So as pregnant and exhausted as I am (counting down till the first trimester is over!) I still can't sleep sometimes.  I never used to mind if Daliya came and climbed into our bed at 5am - in fact, I was happy as long as she went back to sleep for a couple hours.  I loved waking up together!  Unfortunately, when she comes into our room these days it wakes me up and I can't fall back asleep so easily, if at all.

This morning I was tossing and turning, sleepy and a little bit queasy, and just generally frustrated at being awake at 5am for no good reason.  Daliya asked me, "You feel sick?"  I said no, I'm ok.  She ignored my answer, snuggled into me, and laid there rubbing my back.

It was the sweetest thing ever!  I guess when you show a little person a whole lot of love, they can't help but give it back to you when you need it most.

I'm not gonna lie, being pregnant is hard.  Being a parent is hard.  But moments like these are just a tiny taste of how awesome it is to be a family. :)

I love love love this song so much!!!  This will definitely be one of the first songs on my playlist for my birth!  For those of you who don't know, I am due to have another baby in September 2013!

Check out the song and lemme know what strikes you about it. 
Gave me goosebumps right off the bat. :)

https://soundcloud.com/ninaleemusic/sacred-pregnancy-book-trailer

Jordan and I finally got motivated enough to try making our own kombucha, and we learned a few things along the way that I think all you mamas should know before you try it yourself.

1) That layer that forms on the top is just another scoby, not mold!  When I first saw it I freaked out a little bit and went "Aw man, I'm gonna have to throw the whole thing out!"  Luckily a friend of mine who has been making her own kombucha for years now happened to be over when I went to pull my first batch of "booch" out of the closet to check it.  She said, "Oh, no, that's just another scoby!"  Thank you E, for being there just when I needed you. :)

2) Drinking kombucha is not a good idea while you are pregnant or nursing.  This same friend of mine brought this up, just to make sure I knew.  She said according to Dr. Hale of Medications and Mother's Milk, it is a 5 on a scale of 1 to 5, a 5 being the worst!  I was so surprised to hear this, since it is supposed to be so good for you.  Apparently it works as a detox, which is a problem because you don't want to pass the nasty stuff your body is purging on to your baby.  I feel like I want to do a little research on this one, especially since I know so many women who drink kombucha while nursing, myself included!  I'm assuming it would be less of a problem since I'm nursing a toddler and I give some to her in a cup too, and she's only nursing here and there throughout the day, so how many toxins could I be passing her anyway?  And if she's drinking it too, then I'm thinking it's detoxing her body too.

3) Start slow.  Apparently it is a good idea to start with about a third of a cup a day to get your body used to the booch and then gradually increase it.  I had no idea about this one, until I made the unfortunate mistake of giving my 2 year old a whole cup of it.  She LOVES it, and guzzled the whole thing before asking for more.  Well it was obviously a shock to her system, because a few minutes later she thew it all up all over the livingroom floor.  Lovely.  I learned my lesson.

Do me a favor and post either another tip, if you make your own too, or a question about kombucha in the comments below.  I love when we can all learn from each others experiences!

So I set a goal for myself that I honestly thought was completely unrealistic.  So unrealistic in fact, that Jordan and I agreed that I would get to choose our destination for a BIG trip if and when I reached my goal weight (same deal for him reaching his goal).  We figured it would take us so long to reach our goals that we made this deal without even considering the fact that trips cost money that we don't have.  I picked Chile as my dream destination and said I wanted to spend a few weeks in Santiago with friends and then travel south through the lake district and down to the Patagonia, finishing the trip off with camping and hiking at Torres Del Paine for a few days.

Well, needless to say, this trip won't be happening anytime soon (although Jordan did offer to take me to Mobile, Alabama instead - HA!), but I am still thrilled beyond belief that I am actually about a pound and a half UNDER my goal weight!!!!  I find it a little hard to believe.  I had to go out and buy a pair of pants in a size 6 the other day, after a congregant mentioned that my pants were falling down!  A little embarrassing to say the least, but she honestly meant it as a complement - and I took it as such - on how skinny I have gotten.

Now, I'm guessing you're wondering how in the world I lost that much weight.  As much as I would love to tell you that I suddenly got super motivated to exercise and that I work out all the time now, that would be a huge lie.  I do get in about a 15 to 30 minute walk maybe twice a week, but other than that I haven't been devoting any time to cardio workouts.  And no, I haven't been counting calories either.  I eat as much as I want throughout the day, including over eating at meals sometimes.  I eat plenty of carbs too, but just not the empty carbs that I used to stuff my face with all the time.

Here's what I've done to lose the weight:

1. Cut out things that were giving me hives on a daily basis (wheat, dairy, and corn - including anything with maltodextrin on the label)
2. Cut way down on my sugar intake and only eat something sweet if I REALLY can't resisit (plus I started reading every label and I won't eat anything that works out to more than 5 grams of sugar in one sitting, period - so if I have to eat half of a cookie, I eat half of a cookie)
3. Limit my fruit intake to basically a half a piece of fruit a day (I am SUPER sensitive to even the sugar in fruit, so this works for me)

Here are things that have made this become easy... well, easy after the first month or two anyway, once I was over the feeling of withdrawal!

1. Make sure I have carbs with whatever I'm eating so that I don't feel deprived by not eating wheat (examples: rice, quinoa, lentil chips, flaxseed crackers, potatoes, sweet potatoes, rice noodles, bread baked with almond flour or coconut flour - or sometimes a packaged gluten free bread mix with potato starch, etc.)
2. Unlimited snacking, lots and lots of snacking (examples: cashews, pistachios, almonds, sunflower seeds, veggie chips, nori, rice cereal with almond milk, carrots, hummus or guacamole with lentil chips, peanut butter, more peanut butter, and more peanut butter - I love peanut butter and love to eat it by itself!)
3. Meal planning - this could be a whole other post, so I'll just say for now that meal planning has made it easy to have well rounded/healthy, filling, delicious meals on the table - not to mention how awesome this has been for our budget since we are eating out a lot less now.
4. Knowing which restaurants serve things I can eat that I am also excited about - my favorites are sushi, Vietnamese food, and Mexican fajitas, without the tortillas of course.

When I first decided I was going to make some big big changes in my diet I was completely overwhelmed.  I had no idea how worth it it would be in the end!  I still totally enjoy my food - maybe even more than I used to because I appreciate it so much more now and am completely conscious of what I am putting into my body.  Plus, I feel like I have much more energy now, I feel sooo much better about my mommy body, and I am ridiculously proud of myself for making changes that were difficult but influenced my day to day living (and probably my long term health, too) in positive ways on so many levels.

It just took determination, planning, and of course learning what things would help me stick to that plan.  If you are at all interested in making some similar changes, I hope you will be able to glean from my experience and find what will work for you too.  I bet it'll be totally worth it!

So needless to say, I kinda fell off the face of the blog planet for a while there.  I'll be honest, after broadcasting my last post about discontinuing my midwifery education, I went on an emotional roller coaster.  I couldn't bring myself to write ANYTHING about birth, babies, or anything even remotely related, because it just made me so sad!  Well, I've been doing a lot of soul searching, self and family nurturing, and considering different options of where to go next in my life and my career, and decided I better take my own advice and stop stressing and just go with the flow! 

(And I can't deny that attending a birth a few days ago, for the first time in about 4 months, was totally rejuvenating and helped me get back up on the horse, so to speak!)

I'm back and here to stay, and for now I'm going to blog about being a mom to a toddler, and as I get back into the swing of the birth world, I'm sure you'll start hearing more and more from me about birth and babies again, too!

Stay tuned nurtured mommies!  I'm happy to be back and can't wait to hear your input too!

So my life has totally changed in the last month or so.  I went from preparing to go to LA and jump right back into attending births as a senior apprentice midwife, to having it hit me like a ton of bricks that this isn't the right time in my life for me to become a midwife.  A lot happened in between - including all the ups and downs of trying to balance highly demanding birth work at a high volume birth center with being a mom and continuing to breastfeed my daughter whenever I had the chance to be with her, not to mention our terrible bout with thrush, which I'll talk about in a post later on. 

I think that this decision was literally the hardest decision I have ever had to make.  If you know me, you know that I was 4.5 years into midwifery school and was nearing the end.  I felt so close to being done with school and taking my exams, but in the end I just couldn't convince myself to put my calling as a midwife before my commitment to my daughter, my husband, and to be honest, to my own health and well being.

My plan now is to keep moving forward as a doula, pregnancy mentor, and birth educator - all roles that I absolutely love!  Birth work is my passion and no road block is going to keep me from being there to nurture and empower the women and families that I feel I am on this earth to serve.

It's funny, even though the last month has felt like an emotional roller coaster, I'm feeling very grateful.  I'm spending a lot of time thinking about how sacred pregnancy and birth are and how blessed I have been to be so intimately involved in the welcoming of so many new souls into this world.

As I reflect on my life purpose and my true goals, I see clearly that at the bottom of things is the calling to educate, support, and empower women during their pregnancies, births, and beyond; and to give them the opportunity to have a birth that not only goes quicker and smoother, but also has the potential to be safer than it would have been without the strategies I have to share. 

There's no way I can make the difference I want to make in women's lives and in the world unless I can somehow reach lots of women and simultaneously make the information and motivation I offer easily accessible.  So, that brings me to what I really want to share with you - or rather, remind you of if you are a friend or a regular on my blog!

As you may know, I have an awesome online program (it's all about how to nurture and nourish your body and soul so you can set yourself up for the happy and healthy birth of your dreams) that's absolutely packed with info, energy, and motivation.  Since it is online, it is easily accessible and can be used by women all over the country, and even the world, IF we can get the word out.  Here's the thing though, I need YOU to help me spread the word and make a difference!  If you believe in women, and babies, and birth, then just start talking about this.  The program literally has all the most important things that pregnant women need to hear and take to heart to have a chance at a peaceful, positive, empowering birth in out world today.

If you happen to be a doula or childbirth educator, let me tell you that having your clients use this program will almost surely make your job easier because not only does it spell out the most important things your clients and students need to know, but it provides both motivation and a system for staying organized and on track as they prepare their minds and bodies to give birth.  It pretty much sets them up for a quicker, easier, and even safer birth.  Plus, it gives them more reason to value their doulas/labor support people, and their birth educators.  You can either encourage them to invest in this and in themselves, or you might even consider giving it as a gift to your clients when they sign up with you (talk to me about a "bulk" rate if you are thinking about this option).

Whether you are a mom, a doula, a childbirth educator, or even just a friend reading my blog, by letting people know about this opportunity you are helping me empower women, support families, respect birth, and change the world - one nurtured mommy, one birth, and one baby at a time.

For more details click here:  3 Key Strategies to Get the Birth You Want 

Hey everyone, Nurturing Daddy here.  I have to admit, I am posting this with some reservations.  I don't want to be type-cast or pigeonholed into blogging about one topic, but this latest story has been replaying in my mind since it happened 3 days ago and so I have to share it.  Maybe it will help in the healing process, maybe not. 

So we took our little one to her ISR class.  ISR stands for Infant Swim Rescue.  Basically it teaches your child, from infant on up, to essentially rescue themselves in case they accidentally fall into a pool or other body of water.  Our 18 month old is just now concluding the program after about 7 to 8 weeks of intensive swim training with the last 2 classes testing how they react if they have to do everything they learned fully clothed.  She can now flip to her back and float, giving her time to breathe and then swim to the stairs or the side of the pool so she can be pulled out.  I have to tell you it was absolutely amazing to see her progress and now to see the final product. I mean, wow!  The only thing is, it is not easy training, and some of the kids, mine included, scream their heads off and cry during some of their lessons and can't wait to be laid out on the towel by the side of the pool so they can relax after the lesson.  Its not always easy to watch, but the results are amazing.  This, however, is not why I'm writing, just setting the scene for you guys. 

Anyway, we are at ISR lessons, getting D ready for her 2nd to last class.  We were getting ready to change her into her clothes before the lesson and D very urgently let us know she had to go potty.  So we broke out the Dora potty she loves and set it down.  I had checked her diaper before putting her in the car to drive to the lesson and again once we got there and we were all clear so a couple minutes later when D gave us the cue that it was time to "go" I simply passed her off to Becky to put on the potty. 

So Becky is sitting in a chair facing the pool and positions the potty behind the mother of the child who has the lesson before.  The mom has 2 white towels arranged to accept her little guy after his lesson so he can lay down and dry off.  The potty is facing the pool because D loves to watch the other kids swim and will often even clap for them.  She is such a sweet child and is so funny too.  Anyway, the potty is positioned and Becky starts to take off the diaper and as she takes it off an almost perfectly spherical ball of poop goes flying through the air.  There is nothing I could do, it all happened so fast.  This clementine sized ball of feces has gone airborne and yet seems to be traveling in slow motion towards the pool, the towel, and the mom waiting for her baby.  There is nothing to do but wait to see where it lands.  I remember praying in the split second that this poop missile was nearing its final destination, "Please let it land on concrete, please!"  But no dice.  Becky and I watch in horror as a nicely laid out towel became soiled with toddler poop, and not from the toddler to whom the towel belonged. 

At that point a second thought ran through my head.  How the heck (I thought a different 4 letter word in the moment) are we going to explain to this woman how a ball of toddler poop ended up right beside her on her nice white towel. 

Thankfully Becky sprang into action and the explanation and barrage of apologies began.  Thankfully this woman was more than understanding.  She was so cool and chill about our daughters doody, we were relieved.  We couldn't have hoped to have unintentionally thrown poop at a nicer woman and I learned a valuable lesson. 

Be chill, sometimes $#*t happens. 

Sometimes, as moms, we go around thinking people are judging us for how we do things.  I guess sometimes they are - even though I'd love to be able to say that it just isn't the case. 

Here's the thing though, that mom you think is watching you and picking apart how you parent... she is a little too busy with life and her own kids to focus on how you are doing things.  Although, I bet she somehow has time to contemplate the possibility that you are judging her from the sidelines as well.

A friend of mine recently made me consider that when we talk about someone else "thinking" something negative about us, chances are that whatever we think they are thinking isn't what they are thinking at all, but rather it is what we ourselves are self-conscious about in the situation.

Moral of the story, relax and be kind to yourself.  Assume she doesn't have anything negative to say about you.  And get out of your own head and don't say anything negative about you either!  My guess is you're a great mom and you are doing the best you can and making choices that work for your family.  They don't have to work for anyone else's family - just yours.

Take it from someone who's been through being a new mom and learned from experience - not to mention heard from many other moms who gave a manual pump a chance, that they would never go back!  From one mama to another: go get yourself a hand pump and stick it in your purse, or your hospital bag if you haven't had your baby yet, right now so you'll always have all your bases covered - at least as far as pumping is concerned!

1. It is just so much smaller and more simple (read: less intimidating to the new - and sleepy - mom in you)

2. Much less expensive than those fancy shmancy electric pumps

3. The learning curve is easier with a hand pump

4. Many women get more milk, faster, with a hand pump than with an electric pump

5. There aren't a bazillion tubes and pieces to worry about and set up before you're ready to pump

6. You don't need to be near an outlet, or use batteries either, so you can literally pump anywhere (Trust me, I've done it - I've pumped in a neonatal resuscitation class because I couldn't miss anything but still needed to pump.  I even pumped in the bathroom in one of my client's rooms while she was in labor - it was great that I could pop in there, pump real quick, and get back to providing labor support in a flash!) 

7. You can pack it in your bag for the hospital so that just in case for whatever reason your baby doesn't get to be with you right away you can already start pumping and stimulating your milk production instead of waiting to see how long your baby will be away and if you're going to need a hospital grade pump.  Also in case it takes your busy nurse a while to get an order for a pump from the hospital, and then even longer for that pump to end up delivered to your room

8. If you are super engorged and so your baby is having a hard time latching, it is much easier to just grab your hand pump and express/pump a little milk to soften your breast just enough for your baby to be able to latch, instead of having to get your whole electric pump out and set up and ready to pump, with a hungry and crying baby right there waiting for his lunch

9. The first few times you are away from your baby for a few hours, toss your hand pump in your purse and take it along with you just in case you unexpectedly get painfully "full" or end up out longer than you expected.  Having that pump right there with you allows you to be so much more flexible without having to lug around a whole other bag with a heavy electric pump and all its parts and pieces (not to mention find somewhere discreet and comfortable to plug it in and pump wherever you happen to be)

10. You have direct control over how fast or how slow to pump.  The rhythm you find yourself pumping at may even be more similar to your baby's sucking pattern, so you could get more and better let-downs of milk than you might with an electric pump where you have to just keep playing with the settings

11. Whenever you travel by air and need to take your pump along, you can have your little hand pump right in your purse and airport security won't even have to check it out because it doesn't have a motor to make them suspicious

12. You won't feel like you're being "milked like a cow" because you'll be the one in control and doing the actual expressing/pumping

13. If you end up actually NEEDING an electric pump because you and your baby are unable to nurse and you are going to spend any time pumping exclusively, you'll want to be using a hospital grade pump anyway, so you'll be glad you didn't spend the money on a regular electric pump that's just going to sit in your closet (at least that's where my electric pump now lives - and yes I did need a hospital grade pump for the first week or so of my daughter's life)

If you're like me, you'll try your hand pump once and never look back!  If anyone had told me to just get a hand pump in the first place I would have skipped the electric pump altogether and maybe spent the money on something more essential (or more cute and fun!) instead.

Click here to see the hand pump I have.

Here's the one I might get in the future.  Not the best reviews in the world, but I've seen it in action and want it!

So, as a mom, you never know what kind of day you'll have.  Today was one of those days that started out bad to the point of being hilarious actually, then turned into an incredible day that reminded me why I have faith in God and why I believe things happen for a reason.  I feel like everything is just falling into place in my life.   I am so grateful.

How today started out...

I decided to take Daliya and go meet a couple of friends out at the beach.  I was already out driving when I decided to go, so I went without even checking that I had sunscreen in my purse (bad idea - I didn't have any and Daliya and I both ended up pretty burnt, and I can tell you first hand how sad it makes a mama to have a toasty red little girl who can't even get comfortable to sleep!)

We ended up going to the wrong beach somehow and after driving around and around finally figured it all out, and an hour and 15 minutes later I spotted my friends' cars along the side of the road.  I made a quick U-turn, and then CRAP!!!  Just like that, my car sank right into the sand.  I was like, you've got to be kidding me!!!  I sat there for a minute having absolutely no clue what to do, when Daliya started getting all worked up and crying in the back because she was "all done" being in the car.  I stood up and realized I needed to pee so bad after driving for so long and was going to eventually have to go find a discreet spot to go pee out in the open (no bathrooms anywhere remotely near this part of the beach).

So I put my hazard lights on, grabbed Daliya, locked the car and went to find my friends.  As I crossed the road, SPLAT!!! More CRAP!!!  WHAT!!??!!  Seriosuly???!!!  Yeah, that's what went through my head as this crazy bird kept circling around my head!!  Then, well isn't it good luck to get pooped on (by a bird!), right?

Anyway, some amazing friends (and one stranger who parked a little way behind my stuck car!), helped me get cleaned up, watch Daliya, and even get my car out of the sand!  I'm so lucky that even though I might have felt completely dumbfounded and like I was in a silly movie or something, I never had to feel alone for a minute.

Thank you to my wonderful friends Ashley, Elisabeth, Sacha, and Jen!!!  You rocked my world today each in your own way - or rather, balanced it back out to even better than normal! 

On another note, in case you're wondering, I'm not ready to share the exciting news that really made my day today, but I'll just say this:  I will be seeing my LA peeps a lot sooner than I expected, and Daliya and I are going to be doing a lot of traveling - just the 2 of us (so wish me more luck!) -  in the months to come. 

Only downside is we will miss Jordan so so soooo much whenever we are away from P'cola! ;-(