Behind all my work as a doula and a childbirth educator is Bryce. He is my rock and my constant support. How could I have known when I married him at 19 that he would prove to be such a loyal and supportive partner? I count myself very lucky to have him by my side. Our marriage is built on this supportive understanding. He tells me he wants to train for a marathon, or start a business with his brother, or write a book, or quit a job that is no longer working for him–I listen, I work through the details with him, I support him. I tell him I want to get my master’s degree, or birth out of hospital, or fly to California for a training, or become a doula–he listens, he works through the details with me, he supports me. It’s such a beautiful system.

How can I express how much his support means to me? He has never once grumbled about my work. Not even at 2 in the morning when I wake him to say that I’m heading to a birth and he’ll need to get the kids off to school in a few hours (because it’s always 2 in the morning). He mumbles, “Okay. I love you,” goes back to sleep and takes care of morning duties. Not even when I need to fly out of state and be gone for 3 days or a week for a training and he’s left running the household on his own. He says, “Okay. What do we need to do to make this happen?” Not even when I’m gone a couple nights a week working with families and we eat our dinner at 9 p.m. after he’s put the kids to bed. He says, “Okay. See you when you get back,” and brushes teeth and changes diapers.

He writes me notes telling me how proud he is of me and what a great job I’m doing. He listens when I come home with stories from a birth or when I need to vent. He tells me how amazing it is that I’ve found this work and that I should continue to pursue this passion.

He tells me that he’s talked to his boss and arranged it so he can come work from home whenever I need to attend a birth during the day so that I don’t have to scramble to find a babysitter.

He tells me he loves me.

And this means the world to me. Aren’t I the luckiest?

Christmas–my favorite time of year! We drove through a fun light display, visited Santa, went to family and work parties, made a gingerbread house, attended school programs, wrapped gifts, and just had the best time!

Decorating the tree very carefully.

Hi, cute boy!

We even made a yule log!

Turns out Easton loves playing dreidel!

Amelie as one of the Crachit children during a holiday program.

Our little drummer boy. At least one child is looking at the camera and smiling, even if it’s not our child.

The cutest little lamb ever.

Calder’s part was officially titled, “Small Boy.”

A fun evening with Grandma and Grandpa Haymond! It was at this very moment that Easton pulled this nice button down shirt and said, “This looks like something a dead guy would wear!” 4 year-olds…

Liam with his new Buzz toy. Only one of his favorite characters ever.

Santa brought Calder batteries so that he could finally play with Bryce’s super cool remote control car that’s been sitting in our closet for years.

With her new art set.

A train table!

This chocolate has beef jerky in it. And Bryce loved it. Seriously.

Hugs for Tigger! Thanks, Grandma and Grandpa Austin!

A tradition passed down through the Haymond family. Everyone gets a box of their favorite cereal.

Having a deep conversation with Santa.

All Liam knew was that he should smile for the camera. And that this guy gave him a big candy cane. Pretty great in his book!

The house. I let the kids handle all the decorating this year. Well, I wrote those letters, but other than that. The gingerbread is an Austin tradition that we love.

Ornament cupcakes for Christmas Day.

And last but not least, the game Pie Face from Aunt Bobbe and Uncle Walter. You spin to see how many times you have to turn the handle, click the handle, and wonder if the next click will send the whipped cream smack into your face. In other words, the kids are crazy about it.

What a great time of year!

2015 was officially the Year of the Doula for me. This work is so amazingly fulfilling! I currently work with a partner. We visit each client twice in their home for prenatal visits, attend the birth (taking 6 hour shifts), and then visit each client in their home for a postpartum visit. The families I have met through this work have had such an impact on me and being invited to share that sacred birthing space with them is such an honor. I can’t believe I’m lucky enough to be involved in a work that is exciting, fulfilling, challenging, and so filled with love. This year, I’ve also started mentoring Birthing from Within classes. I teach group classes at a local midwifery office and also teach private classes. I adore teaching and look forward to each class session with these expectant parents. It’s energizing and always interesting as each parent brings new questions and experiences to the class. Here’s my Doula Year in Review:

*Partnered up with Ashlie Hashimoto and did a total overhaul of my website (www.doularaven.com). Soon we’ll be rolling out a new brand name to better reflect our partnership, so stay tuned!

*Worked with 22 families to prepare for their births.

*Attended 20 births.

*Spent 127 hours supporting families in labor. (Taking 6 hour shifts has been a game changer! This means that I always know when I’ll be home and that our clients always have a well-rested doula by their side.)

*Certified with DONA.

*Trained with Birthing from Within to mentor classes. I’ve been working very hard on my home-study packet and will be attending an advanced mentor retreat in April. Lots and lots of reading, studying, and practicing.

*Started mentoring classes in September and am just wrapping up my third series.

*Attended an advanced training to learn how to support survivors of abuse as they birth. This week, I’ll begin another advanced training on how to support parents who have lost a child to miscarriage or stillbirth. These are hard, heavy topics, but they are critical to my work.

*Served as the Secretary for the Utah Doula Association and was voted in as the President-Elect for 2016. This means that I will be President come 2017. We host monthly mentoring meetings, a yearly academic conference, a yearly retreat, and support our members (about 150 right now). Our current big project is a brand new website that we’ll be rolling out next month.

*Goals for 2016: Attend 30-40 births, mentor 5 class series, and continue to improve the quality of my services.

This work is definitely never boring! It brings me so much joy and motivates me to continue learning and growing.