slow birth

  Having just read Gloria Lemay's blog on slow birth, i am feeling awakened to how our cultural values on how fast = better have seeped into birth, even "natural birth". With my first 2 i had  average birth lengths, about 8 hours with each, always jealous of the women who could pop out those babes and then leave in their skinny jeans. (2.5 years after my third, i am still looking at those damn skinny jeans.)
  We've all either told or heard the stories, "the baby just shot out", "3 hours of labour and 2 grunts, and she was out...and that was my first!", or " i went from 4 cm to birth in 40 minutes"..OK the last one was me. I fell into the trap of competitive birthing!! How could've i been so duped?! The ironic thing is, is that the last super fast birth i had, felt like i had a semi coming out my behind...and made me feel like i was lucky to be alive afterwards. And THAT was my brag story, simply because it was fast. How lame of me. But my grace is that many of us do it, a reason many moms like avoiding new mom groups like the plague, since we will all be forced to tell our story and either amp it up with tales of horrible pain and incredibly long painful hours, or make the rest of the women feel like itty bitty wimps(or at least not very efficient) by saying how fast and easy peasy it was. Either way to say it, we still like making a statement of how powerful we are. We all have many ways in which we are powerful, and a good slow birth is a thing to be proud of as well.

Gloria's blog and article here:

A lovely birth here:(also taken from Gloria's blog)

   

good ol' propaganda

I love this poster...i'm going to hang it on a wall in my kitchen. Read the history of it here:

Merry Christmas friends:)

  Tonight was lovely..i had my folks come up from Salmon Arm, and i tried some new foods that i had never made before (always try new foods when you have company)...I made bruschetta on sour dough and then a fried zucchini, fennel and mushroom dish, with a fennel, tomato, poppy seed salad..did i mention i love fennel? I could smell it all day, well maybe for at LEAST 20 minutes. Then for dessert we had avocado ice cream, followed by raspberry sorbet with a bittersweet chocolate crispy brownie. And for the naysayers who wouldn't eat the avocado ice cream i bought some stolen and Cool Whip (to put on the ice cream to make it sort of Albertan-ish). But everyone liked it! And i got to show off my Vita-Mix in the process. Oh Vita.  Its now off to drink a little vino and wrap the presents from Santa (i switched the more expensive gifts that were originally from Santa...the cheaper ones are now from him, why should he get the credit?)

        Merry Christmas friends! Here's a poster i would love to give to every pregnant woman as a gift from their doula :)  Ashley G's drawings exude coolness.

glowing Christmas babies

Well, i'm ready for Christmas..in my world at least...i'll think about what we're going to eat the day before we eat it. I'm shunning turkey as i just don't like it, and i think we may just have a big brunch, and i'll try and make some gluten-free cinnamon buns. Yummy? I'm hopeful...The really exciting part of Christmas for us is Christmas Eve anyways, the candles at the Christmas Eve service, the anticipation for the kids, and the whole "night before Christmas" feeling. My kids just watched ET, when Levi started watching the movie he said, "Is ET a child hunter?"..no Levi he's a friendly alien...I didn't remember this part, but the teenie tiny Drew Barrymore call ET a "penis head"...my kids will be sure to use that one :) And for my pleasure i will post a picture of a hard plastic baby that glows AND is also a piggy bank...and is BLUE! The french made this one up...and its so tacky, its cool...you can find it at Basic French.

a simple craft

I love crafts, but i like simple ones..something where the process is creative yet not too tricky, so i can relax and not get frustrated..especially when children are involved! Its also nice to see a bit of the creator in the craft as well...not just Martha hiding in the glue and sparkles ;) Here is a craft idea that is simple and  chic with all of those beautiful colours...last year i thought i had bought some of these felted balls at a market, but it turned out they were dyed cocoons..strange but pretty.
Here is a link for the craft materials.

fab prints and toothpaste

 I just got up and noticed Ruben had been brushing his teeth with toothpaste...Scott's toothpaste, the flouride type...i was panicked thinking about all the paste he'd probably just eaten, and then i thought about how toothpaste was one of my favorite snacks as a kid, and i lived...and i realized that he's not yet smart enough to squeeze, so he couldn't have gotten that much. I love these prints from http://www.riflepaperco.com/ .

Christmas spirit anyone?

Christmas can be such a sad time for so many people, and i fall into a melancholy mood every single year since i was about 12. Its really hard to enjoy what my own family has, without looking around to see what others don't have. I am trying to focus on what i can do, and not allow myself to be taken over by what i can't change. Here are some things that i can do:

1. Be thankful always.

2. Give my time to certain community services (Salvation Army), or people i know who need help and friendship.

3. Do not be a crazy consumer..it only makes me feel worse, and doesn't benefit anyone. Carrying a light load gives room for other experiences.

4. Pray. It really does have power, i have experienced it many times over.

5. Practice surrender everyday. Jesus never asserted his rights and neither should i.

6. Have positive boundaries. I will not have to assert my rights if i have proper boundaries in the first place.

On another note...i sure do love this ribbon...i'm wrapping my gifts this year with mostly newspaper, and this ribbon would be a perfect addition.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/applesandeggs

flippin cute!

hello my friends

Updates:

1. My dentist was awesome...told me that "we're going to take it slow since we just met, and that we're dental dating right now, so you can relax"...dental phobia is 1/8th of what it was.

2. The raw food challenge went to the wayside end of November...who was i kidding? All raw till Christmas Eve...yeah right. ( I'm planning to start in January though...around Jan.2nd(ish) unless there happens to be cake around ;)

3. Ovio Christmas party was a fun, relaxing time with friends...thanks for coming!!! New website will be up very soon since my good friend Lenna shot some super creative photos of the products.

4. I am off to have an amazingly delish meal for my health food store staff party...Rick (former owner of Oops cafe) is cooking, and i'm going to eat every scrap.

5. I have a crazy addiction to grande americano mistos, with soy and half sweet gingerbread syrup...please make it stop.

6. I need birth stories people! E-mail me @ abarker54@gmail.com . I'm planning on posting a birth story at  least once a week.

7. is my favorite number . Ciao!

beautiful birth story

My Journey to a VBAC from Lindsey Meehleis on Vimeo.

dental fear..

I hate going to the dentist...i never used to though, especially when i lived in Strathmore and would travel all the way into Calgary to see a holistic dentist who would sing along with opera while drilling into my teeth, .. he was cute, so i put up with it. Since then i have been to 5 dentists (all in Kamloops)..yes, 5..most of the time they never got past my first initial meeting. They were either not very nice, too rough, told me my teeth were big (um, really? 'cause i thought they were small...doesn't everyone have 2 giant chiclet sized teeth?), or still used those damned mercury fillings. And, if they got the privilege of drilling into my teeth, they had better not touch a nerve or put the needle in wrong, or they'd be fired. But now, i have a broken tooth...and i need it fixed...and it actually hurts more not going to the dentist, than going and dealing with it there for a short period of time. I have a sort of 'plan of action' when i go, i tell them how sensitive my teeth are, and i tell them not to touch them with that poking piece of metal horror..and then i pinch my hand really hard when they insert the needle. My hand has actually gone numb from me pinching it so hard. All this comes from having a dentist that did work on me without freezing me properly, it felt like i was being tortured, and he wouldn't stop...i even yelled "dish ish worsh dan childbirf!!"  So tomorrow i meet yet another one, and i'm going to try and be relaxed and not give him directions, and just go with the flow....BTW, i had gotten an appointment with a certain dentist here that someone told me was the hottest guy in Kamloops, (after i had made the appointment)..so i cancelled that one...

i want to make one!

I Love Anthroplogie (the store), they are always so creative in the way they represent their collections. Here are some photos of how they're displaying their jewellery this season...i'm going to make some of these with my kids this week, and then i'll post the pictures..Happy Sunday.

babycakes

I love cupcakes (ok who doesn't?)....I got a super slick vintage (yellow!) cupcake holder from my mom for Jaida's birthday tomorrow. We're trying as much as possible to go gluten and dairy free for her party, eating at fancy-ish place for her party of 8 girls and i'm bringing the cake..so i want them to look good and taste good enough :) It is very challenging to bake the perfect cupcake with garbanzo bean flour and potato starch..let me tell you! There are other ingredients that most have probably never heard of  (like egg replacer and xanthan gum), but i'll spare you. The important thing is that i have a Babycakes cookbook, and all of everything i've tried is amazing!! (Even for regular people with regular tastebuds!!) I'm making the vanilla cupcakes, and if you want the recipe..ask me! Those little kids better not waste a crumb...

so lovely

These pictures are from one of my favorite picture blogs Froken O. So dreamy...

i'm so excited for this film!

la sludge

Tonight i got home after 6, didn't have that much time to prepare dinner and decided to use my Vita-mix for the hot soup option. I threw in a few handfuls of baby carrots, a beet, an onion, a couple handfuls of greens, a couple heads of broccoli, not enough water, not enough salt, and not enough spices. I turned it on and let it do its thing...after 4 minutes the soup gets hot from the friction and you're done! I was excited to eat it, as i thought about how healthy it would be (and i thought it would be tasty too)....a BIG NEGATIVE on that one...it was disgusting. I've eaten some gross things..like fresh wheat grass, but this tasted like hot wheatgrass soup. There is a reason they give you the OJ chaser shots when you buy a shot of wheatgrass...and here i was, delaying the process by having it hot with a spoon! The texture was like thick tomato paste, and i just couldn't eat it without the gag reflex.  Scott ended up making oatmeal and the kids were stoked that they didn't have to eat the sludge.

i broke my tooth

Last night i had a confrontation with a family member...i'm not going to say who, but it wasn't my immediate family, and we're not related by blood..how's that? I'm usually a sarcastic person when i get angry with people i'm not totally at ease with, but this time i was honest (yeah me!), which i think is a much kinder way to deal with someone than being sarcastic...but to my surprise, the sarcasm was better accepted than truth. And i was told that i "wrecked the evening"..with my honesty in private? So, at first i felt good about it, then i felt guilty, and then i felt like i was validated, and then i felt guilty. Then i clenched my jaw so hard while i was sleeping, i broke off part of my molar. The end.

Here is a super duper funny print that i retrieved from Oh Joy, this piece was made by Erin Jang as a custom print for a bride and groom...i love it.

purdy as a picture..can you eat pictures?

I LOVE MACARONS!! It all started in Victoria, living downtown amongst the little italian and french pastry shops..i developed this massive love of the sweet and chewy (with a hint of almond) macaron. They come in all colours and flavours, and they were gone really fast at these shops. I looked at learning how to make my own, and how to make them healthier...but i couldn't. You could use agave nectar for the middle paste, but thats about the only thing you can do...they are not healthy, and maybe that is why i love them so much..like a little affair on your green smoothie..So, here is the recipe that i am using for my Christmas baking..(they will make an appearance at my Ovio Christmas Shindig if they turn out ;)

Ovio Organico Christmas shindig

Hello...i posted this on facebook , but for some of you who are not on facebook...here is an invite:


Ovio Organico Christmas Spa

6-9pm, Dec 12


My place! There will be wine, tea and chocolate fondue, as well as your own personal foot soak where you can try our scrubs, oils and balms. Bring a friend if you wish, and i will have a table of products for sale if you're not done your Christmas shopping! please RSVP 250-376-8331

Guess who?

I've been reading in my course about ultrasound, and the risks it can pose to an unborn baby (even a born one!) and today the lovely Gloria Lemay  posted on her blog a conversation between two women in the birth field about those risks. It is worth a read...
I've personally had a problem with ultrasound for awhile now, before i knew there was any physical risks involved. My problem was about the lack of surprise in pregnancy these days. Sorry if i'm a little brash, but why do we as parents, want to find out the gender of our babe in a dark room with an ultrasound tech? Are we that much of an instant gratification society, that we can't wait until we meet our little furry/bald head muffins at birth? OK, before i sound like a total snob...i've been tempted for sure. In Victoria while i was getting a scan done for my (Levi) pregnancy, the tech said, "do you want to know?" ....that was soooo hard..but Scott was on the other side of that door with Jaida, and i remembered the glee of being wrong about my guess with her..and i wouldn't have had that surprise if i had found out beforehand.  So i guess my problem wasn't with ultrasound per say, more of the lack of surprise ..and how many good surprises do we have these days? I've heard reasons such as: 1. 'I want to have the baby room ready'..sleep with your baby, and i'm sure he/she will be even more content. :) 2.'I don't want to have to buy everything in yellow'...don't, buy a couple of things and then go shopping afterwards...Levi wore pink and purple for the first week of his life, and he didn't seem to mind :) . 3. 'I really wanted to have a boy, so we wanted to find out'..and then what? You lose a little bit of your excitement at the fact you're haveing a girl?  4. 'knowing the sex enables me to bond with my baby better, and give him/her a name' ..when you're bonding with a little soul inside you, does the sex matter? BUT, these are just MY opinions...they go along with my personality...i hate planning too far ahead, and i'm all about surprise. If you are a choleric personality, i don't understand your view, because i'm a full on sanguine. ( Look those up if you're lost on what i'm saying:) Also, if you have different take on it, feel free to rant on me..i like different opinions!

Doesn't this picture make you think of childhood wonder? I got it from another blog and i forget which one..will post when i find out where so i can give the picture taker some credit :)

Thankyou to the friends who commented, called and e-mailed on my post from yesterday..i don't know how to set the comment section up so people can comment anonymously..so far you have to have a google account or other blog. Please tell me if you know how:)

I need your advice!

I am going to do some sort of consumer research here...i have been pluggin' away with my business Ovio Organico for almost 7 years now, it started out as a soap business, and then changed into 24 different skin care products because of my love of making up new products. I quickly realized that i couldn't afford the 12 different types of packaging, and all the professional labels that my products required (especially when there is always a minimum order per label)...so because of my lack of business skills i joined up with my good friend Richard (yes a man, not gay, but we've been friends for a long time..blah blah blah)..so then when Ovio became a real business, with a real accountant, etc..i felt out of my realm...everything had become so redundant and i lost my mojo. :( We went down to 3 products for cost reasons, and  began selling in some stores, but it became boring and not that fruitful...so now what?!  Last weekend i was at a Christmas show, and i had decided the week before to experiment with new essential oils, new mixtures...and even bought some blank Martha Stewart (gasp!) labels so i could create whatever the heck i wanted...and it was so fun!!! The mojo has made an appearance and i'm having crazy brain storming sessions in my, well, brain. Here are a few of my ideas:

1. Carry on with Ovio, but start carrying other products as well and have an on-line shop called Eco-nomical Organical or just Ovio Organico --'the eco-nomical source for all things organic', which would offer great prices on organic labels...

 2. Continue on with Ovio and  develope a product range that is A. very well -priced and sold on-line and at craft fairs, home parties, etc.. or B. regular priced that is only sold in stores, since i have to consider the mark-up the store would put on the product(where would you prefer to purchase?)

3. Continue on with Ovio but make it a mother/baby range only, (and do i sell on-line, or in stores?)

And the last part: What do you use most of? What would you be interested in using? ..i would very much appreciate your comments, phone calls, or e-mails...i need some direction!

Raw food-ness

I bought a Vita-Mix at Costco yesterday..without talking about it with Scott. I came home with a look of glee spread across my face and had to slowly explain why i bought it,('this will change your life Scott', 'it makes hot soup!', 'it was the LAST day at Costco', etc...) he was pretty ticked. $500.00 is not small change around here, so i understand his frustration with his compulsive wife. So i've taken it as my challenge to use it well...last night i made this super delicious soup in 5 min, ..throw all your raw ingredants in, turn it on for 4 min, and the friction makes the soup hot...ta-da!! We made ice cream last night when Scott had a DQ craving...(see all the money we're saving!), and i'm going to make some sort of mush for dinner just to prove you can use it for every meal of the day!! Anyways, i've wanted one for about 4 years since every raw food un-cook book i have requires it for something. I am starting a raw food challenge on Tuesday, and i'm going till Christmas Eve baby..i'll write a little about it, and post some easy peasy recipes.

The requirements are:

*approx. 80% of the food i eat has to be raw goodness
*no white-ness (flour, sugar, dairy,etc..)
*NO coffee..i'm trying this one again
* excercise at least 3 times per week
* no animal products..zip..nothin..

concocting

Tonight i am getting prepared for a Christmas Craft show...wrapping lavender soaps, mixing sugar scrubs, and finishing off a perfume i've been working on...i'm not telling what i put in it, but it smells like coconut with lime, with a dash of cocoa maybe? I'm amazed by smells and how they tend to trick us...i can use 10 different essential oils and have the perfume come out smelling like grape candy...like the fake grape candy. I have always wanted to become a 'nose'...i already drive Scott nuts by detecting the smallest gas leaks, and when i was pregnant the smell of plastic wrap drove me crazy. Mandy Aftelier is a natural perfumer who only uses essential oils and absolutes to create her deeply mysterious potions...a true artist.

babies = hope

Lately I find myself craving pregnancy, birth, and that feeling of being blissed out and in love. In reality though, i know i have a lot of  'things' (for lack of a better word) to work through before even planning a fourth babe... Scott and I have never 'planned' a baby..they just happened on random...and we were thrilled! And with those spontaneous conceptions there is always a feeling of "oh crap...we didn't think about this" mixed with "yee-haw!". So now, its been awhile since a good ol' surprise...and i'm turning 29 , and i'm feeling the weight of 'planning', and 'retirement savings', and with all the bad news in the world, a baby = hope for the future. So maybe i don't really need to have another babe..but even thinking that i might gives me enough hope that my life will not turn out just as i 'plan' it to.

a lovely mama

This woman was featured in the New York magazine's Look Book, where a person with great personal style is featured and interviewed. This woman is Molly Findlay and i love how she's carrying her babe in an Ergo, and i just dig her overall look...here is the interview, and check out my Favorite Ergo...i'm definately buying this for my next baby(Scott doesn't read this, so i can say that:)...unless Liz can whip up something similar (shout out to Bloggy Mama creations).

i hate scrapbooking...sorry gals

When someone says, "I'm a scrap booker" or "I'm a scrappy stamper"(someone who stamps AND uses stickers)...i shudder in my panties. I have several reasons for my shuddering:

1. I hate cutting my pictures...one of the best things about pictures is looking in the background many years later and recalling the ugly wallpaper and the size of my moms booty back in the day (hot stuff). Isn't it sort of editing memories?

2. I don't like stickers with themes..'nuff said.

3. I don't like taking so much time to save memories, because then i'll need another scrapbook of pictures of me scrapbooking...("oh, remember the days when i would sit at the table all day long and glue ribbons, and other paraphernalia into a $1000.oo book...)

4. real christians don't scrapbook...its true..ok, its not true.

5. The Guilt!! I simply do not want to take the time to do it, but then i feel guilty, so i go to Starbucks to feel better...(and us moms do not need any more guilt of not being perfect enough!)

6. I don't like being stereotyped by men...(my wife scrapbooks....wicked eh?)

7. I miss real old scrapbooks...like taking scraps and putting them into books.

8. One of the things i loved doing at my grandmother's house was digging through a massive box with a zillion pictures in it..spanning about 5 decades..and then trying to remember the memories together..with organization that wouldn't be possible.

I think that is all of the reasons....and friends if you don't hate me by now..i LOVE looking at YOUR scrapbooks..especially if they involve placenta pictures...SO, to stop the forever guilt of not 'properly' archiving my children's memories, i am going to do these things (ideas are taken from http://www.cookiemag.com/ )

From the top:

1. Memory boxes, simple yet special....i think i'm going to memory box my skinny clothes("now those honey, are the undies mommy wore before she had you...and before she worked at Starbucks")
2. I love this idea: write random letters to your kids, dogs, what have you...and then someday when they care, give them the old unopened letters...or, fill up a daytimer with your agenda and then on the next page write funny quotes from your kids..or something that happened that day. Then they'll have a full picture of what your life AND theirs looked like.
3.Write down on the calender a certain day each month to take a picture of your kids/family members..(hopefully you start this before your husband goes bald...then you'll be able to watch the process...fun!)..remember to use an old camera with real film so you'll have to get it developed and it won't just sit on your computer...then write little notes on the back of the photos about that month,etc..
4. And finally my favorite...a good sturdy pretty box to throw all the best momentos in.

And if you're still too lazy..use your imagination and become a good BS-er, so when your kids ask you questions about their childhood, you'll have some really good half-truths for them....(its OK to mix up which baby did what...does it really matter?!)

Tea please

Throughout my last pregnancy i must have drank buckets full of Red Raspberry Leaf tea...i grew to like the taste, especially with a touch of agave nectar or some honey:) This brew is known for being a uterine tonic; helping the uterus contract more efficiently and reducing the risk of hemorrhage after birth. My last birth was so quick, about 45 minutes of active labor..i went from 5 cm to birth in 40 minutes! Afterwards i barely bled at all, and i fully believe it was due to the amount of Red Raspberry Leaf tea i drank throughout that pregnancy, as I did not have the same experience with my previous births. I would use a french press and fill the bottom with the loose tea, and then drink the whole litre of tea through the morning,then again in the evening. Red Raspberry Leaf is rich in vitamins A, C, E and  B complex, it also contains  highly absorbable forms of calcium and iron, and is rich in minerals such as phosphorous and potassium. It also assists in producing a good supply of breast milk:)  A good brand of bagged Red Raspberry Leaf is available from Yogi Tea

a gooder

I've been reading a real page turner today...its called 'Baby Catcher: Chronicles of a Modern Midwife' by Peggy Vincent. It is excellent, this woman has over 40 years of experience and many stories. I'm only on page 112, and i've cried three times already...mostly good tears! She describes her early career as a nurse in a maternity ward, and then goes into how she got into midwifery, true tales of amazing woman...black, white, poor and wealthy..being confident in their ability to birth.

time to harvest the walls!

I  super duper LOVE this!!! I saw Woolly Pockets in my last DWELL magazine, and then one of my favorite design blogs(Oh Joy!) posted it as well....i dig anything that helps us become more self-reliant..

art-schooling

I have been thinking about the best ways in which my kids learn..and its either through art or fun experiments. So as we enter winter i've got an itch to make some crafts with them...some really cool crafts. HERE is some  inspiration  by artist Tamar Mogendorff....happy winter!

ode to java

Coffee..how i love you
i think of you often
the mornings together spent
in pajamas
my favorite mug
now sits empty
she tried to commit suicide by throwing herself
off the counter
when china green tips
entered her warm bosom
tea has become
my cheap rebound.


Fernando's  coffee is from Guatemala. Read all about it here ....he uses SmarTrade coffee and he says that Fairly traded coffee is basically a sham, because the farmers still get poor wages...a friend was just at his coffee house in Antigua, and came back with this terrible news about Fair Trade. I'm putting in my order:)

Pregnant women are smug

i had a pretty good laugh at this: SONG

MIA

I LOVE MIA just for this..she sang at the Grammy's on her due date..in this! This is braver than naked...

i fell off the Gluten-free wagon...into the Gluttonous ditch

I have been gluten-free for about 10 months, as well as dairy and egg free as well...and i stopped drinking coffee about 10 days ago...and sugar is now on the choppping block...so what in the blazes must i eat when i am feeling emotionally indulgent? A girl can only eat so many apples....so today i bought these dark chocolate almond cookies, that happen to contain milk, eggs, and wheat. I can already feel the heartburn....so for anyone with dietary restrictions that must indulge(and doesn't want to feel sick)...click on the link to heaven...you don't even have to speak in tongues:)
And word is on the dairy-free street that they are coming out with coconut milk coffee/tea creamers...

oh how i love TOAST

A few years ago i came across TOAST, a stunningly beautiful yet simple clothing catalogue. I have gotten it in the mail every season since and right now i am loving the new scarves. Note: Toast is a store in England, but they will ship to Canada/US...

book review: Labor of love by Cara Muhlhahn

I was so excited to order this book! For my Childbirth Educator course i have many books on my booklist...but when ordering on Amazon i decided to treat myself to a couple of books written by midwives, about BEING midwives. I've wanted for a quite a long time to be a midwife someday, and even though this book made me want to be one even more, it also made me take a step back and wait...for a bit. The way of life for a midwife is anything but boring, but it comes with HUGE sacrifices. Cara Muhlhahn is honest, sincere in her passion for birth, and is an excellent clinician to boot. She shares some of the hurdles she's had to face as well as her journey to where she is now. This book does not make midwifing seem like the romantic notion so many of us have in our heads...it shares the realities, challenges, and joys of one of the most demanding pursuits i can imagine. Read the book!