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Mark Parrish got FaceTimed by Hawk at a very intimate time...Marney shares her thoughts on the end of the Wolves season, Sauce has to spell

Mark Parrish got FaceTimed by Hawk at a very intimate time...Marney shares her thoughts on the end of the Wolves season, Sauce has to spellSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark Parrish got FaceTimed by Hawk at a very intimate time...Marney shares her thoughts on the end of the Wolves season, Sauce has to spell

This week… The fellas were prepped and ready to welcome Kim Davis, the host of the true crime podcast Slaycation. For reasons unknown Kim never joined the show. The date and time was confirmed but Kim was nowhere to be found. Hopefully her not showing up isn't the start of a true crime mystery, DUN DUN DUN! If it is, it was probably the husband or a scorned lover. Ah jeez I listened to a few too many true crime pods to prep for this episode and it got me nowhere! Thanks a lot Slaycation. Luckily Max had a true crime story ready to tell, and of “coors” it had to do with beer. Andy filled in for Kim and FaceTimed the whole show. They talked WI sports briefly, then battled the Urban Dictionary and found a few gems! They'll be out next week but they talked about creating the bar top challenge and what they'll be doing in their time off. The fellas were feeling pretty down but the beers kept their spirits high and they laughed and joked through another sode! But before any of the nonsense, they saved the best for first, with the Beer of the Week! During the BOW the fellas rate and review a new beer. They discuss the history of the brewery and examine what's in the beer they're drinking. Then, they break down the beer by its drinkability, the probability they'd drink it again, its chugability, and the can's attractability. Find out if Brooklyn Brewery's Brooklyn Lager passed the HUA test.Beer of the Week: 07:20 - 01:12:20WI Sports W/ Andy O!: 01:13:30 - 01:33:00HUA v.s. The Urban Dictionary: 01:33:05 - 01:46:00Challenge Update: 01:46:05 - ENDBOW: Brooklyn Brewery, Brooklyn LagerHUA 187 Drinking game: anytime they reference Slaycation, drink! Good luck ;)Big shout out to the talented Adrian Pell! He created the intro and outro music for us. Check him out on IG: @AdrianPellMusicHold Us Accountable is on Patreon! Just search, ‘Hold Us Accountable.' We're just trying to earn us some beer money, nothing more nothing less! Join for just $1 a month! https://patreon.com/HoldUsAccountable920?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink If you're listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, rate and review the show, it helps us out a lot!Check out and subscribe to our YouTube Channel!⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRVYu7zopmxja1RsmVpOucQ/featur⁠We're live on Twitch, check out our page!⁠https://www.twitch.tv/holdusaccountable⁠Find us on X:⁠https://twitter.com/hua_pod?s=11&t=DqKX0s9j1XzF2xFF3dBlDA⁠If you want to let us know what you think of the show, or have an idea for the show, you can DM us on Facebook or Instagram @HoldUsAccountable

Special Patreon Re-Release: Love and Loss with James Jetton   James 1:2-4 (NIV) "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."   **Transcription Below**   James Jetton's Bio: My name is James Jetton. I have and still do live a crazy beautiful, challenging, and blessed life. I am blessed to get to raise 4 beautiful children, and I have spent time getting to serve a fantastic community as a Recreation Minister, where I got to combine my love of Jesus, sports, and people. I served in this role for 13 years before my bride Kaetlin was diagnosed with Leukemia in 2020. Unfortunately, after an awe-inspiring journey with cancer, Kaetlin went to meet her Savior in January of 2022.   Clearly, this changed so much of my life trajectory. Currently, I'm working towards obtaining a Masters in Social Work to take the pain and experiences I have had to help others through their pain. Kaet and I were married in 2009 and built a beautiful life; we taught each other so much. So, I deeply desire to take everything we learned together and the lessons the Lord has taught me to help others.   I mentioned earlier that I have 4 exceptional children, Laken, 9, Isla Kaet, 7, Hattie, 6, and Ryder, 4. Laken is my go-getter; she is fearless, strong, and tough. Sweet Isla Kaet is a quiet thinker and planner and is often referred to as little Kaet. She cares deeply and is always looking for ways where she can help and take care of her family. Hattie is our child with special needs and has been diagnosed with GNB-1 Syndrome (a rare genetic disorder). Hattie will light up any room she is in; it's incredible that a child who only has a few words, uses a wheelchair, and is “limited” by our world's standards, can bring joy to people in a way that I never knew was possible. Ryder the caboose is a maniac, and his sisters affectionately call him “Wreck it Ryder” he has no fear and is a super extrovert; he keeps us all on our toes. He is what some would say, “all boy.”   This is a brief bio of me and our circus; through everything, we have found joy in all circumstances. Although there are exceptionally hard days as we have endured much grief, God has always provided, and I am thankful for the life God has given us.   Questions we discuss: Life took an unexpected twist in 2016. Will you catch us up on your discoveries that year? While many of us were in the midst of changing schedules and suddenly homeschooling children in May of 2020, your family was receiving even more news. Will you share that with us now? What is life like for your family these days, as grief likely comes at unexpected times?   Thank You to Our Sponsors: Chick-fil-A East Peoria and The Savvy Sauce Charities (and donate online here)   Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook or Instagram or Our Website   Please help us out by sharing this episode with a friend, leaving a 5-star rating and review, and subscribing to this podcast!   Other Episodes from The Savvy Sauce of God's Faithfulness: 17 Being on Both Sides of Forgiveness with Adelle Dickie 18 Clinging to Jesus as I lived Through My Worst Nightmare with Angela Braker 19 Grief and Triumph and God's Pursuit Though it All with Julie Locke Moore 20 Joy in the Lord Even Through Tremendous Loss…Twice with Rachel Faulkner Brown 62 Unexpected Grief and What Helped Me Through It Can Help You Too with Singer and Blogger, Brittany Price Brooker 78 Parenting the Prodigal Child And God's Desire For Redemption With Mother-Daughter Duo, Claire Stanfill and Tindell Baldwin 79 Radical Business and Radical Parenting with Gary & Marla Ringger, Founders of Lifesong for Orphans 83 Miracles of God with Founder of Midwest Food Bank, David Kieser 120 Our Story for His Glory with Mercedes Cotchery 134 Fashion Meets Faith with Shari Braendel 141 Rescued from Poverty with Norah Birungi 143 Prodigal Story: Sexuality, Drugs, and Scripture with Dr. Christopher Yuan 160 Unleash This Generation with the Power of the Gospel with Greg Stier 161 God Redeems with Hettie Brittz 162 Healing from Spouse's Sexual Addiction with Jennifer Roush 174 Stories of God's Upside Down Economy with Kristen Welch 208 Tremendous Testimony and Adding Spark into Your Marriage with David & Teri Sumlin 223 Journey and Learnings as Former Second Lady of the United States with Karen Pence 229 Escape from Modern Day Sex Slavery with Rachel Timothy Special Patreon 28 Re-Release: What to Do When You Don't Like Your Story with Sharon Jaynes 231 Stories Series: Faith Building Miracles with Dave Pridemore 232 Stories Series: Testify to Glorify with Richard Gamble 233 Stories Series: Surprises from God with Tiffany Noel Special Patreon Re-Release: Patreon 30 Story of Perseverance with Jenny Boyett 234 Stories Series: Redemption From Sexual Sin in Marriage with Garrett and Brenna Naufel 235 Stories Series: Ever-Present Help in Trouble with Kent Heimer 236 Stories Series: God's Power and Light with Jaime Farrell 237 Stories Series: Prodigal and Redemption with Renee Endress Special Patreon Re-Release: Patreon 31 Unexpected Story of Trauma, Anxiety, Adoption, and Hope with Bettina Stevens 238 Stories Series: God Delights in His Children with Brad Habegger 239 Stories Series: Experiencing the Supernatural with Jackie Coleman 240 Stories Series: God's Rescue and Covering in Parenting with Brenda Dugger 241 Stories Series: From the Mission Field, Experiencing God in the Little and the Big with Patty Sommer 242 Stories Series: He Gives and Takes Away with Joyce Hodel 243 Stories Series: Angel Encounter and Hearing from God with Mary Beth Zimmerman 244 Stories Series: Medical Marvels with Carolyn Henricks 245 Stories Series: Miracles Big and Small with Dr. Rob Rienow 246 Stories Series: Experiencing God's Tangible Love with Jen Moore 247 Stories Series: Exciting Adventures Follow Radical Obedience with Susan Zobrist 248 Stories Series: Discipline of Celebration in the Midst of Unexpected Loss and Grief with Jonathan Pitts Special Patreon Re-Release: Patreon 49: Story of Healing from Sexual Betrayal in Marriage: An Interview with Bonny Burns 249 Stories Series Conclusion: Now What? Living as Global Christians with Todd Ahrend of The Traveling Team   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV)   Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”    Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”   **Transcription**   Music: (0:00 – 0:09)   Laura Dugger: (0:09 - 2:07) Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, where we have practical chats for intentional living. I'm your host, Laura Dugger, and I'm so glad you're here. I'm grateful for today's sponsor, Chick-fil-A East Peoria.   Check them out online to place your order for dining or catering, or to fill out an application to join their friendly team. Visit cfaeastpeoria.com. If you've been with us long, you know this podcast is only one piece of our nonprofit, which is The Savvy Sauce Charities.   Don't miss out on our other resources. We have questions and content to inspire you to have your own practical chats for intentional living. And I also hope you don't miss out on the opportunity to financially support us through your tax-deductible donations.   All this information can be found on our recently updated website, thesavvysauce.com. And now, I'm pleased to share this episode with you that used to only be available to paying patrons.    My guest for today is James Jetton.   Mark and I attended the same family camp as James in 2022. I observed a father who was very devoted to his children, and one of his precious daughters was in a wheelchair, which was always by his side. He was so tender with his children, and I just assumed his wife was resting while he was attending to the family.   I did not learn of his full story until after camp, and it was through a mutual friend, April Siervo. But then, after she shared a bit more of their story, I immediately reached out to James to request that he share his faith and testimony with us today. Here's our chat.   Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, James.   James Jetton: (2:07 - 2:15) I'm happy to be here. I'm looking forward to talking to you and just kind of sharing how God has moved in our lives the past few years.   Laura Dugger: (2:15 - 2:24) You have already lived through so much, but let's just start here. When did Jesus initially draw you to himself?   James Jetton: (2:26 - 3:25) Yeah, I think that's like, you know, it's a big question, right? But also, it shouldn't be. I think the first time I really just kind of came to know the Lord, I was in the eighth grade.   I had a retreat, and in that moment, for me, it was a situation of— it wasn't necessarily for me, but also just trying to do the right thing. I grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, so I was in the Bible Belt. I was like, this is what we're supposed to do.   We're supposed to give our lives to Jesus. But I would say probably going into my senior year of high school, I had some moments just kind of alone at a beach, actually. I was like, what am I doing with my life?   And I believe that that was kind of the first one real moment in my life where I decided, I think I'm going to actually follow the Lord now and not just do this, just to say I'm doing it. And so that was really the first time I really felt the Lord draw me to him. And then, of course, as time goes on, there's all these other little moments throughout where he's continually staying close and bringing me back to him when I feel like I'm drifting away and that sort of thing.   Laura Dugger: (3:27 - 3:39) Thank you for sharing that. And you've written before on your blog that, I'll quote, one of the best decisions I have ever made was when I persuaded Kaetlin to marry me, end quote.   James Jetton: (3:39 - 3:40) Yeah.   Laura Dugger: (3:40 - 3:43) James, how did the two of you meet and fall in love?   James Jetton: (3:44 - 5:30) Yeah, so we went to college together. We went to Troy University. I vividly remember a time where she was getting out of her car, and she didn't know me at this time.   But I remember seeing her. I think I met her maybe once or twice through some mutual friends. I remember seeing her get out of the car and literally, I'll never forget this moment.   I was like, man, if I could just have a girl like that. And it stuck with me. And I think the first time we met, I think I made some comments that she wasn't happy about, about some fraternity guys that were in a different fraternity than me that I didn't think too highly of.   But I didn't realize in that moment that she was actually the sweetheart of that fraternity. And so, we kind of got off to a little bad step there. But I remember she broke up with another boyfriend.   That was part of the reason I saw her. And I was like, I could never have a girl like that. All the girls like that are taken.   And so, she broke up with her boyfriend. I remember her best friend called me and was like, “Hey, can I bring her over to y'all's house? Because she just needs to laugh”.   I was like, “Well, we can do that. We can make sure she laughs”. And so, I think from there, we just kind of, I don't know, just we continued to talk.   And for some reason, she liked me a little bit and I liked her a whole lot. And we dated for about three years in college. And when we got out of college, we got married in May of 2009.   And so that was kind of where life began to speed up a lot at that point. But that was the first time I'll never forget those moments. And then there's other things throughout.   But I remember seeing her in the parking lot like that girl.   Laura Dugger: (5:31 - 5:43) So, I love that. And OK, so married in 2009 and then children came a little while later. So how many children did you add to your family?   James Jetton: (5:44 - 6:28) Yeah, we have four kids. Our first child was born in 2013. So, after we got married, we lived back here in Niceville for a little bit but then ended up moving.   She wanted to go to PA school, and I was working a job I didn't care too much for. So, I was like, how quickly can we go to school? And so, we moved to West Tennessee where she went to PA school.   And I ended up going to school there, too, because she studied all the time, and I was bored. And I was like, I guess I should do something productive as well. So that was 2009 and we had a lot of fun.   We love to travel, did a lot of fun things. And then in 2013, we had our first child, Laken.   Laura Dugger: (6:28 - 6:39) And then if you fast forward, life took an unexpected twist in 2016. So, will you catch us up on your discoveries that year?   James Jetton: (6:40 - 13:07) Yeah. So, we, you know, so we had Laken in 2013. Then, we had another part of our - we did have a miscarriage between Laken and Isla who was born in 2015. But then we had Hattie who was born in 2016.   And Hattie's our child with special needs. And she was born in - all of our pregnancies where we used to joke with people that could have babies and just bounce right back and have these beautiful, wonderful pregnancies. And they loved it.   That was not us. Every single one of our pregnancies brought some challenge within it. And so with Hattie, my wife started swelling a lot and kind of found out she had some clotting in her legs.   And so, we ended up having to induce labor for her with that happening. And, you know, when she my wife was also a PA in the ER. So, she understood medical things way better than I did.   I was kind of oblivious to a lot of things. So, she would probably say it was a little bit more scary than I realized it was when she was giving birth. But when Hattie came, like in some accounts, it just kind of seemed normal.   But she was having some trouble breathing. And so, she was in our hospital. In order to go to the NICU, you have to kind of get transferred out to a smaller hospital.   And so, they were keeping her under observation that night. And her breathing wasn't really getting a whole lot better. And they did x-rays and stuff like that, but couldn't really find much.   And then there was a morning where we were about ready to load up and send her to the NICU. And Kaetlin went and held her. And when she went and held her, she started breathing better.   And she calmed down. And it was kind of crazy. It was genuinely like the love of a mother.   Just like this connection seemed to just calm Hattie down. But we ended up finding out later, one of the nurses was amazing. And was like, I think that she has a broken collarbone.   They didn't see it on the x-ray at first because of the way her chin was turned. And so, when they went back and looked, they did another one. And sure enough, she did have a broken collarbone.   So, at the time, we kind of thought that was kind of the reason for her distressed breathing and that sort of thing. And she had trouble latching and sucking. And what we kind of came to find out later is she had what would be called hypotonia.   Which is basically where the best way to describe it in layman's terms is like a floppy baby. Like you hold her up and everything just kind of flops. And I remember Kaitlyn going to her four-month appointment.   And her being very concerned like, “Hey, Hattie's not meeting milestones. And I think that this isn't going to be a good appointment”. And sure enough, the doctor agreed.   We've always had amazing doctors around us. And so, he agreed. And so, we got referred to neurology.   And another just cool story about how God just provides. One of my best friends growing up, his dad was a neurologist in Birmingham. And so, I called him.   And he's like, all right, I got it. You're going to be here next Thursday. I'm like, oh, okay.   When we were kind of told like it's going to be like three or four months before we can even get you into a neurologist. And so, like God just kind of provided that. And we started that journey of trying to figure out what's going on.   And anyone who's ever had a special needs child, especially when you don't know what it is. Because there was nothing we could have done to foresee this happening. What Hattie had was called DeNovo, like just completely her.   Didn't come from me. Didn't come from Kaylin. And there's no other kids with special needs in our family.   It was just something we couldn't have expected or planned or could have even seen or anything like that. And so just kind of going through a lot of different doctors and tests and eventually getting referred to Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. Because at the time they thought it might be a neuromuscular thing.   And so, from there, they're like, oh, we don't think that's what it is. But then we ran a whole bunch of genetic panels. And like you're just going through all of that.   It definitely there's waves, right? Like it's like you want an answer, but at some level you're afraid of the answer. So, like each time we would do testing stuff before nothing would ever come back.   And so, it was like a relief. Okay, well, good. It's not that one.   Okay. Not that one. But then you're still like, well, what is it?   And so, after we went to Baltimore, they did much more extensive genetic testing. We found out she had this genetic disorder, or syndrome is what they're calling it now called GNV1. And it's crazy rare.   Like at the time, there were only 64 known cases. It was discovered in 2016. So, there's chances that there's other kids out there with it.   I think now there's a little over 100 that they know of. We're part of like a Facebook group where there's some of them in there. And so that's what we got the diagnosis for Hattie.   And so, what that means, I guess, probably no one knows what GNV1 is. Not even doctors. We go to doctors like, oh, can you tell us what this is?   We'll do our best. But it just starts out as hypotonia and global delay, which means every aspect of her is delayed from speech to gross and fine motor movements and all that kind of stuff. And also like with kids with special needs, it doesn't seem to affect any one of them the exact same way.   And so, but the thing about Hattie is like she has an infectious smile. She has this joy that is unreal. Like anybody that meets her just can't get enough of her.   And that is true in so many ways. Hattie uses a wheelchair to get around and Hattie's expressive language. So, her ways to communicate is behind.   But she understands everything. I mean, everything, which is pretty amazing, is my understanding. Not all the kids have that ability to receive and understand things as well as she does.   But she is an absolute joy. We used to always say and still do that Hattie's going to change the world. And we know the fact she's changed my world for sure.   And we know she's changed many others. But yeah, I could keep going on and on. But where we are today, like genuinely that she is a purpose and a reason why I've got to get up every single day.   Yeah. So, she's pretty amazing. Like I'm just yeah, I could go on and on about her.   Laura Dugger: (13:08 - 18:15) I think you described her so well with an infectious smile and joy is the word that comes to mind when you see her. Yeah. And now a brief message from our sponsors.   I want to say thank you to our longtime sponsor Chick-fil-A East Peoria. I hope that you've already downloaded the Chick-fil-A app. Because did you know that with the app you can skip the line and have food ready for you when you arrive?   This is one of my favorite options when I'm taking my four daughters to Chick-fil-A East Peoria. Download the Chick-fil-A app today and start earning points toward free rewards that are fully customized to your preferences and tastes. Chick-fil-A was named as one of Glassdoor's best places to work in the nation.   That's a huge honor. And one team member even wrote, no comparison. This is a great job for a first job, extra money or for career advancement.   Such a loving environment, great management and fair pay. Chick-fil-A believes that the local and involved ownership ensures fostering an environment where you are known, challenged and cared for. So, if you're looking for a wonderful place to work, visit Chick-fil-A East Peoria or fill out an application online today at cfaeastpeoria.com.   Are you utilizing Savvy Sauce Charities to full capacity? Other than our special Patreon re-release episodes, our content is now available in video form in addition to our audio only. And we have written transcriptions for every episode.   Visit our website today, thesavvysauce.com, to access all these forms of interviews. And while you're there, make sure you sign up for our email list to receive encouragement, questions and recommended resources about once a month to promote your own practical chats for intentional living. I also want to remind you about the financial side of Savvy Sauce Charities.   As you know, we recently became a non-profit, which means all your financial support is now tax deductible. There are multiple ways to give and we would be so honored if you would share your financial support with us so that we can continue producing free content that is accessible to the general public. Your money will go to support creatively getting the gospel message of Jesus Christ to the nations as we continue to share the good news on every episode.   And I say this is reaching the nations because The Savvy Sauce podcast is downloaded in all 50 United States as well as over 100 countries around the world. Your financial support also supports practical needs such as aiding our team to continue producing helpful content that is practical and uplifting and always pointing to Jesus. Your financial support furthermore will help us continue to expand our reach and secure future projects we have planned for this ministry.   If your ears are hearing this message right now, I am specifically asking you to give. We are so grateful for any amount and our team will continue to seek to be good stewards of the gifts offered to us. So, if you want to write a check or set up an ongoing payment with your bank that delivers a check to us each month, this is the most beneficial way to give because no percentages are taken out for processing fees.   You can make your checkout to: Savvy Sauce Charities, P.O. Box 101, Roanoke, Illinois, 61561. Additionally, with our new website, we now have a donate button. There are processing fees that we cover for these donations, but we wanted to offer listeners a seamless way to share their finances with us when we share our content with them.   So just visit thesavvysauce.com and find the donate page under the tab support. Another way to find it is simply type in donate to the search bar on our website and just click the first picture shown. We are all about sharing around here, sharing resources, sharing joy, and sharing the good news about Jesus Christ.   We ask that you also will share by sharing financially, sharing The Savvy Sauce podcast episodes, and sharing a five-star rating and review. You can also share any of our social media posts on Instagram or Facebook. We are grateful for all of it, and we just love partnering together with you. Now, back to the show.    In a different season, when many of us were in the midst of changing schedules and suddenly homeschooling our children in May of 2020, your family was receiving even more news. So, will you share that with us now as well?   James Jetton: (18:16 - 22:36) Yeah. We did have our fourth kid, Ryder. He was born in 2018, and he is a wild man.   My wife and I used to always say, or people would tell us, you'll know when you're done. But we had him, and we were like, okay, we're broke. We're done.   No more. But he's awesome. But yeah, the move forward to then, you know, that COVID stuff was really hard.   It was really hard. I was working for a church, and I do sports and rec ministry, and also I was doing student ministry at the time. And so, for me personally, like, things just kind of got shut down.   No one was doing sports leagues, and student ministry looked weirder than ever. And then my wife, she was working in the emergency room as a PA, and so she was facing everything head on. And so, I guess that kind of started in March.   It's funny, just to kind of back up a little bit. We felt prior to that, probably February or March of that 2020, when things were kind of like exploding, we just felt the Lord doing something in our lives. We felt like He was preparing us for something.   We felt like it was going to be something just amazing. But then as we moved forward to try to understand what God is doing, what He was telling us, in May, my 4-year-old, she had her preschool graduation. And I'll never forget this day.   My wife was a go-getter. She's tough. She's strong.   And we had a super weird COVID graduation for Isla, my 4-year-old. And it was weird because it was a drive-through graduation, so we had to get up there early and go do it. So, my wife also, she would do work night shifts so that she could be home with the kids when I couldn't be there.   And so, it wasn't uncommon for her to have to sleep in some. But this was like she hadn't worked the night before, and she hadn't worked. And so, we'd been off for two days, but she was just so exhausted.   She had this terrible headache that morning. And for her to say, like, I can't go to the graduation, that was like, there's something significant here. And I told her, like, she had gone to the doctor about a week before and got on some antibiotics, but it wasn't doing anything.   And I was just like, hey, I think it's time to go back to the doctor because you're not any better. And I've got to take these kids to this graduation. So, I loaded up all the kids.   We went to the drive-through graduation. While I was there, she called and said that her sister was going to take her to the emergency room. So that was a long day.   At that time, COVID was full on, so she couldn't have visitors. No one could come in with her. She had to be dropped off and go inside.   One huge plus in that for our specific situation is that she was taken to her own emergency room. So, she still had her friends and what she would call family there as well. And so, she dropped her off.   My sister-in-law dropped her off and just kind of waited in the parking lot until we figured out what was going on. So, it kind of went throughout that whole day. And I remember that night, the school was doing another virtual graduation where they showed pictures and that sort of thing.   And she texted me and said, I need to talk to you now. I was like, okay, like right now? Because I'm home alone with all four of the kids.   She's like, yeah, and I need you to get away from the kids. I was like, this doesn't sound good. What could this be?   And so, we FaceTimed, and that's where she told me they think I have leukemia. And so then as things started speeding up, we sent out a message to our church asking for prayers. From there, I put the kids to bed.   I drove to Pensacola. She got transferred to Pensacola, and we started treatment there for leukemia. So that was what happened.   That was the big moment in May. And then from there, there's a whole lot more. And so, I'll share as you wish.   Laura Dugger: (22:37 - 22:54) Wow. Thank you for catching us up to that point, James. I can't even imagine the initial devastation that comes.   And as your journey unfolds, I remember seeing a post about leaving your light on.   James Jetton: (22:54 - 24:24) Yeah. Like I said earlier, my wife always did the night shift. And so, I always left the light on for her when she was at work and then turned it off when she came home.   And so, yeah, so early on, I said that I'm not turning the light off until you come home. And so, during that time, the first treatment, it doesn't seem like a lot now because she was in the hospital so much. We didn't know how long she'd be in there.   But the first initial treatment, they're like, you're going to be in for three weeks. And so, I knew that she wouldn't be home for three weeks. And I guess this is me just kind of realizing that was a long time for the kids.   I remember talking to a friend of mine who was leading a small group of high school boys. And I remember him telling them, like, how hard do you think it would be if your mom was gone for three weeks? I was like, yeah, it's not easy.   But so. So, yeah, so that was that was the reason. Just like my wife, one, she was a light in the midst of all the darkness that she was having to face.   And I just wanted to make a point that like, hey, we're leaving this light on for you until you come home. And in a lot of respects, you know, she did go home. Long, long story.   But, yeah, that that was the reason for the light.   Laura Dugger: (24:25 - 24:34) So, well, and the way that you describe her, it sounds like our mutual friend April said her joy was just out of this world.   James Jetton: (24:34 - 24:36) Yeah, that's true.   Laura Dugger: (24:36 - 24:49) It sounds like maybe the both of you share that, but you were not entering into a joyful season. So, what did the next few months and year even look like?   James Jetton: (24:49 - 30:47) Yeah. So initially, when things went down, my wife and I agreed that we would not let our kids lose both their parents. And so, I tried to make it a point to be home at night.   So, when we were in Pensacola, like I would stay with her some nights, but I would also be home at night to put the kids to bed or I would put the kids to bed and I'd drive over that night and come back in the morning or be with her during the day. Like, you know, it was just crazy stuff. One, you know, it happened at the end of the school year.   So, we have all the kids at home. We didn't get to send them off to school. We were blessed to have an amazing college student.   It was one of Kaetlin's girls that she got to mentor when she was in high school. She was an amazing girl. She decided she would be like our nanny that summer.   And so, she was with our kids all day, every day. So, I could go and be with Kaetlin during the day and come home at night. And so, we went through that.   We were here and we did the treatment in Pensacola. It didn't work. And so, the next step at that point was like, well, what are we doing now?   And on a Thursday, the doctor was like, I think we need to go to MD Anderson. We'll see if there's a spot. And then on a Friday, they had a spot.   And then on Monday, we were in Houston at MD Anderson. I went to MD Anderson with her. You know, COVID protocol there still.   I could only be with her for 14 days and inpatient. And then I had to leave as an inpatient. So, I can only go with her for 14 days in that initial time.   And so, we went there. She started a treatment plan. We found an apartment.   And then I left. And then her dad came. And her dad was huge in a lot of this stuff and was able to allow us to do things like me and be with the kids.   And so, I think I stayed there for 10 days. And then he came over to stay with Kaetlin to take her back and forth to the hospital, just receiving treatment. And then I came home, and I came back to Niceville.   And that was during the summer. July, we were at home. We stayed in Niceville just kind of waiting to see, like, is Kaet going to be there longer?   Or is she going to be coming back here? And that was a wild summer. And this is what I think I would tell a lot of people that are going through hard things.   Like just because you're going through hard things doesn't mean there's other hard things. They're just a part of life. And, you know, when you have four kids, stuff happens.   You know, like we had one of my daughters, Isla, she had to have eye surgery that summer. While Kaet was in Houston. So that was an interesting thing.   My four-year-old son, he busted his head open on the back of a step going outside. So, he had to have some stitches in his head. He's the second that has had stitches in our family.   And he was the youngest. So, then the treatment, the goal was to get her to a place where she could do a bone marrow transplant. And so, we got, they got her to that point.   Her leukemia cell counts were low enough that we're ready to do a bone marrow transplant. And at that point, you know, we decided we're going to move to Houston. Everything was virtual at that time.   And I just couldn't see any reason why we couldn't all be together in Houston. And so, we found an apartment, we hunkered down. It's a two-bedroom apartment.   We built some makeshift bunk beds. And so, we moved there in August. And the community we have here was unreal.   The support that we have. Like I didn't, we didn't have to make a meal for, I felt like six months, I think. Like it was just crazy.   And people were allowing it and giving us money. So, we didn't have to worry about these kinds of things and what we're doing. And from moving packing boxes, like, I mean, I can't, it's just unfathomable.   All the different things that were put in place for us to do, to do what we did. And I don't think it would have happened without the community that came around us and our church here was great, but I've got to see The Big-C Church. And, and, and it was, it was amazing.   And so, we ended up, we all moved to Houston, and we lived in a two-bedroom apartment. Part of that story is like, you know, it's like, all right, we're doing this. And then talk about kids.   My four-year-old, the one that had also had the eye surgery, she had broken her ankle on a scooter. Like a week before we're going, it was like, are you kidding me? How is this happening right now?   But we had some great friends like, you know, when your wife is involved in the middle of the medical world, it makes access to doctors and stuff a lot easier when you're in a small town, like we are. So, they got it taken care of, got her in a cast. I was like, yeah, but we can't return with this hard cast.   We're going to Houston. He's like, all right, we'll get her in a hard cast. And we'll put her in a boot for the rest of the time.   So, we moved there. And you know, the dreams of like riding scooters around downtown Houston and doing all this kind of stuff kind of went away a little bit with the kid. And so, he, but there was a pool there.   So, we went swimming, she could swim. And so, we, we just made the best of what we had. Like we, we had a lot of good memories in that little apartment, even though it was, it was tough.   I remember, we, Halloween wasn't too long ago. We had our own little Halloween party in that apartment where we all dressed up, even Kaet. Cause she ended up getting her bone marrow transplant that time.   And another aspect of where dad was so important is when you get in the bone marrow transplant, you cannot leave, and you can have one guest. And so, her dad came and he stayed with her. It was about 30 days of bone marrow transplant.   And so, he was there with her so I could be with the kids, doing the best I can with that virtual school and, and managing Ryder and Hattie in the midst of trying to do school work with the kids. It's nothing I ever want to go back to.   Laura Dugger: (30:48 - 31:03) Well, and not to mention you appreciate The Big-C Church, but Houston was not your long-term community. So, being here in this new place and all of these transitions, what were the results of her bone marrow transplant?   James Jetton: (31:04 - 40:17) Yeah. So, the bone marrow transplant, it ended up working. She went into remission and so we get to come home Thanksgiving of 2020.   We came home and that was awesome. It was like a huge homecoming. Finally got back home.   She's, she's in remission. We felt like we'd beaten this. We, you know, we got that Christmas here and we were back home.   We even, our family always loves to go, has always gone to North Carolina for vacation every year. And we didn't get to do that. But so, it was like, now we're going.   And so, in January we're like, all right, we're going kids. It was just me and the kids and Kaet and we wanted to go see snow. So, we went up there and we found a place to stay.   It was an awesome trip. Loved it so much. We, when we had to check out of our place, we found another house so we could stay in for a few more days.   And so, you know, at that time though, when we were doing that, she was kind of having these red bumps kind of popping up over her. We didn't really know what it was. It could have been a reaction.   We couldn't figure it out. Saw some doctors here locally. No one could really figure out what it was.   And I think fast forward, what we found out probably, I think it was February. She came out of remission and that was kind of the beginning signs of her coming out of remission. And so that's where, life sped up.   Like, I mean, if it wasn't already fast, it was, it was just unreal. It was like a whirlwind like it was because she had to fly to Houston to go and see her doctors. And so, she was in Houston by herself when she found out that she had come out of remission, and they were going to start immediately.   So, she stays, and she flies over on Friday and on Monday they got her back doing her treatment. And so, and I was like, well, it looks like we're moving to Houston. And I was like, but this time we're not staying in a two-bedroom apartment.   It's like we're going to make this a little bit more manageable for us. So, we had some great family. Kaetlin actually had a cousin who lived in Houston.   We found a house inside their neighborhood that we could rent. And this was, you know, more, more provision that he just continued to show. We found this house in like a week and we had people from our community boxing up everything in our house.   He's gotten a truck, and we thought that we'd all get everything in one truck. But we didn't get everything in one truck. We'd even hired the movers to load up the truck.   They couldn't get it all in there. So, I was like, y'all told me that it would all fit on this truck, but now it's not. And it's Friday at like 5 p.m. when we were supposed to leave tonight. So, we're not leaving. But my brother came down. I had another one of my best friends come down and they were like, we got to go, we're going to make this happen.   So that next morning, I'm not kidding. When there was like 20 to 30 guys in my house, a brother had gotten the truck. I hadn't even, they left early to go with the truck.   I'd come. And I was at the house with the kids at a friend's house. And when me and the kids showed up, these 30 guys had already loaded up the truck and we were ready to go.   Guy came and dropped off a big spread of McDonald's for everybody. We prayed over us and we headed out that morning. And so, it was just, I mean, just crazy that, you know, in one week we packed up a four-bedroom house, loaded up two trucks and drove to Houston and we're now unloading at a new house in Houston.   And, and that's where we were for a while. That was where Kaetlin, then we went back into the treatment more aggressively trying to get her back to remission. And so that was, when we moved there in March of 2021.   And that was kind of our place for a while. We actually thought we'd be there for a real long time. Kids had started school there, trying our best to get connected community there, but it's difficult, especially when you've come from a place where you feel so connected and then you're moving somewhere new where you don't really know anybody.   And then you're moving there in a time where the whole town shut down. It was tough, but we got the kids back in school. We tried to start getting them back into normalcy of life.   And there's all these new trials when you're going through this stuff every day, it seems like there's a new trial. MD Anderson is amazing. They treat each patient. It's like an individual.   So, every plan they have is just specifically for that patient. And so, they were going to try to do this CAR T-cell treatment. So, we'd kind of gone through the whole summer, and then we get to the point where she's going to do her CAR T-cell treatment.   Now, you know, we, we were hunkered down with this COVID stuff. Like we didn't, we didn't do much. We got really good at DoorDash and grocery delivery.   And we, you know, we masked up everywhere we could because Kaetlin's system was so immuno-compromised and we had done what we had thought was a very good job of keeping her safe, keeping everyone safe. Well, and then she got to the point where she was ready to start this new trial with CAR T-cell treatment. And she gets admitted that night and every time they go in and they give her a COVID test, well, that night she had COVID.   And it was, it was like, what? And she didn't feel bad. Her dad had gotten it too.   Like we, and I, so I remember getting that, it was like one o'clock in the morning. I was asleep. I remember it like blowing up my phone.   And I was like, I didn't realize it until later. And I talked to her. And that was definitely a tough conversation because she had to like get moved, packed up and moved out and moved to a different place and then treatment for the COVID stuff.   But the crazy part was, and it was kind of, you know, I wanted to get frustrated about things I could, but like, she had zero symptoms and she had just tested positive. And so, the next morning we all had to go get tested. And it was just the weirdest thing.   I know that COVID has been so devastating to so many people. But in that moment for us, it was like, we don't like, I was like, I ran nine miles yesterday and now I'm positive for COVID. I don't.   And so, but what it did was it kicked her out of the trial that she was on. And so, then she had to come home. The next process was just kind of getting her ready for that same thing.   Basically, what her doctor did was like, I'm not taking out, you're going to get kicked off the trial, but I'm just going to make you my own individual patient. We're going to do it that way. And so, we had some, we had some pretty high hopes for this.   Doctor seemed pretty optimistic about this plan. And so, we had been renting our house in, in Niceville. And with this new plan, I would have had Kaetlin there for like three years.   And so, we were like, you know, do we really want to rent our house anymore? It's like, no, we don't. All right, well let's sell our house.   So, we sold our house, and it sold in like less than 24 hours. And it's like $25,000 over asking price. It was like, well, okay, God, I feel like that's what we're supposed to do.   And so, she went in to get that treatment. And, and, uh, unfortunately, uh, we found out that didn't work. Uh, it was like, well, she can't remember coming home and saying like, well, I'm ready.   I want to go back home. I was like, what? We just sold our house.   We don't have a home right now. But God always makes a way and you always provide always. Um, and so we, you know, I was like, all right, we want to go home.   We're going to go home. And at first I was being very logical. I was like, well, let's let the kids finish out the semester.   Cause this was like around Halloween is when she realized it didn't work and we're going to come home. So, we were able to come home. We had some amazingly generous friends who they got us a private flight to come home for that Halloween.   And I guess when we were there, um, that's where we really just decided we need to be back. And, and so she, when we went back to talk to her doctors about managing her leukemia remotely. And so that was what the plan was.   So we, we moved back that Thanksgiving, uh, with all of our stuff and we were looking for a place to stay. It was actually kind of a fun month. We were living on the beach for a couple months or really from Thanksgiving to right before Christmas.   We had some pretty awesome things come available. We were able to live in a house on the beach. And so that was, that was mine and my wife's always kind of like a special place.   And so, we love the water, and we love the beach. And so that was an awesome place for us to be. And so, uh, coming back, it was tough.   She was getting out of the hospital a lot just with fevers and stuff like that. And then we got to have Christmas here that December. And then January 9th of this past year, she, she, uh, eventually passed away.   We weren't expecting, I mean, we knew that there would be an end, but I don't think we could have expected it to, um, happen then. And I think we kind of thought we'd have a little bit more time, but we didn't, but we were thankful. I'm thankful for my wife.   It was like we got to get back now because we knew that when an issue did pass that we needed to be in our hometown and not in Houston, where our community was much smaller.   Laura Dugger: (40:18 - 40:27) So, yeah. And so, you're together, you're celebrating Christmas. And then things suddenly turned unexpectedly.   James Jetton: (40:28 - 40:28) Yeah.   Laura Dugger: (40:28 - 40:31) And that led to losing her on January 9th.   James Jetton: (40:32 - 44:59) Yeah. You know, nothing really happened like, you know, in that leukemia world. And you know, a lot of cancers that give you like, you know, a prognosis like, you have three months, you have four months full, but blood cancer is very different.   And it kind of exacts you and, and there's no way to really know for sure, like, is this going to work or how long do we have and that sort of thing. And she was just in and out of the hospital so much. When we came back home, when you have leukemia, anytime you have a fever above a hundred point four, it's like you're immediately going to the doctor.   And so that's kind of how, you know, when she went in, like, there's still kind of an expectation that she would come home. But then those last few days, like, I just, I vividly remember as we're trying to figure out what to do, we're going to, are we going to go to a new treatment plan or we're going to try something else? Or, or is this kind of the end?   And her doctor here, he said, there was a plan that we possibly could have done, but he was like, they're saying this got a success rate of like, whatever, nine of 10 people went into remission with it. He's like, but when you look closer, they were only in remission for four weeks. And he was like, is this what we want to do?   Cause chemo just, it wipes you out. And it's like, there's no way to continue to live like this. But she, Kaetlin, she was, she just had a way of bringing a peace over everybody.   She had a way of like knowing exactly what everyone needed, I guess, in some respects. Cause I remember leaving the day we decided we would not do the treatment plan. And I came home, like I said, I always try to be home to put my kids to bed.   She said that the night before it kind of, she went downhill fast. She got up and walked around the hospital with her dad and told her dad like, “Hey, I think I'm going to do, I think I'm going to do it. I'm going to do the treatment plan.”   You know, I've talked to him about this, but I feel like that was almost like the piece he needed to go home. You know, when she passed, it was like, it was beautiful. Like it was, it was such a blessing that she was in her home hospital and that the doors, it was like a revolving door.   I remember Kaetlin told me once, she said, “when I pass or when I'm in the last days, don't tell anyone that they can't come see me.” And so, we were trying to figure out how we're going to do this. And I was like, well, she said that anybody who wants to come see me, let them come see me.   And so, we put a word out and there was like a revolving door of people just coming in and out of the room all day. Like the doctors, the ER told the front desk people, like, you know, technically, I guess you're only supposed to have like two visitors or something because of the COVID things. And she was like, anybody that comes in and says they want to see Kaetlin Jetton, you say, “Go on up”.   So it was, it was pretty awesome seeing all these people come in and see her. And we had already gotten to see the impact that she had made on so many people's lives for the past couple of years, but it was cool to see them all there doing that. And I remember the night she passed, I leaned over, I was heading home and two of my best friends since the ninth grade had come down and they were at the house with the kids and I was coming home to put the kids to bed.   And I leaned over and gave her a kiss and I said, don't wait on me. It's like, it's okay. It's time to go home.   And sure enough, that's, I left that night and I got a phone call about 11 from her dad and she had passed and that, and I think that, you know, in some respects, it's like, should I have been there? I was like, but I think that also was like, no, Kaet wanted you to be with your two guys. And Kayla knew that her family would be there with her.   And she did exactly what she wanted to do. You know, she always had a plan even from her like celebration service. She had everything written out.   Who's going to speak, what songs are playing, when are we doing this? And so it was, it was, you know, it was pretty cool seeing how many people just came in and out and how she just kind of felt like she knew what she was doing, even up in the last days. So.   Laura Dugger: (45:00 - 45:55) Do you love The Savvy Sauce? Do you gain anything when you listen? Did you know that the two ways we earn money to keep this podcast live is through generous contributions from listeners and from our paying sponsors.   That means we can promote your business and you're still supporting The Savvy Sauce. It's a win-win. Please email us today at info@thesavvysauce.com to inquire about pricing for sponsoring each episode. Thank you for your consideration.    Well, James, your perspective is incredible. And yet I'm so sorry, such a deep loss for your whole family.   And what is life like now for all of your family these days? Cause it's still very recent. And I'm wondering if grief still comes up at unexpected times.   James Jetton: (45:56 - 50:49) Yeah. You know, it's, you know, it's a day-to-day thing, I believe. I don't, and grief is certainly something that sometimes you don't see it coming.   And I'll say, I love bragging on this community. I love bragging on this town so much. So, my kids, they're all in school, you know, and I'm bragging on my kids too.   After she passed, the kids got to stay home for a couple of weeks, but then it was time to go back to school. My two girls go to one school where actually Kaetlin went to school from kindergarten all through. So, I felt like that was a very special thing for her and the kids could go to the same school that their mom went to.   But then Hattie goes to a different school because of her special needs. And then Ryder goes to a different school. He's in preschool.   And so, after she passed, like, so it was complicated in the sense of, I've got to get Hattie to school at 7:30. I've got to get Lincoln out of school by like 8:45 and then Ryder can go in before 9:00 a.m. So, I would usually drop him off on the way. But I say, I'd say like, what does life look like?   Well, after she passed, I knew like, how am I going to make this work? And that semester, there was somebody in my house every morning at 7:00 a.m. to sit with the kids, help with breakfast, and help finish getting them ready while I could take Hattie to school at 7:30. And then I would come back home and after they finished getting ready, then I would take them to school. So, I had someone in my house every morning at 7:00 a.m. after she passed, which was, you know, they were doing it for the kids, but they were doing it for me too. I knew that I couldn't just lay in my bed and let people just come on in and take care of my kids. Like I had to get up, take a shower, look like I'm somewhat presentable and go on. And that's kind of how that last semester was, just community and people with meals and then through all that, trying to get them engaged, get them back into doing some things that they love to do.   And yeah, I like to brag on my kids in a lot of ways, this perspective kind of dawned on me in the past couple of weeks of like, I sent them back into a new school where they know very many people. Everybody knows them. Not everyone.   I don't know everybody. And they had to go and do that a few weeks after their mom passed. Here I am trying to stay away from people and not have a whole bunch of conversations, but yet the kids are stepping up and doing their thing.   And man, it's just, it's pretty inspiring when I think of it in that respect as well. Nowadays we are blessed that we get to have a nanny and it's, that's a whole cool story in itself. And that she worked with me in student ministry, and I'd actually left to go be a nanny for some other people in Nashville.   And I was texting her trying to figure out, “Hey, I need some help. You got any friends down here that want to be a nanny? Cause it's hard to find.”   And she's like, “Actually, I would love to come back and do it.” And that was just a huge blessing. Cause it was like, at the time of us having all these new things, I was able to be able to have somebody that the kids already knew come in and be there.   And so, she helps in so many ways and allows the kids to do their tennis and their soccer and gymnastics or whatever it may be. And it allows me to get to, coach them and be a part of that, those aspects of life, which I love doing so much. And so, she's really helped.   So, in our day to day now, like it, it's a lot of moving pieces. I mean, just last week, we got to go to a widower's retreat and there was never a worry, never worry about who's taking care of the kids, that they're getting to where they need to be. So, it's a genuine, like I get to see how a village truly takes care of the kids.   And yes, there are days and it's hard. And some days it just kind of sucks and it sucks for them. It sucks for me.   But I have gotten to see how God still shows out through the difficult moments and how he still provides no matter how far away I am or how close I am. He still continually provides. And I know that, and I know that he will not let us down.   It's one day at a time. And as we approach these new seasons, there's always new seasons. You talk about grief and things pop up.   I think that holidays will bring up stuff they already have in some respects and my wife, you know, she was a medical professional. So, when kids get sick, it's different now. We go to the doctor more often because mom's not here to take care of them and call in medicine.   But I think that we do sense a void in that when kids are sick and that sort of thing. But, today, like things are okay. We're doing all right.   Laura Dugger: (50:50 - 51:07) Well, and James, you were a journalism major and you're a very gifted writer. So where would you direct us to get to read more about your family and stay current and hopefully find ways that we can further support you?   James Jetton: (51:08 - 52:18) Well, my wife and I, we started a blog called Our Hands Go Up, and it's OurHandsGoUp.com. And that's formed out of, started with Hattie. That's where the blog started because Hattie, we talked about that joy that she has, but our hands will always go up.   Like her hands go up all the time and it just seems so appropriate. And the picture of hands going up, there's so many things that go to that with our praise to God, our vulnerability and our sides. And there's just a lot that comes through that anyway.   But yeah, Kaetlin started writing on that and I wrote some in that. She spearheaded it because she's way more organized and detailed than I am. So, it looks a lot prettier than what I would have done, but here recently, like I've felt a calling to bring it back and revitalize it.   So as of right now, like there's, my wife wrote a lot, and she still has writings that she never shared with anybody. So, I've started revitalizing it by sharing some of her writings, but I will be writing in there as well. So that would probably be a good place or even, and then my, just my social media, James Jetton, you can always see some crazy stories of my kids.   Laura Dugger: (52:21 - 52:34) Oh, wonderful. We will link to both of those in our show notes. And are there any practical needs that you do have at this time or any specific prayer requests you would like to share with us?   James Jetton: (52:35 - 53:26) You know, I think the specific prayer requests are just for me and for my kids. So, things are going to look different for them for sure. And I know there's going to be some hard moments.   So, I guess the prayer would just be, you know, provision as God's always provided. And, you know, when I say that, I don't just talk about it in like a material way, but like He seems to provide us with feelings, emotions, people, support, all of that. And so just provision for my kids and just encouragement and support for them as we've kind of walked through these, these new firsts for the kids and, and that it will just, they will still have, find the joy that we always talk about choosing and, and that my wife did so well that we will continue to find that joy through these more difficult days ahead for sure.   Laura Dugger: (53:26 - 53:58) Yes, Lord may it be so. Well, James, you clearly just have so much wisdom to share and I appreciate you walking through so much of your personal journey. And I know that you also do have a lighthearted personality and we're going to end on a lighter note because you may know that we're called The Savvy Sauce because Savvy is synonymous with practical knowledge.   And so, as my final question for you today, what is your Savvy Sauce?   James Jetton: (54:01 - 54:51) You know, my Savvy Sauce, it's just, it's one day at a time. I think that we get overwhelmed with, you know, I joke with people, like it's a stupid joke. But hey, if God wanted to give us more than one day at a time, He would. So, we only get one day, and He doesn't give us two days at one time.   You know, just taking things as they come one day at a time. We all have our goals. We all have our plans, our dreams and aspirations, but leaving space for the Holy Spirit and how God moves is critical.   And when you're walking through grief and you're walking through hard stuff, like thinking about too much out there in front of you can be debilitating. And so just focus on what your next step, just take one more step. We can always take one more step.   And so just kind of day at a time and just take one more step.   Laura Dugger: (54:52 - 55:08) James, thank you for your faithfulness to Kaet, your faithfulness to our Lord, your faithfulness to your children. And we will all be praying for each of you in this coming season and beyond. And just really grateful for you being my guest today.   James Jetton: (55:09 - 55:26) Well, I'm really grateful to be here. This is great. I'm thankful for the chance to just share her story and share our story.   I feel God has just moved and worked through us in so many amazing ways. And anytime I can get a chance to share how God has moved and worked, I'm thankful. So, thank you for having me.   Laura Dugger: (55:26 - 58:42) It's been an honor. One more thing before you go. Have you heard the term gospel before?   It simply means good news. And I want to share the best news with you. But it starts with the bad news.   Every single one of us were born sinners, but Christ desires to rescue us from our sin, which is something we cannot do for ourselves. This means there is absolutely no chance we can make it to heaven on our own. So, for you and for me, it means we deserve death and we can never pay back the sacrifice we owe to be saved.   We need a savior. But God loved us so much, he made a way for his only son to willingly die in our place as the perfect substitute. This gives us hope of life forever in right relationship with him.   That is good news. Jesus lived the perfect life we could never live and died in our place for our sin. This was God's plan to make a way to reconcile with us so that God can look at us and see Jesus.   We can be covered and justified through the work Jesus finished if we choose to receive what He has done for us. Romans 10:9 says, “That if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” So, would you pray with me now?   Heavenly Father, thank you for sending Jesus to take our place. I pray someone today right now is touched and chooses to turn their life over to you. Will you clearly guide them and help them take their next step in faith to declare you as Lord of their life?   We trust you to work and change lives now for eternity. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.   If you prayed that prayer, you are declaring him for me, so me for him. You get the opportunity to live your life for him. And at this podcast, we're called The Savvy Sauce for a reason.   We want to give you practical tools to implement the knowledge you have learned. So, you ready to get started? First, tell someone.   Say it out loud. Get a Bible. The first day I made this decision, my parents took me to Barnes & Noble and let me choose my own Bible.   I selected the Quest NIV Bible and I love it. You can start by reading the book of John. Also, get connected locally, which just means tell someone who's a part of a church in your community that you made a decision to follow Christ.   I'm assuming they will be thrilled to talk with you about further steps, such as going to church and getting connected to other believers to encourage you. We wa

The trial for a Texas man accused of murdering a Houston couple and their 6-year-old daughter, got underway with a surprise Xavier Davis, 32, entered a guilty plea to capital murder charges in the deaths Gregory Carhee, 35, Donyavia Lagway, 29, and the couple's 6-year-old daughter Harmony . Police say Davis forced his way into the family's apartment, shooting the couple in front of three of their children. A 10-year-old girl, shot in the arm, played dead, as the killer Facetimed an accomplice. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens when two of our top coaches stop coaching—and step into the Alpha Reset as participants? That's exactly what Mike and Neil did. In this episode, they open up about the resistance that came up before the Reset, what it took to drop the ego, and what it really means to lead from the front—not just for others, but for themselves. Mike shares the moment he FaceTimed his wife right after it ended. She just stared at him, smiling. “You look different,” she said. “I like this Mike.” That moment? That was the result. Right there. Neil's story is quieter—but just as powerful. He didn't come home and give a big speech. He didn't have to. His son just felt it. The calm. The shift. The safety. No words needed. In this episode, you'll hear: What it looks like when high-level coaches stop leading and start doing the deeper work Why emotional safety is a game-changer—for your marriage and your kids The real reason so many men blame their wives (hint: it's not about her) How showing up differently creates a ripple effect across your entire home This isn't about theory. It's about doing the work—especially when no one's watching. __________ Hungry for more? Head over to our Bonus page for special access to some of the deeper tactics and techniques we've developed at The Powerful Man.

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11-22-24 Morning Rush - Brianna Chickenfry Facetimed With Zach Bryan's Ex! & My New Favorite Netflix XMas Movie & Russia's Ominous Message Russians have sent another clear sign they are ready to escalate war, what does this mean for us? Also, the missing american who faked his own death has been found, all those details, the new Jon benet documentary is on netflix, her father discusses wanting to finally move on after 25 years of mystery surrounding her death,yesterday we had AI Jesus and today its AI umpires, and Brianna Chickenfry reveals she FaceTimed with Zach Bryan's ex, exchanging notes amongst the chaos. go to patreon.com/daveneal for more bonus content!

Lauren joins us today from Australia sharing her two Cesarean stories and her surprise unassisted HBA2C story! Lauren's first birth was a crash Cesarean under general anesthesia at 40+1 due to nonreassuring fetal heart tones. Her second birth was a TOLAC going into spontaneous labor at 40+3 under the midwifery model of care. She labored naturally, had an artificial rupture of membranes at 6 centimeters, baby was posterior, and didn't descend. She pushed for an hour then had a spinal given to help baby manually rotate. Lauren's birth ended in a CBAC which she later learned included a special scar along with the diagnosis of CPD (Cephalopelvic Disproportion). Two years later, Lauren was vigorously planning for a VBA2C. She had her birth team picked out and was ready to go to the hospital for when baby would come at what she thought would be 40 weeks again or later. At 38 weeks and 2 days, her husband went on a work trip 3 hours away and her mom, who was planning on caring for her boys during the birth, was an hour away on a day trip. Lauren's labor began in the evening while she was alone with her two boys and ramped up extremely fast. With the help of her doula and paramedics supervising, Lauren labored and gave birth to her baby on the bathroom floor in just 2 hours from start to finish!Needed WebsiteHow to VBAC: The Ultimate Prep Course for ParentsFull Transcript under Episode Details Meagan: Hello, Women of Strength. You guys, we have another story coming from Australia for you today. We just recently had an Australian mama and I love our Australian episodes because I cannot get enough of your accent. I love listening to you guys. We're so excited. We have our friend, Lauren, and we have our little baby. Lauren: Yes. Little Wren's awake and joining us. Meagan: It's 11:00 PM there so she stayed up extra late to record with us today. We are going to get into her stories. You guys, she had two C-sections. Lauren: Yes, two Cesareans. Meagan: And then a surprise. I feel like you really had very unique things. You had an OB and you were under general– Lauren: For my first. Meagan: Then you were with midwifery care and then a surprise which you are going to be sharing here in a second. You guys, I'm really excited to hear her stories. We do have a Review of the Week and it's called, “So Grateful I Found This Podcast” by shinefortheworldtosee. It says, “After having an emergency C-section last year, I struggled with all of these displaced emotions. Here I was so grateful for my healthy baby but I found myself feeling hurt like I had something taken from me that I struggled finding a safe place to share and it felt as if no one around me had ever experienced the same thing I did. This podcast and group of women are my safe place. I am expecting baby number two and am so, so grateful for the empowerment that those stories told here have given me. I am so excited to try for a VBAC this time and the more I learn here, the more confident I become.“Thank you from the bottom of my heart for making this podcast.” You are so welcome. I love this podcast so much. I love all of the stories. I love the empowerment, the encouragement, the education, and also, I'm a big person who relates. I love relating. I think it brings validation to my heart when I can relate to someone because like this listener said, she felt alone. She didn't have anybody else in her space and this space is so amazing because even if it's a different outcome or there are different parts of the story, there are usually little blurbs of each story that you can truly relate to. Thank you so much for your review, shinefortheworldtosee. As always, if you haven't yet, please leave us a review. We are always so grateful for them. Meagan: Okay, cute Lauren. Oh my gosh. Thank you so much for staying up way late because by the time we are done recording this, it's going to be midnight. Oh my goodness. Oh my gosh, thank you. Lauren: That's okay. I got the time and said, “Oh, it is late,” but I was so excited anyway. I just can't wait. With that review, I was thinking the exact same thing. I remember when I found the podcast, I can't even remember. I was trying to think how it popped up. I didn't even know VBAC was a thing after my first birth. I just remember listening to it and so much of it resonated. I could relate to those little bits. It was like I was meant to hear it. I just had that strong feeling when I started listening to the podcast. I'd be crying in the car and it was just so powerful. It definitely was life-changing when I found the podcast. Huge. I feel like there are so many situations where you've never met them ever in your life. Sometimes we don't even know where they are at and it feels like they are literally sitting on the phone talking to you. Lauren: Speaking to you, yes. Meagan: Speaking to you. Yes. Lauren: Yes, exactly. I felt it. I was just like, This is what I'm supposed to be listening to at this exact time because it was speaking directly to me. It is so special what you have created. I think there is a podcast now in Australia for VBAC but there was never anything before and I would just eat them up. I'd be waiting every week for the podcast because I would be–Meagan: Is it Ashley's? Lauren: There's that one. I think I've listened to her podcast with you actually. There's the “Australian VBAC Stories” as well. They are only maybe up to 8 or 10 episodes so they are quite fresh. Meagan: Yay. Lauren: I just love all VBAC stories. I could listen to them all day. Meagan: Absolutely. Well, let's get going on sharing yours. Lauren: Yes. Okay, so my first birth was– I got pregnant in 2017. We've got three little ones now. Nate was our first baby. We had private health insurance. A few of our friends had gone private. Some of them had gone public. Some had Cesareans. Some had natural births. I hadn't really had a plan of what I wanted to do. I always knew I wanted to have children but I hadn't really given much thought to the pregnancy or the way of birth or anything like that. We just signed up with a private OB. I think from our GP, you get a referral then you start seeing them from about 16-20 weeks. You get all the regular scans. Everything was really straightforward. We were really fortunate with our pregnancy. We found out we were having a boy. We found out in– I think I've written it down– January. I had morning sickness for the first 3 months then I had a bit of Vitamin D deficiency so I had to take supplements throughout the pregnancy for that. I had a growth scan around 36 weeks. Now, I obviously know after doing a lot of research that there's no real need for it and it's just something to give them ammunition to schedule the big baby and the scan actually came back that he was measuring fine. I was like, “Yep, that's good.” Being a first-time mum, I was so excited to see him on the ultrasound anyway. Meagan: That's what I was going to say. I feel like they get you especially for first-time moms but really in general because it's so fun to see our baby. Yeah. Lauren: Of course I want to see him. Definitely. Meagan: We get in there and they're like, “We'll do this plus you'll get to see your baby.” You're like, “Well, I haven't seen my baby since 20 weeks, so okay. I'll do that.” Lauren: And you don't know any different so you're just like, “Yep, that seems fine.” I think we even did a gender reveal and I think my husband's cousin mentioned something about her friend doing Hypnobirthing. I remember I just wasn't in the right place to hear that at the time. I'm like, I wish I would have listened but it just wasn't meant for me at that time. I took maternity leave. I had 4 weeks off because I thought, Whoa, from 36 weeks the baby could really come any time. Looking back, I know 40 weeks is not even your due date. It could be any time, anywhere. Meagan: Estimated. Estimated. Lauren: A guess date I've heard a lot of people refer to it. And first-time moms tend to go over the 40 weeks so it's not uncommon. I remember it being such a mind game toward the end when I was getting closer to the due date. I think my OB offered me a stretch and sweep around 38-39 weeks and I was like, “Yep. I'm ready. I'm over it. Anything that we can do to get the baby.” I didn't really think of it as being an intervention. I didn't really know what the word intervention was at that time. I do remember her saying to me afterward something like, “Oh, I hope we're still friends after this,” after she did it. Meagan: Oh. Lauren: I was like, “Oh, that's a funny thing to say.” Then yeah. I think it was around 39 weeks and there was nothing. It didn't get anything moving. I was just automatically booked in for an induction at 40 + 1 for postdates which is not even near postdates but I was just like, “Yep, great.” I think like you said before, being a first-time mom, I was just ready to see my baby and over it so I was like, “Yep. That's great and exciting.” We got booked in. When I went back through my records, I saw on my induction paperwork that it even said, “Small mummy and postdates,” because I was small apparently. Meagan: Nuh-uh. Lauren: Yeah. I'm quite short. But they were already preempting that I probably wouldn't be able to anyway. We went in. I think we got admitted at 7:00 in the evening. We got ready to do a CTG monitoring and just an initial assessment. When we got in, they said I was having uterine activity but I couldn't feel anything. It was showing on the monitor I was having some Braxton Hicks or some contractions. They were concerned that the baby wasn't really reacting very well to that at the time so they called the OB who just happened to continue with the induction. They did a vaginal assessment and I think I wasn't obviously at anything. They did another CTG for the fetal heart rate and it had gone down, I think, to 90 BPM and had recovered within 2 minutes with a change of position and it had come back to what they were happy with. About an hour after that, they did an intravenous drip in and they did another exam. I was 1 centimeter and my cervix was posterior so obviously, I wasn't anywhere near ready. I think maybe half an hour after that, there was another decel and it said, with pointless uterine activity. It wasn't doing anything, but there was something. Then the OB was asked to come in for that. Obviously, the baby wasn't doing very well when I wasn't really even in active labor and they were a bit concerned with that thinking he wouldn't be able to tolerate full-blown labor at that point. So then it was 9:00– so two hours after we got there– when the OB was in the room. They did an ultrasound and were able to determine that I had a calcified placenta and a pocket full of fluid. There was discussion around maybe booking in for a Cesarean just because of the nonreassuring CTG they were having. I awfully now remember feeling a sense of relief and being like, “Oh, good. I don't have to go through labor and all of that,” because I think probably admitting to myself, I was a little bit scared about the whole labor because I hadn't done any preparation or any planning. The only thing we had done was the antenatal appointment– what's the word? The antenatal class at the hospital where they go through it. After we left, my husband was like, “That all sounds awful.” It was just really interventions and how to get the baby out. He was like, “None of those options sound good.” When they said “Cesarean”, I was like, “Oh, perfect. That will be great.” I think at 9:30, we got prepared to go to theater. My husband got in a gown. My mum had actually just arrived into the hospital so it was all exciting. We were going to meet the baby. This was at 9:30. We didn't know it at the time, but there were a few alarms going on outside our room and there were a few people milling around. I don't know. I don't think that was related to us. We got wheeled out on the bed to go to theater and then all of a sudden, Josh disappears and they were rushing us to the theater room. I was like, “What's happening?” I'll never forget. I remember– I don't know who was pushing me, but he said to me, “I don't think you understand. Your baby needs to come out right now.” We just thought we were going in for a normal Cesarean. We didn't realize it was changed to a general anesthetic so I started getting upset. I said, “Can I just say goodbye to my husband?” They rushed him back. I quickly kissed him and said goodbye. He gave them his phone and we went into theater. I was sobbing at this point because I just didn't know what was happening. There was somebody putting a catheter. They were putting the general anesthetic in then I think my OB popped her head in. At least, I knew some sense of calm. She said, “It's me. I'm here. We're just going to get the baby out.” I remember I could see them prepping my stomach under the mirror and the anesthetist was lovely. He rubbed my cheek and said, “It's going to be okay. We're just going to get the baby.” That's it. That's all I remember and then I was gone. After that, I think at the time, I read back on the notes that it was 9:45. It got upgraded to an emergency call. I went under at 9:50 and he was born at 9:52 so it was very quick. He came out. He cried. He was fine. His APGARS were 9 which are healthy. Meagan: That's great, yeah. Lauren: So fine, yeah. I think he was 3,000 grams which is 6.8 pounds and the surgery was complete at 10:05 so it was super quick in and out. Meagan: Wow. Lauren: He went to Josh straightaway. Poor Josh was obviously just waiting and didn't know what was happening. They brought Nate out and he said, “Well, that's great, but where's Lauren? Where is she?” So then I didn't make it into recovery until 20 minutes later which I know is still really fortunate compared to what some people experience. It was really quick. When I came to, I was still sobbing I think it must have been because I went under crying. When I came out, I was in tears and I could just see Josh sitting on the bed next to me holding Nate. Instantly, I knew he was okay and he was fine. I was able to hold him and breastfeed him so I think from then on, everything was really quite lucky. We got in straightaway. I think we were in recovery maybe another 20 minutes and then we got taken to the ward. At the time, I don't think I really registered how full-on it was. I just had a healthy baby. I was okay. Postpartum was a beautiful experience. We were in the hospital, I think, for 5 days together because we were private. Josh got to stay with us. It was like a second honeymoon. We were in there. It was like a hotel where we were getting food. That side of it, I think, was just beautiful and I didn't really feel like I missed anything birth-wise at that point. That was it I guess with that. Then in 2019, we started thinking about having another baby. I hadn't really thought too much about a VBAC or what I would do. I guess I was like most people where you just are once a Cesarean, always a Cesarean and there wasn't another option. I really wish I could remember how I came across it because I can't remember at all, but I must have found your podcast and I remember listening to it even before I was pregnant. I was just like, I have to try and do this because I never got to experience any labor at all with Nate and then with this pregnancy, I really felt like I missed that and I wanted to have something. I wanted to go into labor and at least try and be given the chance. We were really fortunate and fell pregnant straightaway. That was in 2019 and I knew I wasn't going to be doing private obstetrician this time so I did a bit of research before I was even pregnant actually with a public hospital that had a midwifery program attached to it. You attended all of your appointments at a clinic and they had a VBAC-specific clinic then you birthed at the hospital. Meagan: That's awesome. Lauren: Yeah, but you have to apply straightaway. As soon as I got the positive, I filled out the application form and applied directly with them. I got accepted and I was like, If I'm going to go for this, this is going to give me my best chance to go and have a VBAC. I think, I can't remember how far along I was but I still went. The hospital we were going to is a half hour away but all the appointments with the midwives were only 10 minutes away. That was really good. I knew the drive was a half hour but it was going to be okay. I also had signed up to do the VBAC course with you guys. I got my handout for that and I ate it up. I love that. I went through it and was doing it at night time. After listening to the podcast, I also knew I wanted to do Hypnobirthing so I did Hypnobirthing around 7 or 8 months which was when COVID started to come into the picture. It wasn't around in Australia but it was happening. The course was supposed to be a group environment with a few classes. We ended up doing an online course which was actually really lovely because when Nate was asleep, Josh and I would sit in bed. We would do all of the Hypnobirthing courses, listen to the tracks, watch the videos, and then we had one in-house visit where we went through all of the positions and acupressure and things like that that I wanted for pain management during birth. That was really good then I think from 37 weeks, I started doing all of the things. I was doing raspberry leaf tea, eating Medjool dates, and sitting on the birth ball. In my head, I felt like I was really getting prepared in the best way possible. Now I know in my third birth, I thought I was but I wasn't as prepared as I probably could have been. I was still doing more than what I did for my first birth. I had one chiropractic appointment at 38 weeks to get everything balanced and aligned. I never had chiro before so that was all new to me. Then at 39 weeks, I had an acupuncture appointment. I had never done acupuncture before and I loved that. I felt that was really nice. I think it was just my hands and my ankles and then they just put the music on and I felt so relaxed. I really loved that. That was good. I remember when I went in, I said, “I hope I haven't left it at too late.” They said, “You're pretty much a first-time mom. You've never had labor. Your body has never been through that.” He did some statistics and he said to me that from 40-41 weeks was the average time. I remember with Nate, when I got to 40 weeks, I thought the baby was going to come any day so with this pregnancy, I pushed it out to 41 weeks. In my head, that was when my due date was. I don't know what I would have done if I got to 41 and I hadn't gone into labor but I had that I was going to 41 weeks. I had an online hospital tour. We couldn't go in to see it because of COVID then I had an online appointment at 39 weeks. When you have midwifery care, you still have to be signed off by an obstetrician in the hospital to give you the okay and run through all of the stats and everything. I was prepared to be up against an uphill battle when I went to that appointment. They were pretty supportive. They just talked about postdates, the risk of rupture, and things like that. I said I was comfortable going to 41 weeks and reassessing then so I think that was around 39-40 weeks and then we were rebooked in for 41 weeks if I hadn't gone in. So then I think I was 40– oh, sorry. I'm jumping around a bit. My due date was a week after Nate's second birthday so in my head, I just wanted to get to Nate's birthday and then the baby could come after. We had a little birthday celebration for Nate a few days before I went into labor. We were happy that was done then at 40+3, in the afternoon at about 4:00 I felt a few little tinges but obviously, I didn't know what anything was so I was thinking this might be it or this could be prodromal labor or Braxton Hicks. I just wasn't sure. I was like, well, I know from the podcast that I don't pay attention to it. I'm just going to go about my normal routine with Nate. I'll get dinner, do bathtime, all of those things, and try not to focus on it too much thinking it might either go away–Meagan: Or fizzle out. Lauren: Yeah. In my head, I'm like, It can take days. By 4:00 it started, then by 7:00, I was getting Nate ready for bed. He was in a cot at this stage. I remember taking a big breath in and slowly exhaling like in Hypnobirthing. I noticed I was having to do that as I put him to bed. I remember being so excited like, This is happening. My body was doing it naturally. I really wanted to try to not get induced if I could avoid it. I remember I really had to focus on my breathing. I was leaning on the bed with my knees on the floor leaning on my bed and just breathing and really trying to relax and listening to my Hypnobirthing tracks. The plan was my mum was going to come over and watch Nate if I went into labor at nighttime. I think it was around 10:00 and I think someone said from one of the podcasts as well to gauge the distance you need to go with how well you are managing and how well the drive is going to take if you're going to be okay. I called my mum to come. I was like, “I feel like I'm not struggling but it is ramping up a little bit.” I was like, “I don't know how much longer I can be at home and sitting in the car for a half hour to go.” She arrived. We called the midwives and we let them know we were going into hospital. My mum came and you could just see she was like, “Oh gosh.” She had me naturally. She had three naturals and then her fourth was a Cesarean. She couldn't understand why I wasn't trying for a Cesarean because I already had one and why would I not just have another one?Meagan: Why would you not just do that, yeah? Lauren: She came and I remember walking out of my room to the front and I had to stop a few times on the way and stand in the garage and just take a few breaths between each contraction. I went to go sit in the car. In my head, I thought I was going to be on my knees leaning over the chair. I just couldn't even fit down in that area so I was up against the back of the chair. Obviously, it was not comfortable but I was just thinking if anybody was driving on the freeway and looking, it would have been such a funny sight. I still had my podcast in and I was really focusing on breathing. Josh was just driving. He had never been to any of the appointments with me because of COVID. He hadn't been to the hospital so we were almost there and his navigation was doing funny things. I had to in the middle of labor try to direct him on how to get to the hospital. We pulled up and I just automatically went to where I would park for all of my appointments which wasn't in the front of the hospital. I went to get out of the car and I was like, “I can't walk to the front of the hospital,” so I had to get back in. We drove right to the front and then we went in and we had to get assessed for the COVID triage which was a real pain. We had to wait and do that before we could walk in and get triaged. I think we arrived at the hospital around 11:00. We got admitted at 11:00 at night and then we were triaged maybe at 11:30. By that stage, my contractions were every 3 minutes and lasting about 40-50 seconds. I had a vaginal exam and I was 4 centimeters. I remember just being so excited because I was already progressing. I was hoping I would be further along, but I was like, “4 centimeters is good.” I was 90% effaced and I was thin and soft so I was like, “Oh, that's good.” I think by midnight we had gone to the labor and delivery suite. They dimmed the lights per my request. I asked to go in the shower because I really wanted to be in the shower. They told me I had to wait until my midwife had come because she wasn't at the hospital. Meagan: They checked you and got everything assessed. Lauren: Yeah, so I had to wait. That was fine. I was at the stage. I was leaning on the bed swaying. Josh was doing a bit of acupressure on my back and I was really enjoying it at that time. My midwife got there at about 1:00. I was still coping well through it. By 1:30, I don't think it was my midwife. I think it was one of the hospital midwives who came in and assessed me again. I was at 6 centimeters and I was -2. There were a little bit of complicated decels on the CTG and momentarily in my head, I was like, Oh no, not again. It evened out and it was okay so I think it just must have been a bad reading because of the bulky monitors that they had to put on. They didn't have the mobile ones. It was the bands that you had to be attached to and monitoring. They suggested to artificially break my waters and I hadn't felt too much about that in my prep. I think I was just focused on going into labor naturally as opposed to actually being in labor. They asked to break my waters. I had gas for that and I remember getting on the bed to do that which I think was one of my first bad things because then I never got off the bed once I got on there to do that. I couldn't manage to get back off. I wish I would have known or asked to be helped to get taken off but I was just not in the position to get off the bed. I was stuck there. Yeah. I didn't remember this but when I read in my notes, they offered me a Cesarean at that point and I was like, “No. I'm trying for a VBAC,” so they said, “That's okay.” We tried repositioning some fluids and then the CTG was back to where they were happy with it. Then at about a half hour later, I was on my side. I felt a bit of pressure and my sound changed a little bit. I remember my midwife saying to me, “Oh Lauren, that sounded a bit pushy.” It felt a bit pushy so I was like, “Oh, that was really exciting.” That was at 2:00 and at 2:30 in the morning, they assessed me and I was fully dilated. I was so excited. They were seeing some complicated decels on the monitor. I think they said– do you know what the normal heart rate is? I've written them all down but they were saying it was 140 without a contraction and then they'd ask the registrar to come in the room so the registrar came in to see what the CTG was doing for progress and pushing. I had a bit of a funny moment. When I was doing the pushing, I was on gas. I must have taken a big inhale of the gas and my vision went dark. I couldn't see anything. I remember getting a bit scared at that point. I didn't know what was happening. I could hear everything and I could feel everything but I just couldn't see. I think it was just from inhaling the gas and the contraction and something. Meagan: It was just too much all at once. Lauren: Yeah. It was really scary but it was a one-off and it was fine after that. Then I think at 2:40, the ped was paged to come in and attend delivery so I think at this stage they still thought things were happening and we were going to have a baby vaginally. 5 minutes later, they gave me an in-dwelling catheter to drain my bladder in case that was creating a blockage for the baby to come down. Meagan: Which is actually something that does happen. Lauren: Yeah. Meagan: If baby is not coming down, sometimes it's urine blocking. Lauren: Yeah. They said, “Only 50mL came out so it wasn't a lot,” but I was like, well that was good. At least they tried that. They said the registrar did an IV and said that it was ROP so right occiput posterior so not in a great position and at my spine. They said there was some descent with pushing but not enough. I think that's when they decided to call to be transferred to theater. The plan was to have a spinal and try for some instrumental assistance to get the baby out. I think at that point, it was quite quick. It was quite intense and I was relieved. I didn't think I had it in me to push anymore so I agreed to go up to theater and have forceps or manual rotation to help assist the baby out. We got up to theater and I think they called them at 2:40. We got to theater at 3:20 so it wasn't that long of a wait but it felt like an eternity when my body was contracting and pushing and they were telling me not to push and just to pant through the contractions. I just remember it felt like a really long time. I will never forget that we got to theater. I had to sit up on the edge of the bed and the person trying to put my spinal in asked me to scoot up the bed. I was sitting there mid-contraction and I just remember looking at my midwife and I was like, “You'll just have to wait until after this contraction and then I can just move up for the spinal.” I got the spinal and they discussed the options of an episiotomy and using forceps to aid the baby. At that stage, I said, “Yep, whatever we need to do,” I would really like to try to get him out. They tried a manual rotation while pushing and his heart rate dropped to 93. They assessed the position and then maybe decided to do the forceps. They must have said that then changed to apply a vacuum because then they did a vacuum and they went to do the first pull and his heart rate dropped to 67. They did another pull and his heart was up at 133. Then a couple of minutes later, they decided to do forceps. They attempted to do the forceps. They applied them and his heart rate dropped to 86 then they reapplied to get a better position around his head and his heart rate again dropped to 75. The baby, even though he had changed position and was now facing– I think his head was facing my back which was OA and he was at a -1 station, they obviously thought he was just not in a great enough position to aid him out so they decided to convert to a Cesarean. I remember at that point, I didn't feel like it was a failure or I hadn't done it because they had given me every opportunity to try and I still got to experience so much more than I had with my first birth. Even though I still didn't end up with a vaginal birth, I got 95% of the way and I was still so happy and proud of my body for getting to that point. I was just like, if they couldn't even get him out with forceps, there was no way I was going to be able to do it. I was quite happy and content with the decision. They did say he had been down there quite a bit so he might come out not great. Because he was so far down, they did have to– and they did write the word “extract” him which I thought was quite an interesting term to use but the extraction was breech because he was so far low. He came out. His APGARs were 8/9. He was 7.4 pounds and a similar size in length to my first. I think we were there maybe for an hour or two in recovery. He fed straightaway and then we returned to the ward. On my notes, it said, “Repeat C-section due to failed TOLAC.” I was just like, I had that word “failed” but I understand that's the terminology they used. It says that about an hour later, we had a debrief. They came back into the room and went through all of the happenings and made sure I was okay with it all. They actually discussed any future deliveries and the recommendation for an elective Cesarean. I don't even remember that conversation. Meagan: Oh really? Lauren: Yeah. I don't even remember so when I went back through my notes, I was like, “Oh, that's interesting.” Then in the notes, it also says, “CPD?” I can't pronounce that word either. Cephalic Pelvic Dysproportion. They said that and then they also said there was a small extension to the upper midline of my Cesarean incision. I had my normal scar and then it obviously had come farther up and it said it was sutured separately on the uterus. I'm reading it in real-time now but I didn't realize that until my recent birth when I went back through my notes with my midwife. I was like, Well, that's really interesting. They obviously told me but I must have not registered that at the time. Then obviously we were in hospital due to COVID so Josh wasn't allowed to stay with us. An hour after his birth, he had to leave and being a Cesarean, I was in hospital for a few days and my other son, Nate, wasn't able to come in to visit us. I really missed out on us being a family of four for those first few days. Yeah. We got home. I think I was in there for two nights then we got discharged. They met us at the hospital and that drive home was really special. That was the first time they met was in the car driving home. We always knew we wanted a third but it was a lot, the transition to two, and we probably weren't ready straightaway. We gave it three years then when Call was two, we decided we would try again for baby number three. We fell pregnant really quickly with the first two so we just assumed that would happen this time and we were trying for a few months and it just didn't really happen. We were trying for 6 months and gave ourselves a bit of a breather and just let it take its natural course because we took the pressure off and then the both of us were saying before the boys were born a week apart in May and we found out we were pregnant with our third in between the middle of their birthdays. It was really special. May has always been a special month but yes, we had Nate's birthday. I found out we were pregnant then a few days later we had Call's birthday. So it was really special timing. I knew I wanted to try again. It would be our last baby. If I was going to have a natural birth, it would be this pregnancy. I went to go through the same model of care that I was with Call, but they had changed their practice. The midwife group that I went to no longer existed. It was the MGP so Midwifery Group Practice. They were based in the hospital this time so all of my appointments were in the hospital and they were VBAC-supportive. I think we went in and then you still have to have your OB appointments around 36 weeks and we didn't find out our gender with this one. We had the two boys and for our third, we weren't going to find out what we were having. I had the same sort of morning sickness with my third. I was a lot sicker this time. I knew this time I was going to have a student-midwife and a doula. I got a visit. Obviously, The VBAC Community group on Facebook, I posted in there and I also posted in a Western Australia VBAC support group there about recommendations for student-midwives and doulas. Then I spoke to a few of them and then obviously whoever I felt that connection with, I went with them. The doula– I did research doulas with Call, but I don't know why I didn't do it that time. I think that would have made a difference. I was like, this is the time I'm going to do it and I'm going to have a doula. We did that. I did a bit of a refresher for the Hypnobirthing as well. I met my doula at about 25 weeks and we sat. We met at a park and we just chatted for hours. She had a VBAC as well herself. Meagan: Oh, that's awesome. Lauren: Her second was a home birth and a surprise as well. She had a boy and then she had a surprise for her girl. So much was similar with our situations. I just felt like she was meant to be our doula. Yeah. So that was at 25 weeks and I think at 6 months, we had a suggestion of a fetal growth scan again which was the same and I was like, they were already preempting that but I was more prepared even if I went to that scan and it was a big baby that I would be okay with that. Then at 28 weeks, I did the normal blood test and the fasting for gestational diabetes. I didn't have it with the two boys and I had it this time around. That was a bit of a surprise. I didn't really know much about gestational diabetes. You have to do your three blood sugars after your fasting and the third one had to be under 8.5 and I was 8.5 so I was just on the cusp. I remember my midwife saying to me, “Who knows? If you had waited another 15 minutes before your blood test, you probably would have been fine.” Meagan: Yeah, it could have been lower. Lauren: I started snowballing with all of the things. I thought it was going to mean I was going to be induced for bigger babies and I didn't want to be induced. I had gone to 40 weeks with the boys so I didn't assume I would be having an early labor so I started really worrying about my chances of having a VBAC at that point. I did a lot of research and listened to podcasts with people who had gestational diabetes. I tried to get in a good headspace again. I just took it as a positive to eat healthier and watch what my weight gain and things like that this pregnancy. I had to check my blood sugar four times a day– after fasting in the morning first thing when you wake up, and then every two hours after a meal. I was able to manage it with just my diet which was really good so I didn't have to have insulin. Meagan: Insulin, yeah. That's awesome. Lauren: That was really good and then the diabetes, they were checking with me and I could change to testing every alternate day. Thankfully, I was able to manage it from that side but it just meant there was increased monitoring of the growth of the baby and my weight and things like that.I also had low iron which I never had with my first two pregnancies but this pregnancy was just a real curveball from the start. Yeah. So then at 29 weeks, I went in for my next appointment. I checked diabetes and everything was still fine. My youngest tested positive for COVID so that was a little bit of an interesting one. None of us got it which was really lucky so I didn't know how that would go being pregnant and getting COVID. I had noticed I started to lose a bit of my mucus plug which I've never experienced before and it was quite early but my midwife said, “That's fine. It doesn't mean anything. It can happen. It builds back up again.” But that was a bit different and exciting. Then I think at about 32 weeks was my appointment with my midwife and that was when we went through all of my previous births just as a debrief. Meagan: Op reports.Lauren: Yeah. That was a bit of an eye-opener because I think those things that we highlighted in Call's birth weren't really brought to my attention until this one. You could see as my midwife was reading it that she wasn't really aware of that either in the notes. It just said there was a sign of obstruction, a loss of station between the manual and the vacuum rotation, an inability to place the forceps, and an understanding of why the labor was abandoned and the vaginal birth. Then it says that a VBAC was not recommended. The midwives would still support me if I wanted to try for a VBAC after two and if I wanted an elective that they would support with that. I remember leaving feeling so disheartened. I was only 4 weeks away from my due date. I came home and I remember Josh and I talking it over and I was like, “Is it worth going through all of that over again just to get to that point of pushing and not being able to fit through my pelvis and being through a scary C-section again?” We went through all of our options and Josh was happy to support what I wanted but I was so torn. I didn't know but I kept coming back to a VBAC. I just didn't feel content with a Cesarean. I just said, “I'll never know if I don't try.” I spoke to my doula and I said that I was just frazzled. My head was all over the place. I had a good chat with her over the phone that stuck with me. She said, “Different baby, different birth.” Meagan: Absolutely. Lauren: I just kept saying that to myself. I think I listened to one of The VBAC Link podcasts and they said the same thing. It just was the right information that I needed to listen to at the time and the whole CPD with the pelvis. She said, “You don't even have an official diagnosis.” She said, “That's just somebody's opinion as to why they are saying that the baby didn't descend. He just wasn't in a great position.” She highlighted that they broke my waters at 6 centimeters before he even descended which maybe led to him being even more stuck. All of these things, and then I remember just trying to focus on positive VBAC stories and get my head in the right space so I was listening to lots of podcasts at this point and I was following a lot of Instagram pages about pelvic mobility. I didn't really do a lot of research about that with my first or my second pregnancies about your pelvic inlet, your pelvic outlet, internal and external rotation. This was all news to me and I really, really enjoyed that. It made sense that the pelvis is not rigid. It can move and I just kept visualizing that when I was trying to be positive toward this labor. I was doing a lot of exercises for only a couple of minutes at night before bed. I was doing a lot of window wipers where you lay back and rotate your knees from side to side, deep squats in the shower, I was doing a lot of lunges and just creating a lot of space and room that I felt like I could in my pelvis. I did a lot of visualization. I remember I just kept putting my hands between my legs and imagining feeling my baby's head. I don't know why I did that and it probably might seem a bit strange but I just really felt that and I was imagining going through labor and having that moment. Yeah. Meagan: It doesn't. Lauren: That was really quite powerful at that point to get back on the right track for having a VBAC. There were two other podcasts I was listening to which are Australian-based– The Great Birth Rebellion and that's really, really good, and The Midwife's Cauldron. They just question a lot of things that are expected or standard and not to question. I thought that was really good. One of the ladies who does The Midwife's Cauldron has a book called Reclaiming Childbirth as a Rite of Passage. I didn't get all the way through it but it was another thing like finding your podcast. It just really resonated with me and everything I read, I felt was meant for me. It was really, really powerful. The two Instagram pages that I followed were The Body Ready Method and they have little reels of exercises and things to do to get your body ready. Then I got to 35 weeks. We went through my last appointment and I was happy to go through with the VBAC and that they would support me. They advised of the standard guidelines of having an IV, CTG monitoring, and regular vaginal examinations. At 36 weeks, I had my OB appointment and I had my growth scan. The baby was in the 90th percentile. I thought I was going to have to say, “I know they can be inaccurate.” But the OB wasn't worried about that at all and he said, “Yep. Baby's size is fine.” He discussed the pros and cons. He pulled out graphs and figures and I was like, oh gosh. Here we go. He's going to tell me all of these problems. He was so pro-VBAC and supportive. He was from the UK and he said, “I came to Australia and I didn't realize what the problem with VBAC is.” They are so supportive in the UK with VBAC and the hospital I was going to has a 60% VBAC success rate which I was like, well that's pretty positive. I did my GBS screening and then he rebooked me in for 39 weeks. I'll never forget he said to me, “I'll see you at 39 weeks if you are still pregnant.” In my head, I was like, Of course, I'm still going to be pregnant because I went to 40 weeks with the boys so we will see you at 39 weeks and reassess.You don't have a set obstetrician either so you get whichever one is there. I was really hoping he would be at my next appointment and when I went into labor. At 37 weeks, we went on a little holiday down south. It was a big drive. We came back. I was having regular chiropractic appointments I should say. I had my chiro appointment when I got back. I had been sitting in the car and she mentioned that the baby was sitting asynclitic which is the head tilted. I thought, Oh no. I was so focused on getting the baby in a good position. She said, “It's probably because you were sitting for such a long time. It's no concern.” She realigned me and then gave me some pelvic tilt exercises to get into the right spot. Then on the 14th of January which was around 37, just before 38 weeks, we had a meet-up with my doula again just pre-birth to run through everything. She got to meet Josh and we left feeling really positive and excited and happy with everything. She was on call. I got to 38 weeks. I had an appointment on Thursday with my chiro and then on Friday, I was working from home. I still had another week. I was sitting on the exercise ball pretty much all day doing lots of circles and pelvic tilts. I had maybe one or two twinges and I was like, Oh, that's interesting. Nothing eventuated from that. Nothing through the night so I didn't really read too much into it. The next morning which was the 20th of January which was 38+2, Josh had to go down south for work which was a 3-hour drive away. A lot of people were like, “Oh, that's a bit dangerous.” I said, “Oh no, I'd rather he go now and be back for my due date.” I said that. I said, “I'd rather have you go now and be around for 40 weeks.” He headed off first thing Saturday morning. He did the drive. He did a full day's worth of work. It just was a normal day. At 4:30 in the afternoon, I got two boys in the car. We went to the shops. I had to do a bit of shopping for a birthday the next day. Then at 5:00, I do Click and Collect. I don't know if you have that but you do your grocery shopping. You pull up. They just put it in your boots and then you drive home. Meagan: Yes. We do have that. Grocery pickup is what we call it. Lauren: They came out from COVID and I just haven't stopped doing that. It's so handy with children. That was at 5:00. We did that. We got home. At about 7:00, I'm getting the boys ready for bed. They were in the bath. I was just tidying up a few things. I squatted down to pick a few things up and I had a bit of a leak. I was like, I just felt like I wet myself a little bit, but not a gush. Not anything. I had a pad on so it was just a little bit of water. I called Josh. I said, “I don't know if this is anything, but maybe just have an early night. If things do start to happen, you might have to drive home early in the morning to get back.” This was at 7:00 then at about a quarter past 7:00, I sent a photo to my friends because they were out. I was just at home. I bought a special birthing robe. I just for some reason put it on that night. I was sitting on the couch in my birthing robe. I took a photo and sent it to them completely oblivious of what was about to unfold. I got the boys in their pajamas and brushed their teeth. We were getting ready for bed and it was about just before 8:00 and I had a little bit of a cramp so I was like, Oh. It was really weird because with my previous birth, I didn't notice the contractions or take note of them for a long time. But at 7:55 was my first contraction and then 10 past 8:00 was my next one. I was like, Oh. That's weird. It was 15 minutes later. The next one came 5 minutes later. I was like, That's weird. The next one was 4 minutes. I was like, That's weird. I stopped writing them down. I was like, Obviously, I'm not writing them down properly. I must be doing something wrong because that just can't be right. During that, I must have gone to the toilet and there was a slight tinge of red in the bowl. I remember taking a photo of it being like, I'll just keep it. Meagan: Like some bloody show?Lauren: Yeah, but not a lot. Really faint in the water. I took a photo because I wasn't even sure if it was there. Then at about 8:20, I called Josh again and said, “Maybe start heading back because things might be happening. The contractions don't seem like they are slowing down but we will just see what happens in the next few hours but it's 3 hours so maybe start heading back.” I called my mum at that point as well. She was an hour up north. She never goes up there but she had just gone for a day trip so she was away as well. At that point, the boys were still awake and I couldn't get them. I wasn't capable of getting them into bed and doing all of that. I said, “Just pop on the couch,” and they were watching Bluey which is a TV show they love. They were watching that and I just hopped in the shower. It must have been 8:30 at that time and I called Megan, my doula. The plan was I was going to labor at home as long as possible and she was just going to meet us at the hospital. I called her and I just said, “Josh isn't here. My mum's not here. I'm alone with my boys. I'm going to try and put them to bed and focus and get into my breathing techniques and then I'll check in and touch base with how I'm going.”That was about 8:30 then 10-15 minutes after that, I jumped in the shower and things started to ramp up quite a bit. I was really upset because I was in the shower thinking that would be my mode of pain relief and it just was not. Meagan: Uh-huh or slow it down. Lauren: Yeah, I've heard that as well. If you hop in the shower, it will slow down if it's not the real thing. It did nothing and I was like, Oh no. This is not good. I remember thinking to myself, I just need to press pause. I just need to stop this because it can't be happening right now because I'm literally on my own. This is not how it was supposed to happen. I was in the shower and then I had a little bit of a bloody show in the shower and then at that point, I called my doula again. I was like, “I think you need to come over. I just need a little bit of support just to watch the boys.” In my head, I was still thinking I had hours to go. In my head, I was like, If you could just watch the boys until Josh gets here, then you can head home and we can give you a call when we head into hospital. At that point, I got out of the shower because it wasn't doing anything. The contractions started to feel different. It felt like I was having to bear down a little bit. I was like, Okay. But I still feel like I was oblivious because I just– it was so quick. In my head, it wasn't happening that fast. I remember thinking, When I get to the hospital, I'm not going to be able to do this all night. I'm going to get the epidural because it's too much. I got out of the shower and Megan had given me a TENS machine. I was like, that is in the bedroom. I'll get the TENS machine. I couldn't even make it to my bedroom to get my TENS machine. I was like, oh goodness. I put a nappy on and then I went and I sat down. I think I must have made it to the toilet so then I sat back on the toilet and that was a really comfortable, familiar place that I was sitting and I was sitting down there. That was really nice for the contractions to break through. My boys wouldn't have known what was going on. They kept coming in and checking and asking if I was okay. I said, “Yeah, mummy is fine. I think the baby is coming.” They knew something was going on because I was making some noises. My eldest was a little bit scared but he was okay and then I was sitting on the toilet and I remember I had locked the whole house up. We've got a side gate security door and a front door. I thought, Oh my god. When Megan arrives, she's not going to be able to get in. Nate found the keys for me and he gave them to me. He was so happy with himself that he gave me the keys and I managed through contractions to walk. It was probably 5 minutes to the front door and I only had a nappy on at this point. I was completely naked because I just got out of the shower and had a nappy on. I unlocked both doors. I was in a little side area and I thought, Goodness if anyone walks past and hears me and sees me– thankfully, it was late and nobody saw it but I don't know how I managed to do that. I got back in and I was on the toilet. I think that was around maybe 8:50 at that point when I had moved to the toilet. The light was off in the toilet and the hospital bag I had packed had lots of candles and LED lights to have to set the mood. In the boys' bathroom, I have one candle on which is just for their nightlight if they need to go to the toilet. That was the little nightlight that I had on in the toilet. That was actually quite nice to have a dark room with a little candle on. At this point, I'm sorry. I unlocked the door at about 9:00 and then it was 9:23 that my doula arrived. She came in and my eldest son, Nate, ran into the door and he was just so excited that somebody was there to help mum. He's like, “Mum's there. She's in the toilet.” I remember Megan coming in and she was so calm and she was so relaxed. She looked at me and she said, “Lauren, are you pushing?” I remember looking at her and I was like, “I think I'm pushing.” She just said, “Okay. I'm just going to call the ambulance.” She was on the phone and she was calling. I think in my head at this point, I still hadn't registered it was that sudden. I still just thought I was– Meagan: And this has been maybe 2 hours. Lauren: Yeah. 2 hours. You can push for hours so in my head, I was like, We've still got hours. We're fine. It was intense, but I was just so excited. Things were happening and it was all going. Then I don't know how we got to it but we called my neighbor to come over because my doula was trying to support me but then the boys were there. She said, “I just need somebody else to watch the boys.” My beautiful neighbor came over. We are friendly but not in the middle of birth naked friendly. She comes and the toilet is off the hallway so I remember her walking in and she's like, “Hi.” I was like, “Sorry, Adrienne.” I was pushing and she was walking off the hallway to sit with the boys on the couch. I was about to have a baby. It was so crazy. Yes. I think that was just about 9:30. Megan gave me some water and she was rubbing my back. She put a cold towel on my back and I was still sitting on the toilet at this point and my legs were quite shaky. I just felt a bit sweaty then I instinctively just got up to move to sit on my knees in the toilet and that toilet's not very big. You can put your arms up and hold the walls. I was on there on my knees. I had one leg up and I was rocking, circling my hips. I was doing all of the things and just instinctively. I didn't really notice that I was doing them. Then I think she had towels and she had pillows. She was still on the phone to the ambulance that were coming. I'll never forget. The guy on the phone was just like, “Put her on her back. She needs to be. Can you get her on her back? You need to be able to see.” They were asking her to tell them when I was having contractions. I remember we were looking and each other and I'm like, “He can hear when I'm having a contraction. I'm starting to make the noises.” Megan would just be like, “Now.” He could tell when I was having contractions. Obviously, he had a script to read off but it was so obvious when I was contracting and when I wasn't. The head wasn't there but I could feel bulging. I remember putting my hand down there and I was just so excited and happy. I was just so calm. I don't know how because none of it was planned. It was happening so quickly. I guess there was no time to really process it or even think about it or get scared about it. It was just happening. There were two paramedics that arrived. This was just before 10:00 at this point. I was there. I could feel bulging. There was still no head or anything yet. They came in and they turned the lights on in the toilet and I was like, “Oh no.” It was too bright. They turned it off. They looked at me and said, “Lauren, are you okay? Do you need anything?” I don't even know if I could speak. I just shook my head. In hindsight, we couldn't have gone. It was too late. We couldn't have gone anywhere anyway but they just stood back. They turned the light off and they literally just watched which was so special. They didn't interfere. They didn't try to take over. They just sort of let me go and I don't know how it happened but the doula gave the paramedics my phone and they recorded the birth. Meagan: Oh that's awesome. Lauren: Yeah, which was not planned. I guess it was so special because Josh was still an hour away. Meagan: Yeah, and your mom? Lauren: My mum wasn't there so at least they could see it. I'm so glad that they thought to do that and to record it. They were recording it and I was getting close. I remember in the video, you can hear me say, “I can't do this anymore.” Obviously, I was very, very close and I put my hand down. I was just saying, “Ow, ow, ow, ow,” because I could feel the stretch. I know people call it the ring of fire but I tried not to think of it like that. I tried to just visualize the stretching of everything. Then I could feel the baby's head and then I just remember sobbing because I was so happy. I could feel and I was saying, “Ow, ow, ow, ow,” and then her head– I didn't know it was her at the time, but her head sort of popped out through my contraction. You could just see my relief. I was so happy and she cried. Her head was out and she made two little cries. Meagan: She did? Lauren: I've never heard of that happening before. Meagan: I have never seen that ever.Lauren: Yeah, it was incredible. Even the doula was like, “What in the world?” I knew she was fine at that stage. I heard the little cries then it was maybe a minute before the next contraction then I was like, “She's coming out.” The doula had her hand under. She guided her head to me and then her shoulders and I just pulled her up to me. It was just– yeah. The look on my face. I just could not believe it. I had done it. I think I just kept saying, “Oh my god. Oh my god.” I just held her. I keep saying her but I held the baby. I just could not believe that she had come out just so quickly and so easily. I was so worried in the lead-up that the baby would get stuck or I wouldn't be able to get the baby out and none of that was even in my mind at that point. She just was there. I was holding her and it was the most incredible, special moment. Even now, even when I hold the top of her head, I always remember feeling her head coming out. Yeah. I don't even know if I'm doing it justice because it was just the most incredible feeling. I was holding her. Our neighbor brought the boys down so within the first minute, she's walking down the hallway and she had Nate and Call and they were both in the doorway of the toilet looking at me holding their little baby. My youngest sort of looked in and was like, “No.” He just walked away. It was all a bit much for him. Then my eldest walked straight in. Stuff was everywhere and he was so brave. He walked straight in and was like, “Mummy had the baby. The baby is here.” I said to him, “We don't know what it is. Do you want to have a look and see if it's a boy or a girl?” He looked down and I said, “Is there a vagina or a willy?” He looked down and the whole time he said he thought she was going to be a girl. He goes, “I think it's a girl.” He looked down and I don't know what he saw, but he said it was a boy. I was like, “Is it another boy?” He must have seen something that he thought looked like a willy. Meagan: Maybe an umbilical cord or something. Lauren: Yeah, maybe the cord or swelling but they get quite swollen so he might have thought it looked like little testes so he said, “It's a boy,” and Megan whispered something in his ear and in that split second, I was just like, Oh my gosh. It's not a boy. I'm like, “Is it a girl?” I just couldn't believe it. The fact that she was such a surprise, her birth, and the way she came, and then that she was a girl as well and then we were just sitting there in the toilet for so long and then we were like, “Oh, we'd better call Josh.” Megan was like, “I'll call Josh.” She said, “You need to pull over Josh. Can you pull over?” He was on the highway doing 110 to get back to us. He was like, “Okay.” So we FaceTimed him and I'm just sitting on the floor holding Wren on the toilet saying, “She's here. We had the baby.” He was so happy. He was still an hour away. My mum– I think we just sat in the toilet. My mum arrived 20 minutes after she was born. She just came and sat on the floor of the toilet with me. We just sat in there. She couldn't believe it. Then about maybe 40 minutes after, we walked up and I was able to sit in my own bed and I sat in the bed. They were sort of a bit worried about the placenta and things like that. I hadn't birthed the placenta yet. They asked if I wanted to cut the cord. I said that I wanted to leave it as long as possible until it goes white. We were hoping for Josh to come at that point so then I was sitting down. I stood up for a little bit and I remember my mum was in the bed with me and my doula was there. I said, “Oh, I'm so sorry. I think I need to do a number two.” Then she was like, “No, I think that's your placenta.” Meagan: Probably your placenta sitting in there. Lauren: The placenta came straight out and she caught it in one of my mixing bowls because we didn't have anything prepared. She stayed attached to that for a while. Because they had gestational diabetes, they had to do a heel prick on Wren. Her sugars were fine. Josh was still about an hour away. We didn't even have a capsule for the car so I hadn't picked up the capsule so we got transferred because she came so early. We got transferred to the hospital in the amublance and Josh met us there at 10:30. I should say she was born at 10:09 which was just pretty much 2 hours. Meagan: So 7:40-something to 10:09. Lauren: I remember the midwives when we got to the hospital were like, “Why didn't you know?” I was like, “I just had no idea that it was happening that suddenly.” Now looking back, obviously, the signs were all there but it wasn't happening that quickly in my head. We got to the hospital and Josh got to meet us at the entrance and it was so special. I just still could not believe that it had happened and I was on this high. I was just so incredibly happy. We went in and they just didn't know what to do with us. They didn't know to put us in labor and delivery or to take us to the maternity ward. We went to labor and delivery. They did all of the assessments. She was my biggest baby. She was 7.8 pounds so 3.5 kilos compared to the boys so it's quite funny that Call wasn't able to come out but she was able to come out. I think it was just positioning and I was relaxed. I was at home. I didn't have any interventions or anything played a huge part in it. They did an assessment. I think her APGARs were in the hospital but she was 10 and 10. She was perfect. They did assess me for a tear and I remember saying, “Oh, I don't think I teared,” because in my head if I had torn, I thought it would have been a painful feeling. I actually had a 2nd-degree tear which I didn't realize so I had to have some local anesthetic which was probably the most painful part of it all. It was excruciating. I had to have stitches for that and then just a superficial tear at the top. Josh actually went home at that point because we still had a few hours before we could get discharged. He drove 3 hours in the morning, worked the whole day, drove 3 hours, hadn't slept for 24 hours. I said, “You go to your parents. Have a quick sleep.” He came back. They did a few checks on Wren. She had to go to the special care nursery just for some monitoring really quickly because there was a difference on some of her monitoring with her heart rate. They did an echo which came back fine so there was no follow-up. It must have been a funny reading. They were all fine so I think we got discharged at about 9:00 the next morning. She was born at 10:00 at night. We went to the hospital at midnight. We left there at 9:00 in the morning and were back home literally within a few hours with the boys. It was just so surreal and so special compared to the other two birth experiences that I had. One, to be able to get up and walk around and just do things without being conscious of a scar and recovery and things like that and even when I walked in home– because my mum had stayed at home with the two boys, she said, “You don't even look like you just had a baby.” I just felt like I was on top of the world. It was such a different experience. I remember saying to her that obviously I didn't know what it was going to be like but now that I've experienced it, I can't imagine going through life never having experienced that and having birth that way. It was just so– I remember a few of the midwives looked at me as if I had planned to have a home birth and I was like, “Absolutely not. There was no way I would have planned it like that with no support, with nobody here.” Meagan: Yeah. You're like, I would not have planned to do that. Lauren: My boys didn't know anything about natural birth. I was going to the hospital to have a baby and coming back with their baby brother or sister. There was no way that I was– that was a bit funny. I was like, no. It was not planned. It was all very sudden. I remember my doula said to me in the coming days after Wren was born, “How special for Wren to have been born that way and then also for you

In this latest episode of the Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast, join host Sean V. Bradley as he unveils game-changing strategies designed to boost engagement and conversions in your dealership and the automotive industry! Originally tailored for Toyota, this presentation showcases methodologies and technologies that any dealership and automotive professional can leverage to increase engagement, heighten the customer experience, and ultimately sell more cars! Sean begins by emphasizing the importance of diversifying communication channels, including AI, text messaging, video, and social media DMs, to outshine competitors and meet modern customer expectations. He highlights data from Podium, showing how incorporating AI-driven responses can significantly enhance engagement rates with near-instantaneous, highly detailed, and professional replies to customer inquiries. Tune in to discover how you can transform your dealership's approach to customer communication and stand out in the competitive automotive market!   Key Takeaways Utilize AI for Customer Interaction: AI and conversational AI can drastically reduce response times and increase the quality of initial customer interactions. Diversify Communication Methods: Beyond traditional phone and email, explore text messaging, video emails, video conferencing, social media DMs, and even memes and GIFs to maintain customer engagement. Invest in Text Messaging: Customers have a 98% open rate for text messages, with 95% of texts being opened within three minutes, making it a highly effective communication tool. Video Emails for Engagement: Implementing video emails post-engagement can enhance customer connection and increase appointment show rates by 75%. Creative Personalization: Tactics including memes, GIFs, handwritten notes, e-cards, and even gifts can personalize and humanize customer interactions, setting a dealership apart from its competitors.     About Sean V. Bradley: Sean V. Bradley, CSP is an entrepreneur, published best-selling author, speaker and award-winning international trainer. He is a 17-time NADA/ATD convention speaker, FranklinCovey Certified Facilitator and has earned the coveted “CSP” designation in the National Speakers Association. Sean is also a member of the elite “Million Dollar Speakers Group” in the NSA and a state association speaker and trainer. He has spoken at over 500 NCM and NADA 20 Groups. Sean started Dealer Synergy over 20 years ago, but has been in the automotive industry for over 25 years. Sean and his Dealer Synergy team are a 16-time Dealers' Choice Award Winner for being the “Best of the Best Internet Sales Trainer” and “Mobile Media Provider” in the Automotive Sales Industry.  Sean has personally trained over 100,000 Automotive Sales Professionals in 3,900 unique rooftops. However, he literally influences hundreds of thousands of professionals, in and out of the Automotive Sales industry, all over the world, through: his over 4,000 published articles, his best-selling book “Win the Game of Googleopoly”, over 9,500 videos published online, and through Radio Station soundwaves by Hosting the globally recognized Against All Odds Radio Show currently airing in Washington DC, Atlanta, Cleveland, Rochester, and Los Angeles, and the 'internet buzzing' Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast reaching over 1 million downloads! Additionally, Sean is the creator of the Millionaire Car Salesman Facebook Group, with a membership count of 28,500+ automotive professionals. Resources: Podium: Discover how Podium's innovative AI technology can unlock unparalleled efficiency and drive your dealership's sales to new heights. Visit www.podium.com/mcs to learn more! Dealer Synergy & Bradley On Demand: The automotive industry's #1 training, tracking, testing, and certification platform and consulting & accountability firm. The Millionaire Car Salesman Facebook Group: Join the #1 Mastermind Group in the Automotive Industry! With over 28,000 members, gain access to successful automotive mentors & managers, the best industry practices, & collaborate with automotive professionals from around the WORLD! Join The Millionaire Car Salesman Facebook Group today! Win the Game of Googleopoly: Unlocking the secret strategy of search engines.     The Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast is Proudly Sponsored By: Podium: Elevating Dealership Excellence with Intelligent Customer Engagement Solutions. Unlock unparalleled efficiency and drive sales with Podium's innovative AI technology, featured proudly on the Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast. Dealer Synergy: The #1 Automotive Sales Training, Consulting, and Accountability Firm in the industry! With over two decades of experience in building Internet Departments and BDCs, we have developed the most effective automotive Internet Sales, BDC, and CRM solutions. Our expertise in creating phone scripts, rebuttals, CRM action plans, strategies, and templates ensures that your dealership's tools and personnel reach their full potential. Bradley On Demand: The automotive sales industry's top Interactive Training, Tracking, Testing, and Certification Platform. Featuring LIVE Classes and over 9,000 training modules, our platform equips your dealership with everything needed to sell more cars, more often, and more profitably!     Mastering New Forms of Communication to Boost Engagement and Conversion in Auto Sales In today's competitive automotive sales landscape, leveraging innovative communication strategies is imperative for increasing engagement and conversion rates. During a dynamic presentation, Sean V. Bradley, the “Millionaire Car Salesman,” delved into emerging forms of communication designed to elevate dealership performance. This article encapsulates the key insights and provides a deep dive into the transformative potential of these strategies. Key Takeaways Speed to Lead: Utilizing advanced tools, especially AI, can ensure faster response times, increasing conversion rates significantly. Diverse Communication Mediums: Incorporating unconventional methods such as memes, GIFs, and video emails can stand out in the crowded marketplace. Technological Integration: Effective use of AI and automation streamlines processes, allowing for higher engagement without compromising personal touch.   Harnessing the Power of Conversational AI for Instant Engagement SEO Optimized Heading: The Impact of AI on Engagement and Conversion In the modern digital age, AI's role in customer communication is both revolutionary and essential. Sean Bradley emphasized the profound impact that conversational AI can have on engagement. He cited extensive data from Podium, demonstrating AI's brisk response capabilities. Bradley shared, “somebody just types in, hey, I'm looking for a black f 150. And bam. Within a minute. Something this detailed, this professional specific is done by artificial intelligence.” Artificial intelligence in dealership operations serves more than just an operational role; it becomes part of the sales strategy. By providing instant responses that are detailed and professional, AI frees up human resources to focus on more complex tasks, hence improving overall efficiency. AI tools process large data sets to generate precise and informative replies, meeting customer inquiries with unprecedented speed. Bradley noted, “AI enables machines to learn from experience and adapt to new inputs by analyzing large amounts of data and identifying patterns.” Embracing AI doesn't mean sidelining the human touch but augmenting it. AI can act as an "army of you," handling numerous inquiries simultaneously, thus ensuring no potential lead slips through the cracks.   Diversifying Communication Channels: Beyond Traditional Methods SEO Optimized Heading: Unconventional Communication Channels that Engage Exploring beyond traditional calls and emails, Bradley advocated for a diverse communication arsenal, including memes, GIFs, video emails, and even personalized text messages. These approaches cater to the ways modern consumers interact daily. Bradley acknowledged the challenge of gaining prospects' attention amid various dealership communications vying for their response. “The average dealership is not using Apple FaceTimes or memes or cash app or Venmo or animated gifs or things like that,” he remarked. This diversity is key to cutting through the noise and capturing consumers' interest through unexpected channels. For instance, incorporating memes can infuse humor into interactions, breaking the monotony of typical sales communications. An example shared was: “I have a very special set of skills to help you buy a brand new car.” Similarly, GIFs, with their visual and animated appeal, serve as an engaging way to relay messages and establish rapport, as seen with the Giphy.com resources Bradley recommended.   The Transformative Potential of Video Communication SEO Optimized Heading: Utilizing Video Emails and Calls for Higher Engagement In an era where visual content reigns supreme, Bradley underscored video communication's potency. Video emails, for instance, can significantly boost engagement rates. He mentioned, “video email increases read open rates up to 300%… once you've engaged, use video 100% of the time after engagement.” Video communication allows dealers to present a more personal touch, making interactions more memorable. By using video for appointment confirmations and follow-ups, dealerships can enhance the customer experience, making it more engaging and trustworthy. Bradley demonstrated this through examples of video email templates integrated into CRMs, showcasing their ease of use and impact. Moreover, leveraging Apple FaceTime, Skype, or Google Duo for live interactions offers a dynamic way to engage with prospects. Bradley justified this strategy, “People are not expecting to be FaceTimed or Skyped by a car salesman… you're really catching people way off guard.” This element of surprise can increase response rates and foster a more immediate connection.   Continuing Innovation and Personalized Customer Engagement Bradley's presentation highlighted the necessity of evolving beyond standard practices to thrive in automotive sales. By integrating AI for efficiency, leveraging diverse and unconventional communication mediums, and capitalizing on video technology's intimate appeal, dealerships can set themselves apart in a crowded market. The focus remains on engagement and conversion, with the primary goal being to create an enriched, responsive, and customer-centric sales environment. As Bradley articulated, “if you want the things that the average person doesn't have, you've got to be willing to do the things the average person isn't willing to do.” Incorporating these innovative strategies ensures dealerships not only stay abreast of technological advancements but also continually exceed customer expectations, driving sustained growth and success.  

Today was a parade Isabelle wanted to see, so, she saw it. I shopped. When I was done she FaceTimed with me (as you can see here). I've pretty much figured out how to keep the. grocery bill pretty steady, but it involves knowing how to cook. Isabelle's birthday was yesterday. She did some pretty cool stuff for her birthday. I remember the Shriner's parades as a kid with the guys on the little motorcycles and 15 guys in a VW Beetle and all of that.

Her boss accidentally FaceTimed her while he was "playing piano" with someone she suspected wasn't his wife. We helped her prove it was another woman with War of the Roses! Did she ever confront her boss after finding out the truth? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Has your child accidentally booty called someone late at night, or FaceTimed your boss in the wee hours of the morning? Cos, same. Same. In this week's theme of absolute calamity and chaos, Revz made an accidental order that proved rather expensive (and embarrassing), and then got borderline scammed in a consignment store. Gem is doing some serious soul searching (hello 7 year itch!) and it's leading her to some really interesting places - asking lots of curly questions of herself! Some very helpful / practical not spons, and lots of giggles on this loosey goosey one, DLs. Happy Tuesday! Not Spons: Revz: @the.foldie.official Gem: https://www.photoking.com/ If you want more of us in your week, you can subscribe to MORE TIME FOR THIS for more eps and giveaways all month long: Apple — https://apple.co/wedonthavetimeforthis Spotify — https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/moretimeforthis

What did we all collectively learn about Erick at Hoody's bachelor party? Join Intern John, Shelby Sos, Rose, Hoody, and Erick as we find out about what Erick does throughout the day that is weird and recap what went down this weekend! Plus an all NEW Asking For A Friend on sharing your location and a round of Anyone Listening Who! All that and more today with Intern John & Your Morning Show!Make sure to also keep up to date with ALL of our podcasts we do below that have new episodes every week:The Thought ShowerLet's Get WeirdCrisis on Infinite Podcasts

ONE OF OUR BEST EPISODES! Inside the Treehouse today: WFAA's Mariel Ruiz walks us through the solar eclipse, the most disgusting thing Dan has ever read, and Mount Everest attacks.Links:Texas total solar eclipse: Areas with longest times in totality | wfaa.comShocked doctor discovers 30-YEAR build-up of smegma under the foreskin of married man who was suffering agonising pain in his penis | Daily Mail OnlineDoctors warn about 'cheesy penis syndrome' that's often mistaken for an STD - Daily StarMount Everest climbers now must pick up their own poop as mountain mess festers (msn.com)British woman is gored through the leg by a yak while climbing Mount Everest as she Facetimed her family back in the UK | Daily Mail OnlineThe Treehouse WebsiteDallas Comedy Club – Comedy 5 nights a week! Improv, Standup, Sketch & Storytelling in Deep Ellum (Dallas) (dallas-comedyclub.com)Cook DFW Roofing & Restoration | Dallas, Fort Worth TX | Roofing Company Local Garland, TX Plumber | Brooks Plumbing, LTD. | Plumbing Installation & Repairs (brooksplumbingtexas.com) About the show: The Treehouse is a funny podcast. Leave your worries outside and join Dan O'Malley, Trey Trenholm, Raj Sharma, and their guests for laughs about current events, stupid news, and the comedy of their everyday lives. If it's stupid, it's in here.

“Listen to me, Edan. I'm here. I'm with you. I love you. Just protect yourself. Just be safe.” These were the last words Yael Alexander spoke to her then-19 year old son, Edan, on the morning of October 7, 2023. Edan, an IDF soldier stationed on the Gaza border, was later taken hostage by Hamas terrorists. Yael joins us from her New Jersey home to tell her story of pain, uncertainty, and anguish over the past 152 days. This week, as President Joe Biden delivers his State of the Union address, she will be among the 17 American families of hostages taken by Hamas into Gaza on October 7 that will be in attendance at the U.S. Capitol.  Visit AJC.org/BringThemHome to urge Congress to keep pressing for the release of the hostages. *The views and opinions expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views or position of AJC.  Episode Lineup:  (0:40) Yael Alexander Show Notes: Music Credits: Dramatic Piano and Strings by UNIVERSFIELD is licensed under a Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. More Analysis and Resources: Hostage Families Will Attend the State of the Union. Here's What to Know. Listen – People of the Pod on the Israel-Hamas War:  What It's Like to Be Jewish at Harvard Among Antisemites and Hamas Supporters When Antisemites Target Local Businesses: How Communities Are Uniting in Response How A 10/7 Survivor is Confronting Anti-Israel Activists on College Campuses Tal Shimony Survived the Hamas Attack on the Nova Music Festival: Hear Her Story of Courage, Resilience, and Remembrance Follow People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org If you've appreciated this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Transcript of Interview with Yael Alexander: Yael Alexander: I told him at the end of the call: ‘Listen to me, Edan. I'm here. I'm with you. I love you. Just protect yourself. Just be safe.' And that's it, we hang up. I didn't know I'm not gonna hear from him again. Manya Brachear Pashman: That's Yael Alexander, the mother of Edan Alexander, one of eight Americans still held hostage by Hamas inside Gaza. I recently visited the family's home in Tenafly, New Jersey, a small suburban town often dubbed Little Tel Aviv for its relatively large Israeli population.  Throughout the town, there are reminders of the deep connection between its residents, the Jewish state, and its ongoing war with Hamas. A billboard downtown featuring Edan's picture. A weekly walk for the hostages not yet home. A moment of silence at the start of every school day. Signs of support staked in front lawns. As of this recording on March 7, 2024, it has been 152 days since Yael spoke with her son Edan. Those days have been a constant whirlwind of meetings, trips, tours—all in an effort to bring him home.  Most recently, the family went to Israel for a painful look at where Edan was at the time of that last call. At the State of the Union address in Washington D.C., Yael and her husband Adi will join 15 other relatives of Americans murdered or kidnapped by Hamas, as guests of a bipartisan group of members of Congress. Yael Alexander: They told us it's gonna' be a long process, but I didn't imagine you know, I thought after four weeks max, they're gonna bring everyone out. And now we're four months, it's, I don't have words. Manya Brachear Pashman: Edan Alexander, a 2022 graduate of Tenafly High School, was one of two graduates that year who instead of going straight to college moved to a kibbutz in Israel and volunteered to serve two years defending the nation where his mother and father had been raised and his grandparents still live. Yael Alexander: August 2023, Edan came to the U.S. for four weeks. He came to visit us, to spend time with his friends from college. Everyone was here in Tenafly. So, it was like the best opportunity for him and for them, like after their graduation to be again. And it was the best vacation ever. And when I drove him to JFK. I told him: Listen, Edan, I really want to come and visit you during the holidays. And I told him: I'm gonna' come by myself, Sukkot. So please ask your commander and tell him that mommy's coming and give you some free time to spend time with me. So, October 1, I came to Israel. He came to pick me up from the airport. And we spent the two days together. Manya Brachear Pashman: After two days with his mom, 19-year-old Edan asked if he could return to the kibbutz a little early to squeeze in time with his girlfriend before returning to base. He texted with his mother throughout the rest of the week and Facetimed with her and his grandparents on Friday night, October 6th. He was stationed on the Gaza border. Yael Alexander: Friday night after the kiddush, in our house. He called me and I told him: ‘Listen Edan, let's do a FaceTime. And he's like, OK, so I'm like, looking at him and he just looking so happy and great, telling me that he ate some chicken and rice and it was OK. It was fine. And now he's going to sleep because first thing in the morning on Saturday, he needs to get up to his watch.'  And I'm like, ‘OK, great. So say bye to Grandma and Grandpa and everyone' because we were sitting around the table. And it was very cute of him to change to the FaceTime because sometimes he doesn't want to do it. But this time he was like ‘Yeah, cool. Of course. Let's do FaceTime.' And, that's it.   Saturday morning, October 7, I'm waking up because my dad is opening the bedroom door and he's telling me ‘Yael, you need to wake up. It's an alarm outside. It was 6:30-ish in the morning AM and we need to go to a safe place.' And the first thing that I'm thinking about, ‘Oh my God, I need to check what's going on with Edan. So, I'm texting him, What's going on there? Are you OK? Are you safe?  And then he's calling me. It was a few minutes before 7 AM. And he's telling me: ‘Hey, Mom, we are getting a lot of bombs here. It's like a war. I'm seeing stuff. Terrible stuff. But don't worry, I'm safe. But it felt like all the conversation is start, also he spoke a little bit English. He was sound like he was screaming and full of adrenaline. And I didn't know what he's seeing or what is happening because no one knew.  I told him at the end of the call, ‘Listen to me, Edan. I'm here. I'm with you. I love you. Just protect yourself. Just be safe.' And that's it, we hang up. I didn't know I'm not gonna hear from him again. Manya Brachear Pashman: Yael called her husband Adi back in the States. He and Edan's younger brother Roy and sister Mika flew to Israel the next day. Still, for days, they remained in the dark, unable to get through to their son's cell phone. Unable to get any information. Yael Alexander: A lot of bad news, like you hearing, you know, all around. A lot of people murdered, horrible stories, like after a day or two you start hearing about these horrible stories from this morning of October 7, and still nothing from Edan.  So we went to every forum that it was like, I don't know, it was like … one night, you don't know what's going on, the day after you're working with people on the phone that you never met, and you just trust them they're gonna find your kid. They had some you know, I don't know. Everyone was trying to help you and telling you, go to hospitals. Go and look, because there is a lot of anonymous soldiers or people. Go and look for him. So we've been everywhere like every hospital in Israel, like we went there and tried to understand where is Edan.  On Thursday someone is calling me from the army and he's telling me that he's got a message for us. I didn't understand at first. What is this? What kind of message? I'm on the phone 24/7. We couldn't eat. We couldn't sleep, nothing, like in the loop. Like, try to find my son.  And then I'm just catching myself like, Oh, my God, you have a message for us? Yes, yes. Where are you? So we are waiting for them. We wait for 40 minutes I think. I couldn't breathe.  I remember my head like down, you know, between my knees and I'm just trying to breathe and breathe and breathe because I felt I'm going to faint. I didn't know what they want from me. We met them in this discreet room and then they told us that after they reviewed everything they know that Edan is took hostage by Hamas terrorists and they took him to Gaza. He was guarding a kibbutz that a lot of people got murdered. Thank God, they didn't touch him. They just took him from there. He was by himself. So, it wasn't like a conflict or nothing. Thank God. He was surrendering and they took him. There's something that we know. Manya Brachear Pashman: It was devastating news, but at that point in time, the best news that Yael and Adi could've received because it meant there was hope of seeing their son again. Yael Alexander: So, it's good. And they're looking at me like I'm a crazy person. Because this is the worst message you can ever get as a parent. My son is my life. He is my air, he is everything for me. But to understand that they took him and he's OK. It was like the world. Wow, wow, wow, wow. Now we can work to speak with everyone because he's OK. OK, he's a hostage. But still we have the hope that he will come back home. A day after we had a Zoom with Biden and all the American families. He was really with us, you know, he understand our pain, he could connect to this. He told us, as Americans, we are going to do whatever we can to help you to get through it. Like whatever we can, we are here and we are going to do it. And it was really comforting. It was like we felt the hug.  We stayed a total of an hour and a half with the President. It was unbelievable because we were so confused. We just got a day before the message. So, we knew what is the situation with Edan, but a lot of families didn't know what happened to their loved ones. Not everyone knew if they were murdered, if they took hostage. Still it was chaos. Manya Brachear Pashman:  152 days later, eight American hostages remain missing: Edan, Itay Chen, Omer Neutra, Sagui Dekel-Chen, Keith Siegel, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Gad Haggai, and Judith Weinstein. Both Judith and Gad are confirmed dead. Americans Liat Beinin Atzili and Avigail Idan have been released. 32 Americans lost their lives on October 7. Nearly two dozen more have lost their lives since. Yael Alexander: A few days after, I left Israel with the kids, with Mika and Roy. I felt it was very tough to stay in Israel. I wanted to stay. I didn't want to leave because I felt that I'm leaving my son behind. You know, it's the worst, really, it's the worst feeling ever. But I said to my husband: Listen, it's not healthy here. The alarms, the panic, the worry, it's too much. And they're like in jail, in their house, in my parents' house. So, it's not healthy.  I'm gonna go back home to Jersey, and I'm gonna try to have a routine, you know, again, with the schools, with the friends, with the community, like I'm trying to, you know, for them, because it's not healthy.  So, my husband spent I think two weeks over there without us. I came back. My sister came with me with her kids and all our friends just was here, like, you know, I'm still getting food, everyone is taking care of us and so caring and loving and you feel the hug. Manya Brachear Pashman: Though Edan's absence is palpable every day, the rhythms of life have not stopped in the Alexander home, though they are frequently interrupted. Mika is waiting to hear from colleges and shopping for shoes to wear to prom. But she's also writing columns about her brother, speaking at rallies, and holding down the fort when her parents are away advocating. Yael Alexander: It's hard. To be 17 and to handle this, and she's doing a lot. After we came back from Israel, there was a big rally in Times Square, New York. And they asked me to speak, and I couldn't. I was like, numb. I couldn't say anything. So, I asked Mika at the same day. And she did it. And it was a great speech, from the heart. And it was in front of thousands of people. And since then, I am amazed by her.  It seems like this situation because I'm keeping her also busy. I know that she can handle it, she's feeling like she's helping with the fight to bring Edan home. And this is super important to her. Manya Brachear Pashman: Meanwhile, in addition to traveling with his mother and marching for his brother, Roy is attending middle school, playing basketball, and preparing for his upcoming bar mitzvah, right before Passover. Edan was supposed to come in to New Jersey for that milestone. Yael Alexander: The first time that I saw Roy put the tefillin on and I just start crying because he's not a boy. He's looking more and more like Edan. And he's like, grown up now. I'm very emotional now when I'm seeing Roy. When I'm seeing Roy, he's not my little baby anymore … and I'm remembering everything that we've been through with Edan with his bar mitzvah and how little he was and it's very emotional for me now this time because we are such in pain, but still we are preparing for this, Roy's celebration. You know, bar mitzvah boy. So, it's a lot. It's sad and happy and you still trying to be OK for the kids to see you OK every day. But it's very hard. Manya Brachear Pashman: Yael, who baked cakes out of the family's home, and Adi, a diamond wholesaler, are juggling work obligations, meetings with senators and congressmen, travels to Washington and Israel, and media interviews, all focused on bringing their son home. Yael Alexander: I don't know what's next. Every day everything is so dynamic. I don't know what's going on. Like a day we here, a day we need to go to DC, like this is the thing now. My husband is going to work maybe two days a week now because he can't. We have the zoom. We have the meetings. Suddenly this come and this came. I'm not working obviously. I'm around it all day. All day and all night. You don't want to miss anything. I feel that everyone is really working. Also with the Qataris, also America, also Egyptians like everyone is doing whatever they can to make it happen. I'm really hoping, I'm going to be in Israel next week, I'm really hoping that some kind of miracle.  Now I'm praying a lot. A lot. I'm talking to Edan nonstop the whole day but I'm also praying like actual praying and I'm just asking for a miracle. And just to see him, to hug him, to just to feel his perfect face. Just to be with him because, yeah. Manya Brachear Pashman: The Alexander family no longer lives in the house where Edan spent his childhood. They moved a mile away during his sophomore year in high school. Edan never spent much time in his bedroom. He preferred to be in the center of the action, camped out on the sofa downstairs so he could greet anyone who walked through the room.  But Yael took me to the room where he slept as a teen. Beside the bed there now is a giant Torah scroll delivered by the local Chabad rabbi, dressed in silver plating and finials that jingle when the scroll is lifted. A prayer shawl is draped over the top. Yael Alexander: So you can see we have a Torah here. It's a beautiful Torah and this is something guarding Edan and is giving him bless to his return. Every morning, I'm coming in here and I'm doing my prayer. And I'm just talking to Edan every morning and I'm sending him a lot of strength in his heart and his soul. And I'm just here with him. And every night I'm saying ‘Good night, Edan. I love you. You know, can't wait to hold you. Manya Brachear Pashman: Edan spent most of his young life in Tenafly. A happy-go-lucky guy, champion swimmer for the high school team, and a big fan of the New York Knicks. But he was born in Israel, spoke Hebrew at home, and visited Israel often to see both sets of grandparents. He even celebrated his bar mitzvah there. Yael showed me the photographs in an album she keeps in his room. Yael Alexander: Oy yoy yoy. Yes, Edan. You see? What a celebration. Yeah it's everyone. Manya Brachear Pashman: Still, Yael was surprised when Edan announced his senior year in high school that he wanted to postpone college and try Garin Tzabar, a program founded in 1991 for young Jewish adults who want to explore serving as lone soldiers in Israel's Defense Forces.  Edan and 16 other high school graduates, including a classmate in Tenafly, moved to a kibbutz and did four months of training before committing to serve in the IDF. Yael Alexander: He told us that he wants to do the Garin Tzabar. I don't know, I felt proud. You know, because I've done my army. And Adi was in the Army, everyone doing the army in Israel. So, this is something that you do for your country, you know. For me, it was a great experience. It was great for me. And I thought also for Edan because he's doing this for two years and eight months. He's coming back, doing his college. So, Edan chose to do this. I was proud. I was proud. Yeah. I am proud. Not was. Manya Brachear Pashman: Edan's 20th birthday was on December 29, 2023. To call attention to his continued captivity, Yael and his brother Roy traveled to Israel and hosted a blowout celebration with live bands and balloons and media coverage.  Yael Alexander: It was really important for me to do a celebration for him, to mark this day, I wanted to everyone in the news in the radio, everyone will speak just about one thing about Edan's celebration, because if he's going to hear something or someone is going to hear it inside, it's going to be the world for me. Because for him to understand that his mom is in Israel and also his brother and we are celebrating his birthday and everyone loves him and miss him so much. It's going to be major. Manya Brachear Pashman: Yael knows she's not getting all the answers about her son's whereabouts and well-being. Still, she continues to meet with whomever will see her and listen to her pleas to bring Edan home. Yael Alexander: I don't think they can give me the answers. But it's important, because every meeting that you are opening your family, your trauma, your kid, like it's connecting them to you, and they understand it and you're still relevant. And this is something that they're gonna think about it and maybe you're hoping that they will work on it, you know, to make the stand, to connect to us. And to do this. Manya Brachear Pashman: During the pandemic, Yael started baking cakes. She loved being in the kitchen and Edan loved it too. But since he disappeared, she has not baked a single pastry. She has replaced dough with clay, sculpting in a quiet corner of the basement where she can disconnect for just a little while and think about Edan. She showed me one sculpture that started as a balloon, but collapsed in the middle. Yael Alexander: Now it looks like a heart and there is like a crack in the middle. And I think this is my perfect piece. It's so imperfect and look like it's not done but I think it's done and I can't wait to take it to do bisque and to paint it because this is how I feel right now. Like with the crack in my heart. Manya Brachear Pashman: Yael has adopted other coping mechanisms too. A chair and a coffee mug full of cigarette ash now occupy a corner of the front porch as she has resumed smoking, which she hasn't done since she herself served in the IDF. She also has tried to create the reality she wants to see. Yael Alexander: We bought a new dining table last week. It's a huge one also because I'm waiting to the celebration for Edan return home. So, I'm telling my husband: ‘Listen, don't say a word. I'm doing that because I'm creating something, and this is something good. So, we need to continue and praying that this is something that's gonna happen. We just holding and hoping and praying that he's OK. That he's still strong there, in heart and in mind, in everything. I'm all the time I'm praying ‘Please, Edan. Please stay strong. Don't let it break you. Even if you hear the bombing you know people are coming to save you. You're not alone. We are coming.        

This week, we had even more Housewives news from Porsha and Marlow, and you'll never believe the duo that Facetimed me from an ICONIC Housewives establishment. Plus, Ben and I had so much fun seeing the Harlem Globetrotters, once I tricked him to go, and we had a bedtime convo about death. (High-highs and low-lows!) Programming Note: I flew to LA on Thursday to tape The Traitors reunion so there's no Thursday diary. I'll be back next week with updates! For more interviews and behind-the-scenes tea, tune in to Andy Cohen Live weekdays on Radio Andy by subscribing to SiriusXM. Use my link https://sxm.app.link/AndyCohen for a free trial!

Elyse is suspicious that her boyfriend Dave lied to her about a business trip that he went on after she FaceTimed him and noticed a table setting for two in his room....Was Dave just really hungry or did he have an overnight visitor?

Bryce Borca disappeared in Eagan, Minnesota On the night of October 30, 2022 after a night out with friends. Bryce had gotten out of a Lyft and was walking to his apartment when he FaceTimed his friends telling them that he had no idea where he was, but that there was a lot of woods. Bryce dropped a pin of his location and then his phone suddenly died. No one has seen or heard from Bryce since. But, Bryce wasn't the only young man who disappeared from Eagan, Minnesota. 17-year-old Christopher Kerze stayed home from school due to a headache. When his parents came home from work, Christopher wasn't there, and all the family was left with was a note. Christopher hasn't been seen or heard from since. Make sure that you're following along as we upload every Monday, and as always, thank you for listening!Case begins: 22:20Contact us at Crimewithak@gmail.com Sources for this episode include:https://www.twincities.com/2023/10/30/bryce-borcas-parents-says-sons-disappearance-in-eagan-has-been-hardest-year-of-our-lives/https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/it-has-been-one-year-since-a-minnesota-family-has-seen-or-heard-from-their-son/https://www.brycesblessings.org/bryces-storyhttps://www.kare11.com/article/news/local/new-details-in-eagan-missing-person-investigation-revealed-in-search-warrant/89-3e5e46af-5a0c-4a03-ba63-363f16a13f29https://charleyproject.org/case/christopher-matthew-kerzehttps://medium.com/@Charlie_OBrien/the-unusual-disappearance-of-christopher-kerze-9839297d5a8fhttps://disappearedblog.com/christopher-kerze/https://medium.com/of-misdeeds-and-mysteries/https-medium-com-nickib-where-is-christopher-kerze-499763f662f6https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Christopher_Kerzehttps://www.haveyouseenus.com/2014/08/circumstances-of-disappearance-unknown.htmlhttps://www.reddit.com/r/UnsolvedMysteries/comments/10wlxw7/family_offering_30k_reward_for_information_on/https://www.fox9.com/news/bryce-borcas-family-marks-one-year-since-his-disappearancehttps://kstp.com/kstp-news/local-news/family-of-missing-eagan-man-continue-their-search-1-year-later/Support the show

She met a guy out of town on a business trip. They went out on a couple dates. Since then they've Facetimed, but his Facetime locations has her thinking, is he being shady or not? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The POLICE INTERROGATION of Skylar Nemetz PART 2 Officer Darrell Moore The following is excerpted from the report of Officer Darrell Moore: Skylar told me "I need to tell someone my story." I directed the fire department personal to the apartment so they could administer medical attention. Skylar again stated, "I want to talk to you." I stared at Skylar without saying anything. Skylar went onto say that he was in Yakima for field training with the military. Skylar said he returned home to his wife. Skylar said he loves his wife more than most other men, and that his love for her was special. Skylar stated that he returned home from Yakima and he had left his wife with his rifle for her protection when he was gone. Skylar told me that he took out the magazine, and motioned taking out the magazine. Skylar said he was making the rifle safe, and for some reason he grabbed the rifle and shook it. I watched as Skylar demonstrated grabbing what I believed to be the upper portion of the rifle with his left hand and the lower portion of the rifle with his right hand. Skylar motioned holding the rifle at an approximately 45 degree cant. Skylar said, "I just shook it and it shot her." Skylar began to make sounds as if he was crying, but I could see that he had no tears coming out. I also noticed that he had no tears during my entire contact with him. Neighbors According to neighbors, they regularly heard yelling coming from the Nemetz residence. Among the many statements initially made by Skylar Nemetz was a statement to his neighbor that his wife Danielle had shot herself while she was cleaning a rifle. Eureka Interviews On November 24, 2014, detectives traveled to Eureka, California, to conduct interviews. Among those interviewed was Samatha Minton, who stated that she knew Danielle most of her whole life. According to Minton, Danielle had met Skylar on the internet approximately two months before they married. Minton stated that she had observed what she thought was odd behavior between the couple. For example, when Daniella and Skylar would visit, Skylar would drop her off at the house and leave her there all day, while he visited with his friends. Detectives also interviewed Michayla Yingling, who had known Danielle her whole life. Yingling confirmed that Danielle had met Skylar on the internet two months before they had married. Yingling said Danielle never gave her any indication Skylar was being abusive. She knew that Skylar had broken Danielle's cell phone, but she did not know the details. Yingling said Danielle never talked negatively about Skylar, but she got the impression that Danielle was being fake. Yingling stated that Skylar would not let Danielle come to her baby shower, and that Skylar was indecisive on wanting Danielle to get a job. Skylar would tell Danielle to get a job, and when she looked for a job he would tell her she didn't need one. Yingling said Danielle just wanted someone to love her and take care of her. Yingling said Danielle thought her new boss was attractive, and that Danielle had told her that her new boss used to be an underwear model. Yingling said she had a FaceTime session with Danielle and her boss, while they were out to dinner. Yingling was positive that Danielle would not cheat on Skylar. Yingling said on the night Danielle died she had FaceTimed with her at approximately 1600 hours. Yingling said nothing appeared to be out the ordinary, and that at one point Danielle had pointed the phone at Skylar, who had smiled and waved to her. According to Mikala Rippeon, Danielle's youngest sister, Danielle was always wearing long-sleeved shirts and turtleneck sweaters. Mikala remembered seeing what appeared to be fingertip bruises on Danielle's arms. The Diary On February 24, 2015, detectives contacted Skylar's mother, Danetta Heller, as they had obtained information that she was possibly in possession of Danielle's diary that was taken from her apartment after the homicide. The following day, Danetta confirmed that she was in possession of Danielle's diary. Danetta stated there were some pages missing from the diary, but stated that she had not removed the missing pages. Danetta stated that she had removed the diary from the apartment because it contained information that she thought would be hurtful to her son, stating that Danielle was a "busy little girl." After speaking with Skylar's attorney, Danetta ceased to cooperate, however she turned over Danielle's diary to Skylar's attorney, who turned it over to the prosecutor. Several pages had been removed. There was an entry that was about Danielle having sex with a male named Kennedy. It stated that Kennedy and Danielle used to date, that they were still having sex, and that Kennedy's current girlfriend Chloe did not know. The entry was dated 4/23/12. CVSA Although the CVSA shown in this video is pseudoscience, the test results were "no signs of deception." Karie Faas On the morning of October 17, 2014, detectives were contacted by Karie Faas, who advised that she had information about the incident. According to Faas, Nemetz and Danielle had a violent relationship. Faas stated that over the two years she has known Danielle, she has seen Danielle with bruises up and down her arms. Faas stated that she thought she still had a picture of Danielle with her face swollen and bruised, and that Danielle had told her it was from a mosquito bite. Faas went on to say that Nemetz was extremely jealous and almost possessive, and that Nemetz was extremely controlling; he would not let her go places, and he controlled who she could see and what she could wear. Faas stated that Nemetz called Danielle names – specifically, "cunt." Faas stated that Danielle was getting close to her boss from her new job, and that he had kind of hinted that he was interested romantically but Danielle just kind of blew it off. Faas stated that she warned Danielle that she was playing with fire. Faas also stated that Danielle did not want to be friends with her boss on Facebook, because she didn't want Skylar to find out. Karie stated that Danielle was really happy that Skylar was coming home, and that she had gone out shopping and bought new underwear. Danielle stated that she had also bought Nemetz alcohol, so he would be happy when he got home. When asked, Karie stated that Nemetz is a big drinker, that he had a lot of barbecues on the weekend, and that a lot of people go to Nemetz's house to drink. Faas also stated that she heard Nemetz had "snapped" in the field. She stated that during his training deployment he had snapped and "freaked out" on a bunch of soldiers. Faas also stated "there is no way this was an accident, he was only home for a few hours". Faas stated that she knew that Danielle's new job was going to cause problems, and that she had told Danielle to stand her ground if Skylar tried to make her quit. Faas then stated she knew that Nemetz was upset when he left work over who had bought the alcohol for Danielle (which was actually for him). Faas stated that her husband, Anthony Faas, was the last one to see Nemetz at work and he had told Skylar that someone else had bought the alcohol. Faas stated that Danielle had a friend named Jeremy. who had just recently been stationed locally at Fort Lewis. Jeremy had spent the night a couple times with Danielle in the past three weeks. Faas stated that she had some text messages from Danielle that said "Jeremy is here, he can help you bring the kids' stuff up." Faas stated that she knows that her husband Anthony had gone through her phone, and that and he may have seen those texts and told Nemetz. In subsequent interviews with Danielle's boss, as well as with Danielle's friend Jeremy Newton, both appeared forthright, and adamantly denied that Danielle had cheated on Skylar. Those interviews will be uploaded. Anthony Faas Detectives subsequently interviews Anthony Faas, the husband of Karie Faas. Anthony stated that that Nemetz was assigned to his platoon back in 2013 and they became friends right away because they were both from Northern California. He stated that they would hang out together with their wives, and that after a few months, "Dannie" told them that Nemetz would hit her. He stated that at first that didn't believe it, but that they went camping one weekend, and when they got home Dannie had sent a picture of the side of her face swollen. Anthony stated that Skylar told Dannie to say it was the result of a bug bite, however it looked like she had been hit. Anthony said that he and his old team leader, Sam Phipps, confronted Skylar about hitting Dannie, and told him that if he ever did it again they were going to do something about it. He said that Skylar never admitted to assaulting Dannie, and that he subsequently became distant from him and Phipps. Anthony stated that Skylar was a really good dude and a good soldier, adding that Skylar was really good with guns. Anthony stated that all Skylar wanted to do was build guns. Anthony then stated that the deployment was difficult because of new supervision and that everyone was on edge. Anthony stated that Skylar and he started to butt heads, so he pulled Skylar aside and asked him what was going on. Anthony stated that Skylar started cursing at him, and that Skylar was "freaking out" on everyone. Anthony said Skylar commented that everyone was picking on him too much. When he later met up with Skylar, Anthony stated that Skylar thanked him for buying him some alcohol. Anthony replied that he hadn't bought him any alcohol, and that some other guy had bought it for him. Anthony said that Skylar got "real mad" and that his hands were shaking.

"I killed my wife" | The POLICE INTERROGATION of Skylar Nemetz PART 1 Officer Darrell Moore The following is excerpted from the report of Officer Darrell Moore: Skylar told me "I need to tell someone my story." I directed the fire department personal to the apartment so they could administer medical attention. Skylar again stated, "I want to talk to you." I stared at Skylar without saying anything. Skylar went onto say that he was in Yakima for field training with the military. Skylar said he returned home to his wife. Skylar said he loves his wife more than most other men, and that his love for her was special. Skylar stated that he returned home from Yakima and he had left his wife with his rifle for her protection when he was gone. Skylar told me that he took out the magazine, and motioned taking out the magazine. Skylar said he was making the rifle safe, and for some reason he grabbed the rifle and shook it. I watched as Skylar demonstrated grabbing what I believed to be the upper portion of the rifle with his left hand and the lower portion of the rifle with his right hand. Skylar motioned holding the rifle at an approximately 45 degree cant. Skylar said, "I just shook it and it shot her." Skylar began to make sounds as if he was crying, but I could see that he had no tears coming out. I also noticed that he had no tears during my entire contact with him. Neighbors According to neighbors, they regularly heard yelling coming from the Nemetz residence. Among the many statements initially made by Skylar Nemetz was a statement to his neighbor that his wife Danielle had shot herself while she was cleaning a rifle. Eureka Interviews On November 24, 2014, detectives traveled to Eureka, California, to conduct interviews. Among those interviewed was Samatha Minton, who stated that she knew Danielle most of her whole life. According to Minton, Danielle had met Skylar on the internet approximately two months before they married. Minton stated that she had observed what she thought was odd behavior between the couple. For example, when Daniella and Skylar would visit, Skylar would drop her off at the house and leave her there all day, while he visited with his friends. Detectives also interviewed Michayla Yingling, who had known Danielle her whole life. Yingling confirmed that Danielle had met Skylar on the internet two months before they had married. Yingling said Danielle never gave her any indication Skylar was being abusive. She knew that Skylar had broken Danielle's cell phone, but she did not know the details. Yingling said Danielle never talked negatively about Skylar, but she got the impression that Danielle was being fake. Yingling stated that Skylar would not let Danielle come to her baby shower, and that Skylar was indecisive on wanting Danielle to get a job. Skylar would tell Danielle to get a job, and when she looked for a job he would tell her she didn't need one. Yingling said Danielle just wanted someone to love her and take care of her. Yingling said Danielle thought her new boss was attractive, and that Danielle had told her that her new boss used to be an underwear model. Yingling said she had a FaceTime session with Danielle and her boss, while they were out to dinner. Yingling was positive that Danielle would not cheat on Skylar. Yingling said on the night Danielle died she had FaceTimed with her at approximately 1600 hours. Yingling said nothing appeared to be out the ordinary, and that at one point Danielle had pointed the phone at Skylar, who had smiled and waved to her. According to Mikala Rippeon, Danielle's youngest sister, Danielle was always wearing long-sleeved shirts and turtleneck sweaters. Mikala remembered seeing what appeared to be fingertip bruises on Danielle's arms. The Diary On February 24, 2015, detectives contacted Skylar's mother, Danetta Heller, as they had obtained information that she was possibly in possession of Danielle's diary that was taken from her apartment after the homicide. The following day, Danetta confirmed that she was in possession of Danielle's diary. Danetta stated there were some pages missing from the diary, but stated that she had not removed the missing pages. Danetta stated that she had removed the diary from the apartment because it contained information that she thought would be hurtful to her son, stating that Danielle was a "busy little girl." After speaking with Skylar's attorney, Danetta ceased to cooperate, however she turned over Danielle's diary to Skylar's attorney, who turned it over to the prosecutor. Several pages had been removed. There was an entry that was about Danielle having sex with a male named Kennedy. It stated that Kennedy and Danielle used to date, that they were still having sex, and that Kennedy's current girlfriend Chloe did not know. The entry was dated 4/23/12. CVSA Although the CVSA shown in this video is pseudoscience, the test results were "no signs of deception." Karie Faas On the morning of October 17, 2014, detectives were contacted by Karie Faas, who advised that she had information about the incident. According to Faas, Nemetz and Danielle had a violent relationship. Faas stated that over the two years she has known Danielle, she has seen Danielle with bruises up and down her arms. Faas stated that she thought she still had a picture of Danielle with her face swollen and bruised, and that Danielle had told her it was from a mosquito bite. Faas went on to say that Nemetz was extremely jealous and almost possessive, and that Nemetz was extremely controlling; he would not let her go places, and he controlled who she could see and what she could wear. Faas stated that Nemetz called Danielle names – specifically, "cunt." Faas stated that Danielle was getting close to her boss from her new job, and that he had kind of hinted that he was interested romantically but Danielle just kind of blew it off. Faas stated that she warned Danielle that she was playing with fire. Faas also stated that Danielle did not want to be friends with her boss on Facebook, because she didn't want Skylar to find out. Karie stated that Danielle was really happy that Skylar was coming home, and that she had gone out shopping and bought new underwear. Danielle stated that she had also bought Nemetz alcohol, so he would be happy when he got home. When asked, Karie stated that Nemetz is a big drinker, that he had a lot of barbecues on the weekend, and that a lot of people go to Nemetz's house to drink. Faas also stated that she heard Nemetz had "snapped" in the field. She stated that during his training deployment he had snapped and "freaked out" on a bunch of soldiers. Faas also stated "there is no way this was an accident, he was only home for a few hours". Faas stated that she knew that Danielle's new job was going to cause problems, and that she had told Danielle to stand her ground if Skylar tried to make her quit. Faas then stated she knew that Nemetz was upset when he left work over who had bought the alcohol for Danielle (which was actually for him). Faas stated that her husband, Anthony Faas, was the last one to see Nemetz at work and he had told Skylar that someone else had bought the alcohol. Faas stated that Danielle had a friend named Jeremy. who had just recently been stationed locally at Fort Lewis. Jeremy had spent the night a couple times with Danielle in the past three weeks. Faas stated that she had some text messages from Danielle that said "Jeremy is here, he can help you bring the kids' stuff up." Faas stated that she knows that her husband Anthony had gone through her phone, and that and he may have seen those texts and told Nemetz. In subsequent interviews with Danielle's boss, as well as with Danielle's friend Jeremy Newton, both appeared forthright, and adamantly denied that Danielle had cheated on Skylar. Those interviews will be uploaded. Anthony Faas Detectives subsequently interviews Anthony Faas, the husband of Karie Faas. Anthony stated that that Nemetz was assigned to his platoon back in 2013 and they became friends right away because they were both from Northern California. He stated that they would hang out together with their wives, and that after a few months, "Dannie" told them that Nemetz would hit her. He stated that at first that didn't believe it, but that they went camping one weekend, and when they got home Dannie had sent a picture of the side of her face swollen. Anthony stated that Skylar told Dannie to say it was the result of a bug bite, however it looked like she had been hit. Anthony said that he and his old team leader, Sam Phipps, confronted Skylar about hitting Dannie, and told him that if he ever did it again they were going to do something about it. He said that Skylar never admitted to assaulting Dannie, and that he subsequently became distant from him and Phipps. Anthony stated that Skylar was a really good dude and a good soldier, adding that Skylar was really good with guns. Anthony stated that all Skylar wanted to do was build guns. Anthony then stated that the deployment was difficult because of new supervision and that everyone was on edge. Anthony stated that Skylar and he started to butt heads, so he pulled Skylar aside and asked him what was going on. Anthony stated that Skylar started cursing at him, and that Skylar was "freaking out" on everyone. Anthony said Skylar commented that everyone was picking on him too much. When he later met up with Skylar, Anthony stated that Skylar thanked him for buying him some alcohol. Anthony replied that he hadn't bought him any alcohol, and that some other guy had bought it for him. Anthony said that Skylar got "real mad" and that his hands were sh

Dj Mickster is in Amsterdam met hitproducer Maffio. En ze facetimen samen met Fat Joe. En Q-Bah vertelt je over de concerten van Jowell & Randy en Piso 21. Dat en de nieuwste tracks hoor je in deze nieuwe FunX Latin Podcast.

Do you call your friends first thing on their birthday or do you (cough, Gem) call them on their birthday not knowing it's their birthday and talking about some other sh*t? And how special are birthdays after the age of 21 anyway? Then, Gem's kids FaceTimed her Dad with a surprise effect and it makes us wonder just how “bubbly” Australia is? And speaking of, Gem had an interaction that made her question same sex v co-ed schools, but Revz has questions. And then Revz doesn't have time for a very specific, hyper “positive” instagram account that's making her a bit (disproportionately?) ragey. Gem hard disagrees. Just another relatively unhinged Tuesday, besties. Love you!!  — Vote for us in the Australian Podcast awards!

  Thank you for tuning in to Episode 261 of the Down Cellar Studio Podcast. Full show notes with photos can be found on my website.    This week's segments included:   Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins Brainstorming From the Armchair Knitting in Passing KAL News On a Happy Note Quote of the Week   Thank you to this episode's sponsors:     Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins   Sweet Liberty  Socks Yarn: Hypnotic Yarn Plush Sock in the Sweet Liberty Colorway (July 2023 Yarnable Colorway) Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry ) Ravelry Project Page Check out my July 2023 Yarnable Unboxing Video Get $5 off with coupon code BOSTONJEN using my Affiliate Link 272 meters for Stash Dash   Summer Scrappy Helical Socks Pattern: OMG Heel by Megan Williams ($5 Knitting Pattern available on Ravelry) Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Yarn: sock yarn minis and scraps Ravelry Project Page (started in May, finished in August) In this project, I used Helical knitting using Video Tutorial from Knitty Natty & Cate's Clasp Weft join- check out my YouTube Tutorial  by clicking here. 272 meters for Stash Dash   Liz's Water Bottle Holder Yarn: Loops & Threads Capri Eco Cotton (85% Cotton, 15% Polyester) Hook: F (3.75 mm) Pattern: None Ravelry Project Page From Amazon, I ordered Black Buckles to allow for adjusting the length of the strap. My friend Liz was walking around sightseeing on a recent trip to St. Louis and mentioned she may need a water bottle holder like the one I made for Hattie (Ravelry Project Page). 169.2 meters for Stash Dash   Mini Skein Hexagon Blanket Pattern: Basic Crochet Hexagon Pattern & Tips from Make Do and Crew Website & YouTube Tutorial Hook: F (3.75 mm) Yarn: Mini skeins from 2022 agirlandherwool Advent Calendar, 24 Days of Cheer Swap minis + other scraps/swap yarn Ravelry Project Page I've been closing the end of each hexagon with this join- link to Instagram post 4 rounds per hexagon. 3.75 inches each. Learned double magic circle from this YouTube video. The trick is to know how to pull both loops to tighten the loop. Final blanket- 15x22 hexagons with 5 rounds of single crochet for the border. 62x80 inches (twin size- 60x80 inches) Finished blanket- 11,392 meters   Stash Dash total on the morning of 8/31/23= 21,064 meters (before counting my last spinning project).   On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins   Wild Air Farm Spinning I am spinning a 4 oz braid of Polwarth/Silk (85/15) from Jakira Farms to ply with Wild Air Farm Shetland & Pygora- Melody & Cadence (dyed in blues and greens) Twist direction: singles = Z plied = S This means when I'm spinning, my wheel is spinning clockwise and when plying my wheel is moving counter-clockwise. Ravelry Project Page Progress: morning of 8/31- spinning is complete. Plying will be done this afternoon, but I can't measure the finished yarn until it is washed and dried.   My Little Unicorn Socks Yarn: Andre Sue Knits Sock Blank in the My Little Unicorn colorway Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry ) Ravelry Project Page Gray background with white and pink unicorns that look like My Little Pony. My inner 80's child loved this one. Progress: Past the heel of the second sock   Petrichor Socks Yarn: Oink Pigments Targhee Sock in the Petrichor Colorway (90% Targhee, 10% Nylon) Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry ) Ravelry Project Page Progress: Past the heel of the second sock   Brainstorming   Mom's Rhinebeck Sweater. Yarn from Sweitzer's Fiber Mill from Maryland Sheep & Wool 2023. My gauge swatch in progress. I started with US 8s, then did a purl bump row and switched to US 9s. Please send your suggestions of relatively simple cardigan pattern for worsted/aran weight yarn. Socks with Pigskin Sponsor Yarn   From the Armchair   True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren. Bookshop Affiliate Link. Amazon Affiliate Link. And Then She Kissed Me by Harper Bliss. Bookshop Affiliate Link. Amazon Affiliate Link. Tom Lake by Ann Patchett. Bookshop Affiliate Link. Amazon Affiliate Link.   Note: Some links are listed as Amazon Affiliate Links. If you click those, please know that I am an Amazon Associate and I earn money from qualifying purchases.   Knitting in Passing   Liz, Riley and I went to the Marshfield Fair. We spent a good bit of time inside the exhibition building looking at flower arrangements, plants and other crafty items that were given awards. Lots of knitting and crochet projects as well as quilts. While the plants and things were really accessible on tables, it was nice to see that the fiber crafts were behind a low railing so you couldn't touch anything.   KAL News   Pigskin Party '23 #DCSPigskinParty23 Official Rules Find everything you need on my website or in the Start Here Thread in the Ravelry Group Register using this Google Form (you must be Registered to be eligible for prizes) Enter your projects using the Point Tally Form Find the full list of Sponsors in this Google Doc. Coupon Codes are listed in this Google Doc & in this Ravelry Thread Exclusive Items from our Pro Shop Sponsors are listed in this Ravelry Thread Questions-  ask them in this Ravelry Thread or email Jen at downcellarstudio @ gmail.com Teams will be announced on 9/1. Stay tuned to the Ravelry group and look for the "find your teams" thread. Tailgate Talk Challenge (September 7-21. Enter for points by September 30). Check out the details in this Google Doc or in this Ravelry Thread. Virtual Kick Off Weekend Thursday night for Patrons only. Patrons of every level will be invited to join. For the rest of the seaon, only those at the $5/month level and up are invited to our monthly hangouts. Friday September 8 &  Saturday September 9th, events will be open to ALL. Check out the full schedule here. Crowd Sourcing: Do you have ideas for challenges or events for this season? Share your ideas in this Ravelry Thread. Does anyone want to be a correspondent and report in before each episode with some key stats or highlights from the games, interesting post or projects?  Email me or DM me on Instagram if you're interested.   On a Happy Note Beach walk and dinner w/ Megg & Kris. Breakfast with Mom & two of her Infusion nurses we've known for years. Marshfield Fair with Liz and Riley. We watched part of the demolition derby, played some games and listened to music. Dan and I went Kayaking with Megg, Oisin, Hattie and Will, then got food from the Hingham Lobster Pound and chilled at the Rowan's. We celebrated my grandmother's 89th birthday with a fun brunch at The Friendly Toast I went to see Oppenheimer at the movies with Liz.  Then to see Barbie (for the second time) with Liz and our Mom's who hadn't seen it yet. We met early for a drink, all wearing our pink. They loved the movie. Dinner the night before Eme left for school then Megg and I brought them out to Simon's Rock for their 3rd year. It was a long day- 6 hours of driving + unpacking, organizing, a late lunch and snacks in the car singing all the way home. Riley found "Make Dolly Proud" tees while shopping w/ a friend and I sent her money to get them for us. She's making WWDD bracelets for us too! 5 of the nieces and nephews started school + Gabriella started pre-school so far. FaceTimed with Riley and Gabriella & Zach    Quote of the Week   "Most people fail in life not because they aim too high and miss, but because they aim too low and hit." ― Les Brown   ------   Thank you for tuning in!   Contact Information: Check out the Down Cellar Studio Patreon! Ravelry: BostonJen & Down Cellar Studio Podcast Ravelry Group Instagram: BostonJen1 YouTube: Down Cellar Studio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/downcellarstudio Sign up for my email newsletter to get the latest on everything happening in the Down Cellar Studio Check out my Down Cellar Studio YouTube Channel Knit Picks Affiliate Link Bookshop Affiliate Link Yarnable Subscription Box Affiliate Link Music -"Soft Orange Glow" by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com/ Note: Some links are listed as Amazon Affiliate Links. If you click those, please know that I am an Amazon Associate and I earn money from qualifying purchases.    

and Producer Amanda closes out a tv chapter of her lifeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What it means and what you should do if you catch your girlfriend lying about a guy from work she likes. In this video coaching newsletter I discuss an email from a viewer who recently started catching his girlfriend of 3 years lying about a guy from work. She obviously flirts with him and invites his attention. She also gushes about her feelings for this coworker to her female friends. The coworker FaceTimed her when they were at home and he overhead their conversation. When he confronted her about it, she lied to try and cover it up. He asked for her phone and she got busted in her lie. She has lied multiple times about this other dude. She speaks often about marriage and having kids with him, but she also says that she has a fear of missing out in life. If you have not read my book, “How To Be A 3% Man” yet, that would be a good starting place for you. It is available in Kindle, iBook, Paperback, Hardcover or Audio Book format. If you don't have a Kindle device, you can download a free eReader app from Amazon so you can read my book on any laptop, desktop, smartphone or tablet device. Kindle $9.99, iBook $9.99, Paperback $29.99 or Hardcover 49.99. Audio Book is Free $0.00 with an Audible membership trial or buy it for $19.95. Here is the link to Audible to get the audiobook version: http://bit.ly/CCW3Man Here is the link to Amazon to purchase Kindle, Paperback or Hardcover version: http://amzn.to/1XKRtxd Here is the link to the iBookstore to purchase iBook version: https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/how-to-be-3-man-winning-heart/id948035350?mt=11&uo=6&at=1l3vuUo Here is the link to the iTunes store to purchase the iTunes audio book version: https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/audiobook/how-to-be-a-3-man-unabridged/id1106013146?at=1l3vuUo&mt=3 You can get my second book, “Mastering Yourself, How To Align Your Life With Your True Calling & Reach Your Full Potential” which is also available in Kindle $9,99, iBook $9.99, Paperback $49.99, Hardcover $99.99 and Audio Book format $24.95. Audio Book is Free $0.00 with an Audible membership trial. Here is the link to Audible to get the audiobook version: http://bit.ly/CCWMY Here is the link to Amazon to purchase Kindle, Paperback or Hardcover version: https://amzn.to/2TQV2Xo Here is the link to the iBookstore to purchase iBook version: https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/mastering-yourself-how-to-align-your-life-your-true/id1353139487?mt=11&at=1l3vuUo Here is the link to the iTunes store to purchase the iTunes audio book version: https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/audiobook/mastering-yourself-how-to-align-your-life-your-true/id1353594955?mt=3&at=1l3vuUo You can get my third book, “Quotes, Ruminations & Contemplations” which is also available in Kindle $9,99, iBook $9.99, Paperback $49.99, Hardcover $99.99 and Audio Book format $24.95. Audio Book is Free $0.00 with an Audible membership trial. Here is the link to Audible to get the audiobook version: https://www.audible.com/pd/B0941XDDCJ/?source_code=AUDFPWS0223189MWT-BK-ACX0-256995&ref=acx_bty_BK_ACX0_256995_rh_us Here is the link to Amazon to purchase Kindle, Paperback or Hardcover version: https://amzn.to/33K8VwF Here is the link to the iBookstore to purchase iBook version: https://books.apple.com/us/book/quotes-ruminations-contemplations/id1563102111?itsct=books_box_link&itscg=30200&ct=books_quotes%2C_ruminations_%26_contemplatio&ls=1 Here is the link to the iTunes store to purchase the iTunes audio book version: https://books.apple.com/us/audiobook/quotes-ruminations-contemplations-volume-i-unabridged/id1567242372?itsct=books_box_link&itscg=30200&ct=audio-books_quotes%2C_ruminations_%26_contem&ls=1 Click the link below to book phone/Skype (audio only) coaching with me personally: https://understandingrelationships.com/products/phone-coaching Click the link below to make a donation via PayPal to support my work: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=KNH8SDFGVT8UC --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/coachcoreywayne/support

Hey there! We're Gianna & Kacie– co-hosts of the Mother Up Podcast, moms (duh), champagne lovers, and gal pals. Between us we have three children under three years of age. One of us is done having kids. The other is aiming for three more. Both of us agree that motherhood is the most rewarding job we've ever had. But, man, were we not prepared for some of the fine print in the job description. Even with the incredible networks of support that we are lucky to have (shout out to the friends and fam we've texted/called/Facetimed at 3am for help), this motherhood thing is STILL hard. Specifically, balancing being a mom and being YOU. It seems society only allows women to be sexy OR covered in spit-up. But WE want to be both. We want to feel confident, beautiful, strong, vulnerable, nurturing, and bold. We want a connection with our children and partner that doesn't come at the cost of the relationship with our own selves. We gather real-life experiences and bring you a wide range of guests that will add value to your physical, mental, and emotional toolbox. In this episode, get to know us– your hosts, Kacie (FOX Nation) and Gianna (So Sorry For Your Loss podcast). We discuss how we met, life before kids, how motherhood has differed from what we anticipated, routines (or, in some cases, lack thereof!), why postpartum is the best kept worst secret, our must have baby and toddler items, and what's to come this season on Mother Up! We're so glad you're here. Man-up, level up, and Mother Up with us.   Thanks to Yohana for making this episode possible. Learn more about their personal assistant services for busy families by visiting www.yohana.com   Connect with Kacie & Gianna: ⁠www.motheruppod.com⁠ ⁠www.instagram.com/motheruppod⁠ ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@motheruppod⁠ View full show notes at www.motheruppod.com

This week on DIVIDEITWITHGILL.. I am talking all things Justin Bieber!! My good friend Danielle who's a massive Bieber fan is spilling the tea on how she almost face timed Justin, her JB themed party and more!! Follow Divideitwithgill IG: https://www.instagram.com/divideitwithgill/Follow Divideitwithgill Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@divideitwithgill

For Pete's Sake 06.10.23 - Three of the Most Important Stories of the week -Senior prank lists High School for sale-The 6-second daily intimacy hack-A woman FaceTimed her dog at a Springsteen show

Pamela calls us about a guy named Walter who she matched with on Hinge. After talking for a week or so, he asked her out for a nice dinner at Monkeypod one night and had an amazing time. It ended with a nice makeout sesh, and he even FaceTimed her when she got back home to say that he had a fun time. She thought it was a no-brainer that a second date was secured, but after a few days, he went from super communicative… to distant… to non-existent. It's been some time since then, and she's always wanted to know what changed. Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thekeolashow⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Like us on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/TheKeolaShow

Lunchbox's all time favorite artist, Tina Turner, passed away last night at the age of 83.  When the news broke, so many people reached out to Lunchbox to send their condolences because her music was a big part of his life. Hear his reaction and why he loved her so much! Then, yesterday, Raymundo shared a voicemail he got from a man saying his products arrived and that they just need payment info.  Lunchbox called the number to see if it was a scam or not. Find out what happened! Plus, Amy's friend met a guy on a dating app in France. They've been texting and voice texting for three weeks, but they have not FaceTimed. Is this a possible catfish situation?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jen's partner Lars joins her in this episode where they have a discussion about AI and art. Coming from the perspective of two creatives, they discuss the Victorian Industrial Revolution, the Beastie Boy's album Paul's Boutique, and technology's typical path in a capitalistic society. This all has a through line, we promise. ;)How can these times in the history of art and music creation inform where the future of AI and art will land?  ¯_(ツ)_/¯Find Jen & Lars in the Making app: @knitpurl@Mental4LentilAlso, they forgot to add in their moment of gratitude at the end so as to continue to spread goodness in the world, here they are: LarsI am grateful for my friends. I had a moment recently watching as the pandemic is starting to slip from our collective (short-term) memory and from our day-to-day lives — mask mandates are all but gone, popular restaurants and bars are full again, many of the once-pervasive visual cues of a global pandemic are disappearing — where I felt really lucky to have the friends I do, especially during the darkest moments of the lockdowns. Friends to share concerns with, friends to distract from the horror, friends to share art and music and poetry with, friends to talk with about the books we read together, friends to feel close to even as we FaceTimed from across the country or across the world.Anyways, yeah. Feeling really grateful to and lucky to know my chosen family.JenI am grateful for the opportunities that I have given myself to stop and celebrate wins. We move so quickly sometimes that it feels like we just have to go go go. Stop and give yourself a moment of cheer. Reflect back on how far you've come, even if it feels hard to give yourself that space. You're amazing and resilient and powerful and don't you forget it. ;) Music by Despatches.

A debut crossword by Catherine Cetta, and a fine one it is, with a theme that'll make you want to smile, and fairly gentle cluing (as one would expect for a Monday). There were a few exceptions, including several clues that are on the rarer side, including 3D, Picture frames, usually, RECTANGLES (makes sense);  16A, Thomas Jefferson's religious belief, DEISM, and 17A, Shared a video call on an Apple device, FACETIMED. Remember that our Triplet Tuesday Contest is coming right up -- tomorrow, in fact -- so grab your thinking cap and get ready to win fabulous prizes!!Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, crosswordpodcast@icloud.com.Also, we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

Angie says her husband Roy was supposed to be on the East Coast for business last week, but when she FaceTimed him, she's sure he was driving in his own car.....So how could he be in two places at once?  Support Big Bay Mornings: https://997now.com/podcast-shows/Love-TrapSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Matt and Anna are back in Melbourne and ready for some more Hotline! From a dude who is way too close to his mum, to a listener who needs some friendship advice, this ep is chock full! Thank you to everyone to sent their voicemails in, if you would like to be featured in a future Hotline ep, send your voice notes to wheresyourheadatpod@gmail.com JOIN OUR FACEBOOK COMMUNITY! HOSTS: Anna McEvoy (@annamcevoy21) & Matt Zukowski (@mattzukowski)  INSTAGRAM: @wheresyourheadatpod For partnership enquiries please contact alex@dm.org.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join this podcast's Facebook Group: The Dental Marketer SocietyJoin my newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/[Click here to leave a review on iTunes]‍‍Guest: Sana YusufPractice Name: Sana Dental Studio & SpaCheck out Sana's Media:‍Instagram: @sanayusufdmd‍‍Other Mentions and Links:Unreasonable HospitalityExcite Realty GroupTricare InsuranceVolkswagenHumanaMichael Dinsio - Next Level ConsultantsHeartland DentalMorpheus MachineTransdental MarketingMVP MailhouseArt of Dental MarketingRenew Digital‍‍Host: Michael Arias‍Website: The Dental Marketer Join my newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/‍Join this podcast's Facebook Group: The Dental Marketer Society‍‍My Key Takeaways:Balancing work and home life can be tough. Making time for YOU is just as important as both!If you are saying yes to everything, you are also saying no to many other opportunities. Keep this in mind when agreeing to obligations!Cosmetic and spa offerings can be a big draw for your practice. Try keeping up with what patients want in addition to a dental experience.In the US Army, Sana learned to take a conservative approach to procedures. Sometimes if a procedure isn't needed immediately, patients appreciate you working with their schedule and feelings.Do not count on team members to stick with you forever! It is important to respect their choices and have a backup plan if another opportunity arises for them.‍Please don't forget to share with us on Instagram when you are listening to the podcast AND if you are really wanting to show us love, then please leave a 5 star review on iTunes! [Click here to leave a review on iTunes]‍p.s. Some links are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Please understand that we have experience with these products/ company, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions we make if you decide to buy something. Please do not spend any money unless you feel you need them or that they will help you with your goals.‍Our Sponsors & Their Exclusive Deals:‍‍‍‍Dandy | The Fully Digital, US-based Dental Lab‍For a completely FREE 3Shape Trios 3 scanner & $250 in lab credit click here: meetdandy.com/affiliate/tdm !‍Thank you for supporting the podcast by checking out our sponsors!‍Episode Transcript (Auto-Generated - Please Excuse Errors)Michael: Sauna. How's it going? Good, how are you? I'm doing pretty good. Thanks for asking. If you don't mind me asking, where are you located? Sana: So we are in like north suburbs of Tampa. So Wesley Chapels, specifically Wesley Chapel, Florida.Oh, Michael: nice. Okay. So the weather right now over there is pretty Sana: Yeah, I was gonna say, let's see, let's check 81 degrees. It's great. . Michael: Oh man, that's winter right there for you guys. So in summer, how does summer look? Sana: It's like very hot, but I'm also not like a native Floridian, so for me, I'm like, oh, this feels great.Like, I don't know, I was made for the desert, so I Michael: like it. It's made for the desert. No, that's good. That's good. I, I hear Tampa Bay, it's really beautiful. So It is, yeah. Sana: I, my husband and I talk about it all the time, like it feels like we're on vacation. Mm-hmm. every day, and I'm like, wait, we live here.This is kinda cool. . So like, if we go to the beach, it's not like we have to like, pack up and like go to our hotel. We're like, okay, now we just have to drive to our house. So this is cool. Yeah. So it's nice. It, it definitely is a nice, nice place to Michael: be. Nice. Awesome. Okay, so son, tell us a little bit about your past, your present.How did you get to where you are today? Sana: Okay. I was like, how, how far back are we going? I was July 10th, 1991. I was born, no, I'm just kidding. , you were born Michael: July 10th, 1991. Sana: I was, yeah. I'm a. I'm Michael: 30. I'm 31. Sana: I'm 31. Yeah. Okay. Okay. Millennial as it gets, that's Michael: millennial as it gets. Okay, cool. So then talk to us about, I dunno, you can go as far back as you want, but like, okay.I Sana: won't go that far back. It's kind of boring. Like, you know, tons of like generational traumas and like all that, like stuff that you're trying to like break through and like, whatever. So we won't go through all that stuff that's like for therapy, but like professional. Right. Okay. So I, um, graduated high school oh nine and I went straight into like, um, Seven year dental program at Detroit Mercy. So, , I did three years undergrad and then you go like automatically into dental school as long as you like D a T scores, science, gpa, all that stuff. Mm-hmm. . So, I kind of decided, I was like, Hey, like I don't wanna live in Detroit for seven years of my life.I was born in Detroit, so that's cool. But I grew up in like suburbs of Chicago, so like I don't wanna live in Detroit. So I kind of decided, hey, I'm gonna get my bachelor's in three years so that way I can apply to any dental school I want and then I can move back home to Chicago. So that was like always the goal.Mm-hmm. . So I took, I remember one summer I took 21 credit hours of summer school at three different community colleges, Michael: and I was pregnant. Sana: And you were pregnant? And I was pregnant, yes. Surprise, surprise team mom. Anyways, everybody knows that, but it's fine. Who? Whoever didn't know it now knows it.Yeah. So I had a son when I was 19, but um, yeah, so like the summer that I was pregnant with him, I took 21 summer, like 21 credit hours of summer school. Mm-hmm. at three different community colleges. Cause I was like, no, I have to like, I have to graduate in three years. Like that's just my goal now. So I took all the like sociology and psycho, all the like required for your degree, but like not science courses all in summer.So graduated when I was 20 from college. That was cool. That was 2012 and then started dental school immediately. And so I did get into school back in Chicago. I went to Midwestern University in Downers Grove. So I did four years there. I decided to join the Army after I got outta our dental school. So I did the H P S P scholarship.Um, I commissioned when I was still an undergrad, so was in the army, got out. got outta dental school, became active duty in the Army. So that was four years. 2016 is when I graduated dental school. So 2016 to 2020 I was in, in the Army. I was stationed at Fort Hill, Oklahoma. So that's my, my lawyer.Okay. Yeah, . So I was stationed at Fort Sill, so I did four years active duty, which was fun, difficult, definitely, you know, you're kind of like trying to be a soldier, but also trying to be a dentist, trying to figure out how to be a soldier. Also, still trying to figure out how to be a dentist. So it was a lot of like figuring out for four years.and then I decided after I did my four year commitment that we were, yeah. That I was gonna get out. and I wanted to kind of explore private practice and like just being like a civilian dentist. So immediately that happened right when Covid started. So it's like a whole thing where like, . I felt like the world was ending.I mean, I'm sure everybody did when Covid ended, right? But I was getting out of the army where like everything is guaranteed benefits, guaranteed pay. Like, oh, I'm sitting at home because everything is shut down and I'm getting paid and I have like my Tricare medical benefits for my entire family and everything is great and dandy.And I was like giving up all of that security to like jump into like the real world where I'm like, I have to pay $1,500 a month to have health insurance for my children. what? Do you guys need it? Are you okay? Like, can you not fall down? Don't get sick. How about that? Like just, just drink your orange juice, like Rick Juice, like let's save $1,500.Like what is And. . I remember like, so when I was getting out of the army, my husband and I were both from Chicago, so we're like, okay, like let's, we were trying to like decide like, what do we wanna do? Like, do we move back to Chicago? Do we like pick somewhere new? Do we move to Texas? Like, what are we doing?And like, just, we were like, okay, we're gonna move to Florida. So literally we're like, Hey, now where do we move in Florida? Do we go to Miami? We're like, no, that's like two party. Party. And like, we're trying to like have a family and like kids , I don't wanna be in South Beach. Like if I'm down there, I'm gonna wanna be at South Beach and like ha like at a party.And I also my mom, and so I have kids so I can, that I, okay, we can't go to Miami. Miami is off the table. So, okay. How about Orlando? And I'm like, no. Like I hate traffic. And also like, it's very touristy. So like, okay, we're not moving to Orlando. And so we're like, all right, let's move Tampa. Like, Tampa's like up and coming.Like I was like, it's like the Austin of Florida. Like that's like the way I had like term, I was like, it's the Austin of Florida. Yeah. Cause my like, best friend lives lives in Austin and so we like moved here and this is like before Tom Brady was here. Michael: Cause I thought you were following Tom Brady, but nevermind. Sana: Yeah. I was like, before selling Tampa, like we were here just like, so I didn't move here cause everybody's moving here. We literally picked it and we're like, we're gonna go there. So, yeah. So we moved here like June of 2020. So it's like, what the height of Covid, like the middle of Covid.Mm-hmm. . And as I'm like moving, so my husband got, my husband's a high school teacher, so he like got a job. He was like ready to go. And then I had a job, like as an associate everything's shut down. And so like we're moving here in June and in April they're like, Hey, like by the way, we have to pull your contract.Like, sorry, you can't work here. And we're like, what? I'm like, wait, hold on. Excuse me. like I just can't work here for like the month of April and May because I wasn't gonna be there anyways. Like it's fine. Yeah. And they're like, no, never like until we figure out what's happening with Covid. I was like, people still need dentists during Covid.It's fine. I'll wear a mask. I need a job. You need a dentist? I'm coming. that didn't happen. That didn't happen. So they pulled my contract and I was like, in my head I was like, do I just like stay in the army? I was like, oh, so I should just stay in the army. Like that's like my logical thing.I was like, pull my packet. Like I'm sit, captain Yiv is staying, guys, don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. I'm still here. Don't worry. Like not leaving. But my husband's like, no, I have a job in Florida. Like, we're moving. Like, it's fine. We'll figure it out. My husband's like very, like, we'll figure it out. And I'm like, no.Like we must plan. Like I must have a plan for my plan for the backup plan. Like that's how I am. So we're like very opposite and he just is very like, go with it. So like in my head, like, we're moving here. I was like, we should like rent a place, get the lay of the land, like figure it out. Like, and my husband's like, no, I don't wanna move twice.Like, we're just gonna, we should just buy a house when we get, we should just buy a house. And I'm like, dude, like it's covid. Like we have, we haven't, we can't fly there to look at house. We don't need to look at it. They can FaceTime us. is that? What happened? Michael: Yes. , Sana: My husband was like, no, it's fine.They can just FaceTime us. That's fine. So the realtor literally like FaceTimed us. We like saw this house. She sent us some videos and we're like, all right, like let, yeah, let's, okay, let's buy it. Sure. Cool. So like we bought this house site, zine, site unseen. Michael: Is it better than what you expected or worse?Sana: Yeah, I'm like so grateful. I'm like I said, a prayer. My husband actually, like, I was still like filing out, so I couldn't leave Oklahoma as soon as he could. Cause I still have to do like all my paperwork and whatever with the army. And we like got a call like, Hey, your furniture's gonna get delivered on Monday.And we're like, wait, what? Like you guys said it was gonna take two weeks. So like we're all planning like two weeks. Like it'll be perfect timing. So, Once it goes into storage, like, I don't know, I'm sure like everybody who's listening who has done like a military move understands like, do not put your stuff in the storage if it is gonna get delivered straight to your house.Like you accept it, you accept the shipment to your house and you drive 19 hours without stopping to Florida to get your household goods. Otherwise you'll see it in 90 days. Yeah, because once it's a storage, it's gone. So literally my husband and my son got in a car and drove from Oklahoma to Florida.Saturday they left and then Monday our stuff got delivered and they were there to accept the shipment. So anyways, and my husband like calls me, he's like, wow, babe. The front hall's actually a lot bigger than it looked like in the video. And I'm like, I'm so glad that's unthankful . Michael: Really? This is the one thing I wantedSana: It's like I'm so glad that it's like a welcoming the entryway. This is so good. Yeah, so it's so funny. But yeah, so we moved here 2020. Thankfully I like found an associate position. literally in May, we got here in June and like in May, I was just like submitting my Indeed application to like everybody and their mom.And I was like, oh, like you would like somebody at this nursing home to check people's dentures. Of course, yes. Please take my application. Yes, I will come do that. That's what you need. I will do that. . It was, I literally, I think I submitted my, I think people are still responding to my Indeed applications like three years later.we found a great position for you. I was like, not interested, not looking. Thank you. Stop. Stop. S t stop. Unsubscribe, . So yeah, I literally applied to everything that I could think of. So got a job that was cool. Started my first associate position like two weeks after I moved down here. And so at that point it was,It's like culture shock. Like all of a sudden I'm like a dentist in private practice and it's very different than being a dentist in the military. And all of a sudden you're like, oh, like people have to pay for the things that I'm telling them. Like it's just not all free and included. Yeah. And then they don't trust me.Like they think I'm just trying to make money off of them. And I'm like, no, like I'm telling you this because like, you need this, right? Like you need these fillings or you need this crown. And they're like, like, you just want me to pay for your Mercedes. I was like, dude, I drive a Volkswagen, but thank you.Michael: But I would like a Mercedes. So Sana: yes, those are expensive. Tell me about it. How do I ? So if you do this, actually you know what? You should let your tooth fall out. So then you need a, an extraction and then auto the input. And that'll help me pay. Michael: That'll help pay. Yeah. that was like a culture shock then, Sana: It was very like sticker shock and like, honestly, okay, coming from the military, like that was my first experience as a dentist was like dental school where everything's like $5 and nobody cares how you do it because you're a student and you're just trying to learn. And then it's the military where it's like everything's free because they're all soldiers and we're like serving the soldier.We're like getting the soldiers ready for going down range and like being deployable and whatever. and this is gonna sound really bad, but I'm gonna tell you guys the truth. I'm gonna say the truth. in the Army, I got paid exactly the same if I did a filling or I did a crown, or if I watched Game of Thrones in my office.Like, if I told you you needed a filling, it's because you really needed it. I would've preferred to be watching something in my office, I'm getting paid to like sit here and like type some things and like eat my food and like watch Netflix on my phone. I got paid the exact same.So like, yeah, for me, like that's kind of where I got my like treatment planning philosophies was like, oh, you absolutely need, like, you need this and so we're gonna do it. And I think that's, I mean, of course all dentists do that, right? Like, you need this, we're gonna do it. Some people are a little bit more aggressive on the treatment planning side.Some people are a little bit more conservative. I'm very conservative. Like, I would like to give you the benefit of the doubt. Like let's watch if we can. And if I'm like, no, like we can't watch 86 things like you, you need fillings. Sorry. Mm-hmm. . But I think that was kind of. . The switch for me was like, I'm telling people they need these things because they really need them.I wanna be watching tv. You need these fillings. I'm doing these fillings for you. So now I'm in the real world and people are like, well, you just want me to pay for your car. But I'm like, no, but you really just need these fillings. you're not paying for my car. I don't understand what's happening right now.And so it was, it was like a very like, weird, like and it was like, also like covid. And everybody's like, well, can you put your mask? I was like, I have two masks on. Thank you. what do you want from me? I don't understand what I'm a yellow banana suit. I have three masks on. I don't, I don't get it.Like, and you don't want this filling, and I don't want to do this filling. So I'm gonna get covid because I'm doing this filling on you. yeah, yeah. I have the short end of the stick here, guys. I don't want $26 and 15 cents from Humana for this filling, but you need it. So here we are. And like, yeah.So that was like deep dive, like into like private practice. , and I mean, I technically worked for like a corporate office mm-hmm. , and it was a, it was a different type of like, corporate, it wasn't like corporate, corporate, it was just like, like more private practice feel, but still corporate. I don't know if that makes sense.But Yeah. I mean, and there were some like really great things about it and some knots. So really great things about it. I did find myself, and maybe it's like my, innate leadership ability, I guess, if you wanna call it, or like my four years in the Army where I was like forced to be a leader.So now I'm always just like thinking of like, how can we do things better? How can we do this more productive, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, whatever. So I'm over here like, just turning this dude's practice around basically like a mini like owner. Like, okay, like guys, like, we need to like really hone in on our ordering.Like, why are we ordering 86 different types of composite? We don't need that. Like, we use two things. So let's like stick to those two things. Mm-hmm. , like whatever, like, just like really streamlining things and like, Switched the whole practice around. Everybody's like, wow, we like patients, staff.Everybody's like, we just love coming here. It's so great. And I'm like, oh, you're welcome guys. I'm And yeah, so then at that moment I was like, wait, I'm like doing this for somebody else. So like why don't I do this for me? And that's kind of like where like the whole like switch happened a little bit where I was like, well, I should, I could, I could do this for myself.Okay. So I'm also like very like squirrel brained. So like all of this is gonna connect, I promise this will all connect. It's connect. Yeah. It's connected. Yeah. So I'm gonna pause that story for a second. I'm gonna tell another story and then I'm gonna connect the two stories. Okay. Okay. So whoever, maybe if somebody like from the Texas State Board can like message me on Instagram and tell me how this happened, feel free.But when I was in the military, so I was in Oklahoma, which was right above Texas, and so I had my Texas license and my Oklahoma license. . I got my Texas license in 2017, just like for reference of timeframe. I got my Texas license and then all of a sudden I get a call from somebody and they were like, Hey, where from blah, blah, blah.Like real estate company. Like are you interested in like opening up your own practice? And like, and so, you know, we'd love to help you like find some space, whatever. Actually I think I can just say it like, it's fine. Cuz they helped me. This is why I ended it was Excite Realty. a, a healthcare realty firm or whatever.So they have an office in Texas. They have an office in Florida. So, calls me, this guy calls me, what was his name? Tristan, Tristan called me and I was like, no, Tristan, I'm in the Army. Like I am not looking to open my prac.Like, I'm literally like active duty military. Like I'm not opening a practice. Like, thank you. And I'm like also not very like. , please don't call me. Stop calling me. I was like, yeah, like, not right now. Tristan, thanks for calling. Like have a great day, whatever. Okay. He's like, all right, sounds good. I guess he like kept me on his list.Mm-hmm. , because he literally called me every October until 2021. Oh man. Yeah, he was like very persistent. Tristan was very persistent and so it's like 2017 all the way, 2021. So like at this point, so he calls me in 2021 and this time I was like, yo, I'm not even in Oklahoma anymore, bro. I don't even have my Texas license anymore.Like, so I like, at this point I was like a little bit more assertive also, I had an eight month old baby, so I was like probably sleep deprived. just all the things like, yeah, you know what? So I just was like, Kristen, stop calling me. So this was the first time in like, what, five years that I said it to him, Hey Tristan, listen, I'm not in Oklahoma.I'm not in Texas. I'm not gonna open a practice in Texas. Like I just, what? Can you take me off the call list? Like, thank you so much. He's like, oh doctor, real quick. Where are you? I was like, I live in Florida now. I live in Florida. And he was like, oh, we have a branch in Florida, bro. What? ? Michael: Yeah. I Sana: was like, Christine.I was like, and so, okay, fine. You know what? I was like, literally, and I remember this, I literally remember this because I was so, I was like nursing my daughter, she was eight months old. I'm sitting in the car at the outlet mall, like, so I don't remember my mother-in-law, somebody was in the mall and I was like, I'm just gonna sit in the car nurse her, like, just leave me alone.So, and I answered the phone to tell him, please stop calling me. And then he's like telling me like, well we have a, we have a location in Florida. And I'm like, Tristan, . Okay, what do I have to pay you? Like, let's just start there. Like what does this cost me? Like you keep telling me like, what does this cost me?And so this is like at that junction where I'm like doing all this for this other guy, like building up his practice and I'm like, I should do this for myself. Then Tristan calls me and I'm like, well, okay, maybe I should like entertain it. Like, okay, Tristan, how much does it cost? And he is like, oh, you don't pay anything.The landlord pays for it. I was like, this is Bri. Why did you start with that in 2017? Dude? open with that. Open with this doesn't cost you anything. Like maybe I would've been nicer for the last five years. Who would've thought? Yeah, so, okay, all right. I was like, all right, okay, let's give this the shot.And this was like kind of when my startup journey like began, oh no, sorry, this is October of 2020. So this is, yeah, 20, 23 years. Three years there. Mm-hmm. 20 17, 20 20, yeah. October of 2020. So I was like, okay, fine. Entertain me. That's fine. Let's see. So I gave him like what my like. to do my list was like what?Like what I want. Perfect practice, whatever. And like the place that I live is very like up and coming, so it's not like established. And there's a lot of like families coming in here. So like everybody from like California and New York. everybody that's like coming down here from there is like now moving to Wesley Chapel. So it's very like up and coming. So this is also where I live. And so I was like, Hey guys, like I want a practice like where I live.Okay. Like in retrospect, maybe I shouldn't have done that, but that's a whole other story. But I was like, I want something like close to home, like two minutes from my house, I can go home for lunch. Like this is great. Like that's what I want. So it's very specific. Is Michael: it right now two minutes from your house?Sana: five minutes from my house. Yeah. Oh man. Yeah. Yeah. Like we can't be that. so I gave him like this like list where I was like, this is like finding a unicorn, they won't be able to do this.Mm-hmm. . And I took, I was like, look, I really like my position. I'm making good money. I'm happy in what I'm doing. The thought has crossed my mind if the stars in the moon align, like, yeah, maybe I'll do it. So off you go, do your homework. Bye. So obviously like this area's up and coming, there's no practice acquisitions because everybody is a millennial dentist, so they're not retiring.Mm-hmm. , or they're like too young to be retiring. So there's no nothing to acquire around here. So it's all like, it has to be a startup. So we're looking, looking, looking. We found a few places like, you know, and so like the type of person I am, I'm always like prepared for like the other shoe to drop, right?So I told Tristan, all right, yeah, dude, put me in touch with your Florida guy. Let's do it whatever. Florida dude contacts me and then give him his homework. And I'm like, he's not gonna find anything, but that's fine. So I'm just waiting, like at some point I was like, this entire process will end somewhere.it won't ever complete because they won't find a location, we won't find the lease, the construction budget will be out of wac, like whatever, right? Like something's just not gonna align and then it won't happen. Mm-hmm. . So we started this search October of 2020 for reference. I signed my lease in July of 2021, October, 2020 to July of 2021.So, and we started like Lois and stuff in March of 2021. . So it took me a while. Mm-hmm. for us to like really just like get things together. and again, like I said, the entire time I'm waiting for like the other shoe to drop. So, yeah. So we like found a place, it was this really awesome, like in an ortho building, and I was like, oh, this is perfect.Like there's an orthodontist in this building, there's this like endo, there's perio, and then like, I can be here. Like this is cool. Like everybody I would refer to is like just right around me. Anyways, like that was the first LOI I put in, and that didn't go anywhere because the guy decided to like, keep it for himself.I'm like, bro, why would you waste my time? Like, yeah, it's fine, whatever. So then we put in like an L LOI at another place, which I had a feeling like it wasn't gonna work at that place, but I just like rolled with the punches. I'm like, all right, yeah, whatever, whatever. So we put in our l o I and in there in my head, like I had already put in there that I wanna have like cosmetic procedures.potentially Botox, fillers, whatever, that type of stuff. I wanna be able to do it at some point. Mm-hmm. . And they were like, yeah, no, you can't do that. Like, there's an ALTA in this plaza so you can't do cosmetic procedures. I'm like, what? Michael: Isn't Alta like just like hair? Or let's Sana: make up, I was like, I was like, because the, because they do free makeup if you buy $50 worth of makeup.And that's considered called is. Is that what like, wait, I have no idea. He like, wouldn't give me any insight. I was like, bro, what? Like literally I was just like, what? I was so confused and so like, I tried like a little bit to negotiate this leave. Mm-hmm. and I was like, ok, fine. I can look past that. Like this is like on the second floor and Okay.Like everybody knows how complicated dental plumbing is. Right? So the first floor, like whatever was below that space, was already like built out. Mm-hmm. . So we had told them like we would need to go through their ceiling. to do our plumbing, but we'll do it like after hours on the weekends. Like we will not disrupt business hours.And the landlord's like, Nope, not allowed. We're like, can we like ask the the person else it? I was like, no. He was like, no, not allowed. We're like, all right, well here's your l o I. Here's your lease. Bye. Like, okay, this. So like at that point I'm like, see guys, like this is why I'm not committed to anything.Like, cuz I knew what was gonna happen. Yeah. I already lost like two places at this point. I've spent like $5,000 on lease reviews to go nowhere. I'm like, well this is just really stupid. I'm like, this is a lot of money. And I was like, now I need to go work extra hours at my job. Like, this is dumb. Yeah. So then I found this.and we're like, okay, so we're doing the lease review. And like the landlord here, same thing was like, there was just like so much back and forth. They have never like leased out to a dentist. So they just trusted nothing because we don't have, like, I don't have like a solid business plan. It's like me, my word document that I made with all my projected things that I'm like, I can accomplish all of these things because I believe in myself and here's my business plan and this is what most dentists do and this is what's projected.And here you go, enjoy. Right? And they're like, yeah, no, that's like not real. Like this is all made up. And I'm like, you're right, it is. I made it all up. It was really great . And they're like, great. I made all that up. It's so great. I made it up on my kitchen table, so it's fine. Yeah. Um, yeah. And so that was very difficult for them to like, trust us.Like, trust me. Mm-hmm. , they're like, you won't be able to pay your rent. I was like, I mean, your rent's a little high, so, Couldn't Michael: negotiate that down a little bit. Negotiate, you're probably right. Sana: Little high's a little high, but whatever. so, yeah. So we ended up negotiating that lease and it worked out and I signed my lease July of 2021 and that was it.And then we signed the lease and we were here. Okay. So that's like one pause, that's like one story. We're gonna pause right there. Okay. Okay. So I have three kids by the way. Okay. So I, three kids. I have a 12 year old, I have a three-year-old and I have a nine month old. Yeah. So, yeah. So after my second, yes, so after I had my first two kids, I was like, yeah, like I'm not having, I'm not having any more kids.Like I can't. Maybe t m i, but whatever, like real life here it is. Like I had fertility problems, so like mm-hmm. , having my daughter was very difficult. And like after going through that, my husband are like, okay. Yeah. Like, okay, we're good. Like we got one boy, we got one girl. Like, it's good. Like we're done.Yeah. Okay. So like, that's fine. Right. Okay. Tell me why. Like August of 2021, I found out I was Michael: as soon as you, when did you sign the, in July of 2021. And then in August. How were you, talk to me about that thought process when that happened. Like how were you thinking in the sense of like, why me, why now? Or were you like, this is great, this is fantastic. Sana: No, I was like, so how do I get outta his leaseI was like, wait a minute. Ok. I was like, it's fine. Right? It's fine. We can get out of it. Like, dude, I signed a 15 year lease. it's a very long lease. Yeah. So, yeah, no, I was like, what? That can't be right. That's, that's not true. That's not true life. And it was, it was a very true life. And I remember when my, when I started with my consultant, he told me two things, do not make any big purchases and do not get pregnant.Who is your consultant? Mike Ncio. Next level consultant. Okay. Yeah, Michael: yeah, yeah. How do you like Sana: working with them? Oh my god, he was amazing. Awesome. I think I referred like everybody to him and he is awesome. So everybody who's watching this should also go call Mike because he is literally amazing. And all of this would not be here if it wasn't for him.because he got me through a lot of crap, like a lot like dude, I was like a hormonal person, right? Like my diapers are really Michael: expensive. Diapers are, they still aren't really expensive. They're expensive. And Sana: I just sleep trained My eight month old or how old is she? No, she's a year and a half. Oh God, no.My son now is nine months old. Kidding. Everything confused. Like that's how discombobulated I am. But yeah, no, Mike really helped me through a lot of stuff. And so I called him and I was like, Hey Mike, I have to tell you something. And I remember this like, he was the, besides my husband, who also didn't believe me that I was pregnant.Mike was the second person that I told that I was pregnant. And he also didn't believe me. He like thought I was joking. Yeah. And I was like, no, I'm not. Like I'm, I'm serious. I'm so serious. p my entire like buildout, I was also building a human inside my body. That was kind. Yeah. So, yes.Michael: That's pretty intense. Mm. That's Sana: okay. And so we opened in March of 2022. My son was born on four 20 of 2022. Michael: Yeah. Sana: Wait, did you catch his Michael: birthday April? Oh, oh, okay. I was like, I thought just a month later, I don't get it, but No, yeah, yeah, I get it. Sana: But yes, it was a month later, literally, so like I opened and it was, I was like literally nine months pregnant when I opened.And then I had my son a week a month later, and then two weeks after I had him, you better believe I did 17 fillings on my first day back, man. Michael: Yeah. So, okay. So you opened your practice, right? Yeah. And we can talk about, like, a little bit about the whole part of, uh, opening up. I actually wanted to go back a little bit and talk about that generational trauma, but we can do that another episode or something like that.But when it comes to the opening up the practice and now you're, how many months or years open now? Sana: so 11 months open now. Michael: Okay. And has, how does the trajectory look? Has it been like Sana: okay, so it was like this, okay, so we are like hyping up to like open, like open, and then it's like give birth, boom,Okay, cool. So it's like, okay, so, so we're here like, oh, everything's really cool. People like this pregnant dentist. Like, okay, she's so cute. Oh my God, you're having a baby. Oh, practice. We're so proud of you have a baby. Literally like rapid decline. And then I came, so I came back from maternity leave, like I came back from maternity.Okay. Just two weeks count as maternity leave. No, it doesn't. I came back from giving birth. Yeah, right. 10 days later. Okay. I was like, I'll be back from vacation guys. I'll be our B. Just, yeah. Don't let anything break when I, you know, until I get back. Literally. . So then when I got back I was only seeing patients like once a week because I was like, guys, I just had a baby.Like I need to heal a little bit. So like Michael: need to heal. You just gave life, you need to heal a little bit. Sana: Also some stitches like, don't mind me, but like I, you know, one day a week. Yeah. So came back one day a week and then in, so that was like all of May. I was here for one day a week and then in June is when I came back, like came back from maternity leave.So that was like three days a week. And then in May I'm just like trying to like build this back up like very slowly to like get ready for June. So we're like building back up. And then my hygienist, cause I hired a hygienist cause I hate h sorry, hygienist, but like, it's probably like for the benefit of my patients that everybody doesn't get a deep cleaning.Cuz if I see them, that's what they would get. Oh. Because it's I don't have the hands of an angel. So. . I have a hygienist against all the things that everybody says for startups, you don't need it, do your own hygiene, blah, blah, blah. Yeah. Anyways, I got a hygienist, so literally as I'm like recovering from birth giving, she gives me her notice cuz she's like, Hey.Yeah, right. Freaking heartland. She was like, Hey Doc, like I need benefits and this Heartland office is gonna like give me medical insurance for my kid. And I was like, you know, like I respect that. Mm-hmm. and I like, can't be mad at you for it. So thank you for the couple of days that you gave me. Good luck.I'll send you your W2 next year. And, uh, how many Michael: employees at this time have you had? Sana: okay. I feel like I have a lot of employees. Again, another topic for another day because against all startup things, I think I have like, I'm like, just like way overstaffed, but like in a good way. How many do you have right now?Oh my God. Okay. Lemme count. I'm my office manager, Diana. I have my treatment coordinator who is like double serving as my assistant right now because long story short, my assistant quit last week, so that was kind of cool. Anyways, so my treatment coordinator Casie, so it's two.Mm-hmm. . Then I have my hygienist, three, I have my life assistant. That's a whole other topic for another Michael: life assistant you said? Yes. Okay. And she works at the practice? Sana: Yeah, she does like things for me here and then she would like do things for me, like all the errands that I would need to do, like all like a bunch of like admin stuff that like, it's not like office manager stuff, it's just like more like me stuff, but like, I just like responding to emails and like she runs my social media and like just that kind of stuff.Okay. But now since last week we've had a lot of changes, so now she's at the front desk, so she's. receptionist also now. Okay. She's like, my life is slash office receptionist. That's four. And then I have a nurse practitioner because I'm also a med spa. So that's a whole other topic. Yes. So five. And then my nurse practitioner has a medical assistant, so that's six.Michael: Okay. So you have six employees in total. Why'd you decide to become a med spa? How did you like H? How's that coming along? The med spa Sana: part? Oh my god. It's like a whole other story. Okay. Okay. So we'll back up. So when I was making this like concept, right? Mm-hmm. , people hate the dentist. People love the spa.So I was like, oh yeah, like we'll make this like dental experience, very spa-like that was like the goal spa-like dental experience. So then I'm doing my branding and all this stuff, so I'm like, oh yeah, dental studio and spa. So like in my head when I'm like, it's a spa dental studio. There's aromatherapies, you get fuzzy blankets, you get noise canceling headphones.Like all the millennial stuff, right? Like all the millennial things. Yeah. And that's what, that's what it was in my head. And then I started like doing all this, like marketing and stuff and people are like, so what's the spa? And I'm like, it's the fuzzy blanket. and this. Branded Chapstick, Oh, you wanted a facial? Yeah. I don't have that. Sorry. Oh, Michael: okay. Sana: Oh, you want a massage? Yeah, we don't do those here. Sorry. that's how it started. I was like, okay, so people are respecting a spa, like, okay, sounds good. So like, eight months pregnant, opening a scratch startup, and people want a freaking spa.So I'm like, what the heck? What? So I had like, I have four, I had four empty ops. Cause so my office has seven ops. I got equipment for three, and then I had four empty ones. I was like, all right, we're gonna rent one of these out to an esthetician. There you go. Wesley Chapel, here's your facial. Come and get one.There you go. Yeah. , I rented it, I rented out a room to an esthetician and then, so that was whatever, like, I'm, I wasn't like really in charge of anything. Like she did her own thing. It was just like rented space. And I was like, oh, thanks for like the $500 for my super expensive rent. Yeah. Put that Michael: towards that as one.Wait real quick. Put a timeout. How much is Sana: rent? Oh my God. Stop. We really wanna know. It's like $8,000. Michael: How many, how many ops do you have? Seven. Are they all plumbed and, oh, okay. Sana: But that's just my rent. Like I'm just paying this guy to pay his mortgage. Michael: Was there any free rent? Six months. What was your tie?Sana: Allowance?Oh my god. What was it? 72,000. Not a lot of thousands. Not Michael: enough . Not a lot of thousands. I'm looking to be a millionaire. Not a thousandaire. What is wrong with that man? Like, what is Sana: this? I was like, dude, I was like, I'm signing a 15 year lease, 15 years. I was like, the baby that's in my stomach will be 15 years old.Oh yeah. Like he'll be getting his license. That's how long this lease is. Okay, thank you. Michael: So here's showing 2000. Yeah. Okay. Okay. So un paused back to the, the spot. Sana: Yeah. Yeah. Okay. So then I got the esthetician and then people were getting facials and that was cool. And then I was like, oh, I wanna do Botox and fillers and like I had taken a course for it, but I'm the type of person, like I'm a perfectionist, like, I don't wanna do it.but I know people want Botox and fillers. I kind of nervous, so I got a nurse practitioner. I was like, ah, like one day a week, just like, come, like, Botox these people up. Mm-hmm. , we started doing that. And then I guess like all the laser reps in the United States, just, I, I don't, I don't understand, like, do they have like a, oh, this person advertised that they do Botox.Let's go attack them with our sales rep, Venus Literally they would like just, they would just show up. They would just show up at the front desk. this is before my therapist taught me that I have to put boundaries. Okay. So like, I've, I've done a lot of therapy in my life. Hang out again.Michael: Pause you going, you going to therapy? Hell yeah. What, when did you start going? Sana: So I was in therapy before When I went through like all the oh my god, there's like so much you don't know about me, but , , there's a lot. I just met you right now. just met me.There's so much you don't know about me. But, so I went through like all this stuff, like in high school, like in college, whatever, like teen mom, like okay, like all this like traumatic, traumatic stuff, right? So like, just like a synopsis, like I'm a survivor of like domestic abuse and sexual assault, right?So like that's like a lot of my traumas. And so I was going to therapy before, but I was like lying in therapy and like just F y I, if you lie in therapy, it doesn't work. So I was lying in therapy and it didn't work very well. So I stopped going to therapy and then I restarted therapy last year maybe.Yeah, I started restarted therapy last year and now I have this really awesome therapist who's like a mom therapist. and she just like understands like working moms. Anyways, Michael: my therapist what, real quick, what made you want to start therapy? Sana: as you can tell, I have the brain of a squirrel and I have a lot of things I need to talk about.And my husband doesn't understand anything about dentistry. He also doesn't understand anything about owning a business. He also is not a mom. And I just like, I basically talk to patients. I talk to my staff, I talk to my kids, I talk to my husband and that's it. I was like, I need an outlet.Like also I have all of these like negative coping mechanisms and I have zero boundaries, so I literally gotta get my together. negative coping mechanism is basically like, , I'll just like let people just do whatever and I like, don't, I just like, I'm like, OK, sounds good. Like I'm very like PE people pleaser. Even if I'm like, no, like I don't wanna do that. Like, or I'm like always just like preparing for the worst. So like, I'll be like in this like really great like celebratory moment and I'm like, I need to prepare for like the apocalypse.And it's like, dude, we're literally just eating Taco Bell. Can you relax? Yeah. And well, no I can't, I can't celebrate this Mexican pizza comeback right now. . I'm afraid that the Mexican pizza will also then be taken off the menu. So the Michael: Mexican pizza combo, , it didn't get taken off. Didn't it again? Or, I dunno.It's Sana: not taken off. Okay. Then it came back and now. , I'm supposed to celebrate this comeback of the Mexican pizza, but in my head I know that they will take it away again. Michael: Okay, . So those are the negative coping mechanisms. What I mean, ok, I Sana: get you, I get you Like very, more like dramatic, like other types of things, but that's just like me trying to again, like deflect and make something a joke, like that's another negative coping mechanism.I just make all this serious stinky stuff a joke all the time and I'm like, it's, it's fine. It's ok. It's ok. I like, you know, like that meme where it's like everything's on fire around Michael: other guy. Like, it's fine. This is fine. This is fine. Sana: It's, it's fine. Yeah. That's like me as a person. Michael: Okay. Okay. Okay. So un pause, fast, fast forward back Sana: to the, the med spa and the laser reps and having no boundaries.Like, I would be like, oh yeah, if somebody wants to like, come talk to me, like, yeah, just let them know. Whatever. Right? So I'm like getting pulled out of the operatory. They're like, oh, doc, so and so wants to talk to you, so and so called for you. And I'm like, oh, cool. Ok. And I'm like, wait, I can't talk to all these people.Like I just, I can't do it. And I'm also really bad at saying no. So somehow these guys come in, then they convince me with all their sales preppiness that I need a Morpheus machine. And I'm like, yeah, you're right. I wanna get rid of my double G. So, you're right. Let's get a amorphous, it's fine. Let's do it.Okay. That's a lot of thousands of dollars. Okay. Sounds good. Did you get it? Yeah, I, I got it. Michael: Man, their sales preppiness is good. Huh? Sana: Or my boundaries are lacking. Yeah. Right. Yeah. Michael: Like that's true. You could have just been so looking at IT app, but what have you improved that or what, what's going on with Sana: that?Yeah. No, I've improved it. I stopped buying stuff. I've been cut off, so I'm not buying things anymore. Mm-hmm. , but I've also. . I was just, I just was looking like, where is, how is society going? Like what's like on the up and on, the up and up and it's med spas that is on the up and up, right?Mm-hmm. , everybody wants to be in aesthetics and cosmetics and this and that and whatever. And so I'm like, all right, well people are expecting a spa, so we're gonna make it a freaking spa and we're gonna become a med spa. Like, that's it. We're doing it. I don't wanna be like, oh yeah, come get your facial.Like, no, you can go down to the salon suite down there. Go get your facial over there. Mm-hmm. , we have lasers here. We have a medical director that's this, this person is the medical director. Like we do medical things here. So it just like was a really quick, like all of a sudden it started as Botox and fillers.Then all these reps are coming in and they're like telling me about all this like, cool stuff. And I'm like, wait, like why aren't we incorporating this? Like that just like makes natural sense, right? And then my practitioner, she used to work at another med spa, she had all that experience and I was, I was like asking her, I was like, well, what could we do to like build this side of the office?&

The POLICE INTERROGATION of Skylar Nemetz PART 2Officer Darrell MooreThe following is excerpted from the report of Officer Darrell Moore: Skylar told me "I need to tell someone my story." I directed the fire department personal to the apartment so they could administer medical attention. Skylar again stated, "I want to talk to you." I stared at Skylar without saying anything. Skylar went onto say that he was in Yakima for field training with the military. Skylar said he returned home to his wife. Skylar said he loves his wife more than most other men, and that his love for her was special. Skylar stated that he returned home from Yakima and he had left his wife with his rifle for her protection when he was gone. Skylar told me that he took out the magazine, and motioned taking out the magazine. Skylar said he was making the rifle safe, and for some reason he grabbed the rifle and shook it. I watched as Skylar demonstrated grabbing what I believed to be the upper portion of the rifle with his left hand and the lower portion of the rifle with his right hand. Skylar motioned holding the rifle at an approximately 45 degree cant. Skylar said, "I just shook it and it shot her." Skylar began to make sounds as if he was crying, but I could see that he had no tears coming out. I also noticed that he had no tears during my entire contact with him.NeighborsAccording to neighbors, they regularly heard yelling coming from the Nemetz residence. Among the many statements initially made by Skylar Nemetz was a statement to his neighbor that his wife Danielle had shot herself while she was cleaning a rifle.Eureka InterviewsOn November 24, 2014, detectives traveled to Eureka, California, to conduct interviews. Among those interviewed was Samatha Minton, who stated that she knew Danielle most of her whole life. According to Minton, Danielle had met Skylar on the internet approximately two months before they married. Minton stated that she had observed what she thought was odd behavior between the couple. For example, when Daniella and Skylar would visit, Skylar would drop her off at the house and leave her there all day, while he visited with his friends.Detectives also interviewed Michayla Yingling, who had known Danielle her whole life. Yingling confirmed that Danielle had met Skylar on the internet two months before they had married.Yingling said Danielle never gave her any indication Skylar was being abusive. She knew that Skylar had broken Danielle's cell phone, but she did not know the details. Yingling said Danielle never talked negatively about Skylar, but she got the impression that Danielle was being fake. Yingling stated that Skylar would not let Danielle come to her baby shower, and that Skylar was indecisive on wanting Danielle to get a job. Skylar would tell Danielle to get a job, and when she looked for a job he would tell her she didn't need one. Yingling said Danielle just wanted someone to love her and take care of her.Yingling said Danielle thought her new boss was attractive, and that Danielle had told her that her new boss used to be an underwear model. Yingling said she had a FaceTime session with Danielle and her boss, while they were out to dinner. Yingling was positive that Danielle would not cheat on Skylar.Yingling said on the night Danielle died she had FaceTimed with her at approximately 1600 hours. Yingling said nothing appeared to be out the ordinary, and that at one point Danielle had pointed the phone at Skylar, who had smiled and waved to her.According to Mikala Rippeon, Danielle's youngest sister, Danielle was always wearing long-sleeved shirts and turtleneck sweaters. Mikala remembered seeing what appeared to be fingertip bruises on Danielle's arms.The DiaryOn February 24, 2015, detectives contacted Skylar's mother, Danetta Heller, as they had obtained information that she was possibly in possession of Danielle's diary that was taken from her apartment after the homicide. The following day, Danetta confirmed that she was in possession of Danielle's diary. Danetta stated there were some pages missing from the diary, but stated that she had not removed the missing pages. Danetta stated that she had removed the diary from the apartment because it contained information that she thought would be hurtful to her son, stating that Danielle was a "busy little girl." After speaking with Skylar's attorney, Danetta ceased to cooperate, however she turned over Danielle's diary to Skylar's attorney, who turned it over to the prosecutor. Several pages had been removed. There was an entry that was about Danielle having sex with a male named Kennedy. It stated that Kennedy and Danielle used to date, that they were still having sex, and that Kennedy's current girlfriend Chloe did not know. The entry was dated 4/23/12.CVSAAlthough the CVSA shown in this video is pseudoscience, the test results were "no signs of deception."Karie FaasOn the morning of October 17, 2014, detectives were contacted by Karie Faas, who advised that she had information about the incident. According to Faas, Nemetz and Danielle had a violent relationship. Faas stated that over the two years she has known Danielle, she has seen Danielle with bruises up and down her arms. Faas stated that she thought she still had a picture of Danielle with her face swollen and bruised, and that Danielle had told her it was from a mosquito bite.Faas went on to say that Nemetz was extremely jealous and almost possessive, and that Nemetz was extremely controlling; he would not let her go places, and he controlled who she could see and what she could wear. Faas stated that Nemetz called Danielle names – specifically, "cunt." Faas stated that Danielle was getting close to her boss from her new job, and that he had kind of hinted that he was interested romantically but Danielle just kind of blew it off. Faas stated that she warned Danielle that she was playing with fire.Faas also stated that Danielle did not want to be friends with her boss on Facebook, because she didn't want Skylar to find out. Karie stated that Danielle was really happy that Skylar was coming home, and that she had gone out shopping and bought new underwear. Danielle stated that she had also bought Nemetz alcohol, so he would be happy when he got home. When asked, Karie stated that Nemetz is a big drinker, that he had a lot of barbecues on the weekend, and that a lot of people go to Nemetz's house to drink.Faas also stated that she heard Nemetz had "snapped" in the field. She stated that during his training deployment he had snapped and "freaked out" on a bunch of soldiers. Faas also stated "there is no way this was an accident, he was only home for a few hours". Faas stated that she knew that Danielle's new job was going to cause problems, and that she had told Danielle to stand her ground if Skylar tried to make her quit.Faas then stated she knew that Nemetz was upset when he left work over who had bought the alcohol for Danielle (which was actually for him). Faas stated that her husband, Anthony Faas, was the last one to see Nemetz at work and he had told Skylar that someone else had bought the alcohol. Faas stated that Danielle had a friend named Jeremy. who had just recently been stationed locally at Fort Lewis. Jeremy had spent the night a couple times with Danielle in the past three weeks. Faas stated that she had some text messages from Danielle that said "Jeremy is here, he can help you bring the kids' stuff up." Faas stated that she knows that her husband Anthony had gone through her phone, and that and he may have seen those texts and told Nemetz.In subsequent interviews with Danielle's boss, as well as with Danielle's friend Jeremy Newton, both appeared forthright, and adamantly denied that Danielle had cheated on Skylar. Those interviews will be uploaded.Anthony FaasDetectives subsequently interviews Anthony Faas, the husband of Karie Faas. Anthony stated that that Nemetz was assigned to his platoon back in 2013 and they became friends right away because they were both from Northern California. He stated that they would hang out together with their wives, and that after a few months, "Dannie" told them that Nemetz would hit her. He stated that at first that didn't believe it, but that they went camping one weekend, and when they got home Dannie had sent a picture of the side of her face swollen. Anthony stated that Skylar told Dannie to say it was the result of a bug bite, however it looked like she had been hit.Anthony said that he and his old team leader, Sam Phipps, confronted Skylar about hitting Dannie, and told him that if he ever did it again they were going to do something about it. He said that Skylar never admitted to assaulting Dannie, and that he subsequently became distant from him and Phipps. Anthony stated that Skylar was a really good dude and a good soldier, adding that Skylar was really good with guns. Anthony stated that all Skylar wanted to do was build guns.Anthony then stated that the deployment was difficult because of new supervision and that everyone was on edge. Anthony stated that Skylar and he started to butt heads, so he pulled Skylar aside and asked him what was going on. Anthony stated that Skylar started cursing at him, and that Skylar was "freaking out" on everyone. Anthony said Skylar commented that everyoneThe POLICE INTERROGATION of Skylar Nemetz PART 2 True Crime Podcast 2023 Police Interrogations, 911 Calls and True Police Stories Podcast

"I killed my wife" | The POLICE INTERROGATION of Skylar Nemetz PART 1Officer Darrell MooreThe following is excerpted from the report of Officer Darrell Moore: Skylar told me "I need to tell someone my story." I directed the fire department personal to the apartment so they could administer medical attention. Skylar again stated, "I want to talk to you." I stared at Skylar without saying anything. Skylar went onto say that he was in Yakima for field training with the military. Skylar said he returned home to his wife. Skylar said he loves his wife more than most other men, and that his love for her was special.Skylar stated that he returned home from Yakima and he had left his wife with his rifle for her protection when he was gone. Skylar told me that he took out the magazine, and motioned taking out the magazine. Skylar said he was making the rifle safe, and for some reason he grabbed the rifle and shook it. I watched as Skylar demonstrated grabbing what I believed to be the upper portion of the rifle with his left hand and the lower portion of the rifle with his right hand. Skylar motioned holding the rifle at an approximately 45 degree cant. Skylar said, "I just shook it and it shot her." Skylar began to make sounds as if he was crying, but I could see that he had no tears coming out. I also noticed that he had no tears during my entire contact with him.NeighborsAccording to neighbors, they regularly heard yelling coming from the Nemetz residence. Among the many statements initially made by Skylar Nemetz was a statement to his neighbor that his wife Danielle had shot herself while she was cleaning a rifle.Eureka InterviewsOn November 24, 2014, detectives traveled to Eureka, California, to conduct interviews. Among those interviewed was Samatha Minton, who stated that she knew Danielle most of her whole life. According to Minton, Danielle had met Skylar on the internet approximately two months before they married. Minton stated that she had observed what she thought was odd behavior between the couple. For example, when Daniella and Skylar would visit, Skylar would drop her off at the house and leave her there all day, while he visited with his friends.Detectives also interviewed Michayla Yingling, who had known Danielle her whole life. Yingling confirmed that Danielle had met Skylar on the internet two months before they had married.Yingling said Danielle never gave her any indication Skylar was being abusive. She knew that Skylar had broken Danielle's cell phone, but she did not know the details. Yingling said Danielle never talked negatively about Skylar, but she got the impression that Danielle was being fake. Yingling stated that Skylar would not let Danielle come to her baby shower, and that Skylar was indecisive on wanting Danielle to get a job. Skylar would tell Danielle to get a job, and when she looked for a job he would tell her she didn't need one. Yingling said Danielle just wanted someone to love her and take care of her.Yingling said Danielle thought her new boss was attractive, and that Danielle had told her that her new boss used to be an underwear model. Yingling said she had a FaceTime session with Danielle and her boss, while they were out to dinner. Yingling was positive that Danielle would not cheat on Skylar.Yingling said on the night Danielle died she had FaceTimed with her at approximately 1600 hours. Yingling said nothing appeared to be out the ordinary, and that at one point Danielle had pointed the phone at Skylar, who had smiled and waved to her.According to Mikala Rippeon, Danielle's youngest sister, Danielle was always wearing long-sleeved shirts and turtleneck sweaters. Mikala remembered seeing what appeared to be fingertip bruises on Danielle's arms.The DiaryOn February 24, 2015, detectives contacted Skylar's mother, Danetta Heller, as they had obtained information that she was possibly in possession of Danielle's diary that was taken from her apartment after the homicide. The following day, Danetta confirmed that she was in possession of Danielle's diary. Danetta stated there were some pages missing from the diary, but stated that she had not removed the missing pages. Danetta stated that she had removed the diary from the apartment because it contained information that she thought would be hurtful to her son, stating that Danielle was a "busy little girl." After speaking with Skylar's attorney, Danetta ceased to cooperate, however she turned over Danielle's diary to Skylar's attorney, who turned it over to the prosecutor. Several pages had been removed. There was an entry that was about Danielle having sex with a male named Kennedy. It stated that Kennedy and Danielle used to date, that they were still having sex, and that Kennedy's current girlfriend Chloe did not know. The entry was dated 4/23/12.CVSAAlthough the CVSA shown in this video is pseudoscience, the test results were "no signs of deception."Karie FaasOn the morning of October 17, 2014, detectives were contacted by Karie Faas, who advised that she had information about the incident. According to Faas, Nemetz and Danielle had a violent relationship. Faas stated that over the two years she has known Danielle, she has seen Danielle with bruises up and down her arms. Faas stated that she thought she still had a picture of Danielle with her face swollen and bruised, and that Danielle had told her it was from a mosquito bite.Faas went on to say that Nemetz was extremely jealous and almost possessive, and that Nemetz was extremely controlling; he would not let her go places, and he controlled who she could see and what she could wear. Faas stated that Nemetz called Danielle names – specifically, "cunt." Faas stated that Danielle was getting close to her boss from her new job, and that he had kind of hinted that he was interested romantically but Danielle just kind of blew it off. Faas stated that she warned Danielle that she was playing with fire.Faas also stated that Danielle did not want to be friends with her boss on Facebook, because she didn't want Skylar to find out. Karie stated that Danielle was really happy that Skylar was coming home, and that she had gone out shopping and bought new underwear. Danielle stated that she had also bought Nemetz alcohol, so he would be happy when he got home. When asked, Karie stated that Nemetz is a big drinker, that he had a lot of barbecues on the weekend, and that a lot of people go to Nemetz's house to drink.Faas also stated that she heard Nemetz had "snapped" in the field. She stated that during his training deployment he had snapped and "freaked out" on a bunch of soldiers. Faas also stated "there is no way this was an accident, he was only home for a few hours". Faas stated that she knew that Danielle's new job was going to cause problems, and that she had told Danielle to stand her ground if Skylar tried to make her quit.Faas then stated she knew that Nemetz was upset when he left work over who had bought the alcohol for Danielle (which was actually for him). Faas stated that her husband, Anthony Faas, was the last one to see Nemetz at work and he had told Skylar that someone else had bought the alcohol. Faas stated that Danielle had a friend named Jeremy. who had just recently been stationed locally at Fort Lewis. Jeremy had spent the night a couple times with Danielle in the past three weeks. Faas stated that she had some text messages from Danielle that said "Jeremy is here, he can help you bring the kids' stuff up." Faas stated that she knows that her husband Anthony had gone through her phone, and that and he may have seen those texts and told Nemetz.In subsequent interviews with Danielle's boss, as well as with Danielle's friend Jeremy Newton, both appeared forthright, and adamantly denied that Danielle had cheated on Skylar. Those interviews will be uploaded.Anthony FaasDetectives subsequently interviews Anthony Faas, the husband of Karie Faas. Anthony stated that that Nemetz was assigned to his platoon back in 2013 and they became friends right away because they were both from Northern California. He stated that they would hang out together with their wives, and that after a few months, "Dannie" told them that Nemetz would hit her. He stated that at first that didn't believe it, but that they went camping one weekend, and when they got home Dannie had sent a picture of the side of her face swollen. Anthony stated that Skylar told Dannie to say it was the result of a bug bite, however it looked like she had been hit.Anthony said that he and his old team leader, Sam Phipps, confronted Skylar about hitting Dannie, and told him that if he ever did it again they were going to do something about it. He said that Skylar never admitted to assaulting Dannie, and that he subsequently became distant from him and Phipps. Anthony stated that Skylar was a really good dude and a good soldier, adding that Skylar was really good with guns. Anthony stated that all Skylar wanted to do was build guns.Anthony then stated that the deployment was difficult because of new supervision and that everyone was on edge. Anthony stated that Skylar and he started to butt heads, so he pulled Skylar aside and asked him what was going on. Anthony stated that Skylar started cursing at him, and that Skylar was "freaking out" on everyone. Anthony said Skylar commented that everyone was picking on him too much. When he later met up with Skylar, Anthony statedI killed my wife The POLICE INTERROGATION of Skylar Nemetz PART 1 True Crime Podcast 2023 Police Interrogations, 911 Calls and True Police Stories Podcast

We start the show with the fallout from Markell Washington last week saying Livvy Dunne big timed him in LA, her Tik Tok live disputing that it ever happened, her texts to Josh and claiming he Facetimed her to apologize, and Markell claiming she posted their private DM's after deleting her side of the story. We then get into the Scar girl controversy and whether or not it is real or a bit, the Golden Globes and Josh's outfit being the talk of the town, Miley Cyrus' song “Flowers” and whether it is a diss track towards her ex husband Liam Hemsworth, Matt Healy refusing to kiss fans in front of Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez potentially dating one of The Chainsmokers, Addison Rae being named as one of the musicians to take over in 2023, Shakira vs Gerard Pique, Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury, Jennifer Lawrence saying Pete Davidson and Ariana Grande are the most famous celebrities out there, and Rihanna's Super Bowl tease. We finish with BFFs corner with Sienna Mae responding to our topic last week of if she was pregnant, Josh Bri and Grace going to work at Raising Canes in Austin, and whether or not the Dave Deuxmoi rumor was true. Support Our Sponsor! Raising Canes: Come for chicken finger meals and stay for sauce! Order online at https://barstool.link/RaisingCanesBSSYou can find every episode of this show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube. Prime Members can listen ad-free on Amazon Music. For more, visit barstool.link/bffspod

Hello, and welcome to Beauty and the Biz where we talk about the business and marketing side of plastic surgery, and offsetting your overhead. I'm your host, Catherine Maley, author of Your Aesthetic Practice – What your patients are saying, as well as consultant to plastic surgeons, to get them more patients and more profits. Now, today's episode is called "Offsetting Your Overhead — with Jason Pozner, MD". It's common for surgeons to take out a huge loan and do a build out of their dream practice but then the bills to pay for all of it start coming in. They quickly notice when the OR is idle and the exam rooms are empty, that's costing them money. It's an uncomfortable feeling. Should they bring on another surgeon to help cover the costs? Should they hire a nurse injector to bring in more revenues? Should they get more creative? In this Beauty and the Biz Podcast episode, I interviewed Dr. Jason Pozner, a board certified plastic surgery with 30 years experience of learning and training on the world's most advanced plastic surgery procedures, laser treatments and skin rejuvenation treatments. Dr. Pozner is the founder of Sanctuary Plastic Surgery and co-owner of Sanctuary Medical Aesthetic Center in Boca Raton, FL. He has experienced all the above scenarios. From expanding to almost going bankrupt to bringing in others to help (some good, some horrendous) and he finally found a balance that works. Dr. Pozner dropped so many pearls, you want to hear this. Visit Dr. Pozner's Website P.S. This Week Only! If you want better results from your advertising efforts, the solution is to fix your lead gen process. I'll do it for you at a fraction of my usual fees. Watch this video…..

A pivotal vote for House speaker is coming up and Rep. Kevin McCarthy is focused on two holdout members of Congress. One congressman who did change his mind joins OutFront. Plus, according to the Buffalo Bills, Damar Hamlin's breathing tube is out and he continues to progress as he has spoken to family and even FaceTimed with his team. Also, new details in the investigation over the killings of four University of Idaho students.To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy

Friday, January 6, 2023: Doctors say Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin is breathing on his own and speaking as the Bills report he Facetimed the team, as we've learned that former Browns player Peyton Hillis ending up in the ICU. Plus, learn what we know about a deadly car shooting in Youngstown, what the CDC levels say about COVID precautions in Northeast Ohio, how President Joe Biden is honoring the 2nd anniversary of the January 6th insurrection, the latest in the ongoing vote for a Speaker of the House, why a large Burger King franchise is declaring bankruptcy, what Austin Love learned about billboards put up by famous Ohio attorney Tim Misny, how high the Mega Millions jackpot has climbed, and more on 3News Daily with Stephanie Haney. Connect with Stephanie Haney here: http://twitter.com/_StephanieHaney http://instagram.com/_StephanieHaney http://facebook.com/thestephaniehaney Watch Stephanie's interview with expert on the Speaker of the House vote here: https://youtu.be/_dsqXmwPfd4 Read more here: 2 dead after vehicle found with ‘numerous bullet holes' on I-680 in Youngstown: What police are saying https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/crime/2-dead-youngstown-vehicle-bullet-holes-680-north/95-c48d9e66-827f-41eb-b329-96201e47341a One of nation's largest Burger King franchisees declares bankruptcy in Akron https://www.wkyc.com/article/money/burger-king-franchisee-declares-bankruptcy-akron/95-739e92df-9471-4da1-ba33-fc7e95faa023 Massive Mega Millions jackpot worth $940 million up for grabs tonight: When is the cutoff time to buy lottery tickets before the drawing? https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/lottery/mega-millions-jackpot-cutoff-time-to-buy-tickets-ohio-lottery/95-25eaf924-bf5f-42db-855b-27403681b80b

Third time's the charm. Kelpy gets a proper sit-down with Adam, to talk about everything that happened since his first interview, the incident with Almighty, clout, and more! https://www.instagram.com/pimpkelpy/ ----- 00:00 Intro 0:03 How's Kelpy feeling after the viral incident 0:46 Kelpy says that he was actually swinging back, contrary to what people saw in the video 2:45 Kelpy came back with the intention to speak his mind after the Sharp interview 4:30 Kelpy agrees he was provoking Almighty throughout the interview and he would be down to set up a boxing match with him 6:00 Is ODM Slim managing Kelpy? ODM coming for Sharp in other interviews, says he's not his manager 8:02 Kelpy says he wasn't worried about the footage releasing and wanted to capitalized off of it  9:00 Kelpy says he's still committed to the game but wants to transition into making more legal money 9:50 Kelpy invites Blueface to create a diss track to Almighty Suspect 11:35 Adam asks Kelpy if he is a Crip now 12:51 Kelpy breaks down what he wants to do with the attention he's currently getting 13:35 Kelpy explains why he was "incriminating" himself on the Soft White Underbelly interview 16:15 Kelpy compares Orange County to Compton  17:20 Kelpy's thoughts on participating in Onlyfans  21:00 Kelpy says wants to be the next Hugh Hefner and would never collab with Slim Jesus 22:30 Kelpy on Sharp saying "There's never been a white pimp that came in the game that looked like Kelpy" 29:40 Is it possible for Kelpy and Almighty to be cool? 30:30 Adam and Kelpy reflect on the thought process behind releasing the fight video 32:57 Kelpy wants to create his own strain of Kr*tom and thinks the fight video would be a great endorsement because he didn't feel any pain 34:59 Kelpy is extremely serious about setting up the boxing match with Almighty 36:00 Kelpy likes Sharp and FaceTimed him for 4 hours after the initial interview 37:36 Kelpy's dream collaboration in music is Bad Bunny ----- NO JUMPER PATREON http://www.patreon.com/nojumper CHECK OUT OUR NEW SPOTIFY PLAYLIST https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5te... FOLLOW US ON SNAPCHAT FOR THE LATEST NEWS & UPDATES https://www.snapchat.com/discover/No_... CHECK OUT OUR ONLINE STORE!!! http://www.nojumper.com/ SUBSCRIBE for new interviews (and more) weekly: http://bit.ly/nastymondayz  Follow us on SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/4ENxb4B... iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/n... Follow us on Social Media: https://www.snapchat.com/discover/No_... http://www.twitter.com/nojumper http://www.instagram.com/nojumper https://www.facebook.com/NOJUMPEROFFI... http://www.reddit.com/r/nojumper JOIN THE DISCORD: https://discord.gg/Q3XPfBm Follow Adam22: https://www.tiktok.com/@adam22 http://www.twitter.com/adam22 http://www.instagram.com/adam22 adam22hoe on Snapchat Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Lindsay's first birth was a planned home birth which ultimately resulted in a hospital transfer and emergency C-section. She was left feeling unprepared, unheard, and committed to fighting for a VBAC next time. Lindsay worked for months preparing for a VBAC both physically and emotionally. Once labor started, she was coping extremely well with her intense contractions. She arrived at the hospital at 10 centimeters, ready to have her baby!Until…her contractions completely stopped. Lindsay shares with us how she overcame ultimate doubt when pushing continued for over four hours. Doubt can creep in at any time on your VBAC journey. Trust yourself and your preparation. Lean into your supportive birth team. We know you can do this!Additional linksThe VBAC Link CommunityHow to VBAC: The Ultimate Prep Course for ParentsFull transcriptNote: All transcripts are edited to correct grammar, false starts, and filler words. Julie: Welcome, welcome. This is Women of Strength Wednesday and you are tuned in to The VBAC Link podcast with Julie and Meagan and our special guest, Lindsay, today. We were actually just chitchatting a little bit before we pressed record about different providers and how they influence birth outcomes. Sometimes you will have a provider who is surprisingly more supportive than you would expect them to be and vice versa, right? So we are going to talk about that and all the different parts of Lindsay's story in a little bit. Before we do that though, Meagan has a Review of the Week for us.Review of the WeekMeagan: Yes I do. This is from RokFray and it says “Getting VBAC Ready. This podcast has been inspiring and motivational to me as I prepare for a VBAC with my fourth baby. Listening to each of these stories and realizing that through listening I have learned how to advocate for myself and my family has been a true blessing. Thank you!”And I just want to say thank you to RokFray for sharing your review. Julie and I say it all the time. We love your reviews. We truly mean it. And honestly, we are running out of some reviews because we haven't been recording for so long. We haven't had a ton of reviews here coming in and so we would love some new, fresh reviews so we can read them on future podcasts.Julie: You never know. Maybe next week, we will read yours.Meagan: Yep.Julie: I love it. I always remember that time when somebody was Review of the Week and they posted on their Instagram. Well, I guess it has happened a couple of times, but it just makes me happy. Getting reviews, reading them, and everyone letting us know how we have been helping you so thank you, thank you. It means a lot to us.Lindsay's StoryJulie: All right. Let's get to it. We have Lindsay with us today. Lindsay is an Advertising Account Director and a mom of two. She loves being a mom and thinks bringing babies earthside is one of the most surreal experiences that we have as mothers. “Childbirth is the best lesson a mother can experience,” she says. “A lot is out of our control, so plan for the worst and hope for the best.” Do you know what that reminds me of? That reminds me of when I was in the military. Plan for the worst and hope for the best because I don't know if anybody out there listening is in the military, or a military spouse, or has ever been in the military, but you know that whenever things can go wrong if there is a possibility, then it probably will go wrong. So you have got to just kind of expect not very much, but hope for great things. That just reminded me of that when I was just reading your bio. Lindsay. But I like that sentiment because you can prepare for all of the things, right? You can prepare for all of the outcomes, but always hope for and even expect the best outcomes as well. So I love that.But Lindsay, why don't you go ahead and tell us a little bit more and share your story with us?Lindsay: awesome. Thanks so much, Julie. So I will start with my pregnancy and the birth of my son which was my first C-section. It took us a while to get pregnant with my son. We thought that it was going to be quite simple and it turns out it wasn't. So with a little bit of help from a fertility specialist, we successfully got pregnant. We were so excited and he recommended that we be handed over to the care of midwives. I had a low-risk pregnancy. I was in great shape, healthy, and a strong BMI, so he felt like this would be the best care provider for what I needed. And then also with my style, he loved that and recommended that we have someone who would be really guiding throughout.He also recommended that I ask them about homebirth, which was probably unexpected for most coming from more of the traditional Western medicine perspective. So we started on with the midwives. We loved them instantly and homebirth was brought up pretty early on. And so we had planned for a homebirth and in this, my biggest learning was that we really focused on the homebirth and the realities of a homebirth. We didn't necessarily talk about labor preparation.So I had read Ina May Gaskin's Guide to Childbirth and I had chatted with friends who had gone through labor, especially in natural labor and delivery, and so I felt like I was prepared enough until I was 40 weeks pregnant– 40 weeks, 4 days exactly– and my water broke. It was the slow leak. We confirmed that the amniotic sac ruptured. I was slowly leaking fluid, but I wasn't under stress and baby's heart rate was fine, so we made a little bit of a plan. If I hadn't gone into labor in 24 hours, then I would go in to the hospital and we would do an induction. If I did go into labor naturally, then I would continue on with a planned homebirth.So we went home with the instruction to just enjoy each other‘s company and try to wind down. It was really hitting home that this was our last moment where we would have just the two of us and our dog in this house. And so we were anxious, excited, nervous and that was when I started feeling the, “Oh my god. I wonder what labor feels like.” At 9:30 p.m., I had my first contraction. It was a very traditional wave. I felt the build. I felt the release. I went through the motions of like, “Okay. I can handle this,” and then quickly let my husband know that, “Okay, so labor is starting.” My mom was coming over and we were prepared for what was about to come. I gave both of them the call sheet for the midwives and we went over the birth plan and were feeling good.Within an hour, I had all back labor, no break between contractions, was really nauseous, and something just didn't feel right. I kept saying to my husband and my mom like, “We need to call the midwife. We need to call the midwife,” and they were just calm and steady like, “Lindsay, you are doing great. It's okay.” And at that point, my mom said, “I think you are having back labor–”Meagan: MhmmLindsay: “–based on the fact that you don't have any breaks and it's just back-to-back.” I had been given the instructions to not go in the water, and so for me, that meant I shouldn't even be standing in the shower. I was a very cautious first-time laborer and after some pretty frantic, “Call the midwife! Call the midwives!”, my mom and husband in fact called the midwives and we agreed to do a home visit. They were going to come and check on me and likely transfer me to the hospital just because I was having a hard time managing the pain.And so my midwives came over and checked me. I was only about 5 centimeters dilated. I was having a really hard time managing the pain. It just goes back to total unpreparedness. I had read one book and had some conversations, but I don't think I necessarily understood the different ways that labor can feel. The thought of it being exclusively in my back was such a foreign concept to me and really unbearable.We drove to the hospital which was less than five minutes away. My husband was asking me on the way there like, “You are going to do up your seatbelt right?” I could barely sit down. I am not concerned about my seatbelt. And so we get to the hospital in the wee hours of the morning. It's about 3:00 a.m. and we were waiting now for an epidural.I am laboring, very vocal, have a lot of discomfort, and am still a little bit unsure if this is normal, where I am feeling it, and not being provided with a lot of reassurance that I am doing great and that this is normal. And so now at this point, I am like a little bit panicked like, “This is a foreign feeling. I don't know what's going on. I feel totally unheard and I also feel voiceless. I'm asking questions and I just feel like I am not really being given reassurance and direction.”Of course, my husband being a first-time dad and first time witnessing labor is also a little bit of a deer in the headlights like, “What is happening? Is my wife okay and is this normal?” And so an hour in, we start asking, “Where is the epidural? Where is the anesthesiologist? We need some sort of pain meds.” My approach was an epidural or bust.I didn't want to take fentanyl or laughing gas unnecessarily. I would rather just go for the good stuff and get the epidural. I don't tolerate pain medication well, and so I was apprehensive about the effects that it would have on me but also recognized that I was feeling like it was an out-of-body experience and like I just couldn't handle this. I did not have confidence in myself.So around 4:30, it was like one of those lightbulb moments where I was like, “My massage therapist said if I feel back labor, ask for the bee stings,” which is sterile water injections in my low back.Meagan: Oh yes.Lindsay: It was the first time I was able to really advocate for myself in labor. I was like, “Can I get a sterile water injection? I will take the bee stings,” which are definitely a little bit more aggressive than a bee sting. I must have just been stung by really a really lightweight bee in the past.But I got the sterile water injection and instantly felt relief. At that moment, I was like, “Man, I can handle this. I feel really good about now.” I started to feel proper contractions and a proper wave inching closer to 5:00 and so at that point, I am like, “Okay. I am handling this well.” I suddenly felt the urge to bear down. And so I went to the washroom and as I am sitting I am like, “It feels like I have to poop.” And so my midwife– I am vocalizing this and she is like, “Okay. Let's give you a quick check,” and so at that point, she was like, “Listen. The anesthesiologist is about to walk in.” She gave me a check and I was 8 centimeters.Meagan: Wow.Lindsay: And so she said, “You are at the cusp and so you either get the epidural now or you don't get it at all.” I was just blindly looking at her for advice and guidance and I was like, “I guess I think I should get it,” and she was like, “I think that is a good decision.” I got the epidural and I felt relief. But going back to preparedness and not feeling heard, at that point, being prepared– I was not prepared for an epidural. And so as I am leaning over my husband, he, in turn, was also not prepared. He was like, “I may pass out. That is a very large needle.” I was just like, “Just stick it in me. I need to feel some sort of relief.” As soon as the effects of the epidural kicked in, suddenly I felt like, “There is no turning back. I have just made a horrible decision.” Maybe I was handling labor okay and I was starting to feel some relief. I was just on the cusp of transition because as soon as I had the epidural, I had the hormone shakes and the sweats, and so I was transitioning naturally anyways. The feeling of defeat was really stinking in.At 5:30 and the direction was, “Rest. You need to sleep and we are just going to flip you on a peanut ball side to side.” So every 30 minutes, my husband and my midwife would wake me up and flip me. It was just side to side with the peanut ball until about 7:00 a.m. At that point, I was 10 centimeters dilated and they decided to just let me continue resting. I felt nothing, so I didn't feel the urge to push. They said, “Around 10:00-11:00, we will check in and you can start pushing at that point.”So at that point, they come in and say, “Okay. You need to start pushing.” The piece I missed in this was that my mom and dad had come to the hospital to give my husband some relief so that he could go and have a coffee and a bite to eat because keep in mind, we weren't planning for a hospital birth, so we were really not prepared. We had a small hospital bag packed and that was about it. My dad is asking my midwife, “What if she can't push this baby out?” and he is kind of leading the horse like, “What is going on? Is there something happening with her or with the baby? What's the next step?” They were like, “No, no. She has had an epidural. Even if this baby is in a bad position, she can push it out.” And this was the first moment where I heard the baby was in a bad position.Meagan: Yeah. No one said anything.Lindsay: No one said anything and I didn't realize that my water breaking early was likely due to an OP baby. And again, it was just a lack of communication or something that I wasn't aware of. My dad keeps asking, “What if the baby is turned a little bit?” or “What if the baby is OP?” Like, “Nope. Nope. She's had an epidural. She can push this baby out okay.”So we have now gone from homebirth to hospital to feeling really in the dark and really unclear about what's happening. I had this epidural that I am deeply regretting at this point, but there's no turning back and it's time to start pushing and I feel absolutely nothing. And so I push for a couple of hours. No headway is being made. At this point, there is a change in the midwife team so I am with a different midwife and she said, “I'm just going to step out of the room,” looking to my husband and I. “When you see a contraction on the monitor, continue to push. Continue to breathe through it and I will be back.”About 15-20 minutes later, which felt like a lot longer, she came back with the OBGYN on call. He, in a very flat and direct way, said, “You are spiking a fever. The baby's heart rate is dipping and your heart rate is dropping.” I have incredibly low blood pressure to begin with. So he said, “These three factors, coupled with the likelihood that your baby is OP– we are bringing you in for a C-section.” I was absolutely gutted.Meagan: Was it like, “Hey, this is why I think a C-section is needed” or it was it like, “This is what we are doing.” Did you feel like you had an option? Do you know what I meanLindsay: Yeah. So like, yeah. Totally, totally. So I'm sure you can see two first-time parents who have from a homebirth to now being a hospital to suddenly being told they are having a C-section, which we know absolutely nothing about other than it was a major abdominal surgery.Meagan: Yeah.Lindsay: And so I'm sobbing saying, “Can we turn off the epidural? Can we bring down the epidural even a little bit? Rip it out of my vein,” beause I have no concept of how it works, right? My husband is saying, “Can she just push for another 30 minutes?” And very flat, he was just like, “No. The difference in time is five minutes to talk about it now and to open you up in here versus bringing you into the OR.”Meagan: Whoa.Lindsay: And so again, my husband and I were just looking at him. There was really no other option that was presented to us at least. We were grasping at straws. He just again reiterated very calmly, “I understand that this is not what you wanted, but we need to get this baby out now.” And so they bring us to the OR. My husband is a wreck. We haven't been prepped for this procedure, so he is waiting as I am signing forms. This amazing nurse is wiping my tears so that I can somewhat sign blindly. It's about 2:00ish in the afternoon. We get into the OR. We had gone from a dark room with no windows and little candles everywhere to this stark, sterile, bright light environment. A different anesthesiologist came in. The energy was so nonchalant in comparison to the fear and grief that my husband and I were feeling. The anesthesiologist was phenomenal. He spoke to us throughout the entire C-section at every stage. He reassured us off the top by saying, “My wife has had two C-sections beyond seeing this through my job on a day-to-day basis. I know exactly what's going to happen. I will talk to you through this.”And so he talked us through it. He held my shoulder. My husband held my hand. By this point, I am maxed out on my epidural. I can feel my left side. It was really traumatic beyond just the flow of how the birth went, but also being in this very sterile environment and feeling a lot of what was happening.But again, the anesthesiologist just was so wonderful, coaching us through it and really, I'm sure he could sense our fear. My sweet little boy came out and was put to my face. I turned and I was like, “I think I'm going to throw up. I am super nauseous.” I am out of it at this point. I wanted to name my son Benjamin, which was not a name that my husband and I had discussed. The anesthesiologist said, “This is no longer something that you have to feel.” He gave me a good shot of fentanyl to really knock me out.And so, three hours later, I woke up to my husband doing skin-to-skin with my son Miles, not Benjamin and from there, I was confused, disoriented and in a lot of pain and discomfort, wanting to nurse. Breastfeeding was really important to me, really wanting to bring him in for our first latch and even from there, trying to latch my son but not being able to sit up and bring him to my chest, and just having a midwife take my breast and shove it in my baby's face. I felt like I didn't matter which, I think, was the furthest thing from the intention. It was rather, “We need to get this done.”Meagan: Yeah. Yeah, but still. I feel like there was such a lack of including you in everything. It was just like things were being done to you versus with you, and so I could see how you were feeling that.Lindsay: Thank you. Yeah, exactly. So we ended up having two days in the hospital and really focused on nursing and controlling what I could control. So making sure that I was walking as quickly as I possibly could. We were really focused on breastfeeding and getting my son on an every two hours nursing schedule on top of on-demand while focusing on letting him get that long stretch of sleep at night. So that's why I started to excel as a mom and really stepped into my own, but I carried a lot of trauma and grief from that birth. I remember the first night being at home laying in bed, my son was fussing and my husband was walking at the end of the bed back-and-forth with him on his chest. I was just sobbing saying, “You don't realize how lucky you are. All I want to do is get up and walk my son back-and-forth. This is what I've dreamed of and I can't.”And so the first few weeks, also feeling like I was pretty helpless in terms of my lack of mobility and how sore I was, and it was just a much longer recovery then I had anticipated and was prepared for. And so at my last discharge appointment, my question was, “Can I do a VBAC? Can I deliver vaginally after a Cesarean?” It was a very clear, “Absolutely. Your baby was OP.” So my son Miles was full OP and he also was 9 pounds, 2 ounces.Meagan: Hmm, a bigger baby.Lindsay: So he was pretty big. A bigger baby and at the point of the C-section, he had descended so far down the birth canal that he was just stuck. And so the message was, “You can absolutely do a VBAC. In your next pregnancy, we will focus on a lot of bodywork, chiropractic care, and massage,” so some of the things that I was doing before. The big one was diet. I had gained a lot of weight in my pregnancy with my son. I definitely was carrying a bigger baby and that showed, but I was an all belly pregnancy and very active. We are talking hiked 15 kilometers at 38 weeks active. I felt, at that point, pretty defeated. Like, “Okay. I must carry big babies, but for my next pregnancy and birth, I am going to do everything within my control to have a VBAC and whatever else is passed over to the higher powers.”And so I continued on raising my little boy, really loved being a first-time mom. We were keen to expand our family, and so we ended up getting pregnant a lot sooner than expected. We got pregnant when my son was about nine months and we just made it in on the cusp of when they would endorse and support a VBAC versus mandate or strongly recommend a C-section. Where I am, 18 months is the standard and my babies were exactly 18 months apart. So I really, really just snuck in there.Julie: Nice, nice.Lindsay: So I'm pregnant with my second and I just started to consume a ton of literature and content all around VBACs. If something was recommended to me, I did it without hesitation. I went for chiropractic care and massage very early on. I saw an acupuncturist. I did Spinning Babies religiously. I hired a doula and I followed her lead and guidance. I used her as a sounding board and I focused on what I could control which was finding my voice and using it, and learning about birth and labor so that I could be undeniably prepared for what was about to happen.I also was really keen to have a homebirth just knowing statistically that homebirths for VBACs statistically are more successful in terms of a vaginal delivery. Unfortunately, my midwife team couldn't endorse that. It was just out of their scope of practice, and so I did have to deliver in hospital. I just focused on really getting over those mental hurdles so that when it came time to being in labor, all I would focus on was just my labor and what was happening within my body.So at about 37 weeks, I started to actively try to induce labor. I wouldn't say I was doing anything like drinking a midwives' cocktail, for example. It was more so just focusing on ensuring that my body was prepared for labor and when my body was ready to go into labor, I was ready right there with it.I started doing acupuncture weekly. I was drinking my red raspberry leaf tea. I was doing my Spinning Babies, really focusing on inversions and bodywork for strong baby positioning. My baby was head down but not engaged in my pelvis yet, and so I was like, “I just want to make sure that this baby stays where he or she is supposed to be.”At 40 weeks exactly– she is a due date baby– I went into labor. The piece before this is, I had started pre-labor at about 38 weeks. So for two weeks I was in prodromal labor. Am I saying that correctly?Meagan: Prodromal labor, mhmm.Lindsay: Thank you. And so I was consistently feeling strong Braxton Hicks and it was manageable, something that I wasn't even really noticing because I was so busy with a 17-18 month old, but it was something I was noticing– the feeling and shift in my body. For the four nights leading up to my birth, every night from 11:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m., I would have consistent contractions. It was this feeling of the wave, the build, and the release, but by 5:00 a.m., they would just go away. So on a Monday night, we had called our doula thinking, “I am for sure in labor.” My contractions were getting closer together. They were getting stronger and they were definitely more consistent than the previous waves.As soon as she entered our house, they stopped. And so I am like, “Yeah. We have just been up for hours tracking this.” Now it was to the point where I was uncomfortable and couldn't stay in bed. And so we started talking about what I was feeling and I was like, “It just feels like something is tickling my bladder.” She was like, “That, my friend, is a hand. I think your baby has his or her hand in front of her face, so often you will see that start-stop labor pattern because the baby isn't in a position where you can actively go into labor.”This was really the start of feeling so heard, being able to talk through what was happening and have a solution provided and also the validation of, “You're not going crazy. You are feeling something real within your body and it is going to be okay.”And so she gave me some exercises and very strict direction like, “Do these exercises. Rest today and let's see what happens that night. Let's touch base before you go to bed and let see what happens.” So we get my son in bed. We call my doula and she said, “Okay. Here is the plan. You are going to go in the bath. You are going to do this exercise–” where I lay on the pillow and kind of let my leg hang and float.Meagan: Side-lying. Mhmm. Side-lying probably.Lindsay: No like, laying face first in the bath.Meagan: Oh, in the bath. Wow!Lindsay: In the bath. Yeah.Meagan: Okay, cool.Lindsay: Yeah. “You get in the bath. You are going to relax. You are going to lay on your belly and you are going to let it just hang.” My tub was just big enough to do this comfortably. And she was like, “And then from there, you are going to go to bed and you are going to try to get as much sleep as possible. If at 5:00 a.m., your contractions are still strong and consistent, I am coming over and we are going to kickstart this labor.” Let's do it. I felt like we had a plan in place. And so I am laying in the tub and I am just going over my mental mantras like, “You are strong. You are healthy.” I definitely watched my diet in this pregnancy. Not that I was unhealthy with my son, but I was really strict with the sugar that I consumed and what I put inside my body.I was like, “Your body was made to birth this baby. You can do this.” And so I just had my mantras that I said over and over. I got ready for bed. I tucked in. My husband and I were lying there. At 9:30, I have my first contraction and it feels just like my son.Meagan: In the back?Lindsay: All in my back and I am instantly like, “This is–”Meagan: Triggering, probably.Lindsay: Triggering, yeah. It's happening again. And so I'm turning to my husband and I am like, “You need to call the midwives. You need to call the doula. I need to go to the hospital now.” My husband was just such a calm, strong voice of reason. He was like, “Okay Linds. We are going to crank up the bath. We're going to crank up the bath to a hot, hot heat and get you in it for some comfort and relief and I am going to call the doula.” And so I get in the bath and I am sitting facing the long side of the bathtub wall, kind of pressing against it with my knees up, and we are running the water hot. He is pressing on my pressure points and my low back. He calls the doula and he is like. “This is it. She is in labor. This is happening.” And she was like, “Okay. Well, talk to me. What is happening?” And he is now kind of frantic like, “No, no. There is no time for me to tell you what is happening. She is in labor.”And so he quickly says, “She is in the bath. It is as hot as we can get it. I am pressing on her back and if you don't come here, we are going to the hospital.” Keep in mind, I was pregnant during COVID, so our doula couldn't come with us to the hospital. She could only be with us at home.Julie: Oh man.Meagan: Yeah, aww. Oh no.Lindsay: So she gets to the house and it's now like 10:00ish. She takes over for my husband, pressing on my low back and she is like, “Okay. You've got this.” She is like, “You are doing so great, Linds.” She's asking me how I am feeling. She's asking me about the sensation and I am like, “It is in my back, but I do get relief when you are pressing on the pressure points. It is just that it's now in my back and my hips.” I could just feel everything moving down.And so at 11:00, and an hour where I am in this bathwater, she's like, “Okay. Let's get you out and let's make a plan on what we are going to do.” We knew I had to transfer to hospital because I didn't feel comfortable birthing a baby without medical support in my home. And so we are standing in my living room, slowly getting me dressed. She transitions to doing these exercises where every contraction, I press up against the wall with loose knees and she lifts my belly up as I lean over her. The whole intention was just ensuring that we were working with my body and baby to get my baby in the best position.Meagan: Yeah, like an abdominal lift.Lindsay: I think that's what it's called. Don't quote me on that, but I am going to guess.Meagan: Yeah, that's awesome. It's intense too, for you.Lindsay: Super intense, but we are in such a good rhythm. We are like, “Now we have a plan for every contraction.” I have the rhythm. I'm feeling really good. She calls the midwives and she's like, “Okay. Lindsay's contractions are two minutes apart and consistently a minute long,” and the midwife was like, “Meet me at the hospital now.” I had been in labor for an hour and a half and I knew things were moving quickly.And so we hang up in my doula was like, “Listen. You are in charge here. We will go to the hospital when you want to go to the hospital. 30 minutes, an hour, we get there when we get there. So what feels good for you?” Again, it was just that validation of feeling a part of what was happening and feeling like I was steering the ship. We decided that my husband was going to pack the car and in the next 30-ish minutes to an hour, I would be at the hospital. She was like, “Let's just continue to focus on this really good rhythm.” So at 11:15, I looked to her and I was like, “I am in transition.” She's like, “Okay. Tell me what you are feeling. I was like, “I am shaking. My contractions are back-to-back. I am cold and hot at the exact same time. I'm sweating from pores I didn't even know existed.” She was like, “Yep. You're definitely in transition,” and very, very calm.Meagan: Positive things, positive things.Lindsay: Positive things, yeah. She was like, “We should probably get you into the car.” Just as we were getting downstairs, I had that little pause in contractions and she was like, “Okay. So when you get to the hospital–” reminding me of all of the things to ask for like how many centimeters dilated I am, what station I am at, so on and so forth. And so I am feeling good about going and we are kind of waiting. I was still like, “Let's have one more contraction, and then get me in the car and we will go straight to the hospital. So that's the plan.”There was like a little break. I am enjoying the relief and all of a sudden, there was a contraction. I get on the wall and she lifts my belly. I am leaning over her and my husband, and just as she lifts my belly, baby drops and I used some very foul language directing everybody to get their hands off of me. My doula drops to the floor. She just looks up and she is like, “Are you okay?” “I think so.” She was like, “Okay. Are we doing this here or are you going to the hospital? We need to go to hospital now.”So she helps me out to the car, which, I am sure at 11:30p.m. was quite the sight for any of my neighbors because she is behind me but also cautiously ready to drop to the ground at any second. My husband is now panicked in the car honking the horn like, “We need to go!” So I get in the car– quickest ride I have ever had to our hospital. We pull into the labor and delivery ward, do the COVID screen and get in. I go in first, but my husband hast to stay back and wait. And so I go into the first section of the labor and delivery ward and my midwife does my check. She is kind of scolding me like, “You said you would be here in 30 minutes to under an hour and it has been an hour.” I am just calm, cool and collected like, “How many centimeters am I dilated?” I am prepped for an 8. She was like, “All right. So you're 10 centimeters dilated. The next step is to break your water and push the baby out.” So she tells me to go to the end of the hall to labor and delivery room and she was like, “I'm going to go get your husband because it is go time.” We get into the room and everything stopped. My contractions were nonexistent. My energy was different. I no longer felt in the zone. I felt edgy and amped up a little bit. I was totally experiencing fight or flight. And so they were like, “Okay.” We get my doula on the iPad. She is FaceTimed in now. I am excited and nervous, but my body has now totally stopped.That's where the doubt starts to creep and like, “I don't know if I can do this.” All of the literature about feeling not comfortable in your space and all of that, I am like, “I just don't know. I am out of my labor zone.” So they break my water and I feel the pressure of the baby bearing down. I just keep asking, “So when do I start pushing?” I am like, “There are not really any contractions.” This is a very different feeling now. They were like, “Oh, you will feel it. On your next contraction, if you feel the urge to push, you can absolutely bear down.”And so about an hour and a half into being at the hospital, I finally start having consistent contractions again. Because I am a VBAC, I have consistent fetal monitoring. The baby is not in distress and my heart rate is great, so we just carry on. My contractions now are existent but just noneffective. And so between every fourth contraction, my midwives and my doula were getting me into a different position to try to get this baby out. Within the first push they were like, “The baby is right there,” and I just wasn't able to push.I am pushing and my midwife is directing me, so now she is inside me pressing down like, “Push here.” She is like, “You are pushing really effectively,” and so it becomes a little bit of this puzzle. I am fully dilated. My waters are broken. I do have contractions and we are trying different positions, but this baby is just not coming.And so it's about two hours in. I am getting pretty tired because it's the middle of the night and feeling super defeated. The same narrative of, “You can't do this,” is echoed by a member of the care team. At this point, I am like, “Get this baby out of me.” Like, “We are going to need some medical intervention for this baby to arrive Earthside. I cannot do this anymore.”Meagan: Aww yeah. Just total doubt.Lindsay: Total doubt despite being very prepared and having such a strong voice. My husband was like, “Linds, you can do this. You have worked so hard for this.” He was like, “I can literally see the baby. You've got this. It's okay. You can do this.” And then there was a student midwife and a very new midwife– I think she had graduated a year or six months prior– and they were incredibly encouraging. They were like, “Lindsay, we are working with you. You've got this, girl. You've got this.” Every contraction cheering me on, so the energy was so positive, but it was just like, the combination of myself and another provider that lacked confidence that really took the scheme out of the labor.And so now it's 4:00 in the morning, four hours into pushing and they say, “We are going to bring an OB consult.” I am pretty distraught at this point. I have no medication. I am really leaned in to like, “I am going to do this naturally one way or another.” My husband is advocating for me and such a big support system. I have two relatively junior midwives who are like, “You are doing this.” We decide despite all that that we are going to call in an OB consult. By chance, it was one of my most favorite OBGYNs on call that night. She was there to do another emergency C-section.And so she walked in and we went over the chart. She was like, “Man.” She had done my consult for if I was a VBAC candidate, and so she was like, “Linds, you can do this.” She was like, “You are so close.” She said, “Here's the thing. I have another emergency C-section. You are not in distress. Your baby is not in distress. You're both doing well, so while I do this other C-section, your job is to lay on your side with the peanut ball, knees together for the 30-45 minutes it takes me to do my other C-section. I will come back and if you are not progressing and you are still struggling to push out this baby, then we will do a C-section.”And so I felt at that point, “If it goes to a C-section, I am okay with that. I feel like I have really done everything in my power.” Pushing for that long was physically exhausting and not rewarding. So I'm like, “That's cool. I'll lay on my side on the peanut ball as uncomfortable as it is. I will bear down and it's going to be what it's going to be.”And so she leaves the room. I am on my side and because my midwife had kept checking they were like, “The baby is not OP. It just keeps rotating from left to right.” It was my body. I just wasn't working in the right position to have the baby tuck under my pubic bone and out.When the OBGYN checked me she was like, “Absolutely. This baby just keeps rotating right to left,  and so we just need to get it in the best birthing position. Let's have you lay on this side as a last ditch effort.” She walks out and comes back in 45 minutes later and she is like, “Oh my god. We're about to have this baby. Like right now, we are about to have this baby.” She is in full scrubs and walks back out of the delivery room. At this point, I am like, “Where is she going? I need her in here.”Meagan: You're like, “Wait, I thought you said we were going to have this baby.”Lindsay: Yeah. Yeah.Meagan: “And you leave?!”Lindsay: Yeah. I'm like, “Am I doing this solo? What's happening here?” My midwives laugh and they're like, “No, no. She just has to release the OR team because everyone is on standby to see if they are doing a section on me.” And so she walks in 30 seconds later and after about four pushes, my sweet little baby girl was born.Meagan: Aww. That is quite, I mean, gosh. That is quite the journey during the pushing stage. A lot of people would have totally been told like, “You have no option. You are going to a C-section,” after it had been just a couple of hours of pushing. They kept giving you more time and I just think it is awesome. I mean, it is really awesome that you guys had those providers in there to advocate for you.Overcoming DoubtBut I wanted to talk a little bit about that doubt that you talked about was creeping in. It doesn't always just creep in at the end. It can creep in during all periods of labor and even before labor begins. I think it's awesome that you had your team there. I mean, your husband obviously is amazing and was like, “You have worked so hard for this. You can do this.” He built you up, but what's a little piece of advice that you would give to our listeners? Because I think that is something that happens all the time. It happened for me. I mean, I think everyone who has heard my story– I think I shared it. I was throwing a fit in the driveway because my water broke and it triggered me. It was like, “No, it's not going to happen.” I just had this total doubt. What would you say really, really helped you? Do you think it was your team? What did you do physically and mentally to just be like, “Okay, yes,” and snap back into it, water splashed back into your face?Lindsay: It was a combination of having the toolbox and building my own toolbox. So doing the reading, and The VBAC Link was on every morning and every night. I consumed podcasts and good news stories like they were liquid gold. I read the books. If someone made a suggestion, I did it blindly, and so I felt like the toolbox of confidence and support was built and that was me. That wasn't anyone else. That was me wanting to know, wanting to be educated, and wanting to feel empowered and confident going into labor. And then that married with building the team that I knew would support me so that when I had a question and labor, when something came up, I was able to not only go into my toolbox, but also to my support team and know that they had my back.To your point, when that doubt creeped in it didn't creep in on its own. There was an external voice in the room that supported that. It was the moment of my husband saying, “You can do this.” But I was like, “Yeah. He is right. I can do this.” And also, “I don't have to listen to her.” I can listen to everyone else in the room that is validating me, supporting me, and believes in me. And so hat was my two-prong approach to building up my confidence and empowerment. If something doesn't feel right, just continue to ask and lean into that until it feels like you've been heard and it feels like you understand what's happening.Meagan: Yes. I love that. Such great tips because it does. It really does happen and yeah. Like you said, it didn't just happen. It was placed there, and then it got worse. So I love that so, so much. Thank you so much for sharing your story. I loved it. I am so proud of you and I'm so happy that you were able to have your doula there for a little while and all of that. These COVID births, man. They are all so interesting to hear how they went down. But we are so grateful that you had your team. Julie, is there anything you want to add or anything?Julie: Nope. I think that sounds great. It's a great story. I love all of the preparation that you did. I was kind of like that too with my first VBAC. I just did everything. Somebody told me about a resource, I sucked it all up. I went to all of the birthing groups. I soaked in of all of the stories, just all of it. I absolutely love that. I think it's so important.Meagan: Mhmm.Lindsay: My close network of moms that had C-sections either hadn't had a VBAC yet, weren't interested in doing a VBAC, or had just gone straight to a repeat section. So I felt like my personal network was really limited in terms of the resources and questions that I could ask and lean on. And so I just turned on to an online community. So The VBAC Link Community being such a good example. If I don't have someone to ask, where can I find that information from other real-life humans, not necessarily just a book right?So yeah. So that's kind of where I landed and it's so funny because I left the hospital fairly quickly. So I gave birth at 6:13 and I was home by two. And so it was partially due to Covid and partially due to the natural delivery, like let's get her back home and comfortable and that night, my Julie came over to check in and see how we were doing and meet our little baby and the first thing I said was, I can't wait to do it again. Do you know? Our family isn't complete yet and yeah, I can't wait to do it again. And so July 31, we are doing it again.Meagan: No! This year?Lindsay: Yeah. This year.Meagan: Oh my gosh. That's so awesome.Julie: Yay.Meagan: Oh, congratulations. That is so awesome. So, so awesome.Julie: Yeah.Lindsay: Yeah. It's a very similar approach, you know? I went in and went with the midwife team that supports me that I felt heard by and that I feel like the most comfortable with in our monthly appointments. I reached out to my doula right away and she typically doesn't take summer clients, but I snuck in there which was awesome. And yeah. We are just doing everything again that we can. We have the confidence of success, of course, in our back pocket, but it is the same approach. Control what you can control.Meagan: Mhmm. Yeah.Julie: Yeah.Meagan: Oh, I love it. Well, thank you so much for sharing your story and we really, really do appreciate you.Lindsay: Thank you.ClosingInterested in sharing your VBAC story on the podcast? Submit your story at thevbaclink.com/share. For more information on all things VBAC including online and in-person VBAC classes, The VBAC Link blog, and Julie and Meagan's bios, head over to thevbaclink.com. Congratulations on starting your journey of learning and discovery with The VBAC Link. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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