of options. I have tried to limit myself and not buy all the colors. We have three. But seriously we need all the colors.

These are one of my favorite baby purchases, which I have a feeling we will be using well into the toddler years.

All they need to do is find a way to make a baby feeding suit out of these things….somehow there is always food in his hair.

Now the utensils.

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I actually tried around with a few different products.

We have really tried to make George independent throughout this process. Soon after we started, I made him take the spoon. There were several spoons that we tried but he just was having a hard time holding and maneuvering in his mouth.

Then it came down to what was actually making it to his mouth. Babies are not all that coordinated if you didn’t know…I can confirm that they are like tiny drunks…So you need to have a spoon that is going to keep things on the spoon on the way in, even with lots of tosses and turns.

Some spoons were too slick. Some had too deep of wells that he couldn’t get everything out. Some were too short.

Then we fell upon Oogaa products.

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Everything about these spoons have been perfect.

They are long enough for him to hold. The spoon isn’t too deep that he can’t get it all out. It’s silicone nature keeps things from sliding off too much. My praises are endless…

Silicone makes them easy to clean. Seeing a theme here? (Easy to clean is my number one priority.)

These bad boys can go in the dishwasher, but they are super easy to hand-wash because under water the stickiness comes right off.

I also love that these can double up as a teether. They are not hard on his gums like a lot of plastic or metal baby spoons. This is a must when I am not moving fast enough to get new food in front of him. The spoon gives me a little distraction time while he munches on them.

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We love the regular spoons and use them ALL the time. However, we also love the more fun spoons. There is a train, truck, plane, and tugboat. These help with making meal time fun and engaging. This can also help your older kids become involved in the process. George isn’t quite at the stage where he knows what these things are but it is still fun to play with him. Plus these make good handles for him.

I was worried at first with these particular spoons because they have a deep space/hole in the back where I just envisioned all the food to collect. But even caked on food comes off easily under the faucet or the dishwasher. No more fuss!

We are still in the stage that every thing just goes on the tray so he can explore it. So we really haven’t had too much in the plate department for George to use. But I do love using Oogaa bowls to cook oatmeal in! Again easy to clean and goes in the microwave. Can’t get better than that. I talked more about their bowls here.

What can I say, we love our Oogaas!

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We still haven’t found the sippy cup for us. George hasn’t figured out how to tip and doesn’t get the straw idea yet. And if I am going to have to hold him to tip him back it defeats the purpose of him drinking independently. We are kind of putting the search on hold really because I don’t want to shell out any money. We are going to try again in a month with those that we have.

Those are just two of the items that have made our feeding adventure a little less stressful for me. George just wants the food in his mouth, so the easiest way to do that for Mom is the best way for him.

These are both small businesses started by moms wanting better products for their own kids. I found both of these through Instagram.

I did not receive the Snap Bibs for a review, but I did receive Oogaa spoons complimentary for testing purposes as an Oogaa Brand Partner. All thoughts and opinions are mine, and George’s of course!

What products would you recommend? Do you just feed your kids in the bathtub to fix the mess?

May 1, 2015 by Stephanie

Your Questions Answered Round Two

Thank you for coming back for Round Two of Questions. You can read the first round here.

Royals

First, can I just say how happy it made me to have a whole category of questions for my Royals? If you have been here much at all, you know that I do love that baseball.

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(Janelle) How about these ROYALS?!?!? I am so excited about this year. They have gotten off to a great start, however they definitely have a target on their back. I really enjoyed this article yesterday after we saw yet another one of our players get hit at bat. I have always enjoyed watching the Royals play, and finally our way of playing is getting noticed. These are just guys living out their dream of being all stars and having fun while doing it. I feel like that is how every major sports star should be. You can’t knock the Royals for doing it, even though everyone now thinks we are hotheads. We’ll still be in Kauffman having a ball.

(Kevin) Favorite Royals player of all-time? I am going to be that person that says George Brett. My brother and I used to idolize over him, and we coveted our GB baseball cards. My dad also did the Fantasy Camp last year. This is basically where normal people can go play with big leaguers for a week. It’s like you are a baseball star. They play real games, get to be in the dugouts and locker rooms, get jerseys, the whole shabang. Your team coaches are all famous Royals players. My dad was on George’s team for the week. From my dad’s real life interactions and everything that I have read about him, he seems to be a down to earth guy with the Royals’ best interest at heart. And it is hard not to love him when you see his reaction to plays and genuine passion for our boys in blue. So I feel connected to him in some way. Also my George is kind of sort of named after him. (Just kidding, but only sort of.)

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(Kevin) Favorite current Royals player? I would have to say Mike Moustakas. Time and time again he has made some amazing plays. He also seems like a great down to earth individual and great team player. I love a lot of people on the roster right now though. It’s hard not to love Cain, Hosmer, Gordon, and Salvy.

Leisure

(Leslie) If you could travel anywhere where would it be? I want to go to Africa. I really want to do a safari. Like bad.

(Leslie) If you could only watch one movie for the rest of your life what would it be? Singing in the Rain. A little bit of romance, a little bit of comedy, and a lot of singing and dancing. Yes please.

(Melissa) When are you visiting Iowa? I will actually be in Iowa in August! I am so excited to come up for a wedding and see a whole lot of people while we are there! Tom and I talk all the time about how we miss Iowa. CAN.NOT.WAIT. I miss these ladies!

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(Ellen) Who are you rooting for to win DWTS this season? Ahh I was rooting for Derek and Nastia, because well I am obsessed with Derek. I am still rooting for Nastia even though Derek seems to be out for the rest of the competition due to some stupid klutziness on his part. For the ultimate mirror ball trophy, I really want Allison and Riker to win. They are so sharp, and I love Allison’s choreography paired with Riker’s personality. They are a fantastic match!

(Annette) What are your favorite documentaries you would recommended? Anything Ken Burns is good. He does a lot of different subjects and does a mini docu-series. I also loved Vietnam in HD and WWII in HD. On a lighter note, I enjoyed the Science of Dogs.

(Ellen) Favorite TED Talk? You know, I don’t think I can honestly say that I have one. It has been awhile since I have watched one, and those that I have watched have not been so profound to leave a lasting effect. Do people have ones to recommend?

Crafts

(Leslie) What has been your favorite craft project? My favorite craft project (besides crocheting) would have to be these yellow pieces of art. Tom hates them, but I win the decorating argument, and I love them. I made them while Tom was in Basic, and was one of the projects that sparked a conversation about crafting my way through his deployment and the birth of this blog. Here are the instructions since I did this prior to being a blogger.

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(Melissa) What is your recommendation for a first time crochet project (something easy but still makes you feel like you accomplished something)? I would say a scarf or a baby blanket are great starters. These are both small scale projects and can be done simply. A scarf is probably what I would start with just so you can get the rhythm down. I think people start with too small of needles and trying to do too intricate of stitches. Then they make the stitches too tight or vary in the tight and loose so it looks more holey in some areas. You want to start with a big fat needle and the basic single stitch. Once you have that down, then you can move on to more complicated things. My first attempt at crocheting was atrocious as are most people who begin, so in all honesty you probably don’t want to bank on that first project being anything special. It really is something you have to practice on so you can get a feel of how the yarn moves with the weaving so you are consistent with each stitch, which is not as easy at it sounds. I am planning on doing a post sometime this summer on how to start crocheting and some of my favorite Youtube tutorials.

(Robin) When did you start crocheting, and what inspired you to do this? I started crocheting when I was seven years old. My dad taught me. I just did straight lines up until undergrad when I started making blankets for my fraternity auction every year. I though it was time for a change, and ever since then I try to learn a new stitch or at least do a different pattern on every project I start. Pinterest and Youtube also helped with showing me all kinds of different techniques that I was too scared to try for almost 15 years. It is probably my favorite crafty thing to do. I can pick it up whenever. I can travel with crochet in the car. I have taken it to the movie theater with me. It is one of those things that helps me relax but I also feel like I am accomplishing something in my downtime. (Which as an Achiever this is very important.)

(Robin) Have you ever considered knitting? I have tried knitting. I learned how to do it in college, but I lost the skill after a few years. I honestly found it confusing and with having done crocheting for so many years, I just reverted back to that technique. Crochet only has one needle so it was easier in my book.

Random

(Amanda) What Disney princess are you most like? Hands down Belle. However, a recent Facebook quiz/mind-reader said that I was more like Pocahontas. I am pretty partial to Belle though because of the love for books.

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(Amanda) What is your favorite food? Healthy answer is fruit of any variety, unhealthy answer is mac and cheese of any variety.

(Amanda) What is your favorite flower? Daisies, but I also LOVE poppies. I do not like roses.

(Katie) Is there a meaning behind your blog title? Yes there is! I wrote a whole post on it here. The gist of it though to quote myself: I want to always be looking for positives and be ever thankful. No matter how gray or blah it may be with the storm, there is always a yellow umbrella. (I like this better than the silver lining garb.) So I want to always be finding my yellow in this world. I did go with “my” instead of “the” because it is my journey which may seem narcissistic, but I think at times we do need to focus on ourselves. What I may find positive may not be the same experience for someone else. I can only control my attitude so this is just to help me focus along the way to be a more positive light.

(Katie) What is your biggest pet peeve? Having a meeting start late, or other participants of a meeting not showing up. I hate going to the doctor for the sole reason that I always end up waiting. I think it is stupid to have a set meeting time and have me put in the effort to schedule this time when you can’t even keep it. And most of the time it’s not just a 15 minute wait. Just stupid. I might as well take off the whole day for the doctor. I also get really frustrated at work when people make an appointment with me and do not show without any notice. There was one week when every day I was only meeting 1 out of the 6 appointments I had in a day. I was peeved to say the least. I hate it because I feel like I can’t get any quality work done because I am always waiting on someone else’s time. I just think the whole thing is disrespectful to waste my time when an appointment is made and it can’t be kept.

(Elizabeth) What is your “tell” when you’re sad or upset? I bite my lip. Its a reflex to try to not cry. I also become more quiet and a little sulky. This wasn’t your question, but when I am concentrating really hard, I stick my tongue out. I do this a lot when I am exercising hard. It sounds silly, but I am pretty sure this is hereditary. My brother does this and so did my great grandfather.

(Elizabeth) What is one thing you’d like to go back and tell teenage Stephanie? Not to worry so much. Things will work out. I have always been a pretty anxious person, so I wish I could tell myself to relax a little bit and not be so uptight. I need to tell 29 year old Stephanie this some days. Also that hamsters are a very bad idea as a pet.

So there you have it. Thanks for playing along and giving me some great questions.