QOTW: Birthdays! May 5th

[TulipsAndSunscreen]

1. Do you like your birthdate? Why or why not?
Now I do, it's the first day of spring! I like being born in the spring although it annoyed me in HS that it was always spring break. My parents flat out forgot one year because we were on a spring break skiing trip. When I realized they'd probably forgotten, I didn't mention it for a few days in case I was wrong. Nope, they forgot.

2. Do you care about your birthday? Birthdays in general?
Not a big deal to me. I loved C's second birthday and I know I'll like all my kids birthdays but not a big deal to me personally. They're a big deal to DH's family (they always try to squeeze in a visit) but it's a really bad time in residency to come visit (August) so I've fended them off for all but his 30th birthday.

3. Are there any occasions that seem to steal the spotlight from or overshadow your birthday or from those in your families?
C's birthday is on/near MLK. D's birthday is on (this year) or near Thanksgiving. It's annoying but I'm not going to make a huge deal out of it. We have family friends whose nephew is a Christmas day baby and I remember the mom lamenting EVERY year that her nephew's mom (her SIL) declared that after noon on Christmas was her son's birthday and all attention had to turn to him. As a mom, I'm sympathetic but I don't think that making all the other kids pretend it's not Christmas is fair either.

4. Birthday cake. Pick a flavor?
Yellow cake, milk chocolate butter cream.

5. How many candles are on it for your next birthday?
32

6. Any birthday traditions?
Pick dinner and dessert. For my girls, I write in a journal for them each birthday (DH writes on Valentine's Day). I talk about their years, what I'm praying for them, and how much I love them. I'm hoping it's a fun memento to look back on for them when they're 21.

7. Pick a three material gifts for yourself. One must be less than $25. One must be between $50-$100. One must be over $1000.
Less than $25, a new pair of shorts. I live in the south, how do I have two pairs of shorts total?
Under $100, dinner with DH
>$1,000 - trip to Australia and a new DSLR

8. Did you have birthday parties as a kid? Do you have them as an adult? Do you like them?
No, not now or then. I don't love being the center of attention and I felt awkward about them as a kid. I did, however, want to be the kid whose parents WANTED them to have a party or were willing to have one. Even though I didn't super, duper want one, I was sad that my parents were like, yeah, we just don't feel like doing that.

9. Do you know your birth story? Anything interesting or fun you want to share?
I was a crash C-section after meconium staining @ 43 weeks (I was due 2/28 and born 3/20). They knocked my mom out completely and gave her too much epidural. She woke up and asked about me because she was alone (my dad was with me) and they wouldn't tell her if I was a girl or a boy (in her telling, seems odd to me but that's her recollection) so she thought I died. Since the last thing she remembered was the ceiling tiles as they ran to the OR, she assumed I'd died and they were waiting for my dad to tell her.

So, yeah, pretty traumatic. My little brother was a RCS and it was totally fine. Still, she terrified me about CS my whole life so I was glad I had vaginal births.

[ladymoreta]

1. Do you like your birthdate? Why or why not?
July 12. It's fine now, but growing up I didn't like that it was in the summer, and I didn't get to celebrate at school. Later, though, when I started going to summer camps, it was fun because I'd get a party there and when I got home.

2. Do you care about your birthday? Birthdays in general?
I like to celebrate them, but I don't make them a huge deal.

3. Are there any occasions that seem to steal the spotlight from or overshadow your birthday or from those in your family?
My birthday is the July 12, my dad's is July 13, and my mom's is July 14. We'd always have a group party, but I was the one in the spotlight. Also, my sister's birthday is May 19, and DH's is May 20.

4. Birthday cake. Pick a flavor?
Spice cake with cream cheese frosting

5. How many candles are on it for your next birthday?
33

6. Any birthday traditions?
Not really. We usually go out to eat and give presents. Sometimes we make a cake, but not every year. We have parties for our kids.

7. Pick a three material gifts for yourself. One must be less than $25. One must be between $50-$100. One must be over $1000.
<$25: Amazon gift card for ordering books on my Kindle
$50-100: Clothes
>$1000: New living room furniture

8. Did you have birthday parties as a kid? Do you have them as an adult? Do you like them?
Yes, they were mainly family (I had a large extended family). I could usually invite 1 or 2 friends. No parties now, but we usually go out to eat or cook a special dinner. I like parties, but I prefer to keep them simple (ordering pizza or something) so I can spend more time visiting with my guests and less time cooking/preparing.

9. Do you know your birth story? Anything interesting or fun you want to share?
I was a little early, maybe a week. My mom's water broke, but she didn't start having contractions for a long time. My grandparents came to the hospital, and they were all just sitting around playing cards. I think my grandparents left because nothing was happening. Her contractions picked up fast, and I was born before an epidural was even an option. She shared a room with a mother who'd just given birth to twin boys. They were talking, and the other mom said she had two older boys - they'd been trying for a girl. Mom said she decided right then she was fine with two girls and didn't want to risk trying for a boy!