Funny Friday

I didn't take any funny pictures this week. So I decided to steal an idea from Angi at Into The Forest Dim, and her Funny Friday post, and share with you all the wonder that is buzz feed.

Seriously, my work life changed when I found buzz feed.

So check out a few funny posts from today, and thank me later.

People who should not be allowed to use the internet:

Why you wish you were best friends with Andy Dwyer:

Least Appropriate Times to Correct Someone's Grammar:

Flawless Cattacks:



First Birth As A Doula

Since I became able to attend births as a doula a few weeks ago I've had the opportunity to attend two births.

The first birth I ever attended was for the sweetest family. They are just the calmest, most loving couple I know. They were scheduled to be induced for their third birth. With less than a week before the scheduled induction they were so kind to invite me to come to their birth.

As part of being a doula, you have pre birth meetings with them, to go over their birth preference plan, their fears, their ideals, and to educate. I met with this sweet mother a few days before her scheduled induction. We had a great meeting and it was good to get an idea for the type of birth she was wanting. I had taken work off on her scheduled induction date a few days away.

But in the way of most births, she went into labor in the wee hours of the morning, just after meeting with me. She is pretty much a rockstar and labored at home for hours. She text me when they were heading to the hospital. She was already a 7! (great for her, but sad for me since I have to be with the mother from a 4 on for it to count for my certification). I wasn't sure if they'd still want me to come, but both her, and her husband were so nice and still wanted me there. I left work as early as I could and made it there just in time for her to finish dilating. She had to have a spinal done since her epidural didn't work. She was so brave and allowed 3 nursing students to attend her birth. She said later, that the extra positive reinforcement was really helpful.

Once she started to push the nurse told her to tuck her chin to her head and push (Grrr, this is not the best way to push, since a lot of the force goes to your head, causing it to turn red, or purple, thus they call it purple pushing) After she pushed like that for a few times the nurse left to page the doctor again and I quietly reminded her to push with her throat open, like we had talked about. The nurse came back in and the mother started pushing with an open throat and BAM that baby was down there and crowned in just a few pushes. The nurse said stop pushing! and paged the doctor again. Well, while we were all waiting she had another contraction and little girl came out all on her own and was caught by their wonderful nurse.

Their little girl was beautiful and healthy, and had some great hair. I was so glad that I was able to be there. They took her baby off to get warm and see if it helped her lungs and left the mother alone in the room for up to a half an hour multiple times, so I was able to just sit and talk with her for a while, it was wonderful. It was amazing to see that the things I learned and suggested helped. They helped her get her baby out quickly, and they helped her establish breastfeeding quickly. That was SO cool to me. Like wow, they really do work!

Stay tuned for the story of my second birth as a doula.

*This post was made with permission from the mother

Welcome Home

No long post today. I had a long weekend.

This weekend we welcomed this hooligan back to America after serving a 2 year mission in Latvia.

Funny Friday

I wasn't sure what I was going to post for funny friday just last night. I didn't take any funny pictures this week.  And then last night something happened that I found hilarious. I hope it's not a you had to be there moment, so I'm going to try and explain what happened.

Hal likes to attempt to do my hair sometimes. When we first got married he literally had no idea how to put a hair holder in my hair. Ah the life of growing up with no sisters. So last night when I was painting my nails Hal put my hair in pig tails.

Well one was looser than the other, so I asked him, since my nails were wet, hey, will you tighten the left one. He literally had no idea how to tighten a pony tail.

Normally it looks like this when you want to tighten your pony tail, right?

Well, when I tried to explain to Hal how to do it: you take the hair in your hand, split it in half, and pull them apart, this is what he thought I meant.

No Hal, I didn't mean for you to just pull on my hair.

I just laughed and laughed and laughed when he did this. I'm pretty sure if I asked my little brother to do this, he would know exactly what I meant, but he grew up with 5 sisters, and he was our slave when he was little. Hal grew up in a family of all boys. Oh the education he's had in the last 5 years being with me.

What silly girl things has your husband had to learn?

P.s. My bro-in-law is coming home from his mission this week. Wish him a safe flight, and a slightly less awkward return!

Weekend Update

I know I'm late posting about our weekend. But I was at a birth for 12 hours on Sunday so there was no way I was coherent enough on Monday morning to write a post.

Our friends are house sitting for some family up in Park City, and invited us up to stay the night.

AND PLAY WITH 3 WEEK OLD PUPPIES!

My phone died right after this or else you would be inundated with puppy pictures. Hal didn't understand my need for puppy pictures and denied me access to his phone. But come on, tiny 3 week old golden doodles? SO CUTE! On Saturday I held one until it fell asleep in my arms, slowly drooping it's head backwards. As soon as I set her down in the pen she peed. Dodged a bullet!

Have you ever played the Settlers sea farer's version? I don't think I can ever go back to regular Settlers anymore.

And then we went for a midnight hot tub run, on a beautiful clear night surrounded by snow.

My second client went into birth on a Sunday so I didn't even have to take off work.

I'd call that a weekend success story.

And since google are jerks and getting rid of google reader:

What's your most prized possession?

Do you ever look at something, or have an experience that makes you think, "that is what I need to do"?

It sparks something inside of you. It ignites your passion. It makes you feel direction. It may not tell you exactly what you want to do with the rest of your life, but you can just feel something inside of yourself stirring because it spoke to you.

Today I saw this amazing photo shoot. It's a photo shoot of children from all over the world with their most prized possessions.

Keynor – Cahuita, Costa Rica

Watcharapom – Bangkok, Thailand

Tangawizi – Keekorok, Kenya

 Julia – Tirana, Albania

Chiwa – Mchinji, Malawi

I feel this innate need inside of myself to help people. Looking at these pictures of these children brought that all up again for me. Maybe that's why I want to be a doula? So I can help these mothers feel in control of their births, and educate them of their options. Maybe that's why I want to live abroad again?  

This weekend I heard about a school where a friend worked where they help refugees adjust, and learn to live in America. I want that job!

I'm not really sure what the point of this post is other than to say these photographs inspired me. Please check out the rest of the photos here.   What has inspired you lately? What's your most prized possession?

Once in Cambodia I asked some of my students, (who most of them were from wealthyish families in my town) what is your most prized possession? what would you try to save if you could only save one thing?   Lets just say they weren't very sentimental. Almost all of them said they'd save their cell phone, or their computer if they were lucky enough to have one. I think only one student gave a different answer. I wish I could remember what they would have saved. I would have loved to do this with children all over Cambodia.

Funny Friday

This is another funny friday brought to you by our cat.

Our chubby kitty really likes to be involved in whatever you're doing. If you're lying down watching TV, she's on your lap, if you're reading a book, she lying on you between you and the book, if you're doing homework on the floor, she's lying on your books.

She's always been this way. It was so hard to work on projects because you'd be trying to make this post look like you have some skillz, and then your cat would be lying on half of it, leaving behind crinckles and hair.

Hal does his homework on the floor a lot. So kitty is all over his homework.

Also, she's taking a liking to licking Hal's head lately. I don't know what's more gross, that she wants to lick Hal's head, or that Hal just lets her lick it?

The other night she went to town. It was digusting. She licked IN HIS EAR.

That is my nightmare. Nothing should go in the ear other than maybe a q-tip. These two are gross, and a little bit funny because it's not happening to me, but mostly gross.

Battambong

I adore Battambong. It's the second largest city in Cambodia, but it has a Cambodian feel that Phnom Penh nor Siem Reap have. If you want to have a glimpse of what living in Cambodia is like, and don't have time to visit a smaller village, visit Battambong. Battambong has some good Cambodian restaurants, and some lovely western restaurants, along with great tailors if you want to get some clothing made, for cheaper than Phnom Penh prices.

How to get here:
-From Phnom Penh: Battambong is located 6 hours by bus from Phnom Penh straight up National Road 5. It costs about $5 to get there by Capitol or Sorya bus companies.
-From Thailand Battambong is about two hours away from the border town of Poipet and costs about $2.50
-From Siem Reap Battambong is also about two hours away and costs about $3.75

Things to do:

1. Bamboo Train: Please go do this quick, because soon you won't be able to do it anymore. A Train hasn't existed in Cambodia for quite some time, so they have set up these bamboo trains which is just a bamboo slat with a motor and wheels to get around. Now tourists can ride one. Hopefully you run into someone on the tracks, because whoever has the lighter load has to take their little train off the tracks and let the others pass before putting it back together. When we rode it we had to get off once, and once people had to get off for us. Do not pay more than $5 a person to ride. Haggle with them if you can.

2. Battambong Bat Caves aka Phnom Sampov: I haven't actually been here, but a volunteer lives in this town and I've heard it's amazing. Something like at 5:00 every night tons of bats all come flying out of the cave. If I'm not mistaken it was also used as a killing field during the Khmer Rouge

3. Walk along the river. Battambong is centered around a beautiful river, and it has a wonderful walkway all along the river. It's perfect for an evening after dinner stroll.

4. Visit ancient wats (temples) such as Wat Banan, a 10th century temple often considered similar to Angkor Wat, or Wat Ek Phnom, this is a temple built on top of a mountain and has spectacular views.
5. Phare Ponleu Selpak: also known as the circus. My friend teaches English at their little school so go support them and see their cool circus.
6. Check out the art scene: Battambong has a huge art scene and they sometimes do gallery strolls so go check out their art galleries.

Places to eat:
1. Chinese Noodle: ($2.50) I don't actually know the name of this place, it's just what volunteers call it. It's located just a few doors down from White Rose. It's super cheap and you can watch them make their own noodles and dumplings. SO GOOD.
2. White Rose: ($5) This is a good local restaurant and is hard to miss since it's big and on a street corner. I've never had a meal here, but I've heard it's good. I go there for their ice cream or fruit shakes for $1. Yum.
3. Cafe Eden: ($5-10) I love this restaurant. It's some of the best western food you can find in Battambong. it's run by the sweetest woman from washington. They really give back to the community. They often have music nights on the weekends so check their website.
4. Gecko Cafe: ($5-$10) Two Words...Snickers Blizzard. They're a little more spendy, but they're also really yummy.
5. Green Mango: ($5) It's hard to find good baked goods in Cambodia. The owners and workers of this place are the best.This is the place to go! It's a great organization where they are teaching young village girls how to cook, so go support them and eat a cinnamon roll for me.
6. Espresso House: ($2) This is my favorite place to eat in Battambong. I'm going to attempt to tell you how to get here. Go to the main market, Centreal Market(touches the river and street 113) and walk west. You'll see a giant cell phone store with a giant green sign, Smart Mobile. Walk down that street and on the right hand side will be Espresso House. You have to look for their little sign. It's just a few doors down from the Royal hotel. Please go give this family your business. They are the greatest and always throw in a plate of fruit or an extra dessert to their nice customers.


Places to stay:
1. Paris Guesthouse: ($6-$10) Their rooms are a bit small, but my friends got a double room with a balcony with AC for like $10. Prices may be different in the high season, or during the really hot season. The staff were nice and the hotel had nice hot water. Stay here if you're backpacking and are going to cheap and functional, but not fancy
2. Seng Hout Hotel: ($12-$20) This hotel is a little more spendy, but it's obviously a lot nicer than Paris. The rooms are really nice and if you don't get AC they'll give you a fan for your room. I've stayed here twice and the staff have always been really nice and accomodating. Stay here if you're looking for a decent place to stay, but are on a budget.
3.Bambu Hotel: ($75-$100)I haven't ever stayed here, but I've heard of volunteers staying here with their families since it's nicer with a pool and is definitely a step up from the other two hotels. Stay here if you're looking for something really nice and are fine paying an american price for a hotel room.

Doula

Hi, my name is Sam and I spent this entire weekend becoming a trained doula.

What's a doula you ask?

A doula is a trained birth attendant who provides continuous support to the mother, the baby, and the partner to help them attain a positive birth experience.

It is amazing the statistics, of what a difference having a doula at your birth makes. You're less likely to request any form of pain medication. You're less likely to have unwanted interventions (epidurals, episiotomy, c-sections). And the best part? You're stastically likely to have a shorter birth.

• If you're going for a natural birth, the knowledge and support that a doula can provide can help you get that birth that you want.
• If you're going in for an induction, and therefore need an epidural, a doula can help you feel apart of your labor, as many woman feel like their birth experience was taken away from them when they can't feel anything.
• If you're going in for a C-Section, if a doula is allowed in the room she can provide support to the mother while husband watches the birth, and explain what is going on. If she's not allowed it the room, she can provide support to the mother while the husband is in the nursery with the baby, helping a mother process through her birth.

I'm so passionate about birth and relearning to trust in our body's ability to give birth. I'm passionate about teaching and involving the partner during the birth to allow the couple to bond even further.

I learned so much and so excited to offer my services to women for very cheap or free as I work towards my international certification.

So if you know anyone in the Salt Lake area who's pregnant and would like a doula, e-mail me and let me know!

Funny Friday

I decided we needed a little break from my cat for funny friday posts. So this week is brought to you by my lovely Mr. Hal.

Over the Christmas break Hal decided he wanted to grow out a mustache. This isn't anything new, he often grows out a beard over his breaks in school, since his school makes him shave. I know, it sounds weird, but they're a religious private college and so they can set different rules. At BYU you can have a mustache, it just has to not extend beyond the corners of your mouth. 

He was going for a handle bar mustache and was pretty into it, until he read the honor code again, and it said it cannot extend beyond or below the corners of your mouth, so he decided a legit handlebar mustache would be breaking the code of honor, so it had to go. 

But we took these sweet pictures before he shaved it. Oh, they get better as they go along.

The kids at church still call him "frenchie" even though his mustache is gone.

How do you feel about mustaches?

Kampot

Kampot is one of my favorite cities in Cambodia. It has such a laid back relaxed feel to it that almost no other large city in Cambodia has.

How to get here:
-From Phnom Penh, Kampot is located about 3 hours south of Phnom Penh and costs about 12,000 riel, or $3 to get there.

Things to do:
1. Play in the river: If you aren't afraid of the water, get in. It's nice and refreshing after or during a really hot day, which is almost every day in Cambodia. You can also do sunset boat tours on the river, or kayak on the river.
2. Bodhi Villa: To go along with playing in the river, in the evening to got Bodhi Villa. They have a diving board and a dock that you can play on. They also often have live music in the evenings.
3. Hike to the ocean: Kampot is located pretty close to the ocean. I've never done this, but I know a volunteer who did a hike to the ocean. I think it took about 2 hours one way.
4. Bokor Mountain: Whenever you tell a Cambodian you went to Kampot they always ask if you went to Bokor Mountain. On the top is a beautiful waterfall, and apparently home to a beautiful ruined casino. Seriously, go look at that website and it will make you want to go.
5. Get a $5 massage: There are ton of little massage places around town that you can just pop into to get a quick massage for a nice relaxing time.

Places to eat:
1. Sisters II: ($2.50) This is my favorite place to eat in Kampot. SO Good. Go there for breakfast and get a veggie omllete with their homemade bread, or their pumpkin pancakes. I dream of their pumpkin pancakes now that I'm back in America. They also have a location in Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville.
2. Rusty Keyhole: ($10) This is most people's favorite restaurants in Kampot. It's located right along the river, directly across the market they're building from the Hour Kheang Guesthouse. Go there the night before you want to eat there and tell them how many racks of ribs you want the next day. These are not american cut ribs with only a little meat and you're chewing on the bone. These are chuncks of meat falling off the ribs and you'll probably have to share a rack with someone. They also have some amazing chicken dish.
3. Rikitikitavi: ($5) This place is pretty good and they give a discount to volunteers. Others said they had good drinks and they also have really good ice creams for dessert. Also a guesthouse
4. Mea Culpa: ($5-$10)The building is beautiful and the food is to die for. They use a wood fire oven to make the yummiest italian food. It's worth the little walk out there, their food is that good.

Places to Stay:
1. Paris Gueshouse: ($12-$16) I really like this hotel. Be careful though, they might give away your reservation if someone chooses to overstay their reservation. Their rooms are really nice and their little bit more expensive rooms have the most wonderful bay windows that offer great views of the city. The bathrooms are pretty darn nice for Cambodian standards and have hot water.
2. Hour Kheang Guesthouse: ($10-$18) I like this hotel. The staff were really nice and fun to joke around with. The rooms were reasonably sized and they even have a few with king size beds in them. I would probably stay here over Paris, but if you're looking for something a little nicer you should stay at Paris.


Not too far from Kampot is a little town called Kep that's worth a visit for fresh crab! It's worth splurging on a stay at The Veranda Hotel to swim in their pool and eat their buffet.

Books I've been reading

I read a lot. I have a job where I'm constantly looking for things to entertain myself with because there's not enough work for me to do. I've had a few people ask me to post about what I'm reading, so I thought I'd start with some books I've read recently that I really enjoyed.

And please, feel free to give me your recommendations.

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?

By Mindy Kaling

via

The Story: This book is about Mindy Kaling's life growing up a child of immigrant parents and everything she went through to become the comdey writer that she is today.

My Thoughts: I really liked this book. It's not bossy pants, but it's still a really funny read. I like Mindy Kaling, I like her new TV show, I liked her on The Office, I think she's funny. Not everyone gets her humor, but if you do, you'll really like this book. The pictures and the stories she shares of being a chubby kid are the best.

I give it: 3 1/2 stars

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

By Rebecca Skloot



via

 The Story: This book is about the author, Rebecca Skloot's journey to find about any and all information of Henrietta Lacks, the woman behind the first cells able to live and multiply in culture. Her cells were taken from her as she was dying and her nor her family were notified or ever compensated for everything her cells have done for science. Her cells are responsible for the polio vaccine, the ability to clone, IVF and lots lots more. Rebecca Skloot wanted to find out about the woman behind the cells since very little was known about her, so this is her journey to find out what the cells have done for science and the woman behind the cells.

My Thoughts: Please go read this book. Please. This book was very interesting. Although it could be slow at times, it's worth it to finish it. What she discovers, and who she meets, and her interactions with the family of Henrietta Lacks are worth the read. I feel like everyone should read this, if only to gain more information about your rights over your own cells.

I give it: 4 stars

Wild (Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail)

By Cheryl Strayed



via

The Story: This story is about Cheryl's life. As a young woman Cheryl came home from college to take care of her dying mother. After the death of her mother her family all separated and grew apart. Her life began to spiral down from here. She got divorced, was addicted to drugs at one point, and had an abortion. Then one day she saw a guide book to hiking the pacific crest trail and the idea stuck in her head. She ended up hiking the pacific crest trail from southern California to the border of Oregon and Washington, about 1,100 miles of it. The story is mainly about how hiking the trail led her to heal and process things from her past, mainly finally dealing with the death of her mother through her struggles on the trail.

My Thoughts: I heard about this book when the author was being interviewed on Fresh Air on NPR. I immediately wanted to read the book. Her story was facinating. At one point she lost both of her shoes and was hiking the trail in sandals. This story was identifiable to me, as someone who lost their mother at a young age, but it was more than that. It was about proving to herself that she could do this, that she was a strong person who could withstand whatever she wanted to do.

I give it: 4 1/2 stars

The Night Circus

By Erin Morgenstern



via

The Story: This story is about two young magicians who are in a long term competition with each other and their arena for their secret duels is a traveling night circus. They have been both been trained since children by their instructors, just to compete with each other. They are unkown to each other, but they both have to find ways to express their magical abilities within the circus in an attempt to win the competition.

My Thoughts: It's hard to tell you about this book without giving things away. This book kept my enthralled 100% of the way through and is one of the best books I have read in a long time. There are a few great twists in this book that keep you on your toes.

P.S. I start my doula class tomorrow and I'm a bit nervous, so wish me luck that it will go well and I'll learn a lot.

30 things before 30: 16-30

I saw this list the other day on Away.com and loved it 30 things to do before you turn 30!

I'm heading towards my 26th birthday, so I thought it'd be fun to see which ones I've done.
This is the second half of the list, to see the first half, go here.


16. Have one iconic Americana experience: Think Dollywood, Graceland, and Branson.
-I've never been to any of these places, and literally didn't know what Branson was until an episode of the Simpsons.

17. Go to at least one of the Smithsonian museums: The world's "largest museum and research complex" includes 19 museums, galleries, and parks—the majority of which are free.
-Some day, and hopefully some day soon!

18. Summit a mountain.: I'm not talking Everest, but you should by now have stood on a mountain peak high enough that you're worried about getting back down.
-I've never summited a mountain before. Perhaps that will be my goal this summer, if it ever warms up enough for the snow to melt.

19. Be able to name your top five dream vacations: It's OK if one of them is "home."
- 1.back to Scotland and see Stonehenge while I'm in the UK., 2. Fly to somewhere in Europe and just take trains to whatever city we feel like, 3. Machu Picchu, 4.I've heard Prague is just amazing, 5.I used to think I never wanted to go to India, but now I'd love to go there.

20. See a game at a classic ballpark: If Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, or Joe Dimaggio hasn't played in it, it doesn't count.
-I've only ever been to minor league games.

21. Visit a neighbor to our north or south: There's a hall pass to be had for out of the continent, but by 30 you should have crossed at least one landlocked border.
-They don't know it yet, but our Canadian friends are going to take us to Banff National Park.

22. Do something so adventurous that it requires a doctor's visit: Whether it requires a series of preventative vaccines before or a cast/splint/cream after, the goal here is that the adventure at hand was so extreme that you need to seek the advice of a trained professional.

-I'm gonna say the many doctors appointments I had to qualify to join the Peace Corps count. Especially since I caught Dengue Fever while in Cambodia.
23. Save pennies to go somewhere you really want to go: It doesn't have to be extravagant, but you should have to work for it.

-We saved our monies to pay for out Scotland trip, but I'm currently saving my pennies to hopefully go to the Grand Canyon for my birthday.

24. Go to New York City: Eat a slice of pizza, stand in the middle of Times Square, and ride the Subway to somewhere, anywhere. This trip is made even better if you can't afford a decent hotel and book a hostel instead.

-New York was my favorite part of my honeymoon. I'd love to go back.

25. Sleep under the stars: In your backyard, in a tent on safari in Kenya, or in the camping pit of an organized event—be extra proud if your experience was made significantly more successful by a can of bug spray.
-I've definitely slept in the backyard under the stars, and we bought our mosquito net back from Cambodia just so we could sleep out under the stars when camping.

26. Eat an iconic city meal: Options include a cheesesteak in Philly, clam chowder in Boston, deep-dish pizza in Chicago, crabs in Baltimore, gumbo in New Orleans, BBQ in Memphis, and a beer in Milwaukee.
-Seeing as I've never been to any of these cities, I can't claim this one yet.

27. Know all of the best places to take tourists in your home city: Philly's LOVE Park may be just a point of congestion to locals, but trust me, your mother will love it.
-I feel like I could be a pretty good tour guide for Salt Lake.

28. Have one close encounter with a wild animal: If this means you don a wetsuit and slip into a tank with dolphins, so be it. But let's aim for something in the wild if at all possible.

-When we went to Yellowstone for my birthday back in 2010 we were charged by an elk in our campsite and a bear came running at our van, chasing after someone. He stopped on the side of the road, stood up with his claws in the air with all of us open mouthed, and then he turned around and walked into the forest.

29. Parachute out of something that is working perfectly fine, for no legitimate reason: The obvious choose here is an airplane, but I'll accept others as long as they're moving.
-Hal and I almost bought a groupon for prarchuting out of a plane. I'm SO bummed we didn't buy it. I've wanted to do this for a long time.

30. Know a dance well enough that you could keep up with the locals: Tango with Argentinians, Salsa with Cubans, Kathak in India, do a jig with the Irish, or line dance in Kansas.
-How did I never get a video of Hal and I khmer dancing? It's not too hard to know how to do and they get a kick out of it if you start to add stuff in, but dancing around at a wedding was always good times.


I've done at least 16 of the 30 and 20 of them if I'm stretching it. Well, I have just over 4 years to finish the list! How close are you?

Funny Friday.

First of all. Happy March. March? Isn't it still December or something?

The other night I was awoken by snoring. Neither Hal or I snore, so when someone does, it makes it hard for me to sleep. And thus, noises in the night wake me up.

I woke up and realized it was the cat who was snoring. She's been snoring a lot lately. Then I realized she wasn't lying on me (she's a snuggler and is always lying on one of us). I then realized the snoring was coming from my right so I turn my head over and this is the sight I beheld.

My lazy fat cat, snoring away, half under the covers, half out of them with her head snuggled on my pillow.

What cat likes to sleep under blankets? Besides mine of course, she's always trying to get under any sort of blanket you have covering you.

I'm pretty sure she thinks she's our baby. She's always begging for milk, always wants to snuggle, and sleeps over half the day away. Silly cat.