*~**Spotlight on the_elyse**~*

[smokeylo]

Our first spotlight is on the_elyse! In this post I'll start by asking her some questions - anyone can chime in with questions of their own. Elyse will answer them and we'll get to know her better.

Later this week, she will post a spotlight for Helen aka flapjack, and so on and so forth. We have spotlights through the end of November! See the original thread for the schedule.

****

So! Elyse! Your family photo is adorable, and I see from your signature that you have had a homebirth and are a "doula in hiding." I'd love to hear about the birth of your first child and your path to being a doula. Also, what do you do for a living? Do you like living in Texas? How has this pregnancy been different than your first, and are you planning anything different (birth, post partum, or otherwise) for this baby that you didn't do with your first?

[Teenytoona]

Any word on why youre a doula in hiding? But if you prefer to keep that secret, that's ok too!

[smokeylo]

[ScarletBegonias]

elyse? elyse? where are you?

[the elyse]

Originally Posted by smokeylo

So! Elyse! Your family photo is adorable, and I see from your signature that you have had a homebirth and are a "doula in hiding." I'd love to hear about the birth of your first child and your path to being a doula. Also, what do you do for a living? Do you like living in Texas? How has this pregnancy been different than your first, and are you planning anything different (birth, post partum, or otherwise) for this baby that you didn't do with your first?

hi! sorry! i was busy this morning till 2 ish and my daughter and i crashed for a nap. i had to fix my signature too... i'm planning a homebirth this time around.

dd was born in the hospital at 33 weeks. she was 4lbs 15oz, bright red and hiccuping. i managed a drug free birth with a great CNM. i wasn't able to hold hannah for 24 hours, there wasn't anything wrong with her, but i think they just assumed something would be since she was so early. i told my dh during that 24 hour period that i thought she hated me because she cried everytime i talked to her. now i know it's because she needed to be held. anyway, she's now 2 months shy of 3 and very much the little adult.

i had my first client as a doula january of 2006, and had 6 or 7 more over the last year, with my first client repeating again this year. all but one were in the hospital, and all were friends/aquaintances. i'm not taking any more clients as of right now; it's very emotionaly draining for me! i would love to be a homebirth doula, but there's not a HUGE demand for them, and i'm quite happy with the births i was asked to be present at.

i'm a barista a starbucks!! i work 15-20 hours a week. my dh is a firefighter and works one day every three, so we are able to spend alot more time with dd even with us both working out of the house. dd is either at my mom's or my dh's mom's if we're both working. it's so amazing for dd to be close to both of them, something i never experienced.

i've been in texas all my life. it's got it's perks, and i'd rather be living in austin. we're in north dallas right now... it has lots of room for improvement.

this pregnancy has been different in that when i got pregnant with dd, dh and i were not married. we had already discussed it, but this gave us the shove to do it about 3 weeks after we found out. we married, got an apartment, graduated college, and dh got hired on to the fd all in one year. i was under SO much stress, and was very depressed for the first part of my pregnancy. i got better once i saw my baby girl wave at me in the ultrasound and kick me everytime she heard music. want to know the real dirt? it was the first time i EVER dtd, and we made a baby. how crazy is that. i'm just thankful i was ready for it...somewhat.

i'm planning on a very different experience this time around. i have a homebirth midwife who i respect. i'm SO excited!! i'm trying not to micromanage, but i'm in love with the choices i have this time around.

Originally Posted by Teenytoona

Any word on why youre a doula in hiding? But if you prefer to keep that secret, that's ok too!

i think i answered the question, but if you need more details, that's cool!

[mosesface]

hooray elyse!

let's see...what can i ask?


does your dd understand the idea of a new sibling on the way? is she into the baby thing at all?

what is your gorgeous doggie's name!??

do you have any name ideas for the new babe?

[the elyse]

Originally Posted by mosesface

hooray elyse!

let's see...what can i ask?


does your dd understand the idea of a new sibling on the way? is she into the baby thing at all?

what is your gorgeous doggie's name!??

do you have any name ideas for the new babe?

we had her with us at my mw appt to hear the heartbeat for the first time. i have a stethoscope that i got out a few days before the appt so she could listen to ours and her heartbeat so that she would have idea of what a heartbeat was. she knows i have a baby in my belly, and she does too, occasionally. she has told me that she does NOT want a boy. and she wants to name her little sister hippo. i'm going to start introducing her to birth videos, i would like her to be around when this one makes it's debut.

my boxer!! she's my other little baby. our last name is harlow, and we named her jean. : she's the most amazing dog with my daughter and she has the best personality of any breed i've ever seen. i'm curious to see how she acts when i go into labor...

baby girl will be adelaide ??? (i'll take suggestions!!) and baby boy will be cash mccullah.

(this is so much fun!)

[smokeylo]

Fun!!

What made you decide to change to homebirth?

I am a doula in hiding too, for the same reason -- the stress of hospital birth gets to me! Do you just do it on your own or are you certifying through an org?

I attended a birth where they named the baby Adelaide!

[ScarletBegonias]

your family is so cute! so, i know it's waaaaay to early to ask a question like this buut i can't help myself!

wiill you guys have more children? do you plan on getting back into doula work?

btw: i used to barista at starbucks too! it's the funnest corporate job i ever had!

[the elyse]

Originally Posted by smokeylo

Fun!!

What made you decide to change to homebirth?

I am a doula in hiding too, for the same reason -- the stress of hospital birth gets to me! Do you just do it on your own or are you certifying through an org?

I attended a birth where they named the baby Adelaide!

honestly, watching all these women go into the hospital with a 'plan' and have most of it tossed out the window, i've slowly become confident in the knowledge i have about birth and my body. easy decision. i want to catch my baby, know what my baby smells like after it's born, have a babymoon in my own home, and i like being in charge.

i did all of the DONA requirements for cert, then didn't want to dish out the money. none of my clients cared...

i fell in love with the name watching law and order one night...it was actually an older man's name. i wasn't pregnant at the time, but it stuck with me.

Originally Posted by scarletbegonias19

your family is so cute! so, i know it's waaaaay to early to ask a question like this buut i can't help myself!

wiill you guys have more children? do you plan on getting back into doula work?

btw: i used to barista at starbucks too! it's the funnest corporate job i ever had!

well, my husband and i are both only children, so i think two is going to be enough of a challenge. BUT. if we do anything drastic, like have dh snipped, we're very open to adopting if we get the baby itch again. were both young and want to leave our options open.

i love the things starbucks does for it's resources, and the community projects they fund...and it's fun making fun of the customers that want a half a packet of splenda in their semi-dry capuccinos.

[LoveChild421]

I have to ask- what's your favorite Starbucks drink? Is it hard to resist the urge to drink all that coffee?

How did you go about doing your doula training/certification? (Maybe you can guide those of us who want to become doula : in the right direction). oops you just answered that one!

[the elyse]

Originally Posted by LoveChild421

I have to ask- what's your favorite Starbucks drink? Is it hard to resist the urge to drink all that coffee?

How did you go about doing your doula training/certification? (Maybe you can guide those of us who want to become doula : in the right direction). oops you just answered that one!

ugh. nothing right now. coffee is the last thing i want. haha. usually i make an iced triple grande 2 pump hazelnut breve caramel macchiato. :d i've just been drinking tons of water while i'm on shift.

i chose dona because it was the first thing google popped out when i typed in doula certification. :

[ScarletBegonias]

Originally Posted by the elyse

i love the things starbucks does for it's resources, and the community projects they fund...and it's fun making fun of the customers that want a half a packet of splenda in their semi-dry capuccinos.

yes, sadly, we would do strange things to the regulars drinks,: but only when they were real jerks. like the tweekers who asked for 8 shots in their frappuccino. i mean come on! just do a line of espresso beans!

what about this classic:

" yes i'll have a latte-mocha"

"did you want a latte or a mocha?"

"yes that's what i said. i want a latte-mocha. could you put espresso in that?"

:



and you can't forget:

"i'll have a no-foam capuccino."

"so you want a single or double shot?"

"no i want a no-foam capuccino? what don't you people understand about that?"

shall i go on?

[flapjack]

If Hannah would kick whenever she heard music, what were you listening to that pregnancy? Does she still respond to it now? Are you listening to the same kinds of music?

[the elyse]

Originally Posted by scarletbegonias19

yes, sadly, we would do strange things to the regulars drinks,: but only when they were real jerks. like the tweekers who asked for 8 shots in their frappuccino. i mean come on! just do a line of espresso beans!

what about this classic:

" yes i'll have a latte-mocha"

"did you want a latte or a mocha?"

"yes that's what i said. i want a latte-mocha. could you put espresso in that?"

:



and you can't forget:

"i'll have a no-foam capuccino."

"so you want a single or double shot?"

"no i want a no-foam capuccino? what don't you people understand about that?"

shall i go on?

hahaha!! i know! one of the guys working with us has been with the company 12 years, he's heard everything.

Originally Posted by flapjack

If Hannah would kick whenever she heard music, what were you listening to that pregnancy? Does she still respond to it now? Are you listening to the same kinds of music?

she liked everything, and after i went into labor early, i looked back and realized that she was kicking and moving like crazy about 2 days before while we were watching Ray in the theater. i think she was getting in position to the music! now she'll dance to anything. and she LOVES to sing.

[lincap]

I love this idea to get to know you all!


Ok Here goes my get-to know you questions! (anything you don't want to answer that is just fine!)

- How did you meet that HANDSOME husband of yours??

- Where is your favorite place to vacation?

- How old are you?

- What kind of car do you drive?

- Are you craving anything yet?

- If you could live anywhere in teh world, where would that be?

ok.. I guess that is enough for now! ahhah!

[the elyse]

Originally Posted by lincap

I love this idea to get to know you all!


Ok Here goes my get-to know you questions! (anything you don't want to answer that is just fine!)

- How did you meet that HANDSOME husband of yours??
paramedic school! i knew it was love the first time i stuck him with an iv in class..
- Where is your favorite place to vacation?
austin and san francisco
- How old are you?
23 for a couple more weeks
- What kind of car do you drive?
i just got a black nissan versa...the day before i got a
- Are you craving anything yet?
junk food and fruit. a supreme croissant from jack in the box is amazing right now
- If you could live anywhere in the world, where would that be?
hmmm. with my family is the cheesy answer... i guess austin would be the most realistic.

ok.. I guess that is enough for now! ahhah!

[bloominmamas]

So, your dh has a lot of tattoos...How about you? How many? Where at? and do they have special meaning? Did you get them at special times in your life? If you have none these are lame questions

[the elyse]

Originally Posted by bloominmamas

So, your dh has a lot of tattoos...How about you? How many? Where at? and do they have special meaning? Did you get them at special times in your life? If you have none these are lame questions

actually, he has a bunch (entire chest, left shoulder blade and upper left arm are covered) but you can't see any of them in the picture. he drew those on for halloween. i have two, a swallow on my left shoulder blade holding a banner than says Mercy, and a 13 with a broken bone on my lower back ... above my sacrum on the left side.

the bird is for me. that's all i'll say about that.

i can give you more reason for the 13, i broke my sacrum when i was 17 when a drunk driver hit me head on. it was a life changing thing for the positive, and it had nothing to do with luck. hence, the 13.

i'll be carefully planning another, for my kiddos. maybe sometime next summer. (yay!!)

[smokeylo]

Elyse,
This has been so fun! Don't forget to post a spotlight post for Helen aka flapjack sometime in the next day or two so we can keep the ball rolling.