New Blog

I have a new blog for the natural childbirth fanatic side of me! Seriously though I put together a blog to promote my classes and share information on natural childbirth. If you know anyone who might be interested in learning more about what I do you can send them either one of my links:
http://www.bradleybirth.com/ndweb.asp?ID=C549
http://alyssasnaturalchildbirthclass.blogspot.com/

Another LDS woman's perspective on natural childbirth

Here is an exert from a birth story from one of my students. She gave me permission to share it and I felt that this was such a beautiful message to all of my LDS friends that I had to post it. A quick background: Laurisa and Darin had 2 babies prior to this birth, both born with an epidural. While pregnant with her third she began looking into natural childbirth and found Dr. Bradley's book and next thing we new she was in my class.

"I have learned so much about my body and about God and His plan from this experience.
God did not create women to bear children and not be able to handle childbirth! No- He made us powerful. Our bodies are amazing. Yeah, childbirth hurts, but it is something we as women get to experience. After the pain is over, our bodies are created to heal perfectly. The recovery is not meant to take weeks!
God knew what He was doing when He created the plan. I honestly believe that there is a lot more for us to learn through childbirth than we ever pick up on when we are medicated. There is power in sacrificing everything you can possibly sacrifice to bring another spirit here on earth. It is essential for us to learn these lessons that can only come from that kind of sacrifice.
I feel sad that we as a society are robbing ourselves of so much by medicating our births and intervening so much of the time. As if our bodies don’t know how to do it naturally. Growing up in our society, I of course always wondered why in the world anyone would not get an epidural. I thought it would make the birth experience miserable. I had no idea how empowering and spiritual natural childbirth was. This experience has changed me in so many ways.
I feel so close to my Heavenly Father, as I had to rely on Him through so much of the birth. I know that He was with me during this whole experience. I had been praying every day for a great birth experience, and He has blessed me with just that. He blessed me with strength, wisdom, safety and peace."

Thank you Laurisa, I couldn't have said it better myself! What can we learn from this? Be proactive in your decisions about the birth of your baby and never forget the power and strength our Heavenly Father has bestowed upon us as women. I will hopefully be participating in a panel discussion on LDS women and natural childbirth to explore why so many people are afraid of or against it. If you have any stories or ideas about this please share them with me. Thanks.

Preggo?

So those of you who read this and are not on Facebook and I haven't talked to you in the last 3 weeks.... I am pregnant! We are due November 1st, and best of all it is just one baby. So to all you people who said I would have triplets next, I say to you "HA HA HA HA HA!"
We are really excited and according to Adam this is our last pregnancy. On most days when the morning sickness starts when I wake up and ends when I fall asleep I am more then happy to agree... but we'll see! None the less this is a special time for our family and I can't wait to share all the fun times that will be involved!

I need help

So I keep reading all these other people's blogs with these cute layouts and backgrounds, and I can't figure out how to make mine cute. I did it once, and was really proud of myself, but then I somehow erased what I did and have never been able to recreate it... ugh!
So my lame technologically challenged brain is now pleading for some direction. If anyone can tell me what to do or refer me to a website that breaks it down in lay-man's terms it would be much appreciated!

Another trip to California

I am lazy and haven't uploaded photos yet (mostly because I can't turn on the camera to upload the pictures until I find the battery charger). So this will be a post without visual aids!
Either way we had a WONDERFUL vacation!
First was a trip to the Sacramento Temple to be there for my brother Erik as he took out his endowments. It was such a neat experience because I got to be there with my mommy and all but one of my siblings (Jessica was babysitting with my dad.. thanks guys!)
The next event came in the form of a second trip to the Sacramento Temple for Jessica and Ben's marriage/sealing. It was a great ceremony and Jessica was absolutely GORGEOUS!!! Ben didn't look too shabby either. After pictures we went to dinner with all the Lowers and Taylors, I've never seen my kids slurp noodles as fast as they did that night! The next day was the reception. It was beautiful and I can't wait to see all the pictures.
Finally when Sunday rolled around (after 8 days of being away from home) the kids began to melt down. Preston cried all through Sacrament meeting and all the way home. He kept saying "I want to go back to Utah, I want to see my neighbor kids, I don't like California anymore." That night we all met at my parents for dinner and for the opportunity to give my dad a blessing as he was preparing for surgery this week. It was all so moving and wonderful and I know that the Lord was with him through his procedure because he is doing alright and is on the road to recovery as we speak.
So our return trip home on Monday was mostly un-eventful. We did the usual McDonalds stops on the way so the kids would have a safe place to stretch their legs and play. Adam drove most of the way because I'm suddenly experiencing symptoms similar to car sickness and couldn't handle driving for very long.
The next morning Adam was gone before I got up on his way to Washington for the week. So back to normal life (if you could call it that). I start teaching again on the 20th and am really excited for that.
We have been so blessed and enjoyed all of our time with our family and are sad we didn't get to see any one else (who wasn't at the reception) while we were out there, I'll explain why in a future post, in the meantime, I hope that this 'car sickness' subsides soon.

So the Holiday season is over

My last post talked about how we were excited to spend the first Christmas in our own home since our kids were born- well that didn't happen! I woke up on Christmas Eve feeling particularly homesick, and seeing as how there wasn't a lot going on here my amazing and loving and caring and understanding husband said yes when I started crying and said I wanted to leave for California right then. It took about 2 hours before we hit the road, and another 13 of driving through snow and ice (thank goodness for 4 wheel drive-seriously!) before we arrived at my Grandma Olson's house where we stayed for the next 4 days before we headed home on Monday. The drive home was uneventful without snow or ice. Adam's favorite part of the trip (and he says the reason he was willing to drop everything and go) was the fresh California oranges. He and my dad actually drove out to the orchard in Orland and got them from the guy in his packaging room because we didn't get to his stand before it closed. It was SO worth it though.
We also had fun meeting my sister Jessica's fiance Ben. I am so happy for them and we are excited that our next trip to California will be for their wedding. Preston keeps saying "Next month we get to go to California for Aunt Jessica's wedding and I'm going to stay outside the temple with my brothers and my Grandpa." I tell him he's right and then he'll say "But I just want to go tonight." You make one impulsive trip to California and the kid thinks it's an everyday possibility!
We also got to celebrate Preston's 3rd birthday-WOW! They never stop growing older, do they? He loved his presents because all he got was Thomas the Train and related paraphernalia! If there was ever a child who was obsessed with trains, I swear, my little Preston will literally tell me his dreams about them!
So I guess the next month will be spent gearing up for the twin's 2nd birthday and that little holiday called Valentine's day that falls between now and then. I hope everyone else had a great holiday and to those of you we didn't get to see, we miss you and love you!

It's here!

The snow has arrived and I'm more depressed and my kids are more deprived then ever. First I trap them in the house because I can't handle the heat, then I trap them in the house because I can handle the cold... maybe I'm going through an early menopause! Anyways... the kids aren't too bad off. Adam is done traveling and has been home, meaning within the walls of our house for the last month, he has hardly even had to go into the office. He is my opposite when it comes to my disdain for the snow. He and Preston even made a snowman the other day. We went and bought the kids all their snow gear last week so we can take them sledding (which we plan on doing tomorrow). They are decked out head to toe! It is so cute (as evidenced by the pictures I've included).
So now Christmas is here. We will be spending it at home with Adam's family this year. We have only woken up Christmas morning in our own home once since we got married and that was when we lived in GA and I was about to pop Preston out! Now, three years later who would have imagined?
We miss our friends and family that we wont get to be with this year but you all know that you are in our thoughts and prayers this holiday season and always. We love you all so much and hope that you will have a Merry Christmas and we wish you all the best in 2009!