It doesn't even take a green thumb to grow vegetables

All it takes is having a compost hole.  Some time ago, we discovered seedlings in our old compost hole.  We were curious as to what might be growing.  I guessed squash.  Turned out to be these cute little pumpkins.  I can't even try to take credit for it.  When I mention that we are growing pumpkins, Noah would say that they grew all by themselves.  He is right.  We had nothing to do with it.  God gifted us with these seedlings and I am grateful that sometimes vegetable gardening is not hard at all.

Baby is 15 weeks old

I find that I have to go to the bathroom more frequently, especially during the night.  My uterus is considerably larger.  I've gained 2 pounds.  Maybe more.  It depends on when I weigh myself.  I had a bout with hives last week that I hope is not pregnancy related.  Usually towards the end of my pregnancy I would get these really itchy little red bumps on my belly.  I attribute that to the stretching of my skin.  The hives came without explanation and was quite intolerable.  For now, I feel well and am still very happy every time I feel the baby move.

Loveliness

We went to the grocery store and bought a few items.  The 20 things in the picture cost me $1.40.  Did you notice that the yogurt was organic?  Healthy food CAN be had and it doesn't have to break the bank.  On the way out of the store, I was stopped by some beautiful roses.  It was the color that made them irresistible to me.  I debated whether I should spend $5 on these gorgeous 10 stems.  I am glad my frugal side lost out this time.  I sent Chris a picture of the roses and told him that he could have them.  And give them to me, if he'd like.  He did.  Now, I don't have to feel like I splurged.  The children wondered what the occasion was.  I told them that we needed this little bit of loveliness in our home today.  And just because.  And I got my husband to treat me with them in the end, so I think it turned out to be a very good shopping day.

P.S.  I hope I don't sound like I'm bragging about how little I spent on my groceries today.  I can waste money with the best of them.  I just wanted to demonstrate that God does provide and eating healthy can be done, even on a budget.

Potty training under way

I've put off potty training Noble for long enough.  With the other children, when they turned 18 months, we tackled potty training and everyone learned quickly.  Noble is 21 months and not getting any younger.

Noble certainly didn't want to sit on the potty after the initial curiosity.  I had to make him sit.  And sit.  And sit.  It's good that he drinks a lot.  We usually don't have to wait long after he sits before he'll pee.  Then we both clap.  After awhile, he caught on that clapping meant that he did well and could get up so he tried clapping too soon, before he peed.  And wanted to get up.  He was quite unhappy when I wouldn't let him up.  We've had accidents, here and there, but all downstairs because I've purposed to stay downstairs with him without his pull-ups on these past few days.  I'm so glad we changed out the carpet in the living room.  Even when he pooped on the floor, it wasn't a big deal.  Today, he actually sat on the potty by himself and pooped!  I was so thrilled.  He got a Kixt Kat chocolate.  I haven't been rewarding him because he seemed to be peeing regularly in the potty but I'm going to make sure he knows how wonderful it is that he's going number 2 in the potty.  This really hasn't been that hard.  His siblings felt sorry for him when I first had to make him sit and he'd wail but now he doesn't.  He's learning self control, I believe.  It's only been a few days and he's certainly not potty trained yet, but I'm encouraged that we are having fewer and fewer accidents.  I now take off his diaper first thing after he wakes up and I'll put him on the potty directly.  We are down to using only 1 diaper for the night and one pull-up during the day.  Wished I'd started earlier.  Potty training is really the parent being committed to not putting a diaper on the child and consistently using the potty.  I really don't mind that it seems that we're occupied with the potty all day long.  Better than changing diapers.  And so much better for his skin.  It's amazing how much joy a little child can give just by going in the potty.  It's so nice to see him happy with his own accomplishment and clapping with delight.  I am so happy that I can have the privilege of being the one to coax all these milestones.  That I don't have to find out about them happening to my child.  That I get to be one to experience the fullness of my child learning a new skill.  God has given me such a good life.

Can swimming be done modestly?

I think so.  The girls are wearing swim dresses made of swim suit material.  They have rash guards and swimming shorts underneath.
Everyone wears rash guards in our family because it's very helpful.  It keeps our torsos and arms from getting sunburned.  Why is it modest for men to be topless?  We believe boys and men should be clothed and not half dressed.  Same principle applies with the opposite sex, of course. 

What is it about the beach and other swimming places that make clothes so unnecessary?  Because of the activity and the location, one can be seen wearing underclothing?  Men, save your hairy chests (or lack of) for your wives.  Ladies, please don't tempt my boys with how little clothes you can get away with.

It's just too bad that swimming has become an x-rated activity.

How about some modesty quotes?

Modesty is the color of virtue.  Diogenes of Sinope


Modesty used to be considered a natural female attribute. No more.  Linda Chavez


As blushing will sometimes make a whore pass for a virtuous woman, so modesty may make a fool seem a man of sense.  Jonathan Swift





Modesty is the conscience of the body.   Honore de Balzac


 No education can be of true advantage to young women but that which trains them up in humble industry, in great plainness of living, in exact modesty of dress.   William Law

Nothing can atone for the lack of modesty; without which beauty is ungraceful and wit detestable.  Richard Steele

Baby is 14 weeks old

I think I feel the baby moving.  I say I think because they are so light but they are definitely there.  Coming from my uterus.  One of the best parts about being a woman.

Update:  After I got off the computer and went to bed, almost immediately I started to feel a very obvious "hic".  Then another and another...  Right where my uterus is.  It went on for a couple of minutes.  I was thrilled to update that "think" to "know".  I know my baby has hiccups and I can feel the baby's little movements.  I don't know of another sensation that I can compare it to.  Quite exhilarating!

I have been praying that I could feel the baby very soon.  14 weeks is fairly soon, I believe.  God is so faithful in answering prayers.  

Old look or new look

What do you think?

Baby is 13 weeks old

I really can't complain that this pregnancy is not progressing fast enough.

I would very much like to feel the baby move.  Maybe this week!

Still trying to walk to feel energized and be more fit.  It feels good to move.

The role of woman

Can it be that of man?

Here is good reading to provoke some thoughts.

Noble is growing up

My milk is gone.  I am in my 12th week of pregnancy so that's not too bad, I think.  Noble has done a tolerable job in accepting that his nursing days have come to an end.

I have tried to transition him as slowly as I could.  I was nursing him really only in the mornings and evenings and sometimes before his nap.  This morning I didn't nurse him when he woke up.  It was a bit hard on him but he didn't fuss for long.  We had breakfast and then he was fine.  He fussed longer before he'd take his nap without being nursed but he did fall asleep after a bit.  Tonight was the best it could've been.  He fussed for only a tiny bit and then just lay next to me.  I thought that he'd miraculously fallen to sleep in record time.  But he was still awake.  When he saw that I was looking at him, he grinned at me.  And then he drifted off to sleep.  So very very sweet.

If my milk hadn't stopped, I probably would still be nursing him.  God works all things in His perfect timing.  I don't think I'm going to miss nursing Noble that much.  He's much more independent than Noah was and can be away from me longer.  It's been a wonderful nursing relationship and I'm glad that the weaning process was as fast as it was and not too painful for either of us. 

Size of baby at 12 weeks

Who should pay for one's medical needs?

1.  The government.

2.  The church.

3.  Oneself.

I know most people know the answer to this one.  But what happens when that one hasn't saved for whatever reason and there is no money to meet a medical need? 

Of course that is when people, God's people, meet needs.  A church doesn't even need to officially step in. 

I think, in the long run, it behooves an individual and certainly a family to have a preventative mindset when it comes to needing money.  We choose to birth at home and treat illnesses at home not because we don't have insurance, but because we believe we are equipped to deal with these things on our own.  However, when they are out of the scope of what we can handle, like surgery, we don't want the church to pay for us while we are spending money on organic food and taking trips.  We all make choices in what we spend on.  I'd like to think that if we've made no provisions for that unexpected medical need that we would be willing to go into debt rather than burden a church family on account of our lack of foresight.

If we didn't have military insurance, I believe I would be highly interested in Samaritan Ministries because it is based on biblical principles.  People who want to be helped are contributing today so that there is money to pool from if and when they need that help.  They are already helping other people even before their own need arises, often times.

For some reason, I think when it comes to medical needs, even Christians believe it to be their right to have care.  And that one's choice and quality of care shouldn't be based on money.  But why ever not, if we are a free market society and different professions make more money depending on their value to people? 

I believe the Bible teaches that we are to take care of our health.  We are not to be like the heathen and eat whatever we want to and engage in whatever lifestyle we want to.  We are responsible for our health.  Not the government, not the church.  I think Christians should be one of the healthier people around.  Visibly healthier.  Desiring exercise and restraining from gluttony.  We shouldn't be full of the Spirit and totally indulgent in our flesh.  I am including myself because I see myself indulging when I know better.  When I don't even really want to.  But just because the temptation is there.  We should not separate the spirit from the body.  Both need to be in a healthy state.

Heath, often is, a result of knowledge and the will power to act upon it.  Not always, of course, as there are diseases that are genetically predetermined, but on the whole, healthy people are those who want to be healthy and who study to be healthy and then live in a healthy way.  On purpose.  It disturbs me greatly when I hear about those who say that it doesn't matter how one lives because there are people who live long lives with bad health practices.  Their lives may be long, but how healthy were they living it?  It's not just about the end, right?  The process should be important.  We shouldn't defile our bodies with impure foods and unclean substances.  That is one reason we reject vaccinations.  It is not a healthy thing to do with one's body.  To avoid a certain risk by taking on another is highly suspect, I believe, in the way God would have us do things.  We ought not to gamble with our lives.  But rather we are to seek God on health, both spiritually and physically.

I think while God can use us when we make poor choices regarding our finances or health, we give Him more glory when we are deliberate with everything we take in our bodies and how we spend our money.  To God be the glory.

Baby is 12 weeks old!

Why on earth do you have so many children?

We've been asked this question numerous times not only by unbelievers, but , sadly, by Christians as well.

I thought I should try to see how many answers I can give them next time they ask.

1.  We believe God to be true to His Word in Psalm 127:3.

      Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

2.  We understand one of the purposes of marriage.

      

      And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might  seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.  Malachi 2:15

3. Another promise from God.

    Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.  I Timothy 2:15

4.  We love children.  Especially the ones God gave to us.

5.  It's natural.  :)

6.  It's good for our marriage. 

7.  It's good for us individually.  Raising a child is sanctifying work.

8.  Children make life fun.

9.  It's good for the children.

10.  It's good for others. 

11.  We look forward to having numerous descendants.  We'll be content to have 10 grandchildren from each  of our children.  :)

12.  Nothing compares to the love a child has for his parents.  

13.  Children teach us so many things.

14.  Don't worry.  We actually do know what causes it.  And that's one of the fun reasons for having more, too.  :)

 

Grace's birth story

Grace is our second daughter and second homebirth.  Her birth story was a testimony to God's faithfulness in answering specific prayers throughout my pregnancy and the birth itself.

My pregnancy was different with Grace than the others because my cycle had never returned.  I was still nursing Hanalora, albeit only once at night and once in the morning.  We had just moved to Guam and I thought I should do a pregnancy test just to be able to accurately tell the dentist that I was not expecting.  I was very surprised that the test was positive.  Hanalora was 15 months when I found out.  I didn't have any pregnancy symptoms that would make me even suspect that I might be pregnant.  But then again, I really don't have a lot of pregnancy symptoms in general.

Chris and I were much more relaxed with this pregnancy and knew just how we were going  to proceed.  Just like last time.  We couldn't find a midwife with Hanalora and had a wonderful homebirth just by ourselves.  It's such a peaceful state to be in knowing that there was nothing to be done but wait for baby to come.  No due date to aim for.  That was an incredibly freeing thing.  It was a little unsettling at first, not knowing when I conceived and what due date to tell people.  But I got to like it.  And felt very comfortable that this was going to be a very different sort of pregnancy.

Chris had to leave Guam often for his work.  At first I didn't really think that there would be a possibility that he would miss the birth.  Again.  But of course I knew that it could very well happen.  He'd missed 2 previous births already.  I never thought about not birthing at home.  I also knew that I didn't want a midwife.  I don't know that I could've found one there, anyway, if I had wanted one.  Guam is very, very small.  I thought I would be praying fervently for Chris to be there for the birth, but that wasn't what I was led to pray.  I did pray that if God so willed, to have Chris be there, but there wasn't much pleading there.  I began praying that God would give me total peace about birthing alone if Chris wasn't there.  I believe God gave me the desire to pray that way because there wasn't a time when I thought about birthing by myself and not having peace about it.  I actually began thinking that it would be interesting!  I knew I would not fear the birth.  Since the birth of my second baby that took place in a birthing clinic in Japan, I knew there wasn't anything to fear about giving birth if I didn't need to go to a hospital.  I knew, too, that I would not fear birthing without my husband.  When we couldn't find a midwife with our first homebirth, I started reading birthing books and realized that no one needed to attend me.  My husband would be my support, but he would not act as my midwife.  His role was to just be there for me and my role was to just let the baby be born.  Sounds simplistic, doesn't it?  That's what happened with our first homebirth.  I never felt that I needed to know how many centimeters I was or when I should start pushing.  When I did begin pushing, it seemed involuntary.  I had been quiet and Chris thought he would just go to the kitchen for something to eat and when he turned his back to walk away was when I realized that my body was trying to allow the baby to be born!  I stood up in the pool to get him to come back.  Good thing he was still very close by.  He came and caught the baby while I continued to stand in the pool.  It was really so amazingly simple and uncomplicated.  We hardly spoke during the labor.  He read the Scriptures I had written out for him beforehand, but other than that, he just waited on the couch while I waited in the pool.  I will write about Hanalora's birth in a separate post but I wanted to tell about where I was coming from.  My last birth was entirely un-managed and totally free from fear.

I was not worried about anything.  Even the worries of the few close friends whom I confided in didn't budge the peace I had about birthing alone.  Of course, I really did want Chris to be there, but I became rather fixated by the possibility of him not.  On May 25, I felt contractions that didn't seem like the practice kind and then I felt that menstrual achiness .  I tried to ignore it but it kept coming.  I didn't say much to the children at dinner, but after the children, except for Max, were settled in bed, I thought I'd better get moving.  I called someone to see if she could get a hold of someone who could get a hold of Chris.  She said she would try.  Then I asked Max to help me blow up the pool.  I could see that he was pretty tired and told him good night.  It was around 11 pm by then.  I got a call saying that they haven't gotten a hold of Chris but they'll keep trying.  Then a call from the Navy hospital came asking if I was ok.  I said yes, I'm fine.  The lady I had called must've contacted the hospital to see if they could help.  That was Friday.  I was told to come in on Monday for a checkup.  I said, fine, smiling, thinking that the baby's not going to wait that long.  The contractions were quite regular and uncomfortable and I knew I needed to get the pool filled up as fast as I could.  I could not get the hose to attach to the sink faucet!  I tried a few times and decided that the only thing to do was to fill the pool up bucket by bucket.  I began praying earnestly that I would fill the pool in time to give birth in it, that I would not tear, that the children, 11, 6, 4, 23 months old, would not wake up during the night, and that I would give birth before the baby woke up.  I don't remember how many buckets I dumped into the pool, but it was too many to count.  I thought the pool would never fill up high enough.  I had set the pool in the dining area right next to the kitchen so it was very convenient to fill the bucket and then walk a few steps and dump and go right back to the sink.  I would time my bucket-filling with my contractions.  I would fill my bucket, lean on the sink to ride out the contraction and when it passed, take the water and dump it in the pool.  My mind was so totally occupied in my task of filling up the pool, the contractions almost seemed like an inconvenient side thing that was keeping me from filling up the pool faster.  All throughout the night, I filled buckets and rocked my hips leaning on the sink and dumped water.  Eventually the pool looked like the water was more than half way.  I got into it and decided it wasn't as high as I'd like so I got back out and filled more buckets.  I was quite ready to settle in the pool when I stopped filling buckets.  It felt oh, so very, very good to be in the water.  I felt accomplished just in being able to get into a pool full of water.  I experimented with a few pushes to see if I wanted to push more and I did!  I looked up and saw that it was past 5:30 AM.  I had been praying throughout the night and now I prayed that I would have the baby very soon before Hanalora woke.  Hanalora was a very good sleeper.  She slept through the night at 8 weeks and woke every morning at sunrise.  6 AM.  I wanted to have the baby be born before she woke up.  And I began pushing more.  Then I heard Josiah, 4, calling Mama.  I thought, I really need to get this baby out!  And she was born the next push.  A tremendous push and all of her came torpedo-ing out into the water.  I turned her around and scooped her out of the water and held her and Josiah walked into the dining room.  It was 5:45.  He was the first one besides me to see her.  And hear her first cry.  Soon Max brought Hanalora to me and then Lucas was awake too.  I stayed in the pool with the baby for some time.  I don't know that I tried to push the placenta out while I was in the water.  I think the intensity of the contractions after the birth surprised me so that I had to really concentrate still to try to relax.  I got out after I felt the water getting cool and tried to see if the placenta would come out.  It didn't.  It didn't bother me at all although I decided to take some angelica drops to see if that would help.  Then I went to bed with the baby.  The children were supernaturally good.  I say this because they're not normally.  They're just regular children that play and fuss and make lots of noise.  That day, May 26, they seemed quiet.  I asked Max for the walkie talkies and I took one and asked him to listen for me on his.  When I was hungry, I beeped him and asked for food.  I don't remember needing to attend to the children the rest of the day.  I stayed in bed with the baby until I felt that I should go to the bathroom.  I beeped Max and asked if he wanted to cut the cord.  He was willing and did a good job.  It cut on the second try for him.  When I went to the bathroom at 10 PM, my placenta slid right out into the toilet.  It only took 16 hours for it to come out.  :)  Of course I did pray about it but other than that, I had not worried about it.  In hindsight, I think I should've tried harder to push it out instead of just staying in bed the whole day.  It felt too good laying there and snuggling with the baby to get up.  Chris made it home the next morning.  I knew God would bring him home.  I didn't need Chris there for the birth, but I didn't want him to miss too many of the precious first hours of the baby's life. 

Grace's was a labor full of ... labor.  God showed me once again that he keeps the promise he made in Romans 8:28.  He used my lack of preparation in making sure the hose fit the faucet for good!  The hours of laboring in the night sped away with my labor of filling the pool.  I don't remember feeling that I was in a bind or that I wished for different circumstances.  I just knew that the pool must be filled and got busy.  Resting from dumping water during the contractions seemed like I was getting a break!  It was really funny, now, thinking how I'd quickly get back into action as soon as the contraction subsided.  I never felt alone.  I was in constant prayer and my mind was occupied in filling the pool.  I was totally and utterly at peace.  I felt so comfortable being by myself in the nude.  I don't think I could've done that had anyone else been there with me.  I don't regret having to fill the pool bucket by bucket.  A water birth is that worth it.

People have expressed different reactions when they found out about my birthing alone.  Our beloved pastor told me that what I did was dangerous.  He said it very gently and in a nice way so I wasn't offended at all but I wrote him a letter explaining that I had God's peace and I couldn't have done otherwise.  That's really just how it was.  I would have been very uncomfortable with anyone other than my husband being with me and I had full confidence that I could birth alone and I had the desire to do so.  And God blessed and answered all my prayers.

I think our baby was aptly named Grace.  God's grace is always sufficient, isn't it?

And the reason we know vaccines to be "very" safe is because...

the experts tell us so.

Like in this blog article*, titled Vaccines are Very Safe.
"Finally, the Vaccine Adverse Effect Reporting System (VAERS) investigates all reported cases of what appear to be reactions to a vaccination."

In 2009, the Vaccine Adverse Reporting System had 32,821 reports of adverse reactions after a vaccine was given.  VAERS states that,  "In one instance, VAERS detected reports for intussusception over that what would be expected to occur by chance alone after the RotaShield rotavirus vaccine in 1999. Epidemiologic studies confirmed an increased risk, and these data contributed to the product's removal from the US market. In another example, VAERS determined that there may be a potential for a small increase in risk for  Guillain-Barre syndrome after the meningococcal conjugate vaccine, Menactra. As a result of this finding, a history of Guillain-Barre syndrome became a contraindication to the vaccine and further controlled studies are currently underway to research this issue."


Apparently, the RotaShield rotavirus  and the meningococcal conjugate vaccine were determined to be unsafe.  After the fact.  


I included the number of reports in 2009 not to show how big a number it is.  

"VAERS is subject to the limitations inherent in any passive surveillance system:

1. Underreporting- Underreporting is common to all surveillance systems which require someone to complete and send a report.  However we also know that underreporting occurs more often with less serious adverse events and that more serious vaccine adverse event are more likely to be reported to VAERS."

Would every case of adverse reaction to vaccines be documented?  Of course not.  As far as the claim that VAERS "investigates all reported cases of what appear to be reactions to vaccine reactions", it's really quite absurd.  "VAERS does not determine causality."  How would it even be feasible to investigate all reported cases?  

This PBS article gives insight about the Sabin polio vaccine: "In the U.S., cases of polio are now extremely rare, and ironically, are almost always caused by the Sabin vaccine itself -- being live, the virus can mutate to a stronger form."


The CDC gives some background on the relationship between the virus SV40 and the polio vaccine.  (It would be interesting to find out how each vaccine was derived.  Maybe a future post.)  History indicates that even when a known problem exists, the government is not always there to protect us.  (Surprise, surprise!)
From the same article cited in this paragraph, "In 1961, the virus was found to cause tumors in rodents (Eddy et al., 1961). That same year, the federal government required that new stocks of polio vaccine be free of SV40. However, existing polio vaccine stocks were not recalled and were used until 1963."   And the excuse given?  "When SV40 was discovered, researchers did not know if the virus could negatively affect people's health."  And yet we depend on these researchers to impact our lives.  Lest you think that this may have been a little tiny problem, the article gives these statistics, "More than 98 million Americans received one or more doses of IPV (the injected form of the polio vaccine) during the period (1955–1963) when some of the vaccine was contaminated with SV40."  And what does that translate to in terms of people's health?  


"SV40 is known to cause tumors in rodents. Have research studies found an association between SV40 and cancer in humans?
Yes. An association has been found between SV40 and certain types of cancer in humans."

In case there are any doubts to the veracity of my refutations of the safety of vaccines, please note that I made sure to only use sources that are pro-vaccinations.  Government sponsored websites, no less.  So although, yes, of course, I am biased.  Extremely biased.  I am a Christian, after all.  And I have 7 children to answer to.  I am, unashamedly, among those in the anti-vaccination movement.  However, I am using not anti-vaccination propaganda, but rather, pro-vaccination  propaganda to cite historical statistics.  

*I do apologize to those who believe I am mis-characterizing Dr. Jay Wile.  Or giving him a bad name.  I don't doubt his sincerity.   I have been citing his blog on vaccinations because of the fact that he has written the articles on vaccinations.  There is information to be examined and to be compared.  He is a highly respected Christian author of many textbooks and most would never question the validity of any of his writings.  Because his blog mentions anti-vaccination propagandists repeatedly, I felt his claims should be explored to see just how blatant and insidious are the "lies" of the propaganda movement.  

I think what I am learning from all of this is that anyone can take any statistic, any resource and make it fit according to his paradigm.  Lynne Born has a different paradigm towards health and disease and naturally, her take is completely different from Dr. Jay Wile's.  It's wonderful, isn't it, that we live in a country where we still have the liberty to access different sources of information and decide for ourselves what the course of action we will take regarding our own health.  Or did you think that you had no choice in whether you lived a healthful and abundant life?  No, our government allows us the right to take responsibility of our health and that of our children's.  As of now, anyway.  

I'm certainly not holding my breath, but I wonder if in my lifetime certain medical practices that most wouldn't even question today would become as ludicrous and unbelievable  as how we perceive blood-letting to be now.  Poor George Washington needn't have died from blood loss if the medical experts of his day were willing to be open-minded and made a paradigm shift in their thinking on health and maintained the basic principle of treating a patient: first, do no harm.