"Mommy, I'm Mary and this is baby Jesus."

I had two Marys in my house today :-)

And this is baby Jesus!

My Utmost for His Highest

Every now and then I read from "My Utmost for His Highest". I wanted to share a quote that spoke to me today about obeying God.

"...God never coerces us. Sometimes we wish He would make us be obedient, and at other times we wish He would leave us alone. Whenever God's will is in complete control, He removes all pressure. And when we deliberately choose to obey Him, He will reach to the remotest star and to the ends of the earth to assist us with all of His almighty power."

"So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised." Hebrews 10:35,36

"See Me Read!!"

Kyla has been reading for a couple months now from a recommended book, "Teach your child to read in 100 easy lessons." It's a phenomenal book for homeschooling or just to simply help your child to read. I wasn't planning to start until Kindergarten with her, but she kept pointing to words and asking us what they say so this summer we thought it might be time to start slowly.

We probably only do 1 lesson a week with her. But here are her words and sentences that she's reading now.

Am
At
See
Mad
Sad
Sat
Eat
Me
Mat
Hat
...and some others.

Here are the 3 sentences she's been reading:
"See me eat"
"See me read"
"Mad at me"

Quotes for Monday

“God is using all of your experiences, good and bad, to develop your character and to match your calling. After all, dear friend, you will never know how God will use you until you let him.”
- Elizabeth Elliott ( I think!)

"Call to Me, and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know" --Jeremiah 33:3

The whole chapter of Isaiah 58

High-fructose corn syrup

High-fructose corn syrup is twenty times sweeter than sucrose, it is cheap to make, and convenient for food manufacturers because it retains moisture. It blends well with other ingredients and extends the shelf life of products. It's no wonder it seems to be in almost everything we eat: from whole grain bread, ketchup and spaghetti sauce to cookies and yogurt.

The Journal of Clinical Nutrition began to link high- fructose corn syrup to the rise in obesity because of the specific way it is metabolized in the body. However, corn syrup manufacturers want more research to be done on this topic.

One for sure fact is that it does absolutely nothing to improve one's overall health and wellness. The "free" fructose in corn syrup can disrupt the heart's use of minerals and it also decreases the ability of white blood cells to fight infections. Furthermore, according to several research studies and also Dr. Neustaedter, OMD, "fructose inhibits the hormones that make us feel full (insulin and leptin), and it triggers the hormone that makes us feel hungry (ghrelin). "

The good news is that it is possible to avoid high-fructose corn syrup. Trader Joe's is where we get about 95% of all of our groceries and none of their products contain this ingredient. (In addition, they also do not sell products that contain artificial colors, preservatives, or hydrogenated oils).

New Pictures

Random thoughts and musings

TODAY

Today is very windy and cold and it feels like winter here in Charlotte. I had a little get-together with some of the students from my childbirth classes and one of my doula clients. Their babies were born in the last several months and I had heard from some of the mothers off and on that they were having a hard time feeling isolated and alone.

So, babies and coffee was born and we met at Dilworth coffee on this windy, autumn day in Charlotte. I don't know if we'll meet at a coffee shop each time (my 2 toddlers were on the wilder side sitting in a coffee shop for 1.5 hours!), but at least everyone got to meet other mommies! It was a good time.

THE PHILIPPINES

I haven't written much on my blog about the Philippines and going to New Life International School of Midwifery next year. Most of the time I think about writing and then I don't. I think I'm in a very "speechless" state right now. Pete and I are just doing a lot of praying and waiting on the Lord. I feel an unusually strong tug on my heart to go. This "tugging" only gets stronger when I go to church and the pastor speaks on Jonah. It gets stronger when I pick up my Bible and read just about any passage. Only stronger when I talk to God about it. It's the same "tug" I felt when Jesus called me to himself and asked me to give my life to Him. I don't know what to do with this very "Holy Spirit" type of tugging. It seems like we just need to obey and go! And then the doubts pop up...one after another..."What if we don't raise all the money?"....."What about vaccines for Avery? She had (mild) allergic reactions to the only 2 shots she's ever had."...."what about her skin?"...."what will life be like as a family in the Philippines?"......"what will our families think?" (...ummmm....let's just say that they aren't exactly thrilled with the idea of us moving across the world...)

AVERY's ECZEMA

Avery is being treated by an acupuncturist with an allergy-elimination technique called NAET. So far, it seems to be working, but only time will tell. Currently, her skin looks almost beautiful. And she is happier and happier every day. And, she's no longer allergic to dairy!!! yippeeeee!!
We just praise God and thank him for each and every day that Avery is happy and not scratching. And yesterday and today were days like that. Slowly and surely we are all getting our sanity back :-)

ME

I love being a doula. I'm excited to one day become a midwife, but there is no other word to describe how much I love helping other moms as a doula right now. Whether it is educating them on childbirth and breastfeeding, encouraging them, supporting them and praying for them. It is a ministry in and of itself. I feel so blessed each time I meet with a new mom-to-be.

I started seeing a chiropractor. I've only been two times and I don't remember the last time my back and neck felt so good. My neck and back have been bothering me a lot since the little ones came along. So, this is a huge blessing. :-)

...and then came Jonah.

We get emails from friends off and on asking us how things are going with our decision about moving to the Philippines for missionary work with New Life International School of Midwifery.

Please visit my husband's blog for the latest updates on our thought process about the Philippines. He has done a wonderful job and conveying how we are feeling and what we are thinking and he has several entries posted about this.

There you will read about why I entitled this entry "...and then came Jonah."

Beautiful Ballerinas

Our girls LOVE to dress up...

Molly and Omar's Wedding

It was a privilage to see our good friend, Molly McLellen, and to meet her husband, Omar and photograph their wedding. We also got to meet their precious daugther, Libby! They had their 2nd wedding in Abingdon, VA this weekend (their first was in Los Angeles) on a gorgeous fall day! The day could not have been more beautiful.

Asheville, NC

We stopped in Asheville for a day on our way to Abingdon, VA to photograph Molly and Omar's wedding! What a fun town Asheville is...very unique...very "green"...and LOTS of fun :-)

A quick pic of downtown Asheville. No chain stores or restaurants are allowed in the downtown part of Asheville. Everything is locally owned and operated.

We had a snack at the Green Sage Cafe. It is run by solar energy and all of the wasted food gets composted. They actually give you your coffee/tea in a mug versus a disposable cup! It tastes so much yummier that way too!

More Asheville pictures

There was a lot of fun street entertainment...this guy was very talented!

I'm a doula!

After finishing my doula training workshop through DONA International I am officially a doula now! I'm so excited to be able to help moms and serve them during such a transient time in their lives. I'm working on my certification births currently and I have one client due on October 17th.


What is a doula? (Taken from DONA International)

"The word "doula" comes from the ancient Greek meaning "a woman who serves" and is now used to refer to a trained and experienced professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and just after birth; or who provides emotional and practical support during the postpartum period.

Studies have shown that when doulas attend birth, labors are shorter with fewer complications, babies are healthier and they breastfeeding more easily.

A Birth Doula

• Recognizes birth as a key experience the mother will remember all her life
• Understands the physiology of birth and the emotional needs of a woman in labor
• Assists the woman in preparing for and carrying out her plans for birth
• Stays with the woman throughout the labor
• Provides emotional support, physical comfort measures and an objective viewpoint, as well as helping the woman get the information she needs to make informed decision
• Facilitates communication between the laboring woman, her partner and her clinical care providers
• Perceives her role as nurturing and protecting the woman's memory of the birth experience
• Allows the woman's partner to participate at his/her comfort level

A birth doula certified by DONA International is designated by the initials CD(DONA)."

Why should I hire a doula for my birth? (From DONA International)

"Women have complex needs during childbirth and the weeks that follow. In addition to medical care and the love and companionship provided by their partners, women need consistent, continuous reassurance, comfort, encouragement and respect. They need individualized care based on their circumstances and preferences.

DONA International doulas are educated and experienced in childbirth and the postpartum period. We are prepared to provide physical (non-medical), emotional and informational support to women and their partners during labor and birth, as well as to families in the weeks following childbirth. We offer a loving touch, positioning and comfort measures that make childbearing women and families feel nurtured and cared for."

Numerous clinical studies have found that a doula’s presence at birth

• tends to result in shorter labors with fewer complications
• reduces negative feelings about one’s childbirth experience
• reduces the need for pitocin (a labor-inducing drug), forceps or vacuum extraction and cesareans
• reduces the mother’s request for pain medication and/or epidurals

Research shows parents who receive support can:

• Feel more secure and cared for
• Are more successful in adapting to new family dynamics
• Have greater success with breastfeeding
• Have greater self-confidence
• Have less postpartum depression
• Have lower incidence of abuse

I was adviced by the other Charlotte doulas in the area to begin charging between $600-$700 a birth once I am done with my certifcation births. I learned that when the same area doulas charge a similar fee, then potential clients will choose a doula based on her personality and how well they click together versus choosing based on price. This is very important to have someone whom you mesh with and are very comfortable with at your birth. I need two more births before I can apply for certification with DONA. Right now, I am charging $500, but that is on a sliding scale depending on income level.

Check out the website Pete helped put together for me! And, thanks, Peter Guy, for hosting the site!

One Gentle Beginning

Our sponsored child

Let me introduce you to one of our sponsored children through Compassion International. Diana Novita Sari lives in Indonesia. Pete and I started sponsoring Diana when we were sophomores at Virginia Tech and Diana was a very little girl...I believe she was maybe 3 years old.

Now she will be 14 years old in December! She looks so healthy and is going to school and learning about God. We love getting her letters and Kyla and Avery love coloring her pictures and sending them to her. She thanks us for the girls' artwork. She tells us in her letters about what she is learning in school and praises God for how good he is to her. Sometimes she even tells us that she wishes we would write her more! I guess we need to get better at that!

It is such a blessing to be give to a child who has so little compared to the surplus of what we have in America. Even right now with our economy so bad off, I look around and count my many blessings of having all that I really and truly need. Things might be tight for our family right now, but for so many other kids all over the world things are so tight and food and resources are so sparse, that it's a matter between life and death.

I encourage you that if you have never sponsored a child, go to Compassion's website and get involved. It's only $32 a month. Consider sponsoring a child in an AIDS afflicted area in Africa who lost her mom and dad due to AIDS. Or a little toddler in Ethiopia who is crying very hard because he's hungry and there is no food for him to eat because of the looming food crisis. There's children in every country that can truly be given a second chance at life and health if you sign up right now!! And on top of becoming healthy and eating well and receiving health care, they will also get to go to school and learn about God's love!!

Now, how awesome is that!?!

Kyla's First Day of Preschool!

I'm so behind with blogging, it has truely been a whirlwind these past 2 weeks!!
Our newest news is that Kyla started her first year of preschool! She loves it so much. She has made a lot of friends in her class of 4 year olds. The preschool is part of our church, and it is a brand-new, small little school with a total of 18 children. In her class there are 7 children including her best friend, Ella, who lives right behind us in our neighborhood.

This is her first day of preschool. Avery really missed having her big sister around. She didn't know quite what to do!