Birth CD & More Whale Songs
Can you believe I am already posting again? I don't have too much exciting to tell about. I still haven't taken more picture either. We are still in the process of trying to get settled and finish some last minute items around that house. We also haven't removed everything from our old house, most importantly for me, our front door. I LOVE the door we bought to put on it and Chris has told me he will swap the two so I can still look at my BEAUTIFUL front door.
I can't remember if I have already posted this song. I am planning on making a CD for my birth. I am looking for songs that are relaxing & peaceful but I am also wanting songs that help me to own my sexuality. My belief is that the same energy that creates the sweet little spirit is the same energy that aids in releasing the babe into this sphere. Here is one of those songs for me. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE Ray's music. I feel passionate, alive, and inspired when I listen to it!!
I am also wanting a CD of the songs of humpback whales. I feel so peaceful and serene when I listen to their songs. At the birth of my daughter, I had this little contraption that played all kinds of different sounds like birds, bugs, heartbeat and so on. Well, one of the sounds was a rainstorm. It made all the difference in the world to me because rainstorms bring peace to my heart and complete relaxation. Here's a video with just the songs of the whales and then another one put to music. SO WONDERFUL!!
Plus, for those who don't know all of my babies were born at home with 2 so far being born under water. I am planning another water birth. The ONLY way to have a baby, IMHO! You can learn more about water birth on the Birth Into Being site or Waterbirth.org site. I recommend you read all you can about it and the benefits thereof.
It was interesting because someone just sent an email to one of the groups I am part of forwarding you to a woman's blog who has a personal vendetta against homebirth and anything that might come along with it. I found the article to be quite hysterical. I had a good laugh about it. Her comments and information were certainly skewed and misinformed. From my personal experience and the experience of watching others deliver their babies in water, has only been MAGNIFICENT and BENEFICIAL in all ways for mother and baby. It has aiding and uplifted both mom and baby in so a large number of ways that all you would have to do is watch it and you would learn quickly from your own experience what it can and does do for all parties involved.
So....I now have only about 3 weeks to go. Chris thinks I might go early. I don't think so. But....I am REALLY excited for my Full Moon Celebration and Native American Blessingway that will be taking place next Wednesday evening. It should be AMAZING! I will hopefully find someone to take pictures and then post some info about how it goes here on the ol' blog. It will be all woman and we will be, of course, celebrating birth and womanhood in so many different forms.
I think that will be all for now. I am excited to post about the cloth diapers and such I am using. Kara, my very good friend, is a cloth diaper EXPERT and she was kind enough to take pity on me and help me know what and how to use them. I will post sites and such that have helped me. This way I will be able to post again sooner because I will have something new to post about. STAY TUNED!!
Abundant peace to all,
Rachel
I am ALIVE!
I am so sorry to those small few of you who read my blog and site. We literally have spent the last 3 weeks packing and trying to move. We have now been living in American Fork for about 2 weeks but still have some last items to pick up from the Provo house. I have only been able to get on the internet from Chris' work for the past 3 weeks so there's the reason for no posts.
Cleansing & Purging AGAIN!
A friend of mine emailed a inspiring little video put together by the makers of The Secret. I would click on the link and scour the site. They have some FUN stuff!
Here is the video for others enjoyment. I LOVE Mother Earth! She's BEAUTIFUL and so GIVING to us all! My prayer is that we can all make small changes and efforts to care for her properly and bring about health and happiness for her. Thanks Carolyn for sending this my way!
The same WONDERFUL friend sent me another tear jerking video. It is UPLIFTING! Make sure to have tissues available. Chris and I watched this together and had a good cry. When we let our true human nature, which is love and peace, kick in-we then get the opportunity to see how GLORIOUS and GIVING we all really are! It reminds us to always expect the unexpected. Enjoy and let yourself be MOVED!
So....the last few days I have been moving through some VERY powerful cleansing energy. Starting Monday afternoon, till now, I have been pretty much down with nausea and uncomfortable & profuse diarrhea. I hope it's ok I share exactly what I have been feeling, even if it isn't "pretty.". We have been trying to figure out what physically is going on. It could be some virus. I have friends who have had similar symptoms over the past few weeks. Or something I ate. Maybe some bacteria on a fruit or veggie I ate. I think it is lasting too long for it to be that. Baby has been fine! No contractions or concerns in that regards, I feel. Loads of movement which, at times, can be quite annoying while you are feeling like you want to vomit. But.....I am still grateful for it!
I normally have some severe food allergies that we finally realized I had a few years ago. I have stayed away, for the most part from those foods, but I have still picked and tasted somewhat when I get the opportunity. I have been researching things on the internet this morning and I am actually wondering if my food allergies have gotten worse because of the pregnancy. I seem to have many of the symptoms of this problem. Maybe because of squishing of my bowels from the uterine growth or who knows. From what I have read, this can be quite common. I swear, my life is just NEVER boring, is it? I contacted our AWESOME family practitioner this morning. Still waiting for a call back. Just getting more thoughts and ideas but I actually think I'm on the mend and have figured out the problem but we'll see.
Well, of course, in this vulnerable situation I have had SO MUCH emotionally come up for me. I have cried off and on about so many things. I had really felt that with all the stresses going on, I had been handling it pretty good. I guess I saw how I was still unconsciously stuffing feelings that were obviously in there because they were now coming out! CRAZY!! This morning I awoke feeling better. I finally ate food with a bit more substance last night and even though it still seemed to move through quickly, I can tell I absorbed more and that things are doing better this morning.
What have I learned thus far? I hold on to so much ANGER and RESENTMENT. When I don't feel good, I just get PISSED! I don't know if there is anyone else that does this but I don't think that's how it is for everyone. I am such a CONTROL freak that when I am down and out, my whole world seems to spin out of control and then all hell breaks loose in my head. So sad! This time was SO MUCH better than it had been in the past which was great for me! I am VERY GRATEFUL for that! I just kind of sat back in AWE at all was inside of me and how I justified being so angry about the stupidest, littlest things. I am sure they became HUGE because I made them that way. Really I am sure that they all along felt HUGE, I just decided to act like they weren't that big of a deal (for fear of myself) until I could stuff them no longer and they were going to release in whatever form they needed too! Believe me, THEY HAVE! LOL!
This morning I was meditating upon these feelings, both physical and emotional. I was pondering & praying to God & Heavenly Mother. On one of my many visits to the toilet, sitting on the back of it was my "Autobiography of a Yogi" book. I said to myself that I needed some insight and some new thoughts to ponder. I opened to a page and I my eyes fell directly onto this quote.
"You see how God feels for us," Master replied after I expressed my gratitude. "The Lord responds to all and works for all. Just as He sent the rain at my plea, so He fulfills any sincere desire of the devotee. Seldom do men realize how often God heeds their prayers. He is NOT partial to a few, but listen to everyone who approaches Him trustfully. His children should ever have implicit faith in the loving kindness of their Omnipresent Father."
Lovely! Just lovely! Exactly what I needed, as always. So subtle, so simple, & so sweet. I have received so many answers over the last couple of days and felt really blessed as I moved through this energy, trying to understand more. This was the final peace that I needed to know that I am LOVED and am LOVE! That no matter what I am heard and my thoughts and feelings HEEDED by an all knowing, all loving Father & Mother in Heaven. He does respond and has responded, ALWAYS. I look back and I can see it! I just remove my own expectations, agenda and false beliefs of what it should look like and there it is.
I am still eating the same, except for the last few days when food intake has been limited. Still feeling great, 99% of the time. I am excited for our move and should hopefully take place within the next week. Some changes we've made on it look just LUSCIOUS! Please keep sending good thoughts and prayers our way. With everything going on, my kids have had some emotional issues arise and though it's been good, we all can use more goodness from each of you! I am so thankful for the love and prayers we have already felt being sent our way. THANK YOU with all our hearts!!
Abundant peace to all,
Rachel
P.S. I hope this all makes sense. I apologize if my thoughts are a bit scattered. Just so many to think about and not enough time to make it clear and completely understandable.
Birth & Death
Once again, it has been a very extended period of time since I have posted. Let's see.....some new news! We are moving to American Fork. There are lots of reasons for the move, which I won't go into detail about here, but overall we feel the move should be a really good thing for all parties involved. For those who don't know, my in laws have lived with us for the past 18 months. My father in law has gotten VERY sick lately. He was diagnosed 2 years ago with prostate cancer. We all feel he is on his last leg now. I think it has made it a bit easier for all of us to bear living together while it's going on.
I have been contemplating this phenomenon of death and life. It has been so interesting and thought provoking for me to ponder how over the next 2 months we will have the crossing over of 2 beautiful beings. They are both beginning and ending of season of time and existence. I was thinking on how one seems to be a new beginning (birth) and the other (death) an end. Of course, when I say end I don't mean end end but the end here and now. The end of progression in this form that my father in law has taken on for the last 64 years. I soon realized I was living in an unexpansive place to believe this. They are BOTH beginning and ending something kind of AMAZING change.
I have decided that neither one is better or worse than the other. Our social norms put certain feelings, thoughts, ideas etc. on each. Death is a good bye for others and a feeling of sadness as thoughts of living without a certain person become more present. While birth tends to be looked at as joyful and exciting. But....I have recognized that we can change our perceptions of each and find joy, love, excitement and peace in both. New learning, growth, progression, and understanding comes from each change. We can definitely mourn the loss of a loved one and really should.
When we understand just a small amount of the WONDERFUL WAY God set up our existence and universal changes with all living things, we can glean small insights into our own inner worlds and learn SO MUCH!! I sure have anyway. Let me tell you, when you are moving, fully participating in a death and a birth, you really have been given a gift of searching for light and wisdom and FINDING it! Well, I think I have found some and I am SO GRATEFUL for it. I hope more will come! I can't type all my thoughts and feelings here. I just felt I would share a tidbit on a more personal note.
Tomorrow night (I am SO EXCITED!!) Chris and I are going to a concert by a band called "The Swell Season." If anyone has seen the movie "Once", then you know who I am talking about. This is an AWESOME movie that both Chris and I LOVED!! It is somewhat like a modern day musical but so much more. It is unique which makes it hard to describe. Here are a couple of videos of there music. You will LOVE it!! This one is them at Sundance!
They even won an Oscar for Best Original Song! I tried to post it here but you can't embed it so, oh well. But....here is my favorite song from the movie!
My sister, Kim, was the one who called and told me they would be in town. Thanks a MILLION, Kimmy!! She says they are SO GOOD in concert! I would recommend that EVERYONE see the movie. It will make you laugh and cry.
I am now officially 30 weeks pregnant. I CAN'T believe it! Only 10 more weeks and I still have NOTHING! I have been such a slacker in that department. I am learning about Kangaroo Care which Chris thought was such a GREAT idea too! I said to him, "So when you hold the baby with you take off your shirt and hold it close to your chest?" He said, "Of course, I can't wait too!" Isn't that the CUTEST thing you have EVER heard?
So....the other night I made the YUMMIEST food for dinner! I thought I would share it with the rest of you. Make it! SO DELICIOUS! A good friend of mine named Carolyn showed it to me a few years ago. THANK, girlfriend! It's still a FAV!
1 large avocado
2 cups of corn, fresh or frozen
1 large tomato, finely chopped
2 tbs. cilantro
3 tbs. finely chopped onions
2 tsp. olive oil
apple cider vinegar
curry to taste
salt to taste
I add TONS of curry cuz I LOVE it! I lay this inside of romaine leaves.
I will leave you with a couple of LOVELY, INSPIRING quotes. Ponder and pray upon them and they will SING to you, too!!
"Happiness is not what makes us grateful. It is gratefulness that makes us happy."
~David Steindl-RastA Listening Heart
"In ordinary life we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich."
~Dietrich Bonhoeffer
"What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity. These are but trifles, to be sure; but, scattered along life's pathway, the good they do is inconceivable."
~ Joseph Addison
I had a friend call again last night about posting a picture. I'm sorry I haven't done that yet. Maybe soon. Just imagine me basically the same but with a big belly! That's what I look like. Until next time.
Abundant peace,
Rachel
Eye Opening Insights
I received this in my emails a few weeks ago from a friend. I thought it was SO COOL that I would pass it along for others to see. Make sure and watch til the very end. That's when the neatest thing happens with one of the ocean predators. As I watched this, I was AMAZED and realized that even though we live in a society where we think we know SO MUCH scientifically, we still have NOTHING on animal life. Imagine if we could do what these sea creatures can do.
To go along with the video, I thought I would post this quote I recieved from the gratefulness website. I thought it applied well to the video above. This is a quote that you can just sit back and ponder and meditate it. Of course, I believe it to be absolutely true. Just think about the video and aside from that how many other wonders in the world their are. I have tried this for several days and it really puts you in a place of AWE and GRATITUDE. Try it!! You'll see.
"The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us, the less taste we shall have for destruction."
~Rachel Carson
Here's another thought provoking quote that applies to everything else I have shared here. I LOVE sharing these with you guys. I hope they help others as much as they help me.
"The world is holy. We are holy. All life is holy. Daily prayers are delivered on the lips of breaking waves, the whisperings of grasses, the shimmering of leaves."
~Terry Tempest Williamsfrom
Talking to God: Portrait of a World at Prayer (anthology)
The last one for today. This is something I am trying to do. Like I stated in my last post, I am still striving to find that place of peace and serenity when in the middle of chaos because that truly is the world we live in. I think I am doing a bit better. Sometimes it feels really hard because there is this side of me that likes the excess drama, even though I hate to admit it. I am learning there can be absolutely NO DRAMA in life. That I can take it each moment at a time and be prayerful and ok in each moment.
Chris and I were talking yesterday about our fears. I think for most men a fear of failure is quite common. Anyway, we had an interesting conversation about how "failure" is a false idea or lie, if you will, that we tell ourselves in keep ourselves in a place of worthlessness. You can NEVER really fail. Life is learning, growth, progression, connection and understanding. When we realize that part of it, we then recongize that we can't fail. We can only take our choices and experiences and learn from them using our God as a higher source for future questions and answers. I think this quote exemplifies this idea.
Anywho, here is the quote FINALLY!!
"When it seems humanly impossible to do more in a difficult situation, surrender yourself to the inner silence and thereafter wait for a sign of obvious guidance or for a renewal of inner strength."
~Paul BruntonMeditations for People in Crisis
Something I wanted to share. Another video a friend sent me through email. This woman's experience as a brain researchers discovering that her own brain was malfunctioning. This is SO INTRIQUING, and so RIGHT ON!! I LOVE IT! LOVE IT! LOVE IT!! I know it's 18 minutes long but I hope you will all watch the whole thing because it only gets better and better! Grab some tissues especially if you are pregnant! I produced some good tears by the end! I hope you do too!
Isn't that GREAT? Oh my goodness! She speaks of one of my core beliefs and in such a BEAUTIFUL, INSPIRING way. Thank you Lorna for sending this! I am going to watch it again and again to remember who I really am.
Pregnancy is still so good! Last night my dear, sweet hubby took me up to Omar's Living Cuisine for dinner. Again, it was SO DELICIOUS! This last week has been REALLY good! I have felt good and had a decent amount of energy. I was just so busy with other things that I was only able to exercise one day this week. I can't believe it! I have exercised everyday (except during too sick days of pregnancy) for the last 3 years. Even if it is just walking on my treadmill for a 1/2 an hour, I usually did something. The only other down fall is that my exercise has already slowed a bit because of the strain I can feel from the hernia. It doesn't hurt, just VERY uncomfortable by the end of the exercise. I am ok with slowing down. Somedays it NICE!!
My diet is becoming lighter as the weather gets warmer. I am finding I want more juices and smoothies than heavier foods. Plus, with the growth of my belly and the squishing of my stomach, I have found I eat more small meals and less food than I have! I can usually "put it down" which means eat quite a bit of food in one sitting. Wait until I am breastfeeding. WHOA! I am hungry all the time then. I couldn't even finish my whole salad at Omar's yesterday. That is NOT normal for me. But I am enjoying eating this way.
I am so grateful for the SUN and warm weather coming. Walking outside is so WONDERFUL!
That is all for today. I hope everyone had a HAPPY, EASY week and the next week brings the same. Let's all LOVE LIFE and find JOY & FUN & LIGHTNESS & EASE in every moment. Summer is coming. Spending time in the grass and tress and SUN. Thanking God for Mother Earth! How AWESOME is that!
Abundant peace to all,
Rachel
More Questions & Answers
Someone sent this to my comments section of my last post!! I enjoyed it so I thought I would share it.
Again, it has been so long since I have posted. I always think I am going to have more time than I have. High expectations of myself, eh?
Here are a couple more of the gratefulness emails I get. I sure LOVED a few of them. The one below is where I want to be each & everyday. I believe there is a part of me that is already in this place so I am searching for it to bring it forth with the hope that applying this principle will be a SNAP!
"I have reached a point in my life where I understand the pain and the challenges; and my attitude is one of standing up with open arms to meet them all."
~Myrlie Evers
Next, is another one that has been VERY inspirational for me to ponder upon. Of course, my "source" is my Savior, Jesus Christ and if I truly give my burdens to Him, he WILL carry them for me. How cool is that? We can never fully reach that peaceful space within ourselves or as a whole as living, loving beings without the opportunity to purge ourselves of all the false lies and perceptions we let creep into our thoughts and actions. I am still learning how to completely understand this principle of looking for the miracles each and EVERY moment of everyday when I know I am so PROFOUNDLY loved by someone else SO MUCH!!
"If planetary peace seems beyond our reach, recall: Miracles are natural when we rely on the Source of All to carry our burdens with us. Then, even peace is possible."
~Nan Merrill with Barbara Taylor
Peace Planet: Light for Our World
For those who might be interested, I received an email a couple of weeks ago from a woman who was asking basic questions about my diet & wanting to know what I ate everyday. I asked her if she wouldn't mind if I posted our conversation here and of course, she didn't. So here it is! I know there have been others who have also been interested in what I eat while I have been pregnant.
Hi Rachel,
I have been encouraged by your site and blogs.
I am most interested in the fact that you are currently expecting a baby and maintaining your all to very high raw food diet. I personally am near to progressing to an all or very high raw (most likely) food diet AND just found out this morning that I am expecting our 5th child. (And this will be our 3rd home birth to try.) We praise the Lord!
If you have the time, I would very much appreciate and be interested in knowing what a "typical" day of food consuming might look like for you. If you have any extra tips or pointers on pregnancy and raw food. Or any other concerns to keep in mind. I could sure use the encouragement.
You are an inspiration!
May the Lord bless you and your family!
Thanks for the help,
Melissa
Melissa,I am so glad you have found my blog and are enjoying it. Thank you for your kind and loving words of support and encouragement! Congrats on the pregnancy and trying to eat as much raw as possible. Especially at the beginning of pregnancy, this can feel like an impossible feat at times. I am also pregnant with our 5th. It's been so interesting for us because we were sure we were done. Our youngest will be 6 when this baby is born. So a pretty big gap there! My oldest is 12. But it's FUN that all my kids are so excited.
I am pretty basic in my diet. I started eating some cooked foods (even though I consider them questionable cooked foods sometimes because I know the majority of enzymes are still intact) about 3 months before I got pregnant and after eating pretty strict all raw for 5 years. Before that, I had been eating 80/10/10 (a raw diet advocated by Doug Graham) for about 18 months. I am still intrigued by the fact that my husband and I have used the same birth control for 13 years. All of our other children were planned. We have NEVER had an accident baby. During the time of eating all raw, there were some slip ups intimately. While eating 80/10/10, I had lost some weight but I was eating the needed calories. I did feel GREAT while eating that way. I started dealing with some pretty powerful emotional issues and so I incorporated a few lightly steamed veggies and such. It was during this time that I put on a small amount of weight from the extra starch consumption, and wouldn't you know it, a month later I was "accidentally" pregnant. I still find that funny! I think it just taught me the importance of doing the BEST we can each and everyday and listening to our bodies and hearts with what we need to find that place of inner peace and joy!
Anyway, my diet varies somewhat week to week by what is in season. Recently I found cases of oranges at a local grocery store so my mornings start out with fresh squeezed OJ mixed with my powered greens. Then that is followed by a quart to 2 quarts of green drink which usually consists of fresh, organic spinach, bananas, frozen peaches or mangoes or whatever. Lately, there have been some DELICIOUS fresh mangoes at Costco so I've been eating a lot of those. Then I eat a large salad which has been so good with my raw sesame dressing but I do sometimes eat vegan dressings I purchase at the local health food store. So....if I do eat anything cooked, I usually do so at the end of the day. Recently, that has been some steamed green beans or broccoli. My husband and I have to travel to Las Vegas for his job on a regular basis and so off and on I have incorporated a baked potato here and there. Oh, and like I said in my last post, I have eaten a handful of organic local eggs throughout the pregnancy and am really enjoying that.
I think what has worked the best for me throughout this pregnancy is that I decided to really "tune in" and listen to myself in all regards, not just physically. When it comes to my diet though, when I made the decision to be less strict, I decided to have FUN with my food choices and just be grateful for EVERYTHING I choose to eat.
I LOVE a stricter all raw diet and enjoy what it has offered me but....I LOVE the way I am eating now too! Be gentle and kind with yourself. Strive to remove guilt for something you eat and just listen to inner knowing of what is best for you right now in your life. Guaranteed, things will change in my life. I am VERY open to that and hope that as I want to learn and be more, I will stay in a place of grace and ease with myself. I believe that the way I am eating now is VERY healthy for me and my growing child. To believe otherwise would only create inner turmoil that I choose to not have present inside me.
So....I hope this has been at least somewhat helpful. Thanks for your questions. I LOVE to answer them and help in anyway I can. God bless you on your journey. I hope you find what you are searching for throughout this pregnancy and birth. If you have any more questions, please don't hesitate to contact me.
Peace to you,
Rachel
Life has been SO FUN and SO NOT FUN over the past few weeks. I still have days where I feel it's so HARD and then days where I feel it's so LIGHT, EASY and REFRESHING! Emotionally, I feel that I have learned and grown SO IMMENSELY! New ideas and thoughts keep surfacing. Sometimes keeping up with them can feel a bit overwhelming but then I just relax & meditate and listen to find exactly what I need to be learning at that moment.
As of right now, I am (I think) 27 weeks pregnant. In a week or so, I will start my 3rd trimester. I apologize once again for the slack on my part in still not taking a picture. Anyone who lives here locally and wants to see how I look is WELCOME to stop by and see my growing belly. Like I stated in the last post, I had been sick and lost some weight. I have had days where I have felt a bit more nausea off and on so for about the last 2 weeks, I have eaten almost all raw all the time and haven't had much of an appetite. It again returned with full force about 2 days ago so I feel like I am eating us out of house and home.
My current weight is around 135 which still makes my weight gain around 10-15 lbs. I still feel SO GREAT, most days. My belly is getting a bit awkward. Rolling over in bed feels like a feat at times. I did try to get a maternity belt for my hernia but it didn't really do much. It isn't really bothering me yet. By the end of the day, I do have that lower belly ache that comes with the growing belly but other than that I feel SO BLESSED and HAPPY! I truly feel God's & Heavenly Mother's love poured out upon me throughout this pregnancy. I feel Them reaching out to take care of me and my dear baby so that we can both be HEALTHY, PEACEFUL and STRONG.
At the beginning of my pregnancy, I must admit that I did have some good fears in regards to my body and what it could handle. I poured my soul out to Them and have found the safe haven of LOVE, COMFORT & SUPPORT I have been looking for. What gratitude I feel for this! I just felt the need to express it with all of you!
Lastly, I was SURE this was a girl. After much deliberation between my dear Chris and I, we decided to involve my midwife in the birth. It has really helped to relieve pressure from my hubby so he can feel more peaceful at the birth which is VERY important for me and him.
My midwife is so CUTE! She is VERY EXCITED I am pregnant again and can't wait to see the baby! I have seen her twice and at the last visit that heartbeat was 144. This is my boy's heartbeats. Up until that moment, the thought of a boy hadn't really even entered my mind. So....now I am thankful that I can prepare myself and find that space of love and acceptance if we have a boy. I know that may sound weird but I was sure from personal, spiritual experience it was and is a girl. I am second guessing myself now. We will just have to wait and see, eh?
Abundant peace to all,
Rachel
2 Kinds of Head Congestion
I have received 2 emails from something called Hidden School. They have a small link to their website at the bottom of the page but I have never been able to pull it up. Both emails have been VERY thought provoking and even inspiring for me. I wanted to share one with you here. This is something that is EXTREMELY hard for me to do. My mind and thoughts seem to be NEVER ending. I understand, and have known for sometime, the importance of quieting our minds to find a peaceful place and can accomplish it on a certain level when meditating. Other than that, it seems to never stop. I feel a bit more successful in this change when I notice myself making that shift at chaotic times of the day especially when I sense I am being taught and it is time for me to really listen.
It is the nature of the mind to make things much more complicated than it actually is. Since we believe things are complicated we look for complications. In finding complications it confirms that things are complicated thus creating a cycle of thinking too much. This cycle of thinking to much causes a ceaseless and constant chatter within our awareness, in a sense rooting our awareness within our minds as it is demanding our attention.
RAW LEMON PUDDING
Ingredients:
3 tbsps maple syrup (keep out until end. We may not need this)
Finally, a Post!
I was bound and determined today to get something posted, even if is short and not very interesting. I do hesitate to post sometimes because I am not sure what I want to write about. Then off and on I will think of something but....those are the times that I am right in the middle of something else and forget about what it was I wanted to post. I swear!! I wonder how I even get along some days! LOL!!
~Dhyani Ywahoo
~Ralph Waldo Emerson
~Harold Loukes
Happy Valentine's Day!!
Today is the day of LOVE!! How FUN is that? I wish I had woke up this morning deciding I wanted to give and recieve more love but sadly.....I didn't. Oh, I had some good lovin' from my hubby but after that, my hormonal imbalances which cause EXTREME overwhelmedness decided to kick in. It's so nice to be able to just stay a victim and blame all of my behavior on being pregnant. You know, as I think about it, my emotions are a bit stronger and more present than before pregnancy but I truly don't see THAT big of a difference. SHHHHHHH, don't tell Chris. Right now, at least, I have an excuse. I figure I'll use it for all it's worth.
Yesterday was my birthday. I am 34 years old. I have been remembering how excited I was over this past year at the thought of having my last child at the age of 28. I was only excited because I am EXTREMELY vain and decided it felt good to think my body would stay thin and the way I wanted it for bascically the rest of my life. I know that with the way I am eating and all that goodness, that the weight gain during this pregnancy won't be too excessive. I just am starting to gain weight and grow a nice little belly. It's so FUNNY to look at yourself from the side and see how different and absract your body is starting to look. I had COMPLETELY forgotten. Maybe soon I can buy a camera and take some pics for you all. I am learning how to find gratitude in this space and really work on any body issues I might be having. WHOA!!
Oh, new info about "The Business of Being Born" for those of you who didn't get to see it up in Ogden last week.
You are invited to attend a special benefit screening of
"The Business of Being Born" Taggart Student Center AuditoriumUtah State University in Logan February 27 at 7 p.m. Tickets: $5 in advance; $7 at the door
Advance tickets can be purchased via PayPal by sending payment to wisechildbearing@yahoo.com
For more info, contact Jennetta at 435.563.8484 or Sally at 801.621.4844.
r feel it. This morning when the baby kicked and I asked him if he could feel it he stated that he had felt that before but it was so light that he figured it was just gas. We had a good laugh.I don't know if everyone has heard about what Senator Dayton is trying to do to homebirth. She has decided that she knows best in regards to what is considered "safe" and "unsafe" when delivering at home. If her plan were put into place and the bill passed, 90% of woman would be considered to "high risk" to deliver at home. It is obviously a control issue that is taking place here and remove freedoms for all woman.
Men's Brains/Woman's Brains
A good friend emailed this to me yesterday. I found it quite FUNNY and so I wanted to share. It looks like the whole video would give you a good laugh. I found it even funnier since life has seemed a bit harder lately. Chris has been SUPER busy, working 6 days a week usually 10 or more hour days. It was FUN for me to watch because the truth is that it holds pretty true to the way men and woman think. So often I forget what goes on in my sweet hubbies brain and decide that he should think and act as I do. He really uses the NOTHING BOX when he gets the chance lately because it's the only time he can really relax after his busy day. Even still though, it seems both of us are going ALL THE TIME trying to find that time when we will get a break.
I have been feeling the baby move ALOT more this week. It seems that it likes to be awake around 5 am. It still feels like gas, to a certain extent. I can tell when it's not though because it is lower in my abdomen and the movements do get stronger with each week. Two days ago, I woke up around 5 and laid there for an hour just feeling the movements and LOVING every minute of it. I had forgotten how COOL it is. When I was first pregnant this time, I remembered really enjoying and BASKING in pregnancy with my previous ones. I was having a hard time trying to figure out why I had felt that way. But....as soon as I started feeling better and then feeling the movements, it became AMAZING for me again. I instantly remembered the joy I found in it all.
I am already starting to feel a bit uncomfortable physically though. Not a big issue, just noticing that my belly is growing. It already feels like an extra weight. With my first, I was thin but I think I actually weight less with this pregnancy than with that one. I am wondering if just being thinner is making the body changes more noticable. I am pretty sure that's the case anyway. I weighed myself on my mother in law's scale the other day and it said I weighted 126. I had weighed 128 at my sister's house about 3 weeks ago now. I am sure it is just the use of different scales. I know I haven't lost any weight, that's for sure and recently I haven't been eating as healthy as I would like so....we'll just see what happens in the weight department in the next few weeks.
Remember how I was talking about the movie by Ricki Lake called "The Business of Being Born?" Well, I found a little snipit with her in an interview. I enjoyed watching it so I thought others might too!!
I just recently recieved some information about when it is showing in Utah. Here it is. I am thinking of going but I am wondering if there might be others who want to carpool.
The Utah Birth Network is proud to present a special screening of The Business of Being Born. Friday March 8 Displays featuring local mother-friendly organizations and The Shape of a Mother open at 5pm, Movie begins at 6pm
Located at Weber State University (Rm 110)
Davis Campus 2750 N. University Park Blvd. Layton, Utah Seating is limited!
Contact Sara Forsberg to purchase tickets 801-643-2633 or saraATutahbirth.net
$10 pre-purchase $15 at the door $40 Utah Birth Network membership + 2 tickets Free at the door to WSU Wildcard holders
Birth: it's a miracle. A rite of passage. A natural part of life. But more than anything, birth is a business. Compelled to find answers after a disappointing birth experience with her first child, actress Ricki Lake recruits filmmaker Abby Epstein to examine and question the way American women have babies. The film interlaces intimate birth stories with surprising historical, political and scientific insights and shocking statistics about the current maternity care system. When director Epstein discovers she is pregnant during the making of the film, the journey becomes even more personal. Should most births be viewed as a natural life process, or should every delivery be treated as a potentially catastrophic medical emergency? Visit www.thebusinessofbeingborn.com for more information
I was SO excited today to pull out some of my old "Power Thought Cards" by Louise Hay. It was SO NEAT to go through them and just let myself feel the words as they spoke to my heart of who I truly am!! I typed a WHOLE bunch up for Chris and I and hung them all around our room. I think they will help us both right now really stayed focused on who we really are and not get lost in the all the lies we keep habitually telling ourselves.
I recieved a quote today in my email that I LOVED! It helped me remember that we are all truly LOVE and have the ability to CONQUER anything our hearts desire.
"Someday, after we have mastered the winds, the waves, the tides and gravity, we shall harness for God the energies of love. Then for the second time in the history of the world, we will have discovered fire. " ~Teilhard de Chardin
Isn't that LOVELY? With all the LOVE that is inside us because of God's grace and love for us, we can accomplish and truly BE everything we already are. We just have to REMEMBER and RELEARN which we are all doing each and everyday through our experiences.
I think that is all for today. More soon.
Abundant peace to all,
Rachel
P.S. For some reason blogger won't let me check the spelling so if there are any misspelled words (which I am ABSOLUTELY sure there are), I apologize. Spelling was NOT my best subject in school.
My Answers to Questions
My computer is still broken. I was planning on posting earlier in the week. My computer still is in the process of being fixed and then my hubbies computer kind of gave up the ghost too! LOL!! So I don't know what is up. I am now on my mother in laws computer and wanting to be quick.
Congrats on gaining less than 8 lbs. in your 17 weeks!! I am very impressed. In fact I have made that my own goal, to copy you. :-) So far I am up 4.5 lbs. after 11 weeks. I haven't gained anything in the past couple weeks, since focusing on raw foods, so I think I can do it.
I am still drinking my powdered green drink which I LOVE and use as a prenatal vitamin I guess!! And I drink green smoothie everyday. My bowels don't work near as well as I would like without both of those things. Where I am at right now, it just depends on the day and how I am feeling with what else I eat. Some days I am strict raw and others I may incorporate some steamed veggies or what not. There are days when, compared to how strict my raw diet used to be, I think I could be doing better but....I know this is where I should be at right now and most of the time I feel VERY peaceful about that. I am just playing with it and having a good time eating what sounds good and helps me to feel the most energized and at my best!! I had already decided I wasn't going to eat 80/10/10 throughout this pregnancy and I feel VERY HAPPY with that decision. I actually feel better somedays now than when I was eating that strict which only tells me this is where I should be. Growing wheatgrass is a GREAT idea. I thought about doing that. It is part of my powered greens so I haven't worried too much about it.
What are you doing for prenatals? I am doing my own, which is just weighing, maybe blood pressure, reviewing my diet and reflecting on my spiritual, mental, emotional health. Would you suggest anything more?
Annalise
What Light?
This was an emotionally hard and crazy week. Now I don't even have time to post a ton. I am still feeling so much better and LOVING it!! I have been homeschooling and driving my kids here and there all week.
I am posting one of my new favorite songs. Chris showed me this video a few weeks ago. Listen to the words! It is so BEAUTIFULLY written. It speaks volumes to me about my life.
I am still planning on going to the Birth Into Being conference in California on March 25th-26th. This is the last time I will post this that I am looking for others who would like to come along. It will be REALLY FUN!! I can't wait to go and my sister in law is WAY excited too! Come on ladies! I hope others will hurry and respond and really get themselves prepared.
So....I thought I would share one of my favorite foods that I ate recently. I only ate it once but I am sure there are others out there who are looking for healthier food options. Remember how I was talking about my raw pesto I made. SO YUMMY!! Well, I took some collard greens and cut them into long strips so they were pasta like. Then I took and spiralized some zucchini so it was also pasta like. Then I added some pico de gallo, red bell peppers and fresh baby greens. I cut everything small enough except the collards and zucchini so that it would mix together nicely. Next, I took a sprouted wheat tortilla and some pizza sauce. I spread the pizza sauce all along the tortilla and place it on a skillet on the stove. I added the salad mixture to that and folded the tortilla in half, letting it heat up just enough to keep it's shape. This is my FAVORITE food I have eaten in awhile. I hope others make it and enjoy it as much as I did.
I think I am 16-17 weeks or something. I figure I have gained about 5-8 lbs. I am hoping to only gain 20 lbs. or less through this pregnancy. I am open to letting my body do what it needs to so that I and our baby can be healthy and strong. I have been so HAPPY that I have felt good enough to exercise now. I have noticed that since I have had such an energy boost, I sleep alot better when I exercise everyday. I just feel kind of BLAH when I don't.
I am sorry I don't have more interesting things to post. I am hoping to post again in a few days with some new news. Here is one last video to end my post. I thought this was BEAUTIFUL!! Watch her face and you can DEFINITELY tell when she is having a contraction.
Abundant peace,
Rachel
Yoga & Vaccinations
So....I got back from Vegas on Monday evening. Just in time for our FUN little group we attend. The rest of the week has seemed to be NON stop for me. I am noticing that even though I am feeling SO MUCH BETTER, I still function at a slightly slower pace than I did before pregnancy. I figure I am somewhere in the 15-16 week arena. About a week or so ago, I noticed I was starting to feel better but this week has seemed to be noticeably better. I still NEVER feel hungry. The nausea usually kicks in a bit to tell me it is time to eat. It is still so mild compared to a few weeks ago! Can I just express my gratitude for being in this place? Oh my goodness, it is so lovely!! God and Mother love me!
I have been busy with my AMAZING kids! Trying to get back on track with schooling and such. I went and got a family membership to the local recreation center here in Provo. I was initially excited at the thought of taking water aerobics during this pregnancy. Plus, my kids are EXTREMELY hyperactive (I am sure NO ONE else has children like this) and I was racking my brain trying to think of something that would exude large amounts of energy, aside from our daily walks in the cold. It worked like a charm. The pool is open for 2 hours in the evening and that night they actually went to bed early and fell asleep immediately. Something that is VERY rare in our home. Another blessing that has taken place this week!! AWESOME!!
LOVED it!! I am throwing out to the universe that maybe I will find someone or someplace where salt water is used instead of the chlorine. I am not a big fan of salt water either but.....I have heard so many better things about them. My kids have swam in pools with salt water and receive no where near the same effects as the chlorine pools. So, sadly I think I am going to put off water aerobics. I did borrow a pre-natal Yoga video from my dear sister in law which I am excited about. I will keep you posted as to how I like it. She says it's a GREAT workout which I am desperately needing right now. I was a pretty big exercise fiend before this pregnancy so now that I am feeling better, I need to move!! 
y try not to share information of this manner just because it seems a bit scary, well for me anyway. I decided to share it with the hopes that it might inform others about what takes place in order to control and demean whole societies of people. There are obvious ways in which we can surely see how individuals are being brainwashed into believing false ideas because of fear tactics. This takes that idea and expounds it quite a bit and makes the idea much more broad. I have found that the more I know and educate myself in regards to certain subject matter, most of the time, fear then subsides and I can move into a space of understanding, presence of mind, and peace. My hope with sharing this is that this takes place for others also.
terview conducted by medical historian Edward Shorter for WGBH public television (Boston) and Blackwell Science was cut from The Health Century due to its huge liability--the admission that Merck drug company vaccines have traditionally been injecting cancer viruses (SV40 and others) in people worldwide.This segment of In Lies We Trust: The CIA, Hollywood & Bioterrorism, produced and freely contributed by consumer protector and public health expert, Dr. Leonard Horowitz, features the world's leading vaccine expert, Dr. Maurice Hilleman, who explains why Merck's vaccines have spread AIDS, leukemia, and other horrific plagues worldwide." Lovin' Las Vegas
Hello again, my dear friends. Right now I am sitting on my lovely sisters couch in Las Vegas, Nevada. Chris decided that he needed to take a quick trip to come and pick up some more cars and he thought it would be nice to bring me along to help drive a car back. But.....in the planning process, he realized he had a friend who would be willing to drive a car back for him so I get to hang out here until Sunday when he will be back to pick up more cars and get me too!! Kim and Jeff (my sister who just recently got married) have a cute little town home they are living in right now. They are happy as larks and love being married. Kim is 30 and Jeff is 37 so it has been really FUN to watch their relationship. They seem so content with each other. Partly I think because they have waited so long to finally find someone to share life with that there seems to be an underlying consistent gratitude between them. It is SOOOOOOO cute to watch. They are not all lovey dovey, well especially like I was when I first got hitched, but it is just so FUN for me to watch people and their inner workings and outer relationships!
Everyday when I get on the internet, I scour a few of my favorite blogs to read about some of my favorite topics. There is a new website I recently found. I think a friend tried to share it with me not to long ago but.....for whatever reason I brushed it off and didn't really search the content. This is the first blog I will share. It is put together by a midwife in Oregon. She posts TONS of very educational and ENJOYABLE reading information. I have found that her philosophy on birth is VERY similar to mine. That, of course, makes it that more EXCITING of a read. Her blog is called Sage Femme and for those interested in the topic of an self empowerment in regards to birth, I would recommend her blog as a place of interest for you!!
Now for those interested in raw foods and health, there are 2 blogs that I frequent on a regular basis. One is Angela Stokes blog where she discusses her food intake as well as her health and healing journey. She is fun to read because she posts on a regular basis.
Lastly, is a blog called Freshtopia. I have read quite a bit from their site. One of the reason I enjoy it so much is because it is VERY well written and ENTERTAINING! I am EXTREMELY computer illiterate so I have enjoyed sites that seem to be very computer literate and well written. They have TONS of intriguing videos for your viewing pleasure. The hostess of the videos is AMAZINGLY GORGEOUS and SASSY! I like her alot. Everything from the site just seems to be so well put together and, for me, just a joy to read and watch when I get the chance. Of course, I have lots of other sites and blogs that I visit on a consistent basis but....I will share those at a later date. You can patiently wait for the next time I decided to share. No one pee your pants because you are so excited. LOL!!
I can't remember where I found this video. (so sorry to the person who's site I found it on) I wanted to share it though because I think it portrays how easy it really is to have a baby. I remember when I was first pregnant and my midwife mentioned to me that having a baby was so easy a woman could do it on her front porch if she wanted and no one would even notice that was what she was doing. The sounds the woman in this video is making, I decided, were probably mostly from the shock of deliver her child in Ikea. Not that what she is doing is hard work, it just seems so fast and easy!! Someone, from the other site I got it from, made a funny comment about how she probably ended up delivering in the store just because she couldn't find her way out. SO TRUE!! For anyone who has ever been to Ikea, it can end up being a HUGE MAZE where all your Alice In Wonderland fears become a reality. Or maybe that's just me. Anyway, here it is!! Oh, there is some bloody water, I am sure from her amniotic fluid so be aware!
Another thought I had. Did anyone read about the chemical dumpings that were taking place in California? I just recieved an email about it the other day. You can read the whole article HERE!! I have known for some time that things like this take place all around us and most of the time without our even knowing. I don't like to be the bearer of fear and bad news but....this is something that effects so many people and can so many health threatening or maybe even life threatening effects. I hope everyone reads it and stays informed. I am trying to do what I can to keep abreast to help stand up for what I believe in when the situation arises. Here are a few scary highlights from the article.
"In Monterey, approximately 100,000 residents were exposed to untested chemicals to control the mating habits of less than 750 moths. In Santa Cruz County, over 100,000 residents will be exposed between 11/06/07 – 11/09/07 to untested chemicals to control the mating habits of less than 9,000 moths. This is not a one time application, but will continue monthly beginning again in February, for nine months, and then repeated for up to a total of three years. Again, this program designed to eradicate the moth at best will only control the moth's mating habits; it will not eliminate the moth. At worst, the program will be ineffective, cost tax payers millions of dollars, and cause permanent disability to residents and their pets. All this harm is over a little moth that has yet to cause even $1 of damage in California."
Oh, another, what looks like could be, a really cool birth video on the market. I guess Ricki Lake has put together a movie called "The Business of Being Born." I was just forwarded the trailer this morning. I thought I would go ahead and post it here for all to see. I was just showing it to my sister with the hopes that since she lives in Vegas she will go and see the preview they will be having at UNLV on the 18th. I think all the info for that should be on the site. If you are reading this and for some reason can't find it there, email me and I will forward you the info.