Face your Giants Wholeheartedly {San Diego Doula}

Do you have a goal that seems impossible? Are you afraid of doing something you'd like to do? 

Face Your Giants with your Whole HEART and you CAN do it.

MIA: It’s been a rough year

Hello, it’s me. Robin. Yes you may remember me. So sorry to neglect you and subject you to video after video, with no writing or photos. See, I’m having a rough year. I think it started in December (usually the hardest month of the year for us – stress anyone?) and kept on going. Ever been unhappy in your job? Or in your marriage? Or at home with the kids? What about all of them…at the same time…for a prolonged period of time….to the point you are begging, yes not just praying, but begging for the return of Christ to happen NOW. Yesterday really. Can I throw in the towel? Give up. There just isn’t enough Calgon to take this little lady away from 2010. I have had some health issues this year…tooth fillings gone wrong and a lot of pain for months, eye exams resulting in glasses and a prescription that I can’t wear (I’m happily wearing 1.25 readers from Target instead!), attack by killer bees during a photo shoot with a trip to the ER, painful nursing issues that resulted in early weaning (11 1/2 months), and I haven’t exercised regularly since I was 7 months pregnant.
So that’s it. That’s where I’m at. Or where I’ve been.
I think the low is over and I can see a light at the end of the tunnel. I have come to a place in life where I can no longer run the rat race and survive. I’m done feeling empty and unfulfilled. Why waste life? Jesus came to give us life and that more abundantly. So why do I feel so…lifeless? I’ve decided to cut back on hours at the dental gig (for numerous reasons, one being that my left shoulder hurts and causes numbness in the hand) and spend those hours pursuing photography and the little business I started this year. But even more exciting than that is my pursuit to become a DONA certified Doula and Bradley birth educator.
I have two amazing women who are helping me reach my goal to a more fulfilled life…the Doula we hired for all 3 of our boys’ births, Rosie, and the Bradley birth educator that taught our class 6 years ago, Liza. We have remained friends over the years and I am so grateful. Rosie is my Doula mentor and possible back-up (in case I can’t make a birth) and Liza is my Bradley mentor and I’m observing her current 12 week class as part of my Doula certification requirements. I will be venturing out of state in October to visit my close friends who are moving to Atlanta…and while I’m there, I’ll be attending the Bradley Birth Educator national teacher training workshop. There is a lot of work and reading that goes into all this training. But those are two things that really fulfill me – hard work and reading. See, I’m kinda a school nerd. I love homework. With all this going on and mothering a family…I won’t be blogging as much. But hey, I was never very good at keeping up with it anyway.
Let the love pour in…. and I’ll keep on truckin’.
P.S. My baby is turning ONE on Monday! Here is a recent pic of my Gavi gavi.

Seatbelt

I know I know...all videos lately. I'm too overwhelmed to even think about blogging...maybe someday soon.

Or so she says

I found a cool new blog to read...as if I needed anymore. BUT but but but - this one is good! enjoyed this recent post about fun ways to teach kids the alphabet. I want those felt magnets!

Only a man

would spend his time doing this crazy set up...

Obesessions: Part 3

Seasoned Salt: It’s been in the spice rack forever. For some reason I didn’t discover it and use it much until a few weeks ago. Now I’m hooked. I put it on EVERYTHING. Currently I only have the original.

But look at all the possibilities! Yummy!!!

Crock Pot I have no idea how anyone lives without one of these. It’s my right hand man. A life saver for the busy working mother. Throw the food in…come home to a yummy smelling house and a great meal. Ridiculously easy.

Fruit Leathers perfectly low calorie delicious pick me up. When I want candy, I eat a fruit leather. Ok, so I eat 2. Perfect to satisfy the after meal sugar craving and won’t sabotage the figure. I realize a fresh piece of fruit is ideal but these are good when that is not an option. It’s an emergency trip to Costco in my house if we run out. I’m addicted.

Google Not one day goes by that I don’t use my BFF. It’s free and wonderful. And it has so many applications that are also free and wonderful. GMAIL, Google READER, Picasa and Picasa Web Albums have made my internet experience organized, and time efficient. Love that. The creators of Google are brilliant!

Chemical wipes: my kitchen counters and bathrooms are germ free in a jiffy with Clorox and Costco cleaning wipes. We use these daily. Sponges are disgusting and germ filled. They should never be used on any surface that food touches…we uses sponges for non-food surfaces only!

Avent binkies It’s not really my obsession…but baby Gavin’s. Happy baby = happy mommy.

Sick and Tired

Sick - the kids - a mild cold came through and all 3 kids eventually had it. It landed me in Kaiser 2 Sundays in a row for ear infections (Owen and Gavin).
-me- with a UTI. or so I thought. After I took antibiotics for 7 days the culture came back negative. Mystery knife like pain in bladder and aching back?! "It's NOT a tuma!"
Tired - me - last weekend before Gavin's ear infection was diagnosed I was up all night 2 nights in a row. Then on Tuesday of this week he woke up EVERY 30 MIN. Oh Lord. I had to call in sick to work on Wednesday b/c I was dangerously tired. So not safe to put sharp things in people's mouths that way. I was falling asleep at red lights trying to get the kids to school/sitter/Kaiser. Fortunately we all came out alive. I thought for sure the meds weren't working but the pediatrician said his ears looked the same and didn't recommend changing anything..."stick it out". ARGH.
- mike - works his tail to the bone. drives 8 hours to Yosemite for a job that has lasted 2 months longer than expected. work work work. he never relaxes even when he's not working. work is always on the brain.
-gavi gavi- poor baby was sleeping so well - 7 to 9 hours in a stretch - and then got a cold, ear infection, and 4 top teeth coming all at once. he's exhausted.
Sick and Tired. of ear infections. of the clutter. of not being able to spend time with my family the way I want to. of yelling. of always feeling "behind." of not having enough money no matter how hard we work or save. of mountains of laundry. of being a single mom most of the time and all the time for the last 3 weeks in a row. of not being able to attend church b/c someone is always sick. of the cat peeing on a towel if you leave it on the bathroom floor. of saying something nicely a million times and being ignored until I yell. of not being able to work out. of time flying by so fast that I still haven't had my yearly December family picture taken. of not being reimbursed by Aetna for my $600 Mirena. of watching myself complain via this post! aaaaahhhhhhhh

Can you comment?

My friend has been trying to comment on my posts for over a year...she thought they were posting. I thought she stopped reading. We figured out tonight that her computer is showing a small orange triangle that tells her something about security breach and won't let her comment. Are you having that problem? Do you see your comments come up on my blog when you post them?

A moment in time

I want to remember moments like this. Everyday moments. A night after arriving home from work - a few minutes before we all sit down to dinner. 6:20pm on a Monday. Typical.

Mike doing business on the phone. Owen (almost 3) fixing himself a snack...cutting a banana. Jackson watching Nick Jr. Gavin babbling in the highchair while eating. And me...soaking it all in. I love my boys.

Tools from Simple Mom

I found a very cool post with free downloads from Simple Mom. I just printed the Toddler Chore List and the Daily Docket. check em out! One of my favorite bloggers.

First Etsy Purchase

Today I made my first ever purchase on Etsy. Crochet patterns. No, I do not know how to crochet. But I would love to! My coworker, on the other hand, is a crochet addict and always needs a new project. She has already made me a baby blanket (pic to come soon) and half way through a second! I showed her some pics of baby hats, diaper covers and cocoons and she was excited to do them for me. Yeah! I can’t wait to pick out the yarn.

Hats

Diaper cover

Cocoons

ssssoooo sweet!

Obsessions, part2

Peanut butter filled pretzels. Perfect snack! I buy the huge jar at Costco. When you’re low on blood sugar it’s the perfect thing because you get a tiny bit of yummy carb (pretzel) to up the sugar ASAP but it also has protein/fat for satiety. SO GOOD. I’m actually eating them as my dinner desert. Right. Now.

Samsung Gravity mobile phone. Love that it slides open with full keyboard. See, I’m a text-a-holic. Yes, it’s a word. Ok, ok. So I’m not that bad. BUT I do have to delete every other day or my memory is full. Ha! My children don’t let me talk on the phone much and why should I subject the person on the other end to my parenting interrupting our conversation? Most of the time you just want to get across a point – not gab for hours – so texting is my BFF. Yes, I’m fast like a teenager ;)

Point-n-shoot digital camera. Ok, so I don’t really use it on auto, but it’s still a PNS. It has been very very good to me. Thank God it has a macro setting and you can change the ISO – otherwise I might feel out of control. And you know I’m a control freak with my cameras! LOL. It also takes long videos which is great for the grandparents. This baby has been to Hawaii, photographed all my newborns, and updated the world via blogs and FB about my life and the lives of others who come in contact with me. See, this thing is always in my pocket ready to be used at the snap of my fingers. And Jackson is breathing down my neck trying to make it his. “Mom, let’s go buy your camera so I can have that one! I wanna take a picture!” (insert excitement and whine) I’m tellin’ ya, he’s the next Lartigue. Anyhoo, I’ve worked it to death and it’s still kickin’. I will be so happy to pass it on to my 4 year old though =)

Macro flower/nature shots. Just check out some in this Flickr group . So beautiful. God made nature to be viewed through a macro lens…with me on the other end! Ahhhhhh. I snapped this Hibiscus in my yard with Katie’s Rebel Xti and 50mm 1.8 lens ;)

Sunrise/Sunset/Sky photos. God really shows us His majesty in His amazing skies. Here is a sunrise in my yard, and a sunset in Carlsbad beach. Again, Katie’s camera. She loves me and gives up her ‘right arm’ so I won’t go insane before my baby is in my arms. And yes, I thank her profusely.

Jillian Michaels. She rocks. Period.

Obsess much? What are you into?

Obsessions

BURT’S BEES. Lippy, chap stick, foot care, hand care, hair care, Baby Bee, bath products, etc. You name it, I want it to be Burt’s.

FLICKR. I can spend hours looking at gorgeous photos on flickr. My current obsession is finding fun groups.

SALAD. Everyday. Huge bowl. I could eat it breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Really? Seriously. I crave it. CRAVE. I’m like a drug addict in withdrawal if I don’t have my salad. It might be because I’m blood type A. There is a theory on that, check it out. Let’s get a closer look. MMMMMMMMM

Canon Digital SLR 7D camera. I had my heart set on the 50D until Mike said he thought the video function would be nice too. So now I must save even more for my baby. I mean my camera. Hopefully it will be landing in my hands next month. Let’s hope and pray. We are going to Hawaii in May, so it must be here before then. After all, can I really go to Hawaii with a point and shoot for a second time?!

My Buddies. Kissing and squeezing them all day long. That is, when I’m not yelling at them ;)

note: notice the difference between the salad pic and the boys? yes. huge. Took the salad pics with a DSLR and the boys with a point n shoot. SEE?!!!

New Fonts

It's about time I got some new fonts.... and it's a very daunting task. Downloading, unzipping, saving, moving to the fonts folder of the computer. Phew.... I'm tired just thinking about it. Along the way I found some good websites if you want to find some fonts.As if that wasn't dizzy-ing enough...later I started downloading Actions. OH MY. When I will actually get around to using all this stuff - who knows! But I'll be sure to show you a sample =)

I'm on Tip Junkie today

Check it out, I'm on Tip Junkie today =). I made those boxes last Christmas for my babysitter.

Black Friday

I love Black Friday. Why? Because I have very little *extra* money to spend after we've been fed and the bills paid. This is one day a year that you get 50% off virtually everything. I love a good bargain! I didn't use to shop on this day at all. Actually, I avoided it. But now that I am a wife and mother of 3, I have to provide for 5 people and that is expensive! I check out all the deals on this website and map out my plan. One store I always go to is Old Navy. I don't like clothes shopping - gasp! I know. So I like stores that have cute stuff for the entire family - the more efficient I can be with my time, the better. Old Navy is perfect. I put money aside for our winter clothes especially for this day and store. I buy almost everything 50% off. Love that.
Two stores down and the trunk is full...my stroller is in there too though. Look! The loot takes up almost my entire king size bed. Wow.
Last year I made my husband go to Toys R Us after I got home from Old Navy. Poor guy had to stand in line to check out for 2 hours. EW. This year I decided to hit the toys first and the clothes second. It was fabulous! I was in and out in 35 minutes flat. And look at this receipt! I saved more than I spent...SUCCESS. I came and conquered and never stood in a line. I was home by 8am and nursed the baby before his morning nap. After a few chores and regrouping, I went out again...this time to Christmas shop for my husband. I set out to get slippers at Boot World only to find that the store was empty. Gone, as it were. After the initial shock, I decided to press on at a store in the same center. Sports Authority. You can't really go wrong in there when shopping for a man! Adding the frosting to my cake, this store had wonderful deals - great gifts for hubby (including slippers on sale!) and a few more for the kids. It was like the opposite of a 'murphy's law' day. Wonderful! I nominate Black Friday as a national holiday, how about you?

Good Intentions

OK, so I have great intentions for this blog. I even upload photos and start typing the very same day I do something...and then it just sits. And sits. AND SITS. As a DRAFT. Ugh. There must be 20 of them in there. By the time I have a few minutes to sit down and finish...some very handsome man, with 2 computers of his own (YES I said TWO), has stollen my seat. By the time he gets off I've lost gusto and am asleep.
If you are on the ball with your blogging (eh hem, Brooke!), what is the secret to your success? Please tell me!

I pray you enough

(part of a nice email I got today)
I pray you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how gray the day may appear.
I pray you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more.
I pray you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting.
I pray you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may appear bigger.
I pray you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I pray you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I pray you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye.

Do you text?

Rain

I LOVE the rain. Especially after we've gone through a horrible dry season. My spirit cried out and jumped for joy when I heard the drops on the roof last night...and then woke to a beautifully wet morning. There is something about rain that is just so....heavenly. Spiritual really. So this started me on a little Bible word search/study =) Here are some of my favorite findings.

You, O God, sent a plentiful rain, Whereby You confirmed Your inheritance, When it was weary. (Psalm 68:9)
Wow, isn't He good? In our times of need He will provide for our weary souls. I need that!

He shall come down like rain upon the grass before mowing, Like showers [that] water the earth.(Psalm 72:6)

Matthew Henry's Concise CommentaryPsalm 72:2-17 This is a prophecy of the kingdom of Christ; many passages in it cannot be applied to the reign of Solomon. There were righteousness and peace at first in the administration of his government; but, before the end of his reign, there were troubles and unrighteousness. The kingdom here spoken of is to last as long as the sun, but Solomon's was soon at an end. Even the Jewish expositors understood it of the kingdom of the Messiah. Observe many great and precious promises here made, which were to have full accomplishment only in the kingdom of Christ. As far as his kingdom is set up, discord and contentions cease, in families, churches, and nations. The law of Christ, written in the heart, disposes men to be honest and just, and to render to all their due; it likewise disposes men to live in love, and so produces abundance of peace. Holiness and love shall be lasting in Christ's kingdom. Through all the changes of the world, and all the changes of life, Christ's kingdom will support itself. And he shall, by the graces and comforts of his Spirit, come down like rain upon the mown grass; not on that cut down, but that which is left growing, that it may spring again. His gospel has been, or shall be, preached to all nations. Though he needs not the services of any, yet he must be served with the best. Those that have the wealth of this world, must serve Christ with it, do good with it. Prayer shall be made through him, or for his sake; whatever we ask of the Father, should be in his name. Praises shall be offered to him: we are under the highest obligations to him. Christ only shall be feared throughout all generations. To the end of time, and to eternity, his name shall be praised. All nations shall call HIM blessed.

Rain down, you heavens, from above, And let the skies pour down righteousness; Let the earth open, let them bring forth salvation, And let righteousness spring up together. I, the LORD, have created it. (Isaiah 45:8)

Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.(Acts 14:17)

MH Commentary. God, having not left himself without witness, has not left us without a guide, and so has left us without excuse; for whatever is a witness for God is a witness against us, if we give that glory to any other which is due to him only. 1. The bounties of common providence witness to us that there is a God, for they are all dispensed wisely and with design. The rain and fruitful seasons could not come by chance, nor are there any of the vanities of the heathen that can give rain, neither can the heavens of themselves give showers, Jer. 14:22. All the powers of nature witness to us a sovereign power in the God of nature, from whom they are derived, and on whom they depend. It is not the heaven that gives us rain, but God that gives us rain from heaven, he is the Father of the rain, Job 38:28. 2. The benefits we have by these bounties witness to us that we ought to make our acknowledgments not to the creatures who are made serviceable to us, but to the Creator who makes them so. He left not himself without witness, in that he did good. God seems to reckon the instances of his goodness to be more pregnant, cogent proofs of his title to our homage and adoration than the evidences of his greatness; for his goodness is his glory. The earth is full of his goodness; his tender mercies are over all his works; and therefore they praise him, Ps. 145:9, 10. God does us good, in preserving to us his air to breathe in, his ground to go upon, the light of his sun to see by; but, because the most sensible instance of the goodness of Providence to each of us in particular is that of the daily provision made by it of meat and drink for us, the apostle chooses to insist upon that, and shows how God does us good.

I hope you are enjoying the rain!