My Life

Confessions Of An Un-Domesticated Goddess

December 8, 2011 By Rose Goddess 8 Comments

I have a confession to make. I have a weakness. Yes, it’s true. I am not perfect. Shocking, I know. Today I am going to reveal to you a part of myself which, until now, has caused me shame. A part of myself which I have attempted to hide from others. I am what I fondly refer to as an Un-Domesticated Goddess, meaning, I suck at keeping my house clean! At any given moment, if you were to walk into my home unannounced (because I can clean up nice for guests ), you would see dishes in the sink, clothes on the floor, random papers and other projects on my table, an unmade bed, and bathrooms in need of cleaning. This is something I have struggled with for a LONG time. I blame it on my right brained nature. Even in elementary school I remember spending my weekends trying to clean and organize my room. I arranged and re-arranged my furniture and possessions over and over but nothing ever seemed quite “right” and so I maintained an unkempt room. My mother, like 99.9% of the people I know, has a knack for decorating, organizing, and keeping her place spic and span. She would not let me go outside to play until my room was up to her standards, and so I spent many hours inside overwhelmed by mess when I so desperately wanted to have fun with my friends, playing outside in the beauties of nature (which my technocratic room could never emulate). Well, now that I am grown up, I do play. Instead of cleaning I generally choose to go on long nature walks, watch movies with Bryan (netflix has become our standard date night since David was born), talk with friends, nap, read, meditate, pursue creative projects, and enjoy lots of snuggles and quality time with my son. I never clean when David naps, except for rare occasions. I use my time for self-care, creativity, and fun.

David laying on my pile of clean clothes (I think the blurriness of this photo enhances the “undomesticated” look. What do you think?)

Some days I feel I should be living the life of Anastasia, from the Ringing Cedars series, or Adam and Eve, from the Bible. No house to clean, no food to prepare, nothing on my to do list except for contemplating the meaning of the cosmos, playing with my animal friends, and giving thanks for the abundance of food growing around me. In nature, everything makes sense. If I were to throw an apple on the ground I would not be cluttering my home (not that I actually throw apples on my floor…). Mother Earth would use this to enrich her soil. Nothing is dirty, out of place, or in need of sterilization. Everything is perfect. Everything fits into her eco-system and is used to create beauty and abundance. Instead, I live in a box, whose ecosystem would collapse (or eventually become part of nature’s eco-system) if I didn’t tend to it consistently. I love my home, I really do, and I appreciate the warmth it provides and the modern conveniences it contains. I am just saying, maybe we could come up with something more efficient for all us un-domesticated goddesses out there

I believe our greatest weakness can be our greatest strength and inside our deepest shame and sorrow lies the most beautiful part of ourself. In order to change anything we must first embrace it. We must see how our weakness is serving us. We always have exactly what we need and desire, even when we think our life is far from ideal. Some day I really would like to be at least a little bit of a “Domestic Goddess,” but today, I celebrate my un-domesticated self! It has brought me so much fun!! So many moments when I should have been cleaning I have chosen to follow my bliss and invest time with those I love. I am grateful for my ability to relax no matter what my surroundings look like. I am an easy going mother because of this. My son is able to play with my stuff, eat on the floor, be diaper free, and get dirty without a stressed out mom. Today I make peace with my un-domesticated self, for my greatest weakness may just be my greatest strength.

P.S. Do you have a weakness? In what way does your weakness actually serve and bless you? I would love to know!

Filed Under: A Day In My Life, Divine Motherhood Tagged With: Motherhood, My Life

Urban Foraging

October 8, 2011 By Rose Goddess 3 Comments

This morning we went to pick up some raw goat butter in Oak Cliff, with no ideal we were about to embark on an awesome urban foraging adventure! On our way there, David required to go potty so we stopped by a gas station to take him. We walked to a hidden spot behind the building and, to our great delight, we found 3 wild plum trees!! These beautiful trees had dropped hundreds of ripe fruit. We just had to stop and enjoy some. They tasted DELICIOUS!! There is a certain depth of flavor which wild foods posses that cultivated store bought varieties don’t. David loved grabbing them off the ground and putting them in his mouth. We collected over 100 of them for eating, pickling, and making raw jam.

Wild plum tree

David foraging for plums. This photo was taken after we collected most of them off the ground

When we reached Urban Acres, we found a HUGE patch of purslane. The biggest patch I have seen so far! David and I had a few leaves. After we picked up our butter and a few other items, we went to a park in Richardson where we used to live. This is the same park where I recorded my persimmon foraging video. We ate several yummy ripe persimmons and collected more for later. I also had some dandelion leaves as there were several dandelion patches. David was asleep for part of the time. After he woke we pushed him on the swings.

David enjoying the park swing. Notice the evidence of persimmon eating around his mouth

Feeling the foraging vibe, we decided to make yet another stop on our way home. We visited Bryan’s work which has persimmons, hackberries, and lots of other wild food surrounding it. David picked his own hackberries and persimmon off the trees. He also pointed these trees out to us as we passed by. Amazing!! He already knows how to identify them! It is easy for small children to do this as they have photographic memories.

Bryan and David picking hackberries

Our final stop was at Whole Foods, where we did a different kind of urban foraging: one in which you pay for your food and it’s not as local or freshly picked. Oh well, this is what we do until we create our abundant forest garden/space of love, supplying us with all we require. We went home and I took a blissful nap with David.

The End

P.S. Do you urban forage?

Filed Under: A Day In My Life, Wild Foraging Tagged With: Health, My Life, Wild Food

A Day in the Life of A Blissful Mama (9/3/11)

October 3, 2011 By Rose Goddess 1 Comment

I wrote this down exactly a month ago and now I am finally posting it! Ha ha! I am enjoying my real life too much to do a lot of computer projects these days. I do, however, desire to update my blog at least once a week because I have so many awesome insights and exciting things to share with my online family and friends. This will be my last “Day in the Life of a Blissful Mama” post for a while. I had fun recording and reflecting on my days and I hope you have enjoyed it too If you haven’t read my other posts, check them out here and here. I think I have captured with these three posts how my life flows at the moment. Thank you so much for reading and commenting! It means a lot!

mimosa tree sprout

6:45 am: I wake up as dawn is breaking. David and Bryan are still asleep next to me. Oh goodie!! I am the first one awake! This means I have time to myself, to do anything I choose, to prepare for this day in a meditative and meaningful way! What to do, what to do? I could do the 5 rites, I could do some kriya yoga, I could do a neti pot, I could say affirmations or read a book while drinking warm herbal tea. I opt for staying in bed, breathing deeply, and having a conversation with God.

7:15 am: David wakes up. I take him potty and get back into bed for breastfeeding and family snuggles. Bryan and I talk while David burrows around in bed.

7:30 am: I make a fig and grape smoothie (figs, grapes, vanilla, ice, star anise, salt), and go outside to greet the beautiful morning. I share my smoothie with David. We watch as cute little birds land on our huge dried sunflowers to pick out sunflower seeds to eat: a natural bird feeder.

8:00 am: David gives us a clear signal that he needs to pooh. We potty him and clean him off. Afterward, I water our garden, seedlings, and trees. I am thinking about the amazing forest garden we are going to create in our yard next year.

8:45 am: I am inside. Bryan runs in to tell me David just stood up and started walking across the yard!! We celebrate with him. I reflect on his amazing development. Before 3 months he was in my arms constantly (continuum concept style). I didn’t set him down for tummy time until 12 weeks, although he slept on his tummy in our bed. At 3 months he was rolling from front to back and back to front all over our living room floor. At 4 months he could scoot around on his belly. At 5 1/2 months he started sitting up and crawling on all fours. At 6 months he was pulling up and saying his first words. At 7 months he was doing squats, crawling up stairs, and cruising with the assistance of only one hand. At 8 months he could stand on his own for a few seconds and loved to dance by bouncing up and down on his legs. At 9 months he took his first steps, learned how to get into a standing position from a squat and loved to walk all over the place holding onto my hands. Now, at 10 months, he can stand up and start walking on his own whenever he feels like it. He is so AMAZING!! David stands up again and claps for himself. We clap with him. I hold out my hands and he walks to me. We go inside. I give him blackberries to eat while we plan out which classes we are going to attend at the Rethinking Everything Conference today.

9:30 am: We leave for the Mckinney Farmers Market. I feed David milk while in his car seat and read him a book. I just started reading to him two days ago and he absolutely loves it!! The reason I waited so long to start reading was because of my research on brain development in children. Apparently, introducing left-brained activities too early, such as reading, writing, math and even watching television, causes a child’s brain chemistry to be altered. They generally become left brained dominant, which we can see as an example by looking at our culture. In Waldorf Schools, founded by Rudolf Steiner, which focus on whole brain development, teachers encourage young children to engage in music, dance, fantasy play and nature interaction. Reading and writing are not introduced until after their 7th year. Joseph Chilton Pearce, author of Magical Child , says “When we force the child to work prematurely with abstract thought, we break up the vital unity of self and world. “Writing,” Vigotsky explains, “virtually enforces a remoteness of reference on the language user.” Writing (and to a lesser extent reading) enforces a separation between name and thing named. To deal with this kind of abstraction, the logic of differentiation is forced to skip all preliminary steps and prematurely begin such a seperaration. The result is an enforced seperation between self and world, even though the diferentiation required is still clumsy and inadequate. (Thus, Furth claims premature literacy stops the development of intelligence cold for two to three years.)”

I would have waited a few more months to start reading to David, after he had overcome the need to put everything in his mouth, but two days ago, David was heading for one of my books I had left on the floor. I picked it up and said, “This is not for you.” I heard him say to me, telepathically, “will you show me how it works?” He has always loved to hold books, flip through them, and put them in his mouth. I pulled out a children’s book, sat him on my lap, and started reading. He loved it and asked me to read it to him again several more times. So you see, learning conscious child raising theory can be helpful, but following your child’s intent comes first.

10:00 am: We arrive at the Farmer’s Market and take David potty. I love being here! We visit Paul’s stand and purchase organic pears, eggplant, okra, and green beans. We also buy some extra virgin olive oil, mushrooms, honey, and a loaf of organic zucchini bread which we eat in the car on our way home.

Me showing off some okra at the farmer’s market

10:30 am: We arrive home. David goes potty again and takes a nap. I enjoy some time on the computer. Bryan makes kombucha and nettle infusions.

11:45 am: David wakes up. We want him to get more sleep because of the fun filled day we have ahead so Bryan bounces him and I nurse him. We are successful!! David happily drifts back to sleep. Bryan and I take a shower together….. I take deer antler, mountain ant extract, MSM, and marine phytoplankton (to learn more about these powerful superfoods, look for them here)

1:00 pm: David is still asleep. We have a class to attend at 1:30 so I pick him up, put him in his ergo carrier, and get into the car. He sleeps the entire way there! This means he has taken a 3 hour nap!! I am glad because I predict he will be going to bed late tonight.

2:00 pm: We arrive at the Sheraton hotel in Irving. I take David potty and put a shirt and some training pants on him. We see free beings everywhere!! People dressed up, walking around with no shoes on, children playing with games and doing art projects, people doing yoga and meditating by the pool. After spotting some friends and talking to them for a moment we go to our first class which is called “Slavery is not Noble” by Sarah and Chris Parent. It is about following your bliss and getting out of the mindset of working your life away doing something you hate (or tolerate) for money. They tell us a story of their son, who used to say he wanted to be a woman when he grew up. His parents thought there was more to it. Maybe he was homosexual? Well, as soon as his father became a free being, working from home, only a few hours at a time, their son changed his mind and decided he wanted to be a Dad when he grew up. Obviously he did not want to follow his father’s footsteps when he was tied down and unhappy. Yes!!! We are totally going to manifest Bryan working from home soon, and eventually working/playing for himself, following his creative bliss!! Another mom, who practices EC with her baby, comments on David’s cute training pants. I have an extra pair so I give it to her. I leave class a little early and find a barefoot book stand. I pick out two awesome books for David. Listen, Listen! and I Took the Moon for a Walk. Both of them are nature based and have a great message.

3:00 pm: I go into my free reiki session. This is my first time receiving one and I love it!! Afterward I feel light and tingly, especially in my head.

3:30 pm: We go up to our friends hotel room to relax, eat, and read our new books to the children. We have yummy “pear strudel” (pear, hemp seeds, chaga, lucuma, coconut oil, honey, etc). David nurses and enjoys some grapes and tomatoes.

Bryan reading “Listen Listen!” to David and his friends

4:30 pm: We go to our “EFT From the Beginning” class by Dr. Joe Duchene. We arrive an hour late but I still get exactly what I need from it. That is what I call “divine timing.” I am always in the right place at the right time, receiving exactly what I require to receive. Plus, I can really concentrate and learn because Bryan took David for a walk outside. I munch on okra from the farmer’s market and home made kombucha.

5:15 pm: Class ends. I feed David milk and we go back to our friend’s hotel room to hang out. I eat some macadamia nuts and chlorella. We go downstairs and watch children play.

6:30 pm: David is tired and we are feeling ungrounded from the hotel energy. We decide to get some food and find a nearby park. David falls asleep in the car. We go to Chipotle, which is a great place to get “fast and convenient food” because most of their stuff is organic. I order a salad (lettuce, guacamole, salsa, beans). We drive to a park and I sun gaze, listen to the cicadas, and touch my bare feet on the ground as I eat. I take several deep breaths. I feel rejuvenated and peaceful.

Sun gazing in the park

Grounding my feet to the earth

7:50 pm: David wakes up. We go for a walk in the nature preserve by the park and then drive back to the hotel. I read David one of his new books in our car. When we arrive at the hotel we go outside by the pool. It is really windy and feels great. David plays with some rocks by a crepe myrtle tree. We go inside and watch a bunch of kids jumping up and down on a bouncy twister board. David gets excited, stands up, and walks over to it. I share a nettle/lemon balm infusion with Bryan, my friend Courtney, and David.

9:30 pm: Bryan watches David while I go into a shamanic dance room and dance for 15 minutes. Ahhhhh! It feels so good to move my body in this way.

10:00 pm: We leave. David nurses in our car and falls asleep.

10:45 pm: We arrive home. I set David down on our bed and nurse him into a deep sleep. Bryan and I plan out which classes and activities we desire to participate in tomorrow. I do some EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) tapping I learned earlier, brush my teeth, and stretch. We say a family prayer and drift off to sleep, knowing tomorrow is going to be another full on, fun filled day!

P.S. To learn advanced parenting techniques click here for books and information on how to raise a super being.

Filed Under: A Day In My Life, Divine Motherhood Tagged With: Bliss, Motherhood, My Life

A Day in the Life of a Blissful Mama (8/24/2011)

August 25, 2011 By Rose Goddess 11 Comments

Here is my second “Day in the Life of a Blissful Mama” post, where you get a detailed peek into what it’s like to eat raw foods, breastfeed, co-sleep, practice elimination communication, live on 17 acres of beautiful nature, and raise a cosmic light being. I may make this a regular weekly post or maybe just once a month. We will see

6:00 am: David stirs in bed. I am hoping for more sleep so I gently shush him, pat him and feed him. We both fall back asleep for 45 minutes. I wake up to hear our neighbor’s rooster crow, celebrating the new dawn.

6:45 am: David wakes up and I take him to the toilet to pee. Bryan is in the shower so we decide to join him. I turn off the blazing bathroom light and light a candle. We enjoy a short family shower. Bryan dries David off while I recite Dan Coppersmith’s Hello World poem, watch my Mind Movie, drink lots of water, and get dressed. I take David outside and we practice his walking skills. He takes a short pee break and continues to walk. I admire the beautiful morning, the sun rising, and the birds chirping.

7:45 am: Bryan leaves for work. I feed David breastmilk and then we go inside for breakfast. I pour some blueberries and mangos for him to enjoy on the kitchen floor and sit at our table to devour my lacto-fermented grape soda and leftover raw fudge from last night (cacao butter, coconut oil, mesquite meal, pine pollen, purple corn extract, inca berries, cacao nibs, honey, salt). It seems I am in a chocolatey mood lately I am about to eat when I hear David crying out to me. I go in the kitchen to find him starting to pooh on the floor. I take him to the bathroom to finish his BM on the toilet, clean him off, and put him back on the floor to enjoy his breakfast while I enjoy mine. I pick up The Mother magazine and open to an article on the importance of humor. Ha ha! Perfect!

8:30 am: After a little dancing with David, I nurse him to sleep. While he sleeps I stretch, drink water, work on my e-book, read some blogs and check my e-mail.

David taking his morning nap

10:00 am: David wakes up and nurses. I take him potty and we go outside to drink a lemon balm/nettle infusion and eat pears from the farmer’s market. I wash the pear juice off his body with our hose and water our trees and seedlings. David gives me the “milk” sign so I feed him some more. He walks around our yard, with my assistance. He sees the horses and desires to interact with them so we feed them and pet them. I give David some water to drink and he is ready to walk again. He is obsessed with walking. The day after he turned 9 months young he took his first step. For about a week afterward he began to take more and more steps (he could take 5 to 10 steps on his own!!). Then, all of a sudden, he decided he preferred to have us help him. Makes sense I guess. With our help he is more stable and can walk faster and farther. Plus he gets to take us with him on his explorations. Every day I feel him getting stronger and more balanced. I love that he is walking barefoot on the uneven terrain of our yard. It’s so good for his development. I feel someday soon he will just start walking, really well, without my help. I take a break from helping him and hang upside down on our OM gym and get on my chi machine while David climbs on top of me. He starts to fuss. I feel he may be hungry again so I make him some applesauce (apple, lemon juice, and water blended together).

12:00 pm: I call my sister Amy. We talk about her upcoming “Mad Hatter” baby shower tea party, which I am helping out with. I give David a nori sheet to entertain himself while I talk. My friend Courtney arrives with her son Cedar. I tell her about Amy’s “Mad Hatter” party and I pull out my crazy hats. Cedar and David enjoy playing with them. We give them frozen peaches to share while Courtney and I catch up on what is going on in our lives (after only 4 days of not seeing each other). We show each other blog posts and facebook threads. We go outside for a little bit and I hang upside down on my OM gym. Courtney brought some “apple streudel” (apple, hemp seeds, lucuma, coconut oil, honey, salt, vanilla, cinnamon, chaga, pure radiance C, etc.) and I gladly help her eat it.

The boys playing with our crazy hats

1:30 pm: I nurse David. He nibbles on a carrot with Cedar and then, you guessed it, does some more walking. We walk all around the yard and up and down the porch steps. David stops to admire a sunflower for several minutes. I drink some water and yummy lemonade Courtney brought (lemons, honey, pure radiance C, MSM, ginger, phytoplankton, salt). David becomes super fussy. I take him to our bedroom to nurse him on our bed and he becomes even more fussy. I am feeling frustrated.

2:30 pm: I put David in the Ergo on my back and go for a walk. He is out within 2 minutes. I place him on our bed and nurse him fully to sleep. I relax and unwind, stretch, hydrate, and write in my Gratitude Book. After about 1/2 hour, David feeds again and goes back to sleep. I go to sleep with him. I guess I needed a nap too.

4:15 pm: David wakes up. I nurse him, take him pee, and go into my living room to find a yummy surprise. Courtney made superfood balls! She spoils me, she really does. On top of that, Cedar had taken a nap the same time David did and they are both well rested. It’s the simple things that bring a mama so much joy. I eat superfood balls, drink lemonade, water my garden, peel and salt some eggplant (for dinner), and wash dishes.

Superfood balls (hemp seeds, coconut butter, chocolate bliss, mesquite, lucuma, bone renewal, shilajit, and so much more)

5:30 pm: A huge gust of wind blows my front door open. I smell negative ions in the air and feel the wind caressing my skin. Courtney, David, Cedar, and I have to stop what we are doing and take in the magic. We feel love in the air. The horses are leaping about and David claps when the wind blows. I lay down on the ground and feel surrounded by love from my Heavenly Father and grounded and safe on my Mother Earth. David nurses, poops, and practices his walking.

6:15 pm: Bryan gets home! Cedar acts like a dog who is excited to see someone and barks at him. David smiles and points. It is a happy time for everyone! Bryan watches David and Cedar while Courtney works on her superfood class presentation (check out her meetup group for more info) and I clean up and prepare dinner.

7:30 pm: Isaac, Courtney’s husband, gets here. I nurse David and then we all walk down to our pond. We discuss places we could buy land and live. David, of course, wants to do some walking around our pond. We walk back home and finish preparing dinner.

8:15 pm: Bryan brought home sumac berries he foraged during lunch so we record a video on how to make sumac-ade (sumac berries soaked in water for 15 minutes). We all sit down to enjoy a scrumptious dinner… eggplant curry (eggplant, okra, tomatoes, curry spices, onion, cilantro), seaweed salad (arame, wakame, cucumber, avocado, etc.), and carrot soup (carrot, cilantro, apple, onion, bell pepper, garlic infused olive oil, salt). The little boys eat blueberries and peaches on the floor, that is, until they desire to be part of the action around the table. Isaac holds David and David grabs a big chunk of seaweed salad from his plate to eat. Then David cons Isaac into helping him walk around the house. David has a huge grin on his face… he is doing his favorite thing ever! The “evening crazies” start. Lots of screaming and silly behavior ensues. We finish recording our sumac video and let David try some. He likes it!

Dinner is served!

9:00 pm: As Courtney and Isaac are leaving, Cedar holds out his hand to David and says, “give me five!” I guess they are congratulating each other on a day well played . I take David potty. He is stimulated from a full day of fun so we create a calm atmosphere. We turn off all the lights in our home and I slowly dance with him to “Oh Holy Night.” We cuddle on the bed. David crawls off the bed and pees on the floor. Only two misses today. Nice!

10:00 pm: David is finally asleep! I drink some sumac-ade and get on the computer. Bryan cleans up and makes home made kombucha. He is the best!

11:30 pm: I stretch, brush my teeth and get into bed. My favorite part of my day is snuggling with my family. I am blessed.

P.S. To learn advanced parenting techniques click here for books and information on how to raise a super being.

Filed Under: A Day In My Life, Divine Motherhood Tagged With: Bliss, Motherhood, My Life

A Day in the Life of a Blissful Mama (8/17/2011)

August 18, 2011 By Rose Goddess 9 Comments

Have you ever wondered what life is like for a superfood eating, breastfeeding, co-sleeping, EC practicing, meditating, yoga and nature loving Mama? Below I have posted “a day in the life of a blissful mama” with everything I ate and did from sunrise to sunset. Hope you enjoy!

7:00 am: I wake up with David snuggled up next to me. I am feeling super thirsty from night time breastfeeding so I drink a few sips from the water glass beside my bed. We are both groggy as I take him to the toilet for his morning pee and pooh, then jump back into bed to give him his morning feeding. Afterward, Bryan watches David while I watch my Mind Movie and drink a whole quart of water! I decide to take a dropper full of Dragan Herbs Mountain Ant extract too. Bryan leaves for work and we go outside to greet the beautiful day. I do some stretches and feed David some more milk. David needs to go pooh again so I take him to a designated place and wash him off with the hose (he loves that). I then water our baby trees and seeds and some of our garden. For breakfast I have leftover pine nut sauce (pine nuts, miso, garlic, lemon juice, etc.) and nori. I love eating outside. It is so relaxing. David has a pear and some blueberries for his breakfast. He loves when I scatter his food all over the ground so he can pick it up himself. We see the horses and decide to give them some grass for breakfast. David sees how much they are enjoying it and decides to try some grass himself. So now we have all been fed

9:00 am: I nurse David to sleep and we both take a blissful nap together.

11:00 am: We wake up and I take him potty. Can you believe it?! He poohed again! After two trips to the toilet (for David) and a wipe down in our tub, I pour myself some nettle and lemon balm infusion. David drinks some too. I am feeling hungry so I make myself some Chocolate Bliss (a superfood blend by David Favor) with some medicinal mushrooms added in. I don’t eat raw chocolate that often anymore (It used to be a staple in my diet for a couple years), but I desire a “pick me up” so I whip up a batch.

Chocolate Bliss! I have plenty extra for tomorrow when my friend comes over for a play date

It worked! I am feeling much more energetic! David and I do some dancing to music for several minutes, I nurse him, and then I put him in the Ergo on my back and we go for a walk. I say my daily affirmations as I walk. David becomes still and I realize he has fallen asleep. First time for that to happen while in the back position! When I return home I try to set him down on the bed but he wakes up. Oh well, it is not his nap time anyway. We go outside to finish watering our garden.

1:30 pm: The repair people come. Our garage door is broken and they are here to fix it. The great thing about renting is you don’t have to worry about doing these things yourself. I pour myself some water and another glass of chocolate bliss and we go outside to watch them work. David plays with sticks and I hang upside down on our OM gym and jump on our trampoline. The horses come around again and we feed them some more grass and some apples. One of them is pregnant so I give her first dibs.

2:30 pm: I nurse David to sleep. While he naps I stretch, drink some more water, and finish posting my blog post on Why We Don’t Give Our Baby Toys. Many times I feel hesitant to post a new blog post because of the possibility of being misunderstood, judged, or rejected. Yet, something inside me urges me to share my radical views. If it truly helps someone it is worth it.

4:00 pm: David wakes up and I take him potty and then go outside to sunbathe nude and feed him. I am feeling super hungry so I go back inside to fix a snack; avocado, home made kim-chi, fiesta mole (another superfood blend by David Favor), almond butter, and miso all mixed together. I enjoy my meal while David eats some more blueberries on the floor. We go outside and drink home made beet kvass (beets fermented in water and salt for a couple days) together. I help him practice his walking skills (he took his first unassisted step the day after he turned 9 months old) and do some more dancing.

5:40 pm: Bryan gets home! Thank goodness because David was starting to get fussy. I drink some water and get on facebook for a “spacing out” break while Bryan plays guitar with David.

6:00 pm: I nurse David and then we go for a long walk on our land. We talk about our dreams and the life we desire to create together.

David on our walk today. He is playing with the giant ragweed forest we have on our land.

7:30 pm: I start fixing dinner and picking some greens from our garden. David is sleepy so we go into our bedroom for some family cuddle time and nursing.

8:30 pm: David is asleep. It’s time for a yummy dinner! On the menu we have… cooked sweet potatoes with salt, cumin, and some fresh pressed sunflower oil our friends gave us, arugula, dandelion, and radishes from our garden, and for dessert we have a raw mango ice cream (mango, ice, lucuma, honey, mushrooms, chia, hemp seeds, coconut oil, bee pollen, pine pollen, and amla berry extract). I get on the computer and watch youtube videos.

Yummy Nutritious Dinner!

10:00 pm: David wakes up to nurse. I love nursing at night! He is so snuggly and looks like an angel when sleeping. After I nurse him back to sleep I watch my Mind Movie, clean up, take a long relaxing shower, and do some yoga.

11:30 pm: Bed time. As I drift off to sleep, snuggled next to my son, I feel grateful for the simple yet profound life of being a mom. “The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world!”

P.S. To learn advanced parenting techniques click here for books and information on how to raise a super being.

Filed Under: A Day In My Life, Divine Motherhood Tagged With: Bliss, Motherhood, My Life

My Cosmic Pregnancy ~ From Conception to Birth

November 26, 2010 By Rose Goddess 11 Comments

My beautiful son, David Scott Pierce, was born on 11/1/10 at 3:33 pm. He weighed a healthy 8 pounds 4 ounces and measured 21 inches long. He came into this world after a conscious conception, healthy pregnancy, and 17 hour “Labor of Love.” Below I have recorded my story of David in full…

I was first aware I had a son waiting to come to me in 2007. My Father had just passed away and I was in my bedroom feeling so sad, missing him so much. In a flash of inspiration I felt I should name my first son David, in honor of my Daddy. I was about to yell out to Bryan who was in another room about my feeling and before I could he said to me, “Let’s name our son David!” We both knew we had a son, who we felt my Daddy had now become acquainted with on the other side. One great man had left my life physically and another great man was soon to enter it.

I still felt, however, I had a lot of growing to do before I took on the sacred responsibility of being a mother. Massive physical, mental, spiritual and emotional healing took place for me in the following years. I transformed my fears of motherhood into faith and I learned about a more gentle, simple, and loving way to parent than the examples I had so often seen in our society. I knew in order to bring a child into this world I had to know how to do it. I had to know I could give him a childhood that would set him up for self-confidence, spiritual connection, vibrant health, and deep joy for the rest of his life.

When Bryan and I finally felt ready to make the leap into parenthood, we decided to start by consciously conceiving our child. We desired to know the exact moment of conception. We didn’t want our child to be conceived by some random night of passion or as a surprise (although those are fun), but from a prayer and focused love. We had a handful of “tries” before physically conceiving David, each time becoming clearer on our desire and intention. On January 29, 2010, the moon was full and I was fertile. Bryan and I decided to try to create our child that evening after attending a raw food meetup/party at our friends’ home. One of my friends, Shanti, was there. I hadn’t seen her in a few months and was super excited to talk with her. In the middle of our conversation she stopped and said, “Are you two trying to have a child?” We looked at each other in surprise. We hadn’t told anyone. We sheepishly admitted we were. She said “I sense a spirit hanging out with you, ready to embody.” Bryan and I looked at each other again with joy. It was a sign for us that tonight was the night!! We arrived home late and we both felt a little sleepy. I thought about trying in the morning after a good nights sleep, but Bryan and I both received the inspiration that THE TIME IS NOW! We said a prayer, stated our intentions, and visualized our baby as we made love. Two weeks later, a pregnancy test confirmed what I already knew. It’s baby time!!!

Me, Shanti, and Sue at our Rawkin Party!
The night David was conceived

During my pregnancy I desired to give my child both physical and spiritual nutrition. In The Secret Life of the Unborn Child, Thomas Verny explains that a fetus can see, hear, experience, and, on a primitive level, even learn. In the womb a fetus feels everything the mother experiences on a subconscious level and learns about life accordingly. Knowing this, I would imagine my child, talk to my child, say affirmations for my child, and ask God to give my baby all the divine elements of a balanced, tuned in and turned on human being, physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. If I was going through some emotional issue or unconscious behavior (which I seemed to do frequently during pregnancy as it is definitely a time of “going within”), I would tell my baby to learn from me and to choose a higher way. I told him he didn’t have to carry on Bryan’s or my negative patterns. When I could I gave him alternative ways of being. This helped me to grow too.

My pregnancy was super easy physically. I had no morning sickness, no stretch marks, no leg cramps, and no swelling, although I did gain 50 pounds, including the 20 pounds I put on a couple months before I conceived as my body was preparing for pregnancy. My body easily adapted to my rapidly growing figure. I believe this ease is mostly due to the healthy eating and yoga practices I had incorporated into my life and the amount of pre-pregnancy cleansing I had done. During my pregnancy, instead of doing prenatal vitamins I did daily nettle and raspberry leaf infusions, which contain all the major vitamins and minerals needed for a growing fetus in a more bio-available form. I consumed lots of fermented foods, superfoods, juices, seaweeds, raw butter and free-range eggs. I kept up my yoga routines as much as possible. I did breath work. I took pregnancy dance classes, bradley classes, had an ecstatic birth phone consultation, did regular chiropractic and acupuncture treatments, and listened to pregnancy meditation CD’s. All this was very fun for me. I really did love being pregnant and connecting with the amazing life growing inside my tummy.

After 22 weeks I decided to find a midwife. I really desired a home birth. At the time we were living with my sister Amy. It didn’t seem right to have my baby there so I opted for the nearest birth center. My son, however, had a different plan for us. During the last trimester my nesting urge came in strong and I was obsessed with finding my own place. Through the grace of God we found an awesome rental home on 17 acres of land, closer to Bryan’s work yet further from the city! It was perfect! We quickly moved in and set up shop. This was the perfect place for a home birth so we switched to a home midwife and looked forward to the day when our baby would come.

24 weeks pregnant swimming at Jacob’s Well (a natural spring pool).
We went there several times during my pregnancy

41 weeks pregnant. Just hours before my labor began

My Labor of Love began on All Hallows Eve, a week after my due date. My “contractions,” which I choose to call “expansions,” started out regular, between 2-5 minutes apart and 30-60 seconds long. These were easy for me. All through the night I moved from my birth ball to the toilet, swirling my hips and clearing my colon as I easily rode the waves of my expansion. In between each one I basically slept sitting up or dropped into a very meditative state. I eventually told Bryan he better get some sleep while I could navigate my experience with ease. We informed our midwife, Amanda, and doula, Maria, about my status and told them to come in the morning, hoping they would be well rested too. By the time they arrived after 8 am I was ready for support.

It was a gorgeous day! As the dawn was breaking we went outside for a walk on our land, as suggested by our Doula. This was very helpful for my labor. The horses who we allow to graze on our property seemed very aware something was happening with me. They took great interest in being near me and at one point formed a circle around me. Maria said it looked as if they were standing as guardians for this sacred event. All during the day I switched from walking outside to sitting or squatting in our birth tub filled with warm purified water. I was silent for most of my labor. My main words of communication were some sort of grunting, “water please,” and “oh my goodness.” I said “oh my goodness” so many times that Maria jokingly said David’s middle name should be goodness.

Bryan and Maria were such an amazing support team! They massaged me, pampered me, encouraged me, fed me, gave me essential oils to smell, and loved me. As I was on one of my many walks outside, my body started to involuntarily push. It was the strangest feeling… sort of like dry heaving, only on the other end. I rushed back inside and got into my birth tub. After several more expansions I started to cry. I didn’t want to go on. Why couldn’t I just push the pause button on this tedious labor? I could take a nap, read a book, and return to it when I felt ready. Maria stroked my hair and reminded me of my strength. She reminded me I had a beautiful baby on the other side of this and asked me to breathe deeply into my pelvis so my baby could receive oxygen. I could do that! I could breathe and relax and continue on for my baby because love is stronger than any pain. This is why, I believe, I had a 17 hour labor. I required to reach the point where I wanted to give up but chose to go on because of love. It was my initiation into motherhood. I willingly surrendered to each expansion, giving my full attention and presence. Between each expansion I went into a deep and restful sleep, so rejuvenating in fact, that I felt as if I had a 20-30 minute nap in just 2-5 minutes.

My midwife and I agreed that she would be there just for emergency purposes. I asked her to please not do any exams or check ups during labor, and besides asking me if she could monitor baby’s heart rate and my blood pressure a few times, which I agreed to, she respected my wish. Amanda also gave me a couple homeopathic remedies, exercises, and position suggestions which helped ensure David was in the correct position for birth, which I am very grateful for. Toward the end of my labor, when my body had been involuntarily pushing for a little bit, I desired to know how dilated I was and asked her to do an exam. I got out of the birth tub and onto my bed. Right then my water broke. She checked me and baby was almost out!! I lied down on my bed and finished hugging my baby out of my womb. He was delivered in the same place he was conceived:) My midwife went on “automatic baby delivering pilot,” my doula encouraged me and cheered me on, and Bryan watched and waited in awe. This last pushing part felt really good to me. The burn and stretching and bearing down felt invigorating… like an intense yoga workout.

The moment David came out I entered an altered state of consciousness. A flood of bliss hormones engulfed me and my body felt so relaxed. Bryan caught him and placed him on my chest. WOW!! Completion! Here was the completion of my co-creation with God and Bryan! What a beautiful baby! I first saw his ears and then his little fingers. He is so perfect!! I looked up at Bryan who had tears streaming down his face. “We have a son!” he kept saying. I was so surprised! Because of an experience I had in 2008 (which I may write about later), I really thought I was having a girl. Now, looking back, I do remember having 2 dreams during my pregnancy in which I gave birth to a boy. How wonderful to be so surprised and then so delighted. I looked at Bryan with gratitude and love. I loved both of my boys so much!! When our midwife asked what his name was we already knew… it’s David!

When I gave birth I felt brand new, like a baby, so sensitive and open. I cried over everything. I cried because my baby cried and I wasn’t able to soothe him. I cried because I couldn’t go pee for several minutes after giving birth. I cried because of how beautiful and precious my baby was. I cried because I loved Bryan. Over the next few days life was both tragic and beautiful as my heart expanded into motherhood. I could feel deeply all the energies and emotions of those around me. This is why it is so important to assemble a loving and conscious birth team. We are so imprintable in that moment. In Kids Learn from the Inside Out by Shirley L. Randolph and Margot C. Heiniger it says… “At some point during pregnancy, the interconnection between mother and fetus reaches a unique stage known as fusion, when the emotional separation between them becomes nearly nonexistent. While the fetus is becoming more mature, the mother is actually regressing emotionally. At birth, then, the mother can ‘meet the baby’ emotionally, and her emotional vulnerability gives her an incredible innate ‘knowing’ of her newborn child.” This was certainly true for me. I felt as if everything was happening at once. The bliss hormones that shot through me the moment David arrived took me into a calm “eye of the storm” as a whirlwind of activity surrounded me. I wished so much that everything around me would have slowed down, especially my midwife who was eager for me to deliver my placenta and had forgotten, until I reminded her by shouting No! (hey, it’s the best I could do in that moment), that I didn’t want David to be cleaned right away. I feel this is what newborns and new mothers need most… a quiet, calm, relaxed, loving, and “unrushed” environment. This is why I am so grateful I gave birth at home. A hospital birth would have been less than ideal for me to say the least.

David cried for a long time… maybe 2 hours. He had some mucus stuck in his lungs and it was super uncomfortable for him. After about an hour of him crying and refusing to latch on to my breasts, my midwife suggested I get into a warm herbal bath and try to go pee. After about an hour and a half, Bryan decided it was time to cut the cord. We were willing to keep his cord on as long as David desired it, even if that meant doing a lotus birth (in which the cord and placenta are left in tact until it falls off on it’s own accord). My placenta had stopped pulsing, final nutrient transfer was complete, and Bryan intuitively felt David was ready to move on. Along with delayed cord cutting, we also opted out of most other after birth procedures such as vitamin K shots, eye drops, circumcision, etc. Bryan cut David’s cord with love and brought him into the bath with me. David seemed to like the warm water, maybe reminding him of the womb he just left. He stopped crying for a moment and opened his eyes. We looked into each other’s eyes and really connected for the first time. For some reason, I felt a little nervous. I really hoped he liked me. I knew compared to him I was nothing. He was so present, so raw, so connected to God, Life, and the Universe. He knew everything. He could see through the illusion and into my soul. Maria commented on how much wisdom and power his eyes possessed, which is the exact same thing my mom thought when she looked into my eyes after my birth. David started crying again. My midwife came in and patted him hard on the back. We watched as a huge glob of mucus came out of his nose and mouth. That was it! David relaxed and Bryan held him while I was being stitched up. Yes, I did tear a little. I believe this is because I was pushing really hard at the end. If I would have let my body go at it’s own pace I believe that would not have happened. Everyone I know who has relaxed and allowed their body to do the pushing has remained intact. Luckily, it was very small and clean. I only required two stitches. Anyway, while being stitched, little David was finally ready to eat and latched on to Bryan’s nipple! We still laugh about it today!!

After everything had calmed down, I held my son and he started to breastfeed. Oh how adorable he was!! I was giggling with delight. My midwife kept trying to tell me how to care for him in the following weeks but I couldn’t concentrate. I was bonding with my baby boy! We were in our own world. These are the precious moments which make life glorious! I was so grateful to be in my own home, lying on my own bed. I had nowhere to be and nothing to do. I was in the perfect place for me and David.

My doula, my wonderful doula, remembered to follow my birth plan and made me some fresh orange juice and burdock tea after birth. Bryan later mashed me up an avocado with superfood fiesta mole mix and then made me a delicious free-range egg omelet. Food never tasted so good!! All I had during my 17 hour labor were some raspberries, coconut water, coconut meat, a bite of honey with spirulina, a nettle infusion, a few raspberry tea ice cubes I had made beforehand, and water. I channeled all the energy I would have used on digestion into my labor. I only ate a small amount to keep me going.

After our doula and midwife left it was just me, Bryan and baby. What a euphoric and beautiful night we had. Here we were… A FAMILY! Here he was… OUR SON! Our son who we had known about for over 3 years! We slept so well next to our little baby and woke up refreshed and rejuvenated.

Birth can be an empowering, spiritual, and beautiful experience. It doesn’t have to be the scary scene so often portrayed on TV and in movies. During my birth I learned so much about myself and my body. Because of this, I am super excited for my next child (although I will be waiting a couple years)!! Many things I will do over again, and some things I will alter. I can tell you one thing… it’s going to be The Best Ever!

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