What IF?

What if, from the moment we were born, we were told that we have absolutely everything we need within us to heal from dis-ease and dis-function? What if we were told we need nothing invasive or artificial to live a healthy and vibrant life? Would our entire healthcare paradigm be different? Would we ultimately be a healthier society? I think so.

What if our paradigm of healthcare was one in which no one even questioned the body’s ability to heal itself, and our primary care support was made up life-supporting modalities such as Chiropractic, Acupuncture, Homeopathy, Midwifery, Yoga, Meditation, Herbalism, Dance and Sound Therapy, Reiki, Visualization, Nutrition and Exercise?

What if?

The truth is, that we have everything within us we need to heal, grow, learn, evolve, and live a life of health and vitality! But we have, as many of us are starting to realize, been told from the beginning of our lives that we do not.

We have the choices and options to shift the current paradigm of health care in to one that is supportive of our innate ability to heal. We can bring this to pass right now, as more of us take small leaps of faith to try something different.

Start by taking small steps, and seek out modalities that resonate most. Give the process a try. Healing can take time, as most natural processes in life take time. But if we are patient and lean gently into the newness of the change, shifts in our understanding of health take place. In time, with the support from your new healthcare providers, you will begin to experience the profound power that lies within.

As we awaken, we can instill this knowing in our children. Let them know that they have everything in them to heal, to be healthy, and to be strong. Encourage and practice meditation and visualization with your children. Allow vitalistic practitioners be your children’s primary health care providers. We can choose to leave invasive therapies and medication for that which they were intended; secondary, temporary crisis care.

Children are born with trust and openness to the infinite possibilities in life. It is only through conditioning that we grow up to believe otherwise. We can set a holistic foundation for children from the very beginning; children who know they can heal themselves will become future adults who know. And thus, a new paradigm is created.

It can be hard to change a belief system if we have nothing else but that belief. However, belief systems can be changed through experiencing something profound that leaves no room for doubt. Allow yourself and your family to be open to something new.

So, back to our original question: What if we really DO have the ability to heal ourselves?

Guess what? WE DO.

The Neurology of Gratitude

We all know that having an "attitude of gratitude' can bring about feelings of happiness, joy, and allow us to manifest more things to be grateful for. And if you didn't know this, well, surprise! It is totally true.

But how does this happen? is it because being grateful helps us to recognize and see things and people in our lives in a more positive way? Well, yes!

Does it align our thoughts and actions to bring about more of the things that we are in vibrational harmony with? Yes!

The cool thing, is that beyond just the ethereal notions of manifesting things through the law of attraction, we actually can see a physiological change that happens in our nervous system when we are in a place of thanksgiving! Hooray!

I would like to introduce you to your Reticular Activating System (RAS). It is a very special part of your brainstem which conducts wakefulness, arousal, circadian rhythm, respiration, and cardiac rhythm, to name an important few.

It also has a huge role in our ability to be conscious, as it is a 'gate keeper' to what experiences from our environment moves through our sensory system and into our brain. Therefore, the experiences we have in life are processed through our RAS, and then evaluated within our frontal cortex, which is the higher brain center associated with consciousness.

If we are focused on the things which bring us worry and fear, the RAS can become dysfunctional resulting in an over-amplified response to stressors in the environment and create anxiety and a lack of awareness for the good experiences we have in life. As a result, we tend to literally bring about more things which bring about worry and fear because we have 'wired' our brains to experience things related to what we focus on.

So we see that the RAS begins to become programmed to the experiences, thoughts, and actions that we are focused on. The RAS literally becomes a filter for those sensory experiences and allows them to reach the conscious higher brain centers. We therefore create a 'mood' or a wiring in our brain which expects and identifies with that experience, and it becomes part of our reality. The result is more and more of the same experience, because it is what our brains have become hard-wired to expect. Sweet.

Therefore, in order to create the life of health, abundance and vitality we want, it is important to focus on our most desired visions and those things in our life that we are grateful for. Through our thoughts, feelings, actions and words, we create a platform for our RAS to function in the manner we desire.

Although it may take practice, our nervous system has plasticity (literally known as Neuroplasticity), meaning that it can change functionally and structurally as a result of our experiences.

Best to focus on what you want and are grateful for, wouldn't you say?

In summary, the more we focus our energies on things that make us feel gratitude, the more our RAS will become wired to filter for more of these experiences into our higher brain centers, and thus we have more of these experiences. The law of attraction from a concrete neurological perspective...cool!

So when you are walking around expressing gratitude for your family, your friends, the flowers, and the trees and someone mentions how all 'peace and love' you are while rolling their eyes, you can tell them: 'I am strengthening the connections between my Reticular Activating System and my Prefrontal Cortex, thank you very much!"

And tell them how grateful you are to them for noticing. :)

My Magical Home Birth

I want to share my birth experience, and I do so because I trust birth. I trust my body and I trust the innate wisdom in women to do the most natural thing on the planet… to get pregnant, grow a baby, and to give life.

I am not going to debate hospital vs. home birth in this post. It is a much-heated debate, and what I know to be right for me will come out clear as day in my words, but I am not trying to stir the pot… well, ok, maybe a little.

The truth is that in life, there is always risk. There are always things that can happen. But for me, the risks associated with giving birth in a hospital system where you are forced to give up much of your autonomy, brings me much greater fear than birthing at home. In fact, I had NO fear through my entire process. Just presence, intensity, love, power and an innate knowing that my body and baby were running the show… not someone from the outside.

My labor started at 2:30 in the morning, and it was without a doubt, labor. It is hard wired in women to recognize this as labor if we are allowed to pay attention and let it happen when nature intends. The sensations of contractions were nothing I had ever experienced before, but yet it felt undeniably familiar.

My contractions started, and I had no time to bake the cake I was planning during my early labor, as they were 3 minutes apart and 1 minute long from the moment the first one woke me up.

I think I manifested going into labor at that moment (I was 10 days ‘overdue’… but of course I was right on time) as I had mentioned to Sean that June 15th was a full moon AND a lunar eclipse and how that would be such a magical day for our baby to come, and little Luca must have heard my request :)

It was serendipity, as we had set the alarm clock for 2:30am so as to experience and take pictures of the eclipse, but no need… I went into labor minutes before the alarm went off, the moon guiding me all the way.

Sean started filling the tub, and I got up, had some water and a snack, as I knew I would need energy for the journey ahead. I put on my pre-made playlist of music and we dimmed the lights. There is nothing like knowing that you get to experience one of the most amazing events in your life in the safety and love of your own home (which means you can go to the fridge, the bathroom, your bed, the tub, the couch, outside, whenever YOU want, and move around however YOU feel you need to, without asking permission!).

I labored for a while on the floor, hands and knees, rocking to the rhythm of my music (internal music as well as external) while the tub was filling and Sean was scurrying around (so cute) getting the camera set up (we filmed the whole thing!).

We called our midwife around 6:00 am to let her know that I was still able to talk and joke, and she asked us to let her know when I was a little further along and deeper into my process, as she knew that this was a wonderful time for Sean and I to connect and have private moments.

As my contractions progressed and became more intense, I decided to try out the birthing pool. AMAZING. For so many reasons. First, there is a weightlessness that you experience that takes some of the physical pressure off of your body, and allows you to move and glide and work with each contraction. Second, there is a sense of fluidity that helps you to get in tune with the rhythm of your body, and thirdly, there is nothing more relaxing and pampering than a warm bath!

Sean called our midwife, who showed up around 8:30am, and the apprentice midwife soon thereafter. My doula/Chiropractor showed up about an hour later, and there I was… surrounded by so much love, support and a space that was being held sacredly for me, for our baby, and the amazing process of bringing life into the world!

I felt totally safe, totally supported, and totally loved through the intensity of my experience. It was MY show. I was in charge. When a woman is in labor, allowed to be present and fully conscious with the guidance of her body and her baby, she goes completely within herself, and innately knows how to give birth. It is primitive, it is biology, and it is natural.

My body started pushing while in the tub, and my contractions grew more and more intense. And yes, it was hard, but the feelings and energy were coming from within ME, not from the outside. I had no fear, even when it was at its most intense; I was able to feel what my body and my baby were doing, and was ever so aware and one with the process. My support team was there as witness, offering support and giving me the love and space I needed to birth my baby.

I pushed for about 3 hours, and during the last hour as my body really began bearing down, my midwife suggested (and it was a suggestion, not a demand) that I try the birthing stool, to help open my pelvis a bit more. It was SO intense for the first 2 contractions, but 2 or 3 more and I could feel my baby moving down. What an AMAZING sensation! Pushing actually felt so good, so powerful and since I had no drugs, I could FEEL everything and feel my baby, and knew exactly how to move my body so my little one could make his journey through.

I got up on my bed, as my legs were getting a bit tired and I needed to change positions so I could continue to work.

As I was pushing, my midwife noticed that the bags of water (amniotic sac) were intact and were coming first. They had not broken, (and we did not intervene and have them broken artificially). She gleefully said, “he is going to be born in the caul!” which is an term meaning that he was going to be born completely within the bags of water, unbroken. Magical.

Side note: Being born in the caul is supposedly very rare, and is said to be a special blessing, and the child is said to have intuitive powers…cool. However, my midwife has seen this numerous times, so I wonder if it is rare because it is common practice to break the amniotic sac in order to induce or ‘speed up’ labor. If more women were allowed to let the innate intelligence in their bodies decide when to go into labor, would more babies be born in this more magical way? I wonder.

So I am on the bed, surrounded by my Chiropractor/doula, 2 midwives and Sean and feel so empowered, so supported and fearless as I tapped in to the primal femininity, which goes back eons and eons of time. It felt right; it felt like I had done this a million times. I had no one from the outside telling me what I should or should not be doing. Just that I was doing it!

I pushed my baby’s head out after a huge contraction and an intense burning sensation (ring of fire...oh, that describes it well!). Seeing his head and feeling the intensity gave me an enormous burst of energy and excitement. He was RIGHT THERE. One more intense contraction and a final push and I felt his shoulders and then his slippery little body and he was born. Shrouded in the sac which was his sacred home for 9 + months. It was AMAZING.

My midwife pulled the sac off of him and immediately he let out a cry, and she plopped him right on my belly. He was born at 11:26 am after a 9 hour labor.

And then the hormones kicked in…. WOW. I have NEVER felt such bliss in all my life. Every uncomfortable and intense sensation completely left me, and I was in ecstasy. (I literally felt like I had just taken the most amazing hallucinogenic drug. And the cool thing was that I hadn’t had ANY drugs… It was again, coming from ME!)

My baby Luca was on my chest, and was blissed out as well. He was not taken from me, he was placed exactly where he innately EXPECTED to be. On me. On Momma. The matrix of his world so far. (The neural imprinting of this is so deep, that I am planning on a second post of just the lifelong implications of the baby’s first neural sensory experiences).

We waited for the cord to stop pulsing, as the blood that was squeezed out of him during his journey out of me and into the world was pumped back into his body. While it was pulsing, everyone just held the space, lovingly for little Luca. It was apparent that he felt no fear, he was just where he was supposed to be, and was in awe and complete awareness taking in his new world.

Dad cut the cord when it stopped pulsing, and Luca was allowed to do what nature and his instinct was programmed to do…CRAWL towards my breast and find his first oral food. Most people do not realize that babies can actually crawl right after birth. If given the opportunity, and if they have no drugs running through their little systems, they will literally crawl and head bob their way ON THEIR OWN to the breast. And after about 30 minutes, this is just what he did. Amazing.

Again, the neural imprinting that occurs when the baby is allowed to do what it is designed to do sets up a primary foundation of independance. Being allowed to move and twist and turn their way out of momma, and then allowed to find the breast on their own is primary, instinctual, and is NECESSARY.

It was amazing to just be, in my bed, with my baby, where I gave birth, and not have to worry about going anywhere. I could sleep, eat and be waited on hand and foot while bonding with my new little baby. It was the most perfect experience of my life.

I felt so empowered, and know now after going through that experience, in my home, without any unnecessary interventions or drugs, that I can do ANYTHING.

And again, this is not a debate about home vs. hospital birth, but I know that I would not have had the same experience or perhaps the same outcome if I would have birthed in the hospital.

For me, being in a place with unfamiliar smells, sights, sounds and people feels totally unnatural. I would not have been able to relax fully, to be ever so present in my body, and to be able to do exactly what my body and baby needed to do. I know that feeling stressed, feeling pressured, and being unable to focus within, can slow down and complicate the natural progression of birth. Some women feel safer and more at ease in a hospital setting while giving birth, but for me, my bed is the most comfortable and safe place in the world!

Giving birth to my son was the hardest and most miraculous thing I have ever been through, and I would NEVER take it back. I wasn’t quiet, I didn’t have a pain free experience, but I did have the most empowering and transformative experience of my life, and I have a healthy, amazing little baby whom I brought into the world in a safe, peaceful, and loving environment.

I chose homebirth because I trust birth. The debate about whether it is better to birth at home or in the hospital is about what is safer for mom and baby. Problems can arise in both situations. And they do. This is life. We are faced with life and death every day. I just choose to trust, to focus on what can go RIGHT and honor the fact that we can never really know how miraculous the creation of life is, that there is a force bigger than all of us which is supporting our experiences. I put my faith in that, and am forever grateful for my pregnancy and birth experience which was all for my amazing baby boy. 

Is your child 'Sick' or expressing Health?

It is no fun to see our little ones feeling icky. We see symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, vomiting, diarrhea, rash and fever (to name a few), and the first thing that comes to mind is ‘oh no! My sweetie is SICK!’

I would like to propose that in most cases, when our children have ‘a cold’ or ‘the flu’, that their little bodies are expressing perfect health!

There is an inborn healing intelligence within each of us, which allows the body to remedy itself through the process of symptoms.

A ‘symptom’ is merely a sign that a process is occurring in the body, and is not necessarily a bad thing! In most cases of a common cold or the flu, the symptoms we see are a way for the body to get rid of unwanted ‘gunk’.

However, in our culture, we equate symptoms with sickness. The truth is, symptoms are a RESOLUTION of illness, and an expression of a healthy immune system doing its job! Therefore, SYMPTOMS = HEALTH!

We are exposed to thousands of viruses and bacteria (lets call them ‘critters’). In fact, we have tons of critters living within us all the time! Some decide to hang out and go along for the ride, while others decide to throw a party in our bodies when we have an overload of physical, chemical or emotional stress.

When critters decide to live it up, our central nervous system calls upon our immune system to break up the party.

So what is the immune system anyway?

The immune system is basically 2 processes mediated by cells in our blood: white blood cells and plasma cells.

The first process is Cellular Mediated Immunity (the ‘clean up crew’), while the second process is Humoral Mediated Immunity (the ‘memory crew’).

Specialized white blood cells are the hot shots of Cellular Mediated Immunity. They excel at breaking up the party by either hugging the critters into submission (some would say they kill the critters, but I like a more peace and love approach), or release a chemical, which critters find totally irresistible, and the party stops. The white blood cells then clean up the mess left behind by flushing out the gunk through symptoms!

We have designated exits for the clean up crew to rinse out the gunk; the digestive tract, the respiratory tract, the skin, the nervous system, the eyes, the ears, and through increases in body temperature, to name a few.

We see the exit of gunk as diarrhea, vomiting, coughing, sneezing, runny nose, fever, rash, earaches, and watery eyes, for example. Certainly not fun, but oh, so necessary! We don’t want the party to go on forever, and when it is over, it is important to clean up the mess, yes?

If the gunk is left in the body by the suppression of symptoms, it can stay in the body, become toxic, and potentially lead to increased stress and a weakened immune system.

Specialized plasma cells are the coordinators of humoral mediated immunity. They release antibodies, which calm and tame the critters, and ‘memory’ plasma cells, which get to ‘know’ the critters intimately. Therefore, the next time a particular critter decides to get a little rambunctious, it will be recognized and remembered. This allows the immune system to respond super fast and stop the critter in its tracks before the party gets out of control.

Both of these natural immune responses produce long lasting, strong immunity! Brilliant!

With this understanding, one can see the benefit of supporting symptom processes during a common cold, the flu, or a bout of the ‘ickys’.

Over the counter medications can perhaps give some relief, but they also suppress the body’s natural immune response.

Creating a peaceful environment which reduces physical, chemical and emotional stress is an effective way off supporting the immune system and its processes: turn the lights low, reduce exposure to toxic cleaning agents, offer wholesome food and lots of water, give massages, loving words, encourage sleep, turn on soft music, or read a favorite story.

Allowing symptoms to run their course in the presence of a loving space will encourage the development of strong, natural immunity!

It is hard to see our kids not feeling their best. However, if we understand the expression of health through symptoms, we can offer love and support knowing that our little ones are becoming stronger, healthier, and more vibrant!

And there is no better medicine in the world than LOVE!

Pregnancy, beautifully raw and unedited

It has been a while since I have blogged, and figure this is a great place to resume. As a Chiropractor, I trust in nature, I trust in the innate intelligence within us and within all things, and I trust in the process of creating new life.

I knew the moment I got pregnant. Sean and I set an intention and it worked, without a glitch. First try! Since I knew (without yet getting a pee-test confirmation), I payed close attention to the minute changes and processes which were already taking place within.

I started sensing my uterus and its ligaments, blood flow and vital energy shifting in order to prepare for the new little life that was implanted. I was more fatigued, holding a bit of excess water, and my breasts were tender and swollen.

Now, I also know that the mind is powerful, and thoughts become manifest, so I had a few moments where I was thinking "maybe I just THINK I am pregnant, and my body is responding to my thoughts". This does happen. If we think happy thoughts, we feel good in our bodies, as our physiology, hormones and nervous system responds. So, perhaps this was what was going on. But then that thought ceased. I just knew.

I had a few moments where my cheeks would flush and get very hot, and moments of nausea early on (mind you, this was all within a 1-2 weeks after I knew I conceived). These sensations were very different from the usual mid-late cycle sensations and signals that I usually receive, so I knew something was up. My hormones were shifting, my blood flow was being shunted to my uterus to create a placenta, and my body was preparing to do whatever it needed to protect the little life growing inside.

When I took the pee test, it literally gave me a plus sign the second my urine hit the stick. No Joke. Totally pregnant. Like I needed a pee stick to tell me that :)

WOW. It really does work! Set the intention, move in the direction of that intention, and poof! Things are created. Just like that. How magical. We didn't expect I would get pregnant so fast... Then again, we really did. Sean was elated, a little shell shocked, excited, and full of tears when I told him. I wrapped the little pee stick up with wrapping paper and a bow with a little note that said "you have GREAT swimmers!" Figured with him, a little humor and thought go a long way :)

So along the way, lots of thoughts, emotions, and sensations began occurring. I had thoughts about the fact that we are not married, and felt for a moment that maybe we should be? But then I thought, wait a second. Lets just enjoy THIS experience, here, and now. Not rush into marriage because it is the NORMAL thing to do. I don't think I am entirely normal anyway. Chiropractors are a little wacky, as most people know, and I have always done things just a little different, which I am happy about. So, when we do get married (a year, 10 years, 50 years from now), it will be a magical, sparkly party to celebrate our union as a FAMILY, including Sean's daughter Shayla, our parents and siblings and friends. That is the kind of marriage I want. (plus I want to be able to drink Champagne)

I found myself within the 2nd month going into a bit of survival mode. I tend to spend energy focusing on the collective whole, the oneness that flows within all of us, the trees, the oceans, the planets and beyond. This is how I feel connected, safe and loved. However, something extravagant happens when you are growing another life; you tend to go deep inside yourself and can sometimes feel completely disconnected from everything and everyone else. All the stuff that you have worked on for years comes back full force, and is right in front of you, making you feel scared. I would have strong thoughts; 'how can I make this baby feel safe in the world? How is this all going to play out? What is my new role as a mother, and not just Kacie, who has always been super independent?'. My amazing coach and mentor Tom Preston would say in those moments I 'push too much masculine energy', wanting control, answers, and to just survive. Pregnancy is a time to be ultra feminine...nurturing, intuitive, emotional. Oh, yes, I have had bouts of strong emotions that many times end in tears. But AHHH! how good it feels to release my fears through crying.

I thought after the first month that I was not going to get 'morning sickness'. I follow a healthy lifestyle: Eat a balanced vegetarian diet, exercise, practice yoga, meditate, get regular Chiropractic care, laugh a lot. Come to find out, this has NOTHING to do with whether you get the typical 'sickness' that comes with pregnancy. Cuz I sure did!

Morning sickness (or in my case ALL DAY sickness) needs a new word. Yes, it feels terrible, yes, vomiting 5 times a day and feeling like you have the worst hangover of your life for 3 months is not fun, but it is NOT SICKNESS. My body was doing EXACTLY what it needed to help ensure that my little nugget could develop, grow, and thrive. My body is a temple for this process and it will do what it needs to to keep out anything which may cause harm. My body for this time does not belong to me or my ego. It is here to create life. And sometimes it is hard work. Perhaps it should be called 'expressing primal health during pregnancy'.

During my first trimester I no longer felt like a human with an educated brain that told me that I am an individual, I am a smart, cute, fun loving lady with a knack for laughing at stupid jokes (If you want to feel good about yourself, I will laugh at pretty much anything you say that you feel is funny and other people don't). I felt like an animal. A wolf. My senses were almost super-human, and dictated EVERYTHING in my day. Lights were brighter, sounds were more piercing, my reflexes were lightning fast, and my sense of smell... OH MY GOD. Sean was amazed that during a road trip I could actually smell that the sandwich I had bought that was in the back seat, (wrapped up in paper, then in a box, and then in another paper bag), had fallen slightly apart. It was confirmed. I was a wolf.

It makes 'sense' that this is what needs to happen. I am protecting the most precious of things, a new being that is coming into its own manifestation, right in my belly! This body of mine needs to be aware of EVERYTHING in my environment. If that is not intelligent and divine design, I don't know what is!!

I felt more challenged in those three months than I ever have (at least it felt like it at the time). And in those moments when it was everything I could do not to vomit from the smell of scrambled eggs, perfume, salad dressing, toothpaste, peoples' breath, this tree in my front yard, whatever...I gave reverence to my body, and acknowledged the magic of the process. It is not easy for the little seedling to push its way through the soil, or for the earth to push its way into a giant mountain. Yet this is the process of life... challenging and brilliant. And totally worth the sacrifice.

During this time, my body was not wanting prenatal vitamins. Again, I trust my body's messages, and despite the millions of opinions about what the 'right' things are to do in pregnancy, our bodies innate intelligence knows more than our educated minds, and for me, that is primary. I would vomit every time a prenatal vitamin hit my stomach. My body clearly didn't want it, and I was not about to force it just because some article states that you have to take massive amounts through your whole pregnancy. My body liked macaroni and cheese. Protein, fat and carbs. All the building blocks a growing baby needs :)

Month 4 came along, and poof! I felt like a rockstar! The vomiting ceased, and I started to show a little pooch, which was nice confirmation, that yes.. all of that was for a little growing bean inside. I started exercising again and doing yoga, yet my body told me what it needed and how much, I was not going to push beyond its messages. I started eating like I normally would except with a bit more consciousness, since I was able to focus on that. I do know that healthy food equals a healthy body and baby, so became focused on nutrition. My body craved healthy foods, especially green veggies! I was able to start taking prenatal vitamins and my body and my baby accepted them with ease and gratitude. My energy increased, and my belly really started growing!

In the 4th month, I started to feel the first signs of movement.. little flutters and pokes from the inside. If you have felt this before, you know that this is the single most magical sensation you can have. WOW. a LIFE growing inside my body. Separate from me, yet part of me. A being of light created from Sean and I, yet taking on a manifested form and life of its own. So weird, and so foreign, yet, so FAMILIAR. It is in the moments when I am connecting with my baby and I feel it move, that I feel the primitive ancient nature of what a womans' body is capable of and created for. It is a new feeling, but feels like I have done this for eons of time.

I am just starting my 5th month, and my uterus is rapidly growing to accomodate the growth of my little one. I am feeling healthy as can be, and am noticing the modifications in my normal movements and positions than I need to shift to in order to adapt to my changing body. As a Chiropractor, this is most apparent when I am adjusting. I must shift my center and use focused form and awareness while adjusting. This keeps me very present.

I have thought about my birth plan, and have an awesome midwife, as I am planning for a home birth. I am healthy, and therefore I have opted out of many of the 'standard' pre and post natal care options as I trust in the natural process of pregnancy and birth. No ultrasounds, no finding out the gender before birth, no genetic testing, no amniocentesis, I have no OBGYN, no constant fetal monitoring, no cutting the cord until it stops pulsing, and will be dehydrating my placenta so I can consume it after the birth in capsule form (the title of this post is "raw and unedited"...) and will not be vaccinating or circumcising (if it is a boy). That being said, I do realize that things can occur in the birth process, and my midwife is very versed, educated, and practiced in handling many things that may arise. I do have myself registered at a local hospital in case of an emergency, but will not step foot inside the hospital unless there is a need.

Pregnancy, giving birth, and motherhood are sacrifices. And that does not mean that something needs to be taken away from me in order to have another. It means willingly offering something of myself in order to receive something else. To receive a CHILD! I have chosen to honor this experience in all its hardships and glory, and trust in the process. The process is transformative, and I can't imagine doing it any other way :)

loves

Kacie