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Our Charis Family
Hallie Dedrick
Hello
Charis Family, I'm Hallie Dedrick. I’m wife to Jason, and mom to
Reaghan (born 1-17-07) and Myra (born 1-12-09). And of course, my
fur babies, two corgis named Dixie and Connor. We live in Largo, FL.
I
was called to work with pregnant women after the birth of my
first daughter. Through my personal experience I learned
the importance of having knowledge about pregnancy, labor and birth,
and the value of a positive support system.
During
Reaghan's pregnancy, at my 36 week
appointment, I was discussing with my doctor my desires for a natural
birth, and the various reasons I wanted to avoid intervention, and
my desire for having enough time to labor. He treated me terribly,
as though my requests were ridiculous, and that there was no way I
could give birth without various interventions. I was devastated,
scared, and no longer trusted my caregiver. Had I not taken a very
thorough and complete natural childbirth class, I would not have had
the courage to make a change so late in pregnancy, and to stand by
what I knew was the right thing for me and for my baby. So at 36
weeks, armed with the truths I had learned, I made a call to a local
birth center. It was the best choice I ever made. I
ended up with a long labor, that was extremely slow to progress in
beginning, but after a little help from my midwife, and the
patience for birth that midwives have, I had a beautiful waterbirth,
and a happy healthy daughter. The last appointment with the doctor was
traumatic, and scary, and very hurtful to me, but it was one of the
best gifts God gave me!
This experience is what led me to pursue my journey as a Labor Doula, Childbirth Educator, and Lactation Educator. My hope is
to provide each family that I work with, the tools, facts &
information, and truths about birth and their body’s abilities, so
that they will be empowered and able to choose what’s
right for them. Birth is a sacred event, and I am
always honored to be a part of it. I also have a love for helping
fathers become involved on their comfort level, creating
memories and strengthening family bonds. I've been blessed to work
in various settings, hospitals and birth centers, as well as with natural
birth, water births, medicated, and cesarean birth. I am certified
in CPR, and NRP (Neonatal Resuscitation) and am in training as a
Birth Assistant at Breath of Life Birth Center in Largo, FL. I look
forward to finishing my training there, and becoming more involved
as a birth assistant. A long term goal of mine is to train as a
midwife. I am currently working as a doula and childbirth educator
in my own small business -
A New Life Begins and with an
amazing faith based not for profit group,
For the Love of Birth.
I
am glad to be part of the Charis family, and found my recent
attendance in the Charis Teaching Birth Workshop to be incredibly
helpful, and it was as though God designed it for me, and for the
specific needs I have. I look forward to meeting more of the Charis
family, and hope to participate in more training workshops in the
future!
Our
Friends ~ Our Family
We'd love to feature you in newsletters to come!
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Charis Cuisine
Contributed by Kristin Schuchmann
Cinco de Mayo Salad
3 C shredded red cabbage
2 C shredded green cabbage
4 or 5 green onions, both green and white parts, sliced thin
5 T or more of chopped fresh cilantro
5 T or more of fresh lime juice
2 T raw agave nectar
1 t sea salt (more or less to taste)
½ t white pepper (more or less to taste)
Pinch of cayenne
Toss cabbage, green onions, and cilantro in large bowl.
Combine remaining ingredients and pour over the salad. Mix well.
Toppings we put on our Cinco
de Mayo Salad:
Groovy Guacamole
5 ripe avocados (peel,
remove seed, and diced)
¼ C fresh lemon juice (or substitute lime juice)
2 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients and mash until smooth, or combine in food
processor.
Walnut Taco Meat
2 C walnuts, ground in
food processor to the consistency of ground beef (best if soaked for
a few hours ahead of time, but unsoaked works too)
2 t ground cumin
1 t ground coriander
1 t chili powder
2 T nama shoyu (or tamari or soy sauce), more or less to taste
Pinch of cayenne
Combine all ingredients and mix well.
Black Beans are also delicious on this salad.
To Build the Salad:
On a large plate, put salad on the bottom, then walnut taco meat,
black beans, and top with guacamole. My daughter Joy puts diced
tomatoes on top of hers (she puts tomatoes on nearly everything).
You won’t believe how delicious this super nutritious
Mexican-inspired meal is! My children love it!
Have a good recipe? Share it here!
Letters To The Editor
I couldn't resist sending a quick hello.
What you've done with the Charis organization is truly an awesome
thing!!!! God bless you and keep you as you train and bring
new life to the earth.
Yay, Kristin!!!
Your friend,
Lily Bateman
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