"The Holy Ghost" Parley P. Pratt Printable Quote

I was supposed to teach the Relief Society Lesson tomorrow and I was using Linda K. Burton's lesson "Tuning Our Hearts To The Voice of the Spirit," when I came across this quote and just fell in love with it. I no longer have to give the lesson as we have a visiting Elder from the 70 coming tomorrow but I had already created this printable to hand out in class, so I've now decided to share it with you! I hope you like it!

 For the background I used a free quatrefoil image from Fab n' Free.

Or you can download it here from my google drive. 

How To Use Photoshop To Make Weekly Pregnancy Photos With Chalkboard Background

Step 1: Have someone take a photo of you from the side. No selfies, they don't work very well. Make sure there's not a lot going on in the background. I just stood on our treadmill and used the the grayish wall as my background. It worked well unless I was wearing a shirt about the same color and then it make it a little more tricky so you'll also want to think about that. The shirt I'm wearing below is similar in color so I'l have to be very careful when cropping around it.  

Step 2: Open your photo in Photoshop. 

Step 3: On the left side you will see a paintbrush with a little lasso around it. This is your magic want. Click on it, hold it, and choose the "Quick Selection Tool."

Step 4: Use the Quick Selection Tool to select everything around your body, you only want to select the background. To do this make sure that at the top the + sign is selected. You'll want to have the size set between 5-10 as well. 

Step 5: Start selecting the background around your body. If you accidentally go over your body use the - sign {right next to the + sign} and move it back off of your body. You may have to go back and forth between the + and - sign a bit to make it fit around your body just right. Zoom in too to make sure it's tight around your body. 

Step 6: Go to Select, click on "Inverse," and then click on "Refine Edge."

Step 7: When you click "Refine Edge" it make your photo look like this:

*Note: If your background isn't black you can change it. I like to have it on black because the chalkboard is dark as well and that way I can see what it's going to look like against a dark background and if I need to make any changes. If you can see that you need to make some changes just click "Cancel" and fix the edges.

Step 8: Now you want to change the "Radius," the "Smooth," the "Contrast," and "Shift Edge." Play around with it until it looks right to you but I usually only go 1-2 on Radius, 15-30 on Smooth, 15-30 on Contrast, and -15 to -30 on Shift Edge. 

Step 9: Once you have the picture the way you want it you need to select the correct output. Down at the bottom you'll see the words "Output To:" and here you want to select "New Layer with New Layer Mask."

Step 10: It should now look like this:

Step 11: Now, you can move  your photo where you want it on the canvas. I like to move mine down a little and to the left. That way I have room to write at the top and on the right.

Step 12: Now it's time to bring in the chalkboard background. First you need to find a chalkboard background you like. I just googled "Free Chalkboard Backgrounds" and sorted through them until I found the one I liked. Once you have the image you want {make sure it's a large enough image too or it will look grainy, I would suggest at least 1080 x 600 pixels} save it to your computer. Then open it in Photoshop. 

Step 13: Now you're are going to want to make sure to unlock your chalkboard photo so you can move it. You click on the lock and drag it to the bottom right where a garbage can waits. Put the lock in the garbage can. 

Step 14: Now select the arrow on the right side and then use it to click on the image of the chalkboard. Don't let go, continue to hold it, drag it up to the image you want to take it to {the one with your body}, keep holding it until the photo with your body appears, drag it all the way to the top of that photo, and now you can let go. 

Step 15: The chalkboard image will be small. You need to use the arrow again to resize it. Click on the points at each corner and drag them out until it's the size you want. I make it cover the whole photo otherwise it will look weird. It's OK that the picture of you is going to get covered. We'll take care of that in a minute. Once the chalkboard is the right size, click on the arrow again, and hit "apply."

Step 16: Now, that you have the chalkboard covering the whole image, go to the top, select "Layer," Then select "Arrange," and then "Send to Back." This will put the chalkboard behind the image of you.

Step 17: Now you can add Text. For my special boxes or images I use the font "KG Flavor and Frames." This is for personal use only, not commercial use. I then put the week number at the top, and on the right I write how big the baby is that week. I also add how it compares to a fruit or vegetable. Then I put an image of that vegetable at the bottom. I'll explain how to add another picture to the bottom in just a minute. 

Step 18: Adding another image {such as fruit or vegetables}. First, you need to find the image you want. I usually like to find one with a white background because that's easiest. Then you need to follow the same steps we used for our own photo to take the background out. Steps 2-10. Once the background is gone from the image you can then take it from that image {exactly like we did with the chalkboard} and drag it over to the other photo you want it on. Don't forget that you can't let go, you have to hold it, drag it to the photo you want, and then put it on top of that photo {Step 14}. Once it's on your photo you can resize it and drag it to where you want it. 

And now you have your finished picture!

Ideas To Help Turn A Breech Baby

When I went in for our 20 week appointment I was mainly thinking about whether it would be a boy or a girl. The thought that our baby would be breech never even entered my mind so it came as a surprise when the doctor said he was breech, but my doctor was very calm and reassuring about the whole thing {which helped keep me calm} and simply said, "We'll just continue to watch it and if by 32 weeks he hasn't turned then we'll try some special exercises to help."

Well, at 32 weeks we check again and he was still breech. I'd already been doing the exercises sporadically for a couple of weeks but would now have to pick up the slack. My mom {who is an avid naturalist} also had a few suggestions for me that I continued to follow over the next few weeks.

Finally, at our 37 week check up, he had finally turned! YAY! I can't say for sure it was the exercises or anything else I did or if he was just ready to turn {it's very common for most breech babies to turn close to or right before birth}, but I do know that I would have regretted not even trying them.  

 Now, I will say that there are no proven ways to turn a breech baby and if your baby is really stubborn and decides it does not want to switch positions then you're honestly out of luck. However, there are a couple of things you can do to help your little decide if they want to move. Also, as a last resort you can have the doctor try to manually move the baby as well. If you end up going that way please be sure that your doctor has been trained in the procedure as the umbilical cord can get caught around their neck.

Ideas to help turn a breech baby:

1. Tummy Time: This is what I liked to call it at least because for this position you get down on all fours, stick your butt in the air, move your chest to the ground, and rest your head on the floor. This opens up the space around your stomach to help encourage the baby to move into the right position. You need to hold this position for 10-15 minutes, twice a day. 

2. Drink Lots of Water: Drinking lots of water helps replace any fluids you may have lost during the day. This increases the amniotic fluid around the baby giving them more room to move.

There are a lot of other ideas out there on how to turn a breech baby but to be honest none of them were recommended by my doctor. He told me to stick with these two and that they were my best bet. In fact when my husband and I brought up some of the other ideas we'd read online my doctor just laughed at us :-)

But I do I have one last suggestion that is just from me:

3. Stay Stress Free: No one's life is completely stress free but do whatever you can to reduce the stress in your life and don't worry about your baby being breech. He/she will turn whenever they are ready and if for some reason they don't, well, having a c-section is not the end of the world. Your life and your baby's life will move on. Don't stress. Breathe. And enjoy your pregnancy!

For Baby and Me!

Since this is my first pregnancy I have read every blog, website, pinterest post I can get my hands on. I've also asked hundreds of questions to my already Mommy friends and here's the list I've come up with for necessities during pregnancy, for delivery, and for my own postpartum life. Hopefully, you'll find something useful here as well:

During Pregnancy:

1. Maternity Pillow: I bought the one that goes under my legs and has a small back support. I LOVE IT! I can't sleep at all without it. Whenever Tim and I have gone on vacation during this pregnancy I have taken it with me, no matter the hassle, because it's SO worth it!

2. Comfortable Maternity Pants and Jeans: Now, I go back and forth between jeans and stretchy pants. It just depends on the day and what I find most comfortable. I like black stretchy pants because they go with almost everything but when it comes to jeans the best ones I've found so far are the side panel jeans from motherhood.com. They're comfortable, somewhat stretchy, and I can wear them postpartum as well!

3. Plan for the Seasons: My first and second trimesters were in the Fall and Winter so it didn't really matter too much what I wore. I bought a lot of just warm, comfortable, stretchy clothing that could change with my growing body. However, it's now Summer {and well I live in Shanghai, China where it's not just hot but also humid, which makes it that much worse} and I've had to figure out what to wear to keep myself covered but also keep me cool. My favorites so far are H&M's colored, light & airy shorts, and simple maternity T-shirts.

4. Water Bottles: All of us know we should be drinking lots of water while pregnant. Not only is it healthy for us but for the baby. Our Little Man was actually breech for most of the pregnancy and one of the things I was told was that by drinking lots of water and replacing fluids that it would give him more room to move into the right position. Well, it worked and he's now where he needs to be! But, for me, getting enough water was actually really difficult. I was working full time {we finally just hit our summer vacation at my school}, my schedule was always busy, I had a husband to take care of and spend time with, my body was tired from just being pregnant in the first place, and so I had to find a way to make sure I got enough water every day. At first, I tried taking a re-usable water bottle to work but before long the bottle would start to smell from sitting in the warm rooms and I would forget to take it home to wash it and then I'd have to search the school for paper cups, but then I wasn't sure how much I was drinking in a day...it was a messy cycle. Anyhoo, I finally decided it just wasn't working for me and instead every few days on my way into work I would buy a large 1 litre water bottle and take it with me to school. I would make sure I drank all of it before I left for the day. I would then use it for a few days before it started to smell and then I'd get a new one. I know, I know, not the most environmentally friendly idea but ladies you do what you have to do. I'll make up for it now that I'm not working and have time and energy to actually wash my reusable water bottles. Promise!

5. Stretchy Skirts for Church or Dates: I found that a lot of my pre-pregnancy wardrobe actually fit {well at least the shirts} during the first 6 or 7 months of my pregnancy but when it came to dressing up for church or a date, or whatever it may be, I needed stretchier skirts. So, I bought three: a black one, a blue one, and a grey one. One to match everything else I had. That way, even as my stomach grew, I was still able to find cute and comfortable "dressy" clothes to wear. I bought mine from Old Navy and H&M.

6. Weekly Photos {AKA a Camera}: You won't see a lot of changes in the beginning but it's still so fun to record the progress each week. There's a lot of ideas on Pinterest on how to do this so take a look but for me I chose to have Tim {my husband} take a photo each week and then I used Photoshop to remove the background, add in a chalkboard, and then I added all of the information for that week. It was pretty fun for me and I felt more invested in each bit of growth the baby made.

7. Comfortable Bras: This has really been a struggle for me. The first place I gain weight is in my breasts and so let's just say they got big fast! And because they got so big they started chaffing and the bras I had just weren't working anymore. For me, I found that the best bras are sports bras or really comfortable nursing bras (one of the best pieces of advice I got was to buy nursing bras while pregnant in order to save money, that way you only have to buy so many bras). I have liked the Bravado Body Silk Seamless Nursing Bra. I just bought them on amazon.com and had them shipped over.

8. Small/Thin Lining Pads: Ok ladies, here it is, the horrible truth: Women do not start leaking after a baby is born but during pregnancy. This was one of the worst parts of pregnancy for me, having to wear a pad daily even though I was pregnant. But honestly, you are going to want to do it. It saves you from feeling like you need to change your clothes every few hours.

9. Snacks: I can not stress enough how important it is for you to keep snacks on hand at all times, especially if you're working. As a teacher I try not to eat in front of my students but once I was pregnant there was no way around it. In the beginning they would constantly ask me, "Teacher Bri, why are you eating?" but before long they just accepted it as normal Teacher Bri behavior and understood that the baby "was hungry." During the first trimester I was hungry every 30-60 minutes so I kept trail mix in small baggies in the classroom to eat as soon as I felt the need come on. If I didn't eat I got really sick so that was a great incentive to keep food on hand. Through the second and third trimesters I would go through phases of hunger and the degree of hunger but still needed to keep snacks on hand. Most days look like this: 7:30 Breakfast, 10:30 Snack, 12:30 Lunch, 2:30 Snack, 4:30 Snack, 5:30 Dinner, 8:30 Snack. Pinterest has some great ideas for healthy snacks as well, so make a list of your favorite things to eat, what's easy to keep in baggies for work or on the go, etc.

10. Prenatal Vitamins: These, of course, are essential. They help not only provide enough folic acid for your baby {plus many other needed nutrients and vitamins} but they help to keep your hormones balanced. You should also continue to take them after delivery {during the postpartum stage} to continue to keep your hormones balanced. I've been taking Nature's Made Prenatals and they've been great!

11. A Girlfriend, Mom, or Sister Who Has Been Pregnant: There are a lot of strange things that happen to your body during pregnancy and you will wonder if they are normal and the internet does not always help set your mind at ease {webmd, google, and even Pinterest are too quick to jump to negative conclusions} so it helps to be able to talk to someone who has been there. For me, the first time I panicked was when I started bleeding {just slightly} after intercourse {around 6-7 weeks}, I then looked it up online and most scared the he** out of me, so I called my friend and neighbor how had just given birth a year and a half before and she helped me sort it out. Another time, I had a severe leg cramp and she was able to give me advice on how to avoid it in the future. Both things are pretty normal and common for pregnant women but I would not have known that had I not had someone to talk to.

For Delivery:

*Note: Your doctor should give you a comprehensive list of what you need to bring to the hospital with you but these are my suggestions:

1. Your Favorite Drinks: You are most likely going to be in labor for a long time, bring something refreshing for you to drink if needed. Also, bring a large water bottle and keep it filled in the delivery room.

2. Snacks: Again, you're going to be there for a while. Take some snacks with you. My doctor specifically recommends chocolate but honestly it can be anything you think you might like or even just something for whomever is there supporting you as they'll probably get hungry too.

3. Camera: You may not want photos of the entire birthing process but you'll most likely want some photos right after delivery {of the baby} so make sure to bring it with you just in case.

4. A List of Breathing Techniques: This is where Pinterest comes in handy again. Whether you're planning to have an medicated or non-medicated birth there will still be a period of time when you're going to feel the contractions and you'll want some breathing techniques to get you through them. The best site I have found so far is: Hubpages. You'll also want to practice these before you get to the hospital.

5. Lip Balm and Lotions: I've heard that most women get really dehydrated during delivery, your lips and skin get really dry, so just bring along some lip balm and lotion to help keep yourself feeling refreshed and relaxed. The lotion is also great massages as well. Get your husband {or whomever is there with you} to massage your back, you arms, your legs, whatever you feel needs it the most.

Your Stay at the Hospital & Postpartum:

*Note: Again, your doctor should tell you what your hospital will and will not provide for you and the baby so be sure to ask. Here in China, pretty much nothing is provided for you so my list is pretty long, but you may be able to cross some of it off your own list.

1. Mesh Underwear or Depends: I have both of these in my suitcase right now plus a small stack of large pads. I've read that the mesh underwear is most comfortable, breathable, and supportive than depends but you'll probably have to try them out for yourself. But either way, one of these items is absolutely necessary for the first couple of days after delivery.

2. Large Underwear and Large Pads: Once the main bleeding stops you can move on from the granny panties and wear actual underwear. I would recommend getting at least as size bigger than normal so that you can fit a large pad in there as well as some other things {see below}.

3. Tuck's Medicated Cooling Pads and Ice Pads: These are some of those things you may be putting in your underwear. You will probably find there's a time when you just need to help soothe the pain. I've read that you'll want to use 1-2 of these each time you go to the bathroom. My mom is bringing me these from the States so that I'll have them. She didn't seem to think I'll need them but I reminded her that it's been 17 years since she gave birth to her last child and has probably forgotten the pain that comes even after child birth. Maybe  that's a blessing though and hopefully one that I will also receive: the ability to forget the pain! 

4. Dermoplast Numbing Spray: This is also to help with the pain. Make sure you get the one with the blue lid. Again, I have my mom bringing me this from the States and I'm so happy she's coming or I don't know what I would do! 

5. Ibuprofen Tablets: Motrin or straight Ibuprofen, whichever you prefer, is also a necessity. Just to help ease any of the after birth pain. Did you know that there are after birth contractions???? Let's just say I'm not excited about that. I always figured that once your child was born that was it, you were done, the pain was over, but oh no, it's going to keep going for a while. Note: Please remember to consult with your doctor though before you take any type of medication, including the Ibuprofen, just to make sure you're OK to have it. If you can't take it, I'm sure there's something else your doctor can recommend. 

6. Nursing Pillow, Nursing Pads, and Nursing Bra(s): If you are choosing not to nurse you won't need the pillow and bra but you will still need the pads for the first few days until your milk stops. For those that choose to nurse you will need all three! My mom again made fun of me for getting a nursing pillow {i.e. a boppy} but it just makes so much sense to me to have a pillow that will go around your body and support the baby instead of trying to get regular pillow(s) into the right position just so you can nurse. Come on ladies, save yourself the hassle, energy, and time, and just get a boppy! 

7. Lanolin Cream or Coconut Oil: Again, this is only if you are nursing. You should start using it two or so weeks before you delivery just to help prepare your nipples for what is about to come! If you have a difficult time nursing and your nipples get really sore or bloody then use the lanolin cream until it's under control. If your nipples have normal chaffing and soreness then I suggest you only go with the coconut oil. It's natural and it smells amazing! It's also great for your stretchmarks.... 

8. Comfortable PJ or Exercise Pants: After the delivery you're going to want to wear only comfortable, stretchy clothes for a while, especially during those first two weeks you're home with baby. I just bought a pair of black, thin exercise pants from H&M to wear at home. And again, I plan to continue to wear my maternity side panel jeans anytime I go out. Yoga pants also work great. Really, it's just anything that feels good around your stomach and that is comfortable.

I think that's finally it! Wow, that was a lot longer list than I thought it would be. Hopefully, you found it useful though. Good luck on getting pregnant, being pregnant, delivering, and/or your postpartum life after delivery!