Meltdown

Interesting weekend.

I encapsulated two placentas, wrapped over 100 bars of soap and made a dozen soy candles.  Oh, and had a mini melt-down.

Thank you universe for the sledgehammer.  Seriously, thank you.  Evidently your gentle nudges, followed by insomnia and headaches failed to get my attention.  Mission accomplished, you have it now.  Last week I had a public rant on Facebook about boundaries.  I followed that up with a blog post about boundaries. And yesterday, I had a meltdown about the lack of boundaries.  Well, to be perfectly honest, it wasn't a complete meltdown.  I decided that I didn't have time for that.   I know, poor me.  Boo hoo ;)

This is a new week.  I'm laying it all down.  I love my fellow birth workers... I love my clients...but I love myself and my family as well.  I owe it to myself to create balance, and it begins today.

Peace.

P.S.  How can this not make me smile....crooked mouth and all.  Life is good and it's getting better :)

                                          Matilda in her favorite spot...ON the Bali Bed!

Boundaries

My rant on Facebook was well, a rant.  I admit it. No grace or patience exhibited. Just a bitchin' rant about the fact that I am a human being and need to establish boundaries with pretty much everyone.  I'm not sorry mind you, but it was uncharacteristic of me and something I have chastised friends for doing in the past.  Ooops, and well, not oops.  Sometimes you just need to let it all out ;)

Anyway, it's been quite a week.  Full of amazingness stuff (I realize that's not a word) with new opportunities on the horizon.  I'm feeling pretty blessed at the moment. 

As you can see from the picture below, this is how my holiday weekend will be spent...wrapping soap and perhaps attending an incredible birth that is waiting to reveal itself during this full moon :)

I really need to get some sort of reward for my husband for putting up with me at times like this. Between placentas (yes, multiple again this week) and now soaps taking over our home, I'm kinda worried that I will end up in divorce court at some point and the reason listed,  "excessive soaps and placentas" and unfortunately, I will have to agree.  I keep reassuring myself that this "mess" will all be gone after next weekend and that the chaos is all Delray Affair related.  I want my tidy little house back!!

Have a beautiful Passover, Easter or just an incredible weekend!

Peace.

What an insane week with lots of lessons and universal reminders.

1.  I had three incredible births in 48 hours and miraculously made it to all of them.  My lesson:  You are where you need to be, always.  Even when you aren't where you want to be or even logistically should be. Period. (reminder to self, stop questioning, stressing or over-thinking this!)

2.  It was a stressful week with staffing issues.  Those situations always cause me to reflect on why I'm doing what I'm doing.  Would I be happier moving on to the next phase of my life.  (Those goats and my farm are really calling me!) Is the current chaos a sign?  My lesson:  Look at ALL the signs! Not just the signs that are demanding the most attention at the moment.  Amidst the chaos of this week were a slew of births, classes, etc. AND an opportunity on the horizon for additional growth.   (reminder to self, see lesson #1)

3.  A date night and beach day with my incredible husband can change everything!  My lesson:  Keep calm and carry on! Life awaits....grant me the grace and patience to get there, cause I'm feeling pretty darn clumsy at the moment ;)

Peace.

Outside my bubble

I know preaching to the choir doesn't create change.  But after spending the day at the Baby Expo with masses of pregnant women and experiencing what it appears that the majority of women think, I had only one desire....to climb back into my familiar bubble.  I believe that there were 4 woman all day that stopped at our table to express their desire for a natural birth.  The rest were interested in services and classes but quickly made a point of being "epidural girls."  That is familiar to me but what came next, was not.

The image above elicited not one, but two incidents at my booth, where women proclaimed this image "Gross," "Yuk," "Disgusting."  I had no words. Really. I was speechless.  This is a very modest image, depicting a pure and in my obviously twisted eyes, sacred moment.  How in the hell can this be GROSS?

I quickly scanned my brain again....gross? I recognize that waterbirth and natural birth are not for everyone...but that wasn't what was expressed.  She didn't say, "Oh, that's not for me.  I'm getting an epidural." That, I would be okay with.  Each woman has a right to birth the way she chooses. But no, it was absolute disgust. Horror.

Sad. Really, so sad.  I look now at this image again and see nothing other than raw beauty, power, amazing tenderness in the fathers hand as he touches his daughter, the sacredness of how I imagine every baby would wish to enter the world.

Perhaps I do need to get outside my bubble more and in touch with the masses.  I'm just not sure I'm up for the task.

Peace.

Almost tripped.

I'm feeling clumsy at the moment and desperately seeking grace. 

I have always set my intention on taking the "higher road," but at the moment, I'm feeling the need to speak my truth in a very loud and ungraceful manner....in a very unfiltered, public display.

Perhaps another cup of coffee will tame my inner lioness that needs to roar!

 I love my life. I love the people in my life. Heck, my last blog post was entitled "What a wonderful week, what a wonderful life!"  I am authentically living a pretty damned charmed life by most accounts.  I am fortunate to own a thriving business that fulfills me.  I have a husband that I adore and for some reason, I'm lucky enough that it's mutual. I have great kids, who also have great kids.  I have loving parents and extended family.  I have true friends.  I am financially secure.  I am healthy.  Am I missing something?

Okay the coffee and the reminder that my life is pretty darn terrific is taming me.  So with a deep breath, I will be clear to my taunter and maintain the grace that I seek...

I am not a bully, nor have I ever been one.
I am not jealous.  There is enough of everything for everyone on this planet.
I am not mean. Seriously, mean? Um, no.
I am most certainly not a sad, pathetic one to be pitied.

What is true...

I am happy.
I am successful.
I am loved.
I am kind.
I am sorry that you are too unwell to see the truth in reality.

Peace.

What a wonderful week. What a wonderful life.

Another beautiful birth this week.  What a honor to be present for this sweet client, her husband and dear friend as we welcomed her very chubby baby boy into the world naturally.  All 9 lbs 9 ounces of him to be exact. Welcome to the world sweet Mason!

More plans for Bali are in motion.  I'm excited. Period. Can you tell?

We had a magical St. Patrick's Day here in the McCoy household.  My incredible son, his beautiful wife and their most delicious baby, Liam joined us.  We had fun on the "Ave" with breakfast, the park and then the boys did a little "Irish Yoga" if you get my drift, while the Jenny enjoyed a massage at the birth house and I spoiled my little lucky charm.  I can't get enough of him :)
 

After our kiddos left, Kevin and I stayed for the Delray Beach St. Patrick's Day parade.  We had fun at what one can only describe as a "drunken street fest!"  Kevin was amused when I bowed, wished peace and explained to one particularly miserable parade goer that it must suck to be them. Life is short, be happy peeps. Good grief ;)


I've got a little Michael Franti playing in the house this morning while I make lotions and creams.  I'm feeling pretty caught up on products for the Delray Affair at this point.  Gosh, what a great feeling!  Feelin' kinda reggae today and hoping for a sweet escape with my hubby later this afternoon.  Maybe some Caribbean food later??  Bamboo Fire Grill perhaps?

It's a beautiful day!!

Peace.

I'm feeling very emotional today.  Perhaps it's the extreme fatigue or maybe it's just a sense of deep gratitude coursing through me.  I feel so blessed to love what I do enough to expend every ounce of energy I have and then look forward to doing it again...just maybe not tonight ;)


It's been a pretty amazing week. 

Today I registered for the workshop in Bali with Robin Lim, founder of Bumi Sehat.  It's official!  I'm going to Bali!  Thank you again to my MOST amazing husband for the gift of a lifetime! Baby, you are the BEST!

I was blessed to doula for a former HypnoFertility client, HypnoBirthing student, amazing woman and friend.  The talented Tricia from www.clickcapturecreate.com was present for the ENTIRE birthing process to capture this emotional, exhausting and amazing birth.  My heart is incredibly full.  Laboring at home with this strong mother-to-be and seeing the fertility nest that I made her almost 3 years ago in the bedroom where we labored quietly was so touching.  Bearing witness to an amazing couple realizing their dream of becoming parents is something that I honestly cannot put into words.

                                                                      Meet beautiful Serena!
    


I finished teaching my current group of HypnoBirthing students last night.  (To my students,  I should apologize again for my sleep deprived ramblings in the hopes that you felt my passion and allowed it to inspire you.  Two days without sleep and a long emotion filled birth makes for a bit of a kooky Lorie.) Two mothers came to share their birth stories with the class.  I think that I was inspired as much as my class by hearing the heartfelt testimonials for gentle birth.  Thank you Cindy Marler for sharing both of your birth stories and the embarrassing plugs for my services. 

                                                           The Class! (minus two couples)

And now, I'm looking forward to the weekend.  I've got 90 coconuts shells waiting to be transformed into candles and a bit of a baby pileup.  This will not be a quiet weekend and that's just fine with me!