My
arrival was not an easy process for mom. I put her through many long
hours before I decided it was time to let her hold me in her arms. She
is lucky to have my dad though. Without him the journey into this world
would have been a whole lot different. You see dad reminded her of her
what she wanted. Which was a natural birth, and he was determined to
make sure she had just that. Little did he know that in the process The
Lord wanted to show mom something.
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Mom
started having contractions on Friday March 8th. She went into the
hospital for the first time Saturday morning at 5:00 AM and then again
on Sunday morning at 5:00AM both times be told to go home and rest. She
returned that night at 11:00 PM with little progress. Walking and
soaking in the tub for 2 hours finally she was admitted at 1:00AM. 19
hours later I came into the world as mom pulled me onto her chest. The
Lord was her strength I am sure of it. He showed her what it really
means to labor.
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Labor
is not meant to be done alone. Just like Papa was there to support her
and remind her of her goals, so is the same in life. We are to labor
with one another. Mom didn't just have Papa though, she had my auntie
Thea and auntie Jen there as well. They helped Papa by taking turns
supporting mama. Papa was able to rest because of them. I am thankful
they were in the room. Auntie Jen made it possible for all my family
outside of Portland to be a part of my arrival as well. She set up a
webcast for them to get on. That helped mom stick to her plan. She
doesn't like to give in when the crowd is watching. My mom is a strong
woman. She says I'm strong too and that I'm going to change the world.
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Just
like labor for her was long she now tells me that the prize in the end
is so worth it. I guess I must be the prize. She tells me there is a
lesson to learn in this too. Labor may seem long, but just like the
contractions come and then you get a moment to breath so is the same in
getting anywhere you want to be in life. Take the moments to relax and
breath as the next contraction is coming. They only get more intense
the closer the time comes to receiving your prize. Who is watching you
and keeping you on purpose. Mama says you influence others just by
being around them.
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She
is quite the influencer my mom. This is her client and friend Eric who
just recently hit his target weight after dropping 93 lbs. This is him
running his first 5K after hitting his goal weight. I like him too
because we share the same birthday. Every year we will celebrate his
anniversary of being healthy on his birthday. I get to spend my days
with Mama as she pours into people like Eric all over the country who
are on their journey to health. She loves to encourage and speak truth
into people. Sometimes she has to say hard things, but her clients love
her for that as it keeps them moving on toward their goals. You see
just like mama had papa during her labor, mama's clients have her during
their "labor" or journey to a healthier life.
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Mama
and Papa are quite the team. I am never without one of them. They
love to hold me and tell me stories. They are constantly telling me how
beautiful I am. Mama calls me Squishy but I haven't quite figured out
why. I guess it just stuck and Papa went along with it. Papa reminds
me all the time that "this family doesn't work without you Lauralai."
He sure makes me feel special. I love my cuddle times with him. I get
to be naked because his body temperature is so HOT.
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Mom
says I'm her new business partner. I'm cool with that because she
keeps talking about all these trips she is going on, and as her business
partner it only seems right that I go with her. We are hoping to go to
Texas in April, Iowa in May, Colorado in June, and Tennessee in July. I
traveled all over the country before I was born so I'm excited to see
some of the places and meet the people mom and dad made friends with
over the past year. My job description is to sleep, eat, grow, and let
her take cute pictures of me all day long. Most of them she catches of
me when I'm sleeping. I'm just so tired all the time. Mom says its
because I'm growing so fast. I was 7 lbs 5 oz and 19.5 inches long when
I was born. I am already 8 lbs 11 oz. I like working with mom. I get
to eat whenever I want and sleep whenever I want. She does all the work
really.
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You
know if you have anyone in your life that is looking to better their
health I'm sure she would love to help them. The best part about that
is that Mama and Papa like to Skype so maybe we could even meet! I like
to meet new people. I don't think there has been one day of my life so
far they haven't taken me out to meet someone. I look forward to
meeting with you and I think I speak for mom and dad when I say they
look forward to connecting with you too very soon. We love you and are
thankful for you in our lives. Please share with your family as we may
not have everyone's email.
The Brammer's
Ronnie, Mandy, and Lauralai
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Check
out Mama! She is looking and feeling great! So thankful that she is
working on her health because she has so much energy to play with me and
take me on walks. We get to connect with a group of ladies each week
for her Stroller Mama's Group! Its so fun! You can see some of them
below.
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