Natural Babies, Healthy Earth

Water Broke!

2010-06-03T16:57:00.000-07:00

So this is odd, I had imagined a gush, like last time, followed by incredibly intense contractions....but, there seems to be nothing more going on than fluid leaking from me. I know I was dilated quite a bit (I thought I was, anyways) because I checked a couple times. But no pushing urges, no nothing. My house isn't done. Maybe that's why. I will continue to moniter and clean, and we'll see what happens! :)

John 10:30 "I and my Father are one."

In Labor

2010-06-03T11:23:00.000-07:00

I have to say, today when I woke up I knew for a fact I was in labor. It wasn't super painful, and I was real relaxed (I still haven't told anyone I KNOW) but it was very obvious. I keep getting scared Scott will realize what's going on and call the hospital...

So I am sending him away for a visit to his mom's. When the labor is emminant, I will call him and let i=him know, so he doesn't have to worry about us. Meanwhile, I am getting the house cleaned up and doing some makeup, maybe. But definately cleaning house. I would hate to have a baby and come home to a filthy home. I am going to cook some soup, too, to eat during my labor.

My brother should be here tonight, and my mom will be here early tomorrow morning. what crazy timing! Oh, crap, I just realized, I don't know what we're naming the baby for a middle name!

I know. If it's a girl I will give her Temperance Cathleen Smith, and for a boy he'd be Tristan Alan Smith.
If a girl, she gets my and my mom's middle, if a boy he gets Scott's and his dad's middle. There. Decision made. :)

John 10:30 "I and my Father are one."

Thoughts on Birth, the Third Time Around

2010-05-29T23:43:00.000-07:00

So, I am sitting here, thinking about the fact that I am a week overdue. That means that at some point in the next week, I will probably have my baby. I have given birth twice before this, and never felt anything but excitable about the coming labor, but this go around I am nervous. I can't really put my finger down on why, but I am. I hope I have the baby when Jesse and my mom are here, because Jesse can drive me to the hospital, and my mom can attend the birth. Friday night, after we eat dinner would be good... :) But seriously, I am nervous. I have to remind myself that I have done this before, I am going to do well, just like the last two times. Nothing is going to go "wrong".

I am going to do fine.

Maybe it has to do with my already having a little one here. I will have two kids to care for (full time) for the first time in my life. No waiting for the mom to come get her kid so I can get back to my easy only. Nope, I am going to be THE mom. How will Caelin handle this baby? He is still so dependant on me that I am nervous for that. And what if I'm not ready when the baby is born? My house needs to be cleaned, my bags need to be packed. I need to have a plan, and I don't. I am totally lost. I don't want to have outside responsibilities anymore. I am ready to just be me and my babies. I am ready to meet my unborn child, but terrified to do so.

The pain is scaring me. Which is absolutely ridiculous, because I have met that pain before, and I know that it is transient. It will pass, and easily, once the baby comes. And what an amazing thing, to bring a baby into the world. What is there to fear? Why fear the greatest gift God gave us as women? But I do. I fear it with an uneasy sense of foreboding that I can't quite shake. I am still in a form of denial about the baby's coming arrival.

In a way, I am set back from myself, thinking of the "baby" as if it were a future concept, not a looming reality. It is terrifying in a way. Our whole lives are changing. Everything about the way we do it all, every bit of everything, nothing will ever be the same again. Caelin will now be a "Big". He will have responsibilities he probably won't care to have, and will have expectations made of him that wouldn't otherwise be made. His baby status will be obliterated, and someone new will take his place, at least in some small way. And how dare we make that choice for him? How dare we impose our own desire for another baby on the one we already have?

Then again, in a year or so, Caelin will have a little guy to look up to him, someone to play with and keep him company. He'll get to experience the joy of having a sibling, of helping to teach that little one how to do things like him. He'll get to be the big brother, and I think in the end, he'll do a good job.

So I can make this about my son, and pretend that is the reason I am antsy, but I think we all know that is not the case. Maybe partially, but there are much larger issues at play here. I think it has to do with my feeling that I may not be a good mom. I am nervous to screw up more kids' lives than I already have, and I am nervous because everything is going so well. My DHS case is closing this summer, I am graduating drug court (I think) and I have a job. I am going to be like any other mom in any other home, and that makes me nervous. Never have I been without someone checking on me, scolding me when I am not doing so hot, and nodding silent approval when I am. Never have I been so completely without a "parental" figure in the form of DHS. Shoot, I have been involved with them since I was 15, myself. It's been six years, and a lot of heartache later. I lost my daughter, when I didn't truly believe that I could. I almost lost my son, but by the grace of God he was left in my care (under heavy supervision). And now I am having this little one and no one even bats an eye. My caseworker knows I am a good mom, as does everyone else I work with. It seems that I am the one that doubts my own parenting abilities, not them.

So as I approach this third birth with anxiety and fear, I know that I will be okay in the end. Maybe the anxiety is good for me, to help me keep my focus on what matters. Maybe all I need is to calm down and realize that it is what it is and everything will be okay in the end. I don't know.

John 10:30 "I and my Father are one."

NESTING!!!

2010-05-29T17:10:00.000-07:00

I am an insane woman caught in a vortex of cleaning and scrubbing, throwing out and renewing. My whole house is trashed, as I frenzy about my "cleaning" business. Is it nesting? Possibly, as I am a good four (five?) days overdue. The baby is bound to come soon, let's just hope that it isn't while my house is looking like the victim of a wild tornado!

My living room carpet has been shampooed, everything in the room dusted. The bedroom is being gone through, and much of our stuff is landing in the garbage (shhhh.....my husband doesn't know that part). He's just happy I have energy to clean.

But wait...what kind of energy is this?! I took an hour nap today, but besides that, I haven't slept since the night before last. My house should be spotless by now, but the details take so long to do correctly....my unborn's clothes must be rewashed, because I wouldn't want (her) to breathe in any dust! My bathroom and tub must be bleached, since I wouldn't want (her) exposed to germs! My carpet, (she) will someday crawl on it! Banish the shoes!!! Banish the garbage!!! Banish the coats that clutter the closets!!! Bag up the clothes! Separate the books! Purge and disinfect the toys! Organize the drawers! Work, work, work!!! Clean, clean, clean!!!

Think I might, possibly, be nesting? Me neither.

John 10:30 "I and my Father are one."

Why We Are Becoming Minimalists

2010-05-29T13:31:00.000-07:00

I imagine living far from civilization, with my husband, children, and animals. I imagine we would live in a small cabin, partially underground so as to disrupt the scenery as little as possible. I imagine three bedrooms, max. Ours, the boys' room, and the girls' room, packed to the brim with people, and bursting at the seams with love. I imagine few toys, fewer electronics, and loads of family time around character-building chores. Where hand sewing is a chore, but also a hobby. Where milking the cow and making butter qualifies as normal. Where little boys play swords with sticks and girls know how to make grass dolls. Where the Bible is fun to read.

I imagine. I imagine that if I don't drastically alter the way I think and behave, imaginings are all they will ever be.

I look around me at our three bedroom town home, in the middle of the city. We have a laptop in the living room, on a huge desk full of games, to keep our big screen TV company. We have a PS3 AND a Wii, and DVD's and VHS's, without which we would surely perish. Our son has a bike, a big dump truck, probably ten cars, three or four baby dolls, countless random toys, more blocks than we can count, and an assortment of stuffed animals. He is two. We have three vacuums. We have a washer and a dryer (which I adore) and a big stove and oven. We have lights in every room, three of which I can see are on right now, even though it is daytime. We have a spare room for guests, even though no one ever seems to come over. I have a sewing machine I haven't touched in months (I do prefer hand sewing). We have TWO toilets. For three people.

In light of all of this, I have made the decision to go minimalist. I have struggled for so long with my possessions, and the list is always growing. I can't even seem to keep my house clean, because I just have SO MUCH that I have to keep in order. And we are only three (soon to be four). When I do clean and organize our things, It feels so much fresher, so much better. I love to throw stuff out and finally feel like I can breathe in a room. But it never seems to last. No sooner do I get everything picked up than someone has come behind me and swept it all back out, no sooner do I throw out useless junk, than it is being replaced by more useless junk. No matter how much space we have or how much storage area is available, we fill it up and overflow it. So I am throwing it away, again. Having a yard sale, benefiting my dream of owning mountain land. I am tired of being a slave to money, a slave to possessions. I am sick of being hurled throughout my life, waiting for the cleaning fairy to come and make it all better.

Onward and upward!

John 10:30 "I and my Father are one."

Skills To Have In Case SHTF

2010-05-26T08:26:00.000-07:00

This is a list of skills I feel would be good to know in case of a widespread emergency. It is, of course, not all-inclusive, and some of them are probably less than nessassary.

Hand Sewing. This would be a good skill to have for a variety of reasons. Now, it wouldnt be something you'd HAVE to learn beforehand, as you could figure it out, but if you already know it, it is a marketable skill, and one that will serve you well in many senarios.

Making Fire. From scratch. This one is obvious, I think. Eventually our lighter will run out. Matches are limited, and can get wet. Fire is something that would be a very important thing to have.

Banking a Fire. On the same lines as before, it could be very important to already know how to bank a fire for transport and/or night/day time. You wouldn't want to have to build a fire EVERY time you needed one.

Basic Woodworking. As in, hand saws, building with a hammer and nails, that sort of thing.

Hunting/Trapping/Fishing. And how to improvise in case your gun breaks, fishing pole gets stolen, or store bought traps "disappear".

Foraging. Because when the shit hits the fan, we're not going to be heading to the store for salad and green beans.

Natural Animal Husbandry and Care. I am experimenting with this currently with my rabbits. They eat a natural gathered diet (with the exception of some grains) and are a source of freeish food. As in, they replicate themselves pretty consistantly. Another problem is their transport, but you know, cross that bridge later.

Building with Local Materials/Garbage. Important because people (including me) will still need shelter, but all of our "ready made" homes will be at a stall, and possibly unlivable. Of course, we could salvage almost anything to build with, so there.

Purifying Water. This should have been at the top. You die without water, period. And if you drink contaminated water, you also die. Period.

John 10:30 "I and my Father are one."

SHTF Senario

2010-05-26T08:10:00.000-07:00

What would you do if today you were at home, making dinner, setting everyone down, and the shit hit the fan? An earthquake struck, or a tsunami came, or some bomb blew up half the town? Would you be prepared? I wouldn't be. I am getting prepared, but I am not nearly.

To prepare I am learning about wild foods, I am raising rabbits. I am hoping to get off of my dependance on the welfare system, and figure out how to raise my own family, poor or not. I am seeking out and learning skills that I believe would be good to have in such an emergency. After all, they can take your food, water, freedowm, and shelter, but they can't take your knowledge.

John 10:30 "I and my Father are one."

Pregnant Mommy

2010-05-25T19:30:00.000-07:00

I am officially two days overdue. Fat and cumbersome, I am dreading each day chasing my little one, who just had a second birthday. He, of course, wants to play and climb and run, and I want to sit and do as little as possible. I eat all the time, and so does he, but he wants to do more.

I have recently become engrossed in survival senarios, what they call in one forum I've been lurking in as SHTF senarios. So I have been putting up dried foods, enjoying my new rabbits, and planning my new camper as a home. Of course, none of these plans get very far, because I am tired and grumpy. I start, and stop, then start again, and stop again. I know I need to get these in order for the baby to come, but I am so lazy. So, so lazy. And then I try to fool myself that I will have more energy once the new baby comes. Yeah, right! Lol.

John 10:30 "I and my Father are one."

Rabbit Feeding

2010-05-25T19:11:00.000-07:00

I have gotten my new buns into an eating form that I like, and I am in the process of refining, through research and reading others' experiences, a form of rabbit nutrition that will work out great for me. They are on an almost completely weed-created diet, rich in blackberry leaves, some rose cuttings, LOADS of good grass, and common english plantain. They love clover, and dandelions, and prickly lettuce, and I feed them a bit of grain and molassas each day. I need to get a mineral salt block for them, but for now, I think the molassas is okay. I also am feeding a SMALL portion of pellets to my doe and her kit, partly because they both need a higher protien diet, and partly because they are brand new and I want to make sure they are transitioning well.

So far we have had no poopy butt problems, and all the bunnies are doing well. They eat a TON a day, and it is simply amazing how much they poop.

They also get little treats, like apple, strawberry, and the occassional carrot. It is very exciting to learn how to feed an animal on a completely natural diet, and I love that with rabbits, it's all plant based. I try to feed Wallace, my cat, naturally as possible, but to be honest, it's a pain dealing with all that meat, and he is smelly because of it. The rabbits are just way more rewarding, and in three to four months, I'll be eating bunnies. Can't eat cats. I even heard it was illegal to eat cats, although I could be wrong.

Anyways...

John 10:30 "I and my Father are one."

Midge Has Been Bred

2010-05-25T17:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I bred my broken black Minilop buck to my black (broken?) Satin doe. He didn't seem to have any idea what he was doing, So I decided to leave her in there for 24 hours, like we used to when I was a kid. She is now back in with her doe kit, to continue nursing her for two more weeks, and to let the baby adjust to the feed easier. I also feel like babies of all species grow better when mom is allowed to nurse and wean them at a more natural pace. It may very well be true that rabbits wean early, but I see no reason to take baby away when they are happy together.

In two weeks, I plan, baby bunny will be taken away from mom, and that will give her a good two week period to get ready for her new kits to be born. By that point, I will have a cage system set up so we have growout cages, a buck cage (probably to go downstairs, Doodle will be a "pet"), and doe cages. Three doe cages, to start, six grow out cages (one for each gender of each litter), and one buck cage. So I need to build eight cages, as I can use a dog crate for Doodle. They need to stack, as I have them inside, and they need to have good trays underneath so i CAN KEEP IT CLEAN. No worse smell than cat piss, but bunny pee comes in not far behind, and I live in an apartment complex, and am not supposed to have animals, let alone a full-blown rabbitry. Hehehe.

Now here's hoping Midge WAS bred, and with a kit colored/gendered like I want. :) That is to say, a fat doe with good broken coloring.

John 10:30 "I and my Father are one."

Prepartum Depression?

2010-05-23T12:34:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been pretty grumpy, unsatisfied, and in a bad mood. My due date is today, and I am still pregnant, with probably about two weeks left to go. I don't want to clean, I don't want to walk anywhere, and I really don't want anyone around me or touching me. I have been fighting with my husband about stupid things, and of course it's all his fault, lol.

But seriously. I haven't been myself lately.

I have just been not myself. I hope the baby comes soon.

John 10:30 "I and my Father are one."

Homesteading in an Apartment

2010-05-16T10:18:00.000-07:00

So, I have been a bad girl. My better judgment got away from me, and now I have a small rabbitry IN MY APARTMENT. My home now smells faintly of rabbit urine, and I have cages and dried grass bits scattered throughout. I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of my next rabbit, a doe, and plan to breed her as soon as her quarenteen time is up.

Friends think I am nuts. My husband is a little (alot) apprehensive, and my mom is brainstorming other animals I could keep in my house to complete my new city farm. :)

I am designing a rabbit hutch system which will allow me to have one buck and three does in a small 4x2 1/2 ft space of floor, possibly going up to the ceiling. I am trying to convince my husband that it's not so bad butchering rabbits. My mom used to do it. No one I know thinks I'm even remotely sane in this. Except, of course, my mom. I think that's pretty awsome. And I really don't care what they think, anyhow.

John 10:30 "I and my Father are one."

Easter...To Celebrate or No?

2010-04-02T12:33:00.000-07:00

I was wandering through Fred Meyers the other day, thinking about what to buy Caelin for Easter. They had some really cute bunny books, chocolate rabbits, marshmallow chicks, candy eggs. Huge, premade baskets could be bought tailored to boy or girl, cars or princesses. Flowers and balloons promised to give my son a special surprise on Easter morning, and cute little outfits begged parents to dress up their adorable babies for their very first Easter egg hunt. All the fun, exciting presents stirred up longing for when I myself was a child, when I would wake up with my brothers and sisters and baskets would be magically placed on the table, waiting for us to gorge on the sweets tucked inside the fake grass and plastic eggs. We would go to church, and a huge Easter egg hunt would ensue at the town park. Afterward, we would all compare prizes, we would count eggs. Who did the best? Who won the most?

As I stared at this plethora of presents demanding that I pay for them in order to make my son happy, I began to wonder....where's Jesus in all of this? What is the real meaning to this holiday, if not our savior?

After all, isn't Jesus why we celebrate on this day? Don't we celebrate Him rising from the dead, triumphing over death so that we might live? Where did Jesus go? We celebrate Easter, and we go to church to hear the good news. But where in Easter is there good news?

Bunny rabbits and Easter eggs and baby chicks are all fertility symbols. Candy is bad for us, and is one of our favorite things to eat on ANY holiday. The term Easter was derived from the Anglo-Saxon 'Eostre,' the name of the goddess of spring. We christians have had a long history with adopted pagan holidays as our own, in an effort to integrate better with this "newer" religion. Christmas is a good example. This difference with Christmas, I think, is some peopel do seem to remember what it is about, and can choose to go secular, pagan, or christian in their celebrations. Not true with Easter. No one seems to remember that this is about God, only that it is about candy.

I have come to what I think is a logical conclusion. I will not celebrate Easter, nor allow my children to. We will take time to remember Christ and his sacrifice, but all the cutsey, stupid traditions that spit in the face of God, we will not participate in. What about you guys? Do you have anything you choose to abstain from, believing it to be unhealthy or detrimental?

John 10:30 "I and my Father are one."

Salem Saturday Market

2010-03-22T16:05:00.000-07:00

Salem Saturday Market can be a fun event to take your kids to, and there are no parking fees or enterance fees! You will probably be tempted to spend money, however, so realize that.

So many things are sold here that it boggles the mind! Tie dye, fresh foods, handmade items, you really need to see it to believe it. This year the market starts back up on April 5th, and I hope to see you there!

Go HERE for more fun ideas!

A.C. Gilbert's Discovery Village

2010-03-22T15:49:00.000-07:00

This fun pasttime is one that my own family enjoys every year! The houses have something for EVERYONE, my husband and I have loads of fun when we go! We are even planning to spend Caelin's birthday there this year. There is so many fun things and projects to do that I could never list them all, but the website does a good job of trying...all I can say is get out there and experience it for yourself!

The only downside is that it's a bit expensive at $6 a piece for the general population...under threes get in for $3!

Go HERE to see more fun things to do in Salem, Oregon!

Top Attractions in Salem Oregon Series

2010-03-22T15:29:00.000-07:00

There are lots of things lots of people do, stay at home and do crafts, go to the park, just enjoy each other. Sometimes, though, you want to have something new to do. Maybe you homeschool and want to take your little ones to do something fun and educational. Maybe you want a break from the same old routine. Maybe you're from out of town, and are looking for fun things to do while you're here. No matter the reason or desire, I have put together a great little list of fun things to do in Salem, Oregon, and each one is little kid freindly, while being bigger kid fun!

A.C. Gilbert's Discovery Village

Salem Saturday Market

Warning: The World Could Blow Up

2010-03-22T14:18:00.000-07:00

Have you ever thought about what you would do if the world suddenly ended? Now, we are all bombarded with "the end is here" stories, every few years or so. But nothing ever happens. I can personally remember the mass hysteria of Y2K quite well, and the latest doomsday prophesy has to do with 2012. Everyone has heard of THAT one. But really, the world could end tommorrow, and how many people would be prepared for it?

Ecclesiates 9:12 For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.

How have you prepared for disaster? Do you have food and water stored, enough for your whole family? You should. Most don't. Do you have enough cash (not bank money) so that if the banks were to fail, you would be able to pay for things? How about God? Are you certain of your place in heaven if your life were to end tommorrow? Tonight? Right now?

We should all think of these things as neccessary to our future survival. It is very important to make sure that in case of emergency we could provide for our babies. We all should have the confidence that we have educated ourselves in survival to the best of our circumstances. But what's more important is our long term home. We will all die. Some sooner than others. Our children will die, our spouses, our mothers and fathers and friends. What have we done today to ensure we and our families go to the right place?

John 10:30 "I and my Father are one."

Jesus Is God....and Here's Proof.

2010-03-22T10:42:00.000-07:00

To read this and come away with the assurance, you need to believe that the whole Bible is true. You also need to believe that Jesus was a sinless man (in which case he wouldn't be able to lie). After those are met, read on!

Link to the Study.

John 10:30 "I and my Father are one."

Dresses Only! and Long Hair!

2010-03-22T08:17:00.000-07:00

I have converted BACK to being dresses only! I grew up that way, and really feel most comfortable in a dress. The exception may be swimming or gardening. But I will find ways to get around those. :)

So anyways, I really don't have a huge wardrobe anyways, and so taking out the options of pants and shorts is going to limit me a little, but that's okay. And I want to take it a step further. I feel like my clothes have been anything but modest, and so I am also cutting out things like really low-cut shirts (I have so many of them!) and short dresses (I have a few of those, too).

I have also started to grow my hair long (which I have wanted to do for a long time) and so have stopped using chemicals on my hair and have begun to french braid all the time, to help me stop plating with it. I was reading an article and it really made me think. It said that by the time hair reaches your shoulders (where it's at on me right now) it is already two years old at the ends. That's two years of blow drying, ironing, dyeing, brushing, shampooing, and anything else you do to your locks. No wonder the ends of mine are all frizzy and gross. So, I have decided to treat it like it's a delicate fabric.

note: can you image how dry and brittle your fingernails would be after two years?

Proverbs 31:30
"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised."

My First Ever Brand New Pans!

2010-03-21T17:24:00.000-07:00

This is my new cooking set. I have waited for years to get new pots and pans, and was so excited when the VERY SET I had my eye on went on sale 50% off! It was originally $90, but we got it brand new, from Fred Meyers for only $45!

And my husband was so kind to get it, I was thrilled. We gave away our old pots and pans, since I didn't want to clutter up my kitchen with scratched up goodwill pans that were never decent condition. They were cheap, but also terrible. The one thing I read, that I wanted to imprint on everyone's minds was, "Low-medium heat settings are sufficiant to preform all cooking tasks. Using a high heat temperature can damage your cookware and void the waranty." Says so right on the care manual. So we all were dutifully amazed that high heat would ruin a stainless steel pan, and we all agreed wholeheartedly that we would have to be very careful to use only the correct temperatures with these brandnew, gleaming pans.

About 15 minutes later My dear hubby started to cook. About 20 minutes after that, I noticed the kitchen was getting smokey. I went to see what was burning, and low and behold, Dear Mr. Smith had turned on the wrong burner, and so had one of my brand new pans (the frying one) on high heat WITH NOTHING IN IT!

I was so mad I cried. He got mad at me. I spent the next 45 minutes trying to scrub the pan close to new looking again. And in a sick and twisted way, I really feel like I deserved the pan being ruined. I have put so much effort to look not poor. I have tried different outfits, am decorating my home, and have always wanted "decent" things to put in my house. Matching dishes, new cooking utensils, pots and pans with lids that fit, not almost, but really fit. So in a way, I do deserve to be knocked down a peg, taken off of my self-created pedestal. Have any of you gone through a similar lesson?

Proverbs 31:30
"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised."

Words Caelin Can Say at 22 Months

2010-03-20T08:19:00.000-07:00

1. Butter
2. Banana
3. Bread
4. Blueberries
5. Eggs
6. Cheese
7. Pizza
8. Candy
9. Snack
10. Lunch
11. Milk
12. Juice
13. Beans
14. Water
15. Cup
16. Bottle
17. Spoon
18. Eat
19. More
20. Oh No
21. Uh Oh
22. Oh man
23. What is that?
24. I want that/it
25. I don't want that/it
26. Please
27. Kitty Cat "meow"
28. Dog "woof, woof"
29. Puppy
30. Bird
31. Airplane
32. Koala
33. Bear
34. Bug
35. Bee
36. Spider
37. Baby
38. Dump
39. Help
40. Sheep "baaaa"
41. Damn It (how embarressing, but I want to be honest)
42. Bath
43. Bubble
44. Mommy
45. Daddy
46. Chair
47. Potty
48. Bonk
49. Bus
50. Truck
51. Car
52. One
53. Two
54. Three
55. Sharp
56. Owie
57. Beep
58. Flower
59. Rock
60. Grass
61. Eeww
62. Snuggle
63. Hot
64. Warm
65. Cold
66. Blanket
67. Eye
68. Nose
69. Ear
70. Hair
71. Coffee
72. School
73. Tree
74. Horse "neigh"
75. Cow "moo"
76. Foot
77. Bike
78. Dressed
79. Pants
80. Shirt
81. Socks
82. Undies
83. Shoes
84. Hat
85. Head
86. Garbage
87. Smoke
88. Fish
89. Ball
90. Park
91. Walk
92. Run
93. Fast
94. Butterfly
95. Vaccuum
96. Up
97. Outside
98. Frog
99. Hop
100. Jump
101. Burp
102. Fart
103. Poop
104. Pee
105. Uckie
106. Boy
107. Book
108. Bed
109. All Done
110. Sweep
111. Spray
112. Paint
113. Draw
114. Doll
115. Diaper
116. Tummy
117. Teeth
118. Cheek
119. Eyebrow
120. Work
121. Home
122. Camera
123. Belly
124. TV
125. Coat
126. Sissors
127. Tea
128. Butt
129. Penis
130. Strawberry
131. Hide
132. Hi
133. Bye
134. Boob
135. Pan
136. Moon
137. Star
138. Excuse Me
139. Thank you
140. Monkey
141. Block
142. Stack
143. Boom
144. Mine
145. Keys
146. Sit
147. Stand
148. Gabby
149. Jake
150. Jesse
151. Lupe
152. Corrine
153. Irma
154. Nana (grandma)
155. Gramma
156. Hunny
157. Grape
158. Apple
159. BooBoo (Faith)
160. Blake
161. Light
162. Duck
163. Mop
164. Bite
165. Pen
166. Mess
167. Money
168. Ice
169. Money
170. Penny

So there's a pretty good list, I think. I know he says more, but I just can't think of them right now. So as I remember, I'll put them on. Only for today, though. Since I want to be honest about his abilities. Pretty amazing, though, right?

31 Weeks Pregnant! Already!

2010-03-20T07:26:00.000-07:00

So I was thinking about it, and I'm really about to pop! I only have about two more months to go before I have a new baby, and the way this pregnancy has been flying by, It really wouldn't surprize me if I woke up tomorrow and gave birth! Lol. It's crazy to think that so soon our lives will be so drastically altered...I mean, there are times even now that I forget I am pregnant. I really feel good this time around, and although I have gained a ton of weight (for me) the fact that I am pregnant doesn't slow me down as much as I would think that it might. Of course, I still have two more months of growing this baby to go, so I may change my mind in the future. Oh, and I have decided for certain that I am only having one, not twins. By this stage I feel pretty confident that I would have noticed for sure if there were more in there. Bummer, but oh well. Still, I would love to be blessed with two.

And I know the minute my pretty baby is born, I'll be happy it was only one, and not two.

Learning How to be Somebody Else Entirely

2010-03-19T14:44:00.000-07:00

So I have been reading a lot more lately (we chose to cancle our cable service), and I have tried to choose benificial things to be reading. The articles are amazing, and hard to grasp, in a way. I have realized for quite some time now that my dear boy needs a little more guidance than he is getting. My house needs to be cleaner, I need to turn the tv on less (or not at all), and I need to be a better more involved manager of this complex. All these things are big, heavy things, and I was having a difficult time thinking of doing them all.

Well, a few blogs that I have stumbled across have guided me in the right direction, I believe. Basically, I have read and heard, "get off your lazy butt and DO something!". Of course, my husband has said the same thing, but why would I listen to him? It's not like I have to submit to him or anything, right? Lol, just kidding. But seriously. So I have decided to get off my lazy butt and do something for a change. Like, make my kid regular meals. and clean the house, irregardless of WHO'S urine sprayed all over the toilet, or who left the dishes to rot in the sink.

The other day, my husband got upset because I asked him to wash his blanket. "That's not my resposibility!" he whined. Okay, maybe he didn't whine, but those WERE his words. And, of course, I got mad at him and drug out the long list of things that I do that I don't think are my responsibility, or at least not alone. He washed his blanket, I think. But he was upset. I took something minor and turned it on him to where he perhaps felt like I don't notice anything he does for us. He does work outside the home, after all. While he is out painting apartments, or pulling up carpet, I so often am sitting at home, doing my very best to ignore my son, on the computer. No wonder he thinks I should keep the house up. All he ever sees me do is exercise my fingers.

I do want to be fair to myself and say, honestly, that I am the only one who ever thinks to clean anything but the kitchen and livingroom. Which means the bathrooms. Our roommate refuses to help, because he feels like he couldn't POSSIBLY splash urine on the toilet or shed skin in the bathtub. But that;s another post entirely. And I don't want to start attacking people, which is where I think I'm going.

Proverbs 31:30
"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised."

The Never Ending Story....

2010-02-16T18:10:00.000-08:00

At least for me. Does it ever seem like we mothers of toddlers go in circles each day, ending further behind at the end of the day than we started?
I know I feel like that.

Today half of the afternoon was spent trying to convince my son that he was, in fact, tired. The other half was spent picking up the daily messes, trying to do laundry and dishes, with each attempt being thwarted by the ever increasing piles of laundry and dishes! My son dumped/crumbled food all over my living room, while simutaneously scattering my WORK PAPERS all over the fishstick-encrusted floor. Ugh!

While I was doing the dishes he thought it would be fun to clean the INSIDE of the fishtank...with the sponge used (with chemicals, no less) on the floor. Then he climbed up the cat tree and pulled it down on himself. Now he's insisting (for the third time in 15 minutes) that he is hungry, so hungry.

My kitchen counter is covered in dirty dishes (again?!), my living room is thrashed (still?!) and I am ready to lock myself in the bathroom to clean the toilets that no one else ever seems to get to, just for some peace and quiet. Oh yeah, except my husband and brother are still out working and won't be back until.....time undetirmined. Yippee frickin do.

What To Feed an Infant

2010-02-14T20:00:00.000-08:00

Before a baby is born, it is easy to feed a baby, They eat what you eat, and you expel their waste for them. After a baby is born, it can be harder to knw what to feed them. Most parents give bottles of formula at some point or another, few breastfeed the entire time. How can you know what road to take? Or when do you switch paths?

This is something you will need to research well before your baby is born to know the true benefits of a natural diet for your infant.

Siblings

2010-02-14T19:49:00.000-08:00

Brothers and sisters, such a joy, right? Not if you have been an only child and are going to have to share your beloved parents. The worst thing a parent could do at this point is ignore the older child's feelings. A younger sibling is great learning tool and can be amazing for company. Children learn together how to get along with others, and the more kids you have, the more they learn. But kids need parents, too.

A parent's job is to hang out and protect their children. I think that is the most important job that a parent has. Children can teach themselves, or each other, very well. Another (maybe equal) job is to love your children, and make sure they know it. Kids who are not loved unconditionally by their parents grow up to have problems. They are not as smart, they are not as good of parents themselves, and they are more depressed.

Now parents of siblings have a hard job, they need to provide safety, security , and love for ALL of their children. It is vitally important that each child has his or her needs met, and important that each adult is meeting the children's needs in such a way so the parents can also meet each other and their own needs, as well.

Some tips and hints for making the transition to a larger family as smooth and painless as possible:

1: Wear your new baby. This will keep him happy and content, provide for easier nursing, and keep your hands free to spend quality time with your older child(ren) or to clean.

2: Keep your older children's routine as stable as possible. This will help them feel that the new little one isn't taking over their lives quite as much.

3: Every day, devote a certain time and activity which is just for the parents and the older child. Put the little baby down (or in a carrier) and read, or color, or anything, just that it's done regularily.

Newborn Essentials

2010-02-14T18:43:00.000-08:00

As I am getting ready for my baby to arrive, I am faced with the dilemma of what to buy in prepration of the baby's birth. Here are a list of things I REALLY used with my last baby.

#1 Onsies or Kimono style teeshirts
#2 Recieving Blankets (my daughter hated these, my son loved them)
#3 Sling of some sort (not the ones you buy with all the little buckles, the straps are too narrow to be comfy)
#4 Diapers (I like cloth)
#5 Socks
#6 Nighties with open bottoms

That's pretty much it. Of course, you'll also want a carseat if your baby is going into the car. And maybe a few pairs of pants, if you have to strap the baby into anything. I always just used a purse or backpack to throw a few diapers into it.

This Pregnancy....

2010-02-14T18:01:00.000-08:00

This pregnancy has been hard, espessially when it comes to back pain and fatigue. I have been SOOO exhausted this pregnancy. Carrying my toddler is probably partly to blame, the strain he puts on my back when I'm trying to stand up with this HUGE belly is amazing. My current favorite thing to do is relax in a HOT tub of water.

26 Weeks Pregnant Belly

2010-02-14T17:24:00.000-08:00

21 Weeks Pregnant Baby #3

2010-02-14T17:13:00.000-08:00

Caelin on his Bike

2010-02-14T17:07:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Traditions

2010-02-14T06:25:00.000-08:00

Hundreds of years ago in England, many children dressed up as adults on Valentine's Day. They went singing from home to home. One verse they sang was:

Good morning to you, valentine;

Curl your locks as I do mine ---

Two before and three behind.

Good morning to you, valentine.

In Wales wooden love spoons were carved and given as gifts on February 14th. Hearts, keys and keyholes were favourite decorations on the spoons. The decoration meant, "You unlock my heart!"

In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who their valentines would be. They would wear these names on their sleeves for one week. To wear your heart on your sleeve now means that it is easy for other people to know how you are feeling.

In some countries, a young woman may receive a gift of clothing from a young man. If she keeps the gift, it means she will marry him.

Some people used to believe that if a woman saw a robin flying overhead on Valentine's Day, it meant she would marry a sailor. If she saw a sparrow, she would marry a poor man and be very happy. If she saw a goldfinch, she would marry a millionaire.

A love seat is a wide chair. It was first made to seat one woman and her wide dress. Later, the love seat or courting seat had two sections, often in an S-shape. In this way, a couple could sit together -- but not too closely!

Think of five or six names of boys or girls you might marry, As you twist the stem of an apple, recite the names until the stem comes off. You will marry the person whose name you were saying when the stem fell off.

Pick a dandelion that has gone to seed. Take a deep breath and blow the seeds into the wind. Count the seeds that remain on the stem. That is the number of children you will have.

If you cut an apple in half and count how many seeds are inside, you will also know how many children you will have.

The Origin of Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T06:22:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day started in the time of the Roman Empire. In ancient Rome, February 14th was a holiday to honour Juno. Juno was the Queen of the Roman Gods and Goddesses. The Romans also knew her as the Goddess of women and marriage. The following day, February 15th, began the Feast of Lupercalia.

The lives of young boys and girls were strictly separate. However, one of the customs of the young people was name drawing. On the eve of the festival of Lupercalia the names of Roman girls were written on slips of paper and placed into jars. Each young man would draw a girl's name from the jar and would then be partners for the duration of the festival with the girl whom he chose. Sometimes the pairing of the children lasted an entire year, and often, they would fall in love and would later marry.

Under the rule of Emperor Claudius II Rome was involved in many bloody and unpopular campaigns. Claudius the Cruel was having a difficult time getting soldiers to join his military leagues. He believed that the reason was that roman men did not want to leave their loves or families. As a result, Claudius cancelled all marriages and engagements in Rome. The good Saint Valentine was a priest at Rome in the days of Claudius II. He and Saint Marius aided the Christian martyrs and secretly married couples, and for this kind deed Saint Valentine was apprehended and dragged before the Prefect of Rome, who condemned him to be beaten to death with clubs and to have his head cut off. He suffered martyrdom on the 14th day of February, about the year 270. At that time it was the custom in Rome, a very ancient custom, indeed, to celebrate in the month of February the Lupercalia, feasts in honour of a heathen god. On these occasions, amidst a variety of pagan ceremonies, the names of young women were placed in a box, from which they were drawn by the men as chance directed.

The pastors of the early Christian Church in Rome endeavoured to do away with the pagan element in these feasts by substituting the names of saints for those of maidens. And as the Lupercalia began about the middle of February, the pastors appear to have chosen Saint Valentine's Day for the celebration of this new feaSt. So it seems that the custom of young men choosing maidens for valentines, or saints as patrons for the coming year, arose in this way.

Homeschooling Conversation From The Future

2010-02-04T09:04:00.000-08:00

Two women meet at a playground, where their children are swinging and playing ball. The women are sitting on a bench watching. Eventually, they begin to talk. …

Woman #1: Hi. My name is Maggie. My kids are the three in red shirts — helps me keep track of them.

Woman #2: (Smiles) I’m Terri. Mine are in the pink and yellow shirts. Do you come here a lot?

W1: Usually two or three times a week, after we go to the library.

W2: Wow. Where do you find the time?

W1:: We home school, so we do it during the day most of the time.

W2: Some of my neighbors home school, but I send my kids to public school.

W1:: Wow – how do you do it?

W2: It’s not easy. I go to all the PTO meetings and work with the kids every day after school and stay real involved.

W1: But what about socialization? Aren’t you worried about them being cooped up all day with kids their own ages, never getting the opportunity for natural relationships?

W2: Well, yes. But I work hard to balance that. They have some friends who’re home schooled, and we visit their grandparents almost every month.

W1: Sounds like you’re a very dedicated mom. But don’t you worry about all the opportunities they’re missing out on? I mean they’re so isolated from real life — how will they know what the world is like — what people do to make a living — how to get along with all different kinds of people?

W2: Oh, we discussed that at PTO, and we started a fund to bring real people into the classrooms. Last month, we had a policeman and a doctor come in to talk to every class. And next month, we’re having a woman from Japan and a man from Kenya come to speak.

W1: Oh, we met a man from Japan in the grocery store the other week, and he got to talking about his childhood in Tokyo. My kids were absolutely fascinated. We invited him to dinner and got to meet his wife and their three children.

W2: That’s nice. Hmm. Maybe we should plan some Japanese food for the lunchroom on Multicultural Day.

W1: Maybe your Japanese guest could eat with the children.

W2: Oh, no. She’s on a very tight schedule. She has two other schools to visit that day. It’s a system-wide thing we’re doing.

W1: Oh, I’m sorry. Well, maybe you’ll meet someone interesting in the grocery store sometime and you’ll end up having them over for dinner.

W2: I don’t think so. I never talk to people in the store – certainly not people who might not even speak my language. What if that Japanese man hadn’t spoken English?

W1: To tell you the truth, I never had time to think about it. Before I even saw him, my six-year-old had asked him what he was going to do with all the oranges he was buying.

W2: Your child talks to strangers?

W1: I was right there with him. He knows that as long as he’s with me, he can talk to anyone he wishes.

W2: My children never talk to strangers.

W1: Not even when they’re with you?

W2: They’re never with me, except at home after school. So you see why it’s so important for them to understand that talking to strangers is a big no-no.

W1: Yes, I do. But if they were with you, they could get to meet interesting people and still be safe. They’d get a taste of the real world, in real settings. They’d also get a real feel for how to tell when a situation is dangerous or suspicious.

W2: They’ll get that in the third and fifth grades in their health courses.

W1: Well, I can tell you’re a very caring mom. Let me give you my number — if you ever want to talk, give me call. It was good to meet you.

Cooking with Toddlers

2010-01-29T11:53:00.000-08:00

I love my son. Actually, I adore him. He is so cute, trying to help out, acting out, and just doing all the little things toddlers do. I like playing with him, and I like to snuggle with him. But let's face it, toddlers need a whole lot of time that can be really hard to give. When he tries to help me sweep, he really gets in the way. So he helps me dust, and he sweeps on his own time. Lately, he has been wanting to help me cook.

How do I faucilitate this new learning he is wanting to do?
Some things that he could learn to do at this age are:

Spread peanut butter on bread
Cut banana slices with butter knife
Wash and scrub fruits and vegetables
Wipe off the counter top

Rip lettuce

Shake plastic bags of different ingredients

Pour ingredients from premeasured cups

Stir or mix ingredients

Cut cookies from dough

Whisk ingredients

Frost cupcakes

Crush crackers and cookies to make crumbs

Dip foods that require dipping

Place cookies and other food on baking sheets or trays

Shape meatballs

Peel bananas

Naturally Conceiving for Men

2010-01-27T19:24:00.000-08:00

When we talk about conception and pregnancy, we often forget about the role that the daddy to be plays in the creation (or lack of it). Women are often the ones that the treatments focus on, while just as often, men have things they could do to help out the process.

Everyone knows the common suggestions, but what if you are doing all of those and really want some more uncommon tips?
Common tips include reducing testicular heat, reducing or quitting smoking, reducing excessive caffeine intake, and (obviously) watching the drug intakes, period. Vitamins are also hailed as an important part of the picture, but what if you don't believe in artificial vitamins?

That is what we will focus on in this blog.

Vitamin C: believed to help sperm unclump and help motility, vitamin C is often recommended to help boost your little guys' baby making power...so what kind of foods have the highest natural vitamin C content?
(Great bonus, you will never poison yourself by consuming too much C!)

Sweet Red Pepper
Strawberries
Oranges
Brussel Sprouts
Cooked Broccoli
Cooked collared Greens
Grapefruit
Cantaloupe
Cooked Cabbage
Tomato

Zinc: incredibly important to optimum testosterone levels, this is one nutrient you don't want to overdo, because it can be toxic in high doses. However, it is important and can be found in natural food sources.

Oysters
Beef
Chicken
Pork
Cheddar Cheese
Chick Peas
Baked Beans
Brazil Nuts
Pumpkin Seeds
Muesoli

Duggars 19th Delivery

2010-01-27T18:13:00.000-08:00

This Sunday the Duggars will have an episode on TLC talking about their 19th child's preterm birth! I am totally watching! Love em or hate em you should tune in to see what was going on....

Chicken in the City

2010-01-25T14:09:00.000-08:00

Here are some super cute ideas for a chicken coop in the city. You could have something like this in the country, too, and it would be so adorable. You may even inspire your neighbors to go a little greener, too.

Ideas About Birth

2010-01-21T11:54:00.000-08:00

When I think of my birth, when I dream of my baby being born, it is calm and quiet. I am kneeling on the floor, and reach down to touch my baby's head. I am always amazed that the head is there, coming so quickly. It never hurts too bad, and I am amazed by this. I am always alone, or Scott is sitting on the couch, acting oblivious.

When I think of it "logically", I think that something could go wrong. I realize that the baby could be hurt somehow...and yet I know it won't be. The thought of giving birth alone is surprising, amazing. I think of the shock of people, and the inevitable defence of my actions. I think of the calm after, being able to sleep soon after the birth. Seeing my baby, and not worrying about having to go home. Taking a shower when I want to, and not being followed, unless I ask for it. Or being allowed to stay in the tub as long as I want. Or getting out. The thrill of enjoying my baby with no one else to take it from me. Not that the midwives did, but they sure bothered me alot. I remember being so irritated that they wouldn't just leave me alone. Birthing at home would eliminate that. Birthing alone.

Picture is of Caelin, my waterbirth at Bella Vie Birthing Center.

$700 Freakin Dollars?!

2010-01-13T09:28:00.000-08:00

It's amazing how expensive it can be to learn new things...especially when we are wanting something that is "proven" to teach us. But why would we want anything else? Rosetta Stone looks like an awesome, incredible opportunity to learn new languages, but OMG! I had NO idea it would cost so much. And if you buy each level separately, the price jumps to more than $1400. I am going to do it, to learn Spanish, but I think the price is going to set me back at least two months. Oh well, I guess. :)

Washing Machine!

2010-01-01T08:27:00.000-08:00

OKay, so I have lived the last year of my life with no acces to a washing machine, and have made the best of it, and even said I prefered it that way.....

But I lied. I just bought a washer and dryer for $125 off of Craigslist, and I am estatic. I have washed three loads, and it is simply amazing how I can stumble out of bed and five minutes later, I am doing laundry. No half an hour getting to the laundrymat...after waiting all month to have money....only to sit, bored and cold, for three hours waiting for my clothes to finally finish. No more gathering up the most essential items and scrubbing them for hours, trying to get the grime out, before having to find someplace to hang them dry.

No. I stumble out of bed, switch the laundry from one machine to the other, and start a new load, and it might TOPS take five minutes. Maybe. I love it.

Living With the Land

2009-12-22T20:07:00.000-08:00

Lately, I have been longing to go back to my roots...back to human roots. Scott and I have been talking, and we are thinking the way to be is self sufficiant. I think we very well may pack up and leave it all behind. I would love to raise my son and any other children I have in the natural beauty of God's earth. I also realize that if everyone were to move to the "wilds" in order to raise their children to be in love with the earth, the wilds would completely dissapear and we would all be left with nothing. I am torn in half.

Do you have specific ways you teach your children stewardship of the earth? Lesson plans or maybe just lifestyle choices? I would love to hear of them....in the end I may just try to buy a small property in town or just outside, and learn to do the whole urban homesteading lifestyle. I just really want to learn these things....

Twins?

2009-12-22T14:37:00.000-08:00

Surprise! We may be cooking twins! Probably not, but I am sufficiantly excited by the prospect. I feel very called to the quiverful movement and would love to get it off to a jump with a couple!

Don't Cry It Out

2009-12-14T08:31:00.000-08:00

A great blog, Primal Mommies has posted a link to an article that I think everyone should read. The article is ten reasons to not "cry it out". Here it is.

My First Prenatal Appointment

2009-12-14T08:10:00.001-08:00

Our unborn baby is 17 weeks along...we are almost at the half way mark! I am going to have this baby at Bella Vie, just like my son, but strangely, I am almost sad. I think the next one will be born at home.

The baby's name will be Temperance if it's a girl, and I think I like Elizabeth for a middle name (after my Gramma). Temperance Elizabeth. If it's a boy, his name will be Tristan Rain. Named after this awsome guy I met on the greyhound bus. Scott's family wants me to put Chambers in there somewhere, but I just really don't like the name, at least not with any names I have picked out. I want it to be a girl. We aren't getting an ultrasound, because we can't afford one, but also because there is rewslly no reason to have one. I am sure of the age of the baby, and certain that I wouldn't want to know about any deformities beforehand. I would never have an abortion and would rather deal with any surprises under the infuence of love hormones.

I owe so much money to the birthing center. Caelin's birth was totally worth it, but MAN! We will have to pay $450 every month just to whittle the balance down 75%. We have to do it in order to birth at the center. I have been told "just go to the hospital" but really, this birth has nothing to do with the price. I would owe the money either way.

And this coming baby will be paid for by OHP.

GOODNESS!

We're Pregnant!

2009-10-11T13:40:00.000-07:00

The husband and I are expceting a new baby! I am two months pregnant today and we have a due date of May 23, 2010. We're all hoping for a girl, but will be happy with whatever we get. (not really, we want a girl).

Hurray!

I have been so sick, and it makes it hard to get off of my butt and work, and I have really been wanting to wean Caelin, my breasts are so sensitive. The picture is a photo of a baby at the same delopement as our new baby. aparently our baby already has all it's teeth budsand it's almost completely formed. Four more weeks, and the whole physical body of our baby will be formed!

New Grandduggar!

2009-10-11T13:35:00.000-07:00

Mackynzie Renee was born at 6:39pm on October 8th, 2009. She weighed 8 pounds and was 19.5 inches long. She is the daughter of Josh and Anna Duggar, God bless them! Isn't she absolutly beautiful?

And I think the coolest thing about this birth was it happened at home, with a midwife, to two parents who honestly wanted the little girl.

Working Mommy

2009-10-11T13:20:00.000-07:00

I am now a working mommy. My son stays with me, he doesn't have to go anywhere. I don't leave him, because I am an apartment manager. I have a unique advantage because of this. I am still my son's mommy. I can still nurse him, put him down to sleep, and be with him when he's hurt.

However, I am still a working mommy. It's hard, with my job, to be the mommy that I want to be, and work the way I want to. My son is still so young that he needs constant supervision and help. I am having such a hard time learning to balance all my duties.

Detox For Kiddos

2009-09-06T15:19:00.000-07:00

So, there are tons of detoxes out there for the adults, but what about are kiddos? Our little people who are assaulted daily? They can have mercury contamination from vaccines, pesticides, cigarette poisons, formaldehyde, and countless other horrible things that we can't protect them from, and they're bodies are so small and helpless that they can't possibly stay away from or handle it all.

An easy (and safe) way to help their little bodies detox is to feed them pure, whole, organic foods. We can't all afford organics, but you can find the list of the worst and best things to buy conventionally, and make whole food meals for your child, they will slowly excrete the poisons. If you are breastfeeding or pregnant, you can also eat a whole, organic diet to minimize risk and exposure to your baby. Not only will they be getting the best possible diet, but their moods and health will increase dramatically. Plus, it's totally safe!

More to come! stay tuned!

Unschooling

2009-09-03T12:58:00.000-07:00

Today in the workplace we need thinkers. People who can see a problem for what it is and solve it, people who think outside of the box and don't need to be hand led the whole way. John Holt and John Taylor Gatto address how in the beginning of our public school system, the whole idea was to create little drones to work and never ask questions, we needed people to work in the factories and not complain about it. Now we are needing something else. We need to raise free thinking children, children who can solve a problem on their own and know how to teach themselves. We need adults who are competent individuals.

Public schools were not created to function this way, and they aren't going to start anytime soon. The only way we can create free-thinking kids is to take our children back! We need to teach ourselves to trust and remind our kids that they can learn. They can learn whatever they want!

Sacred Conception

2009-08-30T09:53:00.000-07:00

Conception is an amazing thing. You take two people, totally different beings, and you mix their DNA, and a new person is created. A person who is totally separate and unique, and yet is a part of both their mother and their father. So is it any surprise that many people view conception as sacred?

Many people want children-lots of children. Some of them are what's known as "quiverful". A good example of this is Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar. In their forties, they have discovered they are expecting their nineteenth baby. Their most recent daughter is eight months old, and their oldest, a boy, is expecting a little girl in December. This is quite the accomplishment, but they are not alone in the world. They firmly believe that each child is a gift from God, and that if they were to use birth control they might be preventing a child from being born that God had willed into existence, or even killing a baby that the Lord had caused to be conceived. I am in this camp, and struggle with unexplained miscarraiges. This hurts me, as I am acutely aware that each pregnancy loss is more, the loss of a person, a baby.

Some people believe that because a child is so precious, each one should be planned and cherished, not concieved on accident. I have always liked this idea, but think that it is not as true in some ways.

Some people don't believe a pregnancy is sacred, or even human, prefering to think that pregnancies can be ended, and no one would be affected, or at least not for the worse. I couldn't disagree more.

Cloth Diapering

2009-08-29T19:14:00.000-07:00

We have been partially ECing now for a good while now, maybe 9 months, give or take a month or two. He does really well, and loves to go potty. We taught him to sign "potty" recently, and he lets us know quite often (sometimes he signs, but only wants his diaper off, lol). We do need to use diapers sometimes, though. We use some disposables, but I hate them, and so does Caelin.

The best option for us if we NEED to use something are cloth diapers. They are soft, multi-purpose and reusable. They also allow children to remain aware of being wet and soiled.

In my experience, cloth diapers are very good at keeping in mess, and very simple to use. There is a learning curve, but a small one, not really much more than disposables.

They are healthier for the earth, and healthier for our children.

Beginning Whole Foods

2009-08-28T10:17:00.000-07:00

Eating whole foods is an obvious choice for adults, and you would think it would be an obvious choice for our children, too. After all, the ONE thing that ALL extremely healthy diets have in common is they are minimally processed and low in sugars.

So that all sounds amazing, but how do I feed my infant "whole foods", you may ask. Well, it all starts with conception, or even before. Feeding yourself healthy, natural (and in most cases raw) foods during this time gives your body and your baby the right building blocks to grow. It will help set your child up for healthy organ and brain developement, and it will help you gain the apropriate amount of weight. If you start before conception, a die like this will even help you to flush the toxins out of your body prior to you hosting a new person. If you are not vegetarian, or if you are, but only for health reasons, it is good to know that healthy animals who are grassfed and not injected with hormones are incredably healthy for you. Other than that, eat a strong variety of many whole foods, and eat as many raw or in their natural state as possible.

After your baby is born, you can easily continue feeding them an amazing whole foods diet....through your breastmilk. Espessially if your are eating a diet high in good, healthy food, your baby will benefit greatly. But even if you're not eating all that well, it's still the best way to get your newborn off to a great start.

Caelin at Church

2009-08-27T16:06:00.001-07:00

Caelin's Birth

2009-08-27T15:56:00.001-07:00

Breastfeeding Caelin

2009-08-27T15:53:00.000-07:00

Vaccine Ingredient

2009-08-27T15:10:00.000-07:00

Phenol (carbolic acid): A deadly poison; a common disinfectant and dye.

Formaldehyde: A known cancer-causing agent commonly used to embalm corpses.

Thimerosal (a mercury derivative) A toxic heavy metal that is not easily eliminate from the body; used as a preservative in vaccines. Can result in brain injury and autoimmune disease. In one study, Thimerosal was shown to be 4 to 6 times more toxic for human cells than for the staphylococci germs.

Alum A preservative.

Aluminum phosphate Toxic.

Aluminum & oil adjuvants Cancer-producing in laboratory mice; also associated with Alzheimer’s disease and seizures. Research findings strongly suggest that aluminum is neurotoxic. The main side effects of oil adjuvants have been hypersensitivity reactions, cysts and adjuvant arthritis.

Acetone A solvent used in fingernail polish remover.

Glycerin A tri-atomic alcohol extracted from natural fats which are putrefied and decomposed. Some toxic effects of glycerin are kidney, liver, lung damage, diuresis, pronounced local tissue damage, gastrointestinal damage and death.

Ethylene glycol Antifreeze.

Neomycin & Streptomycin Antibiotics; have caused allergic reactions.

Note: When cancer causing elements are found in foods, they are either banned or an obvious warning label appears on the packages. After few accidents, consumer goods are recalled, redesigned, or required to display warning labels (with good reason). There seems to be a double standard for vaccines, however. They hold "privileged status" when it comes to consumer confidence.

K.N.O.W. Vaccines

2009-08-27T14:40:00.000-07:00

This is a well-informed website that is all about the knowledge. The accronym KNOW stands for Kids Need Options With....vaccines. Definately check it out.

http://www.know-vaccines.org/index.html

Vaccine Ingredients

2009-08-27T14:26:00.000-07:00

This following list of common vaccines and their ingredients should shock anyone.

The numbers of microbes, antibiotics, chemicals, heavy metals and animal byproducts is staggering. Would you knowingly inject these materials into your children?

Acel-Immune DTaP - Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis Wyeth-Ayerst 800.934.5556
* diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis adsorbed, formaldehyde, aluminum hydroxide, aluminum phosphate, thimerosal, and polysorbate 80 (Tween-80) gelatin Act HIB

Haemophilus - Influenza B Connaught Laboratories 800.822.2463
* Haemophilus influenza Type B, polyribosylribitol phosphate ammonium sulfate, formalin, and sucrose

Attenuvax - Measles Merck & Co., Inc. 800-672-6372
* measles live virus neomycin sorbitol hydrolized gelatin, chick embryo

Biavax - Rubella Merck & Co., Inc. 800-672-6372
* rubella live virus neomycin sorbitol hydrolized gelatin, human diploid cells from aborted fetal tissue

BioThrax - Anthrax Adsorbed BioPort Corporation 517.327.1500
* nonencapsulated strain of Bacillus anthracis aluminum hydroxide, benzethonium chloride, and formaldehyde

DPT - Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis GlaxoSmithKline 800.366.8900 x5231
* diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis adsorbed, formaldehyde, aluminum phosphate, ammonium sulfate, and thimerosal, washed sheep RBCs

Dryvax - Smallpox (not licensed d/t expiration) Wyeth-Ayerst 800.934.5556
* live vaccinia virus, with "some microbial contaminants," according to the Working Group on Civilian Biodefense polymyxcin B sulfate, streptomycin sulfate, chlortetracycline hydrochloride, and neomycin sulfate glycerin, and phenol -a compound obtained by distillation of coal tar vesicle fluid from calf skins Engerix-B

Recombinant Hepatitis B GlaxoSmithKline 800.366.8900 x5231
* genetic sequence of the hepatitis B virus that codes for the surface antigen (HbSAg), cloned into GMO yeast, aluminum hydroxide, and thimerosal

Fluvirin Medeva Pharmaceuticals 888.MEDEVA 716.274.5300
* influenza virus, neomycin, polymyxin, beta-propiolactone, chick embryonic fluid

FluShield Wyeth-Ayerst 800.934.5556
* trivalent influenza virus, types A&B gentamicin sulphate formadehyde, thimerosal, and polysorbate 80 (Tween-80) chick embryonic fluid

Havrix - Hepatitis A GlaxoSmithKline 800.366.8900 x5231
* hepatitis A virus, formalin, aluminum hydroxide, 2-phenoxyethanol, and polysorbate 20 residual MRC5 proteins -human diploid cells from aborted fetal tissue

HiB Titer - Haemophilus Influenza B Wyeth-Ayerst 800.934.5556
* haemophilus influenza B, polyribosylribitol phosphate, yeast, ammonium sulfate, thimerosal, and chemically defined yeast-based medium

Imovax Connaught Laboratories 800.822.2463
* rabies virus adsorbed, neomycin sulfate, phenol, red indicator human albumin, human diploid cells from aborted fetal tissue

IPOL Connaught Laboratories 800.822.2463
* 3 types of polio viruses neomycin, streptomycin, and polymyxin B formaldehyde, and 2-phenoxyethenol continuous line of monkey kidney cells

JE-VAX - Japanese Ancephalitis Aventis Pasteur USA 800.VACCINE
* Nakayama-NIH strain of Japanese encephalitis virus, inactivated formaldehyde, polysorbate 80 (Tween-80), and thimerosal mouse serum proteins, and gelatin

LYMErix - Lyme GlaxoSmithKline 888-825-5249
* recombinant protein (OspA) from the outer surface of the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi kanamycin aluminum hydroxide, 2-phenoxyethenol, phosphate buffered saline

MMR - Measles-Mumps-Rubella Merck & Co., Inc. 800.672.6372
* measles, mumps, rubella live virus, neomycin sorbitol, hydrolized gelatin, chick embryonic fluid, and human diploid cells from aborted fetal tissue

M-R-Vax - Measles-Rubella Merck & Co., Inc. 800.672.6372
* measles, rubella live virus neomycin sorbitol hydrolized gelatin, chick embryonic fluid, and human diploid cells from aborted fetal tissue

Menomune - Meningococcal Connaught Laboratories 800.822.2463
* freeze-dried polysaccharide antigens from Neisseria meningitidis bacteria, thimerosal, and lactose

Meruvax I - Mumps Merck & Co., Inc. 800.672.6372
* mumps live virus neomycin sorbitol hydrolized gelatin

NYVAC - (new smallpox batch, not licensed) Aventis Pasteur USA 800.VACCINE
* highly-attenuated vaccinia virus, polymyxcin B, sulfate, streptomycin sulfate, chlortetracycline hydrochloride, and neomycin sulfate glycerin, and phenol -a compound obtained by distillation of coal tar vesicle fluid from calf skins

Orimune - Oral Polio Wyeth-Ayerst 800.934.5556
* 3 types of polio viruses, attenuated neomycin, streptomycin sorbitol monkey kidney cells and calf serum

Pneumovax - Streptococcus Pneumoniae Merck & Co., Inc. 800.672.6372
* capsular polysaccharides from polyvalent (23 types), pneumococcal bacteria, phenol,

Prevnar Pneumococcal - 7-Valent Conjugate Vaccine Wyeth Lederle 800.934.5556
* saccharides from capsular Streptococcus pneumoniae antigens (7 serotypes) individually conjugated to diphtheria CRM 197 protein aluminum phosphate, ammonium sulfate, soy protein, yeast

RabAvert - Rabies Chiron Behring GmbH & Company 510.655.8729
* fixed-virus strain, Flury LEP neomycin, chlortetracycline, and amphotericin B, potassium glutamate, and sucrose human albumin, bovine gelatin and serum "from source countries known to be free of bovine spongioform encephalopathy," and chicken protein

Rabies Vaccine Adsorbed GlaxoSmithKline 800.366.8900 x5231
*rabies virus adsorbed, beta-propiolactone, aluminum phosphate, thimerosal, and phenol, red rhesus monkey fetal lung cells

Recombivax - Recombinant Hepatitis B Merck & Co., Inc. 800.672.6372
* genetic sequence of the hepatitis B virus that codes for the surface antigen (HbSAg), cloned into GMO yeast, aluminum hydroxide, and thimerosal

RotaShield - Oral Tetravalent Rotavirus (recalled) Wyeth-Ayerst 800.934.5556
* 1 rhesus monkey rotavirus, 3 rhesus-human reassortant live viruses neomycin sulfate, amphotericin B potassium monophosphate, potassium diphosphate, sucrose, and monosodium glutamate (MSG) rhesus monkey fetal diploid cells, and bovine fetal serum smallpox (not licensed due to expiration)

40-yr old stuff "found" in Swiftwater, PA freezer Aventis Pasteur USA 800.VACCINE
* live vaccinia virus, with "some microbial contaminants," according to the Working Group on Civilian Biodefense polymyxcin B sulfate, streptomycin sulfate, chlortetracycline hydrochloride, and neomycin sulfate glycerin, and phenol -a compound obtained by distillation of coal tar vesicle fluid from calf skins

Smallpox (new, not licensed) Acambis, Inc. 617.494.1339 in partnership with Baxter BioScience
* highly-attenuated vaccinia virus, polymyxcin B sulfate, streptomycin sulfate, chlortetracycline hydrochloride, and neomycin sulfate glycerin, and phenol -a compound obtained by distillation of coal tar vesicle fluid from calf skins

TheraCys BCG (intravesicle -not licensed in US for tuberculosis) Aventis Pasteur USA 800.VACCINE
* live attenuated strain of Mycobacterium bovis monosodium glutamate (MSG), and polysorbate 80 (Tween-80)

Tripedia - Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis Aventis Pasteur USA 800.VACCINE
*Corynebacterium diphtheriae and Clostridium tetani toxoids and acellular Bordetella pertussis adsorbed aluminum potassium sulfate, formaldehyde, thimerosal, and polysorbate 80 (Tween-80) gelatin, bovine extract

US-sourced Typhim Vi - Typhoid Aventis Pasteur USA SA 800.VACCINE
* cell surface Vi polysaccharide from Salmonella typhi Ty2 strain, aspartame, phenol, and polydimethylsiloxane (silicone)

Varivax - Chickenpox Merck & Co., Inc. 800.672.6372
* varicella live virus neomycin phosphate, sucrose, and monosodium glutamate (MSG) processed gelatin, fetal bovine serum, guinea pig embryo cells, albumin from human blood, and human diploid cells from aborted fetal tissue

YF-VAX - Yellow Fever Aventis Pasteur USA 800.VACCINE
* 17D strain of yellow fever virus sorbitol chick embryo, and gelatin

http://www.informedchoice.info/cocktail.html

Vaccine Liberation Information

http://www.vaclib.org/pdf/exemption.htm

Parenting Quotes

2009-08-27T14:11:00.000-07:00

A father's goodness is higher than the mountain, a mother's goodness deeper than the sea.
-- Japanese Proverb

A person soon learns how little he knows when a child begins to ask questions.
-- Richard L. Evans

Affection without sentiment, authority without cruelty, discipline without aggression, humor without ridicule, sacrifice without obligation, companionship without possessiveness.
-- William E. Blatz

Affirming words from moms and dads are like light switches. Speak a word of affirmation at the right moment in a child's life and it's like lighting up a whole roomful of possibilities.
-- Gary Smalley

Always kiss your children goodnight - even if they're already asleep.
-- H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Before I got married I had six theories about bringing up children; now I have six children, and no theories.
-- John Wilmot

Children are the proof we've been here... they are the best thing and the most impossible thing.
-- Allison Pearson, I Don't Know How she Does It

Children keep us in check. Their laughter prevents our hearts from hardening. Their dreams ensure we never lose our drive to make ours a better world. They are the greatest disciplinarians known to mankind.
-- Queen Rania of Jordan, Hello Magazine

Each day of our lives we make deposits in the memory banks of our children.
-- Charles R. Swindoll

Don't demand respect as a parent. Demand civility and insist on honesty. But respect is something you must earn -- with kids as well as with adults.
-- William Attwood

God sends children to enlarge our hearts, and make us unselfish and full of kindly sympathies and affections.
-- Mary Howitt

I just want my kids to love who they are, have happy lives and find something they want to do and make peace with that. Your job as a parent is to give your kids not only the instincts and talents to survive, but help them enjoy their lives.
-- Susan Sarandon, Readers' Digest, May 2002

I looked on childrearing not only as a work of love and duty but as a profession that was fully interesting and challenging as any honourable profession in the world and one that demanded the best that I could bring to it.
-- Rose Kennedy

If I had my child to raise all over again,
I'd build self-esteem first, and the house later.
I'd finger-paint more, and point the finger less.
I would do less correcting and more connecting.
I'd take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.
I'd take more hikes and fly more kites.
I'd stop playing serious, and seriously play.
I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars.
I'd do more hugging and less tugging.
-- Diane Loomans, from "If I Had My Child To Raise Over Again"

If there were no schools to take the children away from home part of the time, the insane asylums would be filled with mothers.
-- Edgar W. Howe

If you have never been hated by your child you have never been a parent.
-- Bette Davis

If you want children to keep their feet on the ground, put some responsibility on their shoulders.
-- Abigail Van Buren

I'm moved by contraries, by opposites, the strength that was my mother's eyes, the beauty of my father's hands.
-- Judith Jamison

In spite of the six thousand manuals on child raising in the bookstores, child raising is still a dark continent and no one really knows anything. You just need a lot of love and luck - and, of course, courage.
-- Bill Cosby

It kills you to see them grow up. But I guess it would kill you quicker if they didn't.
-- Barbara Kingsolver

It's not only children who grow. Parents do too. As much as we watch to see what our children do with their lives, they are watching us to see what we do with ours. I can't tell my children to reach for the sun. All I can do is reach for it, myself.
-- Joyce Maynard

Life affords no greater responsibility, no greater privilege, than the raising of the next generation.
-- C. Everet Koop, M.D.

Love is giving someone your undivided attention.
-- Author Unknown

Love is the chain whereby to bind a child to its parents.
-- Abraham Lincoln

Lucky parents who have fine children usually have lucky children who have fine parents.
-- James A. Brewer

Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.
-- Elizabeth Stone

Many have forgotten this truth, but you must not forget it. You remain responsible, forever, for what you have tamed.
-- Antoine De Saint-Exupery

No one knows how children will turn out; a great tree often springs from a tender plant.
-- Norwegian proverb

One who walks the road with love will never walk the road alone.
-- C. T. Davis

Parents who are afraid to put their foot down usually have children who tread on their toes.
-- Chinese Proverb

Parenthood is a lot easier to get into than out of.
-- Bruce Lansky

Parenthood, its not a job. It's an adventure!
-- Author Unknown

Parenthood: The state of being better chaperoned than you were before marriage.
-- Marcelene Cox

Parents can tell but never teach, unless they practice what they preach.
-- Arnold Glasow

Parents: People who spend half their time wondering how their children will turn out, and the rest of the time when they will turn in.
-- Eleanor Graham Vance

Praise your children and they will blossom!
-- Author Unknown

Presence is more than just being there.
-- Malcolm Forbes

Raising children is like making biscuits: it is as easy to raise a big batch as one, while you have your hands in the dough.
-- E.W. Howe

Taking time and sharing is the essence of teaching. The future of those we cherish, will be a reflection of what we model today.
-- Author Unknown

The best inheritance a parent can give his children is a few minutes of his time each day.
-- O. A. Battista

The child supplies the power but the parents have to do the steering.
-- Benjamin Spock

The first art of being a parent consists in sleeping when the baby isn't looking.
-- Author Unknown

The hardest part of raising a child is teaching them to ride bicycles. A shaky child on a bicycle for the first time needs both support and freedom. The realization that this is what the child will always need can hit hard.
-- Sloan Wilson

The Hebrew word for parents is horim, and it comes from the same root as moreh, teacher. The parent is, and remains, the first and most important teacher that the child will have.
-- Rabbi Kassel Abelson

The problem with being a parent is that by the time you are experienced, you are usually unemployed.
-- Author Unknown

The real menance about dealing with a five-year-old is that in no time at all you begin to sound like a five-year-old.
-- Jean Kerr

The voice of parents is the voice of gods, for to their children they are heaven's lieutenants.
-- Shakespeare

The world talks to the mind. Parents speak more intimately -- they talk to the heart.
-- Hain Ginott

There are times when parenthood seems nothing but feeding the mouth that bites you.
-- Peter de Vries

There are two lasting bequests we can give our children. One is roots. The other is wings.
-- Hodding Carter, Jr.

There is no friendship, no love, like that of the parent for the child.
-- Henry Ward Beecher

The most important thing that parents can teach their children is how to get along without them.
-- Frank A. Clark

To bring up a child in the way he should go, travel that way yourself once in a while.
-- Josh Billings

To nourish children and raise them against the odds is, in any time, any place, more valuable than to fix bolts in cars or design nuclear weapons.
-- Marilyn French

We may be blinded by our own perceived flaws, but those who love us have clearer vision.
-- Sarah Ban Breathnach

We never know the love of our parents for us until we have become parents.
-- Henry Ward Beecher

When we choose to be parents, we accept another human being as part of ourselves, and a large part of our emotional selves will stay with that person as long as we live. From that time on, there will be another person on this earth whose orbit around us will affect us as surely as the moon affects the tides, and affect us in some ways more deeply than anyone else can. Our children are extensions of ourselves.
-- Fred Rogers

When you have children yourself, you begin to understand what you owe your parents.
-- Japanese Proverb

You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.
-- Kahlil Gibran

You don't really understand human nature unless you know why a child on a merry-go-round will wave at his parents every time around - and why his parents will always wave back.
-- William D. Tammeus

You have a lifetime to work, but children are only young once.
-- Polish Proverb

Reading

2009-08-27T08:57:00.000-07:00

Of all the gifts you can give to your children, I think reading is one of the most important. A child is going to grow and need to figure out what is true in the world. This is best accomplished through experiencing, but since we can't (and wouldn't want to) experience EVERYTHING, reading is an invauluable tool. Place a great emphasis on reading, and everything else will fall into place.

Why Not to Cut Your Baby's Penis.

2009-08-26T18:25:00.000-07:00

People are faced with the circumcision decision everytime it is announced that they are having a little boy. They may be pressured by family, freinds, doctors, or what they percieve to be "normal". The father may be cut himself, and want his son to look like him. Why would you choose not to circumsize?

1: A cut penis is less sensitive.

2: A baby who is circumsized is more likely to have sexual issues growing up.

3: Children who are abused have a different brain chemistry, and circumstized males are likely to suffer some of the same effects.

4: An intact penis is easier to care for in infancy. No need to worry about cleaning the penis except for general wiping. The forskin protects the head of the glans from feces and irritation.

5: Most babies aren't medicated for pain during the procedure, and there's debate about whether the pain meds hurt as much going in and how effective they are.

Circumcision Video

2009-08-26T18:22:00.000-07:00

Courteousy of YouTube:

Circumcision

2009-08-26T18:15:00.000-07:00

I believe that circumcision is an electitive surgery that is almost totally useless. Here are a couple facts to learn about before your baby is born...

Precautions
Circumcision should not be performed on infants with certain deformities of the penis that may require a portion of the foreskin for repair. The most common
condition for surgery using the foreskin is hypospadias, a congenital deformity of the penis where the urinary tract opening is not at the tip of the glans. Also, infants with a large hydrocoele or hernia may suffer important complications through circumcision. Premature infants and infants with serious infections are also poor candidates to be circumcised, as are infants with hemophilia, other bleeding disorders, or whose mothers had taken anticoagulant drugs. In older boys or men, circumcision is a minor procedure. Therefore, it can be performed in virtually anyone without a serious illness or unusual deformity.

Description
The foreskin of the penis protects the sensitivity of the glans and shields it from irritation by urine, feces, and foreign materials. It also protects the urinary opening against infection and incidental injury.
In circumcision of infants, the foreskin is pulled tightly into a specially designed clamp, and the foreskin pulls away from the broadened tip of the penis. Pressure from the clamp stops bleeding from blood vessels that supplied the foreskin. In older boys or adults, an incision is made around the base of the foreskin, the foreskin is pulled back, and then it is cut away from the tip of the penis. Stitches are usually used to close the skin edges.

Preparation
Despite a long-standing belief that infants do not experience serious pain from circumcision, most authorities now believe that some form of local anesthesia is necessary. The physician injects local anesthesia at the base of the penis or under the skin around the penis (subcutaneous ring block). Both anesthetics block key nerves. EMLA cream, a topical formula of several anesthetics can also be used.

Aftercare
After circumcision, the wound should be washed daily. An antibiotic ointment or petroleum jelly may be applied to the site. If there is an incision, a wound dressing will be present and should be changed each time the diaper is changed. Sometimes a plastic ring is used instead of a bandage. The ring will usually fall off in five to eight days. The penis will heal in seven to 10 days.
Infants who undergo circumcision may be fussy for some hours afterward, so parents should be prepared for crying, feeding problems, and sleep problems. Generally these go away within a day. In older boys, the penis may be painful, but this will go away gradually. A topical anesthetic ointment or spray may be used to relieve this temporary discomfort. There may also be a "bruise" on the penis, which typically goes away with no particular attention.

Risks
Complications following newborn circumcision appear in one out of every 500 procedures. Most complications are minor. Bleeding occurs in half of the complications and is usually easy to control. Infections are rare and present with fever and signs of inflammation.

Breastfeeding Tips (pregnancy)

2009-08-23T12:24:00.000-07:00

#1: Just DECIDE you are going to breastfeed.

#2: Don't accept bottles or pacifiers or "support packs" of formula.

#3: Don't worry about "roughing up" your nipples. Unless you're wanting to go into labor. Then go for it!

#4: Buy a couple of slings if you can afford it, or sew one if you can't.

#5: Join a La Leche League group.

#6: Set up a "nursery" in your own room, or forget it and let the baby cosleep.

#7: Give birth in as gentle a way as possible, maybe in a birthing center or at home!

My Personal Story with Vaccinations

2009-08-22T10:25:00.000-07:00

I was fully vaccinated as a child. I remember hating it, dreading the doctor, as I had (and still have) a phobia of needles. I would hyper-ventilated and cry as the doctor injected me, and my mom would calmly sit down beside me and look embarrassed. Maybe that's where my journey with vaccines began, scared in the doctor's office, waiting for a needle bearing what was supposed to protect me.

I grew relatively quickly, and soon I was bearing my own daughter. I was a teenager, young and uninformed. I knew I didn't want drugs to assist in the birth, but I didn't really have a reason, other than that was the way it was meant to be done. When Rebecca was born, I was so happy. I wanted to be the best mommy I could be to her, but all I knew was that I would breastfeed. My parenting skills were in the infancy stages, just like my newborn daughter.

She received all the recommended vaccinations. She began displaying signs of autism, she wouldn't look me in the eyes, she was overly sensitive to light, touch, and noise. I couldn't give her a massage, and she slept naked from sheer necessity. She developed violent colic and was a nuisance to everyone but me, I loved her and knew she wasn't doing this on purpose. She was just a little person with great big needs. Little did I know that her shots may have contributed to her illness...

Fast forward two years, and my son is born, not in a hospital like his sister, but in a birthing center. Born into water, never leaving his father or me, his birth is a gentle one. This time, labor was easier, but I was more prepared. I had read, I knew what I wanted. I got it.

My midwife asked the question, "are you planning on vaccinating?" I was floored, was it an OPTION? Yes, she assured me, it was. And it was something that I should think about. Some vaccines, it seemed, were more dangerous than the illnesses they caused. Some contain Mercury. None were necessary. I convinced Caelin's dad to agree to wait until he was a year to give him shots.

Caelin was healthy and strong and grew at an astronomical rate. He was untouched, breastfed. No colic plagued him, and he was easy going and calm. Even my crazy schedule couldn't push him over the edge. But I never really researched WHY I didn't want him to have shots. It just felt right to me. That was a huge mistake.
When Caelin was nine months old he saw a new pediatrician. She was very blunt and matter-of-fact. She thought I was silly for not shooting him up, and when she asked why, I had no definate answer. She bullied me into giving Caelin some vaccines for the first time in his life.

He became sick for the first time within days of gettin the shots, he stayed sick for over two months. He came down with a double ear infection, and stopped growing. None of these things can be proven to have been caused by the shots I let them put in my son, while the nurses held him down, both of us crying. He has not recieved one shot since, and I have learned and armed myself against any attacts against my choie to protect my son against what I see as a very real threat to my child's health.

Be proactive. Know the law, know your rights, and be an informed parent to your children.

Dream Children

2009-08-22T10:21:00.001-07:00

Dream my little ones while there still is time
for you inherit a world filled with hate and crime.
We have corrupted this land and that is true
now we bundle up our troubles and hand them to you.

Dream the dreams of the brave the dreams of the free
in your dreams you must find the strength which was not within me.
I have bowed down and worshipped many gods of stone
in my sins I am far, far from alone.

Gone are the days when honor was king
we treasure money and power above everything.
WE have spilled the blood of wisdom and the blood of truth
now we turn and hand this chaos to our precious youth.

How dare we sit and marvel at a younger generation seemingly gone mad.
Perhaps they can see what will be as well as what they could have had.

Have we stolen their dreams before they have slept?
Have we shed their tears before they have wept?
I beseech you with all the power of the brightest sunbeam
open your beautiful minds and dream children dream.

(c) 1997 Steven McKinley Underhill All Rights Reserved

First Day of School

2009-08-22T10:16:00.001-07:00

First Day Of School

~Author Unknown~

She started school this morning,
And she seemed so very small.
As I walked there beside her
In the Kindergarten hall.

And as she took her place beside
the others in the class,
I realized how all too soon
Those first few years can pass.

Remembering, I saw her as
She first learned how to walk.
The words that we alone made out
When she began to talk.

This little girl so much absorbed
In learning how to write.
It seems as though she must have grown
To girlhood overnight.

My eyes were blurred by hastily
I brushed the tears away
Lest by some word or sign of mine
I mar her first big day.

Oh how I longed to stay with her
And keep her by the hand
To lead her through the places
That she couldn't understand.

And something closely kin to fear
Was mingled with my pride.
I knew she would no longer be
A baby by my side.

But she must have her chance to live,
To work her problems out,
The privilege to grow and learn
What life is all about.

And I must share my little girl
With friends and work and play;
She's not a baby anymore --
She's in Kindergarten today.

If I Had my Child to Raise Over Again

2009-08-22T10:09:00.000-07:00

If I Had My Child to Raise Over Again

by Diane Loomans

If I had my child to raise all over again,
I'd build self esteem first, and the house later.
I'd fingerpaint more, and point the finger less.
I would do less correcting and more connecting.
I'd take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.
I would care to know less and know to care more.
I'd take more hikes and fly more kites.
I'd stop playing serious, and seriously play.
I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars.
I'd do more hugging and less tugging.
I'd see the oak tree in the acorn more often.
I would be firm less often, and affirm much more.
I'd model less about the love of power,
And more about the power of love.

Breastfeeding

2009-08-17T12:30:00.000-07:00

Breastfeeding is the first step in natural parenting. It is the most obvious way to provide your child with the best in his/her early life. It was an easy choice for me, but it is harder for others. Some women feel oddly nursing their child, esspessially if they have a little boy. They may see this as sexual and feel very uncomfortable. Some women have family that is unsupportive and may even be disgusted by her "diplay". Some husbands feel this way. Other women may have never seen anyone nurse a baby, and they may even feel that formula is as good, or better. Whatever the reason, a baby and it's mother still deserve to feel the bond and reap the benefits of a breastfeeding relasionship.

The starting point is obvious: inform yourself. Find women who do nurse and ask them why? Use the internet and find good attatchment parenting books to read. Join your local La Leche Legue. Start or join another groups for new moms. You can do it.

Of people who breastfeed, mothers and babies will both have a lower risk of cancers, increasing with the amount of time spent on the breast. Mothers have less chance of postpartum depression, and babies grow better. Not too big, not too thin. Babies who are breastfed have smoother skin, and healthier eyes. They have less chance of baby bottle mouth than bottlefed babies, and are just healthier in general.

Natural Parenting, the Real Story

2009-08-17T11:45:00.000-07:00

Natural Parenting is great in theory. It sounds good, feels good, shoot, the name even LOOKS good. But what is it? Is it some mystical set of acts that set some apart? Is it some new-fangled new religion? What exactly is this "new" movement?

Dictionary.com describes "Natural" as being:

–adjective
1. existing in or formed by nature (opposed to artificial ): a natural bridge.
2. based on the state of things in nature; constituted by nature: Growth is a natural process.
3. of or pertaining to nature or the universe: natural beauty.
4. of, pertaining to, or occupied with the study of natural science: conducting natural experiments.
5. in a state of nature; uncultivated, as land.
6. growing spontaneously, without being planted or tended by human hand, as vegetation.
7. having undergone little or no processing and containing no chemical additives: natural food; natural ingredients. Compare organic (def. 11).

"Parenting" is decribed as:

1. the rearing of children: The schedule allows her very little time for parenting.
2. the methods, techniques, etc., used or required in the rearing of children: a course in parenting.
3. the state of being a parent; parenthood.

So I think we can safely say that "natural parenting" is parenting as you would in nature, unsullied by cultural perversion and disgust. Parenting in a way that you would were you a wild animal, free of chemicals.