Time for Gratitude - Guardian Angels

It's been an emotional couple days for our family.


On Monday night I got a call at about 11:30 p.m. from my mom that my brother was in a very serious car accident. He had hit a patch of ice and somehow was ejected from the vehicle (we assume his pickup rolled). He was in the hospital, had a fractured vertebrae and some significant facial issues as well. He was unconscious when the ambulance picked him up and we didn't even know anything had happened until a few hours after the accident. That was pretty much all she knew at that point. The weather was too bad (if you'll remember), or my folks would have driven out there to him that night. Luckily, my cousin lives near him, so he had someone with him in the hospital.

The next day (yesterday) my folks headed out there (he lives out of state). When they got there, he had just been released from the hospital. The fracture in his vertebrae is on the outside, so isn't close to the spinal column, and the doctor said it was stable. They didn't find any other internal injuries, and he was awake and alert. He went home with a neck brace, and is obviously extremely sore, but he's alive with no serious injuries!

All of the emotions that went along with this for me conjured up some not-so-distant memories of when my husband was in a rollover accident a few years ago.

It was a cold and windy March night, with some drizzle coming down. He was driving home from work and was super excited to get home to watch a basketball game (I honestly don't remember which one, though he could tell you). He was driving right along thinking about the game, not really noticing that the road was slick in some spots, and getting more so as he went...suddenly a big gust of wind caught the pickup and he was in one of those slick spots and lost complete control. He rolled several times and ended up in a nearby field. He has lost the 10 minutes or so right after the accident...still doesn't know exactly where he landed or how he got out of the cab...the pickup ended up on it's side. He called me about 10 minutes after the accident and was a little disoriented when he talked to me, but he was walking fine and was heading up the ditch to the road. Someone was just pulling up to help him.

As it turned out, he just had a cracked rib and no other internal injuries either.

Everyone who saw the pickup asked if the driver was alive. They were shocked to learn that he was ok with no serious injury whatsoever.

Randall's pickup after he rolled

As I was reminded in a very real way of the emotions I felt back in March of 2009, I was trying to describe them to my husband. Complete relief that he was ok (when I refer to "he" or "him", I mean both my hubby and brother, just at different times), nervousness/anxiousness that the docs would find something more serious, overwhelming and undeniable peace (the peace that passes all understanding that can only come from God), and every once in awhile a feeling of utter panic thinking about "what if.......".

When Randall had his accident, I think I kind of went into automatic mode because I had things I needed to take care of. Right after he called that first time was the only time I cried: I called my mom right away so she could come to Mitchell to watch Vienna and I could go be with Randall at the hospital, and I broke down as I was telling her about it - for the one and only time.........until I saw his vehicle a day or two later. When I saw the pile of twisted metal and glass that it actually was, I was overcome with tears and the emotion and thoughts of "oh, my word, how is he still even alive?", "I could be a widow today", and "Thank you Heavenly Father for sending your Guardian Angels to protect my love". I was all over the place emotionally.

Though it's been a little different because I'm not there with my brother, I haven't seen him or the vehicle he was driving, and obviously: he's my brother and not my life love and partner, many of the feelings are the same.

The most overwhelming feeling, though, is of gratitude for God's Guardian Angels whom have kept two men that I love very, very much here on earth with us. To God be all the glory.

~Evie

Consignment? Yes, please!

Guess what?!

Beginning this year we've changed our buying policy for maternity clothing resale!

Many of you already know how we used to do things because you sold to us. However, for those of you who don't know, I'll give you a little rundown here.

Up until this year, we would have you make an appointment, we would estimate how much we could sell your items for, then pay you a percentage of the estimate. That meant that we owned them at that point and would sell however worked for the store.

Since we've switched to consignment, things are just a little different. We will accept your clothing (still by appointment), but instead of paying you based on what we estimate we can sell your items for, we will pay you a percentage of what we *actually* sell your items for. Because of this switch, our sellers will likely get a higher return on their items - woot!

Now, I have never personally sold anything on consignment. I have, however, done a *lot* of consignment buying. In fact, it's by far my favorite kind of store to shop in. I mean, what could be better? You get great looking clothes in great shape for great prices! I'm generally not a very good shopper for myself. I don't shop for myself very often, so my clothes get pretty worn out by the time I buy new ones. I don't know why I do that, I just do. So, even though I've never had a chance to consign any clothing myself, if I had some nice clothes to get rid of, consigning is *definitely* the way I'd go!

So, whether you have some cute maternity clothes to get rid of (ALL sizes) or are just looking for some inexpensive items to cover your cute baby bump, come on in for consigned clothing! Call us to set up an appointment if you are interested in selling, or you can just come on in anytime we are open to shop.

We are really excited about this change, and we think you will like it too!

~Evie

Childbirth Professional Day - Meet them all!

We've been introducing all the local Childbirth Professionals here on the blog for awhile now.

To begin the new year, we decided it would be great to list all of the professionals we've featured to date. Don't worry - we'll continue to update and add new professionals each month, too!

• Niki Johnson, birth doula and childbirth educator, Sioux Falls
• BirthingWISE is Women Inspired Support & Education. I can be contacted at 605-351-4207, or wisebirthing@gmail.com
• Ashley Anderson, Bradley Method Instructor, Sioux Falls
• Simply Birth; www.simplybirthsd.com; ashley@simplybirthsd.com 605-370-3908
• Evie DeWitt, birth doula, Mitchell
• Helping Hands Birth Support; www.helpinghandsbirthsupport.com; 605-630-8699; HelpingHandsBirthSupport@hotmail.com
• Marilyn Hildreth, childbirth educator, lactation consultant, doula trainer, Brookings
•  JM Birth Consultants International  People can contact me at Marilyn@jmbirthconsultants.com or call at 605-691-5808. My website is www.jmbirthconsultants.com. Visit the site for a listing of workshops and video resources
• Judy Jones, CPM
• Joy of Birth Midwifery; judycpm@iw.net
• Rose Marie Hoiten, CNM, CNP, IBCLC
• Rose Marie is no longer practicing as a home birth midwife, but still as a CNM, CNP, and IBCLC - I will hopefully be able to feature her new adventures in childbirth soon!
• Debbie Hayden-Miller, CNM (homebirth midwifery), Sioux Falls
• Laughing Waters Homebirth Midwifery. I can be contacted many ways. Web page: www.laughingwatersmidwifery.com; Email directly from the web page or email me at laughingwatersmidwifery@gmail.com; Phone number is 605-351-8041;You may also find me on Facebook and Twitter
• Teresa Buell, CNM, Sioux Falls
• Sanford Women's Nurse Midwifery Service. You can contact me at 328-4600 or midwives@sanfordhealth.org
• Tammi Chaney, birth doula, childbirth educator, Platte, SD
• Mother Nurture Doula Care; Tammi Chaney; Platte, SD; (605) 491-3661; mothernurturedoulacare@gmail.com
• Tracie Kruempel, birth doula, Sioux Falls, SD
• Tracie Kruempel, Belly to Birth Doula Service; People can contact me at www.bellytobirthbeyond@hotmail.com or call me at 605.759.7408; Facebook: Belly to Birth Doula Service 
• Suzanna Hardin, birth doula and childbirth educator, Brookings, SD
• My business name is Natural Progression Birth Services and I have a page on Facebook and a blog, https://naturalprogressionbirth.wordpress.com and all of my contact information are listed on those sights.
• Alicia Fonder, childbirth educator, IBCLC, Registered Nurse, Sioux Falls, SD
• My business is called South Dakota Babies. People can contact me through my website www.southdakotababies.com or by phone (605)553-8364.
• Carrie Caskey, birth doula, childbirth educator, Pipestone, MN
• Birth and Family Life Center,  www.birthandfamilylife.com  --  call me at 507-347-3229.
• Lisa Stephens, birth doula, Watertown
• I work independantly, as Lisa Stephens, Birth Doula, and also volunteer services to any women that husbands/partners are deployed overseas. I also volunteer my services to at-risk women, and do base my fees on income, so that ALL women can benefit from the supports of a Birth Doula, no matter their current financial situation!  I do take last minute clients, and I am available by phone: 605-759-7252, and email:doulalisastephens@gmail.com!

New Years Resolutions

Well, we are now on the back-end of the month, and if you’ve made any New Year’s Resolutions, you are either going strong or you’ve given up…maybe not completely given up, though…perhaps just petering out.

So, what kinds of things do people make resolutions about? Why do they make resolutions? Well, I found a list of popular resolutions online, and some of the most popular ones are:

·         Drink Less Alcohol

·         Eat Healthy Food

·         Get a Better Education

·         Get a Better Job

·         Get Fit

·         Lose Weight

·         Manage Debt

·         Manage Stress

·         Quit Smoking

·         Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

·         Save Money

·         Take a Trip

·         Volunteer to Help Others

Growing up, I never once thought about most of these. The only subject for resolution that was ever talked about in my family was losing weight, eating healthier, working out. The health and weight in my family has never been great, and it’s something that most of us have struggled with at one time or another. It’s not that we grew up completely unhealthy, it’s just that we got into some bad habits and they have stuck with us for a very long time. Because of this, I have had a very negative stance on making a New Years Resolution to work out more, to be healthier, to lose weight, etc. I’ve felt like a failure too many times.

However, in my recent years as a mommy, I have found other reasons to make resolutions – they don’t all have to be about weight.

So, I do have a recently renewed outlook on resolutions and I no longer think they are all a waste of time, nor do I think that I will never make a resolution again. I do think that they can be very helpful to people to help break bad habits, as well as begin new and beneficial habits for a variety of things.

The other day I wrote about how I love the month of January because of the “New Beginnings”. I think that this all goes hand-in-hand. I don’t specifically make any resolutions, though I really do feel like January is a time to start fresh in pretty much anything and everything.

I would challenge you, though, to not just use January and the new year to make a fresh start. Every single day is a new dawn, and even if a resolution you have made is falling by the wayside, you have another chance to be a better you each and every day you are blessed with.

This is a struggle for me, and I’m assuming it is for others too. Like I mentioned the other day, it’s extremely easy to get bogged down in daily life. Let’s remember, though, that every day is a new day and a new beginning.

“Today forget your past, forgive yourself and begin again.” ~Unknown

So, make it a wonderful day!

~Evie

Time for Gratitude...New Beginnings

I love January.

No, really, I do.

What's not to love? Yeah, I know it's really cold...at least here in South Dakota. And yeah, I know that there can be some "after the Holidays blues", belts feeling a little tighter than they did before Thanksgiving, and a feeling of "What NOW?".

Well, even though I feel most of those things too, I also love that it's the beginning of a new year. It's like a chance to start all over, and try again to "get it right". At least for me, as soon as the Christmas decorations are taken down, it's game on. I feel renewed, refreshed, and ready to take on the things that I've been putting off forever - like I've been covered with a fresh blanket of snow. Everything is white and clean.

You know what kind of things I mean, right? Things like purposing to spend more time reading to the kids and playing with them more often, having a date night with my husband a minimum of once a month, *finally* organizing the kids' toys/playroom, cleaning off my desk, cleaning out kitchen cupboards, structuring my day to more efficiently use my time, loose weight, get healthier, etc, etc.

Am I 100% successful at all these things? No. Do I continue to try? YES!

January to me, is a time of new beginnings, and I am so grateful for this time of the year. It can be really easy to get swallowed up in the grind of daily life and the expectations that we try to live up to every.single.day. No matter what you do, as a parent (or, you know - just a human being), life is a constant juggling act...especially when the kiddos reach preschool age. There's always something going on it seems - school/homeschool, birthday parties, lessons (piano, dance, swimming, you-name-it), church, etc, etc. That's not even touching your own responsibilities - work, volunteer obligations, sinks full of dishes, mountains of laundry, attempting to make healthy meals for your family, keeping the floor clean, teaching your kids to contribute to the household...let alone time for yourself.

Life can get overwhelming.

That's why I love January. New beginnings and fresh outlooks abound.

~Evie

Meet Educated Mommy's Intern!

Educated Mommy has some exciting news! We have an intern!! We are so excited she is here, and we are sure you'll be hearing more from her throughout her time with us, but for now, take a little time and get to know her. 

Welcome Erin!!

Who am I?

My name is Erin Lunt and I am a senior at the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse.  I am a Community Health Education major with an emphasis in Women’s Health. To complete my degree I am interning at Educated Mommy from January to April or early May. In April I will be taking my board exam to become a Certified Health Education Specialist. I am really interested in sexuality, pregnancy, and birth and I am looking into a Master’s Degree in Nursing specifically in Midwifery. 

A little bit about me:

I grew up in central Wisconsin.  I participated in many sports growing up such as softball, gymnastics, figure skating and dance. I fell in love with figure skating from the very beginning.  I skated competitively until I graduated high school and I have been coaching now for the past three and a half years.  I love children! The children I coach are anywhere from 2 ½ years old up to 18.  I also love to travel! I studied abroad in Ireland summer of 2011 and learned about women’s health while I was exploring the beautiful country. My favorite part of traveling is learning about new cultures, habits, or traditions that differ from my own. 

What will I be doing?

There are many things I will be a part of during my time here. Some of these things include planning and implementing programs and events for Educated Mommy, evaluating current programs and helping make adjustments to best fit your needs, and developing informational handouts on topics that are important to you.  I am AAAI Yoga Instructor Certified and if there is interest I would love to teach a prenatal yoga class!

I am also trained in motivational interviewing which is something I am excited to offer.  Motivational interviewing is an empathetic, guiding, client-centered counseling style that helps clients resolve ambivalence and make behavior changes.  This would involve things such as making changes to diet, exercise, smoking, drug use, alcohol consumption patterns, or anything else you can think of.  I am here to help you with whatever you need or would like to talk about. 

If there is anything you would like to know about me, what I am doing, or what I could do, feel free to ask. I am here to help Educated Mommy expand and offer whatever you need or would like to see done.  J