Birth Doula Film

I just found this trailer for a film about Birth Doula's. If anyone out there isn't quite sure what I will be doing in my near future...here is a glimpse http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRc36qMxNak&feature=related . Most of the births I attend will most likely be hospital births...although I am very lucky to have one homebirth in the works!!! I am so honored and lucky to get to do what I love. What a special part of life to get to witness!!

Yoga Rant

I assume I must be PMSing... because I just got out of my yoga class and I'm feeling like bitching. Just a few things I want to get off of my chest if you don't mind. All of you that go to yoga (or any other class for that matter) can keep these things in mind if you want to...

1) WHY do people feel they need to walk up and SMACK their mat down on the floor or FLING it out as loud as they can on the way to laying it down. I like to get to yoga early and relax for a minute and get into the space before class starts, and some nights I lay there listening to smacking mats for 10 minutes straight. There are quieter ways to put your mat down.

2) Here is a situation that has happened TWICE in a row now and for some reason it drives me CRAZY...
When someone walks in the room and there isn't a space for them to put their mat down because everyone wants to have a giant space around themselves and the room is full...MOVE OVER and let the guy put his mat down. TWICE in a row I have been right next to someone who is trying to take up an entire row (along with the person next to them) and then someone walks in with a mat, walks around the room a few times Looking for a place to settle...and nobody does ANYTHING...and then they try and squeeze their mat in between the props on up in the very front where the teacher usually is.... and then I yell out "hey...it looks like "we" can make some room for you back here...and then I look at the people to my right who suddenly realize that hey...what do you know??? And they simply move just a few inches closer and open up a whole new space. AMAZING isn't it??? Then I get a huge "thank you" from a few people, and a few glares from others...if you don't want to accidently graze someones fingertips as you are flying forward then don't come to class, do yoga in the privacy of your own home or something.

And this 3rd thing doesn't have to do with yoga...and is so controversial here in Portland but I can't help it....IF YOU ARE GOING TO RIDE YOUR BIKE, DON'T DO IT ON THE MAIN ROAD WITH LOTS OF TRAFFIC AND NO BIKE LANE. It's not that hard to go one block up or down and be safe so that you aren't taking up the whole busy road and backing up traffic at five o'clock for two miles because you feel like you own the street. I ride my bike a lot. I don't want to get hit, and stay off of main car roads. It's so much safer and faster and better.

There. I did it. I'm usually so good at keeping my lip zipped, but I just had to get a few things off of my chest.

My heart feels heavy because

Updates for this post are in this beautiful color =)

1- An earthquake and tsunami in Japan has left thousands and thousands of people dead, missing, and homeless. I just can't imagine how the survivors must feel, and what they have been dealing with.

2- They say a "twin" to that earthquake will happen HERE anytime...could be tomorrow, could be in 50 years, but it WILL happen, and Portland is nowhere near as prepared as they are in Japan. None of our bridges would survive, none of our schools would survive....can you remind me again why we live here?

3-There is a chance that a big plume of cancer causing radiation could head our way from Japan, affecting our health, our soil that we rely on to grow our food, and our abilities to go outside safely. We live in a really rainy city. We love the rain. We love to walk in it and feel in fall on our cheeks. Being afraid of the rain just seems scary and wrong.

4- Earthquakes tend to happen near a full moon. Tomorrow's full moon will be closer to the earth than it's been in 18 years, making it's pull extra strong, and the probability of earthquakes higher.

5- It seems a war with Libya is imminent. It will be the third war that our country is involved in. Tragic!

6- My horoscope told me this...
The full moon of March 19, in Virgo, operative plus or minus four days from the date of the moon's appearance, will pull your attention toward your career and reputation in your industry. This could initially be a tense time, as Uranus will oppose this moon and create some sort of challenge that comes without warning. Mercury will oppose Saturn on the day before, March 18, and be part of the message of the full moon, an indication you will have to stay very practical and realistic through this episode.
There was some real truth to this so I would like to say what happened. Of course it was nothing as gruesome as I was imagining...but it turned out to be true!! I had scheduled to go to a doula meeting on March 18th (the night it says) if I didn't end up called into work. I was not called in that day so proceeded to the meeting that I have been excited about for weeks. I drove around and walked around a single block over and over for about a half hour trying to find the address that the woman emailed me. I even called Myles so he could confirm it by my email. After no luck and no response from the woman in charge I came home in tears...so confused about what my problem was. She ended up emailing me late that night to apologize and say that she forgot to send me the updated email with the new address and blah blah blah...so there was my challenge having to do with my career! Weird eh??

but even more troubling is this part of my horoscope...
Neptune opposition Saturn: A new perception
Mid March 2011 until mid January 2013: This is an extremely significant time, but it is not usually very pleasant. During this period some aspect of your reality will be severely challenged in such a way that you will not know for a time what is real and what is not. Your sense of proportion will be distorted so that you place too much importance upon matters that do not deserve such emphasis and perhaps ignore the matters that really are important. And the matters that you are overemphasizing are those that make you afraid and fearful. In fact the chief problem with this influence is that it produces fear and anxiety for no apparent reason. With this influence you should always keep in mind the fact that things are almost certainly not as bad as they look.
This is all totally true as well (as per all of my worries above). I realize that many things are not in my hands, and happen for reasons that we don't understand...and I'm feeling much less stressed and much more faithful in what is meant to be. I just need to remember this for a while though, as it looks like this one will last another year and a half =(

does anyone out there believe in astrology? Do you let it affect you? I try to ignore it, and tell myself that I'm NOT going to look up these things anymore...but these words have been weighing me down for over a month now. I'm just glad the middle of March, and the full moon will be here tomorrow. We will see what's in store for me, and how bad it really is...

Yankie Doodle

This is Adelaide's favorite song right now. She was a little distracted at the end because her daddy got home from work right as she was singing...

Little ballerina

I found another little swim suite with a tutu attached just like one Adelaide had last year. I told her that she is going to take some ballet classes in a few weeks, but for now she is practicing at home. I have no idea how to do ballet, but I'm trying to teach her anyway... I also found some really cute little ballet slippers that I gave her. What she doesn't know is that there is another little ballet outfit that she gets to wear to her class =)

Her first tutu last February

Bubble Beard

If only you could hear the belly laugh that came along with this face!

The small things

Every now and then I come across something that really REALLY inspires me. It doesn't happen very often, but sometimes I get knocked off my feet. This time I have been so moved, inspired, crazy about another blog, and another mother. She knows how to say the things that I have never found the words to say about certain feelings I have.

If you want to read something that will change your life - and if nothing else, you will at least get a good cry AND a taste of life so raw and real...click right here. Be sure to grab a few tissues first, and please leave a comment to tell me what you think.

I have yet to read much of this woman's blog, but everything I have read has related to me in some way or another, in such a beautiful way. I know you other mothers out there will really love it. She sets the bar high!

Motorcycle girl with her frog in the front

Well you can't exactly SEE the frog, but I promise it's right under the pink helmet =)

Breakfast for a fairy

They say that we can expect an earthquake just like the one they had in Japan at anytime. They say to be prepared, but nobody says how. They say to be ready...but how do you get ready for something like that. For now I pray for Japan. And sometimes I wonder if maybe we should move.

New Jean Jacket

Keeping really Busy!!!

We have been busy having fun, and will be even busier next month. My sister got Adelaide a gift certificate to the Playground Gym for two months!!! Thank you so much aunt Jessie - you really didn't have to do that for us!! Today we went to our first "explorers" class and Adelaide had a blast. She is currently not able to hop or jump with two feet, but is good at trying! Today she did lot's of practice jumping and hopping. I can tell that she does gain confidence in her body and abilities with just one of these classes. Tomorrow we are going to try out a "growing yogi" class just to see which one we like best. The yoga class is made for kids her age and might also be really good for her to get more acquainted with her body. Either way, we will be going once a week for the next two months, so I am excited to report her progress! That place is just the perfect thing for this rainy city. She gets so much good exercise and gets to be around other kids.

I also signed her up for a little "ballet for two" class for the month of April. I am really excited to see how she likes that. I guess we will have to go out and find her a tutu now? I have no idea what she is supposed to wear to that kind of a thing. Yesterday she was pretending to be a ballerina, so she does have some idea of what it means.

AND she and Myles will start swimming classes in April. The classes are on Saturday mornings, and I know they will have so much fun together. Adelaide is such a fish. Yesterday I took her swimming at a heated pool. There were other kids that were older that kept diving to the bottom to find toys. She really watched them swim and dive, and she wanted to go under too. I am NOT good at going under the water myself, but didn't want my own issues to effect her feelings, so I held her and made her dive ALL OF THE WAY UNDER. I was so scared, but when I pulled her back up she didn't even cough or fuss at all. She was a bit surprised and her hair was all in her eyes, but she seemed fine with it. I know she will be a good swimmer as she gets older.

One last class will be my birth doula training that starts in April as well. Two nights a week from 6-9 pm and one full Saturday. That will last two months, and then I will need to do a bunch of other stuff, but my training will pretty much be done! I'm so excited to start the process. And to add to all of this, I'm on call Friday, Saturday AND Sunday this week - so right now I'm really hoping there isn't a need for me for all of those days. I am kicking myself for volunteering to work so much this month, but I know there is still so much to learn, and next month is really not so bad. Last weekend was my first weekend on call, and there were NO babies...so I didn't get to/have to work at all. This will be interesting as far as income is concerned! It's a weird feeling knowing that you are on call and just waiting for someone to call you... It's going to take some getting used to!

We are really sad to say that we won't be watching Jai on Wednesdays anymore. I haven't really explained it to Adelaide yet. They have moved about 2 hours away so we are really excited to go visit them and also see them when they come here, but it won't be such a regular thing. Adelaide has been talking about him non stop, and she keeps saying "Jai jai comes on WEDNESDAYS"...but I just don't know how to tell her that he won't be anymore =(. I guess that is part of life right? I think that's why I've decided to sign her up for so many other things. Gotta keep the girl busy and out of the house!

Putting good use to their rain boots

Happy Birthday Dr Seuss!



Adelaide and I made this hat at Pottery Barn for Kids today. We used a paper plate, piece of white paper, and some red streamers. So simple and so cute. She has been wearing it and showing it off all day.



Playground Gym for Gigi's birthday

We were invited to a super fun birthday party at The Playground Gym. Adelaide had so much fun, and I really saw her grow in that little time we were there. It was amazing and so fun. They set up all kinds of things for her to challenge her body and her balance. I think her favorite part was the parachute. This was also the first time to see her have to follow directions given by another adult, and I think she did a great job. You could really tell how proud of herself she was after accomplishing some of the tasks. They have some other great classes there, but the place is expensive! If anyone wants to get Adelaide a gift for Easter or another holiday, please consider a gift card to the Playground Gym!! Right now she is in the age range for yoga, and another parent/child class. They offer one free class, so we are hoping to try it out soon and see how she likes it.

Sitting on the red line - she looks so proud!!

Backs against the wall!

Broccoli anyone??

Our friends. They are such a cute family. I knew Mac way back in my high school days.



so maybe she doesn't ALWAYS follow directions!?

Buddha and Adelaide BFF

Daddy drew this for Adelaide

Snow in February

Our goodnight prayers

This is a Waldorf prayer that I got from the book "Heaven on Earth". We light the candle and say the prayer, and then Adelaide blows the candle out. It's a very special part of the day and I think a great way to end the night. I will post the words to the prayer below =)

Guardian Angels whom we love
Shine on us from above
Now I lay me down to sleep
I pray the lord my soul to keep
and in the morning when I wake
show me the path of LOVE to take

Amen
blessings on our sleep

More amazing dance moves

Keep your eyes peeled for the cutest little butt wiggle towards the end. Sorry it's so dark!