Finding my way

I am still not satisfied with the direction I have taken with my blog. For the past year, to attempt to increase traffic,  I have been trying all kinds of gimmicks such as Search Engine Optimization, trying to stick with a theme, attracting people with giveaways, writing about topics that I know will get a rise out of people (although in all fairness, what I wrote was really what I was thinking and feeling at the time, though ordinarily I keep stuff like that to myself), and joining mommy bloggers groups. Well, it turns out that I absolutely suck at all of it. And you know what? That's fine. I miss the days where I could just write about whatever the doo doo I wanted to write about instead of always thinking, "I wonder if people will want to read this." I am tired of thinking I wrote something fantastic and from the heart, only to check my google stats and no one read it and then writing something that I perceive as absolute crap and people love it! I have no idea what people like!

I suppose part of my problem is that people could tell I wasn't being authentic. I am not sure what the secrets to success are when it comes to those review/giveaway blogs. I tried it, and I did not figure out the secret. Maybe I just did not have enough patience. Although I love cloth diapers and other natural family living and handmade baby items and loved sharing about them, I just did not figure out how to be successful at becoming a review/giveaway blogger. I love talking about birth. Love love LOVE it! I am in the process of becoming a certified doula through DONA. I have attended four births so far and it has been a fantastic experience, though not without the tough moments. I love talking about breastfeeding. I am not expert at breastfeeding, but it has been a sweet journey so far. I love talking about parenting and my journey through motherhood. Although there are tons of blogs that are about motherhood, birth and breastfeeding, I can be just one more, right?

I am really trying to find my niche. I suppose my niche is that I am a plain ole average girl. If you want to read about motherhood for a plain ole average girl, then this is the blog for you! Here is a bit about me.

• I am 28 years old. 
• I am married to my high school sweetheart and I am crazy in love with the guy. I still get jealous sometimes and it's hard not to think about clawing out the eyeballs of all the other girls that want him. Because they do. They ALL do. Nope, he's mine, ladies! Back off. 
• We have one 15 month old baby girl. We hope to have two more babies some day.
• I am LDS and I am the Primary Secretary in my ward.
• I play the flute. I like it so much I decided to go to college for it obtain my Bachelor and Master of Music degrees. I teach middle schoolers and high schoolers how to play the thing and I play in several orchestra concerts a year.
• I am working on my doula certification.
• I am an advocate of natural childbirth. I think it is so fantastic and empowering and it was one of the best experiences of my life. My secret wish is to have a home water birth one day. Okay, maybe it's not really a secret, but I call it a secret. I have wanted to have a home water birth even before we even thought about having babies.
• I am a breastfeeding advocate. I love breastfeeding. I think it's awesome! And I love it when women "whip their boobs out" in public and feed their babies, although I am still too self conscious to do it myself. I have no problems nursing in public, but I still use a cover. 
• I have a few hot button topics, such as CIO methods, circumcision, induction, and formula, but most of the time I keep quiet about it. My biggest interests are birth and breastfeeding.
• I admire runners. I have always wanted to be a runner, but I have always felt like I just didn't have what it took to be a runner. Well, I am determined to prove myself wrong. I recently ran my first 5K, and I am a C25K graduate. I have recently started the Ease to 10K Running Plan.

So, there's nothing really special about all of that. I wish I had a way with words so that I could humorously share my interests with everyone, but I don't. I am so not funny at all. At least not on paper. I can be funny by accident most of the time, but I do like to laugh. Others can make me laugh pretty easily. 

So I suppose what my point is, is that I would like to write about....whatever. Whatever comes to mind. I am not going to try so hard anymore.