Natural Birth-Doula

We have a doula(s)!  We are so excited and so at ease now that we have finally found a doula to assist with my labor and delivery!  Her name is Kelly Denson and she is a certified doula from the Birmingham area.  Amy Kuhn, a doula in training, will probably be with her during our labor as well.  I say the more the merrier if it helps me be able to deliver Anna Claire naturally and with less discomfort.

For those who don't know (I didn't know until recently), a doula is a trained and experienced professional who provides continuous physical (non-medical), emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and just after birth; or who provides emotional and practical support during the postpartum period. 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

We only have 6 weeks to go and are preparing as much as we can with literature and natural childbirth classes but I know I can never prepare myself fully for something that I have never experienced before.  Please pray that God give JF and I the strength to endure a natural birth.

FALL!!!

Hooray, fall is here!

Fall is my favorite time of year and its finally here.  Last night my husband and I were able to walk the park in our neighborhood without being drenched in sweat.  And the fall 2010 fashion is awesome!  I absolutely love these 3 outfits from Anthropologie (nevermind the horse).  I wish they would show a complete head to toe shot with each outfit though, I always have a problem with finding the right shoes and really need the examples.  If you REALLY like these looks you can click on the title of this post and it will take you directly to Anthro's website, as with any post where I reference a specific article or website.

Strategy

We are now 34 weeks pregnant and lately I have had a roller coaster of emotion.  We are so excited that the days are drawing near and soon we will see our beautiful baby girls face... but not so positive thoughts are finding a way of getting in.  We finally finished the nursery and last night it hit me that soon we will have a tiny little baby in that room.  I was overwhelmed with joy and then became so nervous. I pray often that the Lord will lead us as parents to raise our children in His likeness.  But still, there is always that doubt of if I will do it right.  Even though we don't know the path He has laid out for us there are little signs and blessings that are so obvious (and some not so obvious), His way of letting us know we're going the right way, I got one of those signs today.  I received a baby gift from one of my best friends from the 5th grade.  We were neighbors and went to school together and spent so much time together but have lost touch over the years as many friends do.  It is just so comforting to know that God put her in my life then for a reason.  After all of these years the note with her gift reminded me that He knows what we need and uses the most special people to help us get our footing.  Her note says, "Congratulations Keri!  You are going to be a wonderful mother!  I couldn't help but cry.  It softened my heart a little more to remember how many blessings I have had in my life and the time spent with my friend Brook's entire family has definitely been one of them.  Thank you for your sweet words!

Nursery

We've almost completed Anna Claire's nursery!  All of the major items are in its place.  We do have some minor organization and a few small items to purchase (the pad for the changing table, the rest of the silver baby keepsakes to go on top of the changing shelf and hanging the rest of our cutesy outfits) before we are completely done but I am so excited to have gotten to this point.  I love to sit in here for a few minutes when I get home from work, it is so calming and peaceful.  Here are some pictures.

And we are still trying to figure out what to do here.  Its the slanted wall you face right when you walk in the door.  We are thinking of getting this to put there, http://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/wire-birdcage-decor/?pkey=bshelving-pegs-hooks,

Just because

The only radio stations I listen to in my car are NPR and Jox 94.5 Birmingham.  I listen to Jox for Paul Finebaum and his slew of funnies and crazies that call in (my husband turned me on to it) and NPR for many many reasons but today for the Diane Rehms show.  Most of the time it is difficult to follow along with Diane and I rarely know what the show is about because I pay so much attention to her voice and pronunciation (those who listen know what I'm talking about) but I always go back for more.  I can rarely recap the show to my husband but I can always do my impersonation of Diane.  Thank you Diane for provided me a soothing voice and precise grammar to make my 30 minute drive from Bible Study on Monday nights more pleasant.

Baby Shower

Anna Claire had her first party this weekend!  My family gave me a baby shower this weekend and it was so much fun.  We got so many cute things for the baby and had such great food, I don't think I stopped eating the entire time!  It was a wonderful party.  Here is a picture of the hostesses.  Thank you all for thinking of me and for your hard work getting the party together.  I loved spending time with all of you.

L to R- Aunt Lisa, Jessica Yother, Saratha Grigsby, Me, Claire Yother, Sandy Whitten, & Karen Edwards

Sweet Tooth

On my search to stay as healthy as possible I have been looking into sugar alternatives.  Its seems that even though brands like Kashi and Nature Valley use honey and evaporated cane juice syrup to sweeten their treats instead of sugar they basically have caloric equivalence.  The natural, less processed sweeteners "supposedly" have hints of trace minerals that are beneficial but it seems that in order to get enough of these minerals we would have to consume massive amounts of them, which would totally defeat the purpose.  Here is what I've found

Evaporated Cane Juice Syrup is liquid cane sugar. Termed evaporated cane juice because the water has been removed, its flavor is more concentrated and its color is a rich brown. Unlike refined sugar, evaporated cane juice retains some vitamins and minerals, mainly due to the retention of molasses as well as the decreased amount of processing. Moreover, it is different from straight sugar as evaporated cane juice retains its fructose, glucose and sucrose whereas sugar is solely sucrose. Measure for measure, it contains the same caloric content - 1 teaspoon = 16 calories however, because of its processing it is sweeter tasting than refined sugar, so the potential to use less offers the ability to save calories.

Honey actually contains the same basic sugar units as table sugar. Both contain glucose and fructose. Granulated table sugar, or sucrose, has glucose and fructose hooked together, whereas in honey, fructose and glucose remain in individual units. Fructose is sweeter than glucose, which is one of the reasons fructose is used in so many food products today. However, fructose does not convert to energy as efficiently as glucose. As a result, processed foods containing granulated sugar high in fructose convert to fat stores more easily than honey.
HONEY HAS MORE CALORIES THAN SUGAR. One teaspoon of table sugar contains 16 calories, while one teaspoon of honey has 22 calories. While honey may have more calories, people may actually use less of it, since it is both sweeter and denser than table sugar. This being said, you actually may take in about the same amount of calories that you would with sugar or perhaps even less.
In addition, pure sucrose, or table sugar, is highly processed, while honey has only one processing step. (The honey is heated to prevent crystallization and yeast fermentation from happening during storage.) This has implications on the environment and on people who believe that minimally processed foods are healthier. Vegans, who don't use animal products, do not include honey in their eating plans because it is produced by bees.
As far as "unmediated pure sugar," usually called unrefined sugar, goes, most researchers believe it to be a tad healthier than the processed form. The refining process, which is used to get us our good-ol' table sugar, removes all naturally occurring trace minerals from the sugar plant, leaving us with "empty calories." Moreover, unlike refined sugar, unrefined sugar has more fiber in it, which provides an added health bonus. Unrefined sugar's calories are identical to that of table sugar (16 calories/teaspoon).

It seems that no matter what our choice sweetener is moderation is key because all are unhealthy.  Thanks for nothing!!

After my Ryan Rant a couple of days ago I ran across this article online that was published August 20th.  Guess I spoke too soon...don't know what made me think he would actually quit music.  Seems Ryan Adams 'retired' from music last year, but recently returned with a limited edition science fiction inspired rock opera.  And is almost ready to release his book.

Ryan Adams to release previously archived albums this autumn

The singer-songwriter is also readying a 'super cool-sounding solo album which will be ready next year'

• August 20, 2010 | 1 Comments

Ryan Adams is to release a series of previously archived albums this autumn.

In a message to fans on his official Facebook page, Adams announced that both the new double Ryan Adams & The Cardinals LP, 'III/IV', and solo effort 'Blackhole' were "almost out of the oven".

"To anyone asking about 'III/IV' and 'Blackhole', they are almost out of the oven," he wrote. "You will have a chance to get them this fall. There will not be staggered pressings. Digital and vinyl, not limited copies."

Meanwhile, the singer-songwriter gave an update on another solo LP he is working on, which he says will be "ready next year".

"I've been working on a second batch of tunes," he explained. "Both sessions (NYC [New York] and LA [Los Angeles]) sound super cool but I feel like there is even more. Still working. I imagine the new solo LP will be ready next year."

As previously reported, in early 2009 Adams was "ready for quieter times" after quitting The Cardinals, but has already this year issued "his first fully-realised sci-fi metal concept album" in the form of 'Orion', and written 11 new songs inspired by his trip to Ronnie James Dio's funeral.