Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Update

Well, I didn't continue with my "DIY" cleaning series. Maybe I'll get back to it one day. :) I've been kind of busy for a while. New projects, new life, all kinds of things. :) Time for an update. 

I am certifying to become a doula. What's a doula? In short, I help a mom and her family during labor. While doctors/midwives/nurses
mainly concern themselves with the health of the baby and the mom, I will concern myself with helping the mom emotionally, physically, and informationally. Husbands and family members/friends are usually great at supporting a mom in labor but they are also emotionally involved with the mom and baby in a way that a neutral party is not. This is especially important when things deviate from what a mom has planned. A doula can help keep the mom and family calm while informing them of what is happening and giving ideas of how to deal with the change or make a change to get things back to "normal." A doula is great to help a dad know how to help his wife. Another great benefit is that a doula is there and available throughout the entire birth process. While doctors/midwives/nurses do come in to check on a mom throughout her labor, they are usually busy with other laboring mothers to show 100% undivided attention to one mother. A doula does not do anything medical, "catch" the baby, act as an advocate or speak for the mother or family to the medical staff, or guarantee a certain birth outcome. Not all doulas are the same either. For the best birth experience, it is important that the mother/family and the doula feel that each other are a good fit. 

The word "doula" comes from the Greek word δοῦλος which means "servant" or "slave." Mary used the feminine form of this word in Luke 1:38 when she had just been informed that she would give birth to the Messiah. She said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”

My new business is called Pillar of Strength Doula Services based on Psalms 144:12 which says, "May our sons in their youth be like plants full grown, our daughters like corner pillars cut for the structure of a palace..." If you know someone who lives in the Denton, TX area and might be interested in hiring a doula for their birth, please send them my info. I offer a free consultation to anyone interested and I am currently offering a discount.

Another change in our life is that I had weight loss surgery. This was not something I really ever saw myself doing but I have been battling my weight for decades. I was super successful a few years ago and lost about 70 lbs but the only way I was able to lose any weight was to eat between 1000-1200 calories a day and hard-core workout about 2-3 hrs a day. While that may work for some people, it was not something that I stuck to and was not something that would be feasible to stick to long term. 

I also decided to have the surgery once I started seeing some things show up in my health that were not a good indication as to what my future would look like. When I mentioned it to my cardiologist, he was 100% behind the idea and really recommended it for me. After 6 months of physician guided dieting, consulting a psychologist, researching, weighing my options, talking with people who have also had this surgery, and praying, I had the surgery in December. The two week pre-diet, not getting a good Christmas dinner, and the several weeks of post op diet was not fun...not fun at all. However, I am now a little over four months out and I feel fantastic.

I can eat pretty much anything I want with the exception of bread. I can physically eat the bread but it makes me feel yucky so I try to avoid it as much as I can. Before this surgery, I would have told you there is no way I would ever be ok with giving up bread but now, it doesn't even tempt me. There are somethings I really liked before this surgery that don't even sound good now and a lot of things I never liked that I love now. It's so weird. As of yesterday, I have lost just about 70 lbs since my highest weight. I have so much more energy and two weeks ago I started actually feeling like working out. That is a victory in and of itself. Anyone who knows me knows I do NOT like to exercise at all. But now that it is easier to just move my body in general, I'm enjoying going for longer walks and playing the Wii Fit is a lot easier and more fun. :)

We are still running Kapp's Kitchen and hoping to turn it into a bakery/cafe one of these days. We are making a few changes to some of the ways we do things but nothing major. I have been listening to and reading everything I can about marketing and business to learn how best to run a business in this online world. I've used a lot of it to really improve Pillar of Strength's SEO (search engine optimization...how you rank in Google when you search for your business using keywords). I'm now getting into a routine with Pillar of Strength and will be taking what I've learned to market Kapp's Kitchen more. I'm actually excited about how much I have learned and seeing actual improvements. :)

Well, that's about it right now. I plan on making another post really soon. One of my friends recently asked me about the podcasts I listen to so I thought I would make a list and describe each one and share it in a post. She isn't the first person to ask me so I thought it might be a good idea. Till next time. :)