Paisley One Month Old

Yes, she does get angry!

I Love Being a Mom!

Life with Paisley is great! She is the CUTEST little girl in the whole universe! And I'm not just saying that because I'm her mom. :) I'm so glad I get to stay home with her all day. I do take a few shifts a week at work and Myles watches her while I'm gone, but for the most part, I'm a stay-at-home Mom now. I'm glad for the time at work because I do go a little crazy after a while of not leaving the house so it's relieving to be able to leave for a few hours.
When Paisley was about 2 weeks she rolled over twice from her tummy to her back! She hasn't done it since then and I think it's because she's put on a few pounds and her muscles haven't developed fast enough to keep up. But we'll keep putting her on her tummy and hopefully she will roll over again soon!
She is a very strong baby! She can hold her head up fairly well and she can push herself up with her legs as long as someone is holding her.
When Paisley smiles, the whole world stops to look. It is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen and it makes me so happy inside! She has cute little dimples and I have no idea where she got them. Myles is so good at making her smile, and I'm getting the hang of it too. She just needs to be in the right mood.

We found out that she will go to sleep without being held if she is in a swing. But soon after we made this discovery, our used swing broke. :( But we borrowed another from my sister. My life is much easier when she will fall asleep somewhere besides in my arms. Although sometimes I like to hold her anyway. :)

Paisley went to the emergency room this week. :( Right around midnight she got a fever so we called our pediatrician's night call nurse and she said to definitely take her in right away. We hate the ER, but if we hadn't gone and anything bad happened to Paisley that could have been prevented I couldn't live with myself. So we got and of course her fever had already gone down by the time we checked in. It took all night to get all the tests done to make sure she was ok and of course everything came back normal. When they put her IV in and tok it out she didn't even make a face! She was so perfect it was amazing! She cried a tiny bit with the catheter they gave her to get a urine sample, and she cried the most when they sucked the mucus out of her nose. But she was really an angel the whole time. I have such a good baby girl! So we came home and Myles ate some food and then left for his last day of finals. Crazy!

Paisley with the IV in her arm. She was tired. Sorry it's bad quality I took it on my phone.

I love my baby girl so much!

Paisley's first Thanksgiving.

How Hypnobirthing Helped Me Have a Natural Birth

In preparation for my birth I took Hypnobirthing classes. Many of my pregnant friends have said they wanted to hear how Hypnobirthing worked for me so I thought I'd share.
Firstly, I felt empowered while I was taking the classes because I learned more about my body and specifically how it works during pregnancy and birth. Knowledge is power! Once I learned how my muscles and bones would be working with my baby during birth the whole idea seemed a lot less scary. I also grew to appreciate how amazing my body is, and I knew my body was literally created by God for this purpose. I am made to give birth!
In addition to learning about the body, we also learned about our minds and the power they have over our bodies. We explored the power this gives us and how it can help us during birth. To do this, we used breathing techniques, relaxation, and self-hypnosis to focus on relaxing muscles in our bodies and minimize pain. I practiced this every night while going to sleep, and it helped me to sleep better. I think this practice is what helped me to effectively relax my face and abdomen during my contractions and it relieved a lot of the pain.
Also, in my post about Paisley's birth I mentioned that I took one drug in the hopes that it would significantly dull the pain and help me get some sleep. I was looking for an easy way to take a break from all the work I was putting in and get some rest because I was exhausted! Unfortunately, the drug did nothing for me except perhaps make me more drowsy. The reason I bring this up is because I believe that using a relaxation script would have been more effective and produced better results than the drug I took. towards the beginning of my labor, I did use a script to help me relax and I felt much more rejuvenated after that exercise than I did after taking the drug. If I had continued this practice during my labor I believe I would not have felt I needed a drug.
Finally, Hypnobirthing helped me know what birth experience I wanted, and taught me the things I could do to get that experience. This included things like writing birth preferences, and getting the support you need to be successful. My experience would have been much more difficult if not for the support of my doula/big sister Fiona and my husband Myles. They were so supportive and encouraging from day one! It was wonderful to have a big sister who had been there to whom I could go with questions, and Myles was so encouraging, he made me believe I could do anything! I cannot thank them enough for the role they played in my birth experience.

And that is how Hypnobirthing helped me have a natural birth. Let me know if you have any questions!

Paisley's Birth

 Paisley Kaye Porter

Born on her due date Oct 30 2011 at 7:53 am

7lbs 12 oz

21 inches long

Basically, I was in labor for over 4 days. That's if you count "early labor" which I think should be counted. I woke up around 3 am Wednesday morning Oct 26 with crampy contractions that were pretty strong. They were also pretty close together. I thought maybe it was the real thing! Then morning came around and they slowed down a lot for the rest of the day. The next 2 days were the same story: lots of contractions at night but slow during the day. However, they were gradually getting more regular so that was a good sign. I barely got any sleep, but it was good practice for real labor.
Friday afternoon I realized I hadn't felt the baby move much all day so I called my midwife and she suggested we go to the hospital to make sure everything was ok. It was. No problems with the baby. I was dilated to 1.5 at that point. Kind of disappointing after 2 days of strong contractions.
Saturday morning I realized that if I made a low moaning sound with the contractions it helped me to release tension and made the pain turn into more of a discomfort. I just had to close my eyes, relax my muscles, especially the muscles in my face, and focus on using that exhale/moan to release the tension in my abdomen. This is what it looked like:

Joey was helping me relax. :)

Myles was so great all day Saturday. He knew I didn't get much sleep and that the contractions were hard to deal with so he made me food and cleaned the whole house while still helping me time the contractions.
Finally, Saturday around 4:30pm the contractions started to feel different. I still felt that campy feeling but there was a lot more pressure with them, and some lower back pain too.  I told my sister who is a natural birth instructor and she thought it sounded like the real thing. We were diligent in timing the contractions after that, and at 9:30 they started coming 3 to 4 minutes apart. we waited a couple hours to make sure and at 11:30 Myles, my sister Fiona and I went to the hospital, but we knew they might just send us back home. They checked me and... I was at a 5! So they admitted me into the hospital.

It's funny how many people have this perception of "going into labor" like it happens suddenly and in a super exciting way, but most people know it's happening long before heading to the hospital. If your water breaks before going into labor that's a different story, but I read somewhere that only happens in about 8% of pregnancies.
The back pain with my contractions was getting worse. Fiona was my doula and she and Myles took turns giving me back rubs to help during the contractions. But it was still pretty bad. If it weren't for the back pain, labor would have been easy.
After about 4 hours in the hospital I was pretty exhausted and I wanted a break! I had only progressed to a 6 so I knew I still had a ways to go. I was hoping there was something that would help me to zonk out for an hour so I could regain my energy. The nurse gave me a drug called Fetanyl to help me sleep but it didn't do anything. Because of that I can't say my labor and delivery were 100% drug free, but I still call it a natural birth because there wasn't really any pain relief. If you are ever considering getting Fetanyl to help with labor and delivery, don't do it. It's not worth it. It doesn't even work, especially on back pain.
After that labor just got harder, mostly because of the back pain and because I was so tired. We knew the back pain was because the baby was in a posterior position, which means head down with her back against my back. This puts a lot of pressure on my back which causes the pain. We tried some different positions leaning forward to get her to turn anterior, hoping that would make the pain go away. It didn't seem like anything was working and I was too tired and weak to stay leaning forward for very long. By this point I was thinking that if we couldn't get her to change positions I would get an epidural, not just because of the back pain, but also because I've heard it's very difficult and painful to push out a posterior baby. Update: one important detail I forgot to mention. I remember at this moment praying that God would help me by getting Paisley to turn so I could have the natural birth I wanted. We called in the midwife to see if she knew of anything else we could try to get her to turn. Right before she came in I felt the baby move but I thought it was just an arm or a leg. Soon after she came in my water broke with a big pop! They say when your water breaks labor speeds up. Well, it sure did! She checked me right after and I was complete! And even better, the baby had turned! What a relief! God answers prayers!
After days of contractions, I hadn't even thought about pushing. So after feeling all that relief, the next thought was "How the heck am I going to push this baby out?" I started trying to "breathe the baby down" like they say in hypnobirthing but I was tired and impatient and didn't feel like I was getting anywhere. The midwife coached me through the kind of pushing she finds works best. So I waited for the urge and then gave it my all. After a couple of tries I got it right and I was making progress! A few more of those urges to push and she was born. I was so relieved I exclaimed "I had a baby!"
By this point I was so tired I was nearly delusional. They put the baby on my stomach for a moment and Myles cut the cord because it had already stopped pulsing, then they took her away because she had junk in her respiratory system and wasn't breathing. She was in the same room but I was still sad. Then the nurse tried to give me pitocin and I didn't know why so I took my arm away and told her I'd rather not. Then the midwife told me I was bleeding a lot so I needed pitocin so I let her give it to me. They kept telling me not to worry and everything would be ok. I thought 'What? I'm bleeding a lot? Why? And why is my baby over there and not in my arms?' I was told I had two minor tears. Everything was happening so fast and I was so tired I had no idea what was really going on.
A few minutes later everything was finally okay and I got to hold my precious baby. I was so glad to look into her eyes and say hello to her. She is so beautiful and perfect. I can't believe I grew her in my tummy! I love her so much. They asked us what her name was. Myles and I agreed so we told them "Paisley Kaye Porter". Hooray! Welcome to the world Paisley Kaye!

I held her and just stared at her and fed her for over an hour. Myles was right next to me marveling with me. She was so alert and she would just stare into my eyes like she was memorizing my face. One of the first features I noticed was her nose. She has her grandma Janeal's nose.
Later, although I was exhausted I couldn't get to sleep. I decided to try and get up and use the restroom so I called the nurse. While I was out of bed I lost so much blood that I passed out! It was kind of scary! The nurses saved my life by waking me up and taking me to the bed. They gave me more pitocin and more pain killers. Then I was finally able to sleep a little.
It's been a week since then and the rest of the recovery has gone very very well. I get pretty tired after long nights and when I get tired I get emotional. Most of the time it's because I'm overwhelmed by how much I love my daughter! Overall my mood and energy has been good, and I still laugh and play with my family. Physically, the healing has been very fast. I'm out going for walks and running errands already and the swelling is almost completely gone. I can do anything for myself that I need to... If I can find time and energy.  The hardest part has been learning how to breastfeed. It takes a while to perfect the art of latching on, and it can be frustrating when your milk comes in and things get messy... but we're working on it. I'm learning new things every day.

Myles has been such a great daddy to her. He loves to hold her and he is always willing to help out in the middle of the night. I'm so grateful that I have him as my companion to help me take care of our beautiful daughter.

Paisley has been such a good baby. She only really cries when she's hungry. She loves to be held. She even let me sleep for 5 hours one night. Everything she does is cute. I love her. 

Paisley's first bath. She didn't like it much.

False Labor...

... is no fun. No I haven't gone to the hospital thinking I was in labor and been turned away, thank goodness! But it is still very frustrating.
Early Wednesday morning I woke up to some strong contractions and I was noticing some other signs of labor too. I was excited because I thought it meant I would go into labor within the next 48 hours or so... but then all of Wednesday passed... and all of Thursday... and now it's Saturday. I definitely think I should have been in real labor by now. The worst part is that the contractions get strong, frequent, and painful in the middle of the night when I should be sleeping, and they keep me awake! And then as soon as I get out of bed they get weak and far apart. This means I wake up excited thinking it's time, then become quickly disappointed as I realize it's still false labor and then I sit around the house all day tired and bored because I can't plan anything in case I do go into labor, which could happen at any minute. By the way, did I mention that contractions hurt? One good thing though, they have been getting more frequent and strong over the past few days, even the ones during the day. That means I'm making progress. It's not for nothing!

Come on sweet baby girl. We're ready for you. We're just waiting to hold you in our loving arms.

Baby Girl

Well for those of you who read my blog but not facebook, we're having a GIRL! I'm way late posting about it considering we found out 17 weeks ago. In fact, I'm really just way late posting anything. I'm now almost 37 weeks pregnant.

A few important things have happened in the past few months, besides gaining 35 pounds.

• I had 3 baby showers. One in AZ, one in ID, and one in UT. I guess that happens when an Arizona girl lives in Utah and marries and Idaho boy.
• I almost thought I had Gestational Diabetes, but then I passed the second test with flying colors. I was really scared for a day though.
• I found out I'm very anemic when I'm pregnant! The doctors have me taking two prescription strength iron supplements a day! But I feel better when I take them. I used to get really faint and tired with headaches quite often, but now I feel great!
• I decided to give birth naturally with the Hypnobirthing method. It sounds weird but it's not. I took a class on it. My sister did hypnobirthing with all 3 of her children and she will be there to support me.
• We have the nursery almost ready!
• I've almost completely packed the hospital bag.
• I got stretch marks.
• I crocheted a baby blanket for her. It's yellow. It's not perfect but it's made with love!
• I'm also crocheting a few other small things for baby.
• I started doing water aerobics because I was gaining a little too much weight.
• I'm feeling Braxton Hicks contractions.
• Don't ask if we've picked a name. We haven't. We will. You'll find out her name very soon after we do!

Well as soon as I reach 37 weeks (Sunday) I will be full-term which means labor could kick in anytime. I hope I have at least another week and a half because I still have to finish school for the term and perfect a few things around the house. She's still a very active baby. I think she spins around on her head to pass the time- like a break dancer. I feel huge but I'm able to do all my daily activities with only a little more effort and discomfort. Any inconvenience is worth it because I love her to infinity and I can't wait to meet her!

On a side note- we are harvesting TONS of veggies from our garden. I don't know what to do with them!

Little Nudger

I'm in the "in between" stage where I look like i've got a ball of fat on my tummy but you can't tell if it's a pregnancy or just the result of exorbitant overeating and laziness. Well, for me it might be both. Anyway, it's hard for me to work my foxy lady attitude when I think all people see is the bulge coming from my tummy. Maybe when I get bigger it will go from a "foxy lady" attitude to a "foxy momma" attitude and then I will work it just like I always have! Any tips on how to make it more obvious that I'm pregnant and not just fat?

Happy news! Myles can now feel the baby moving when he put his hand on my tummy. He said our little nudger was really active last night while I was sleeping. Apparently Myles was poking and shaking me trying to get the baby to move more and I slept through the whole thing! He told me that feeling the baby makes him love the baby more because he now has first hand interaction with him/her. He likes to talk to our little one. :)

I started feeling the baby move at around 15 weeks which is pretty early. I think the little guy must be really active! At first it was just little rhythmic flutterings that I could barely distinguish from my pulse. I didn't feel them again for a couple weeks- I think I wasn't paying close enough attention- but lately I've realized that if I just sit still and pay attention I can usually feel her rolling around in there. I get a few random kicks here and there. Every once in a while a kick will get my attention even when I'm not trying to feel it. I love how active my little one is! I picture her dancing around in my tummy like a graceful little ballerina. :)

Last night I was about to eat some very sugary candy when Myles reminded me that the baby now has taste buds and it will develop a taste for the things I eat now. I decided not to eat the candy. I think I should probably improve my eating habits now that my baby can taste and my stomach is more stable. Help!

We find out on June 13th what gender our baby is. :) I can't wait! It's like Christmas except I can't sneak an early peek at my present! I don't have any idea what gender it will be. I'd prefer a girl, but I will love a boy just as much! I love my little Nudger. :)

Proceedings.

How it all began

14 weeks

16 weeks

18 Weeks

22 weeks

25 Weeks

32 Weeks

Almost 37 weeks (full term!)

Mirth in my Mouth

Since I was kid I have always loved eating fresh fish. When we would go up to the mountain on family vacations my Dad and sometimes my brother would go out fishing all day and come home with pounds of fresh trout that he would fry up for us. My sisters and I fished a little too, but only for a couple hours at a time and only in nearby places.

Now that I'm all grown up, I have to learn to cook fish myself. Unfortunately, I don't have pounds of fresh trout in my freezer so I buy my fish at the grocery store, but I enjoy it just as much. Yesterday I had a particularly delicious fillet of Salmon. So delicious in fact, that my taste buds have never felt so good in my life! It pretty much blew my mind.

In the past I have broiled my fish but I was getting mixed results with broiling so I tried baking this time. For instructions on how to broil, go here.

I used this salmon marinade and baked it according to the directions in this video (My fillets were pretty thin so I just didn't bake it as long). I love allrecipes.com and I use it all the time! I left out the peanut oil and the salt in the marinade because some of the reviews said it was good without the oil, or it was too salty. Well I ended up putting salt on top of the fish so you don't have to leave out the salt. While this marinade was good, I think I like this Teriyaki Salmon marinade better. But the thing that made last night's salmon so AWESOME was the fresh lime juice I smothered it in! OH MY GOSH!

This wonderful experience has inspired me to hunt for an amazing citrus glaze for fish, and also to make the perfect fish tacos (I am a big fan of Rubio's grilled fish tacos). Wish me luck!

Something's Coming!

For those of you who read my blog but not my facebook, I have news.

Yeah you guessed it, I'm prego!
We are so excited!

I am almost 14 weeks along now and I'm feeling pretty good. I'm hungry ALL the time but nothing ever sounds good, except when I craved a chimichunga. I have been a lot more irritable with the start of the second trimester though. Sometimes I yell at Myles for little or no reason and I'm more easily offended. I'm sorry, it's these crazy horomones!

The first trimester was pretty good. I was nauseous pretty frequently but not vomiting, and then one day I couldn't keep anything down! I wen't to the doctor and got some nausea medicine and I've been feeling great ever since.

For the first few weeks, I was really scared that we would lose another baby so I was going overboard on being safe with pretty much everything. I was an emotional wreck too, constantly worrying. Myles gave me a blessing and in his blessing he said we wouldn't lose this baby. That comforted me a lot but I still worried some. Thankfully, at 7 weeks we got to have an ultrasound! I saw my little blob baby and saw the heart just beating away! Such a strong heartbeat! After that most of my worrying went away. I was still cautious though, which is why I waited till 12 weeks before telling anyone. As soon as we heard the heartbeat at our 12 week appointment, we started announcing it!

No ideas for baby names yet, although I have thought of a few I like. We probably won't really start thinking about it till we find out if it's a boy or girl in 6 weeks.

I'm starting to show a little. At first I hated it because it was still a secret, but now I'm embracing my belly. May it grow to be bigger than a basketball.

Well that's all for now! More updates to come.

Twilight on Facebook.

Eddie Cullen What's on my mind is way more deep and intelligent than what's on everyone else's minds. Believe me, I know.

Bella Swan Ugh my first day at a new school. I hate my life.

Eddie Cullen I almost killed a girl today because she smelled nice.

Emmett Cullen Dude you need a woman.

Bella Swan Well not everybody hates me... but they might if they keep making me play volleyball.

Mike Newton You can hit me with a volleyball any day! Nice to meet you by the way. ;D

Eddie Cullen Was out sick for a few days but I'm feeling much better now. I got new contacts too.

Bella Swan Why do all the good looking guys have issues? They're either too young or bipolar.

Jake Black Hey I'm like 45 in doggy years!

Eddie Cullen I saved a girls life today and then she yelled at me. Rude.

Rosie Cullen How could you do this to us?!

Bella Swan I almost got hit by a van today but a guy saved my life. Now I have to figure out what his problem is, the jerk.

Renee Remember sweetie, I love you and so does Phil. You're life is worth living.

Tyler Crowley I'm so sorry Bella! I'll have to make it up to you. Maybe I could take you to Prom or something?

Eddie Cullen I need to kick this bad habit of watching pretty girls in their sleep.

Carlisle Cullen You can do it my boy! Find the will to stop!

Bella Swan just so everyone knows, I'm going to visit my mom in Florida the weekend of Prom so I WONT BE ABLE TO GO TO THE DANCE

Mike Newton Can't you go some other weekend?

Tyler Crowley Oh, I thought you just didn't want to go with Eric.

Eric Oh good! So you weren't just blowing me off!

Bella Swan Girls night with Jessica and Angela in Port Angeles!

Eddie Cullen I'm going to Port Angeles tonight to, um, practice my parallel parking.

Bella Swan Wow! I almost died but then this great guy saved me and took me out to dinner all in one night. Who cares if he was stalking me?

Mike Newton Who? If I were there I totally would have done the same thing. And We would have gone to the Olive Garden on the Pier. Maybe we would've made out a little?

Eddie Cullen Sometimes a little persistence pays off.

Bella Swan Went to the beach on the reservation today and heard some cool legends. Wouldn't it be crazy if they were all true?!

Jake Black Silly Bella, they're just scary stories. lol.

Eddie Cullen I'm stronger than I thought I was.

Carlisle Cullen so does that mean you kicked the habit? I like that new song you've been composing on piano. What inspired it?

Bella Swan OMG! I think I'm irrevocably in love with a vampire who wants to eat me!

Eddie Cullen is in a relationship with Bella Swan and it's complicated.

Bella Swan I have the best boyfriend ever! I could stare at his marbly, god-like, perfect, diamond body in a meadow all day!

Mike Newton I don't think this Cullen kid is good for you. He looks at you like you're a piece of meat.

Eddie Cullen I'm always so worried that my little Belly Welly will get hurt, she's so fragile.

Bella Swan Date with my darling Eddie tonight. I hope Charlie doesn't shoot him when he finds out we're together.

Chief Charles Swan I won't shoot him unless he brings you home late. Meanwhile, I'll be cleaning my gun.

Eddie Cullen Playing baseball in a thuderstorm! Epic!

Emmett Cullen Game on!

Bella Swan Everything's fine, but I'm being chased by a vamp who wants me dead. Nbd Eddie will protect me. Be back in a few days.

Eddie Cullen I sure hope Bella doesn't do anything stupid. Pepper spray won't help against James.

Bella Swan I feel safe with my pepper spray.

Eddie Cullen James is smarter than I thought!

Bella Swan So a Vampire is holding my Mom hostage in a ballet studio as bait. I guess I'll have to die just when things were getting good.

Eddie Cullen I knew Bella would do something stupid.

Bella Swan He tricked me! My mom isn't even here! It hurts!

Eddie Cullen I'm stronger than I thought I was.

Bella Swan So I tripped down some stairs in my hotel...

Eddie Cullen Maybe Bella would be better off without me...

Bella Swan No Eddie! I NEED YOU! You're sweet kisses are my drug addiction and your perfect body is my sex addiction and your poetic words are my Wuthering Heights addiction!

Bella Swan Looks like I'm going to Prom after all. Haha tricked you Mike, Tyler, and Eric!

Jake Black Hey my Dad will give me 20 bucks to meet up with you there. Want a third wheel?

Bella Swan I so want to be a vampire.

Eddie Cullen Not tonight Love.

THE END

Chrstmas & New Years

I figured while I am actively avoiding my reading I could update everyone about my holiday!

We had Christmas in Idaho with Myles family this year. I have to admit, I was a bit worried about my first Christmas away from home being a disappointment. I had heard from friends that I should be prepared to cry because the first Christmas away from home is always really hard, but I was determined to do my best to make it a good Christmas regardless.

Well, I guess I married into the right family because Christmas ended up being perfect! We opened presents (I was surprised how many presents we actually got from Santa! Although that's not what Christmas is about), played games, went sledding, did crafts, ate LOTS of food, and played with our puppy! I felt very at home the whole time and I am so grateful for what a great Christmas it was.

However, I think this was my worst year as far as gift-giving goes. None of them were really awesome and Myles even returned his for something different. Oh well, I tried. It's the thought that counts, right?

New Years was also fabulous because my Mom and sister were in town! All the Stapley girls together! I don't know why but having all the girls together is always fun for me. Some of the best parts were on New years day when we went sledding, and the next monday when I helped Kaisa and Everett (My niece and nephew) bake cookies! And we decorated them too! Mom made cute aprons for everyone in the family and we had a great time. I love my family!

A Gift For You

Yes, I realize that I have not yet blogged about Christmas or New Years but that will have to come later.

This semester I am in a writing class. It's my last GE requirement and I've been dreading taking it for a while but I figure since I'm required to spend time on it I may as well learn something from it. I hope to improve not only my writing voice and technique, but more importantly my critical thinking skills, because fundamentally writing is just thinking articulated. In order to be a good writer one must be a good thinker. Honestly, I consider myself to be a bad thinker which is why I think I'm a bad writer. How can I be a bad thinker? Well, coming up with original ideas about something I'm not particularly interested in is hard for me. So maybe if I take more interest in the topics I'm writing about I will be a better thinker.

I'm really just writing this post to help me with a writing assignment. For this assignment I am required to give something of "value" away (cannot be simply time) and analyze and articulate the experience.

As I was contemplating what valuable thing I could give away without breaking the bank, I remembered something said by Elder Eyring in the Christmas devotional before bearing his testimony. He said "The most precious gift I have to give is my witness of the Savior." Obviously, Elder Eyring's testimony has great value to him, and yet he is so willing to give it to others. I feel that I don't share my testimony as often as I could.

Does something gain more value the more you give it away? If I had a skill for carpentry, would that skill be more valuable the more I used it for others? Yes, because I can get more from it than just something made of wood, whether that is money, gratitude, or friendship. Also, it is more valuable because I am using it to please someone else who I hope will be satisfied and appreciate my skill. It also has more value to others as they benefit from my gift. Therefore, the value of that skill grows exponentially as I give it away more. If I had a garden full of delicious fresh fruits and vegetables, would those vegetables be more valuable if I gave them away? According to the law of supply and demand, my garden of vegetables has little value to me because I have so many, therefore my demand is small. But to someone else who does not have a garden, the demand for vegetables is high, therefore the value of my vegetables goes up. And as I sell or give more of them away, the vegetables I keep have more value because they are less replaceable. The concept holds true: the value of something grows as it is given away.

My testimony does have great value to me, but according to this principle, if I give it away the value of it will grow both for me and the person receiving. I will test this principle. I will give my testimony to as many people as I can. First my husband, then the blog world, then the facebook world, and I will also prepare a written testimony for my future children to read as they grow.

I know that my redeemer Jesus Christ lives and has a glorified resurrected body of flesh and bone. I know that He is the only way to salvation. He has given us every blessing we enjoy in this life and the next, and through Him we feel the greatest joy one can ever feel. I know He loves me with a perfect love and that He also loves every soul. I am filled with deep gratitude when I think of His selfless and loving sacrifice for the world. His suffering in Gethsemane and on the cross are their own testimony of His great love. While I do not understand fully how one perfect Man's sacrifice can enable so many imperfect beings to also obtain His glory, I know that every promise made by God will be kept and that through Christ's atonement every person can be saved and have glory in heaven. I know He lived and died for us so that we may return to the Father's presence.

I know that God, my Heavenly Father lives also with a glorified body of flesh and bone. I know that He loves every soul including myself more than we can fathom. I know that I am His daughter and because I am his daughter I have a divine inheritance that I can claim if I am true and faithful to all of his commandments. I know that His great plan of happiness is perfect and that if I am faithful I will live again with Him in the Celestial Kingdom. I know that He sent His literal son, Jesus Christ, because He loved the world enough to sacrifice Him that we all may return to Him.

I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet in latter days. I know the Book of Mormon which he translated from ancient records is the word of God. I know the Bible is also the word of God and the miracle by which these two books withstood time and are with us today also testifies of itself. I know that temples are God's holy houses on Earth and the covenants and ordinances performed in the temple are sacred, ordained of God and the only way we may return to Him. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the one true church and it is run by God through prophets and leaders called by Him. I know that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God and that the twelve apostles are also prophets, seers, and revelators.

I know that I can be with my husband and my (future) children eternally. I know that the family is central to God's plan for us. I know that the roles of mother and father, wife and husband, are the most important and sacred roles we will ever have. I know that if I or you fail to fulfill family responsibilities, we will be held accountable by God on judgement day. I know that children are a gift from God given to parents to care for in righteousness and parents have the responsibility to teach their children the gospel of Christ. I know that the greatest joy one can experience is found in the family.

I know all these things because the Spirit has testified it to me and he will testify the same things to you if you ask God sincerely with faith. I say these things in the name of my beloved Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.