Everything leads to birth

At least it does if you are talking to me. Seriously, I have a really big problem. I am way too focused on birth. I can turn any conversation into a conversation about birth in 30 seconds or less.

I even held two missionaries captive with a way too in depth explanation about why they should convince their future wives to have natural childbirth, that probably started out by me saying something like, I am sooo tired, I was up all night with a woman in labor. I'm serious! They just sat there with these blank "I don't know if I should run away right now, or try to change the subject" look on their faces. I must've talked 5 minutes at least before I was awakened from my birth lecture by my husband and oldest son laughing at me. I replied with a "What?!?" and then finished with "anyways, you really should tell your wives that natural childbirth is awesome!"

When I told one of my sister in laws recently that I was going to be speaking to a group of women at church, she asked "what are you going to speak about? are you going to be trying to convince more people that natural childbirth is the ONLY WAY {emphasis added}?" and followed that with the idea that she was only teasing. The sad thing is she was not only teasing, it is sooo true, and I replied with "well, funny that you brought up that subject....I was hoping to have a reason to talk to you about natural childbirth....." Only 1/2 kidding.

So, here's where you come in, friends and family, share with me some of the funny ways I have segued into a birth speech while you have been around, or make a comment and see how I can change it into something about birth. Go ahead, try me.

I'm Liz, and I am obsessed with birth, I admit it. That's the first step isn't it? :)

Do the three bears exist in real life?

In the story the three little bears there was always something that was too much, something too little, and something just right. My question is this: Is there ever anything just right in real life? Particularly in regards to workload.

Last week, I had 3 days in a row where my workload was simply overwhelming. There was way too much for me to do, and I found myself running around all day long doing one task, while being called to do 3 others, and trying to get to the last 2 tasks as well. The last day of my 3 hectic days in a row was the worst, and the busiest, and I found myself feeling extremely stressed and frustrated. Ultimately I felt most frustrated as I ran up and down the hallway hectically and saw several of my coworkers sitting at the desk talking, seemingly unaware of how ridiculously busy I was.

I tried not to let it upset me too much, because, I know on occasion, I myself have been one of the people sitting at the desk. However, that last day of chaos, was a great reminder for me to be more aware of the people around me. It is so easy when there is the other extreme, too little work (it really does exist if I am not looking outside of my own personal tasks), for me to get caught up in relaxing in between duties to the point of being unaware of the busy person running circles around me. Especially when I have been sooooo busy previously, it is very tempting to use my excess time in a passive way, not just at work, but in all areas of my life.

It seems at work, and in life, things generally fall into either the too much work or the too little work category, and the key to the "just right" is me. When there is too much, my attitude makes a huge difference. If I can take it in stride and keep things in perspective, then I can usually finish out a crazy day having learned a lot. Especially if I can remember that God does not send me more than I can bear, and he will help me get through it. If I spend too much of my energy complaining and crying, then often I miss the little subtle lessens he wants me too learn.

When it is a lighter day, if instead of resorting to time wasters in between duties, I look for others around me who need help, or other tasks that could be done, then I feel much more productive and those around me are less likely to fall into the too much category. Again, if I turn to God and ask him to help me be more aware of those around me, I usually find them. I need to take this principle to my home as well. So, do the three bears really exist? Whether they do or not, Goldilocks would have been better off look for happiness in her own home or heart, because the just right was there from the start.

THE first post

This year my birthday will be 09-09-09. With a birthday like that, you just have to figure that this year is going to be big for me. Add to that, that I have spent all of this year 33 years old, and it is no wonder I'm excited. If you know me, you know that I am fascinated with numbers, especially repeating numbers. Don't blame me, blame my mom. She's the one who had me at 11:11pm on 09-09. Certainly she must have even planned the year I was born, 1975, just so the year leading up to my pinnacle birthday 09-09-09 I could be the perfect age 33. How could it be so perfect and not be planned?
Personally I actually think maybe I picked it. I think I already loved numbers long before I came here to earth, and Heavenly Father humored me and let me choose a day and time to be born that fit right into my little bit of quirkiness. Or perhaps, it was even an inside joke between us, or even better, Father new how much I loved numbers, and he, seeing the big picture, personally picked the day and time for me.
That last theory makes it even more interesting that this year truly has been quite momentous for me. Over the last year I have been on a breathtaking spiritual journey, that took flight when I turned my food problem whole hearted over to the Lord for his help. Since then as the pounds melt away, almost 90 so far, I have felt myself growing and learning as never before. My testimony of my savior, Jesus Christ, has grown to levels I never imagined and yet I still feel as if I have so much more to learn.
I have also grown as a nurse, and especially in my journey toward becoming a midwife. I have felt my heart and mind opened and enlightened to know and do things as never before. What a joy and blessing it is to take part in the very sacred, special time in a family's life that is the pregnancy and birth of a new child. I feel like I have finally found one of my main callings in this life. How perfect to become a trusted keeper of birth at 33 years old. Guess when I hope to submit my papers to the midwife licensing board? You guessed it, 09-09-09. How could that be more perfect?