Cooper's Birth Story

Cooper Bryce Richman: Born 4/14/15 at 11:11 pm. 7 lbs 1 oz, 19 1/2 inches long

Every birth story is so unique and individual. Some parents choose a hospital birth, some choose to have their babies at home; there's options for different types of medication to make the pain more bearable, and sometimes we choose to experience the pain. No matter what a parent chooses, the birth of their child is beautiful and divine. There is nothing more miraculous than the ability a woman has to grow, nurture, and birth another human being. I'm grateful to have been able to experience this with two little babes.

Bryce and I decided a long time ago that we wanted to have our next child at a birthing center. Birthing centers provide a safe environment for families who want a natural birth experience. We chose the Boise Women's Health and Birth Center in downtown Boise, with Charlotte Wilkes as our midwife. I was so excited to have a baby here! I looked forward to the comfort of a water birth and enjoyed every visit I made to the center.

Little Cooper sure threw us for a loop. He decided he wanted to come at 33 weeks, in a hurry to meet his family. However, once we wanted him to come, he changed his mind and decided to make us wait! (Perhaps a little tell about his personality??) At my 38 week appointment, I was dilated to a 3 and everything seemed ready to go, except for some reason, the little man just wasn't coming. Charlotte and I decided to strip my membranes to get things going and only 2 hours later I was heading back in, finally in labor.

By 8:30 I was stuck at a 5 and it didn't seem like things were going to move very quickly, despite the strong contractions I was having. So I made the difficult decision to break my water...which was a very painful and wrong decision I had made when in labor with Savannah. However, with Coop, I knew that he was ready to make his way into the world, and I could either have a very painful, but quick birth, or a less painful, but very long birth. I chose the shorter route. Immediately after breaking my water, my contractions jumped from 'painful but bearable' to 'please someone shoot me'. Sitting in the birthing tub, with Bryce right behind me supporting me every moment, I tried to weather the storm. The pain was just as bad as I remembered, if not worse. So many times I wanted to simply give up. With each contraction my body grew more and more tired and several times I collapsed from exhaustion, fading in and out of consciousness in between those awful pains. But I discovered a strength deep inside that I never realized was there.

In that quiet room I would chant to myself "I can do this, I can do this, I can do this" over and over and over again. For some reason, it gave me the energy and the belief that I really could do this, that I was strong enough to get through the excruciating pain. As I chanted, Charlotte would tell me, yes Haylee, you CAN do this! and Bryce would tell me how strong I was. Hearing these words helped me to keep going, but honestly, the real power came from within, from a place each woman is divinely gifted with.

After only a little over 2 hours after we broke my water, our son was ready to see the world. I followed Charlotte's instructions as she told me to listen to my body and then let me follow my instincts. I was never told when to push, or how to push, or how to hold my body. I simply did what felt natural. I pushed when I felt the need, and I held back when my body told me to stop. I held my son's head as I slowly pushed him from my body and it was the most amazing feeling when his head finally popped out! I was almost done! Kneeling in the water, I reached down and pulled my little man out with one last push and before I knew it he was in my arms. I couldn't believe I had just birthed my son all by myself! It was an incredible feeling to be in complete control, to know that I had somehow known exactly what to do.

The moment of joy quickly turned to fear as Charlotte stepped in the remove the tight cord from around his neck. That's when I realized he was blue and not breathing. We rubbed his body trying to get a response and after a few moments of a mother's worst nightmare, he began to take small ragged breaths. Once again, my child was taken from my arms before I could truly savor the wonderful moment of birth and rushed to the next room to receive some needed care. He was breathing but making grunting noises, often a sign of respiratory problems. I sat in the tub trying to see what was going on in the next room as the paramedics were called. To be safe, they decided to take him to the E.R. in case he truly was having respiratory problems. Despite the unfairness that my baby was taken from me again, I was so grateful for Charlotte's quick response and obvious goal to keep my son healthy, putting his needs above anything else. Bryce left in the ambulance with our little trooper and I stayed behind to recover before also making my way to the hospital. By the time I left the birthing center, baby was just fine. They had moved him to post-partem and we would stay overnight for observation. I was so happy that everything would be okay, knowing full well that things could have been worse.

I  couldn't believe how beautiful our little Cooper was! The surprise of having a dark haired, dark eyed little baby was amusing. He definitely did not take after his blonde haired, blue eyed big sister who was born without a single bit of fuzz. His face was without bruises and his head was just barely misshaped. It was as if he had just stepped down from heaven, as perfect as he was meant to be.

We adore him to pieces. I was happy and surprised by how easily he took to nursing. Our Coop is one good eater! He hasn't lost any weight in his almost one week of life, but continues to put on the pounds! I have a feeling he's going to be a chubby little monster.

I want to take a moment and share my thoughts on the birthing center experience. Firstly, despite the fact that Coop had to head to the hospital anyway, I would never have done anything differently. One important thing to have when you are doing a home or birthing center birth is to be sure that your midwife is experienced, educated, and has all the necessary skills to ensure a safe birth and a healthy child. Charlotte was more than qualified and I wouldn't hesitate to put my child's life in her hands again. Not only was she capable of handling the situation, with the equipment necessary to deal with any problems, but the ambulance service was down the road, with two hospitals minutes away.

Next, I want to share how amazing it is to have a water birth. Everyone's been asking me if being in the jacuzzi helped with the pain. The answer is NO. No matter where you have your baby, if you are doing it naturally, it's going to hurt! Don't expect anything different. It's going to hurt so badly that you will never ever ever want to experience it again. You will gladly stuff a billion pills down your own throat for just a single moment of relief.

But....

This is the room where I had Cooper

it's all worth it! The water may not get rid of the pain, but it provides other relief. It helps hold your body up and makes it easier to be in a more comfortable birthing position. Personally, laying back increases the pain for me, but sitting on my knees swaying side to side makes it more bearable. This is hard to do in a bed, particularly a hospital bed where you are encouraged to lay on your back with knees up. I was also able to hold onto handles and sort of stretch on my tummy in the water, which was beneficial towards the very end. Bryce was also able to be more involved, being in the water with me. Without him I don't think I could have gotten through everything. He was the support I needed in more ways than one. (Literally he kept me from accidentally drowning myself a few times haha).

Charlotte was incredible. I've never felt so much trust and faith from someone. She helped me to trust in myself. She never checked me after breaking my water. She never told me I was doing anything wrong. When she did speak it was with words of encouragement, telling me I was doing everything exactly right and to follow my instincts. She sat beside the tub, there if I needed her, but more than willing to let me do what I needed to do. Later she told me that she has never seen a woman birth her own child by pulling them out themselves. Apparently most women let the midwife do that. I laughed and told her I thought everyone who had a water birth caught their own baby! I was planning on doing that from the beginning but it made me feel good to hear that I had done something different. I felt so powerful! I can't truly describe how amazing it is to be so involved in the birth of your own child. At the hospital with Savannah I felt like I had no control over my own body, I felt like a bystander. At the birthing center with Cooper, I had complete control. I was powerful, I was involved, I did it all by myself with help from Heavenly Father. I was no bystander. I felt like one of those African women standing in the fields strong and amazing as she pops that baby out and then gets back to work!

I realized that as women, we are gifted with the ability to KNOW what to do. It's been ingrained through evolution! We only need trust ourselves and listen to our bodies. Don't let any doctor, any nurse, anyone take the power away from you. YOU know what to do. Don't doubt that for a moment. Take control of your births and don't relinquish it. Even when things go wrong and they don't work out the way you want, you can at least say that you played an integral role in the birth of your child. Don't be a bystander.

During the labor, I would have gladly taken medicine if it had been available haha But I don't think I can ever have another baby in a hospital out of choice. After my amazing experience, the pain is worth it. At the time, it doesn't feel that way, but looking back I have so much appreciation for what I went through. I can do hard things. I can successfully birth my own child. I can overcome the pain. I learned more about myself in two and a half hours of misery than I ever could with a pain-free birth. But that's just my personal take.

I'm so grateful for our beautiful boy who has already become a special part of our family. I'm grateful for Charlotte. I'm so so so grateful that God lead me to Bryce, who is the most amazing husband a person could ever hope for. I literally couldn't ask for a better father for my children. (It feels weird to say "children" plural!)

P.S. Savannah is in love with baby brother and loves to give him kisses and cuddles. She hasn't been jealous at all and seems to understand that mommy needs to give lots of time to Cooper. She does think it's pretty hilarious that milk comes out of mommy's "boobies" though. She even shares her teddy bear with him! We are lucky to have such a loving daughter.

If you are thinking of having a natural birth, I strongly recommend Boise Women's Health and Birth Center. Trust me, it will be amazing! Just remember, there are a lot of birthing options. Research them and go with what you feel will be the best fit for you. Don't make a decision solely based on not wanting pain. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger! Believe it or not, you CAN do it, you just need the right environment and people around you.

Joseph Fielding Smith Lesson 3: The Plan of Salvation

The Plan of Salvation

“…there was a council held in heaven, when the Lord called before him the spirits…and presented to them a plan…”

QUESTION:

What is “the plan”?

ANSWER:

“This plan is to enable the children of God to become like him and have the power and wisdom and knowledge which he possesses.”

“The thought of passing through mortality and partaking of all the vicissitudes of earth life in which they would gain experiences through suffering, pain, sorrow, temptation and affliction, as well as the pleasures of life…filled them with the spirit of rejoicing and they shouted for joy.”

QUESTION:

Why were we so excited to come to Earth?

ANSWER:

“The experience and knowledge obtained in this mortal life, they could not get any other way, and the receiving of a physical body was essential to their exaltation.”

The Fall

The Fall refers to Adam and Eve when they partook of the forbidden fruit and were cast out of the Garden of Eden and from God’s presence.

“The Fall was an essential part of man’s probation…Had Adam and Eve not partaken, the great gift of mortality would not have come to them. Moreover, they would have had no posterity, and the great commandment given to them by the Lord would not have been fulfilled.”

QUESTION: Why didn’t the Lord simply give Adam and Eve mortality in the beginning? Why was it necessary for them to make the transgression and be cast out?

The Atonement

“When Adam was the transgressor of the law, justice demanded that he, and none else, should answer for the sin and pay the penalty with his life. But Adam, in breaking the law, himself became subject to the curse, and being under the curse could not atone, or undo what he had done. Neither could his children, for they also were under the curse, and it required one who was not subject to the curse to atone for the original sin.”

In other words:

A man is walking on a trail, but decides to step off of the path into the dark woods. He falls into a pit so deep and dark that he cannot climb to the surface. He has no way of getting out of the pit himself. Others saw him walk off the path and follow and they too fall into the pit. They call for help and after a while, someone who knows about the hole comes with a ladder and provide the means for everyone to climb safely out of the pit.

The pit is banishment from the presence of the Lord and temporal death. And all beings subject to death, none could provide the means of escape. Then the Savior comes, not subject to the pit, and lowers a ladder. He comes down into the pit and makes it possible for us to use the ladder to escape.

QUESTION:

What did Christ do in order to allow us to rise from the pit?

ANSWER:

He sacrificed himself

PERSONAL STORIES

Christ voluntarily died for us. He suffered immensely.

“The driving of the nails into his hands and into the Savior’s feet was the least part of his suffering.”

We believe that those were the moments of the greatest suffering. But historically, many were executed that way. The manner of his death was not unusual for that time period.

QUESTION: What then, was his great suffering?

ANSWER: Garden of Gethsemane

“I wish we could impress this fact upon the minds of every member of this church: His great suffering occurred before he ever went to the cross. It was in the Garden of Gethsemane…that blood oozed from every pore of his body; and in the extreme agony of his soul, he cried to his Father. It was not the nails driven into his hands and feet. He took upon him our transgressions, and paid the price, a price of torment.”

“THE GRATITUDE OF OUR HEARTS SHOULD BE FILLED TO OVERFLOWING IN LOVE AND OBEDIENCE FOR THE SAVIOR’S GREAT AND TENDER MERCY. FOR WHAT HE HAS DOEN WE SHOULD NEVER FAIL HIM.”

Repentance and Obedience

One of the important principles of the gospel, which sets us apart from most other Christian religions, is our view of repentance and obedience.  They are both absolutely necessary in order to take advantage of the Atonement. We've been accused of not believing in grace because we adhere to this eternal truth.  The Christian world defines grace in a way which makes attaining salvation nearly effortless. 

We do believe in grace, as in we know we could not be saved without it or Christ's gift of grace to us - but we also know we have to do our part:

(see Matthew, Chapter 7)

QUESTION:

Why are obedience and repentance necessary if Christ already paid the price for our sins?

ANSWER:

Part of our purpose here on Earth is to learn, grow, and develop. Running a marathon is difficult and exhausting. You get blisters on your feet and you can barely walk by the end of it. But when you finally cross the finish line, you feel awesome and proud of yourself. Our time on Earth is like a marathon. It’s difficult and strenuous, but all the effort makes getting to the Celestial Kingdom that much sweeter.

Death

"We came into this world to die. That was understood before we came here. It is part of the plan, all discussed and arranged long before men were placed upon the earth. … We were ready and willing to make that journey from the presence of God in the spirit world to the mortal world, here to suffer all that pertains to this life, its pleasures and its sorrows, and to die; and death is just as essential as birth."

The beauty of death is that that person can finally make the transition from the mortal world to the eternal. He or she is leaving behind a world of chaos to enter a greater and happier existence on the other side of the veil.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCES

I love this story told by Dr. Peter Marshall in 1941:

"In a home of which I know, a little boy—the only son—was ill with an incurable disease. Month after month the mother had tenderly nursed him, read to him, and played with him, hoping to keep him from realizing the dreadful finality of the doctor’s diagnosis. But as the weeks went on and he grew no better, the little fellow gradually began to understand that he would never be like the other boys he saw playing outside his window and, small as he was, he began to understand the meaning of the term death, and he, too, knew that he was to die."

"One day his mother had been reading to him the stirring tales of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table: of Lancelot and Guinevere and Elaine, the lily maid of Astolat, and of that last glorious battle in which so many fair knights met their death."

"As she closed the book, the boy sat silent for an instant as though deeply stirred with the trumpet call of the old English tale, and then asked the question that had been weighing on his childish heart: “Mother, what is it like to die? Mother, does it hurt?” Quick tears sprang to her eyes and she fled to the kitchen supposedly to tend to something on the stove. She knew it was a question with deep significance. She knew it must be answered satisfactorily. So she leaned for an instant against the kitchen cabinet, her knuckles pressed white against the smooth surface, and breathed a hurried prayer that the Lord would keep her from breaking down before the boy and would tell her how to answer him."

"And the Lord did tell her. Immediately she knew how to explain it to him."

“Kenneth,” she said as she returned to the next room, “you remember when you were a tiny boy how you used to play so hard all day that when night came you would be too tired even to undress, and you would tumble into mother’s bed and fall asleep? That was not your bed…it was not where you belonged. And you stayed there only a little while. In the morning, much to your surprise, you would wake up and find yourself in your own bed in your own room. You were there because someone had loved you and taken care of you. Your father had come—with big strong arms—and carried you away. Kenneth, death is just like that. We just wake up some morning to find ourselves in the other room—our own room where we belong—because the Lord Jesus loved us.”

Eternal Life

All people will receive the blessing of resurrection through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

“Every fundamental part of every body will be restored to its proper place again in the resurrection, no matter what may become of the body in death. If it be burned by fire, eaten by sharks, no matter what” pg 67

God’s Plan is family centered

“We are taught in the gospel of Jesus Christ that the family organization will be…one that is complete, an organization linked from father and mother and children of one generation to the father and mother and children of the next generation, and thus expanding and spreading out down to the end of time” pg 68

Personal Experience:

One thing that used to bother me before I got married was the fact that I wasn’t sealed to anyone. I felt like I was floating in space and that without that sealing tether I would simply drift away. Getting sealed to my husband brought a great sense of peace and joy. I knew that I was forever tethered to him, and when we had our daughter it was amazing knowing that she was forever sealed to us. No more floating in space for me.

In order to receive the fullness of all of God’s blessings, we must be willing to give up everything, even our lives. We must live with faith, serving others and following the commandments.

“It is necessary for us, in our humility, and in the spirit of repentance, to press on and on; keeping the commandments unto the end, for our hope and our goal is eternal life, and that is life in the presence of the Father and the Son.”

It's all about the attitude

Tonight I caught throw-up in my hands. It was yellow and slimy and surprisingly difficult to wash off. It was pretty disgusting, but at the same time, beautiful.

Yeah, that's right. Catching my 1 year old daughter's puke was a beautiful moment. Why? Because it's a moment that reminds me that my little girl is the most precious thing I have, that I would do anything for her, even things I would never imagine doing before for anyone else. Like placing my hands under her chin at the moment I realized she was gonna hurl. I didn't even have to think about it...of course I would hold her vomit. I'm a mom. That's what we do. We catch throw-up, we dig out boogers, we kiss slobbery open mouths. We get poo on our hands.

Seriously, I think my life as a mom revolves around messes. If it's not the food thrown all over the floor, it's the wad of paper she managed to rip into a million shreds.

Sometimes, I want to call it quits. On the bad days, I look at my life and all I see is a woman who rarely puts on make up or actual pants, who is a prisoner in her own home with her child as acting prison guard. And on those bad days, I just want to go back to being a free girl with little responsibilities and her Saturdays all to herself.

And it's okay. We're all entitled to our pity parties, to our bad days.

Because there's also the good days.

Like the mornings when Savannah wakes up and I go into her room to find her bouncing all over the crib, giving me that mischievous little smile that I know she must have gotten from me (Oh please help me).

Or how lately she loves sitting on my lap...I don't know why but I just LOVE that she does this. There's nothing that can make you feel more special than the love of your child.

I know that I am her favorite person. I know that she trusts me completely, that she loves me unconditionally, and that she thrives off of every bit of attention that I give her.

I read a blog post today where a husband announced that his wife's job of being a mother is harder than his job at a law firm. While I appreciated the consideration towards mothers, I think that we have to move past this need to feel that we somehow work harder, or our lives are more difficult. Because honestly, I wouldn't trade places with my husband...okay, maybe for a day or two...

Being a mom isn't "hard", it's joyous. It's wild. It's messy, unpredictable, frustrating. It's beautiful.

And while sometimes I want to think that my job is harder than my husbands, I have to really dig deep and accept that it isn't. We simply play different roles, both working to make all of the gears shift correctly, neither of us better or more important than the other.


What I'm learning: The difference between happiness and depression is attitude. Bryce goes to work with a smile on his face (literally) and comes home with that same smile. He never complains, even when he's spent all day in the rain digging a hole, water in his boots, blisters on his hands. Instead he laughs as he tells me how warm the water in that hole was. He is such an example to me, and I'm trying to be more positive when it comes to the "holes" I have to dig each day. I would never degrade his efforts and perseverance by saying that my job is harder.

Heck, I spend every day with the most beautiful face in the world.

If we, as mothers, manage to have the same attitude my husband has, finding the good in the daily chores, the dirty diapers, and the mountains of laundry, not only will we be happier, but our home will be a safer, more loving place.

So bring on the puke! I don't mind getting my hands a little dirty... it just means that I'm MOM. And what better and more prestigious title can you have?

Why the World Needs Moms

Dear Amy Glass:

It was pretty sad to read your article criticizing the role of motherhood as well as wifehood.

I Look Down on Young Women with Husbands and Kids and I'm Not Sorry

I just have a few things to say to you in response:

** Feminism isn't about degrading a woman for choosing a traditional lifestyle. The purpose of feminism isn't to tell women what they can't or shouldn't do, but to give them the same opportunities as any other person.

** Because I'm positive you don't have children, let me share with you something every mother quickly learns: Motherhood IS work. The only difference between me and you is that I can't reason with my boss, because she's one years old. Not only do I have to figure out what she needs/wants every second of the day, but if I don't get it right, I have to deal with screaming, kicking, yelling, throwing, and tears. I clean one mess up only to be confronted with another. I spend hours researching how to be better at my job because if I fail in my job as a mother, I am responsible for the outcome. I am responsible for raising a human being to be a productive, loving, kind, charitable, thoughtful individual. The worst thing that can happen to you is you get fired. I actually have another person's life literally in my hands. Now, please tell me that a stay-at-home mom is "not on equal footing" with "a woman who works."

** You really don't see marriage and having a baby as a life milestone?? You say it's "the most common thing." If by common you mean that most women are capable of creating human life, then yes, you are right. But if by common you mean insignificant, you are so so wrong. I don't know anything less significant than the experience of having someone give his whole self to you, and you to him, or the first time you feel your child kick inside of you and you realize that there is actually a tiny person in there, or the moment when they finally place that precious baby in your arms and all those hours of the most horrible pain you have ever felt becomes lost in the background of her beautiful blue eyes. You have your whole life to get your dream job or backpack across Europe, but only a short window of opportunity to experience the joys of childbirth, the laughter of your children, and the pride that comes from knowing that YOU did this, that you sacrificed so much, so willingly. Having children isn't "nothing", but everything.

** You say that a woman who is married with children can't get her "dream job" or travel or achieve any of her dreams. In my opinion, you are completely ignorant. My sister has an amazing job that she loves...and guess what, she's married and has an adorable little boy. It doesn't have to be one or the other, and not every dream involves elaborate trips or high paying careers. Why do you feel like women must choose between working and motherhood?? It is people like you who pit working moms against SAH moms. We are all the same, just trying to enjoy life and do what is best for our families and ourselves.

** I just have to wonder what the world would be like if every mother/father just up and decided to stop doing housework. I hate housework, personally. I get so sick of cleaning up the same messes day after day after day. But I do it, because someone's got to! And I've got to laugh because I'm pretty sure that even doctors have to get their laundry done at some point. Dang...I guess even when you go to medical school your clothes don't magically clean themselves. (sigh)

** Men DO think managing the household is important. I know my husband loves to come home to a clean house and a yummy dinner, especially after a hard day out in the cold working his butt off. I just don't get your argument. Someone's got to take care of the home, feed the children, and manage to be awesome the entire time....so who's going to do it if it isn't mom and dad? Maybe you could explain to us all how you manage to keep the house clean??

** Almost every single one of those doctors, engineers, and business people have a mother who loved them, taught them, cared for them, washed their clothes, and supported them to reach their dreams.

So the next time you write an article (which anyone can do by the way....it's completely "ordinary") try not to talk about things that you have absolutely no experience with. Because, quite frankly, it makes you look utterly ridiculous. I'm here to say that the world NEEDS moms, and I applaud every single woman who has sacrificed to become one, because trust me, you always sacrifice something when it comes to being a parent. Motherhood is the ultimate form of selflessness, which obviously you know nothing about.

Lorenzo Snow Lesson 21 (Loving God More Than you Love the World)

In the manual, Lorenzo Snow talks about the period of speculation that caused some of the most righteous saints, including many in the Quorum of the 12, to apostatize and leave the church.

In case you are like me and had no idea what in the heck speculation means,

It means investment in stocks, property, or other ventures in the hope of gain but with the risk of loss.

WHEN PEOPLE ALLOW WORLDINESS TO PERVADE THEIR MINDS AND HEARTS, THEY TURN THEIR BACKS ON ETERNAL PRINCIPLES

“That spirit of speculation rose out of the world, and swept over the hearts of the Saints like a mighty wave or rushing torrent, and many fell, and apostatized.”

Isn't this such great imagery?? Imagine how much damage an actual tsunami can cause...it literally destroys everything in its path. Now imagine a spiritual tsunami crashing down over the righteous. 

But that would never happen to us today right? Most of us don’t even invest in anything other than our usually sad and pitiful food storage.

QUESTION:

How are people today “swept over” by a wave of speculation?

In other words, what are the things today that we put before God?

• time spent on social media?
• sleeping?
• obsession with looks and image?
• present buying?

I don’t think it’s too much of a stretch to say that we invest quite heavily into Christmas.

Sometimes it’s easy to forget what Christmas is really about and focus too much on presents.

I know that I LOVE to buy gifts. There's something so fun about getting someone exactly what they wanted and watching their face as they open your present. But sometimes, I focus way to much on this aspect of Christmas and I forget about WHY we celebrate the holiday. It certainly isn't about Santa Clause and the Christmas tree...even though that's certainly what it's becoming. 

“Some of [the Saints] began speculating; they forgot their religion, they forgot the principles that had been revealed to them, and many of them fell into the spirit of the times and were carried away with speculating. Difficulties arose. Envy and strife. And the Lord, being displeased with them, brought destruction into their midst.”

Can focusing so much on gift buying and shopping etc make us "forget our religion"? 

“As that spirit increased, disunion followed. Brethren and sisters began to slander and quarrel one with the other, because their interests were not in harmony.”

QUESTION:

How can we relate these two quotes to our own lives during this Christmas season?

WE HAVE COVENANTED TO SEPARATE OURSELVES FROM WORLDLINESS AND DEVOTE OURSELVES TO THE KINGDOM OF GOD

President Snow says,

“The god of the world is the gold and the silver. The world worships this god. It is all-powerful to them, though they might not be willing to acknowledge it.”

QUESTION:

Is this true today?

“We have got to love God more than we love the world, more than we love gold or silver, and love our neighbor as ourselves.

"If we, in our manner, habits and dealings, imitate the world, thereby identifying ourselves with the world, do you think that God will bestow upon us the blessings we desire to inherit? I tell you no, He will not!...We must build ourselves up in the righteousness of heaven and plant in our hearts the righteousness of God."

President Snow speaks of the spirit of speculation. The antidote to the spirit of speculation is the spirit of Christ. Instead of harboring and fueling the destructive spirit of speculation, we need to tenderly nurture the spirit of Christ in our hearts.

QUESTION:

How can we do this?

“An older boy and his young companion were walking along a road which led through a field. They saw an old coat and a badly worn pair of men’s shoes by the roadside, and in the distance they saw the owner working in the field.

“The younger boy suggested that they hide the shoes, conceal themselves, and watch the perplexity on the owner’s face when he returned.

“The older boy … thought that would not be so good. He said the owner must be a very poor man. So, after talking the matter over, at his suggestion, they concluded to try another experiment. Instead of hiding the shoes, they would put a silver dollar in each one and … see what the owner did when he discovered the money. So they did that.

“Pretty soon the man returned from the field, put on his coat, slipped one foot into a shoe, felt something hard, took it out and found a silver dollar. Wonder and surprise [shone] upon his face. He looked at the dollar again and again, turned around and could see nobody, then proceeded to put on the other shoe; when to his great surprise he found another dollar. His feelings overcame him. … He knelt down and offered aloud a prayer of thanksgiving, in which he spoke of his wife being sick and helpless and his children without bread. … He fervently thanked the Lord for this bounty from unknown hands and evoked the blessing of heaven upon those who gave him this needed help.

“The boys remained [hidden] until he had gone.” They had been touched by his prayer and felt something warm within their hearts. As they left to walk down the road, one said to the other, “Don’t you have a good feeling?”

Giving to others through our talents and sacrificing so that others can receive can help us to nurture the Spirit of Christ and become more like Him. 

WE FOLLOW THE SAVIOR’S EXAMPLE WHEN WE REFUSE TO TRADE THE GLORIES OF ETERNITY FOR THE RICHES OF THE WORLD

“I find in reflecting on life, that this world is short compared with eternity; that our intelligence, the divinity within us, has always existed, was never created, and will always exist through all eternity. In view of these facts, it becomes us as intelligent beings, to realize that this life closes in a few days, then comes the life which is eternal.”

I challenge us all this Christmas to tear our focus away from the gift buying and present wrapping and all the emphasis on Santa and instead take the time to give of your talents and your love to those around you, to share the love and spirit of Christ. Because when this life is over, none of those presents are going to mean anything. The gifts and ribbons and bows are all staying.

"Through [your] faithfulness [you] shall possess thrones, principalities and powers, [your] children becoming as numerous as the stars in the firmament or the sands on the sea shore."

This is the great gift that Heavenly Father has in stow for us, and it’s greater than anything we can receive from a shelf

to vaccinate or not to vaccinate...that is the question!

I recently did a little poll to find out what some people's opinions are on vaccinating their children. I've always felt understanding towards both sides of the argument.

Out of seven of the responses, only 1 person was against vaccinations. Here are some of the comments that people had:

"We vaccinate for a reason, so that extremely dangerous diseases don't threaten epidemics. Whooping cough is on the rise especially in places like southern California where it's trendy to not vaccinate and some speculate that this is the cause of the spike in cases both in adults and children."

"I think the risk of getting a deadly disease while not vaccinated is greater than having a negative reaction to the vaccination."

"The ingredients are toxic and there are horrible adverse reactions ( nothing new to many but sadly too often overlooked) , which do not merit being outeweighed by any supposed benefits. Our children are sicker than ever with the rise in vaccines and I'm not afraid of the diseases vaccines are said to prevent ( btw there are no studies that have been done to show their effectiveness or causation of a decline in preventable diseases, just correlation). I don't believe a healthy immune system is found through a needle."

On one hand, there are some pretty terrible diseases out there and we have an obligation to protect both our own children as well as others from contracting them.

On the other hand, there really is no way to show what the ultimate effects of vaccinations will be on our children.

But what if you're sitting on the fence? Or you just don't know very much about either side of the dilemma?

I pulled up a few good articles both for and against infant and child vaccinations.

PRO VACCINATION

1. Anti-Vaccination Movement Causes a Deadly Year in the U.S.

2. The Dangers of the Antivaccine Movement

3. How Vaccines Prevent Diseases

4. Anti Vaccine Body Count

ANTI VACCINATION

5. Mum stands by her decision not to vaccinate kids

6. Should Any Vaccines be Required for Children?

As I was doing this research, I actually discovered that there are quite a few more articles supporting vaccinations than discouraging them. Personally, I choose to vaccinate my daughter but I think it's important for each of us to actually ask our children's doctors to explain each vaccination they are receiving and to research and understand them. I chose not to have Savannah given the flu shot. I'm sure many people are going to look down on that decision, but I feel like it was the right one for us.

So what do you think? Comment and share your thoughts on infant and child vaccinations!

Baby Logic

Isn't it amazing the way our little people discover and explore the world? My husband makes fun of what he likes to call "Baby Logic."

For example, if a baby finds something, she looks at it and thinks, "hmmm..what is this? I think I'll put it in my mouth!" = baby logic

in case you were wondering, that's my grocery list

But isn't it kind of great? I mean, yeah, it's not like I enjoy finding a TACK in Savannah's mouth or am constantly on the lookout for paper, pencils, or ANYTHING left on the floor but c'mon....baby logic is pretty awesome.

They have such carefree lives! Don't you wish you could just spew on the floor and then play in it like it's a nice little rain puddle? Or make HUGE mess and not worry one bit. Or use your hands to shove food in your mouth?

Babies are amazing. Savannah specifically. Today I sat and watched her play for over an hour. Boring you say? Better things to do with my time, you suggest?

Well, have YOU ever watched a baby explore? It's pretty much the most entertaining thing on earth. You can literally observe the house get messier and messier...much like watching a flower slowly open in the sunlight. it's a pretty beautiful thing.

 she enjoys taking down a movie, staring at it's cover for a while, throws it aside, and then takes down the next one. this is a fun game to watch

and...my living room went from clean....to this. in an hour. and this isn't even showing the whole room. 

Despite the mess, I really enjoyed my day with my little sweetie pie. In those moments when I'm eating her tummy and she starts laughing in that freaking adorable way, I just feel so amazed that Heavenly Father sent her to ME. He trusts me with this little angel who is so innocent and full of love and that's pretty incredible. I mean, I have a hard enough time letting family members BABYSIT. I can't imagine sending my precious child away to be raised by someone who I just have to trust to make good decisions, and trust to raise her with morals and integrity, and trust to love her with all their hearts. 

So thank you Heavenly Father for the angel that you sent me.

I don't know if I'm the best parent I can be, and I don't think any of us can really KNOW that. we just have to trust in ourselves like God trusts in us. And maybe stop worrying so much about the messes and just give in to a little baby logic.