Proud of my husband

RACING FEVER
I"m so proud of Patrick doing the Tour of Anchorage.
Last year I remember when I was hemming and hawwwing about doing the Tour of Anchorage, he said "Zoya, just do it. It doesn't matter how good of shape you're in. You'll feel so good about finishing it." And he was right. I did it, my time was slower than the year before but it didn't matter because I completed the race and felt good about accomplishing it.

The past 2 months, his training for the race was less than perfect, as he had a bad cold, back pain and sinus infection. But he persevered and did it! He really instills that "just do it" attitude in me and the kids. No matter what the weather, its a no excuses type of approach. I admire that about him.

And second place for his age group! So cool. Now we can go downhill skiing together. Corn snow, here we come!

EUGENE
Tomorrow morning I leave for Eugene Oregon for a Midwifery Today conference-I'm going to attend a two day class on body work and massage techniques for women during pregnancy, during labor and after they've had the baby. The first day is a class taught by a licensed massage therapist from New York and the second day course is taught by a well known midwife from Mexico. She is going to teach different massage techniques for labor. It'll be a whole different scene from the PT classes I attend. There will be other doulas, midwives, childbirth educators, physical therapists...it'll be a new mix of folks, and completely new material!

REWIND
I was thinking about my last blog post about teaching Childbirth courses and hoped that I didn't come across too "anti-providence" or "anti-hospital". In many ways, it is a blessing in disguise that the hospital classes weren't fit for me, because it has propelled me to take this childbirth education journey on my own! I felt bad about the post, but refuse to delete it, as matter of principle. I don't want to come across bitter, or upset--I think I"m just driven to help produce a series which can give hands on time with helping women and their partners prepare for labor. And, frankly, I want to see a decrease in our c-section rate. Who can fault me for that? Its at 28%--if we got it halved, that'd be fabulous. One birth at a time.
So often I have thoughts about wanting to change standards or systems, but I don't often write about it--for fear of offending someone. I think I am slowly realizing that in order to make change in the world, you have to be that change. Thats what Gandhi said and I like that. Be the change you want to see in the world.

Zoya

Photos: From the morning Patrick left town. He wanted photos of the kids to show the family in Anchorage.