Acupuncture & Placenta Encapsulation

After giving birth to Camilyn, Misty decided to have her placenta encapsulated to help with the production of milk while breast feeding, to raise her iron levels, and to help with any postpartum depression by supporting her hormones.  Placenta encapsulation is when they take the placenta, soak it in oil, dry it out, grind it up into powder, and then place it into capsules.

Placenta capsules.

Many mothers who have had it done and taken the pills, claim that it really helps.  Misty said it made a big difference in her recovery compared to her past six deliveries without having her placenta encapsulated.

Kaci was one recommendation who we ended up using to encapsulate Misty's placenta for $165.00 who lived in Rapid City, SD near where we were staying.  Most who practice this art will also practice other forms of the Chinese medicine which Kaci does, so she is also certified in acupuncture, reflexology, cupping, and Asian bodywork.

If interested in any of her services, you can click on her name above, email her at Tol.placentas@gmail.com, or call her at 605-646-0305.

I'm not sure if the below picture is representative of American Gothic or Green Acres, but they are a very good looking family and really nice people that we are happy to have met.

Kaci with her husband Mark and son Kane.

I have always wanted to try acupuncture so Misty set up an appointment with Kaci for me to see what it was like.  After asking me some basic health questions, taking my blood pressure, and answering any questions I had, she proceeded to start the treatment. She ended up performing a kidney qi deficiency and liver qi stagnation on me where she used points to try to re-balance those organs but also used general calming points as well.  I have to say I did feel an energy throughout my body while receiving treatment.

Before starting the treatment my blood pressure was 120 over 90 and after the 30 minute session it dropped to 120 over 80, so if anything it relaxed me pretty good.  I really should have it performed on me a few more times to reap a better benefit, but it did help me to relax and feel refreshed when it was complete.

Getting acupuncture in my legs.

A full body view of my acupuncture procedure.

A shot of my acupuncture to my head, arms, and stomach.

Acupuncture needles in my ear.

I will try this again in the future and see if I get the same results.  It can take five to ten sessions before you see lasting results, but you will usually see some type of pain relief or feel something positive your first time, but everyone is different, so results will vary.

I personally know an individual who has acupuncture on his back for chronic pain relief and swears by it, but he has to keep going back for more treatments to keep the pain in check.  He says it is well worth it though.

Well hopefully my experience will make you want to experience acupuncture and see if it will help you too.  May Misty's experience also entice some expecting mothers to have their placenta encapsulated to help with the post birth issues.  Just because you have never done it or think it is weird, does not mean it will not work or help you in some way.

God bless and may you find what's best for your pain relief.  Of course a good prayer to your maker and trusting Him to take care of anything that comes your way, is always the best way to handle it.

If you are not following our blog, please do so and also become a friend on Facebook.  We would love to have you.

Thanks!
Don, Misty, and Kids...

Twenty Five States Visited So Far.

Montana



After leaving Idaho, we stayed in Columbus Montana for a week and visited Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument in south central Montana.

After seeing it in many of movies and shows, it is sobering to actually step on the ground where the battle actually took place and see the real site. 

Many people think that the battle was lost due to Lt Col George A. Custer's arrogance, but once you visit the site and hear the story of the battle and its interpretation, you may come to a different opinion.

When you realize that communications along the battle lines were slow and that both of Lt Col Custer's subordinate commanders did not fully follow his orders or provide the support he required, the battle could have turned out differently.

Also when you realize that the native Americans were only defending their way of life and families,  you may feel that the battle ended the way it should have, but in the end they still lost their way of life anyway.

Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument.

While there you need to watch the 25 minute orientation video and then listen to one of the rangers tell the story of the battle.  After that you will want to walk up to Last Stand Hill where Custer fell, visit the Indian Memorial, walk the 1/4 mile Ravine Trail, and then drive the 4.5 mile tour road to the Reno-Benteen Battle site.

The path up to Last Stand Hill.



The white headstones mark where 7th Calvary soldiers fell.

LT COL Custer's headstone where he fell in battle.

Headstones marking where Native Americans fell during the battle.

Looking out over where many cavalrymen fell during the battle.

Sculpture at the Indian Memorial.

Indian Memorial.

A fallen 7th Calvary soldier with horses in the background. 

Seeing the horses roaming on the battlefield all alone made us think, are they ancestors to any of the horses that were used in the battle so many years ago?

More horses roaming on the battlefield.

A close up of the some of the horses on the battlefield.

This is one of those places you just have to visit in person to appreciate its greatness.  Even though it represents a bad time in our nation's history, it is a part of history we never want to forget.



What Lt Col Custer may have seen just before his demise from Last Stand Hill.

While in Montana we stayed at the Mountain Range RV Park which was really one of the few RV parks in the area.  It is located just off of I90 in Columbus, MT.

While there we planned to drive over to Red Lodge, MT and take the Beartooth Hyway into Yellowstone, but we were there a week too early and the road was still closed for the winter.  It is called "the most beautiful roadway in America" and climbs to an elevation of 10,947 feet above sea level with mountains peaks over 12,000 feet high.

Maybe next time we come through this area, we can plan to do it when the pass is open.

Never the less, we did make to Yellowstone a couple of time, but that will have to be in another post.

While working on this post, our little girl, Camilyn (Cami) was born, which bumped this post back one so I could do a post on her.  We did an at home (RV) water birth that was a wonderful experience.  What a way to bring a life into the world.  If you have not read it yet, it was the post right before this one, so go to our blog history on the right of this page and read all about it.

Pregnant Misty and kids walking up the Last Stand Hill.

God bless you and your families and America.  We are blessed and happy to share a little part of our travels with you.  If you like our blog please follow us or sign up with your email to receive new blogs as we publish them.

Thanks!
Don, Misty, and Kids...

Twenty three states visited so far.



'

Camilyn (Cami) Lively

On 14 Aug 2016 God blessed us with our seventh child, Camilyn Danielle Lively or Cami for short.  She was born at 8:29 AM weighing 7lbs 10ozs and was 20 1/4 inches long. It was a water birth assisted by our certified nurse midwife, Luanne Uriel while in the RV.  It was truly amazing!

A happy Misty with Cami just after she was born.

A proud papa with his newest girl.

Luanne, our midwife, with baby Cami.

Getting ready for this event took a little bit of planning.  We were not sure where we would have Cami and figured it would probably be in Dallas at a birthing center.  We knew that we did not want to have her in the hospital though.

 

 

After arriving in Rapid City we started going to church at Black Hills Fellowship and asked some of its members about a good midwife in this area.  Someone there mentioned Luanne Uriel and soon after she came out to our RV to begin Misty's care.

 

One good thing about having a home delivery is that the midwife comes to you, so no trips to the doctor's office for tests and checkups.  It is less stressful on the mom and baby.  Another great thing about it is that once you deliver, you are already home, in your own bed.  We would do it no other way.

 

Luanne was great along with her doula, Jenny McCormick.  If we decide to have more children, then we would love to do it again in SD with Luanne and Jenny.  We would recommend them to anyone wishing to have a home birth.

 

As I mentioned earlier, it took a little bit of planning to pull this off, especially on what to use for a birthing tub.  We first ordered a blowup tub from Amazon.com for $80.00 that was pretty flimsy and not worth the price.  So after sending that back we went to Tractor Supply and bought a Rubbermaid 100 gallon watering tank for $65.00.

 

I replaced its drain plug with a valve so that I could control draining and filling it.  Since it was only 26 inches tall, it would just fit through the door on the RV when tilted sideways.  The next challenge was how to fill it with hot or warm water. 

 

 100 gallon watering tank with valve installed.

 

 

 Misty doing a dry run of the tub.

 

Since we only have a 10 gallon hot water tank, using the RV's water supply to fill the birthing tub was not an option.  I could fill it using a water hose, but then it was hard to get the water's temperature to 100 degrees Fahrenheit.   We bought a bucket heater that is designed for a 5 gallon bucket, but it was too slow.

We also put pots on our 3 burner stove boiling water to try an heat up the water in the tub with them, but after dumping 10 of them in, the water in the tub was just lukewarm.   We had to get something that would heat the water up a lot quicker.

 

So the next thing to try was an instant hot water heater that is used for showers while camping that runs off propane.  I went to Camping World and bought an Eccotemp Instant Hot Water Heater.  I rigged it with a garden hose hooked to its output and ran that into the RV to the tub.

 

It got the job done, but I had to monitor it constantly to keep the flame burning.  For some reason it kept going out about every 30 seconds to couple of minutes.  I also had to make sure the water pressure was low so that it could heat it.

 

 Instant hot water heater I used to fill up the birthing tub in the RV.

  

 Instant hot water heater rigged with water hose on its output ran into the RV.

After a couple of test runs, I got the process down to fill the tub with 100 degree Fahrenheit water in around 30 minutes.  Luckily Cami waited long enough for me to get the tub filled.

 

Everything went as scheduled and Misty was only in labor for around three hours.  Even though she still had considerable pain while doing a natural birth, the warm water in the tub helped reduce the pain and had a calming effect between contractions.  The water also allowed her to move around easier when she needed to.

 

We also diffused Young Living Gentle Baby essential oil and I had the bottle ready for Misty to smell while having her contractions.  She said that in between and during contractions, she would suddenly feel a calmness come over her and then realize that I was holding the bottle under her nose.  The scent would do it every time.

 

We also anointed little Miss Camilyn with frankincense oil afterwards on her head and feet while saying a prayer of thanks to God. 

 

Misty also said that the tub's design helped her get into a better position by putting her knees up on the ledges, made where the tub was indented at the bottom, to give birth.  It helped her push better during contractions.

Luanne was so impressed with the tub that she is going to recommend it to other mothers who want to do a home water birth.  It was the perfect size for both her and Misty and made it easier for her to assist with the birth.

 

All in all it was a truly amazing, peaceful, spiritual experience and one we will cherish the rest of our lives. 

 

Video of Cami's first cry.

If it will not play here you can watch it on YouTube too by clicking here.



 

I know I say this every time, but God has been so good to us and has greatly blessed us.  I do not know how anyone who witnesses the miracle of birth, can say there is no God.

Luanne checking Misty's blood pressure while the tub is being filled with water.

 

If you are in the Rapid City, SD area and decide to have a home water birth, then Luanne is who you want to use as your midwife.  Jenny was a great doula and really helped Misty to calm down a couple of times when she was getting too wound up during the delivery.  Both her and Luanne made a great team. 

Luanne taking Cami's measurements while Jenny writes them down.

 

Misty enjoying chicken noodle soup while Luanne gives post birth instructions.

 

Kids admiring their new little sister.

Courtney holding Cami.

 

Tia holding Cami.

Ian holding Cami.

Avery holding Cami.

Ethan holding Cami.

 Chloe holding Cami.


 

Cami's getting her hair washed for the first time.

 

Our beautiful little angle from heaven.

Mommy and Cami taking a well deserved nap.

 

If you have any questions that I did not cover in this blog, please comment below or email us.  We will be more than happy to answer them.

 

If we do decide to have any more children, this is surly the route we will go again.  I can not put into words well enough of how at ease and amazing our home water birth was compared to those in the hospital.  It is one of those things you just have to experience yourself to fully appreciate.

 

God bless and may your endeavors work out well and may He keep you safe in all that you do.

 

Thanks!

Don, Misty, and Kids...

Twenty three states visit so far.

 





Idaho

After leaving Utah we headed up to Idaho or spud country to stay at Aspen Acres Golf Club & RV Park near Ashton, ID which is owned by Billy and Katherine Stronks.  They also own FIVE11MAIN which is an Old Fashioned Soda Fountain Pizzeria restaurant in Ashton.

The RV park was very peaceful with the aspen trees and fairways.  To the east you can also see the Grand Tetons which are only about 30 miles away as the crow flies, but close to 100 miles if you drive there.

View of the fairway.

Aspen trees in the RV park.

Our RV spot at Aspen Acres Golf Course & RV Park.

The Grand Tetons view from the RV park about 30 miles away as the crow flies.

You can also check out their Facebook page for FIVE11MAIN to see who all has been stopping by, like Ponch, (Erik Estrada), who we did not meet, but would have loved to have.

The first time we went there to eat, we were told to try THE DARTH TATOR pizza which is considered the "Father" of all pizzas and is true to the Idaho potato theme.  It is a white sauce pizza with Idaho baked potatoes, Canadian bacon, bacon, cheddar cheese, and red onions.  It is very delicious and if you are ever there, you need to try one.

Both the RV park and restaurant are kid friendly and you could not ask for two better individuals to own them.  We felt very welcome at both places. 

They also had a bunch of wood cut up ready by each campsite for campfires and S'mores making which we took full advantage of.

Sitting by the campfire enjoying the heat and making S'mores.

While there we drove to the Grand Teton National Park to visit which is a good two hour drive over the mountains, but worth it.  You get to drive through Idaho in to Wyoming over Taylor Mountain through Jackson and Moose, WY.

We had planned on driving through Grand Teton north up to Yellowstone, but the road was still closed for the season, so had to turn around and come back to the RV park the way we came in.

Snow was still visible while driving over Taylor Mountain.

More snow drifts.

Once we made it to Grand Teton the views were spectacular.  It was well worth the one way 100 mile drive to see them.

Grand Teton.

To see all of the park you really need a couple of days, but we saw the majority of it in one.  It is one of those places you just have to see to get the full effect.

Another view of the mountain.

Sage was growing everywhere which you could smell in the air.

Tia, Ian, Ethan, Chloe, Courtney, and Avery at Jackson Lake in Grand Teton National Park.

Jenny Lake.

Avery, Ethan, Ian, and Tia at Jenny Lake.

View from Signal Mountain.

Another beautiful view from Signal Mountain.

Close up to the mountain.

Just a short distance from the RV park in Idaho is the Targhee National Forest which is accessible via the Mesa Falls Scenic Byway.  It runs along the Henrys Fork of the Snake River.

On the drive are two falls, the Upper and Lower Mesa Falls which were created from the river cutting through the canyon that was created during the last time Yellowstone's volcano erupted which was 2500 times more powerful than Mt St Helens in 1980.

You can still see in the canyon's walls the volcanic drama that created it all.

You can see the volcanic column like structures that formed over 25000 years ago.

Upper Mesa Falls.

The kids and I also measured ourselves against the Snow Pole.

Avery at the snow pole.

Ethan at the snow pole.

Ian at the snow pole.

Chloe at the snow pole.

Courtney at the snow pole.

Tia at the snow pole.

Daddy at the snow pole.

Lower Mesa Falls.

A closer picture of the Lower Mesa Falls.

More of the canyon and its walls that were formed by a volcano eruption.

A closer look at the canyon walls.

Ethan, Courtney, Tia, Chloe, Ian, and Avery at the Lower Mesa Falls overlook.

So before we go you have to see at least one field were the potatoes are grown when in Idaho.  Some places that is all you see for miles and miles.  

An Idaho field ready to grow potatoes.

So that was some of our adventures while in Idaho for the short week we were there.  We also made it to Yellowstone, but will leave that for the next blog.

We hope you like our blog and got something good from it like maybe sparking your interest to come and visit Idaho, stay at a friendly RV park, and eat at a really good soda shop and pizzeria.

If you follow us, we would really appreciate it, but it is not required.  You can also sign up to receive our blog in your email every time we publish a new one.  You can also like our LivelyRV Facebook page by using the link on the right of this blog.

We are blessed to be able to travel like this and meet all of the wonderful people while we travel.  God has blessed us and watches over us and we pray that He also watches over you and your families.

Lord knows that America is headed for some hard times and if we do not turn to God, we are not going to make it.

Thanks!
Don, Misty, and Kids...

Twenty Three States Visited So Far.