Your questions... answered!

Last week, Micah and I gave you guys the chance to ask us questions, and boy did you deliver!  So, without further ado, here are your questions and our answers! 

From Laura to Ryan:  Maybe this is really superficial, but you have gorgeous hair... care to share your routine and favorite products?

Ryan:  You are seriously so sweet, Laura.  I don't always do the same things (when I grow up, I want to be more consistent), but there are a few recurring themes in my haircare routine.  (1)  I switch out shampoo/conditioner often.  My faves are Redkin's All Soft line, John Frieda Brilliant Brunette products, and Biolage's Hydrotherapie line.  (2)  I almost always wash my hair at night and style it in the morning once it's dry.  I switch out straightening and using and a curling iron to create loose curls.  (I'm still loyal to Chi straighteners, and I couldn't live without my Hot Tools 1 1/4-inch curling iron.)  (3)  I try and only wash my hair every three days to avoid over-styling it.  (4) And my favorite little secret?  Kerastase's Elixir Ultime.  It's pretty pricey, but it makes all the difference in the world for my hair -- smoothes, shines, and makes styling easier.

From Joy to Micah:  What are you most nervous about raising a little girl?

Micah:  The teenage years make me nervous - school drama, dating, etc. I’m not sure how I’ll handle everything. Good thing I have several years to prepare!

From Joy to Ryan:  What is your favorite meal to cook?

Ryan:  This might be silly, but I really love making biscuits and gravy with Micah.  I always man the gravy, and Micah takes care of the homemade biscuits.  He makes a fabulous biscuit.

From Joy to Micah and Ryan:  What nicknames will each of you have for Grace?

Ryan:  My mom often called me Sweet Pea, so I feel sure I'll call Grace that, as well.  I also anticipate a lot of Princess, Pumpkin, Lovey Bug, and, of course, Gracie.

Micah:  I’m certain that other nicknames will develop over the years, but for now, she’s Gracy. I prefer Grac[y], but, her mom prefers Grac[ie] (which you probably noticed from her response). Either way, I can’t tell the difference when pronounced with a –y or –ie!

From Jessica to Micah and Ryan:  One habit that the other possesses that you are not fond of?

Ryan:  Ha, I love this one.  (And I can say that because I love almost everything about Micah.)  My sweet husband is just slightly OCD.  And while this is mostly a fabulous thing (because it means he is neat and tidy and doesn't mind helping around the house), sometimes it means that projects that I think should take 10 minutes end up taking an hour because he has to do it perfectly.  Hanging pictures together can be dangerous for us...

Micah:  Trick question, right? I’d have to say that it has to be all the shoes scattered around the house that can’t seem to find their way to the closet.

From Kaitlyn to Micah:  What does Micah do for a living?

Micah:  I’m a Civil Engineer, and I work for a consulting engineering firm.

From Kaitlyn to Micah and Ryan:  What are you both looking forward to as parents?

Ryan:  Oh wow.  For me, the idea of simply knowing Grace is most intriguing.  While I certainly believe that the things Micah and I will do as parents will shape her in a significant way, I also believe that God has already given her an identity that is entirely her own.  I can't wait to see her personality develop and to watch her become the person He intends her to be.

Micah:  I’m very excited about the special father-daughter connection that fathers and daughters tend to have. I see this between Ryan and her dad, and I notice this developing between my niece and brother-in-law.

From Kaitlyn to Ryan: Did you have a different life plan when you majored in Biochem? Or did you plan on becoming a lawyer all along?

Ryan:  I actually planned on going to pharmacy school when I started college.  But after spending hours in the lab and breaking a ridiculous amount of round-bottomed flasks, I figured that mixing others' medications probably wasn't the best fit, even though I really loved learning the concepts of chemistry and biology.  Right around that time, I had accidentally ended up in a business law course that I really liked.  After talking to the pre-law advisor at my school, I started looking into law school and ended up doing moot court competitions in undergrad.  I fell in love, and it was all downhill from there.

From Kristen to Ryan:  Have you ever considered leaving the DFW area or is this the place for y'all?

Ryan:  Nope.  Dallas is home.  When we lived in Houston for the three years that I went to law school there, we were counting down the days until we could move back to Dallas.  We're both homebodies and love being close to our families, so it was incredibly hard.  I think Micah would divorce me if I ever asked him to move away again. ;)

From Emily and Charlotte to Ryan:  Do you plan using a baby carrier (Moby or the like)? If so, what one? There are so many options!

Ryan:  You're so right - there are too many options!  I registered for a BabyBjorn, but after doing a little more research on the Moby, I think I might switch to that one.  I plan on having it available so that I can use it if needed, but I don't plan on "wearing" Grace all the time. 

From Emily to Ryan:  Do you plan on co-sleeping or using a cradle/bassinet when she is a newbie?

Ryan:  We're actually going to use the Fisher Price Rock 'N Play for the first several weeks.  (It's what my sister-in-law used, and she couldn't say enough great things about it.)  I'm really, really hoping to establish good sleep habits early on, and if she sleeps with us, I'm afraid it will be too hard (for both her AND me) to transition to a crib later.  I know it works for a lot of parents, but I just don't think it's the right fit for Micah and me.

From Emily to Ryan:  What made you decide to go to law school and what is your favorite area of law?

Ryan:  Hopefully my response to Kaitlyn's question above answers the first part of this one for you, Emily. :)  My favorite area of the law is the one in which I practice:  patent litigation.  Essentially, I represent parties who have invented something and whose patents have been infringed by others.  (Although occasionally we represent the defendant, rather than the inventor.)  We fight over whether the patent is valid and whether the defendant is actually using the invention in their products.  It's a fun area of the law, and I've been to trial three times now (with another one coming up in March!).  I also really loved criminal law in law school.  I interned with the Harris County District Attorney's Office and had an amazing experience but ultimately decided that it would take too much a toll on my emotions; I left every day feeling sad and drained, even though I knew I was doing a great thing for the community.

From Charlotte to Ryan:  Thoughts on your first vacation with Grace? Destinations?

Ryan:  I have a feeling our first vacation with Grace will be to South Padre Island here in Texas.  My dad's side of the family goes every year, and although I don't know if we'll make it this year (since Grace will still be so teeny at that point), I'm definitely hoping to be able to go next year.

From Charlotte to Ryan:  What shows are you into right now? Are you watching Bachelor? Thoughts?

Ryan:  It's funny that you ask that because I was just telling Micah that I don't feel like we're watching much good TV lately.  We usually end up watching re-runs of The Big Bang Theory on TBS (LOVE that show!).  I do still DVR new episodes of Grey's Anatomy and The Vampire Diaries and try and watch those when Micah's not around.  We also usually watch The Bachelor on Monday nights (poor Micah).  I'm actually enjoying this season way more than I thought I would.  Sean's a really, really nice guy, and I've enjoyed watching him get to know all the girls in the house (but he needs to kick Tierra to the curb).  We'll also definitely be tuning in when Duck Dynasty starts airing new shows again.

And, as a bonus, I'm throwing in this video.  It's black because Micah was secretly filming after we had gotten into bed and were about to go to sleep.  But what you hear is the second half of a contest between us.  We were both trying to do our best Christian Bale Batman impression.  Micah had already done his (and conveniently failed to film that part), and this was my... attempt at saying, "I'm Batman."  (And the subsequent whining after Micah asks me to do it again.)

  Thank you all again so much for joining in on the fun last week. We had a blast answering all of your questions and hope you had fun getting to know us both a little more. :)