Bringing up Bishop

2009-10-24T18:28:00.000-07:00

So I've kind of been neglecting this blog. I've been so busy updating my other blog, Nourish, and I'm finding it difficult to keep up with both so you probably won't be seeing too much action on this one but please check out Nourish if you haven't already. I promise to have plenty of Bishop eye candy on it!

10 Year High School Reunion!

2009-10-12T20:45:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was my 10 year high school reunion and it was so much fun! Friday night we went to the homecoming game and then Saturday night was the cocktail party. Bishop made an appearance Friday night and was a hit! How could you not love a mohawk having, Ed Hardy t-shirt wearing baby?!

It was great seeing old friends again and meeting their significant others but honestly I think I was most excited about having a night out. That is an extremely rare occurrence these days. As you can see from my ear to ear smile in the pictures it was much needed and well spent.

cousins

2009-10-11T19:22:00.000-07:00

These might be the first black and white pictures I've posted on here because I usually prefer lots and lots of color but I love the way these turned out. The bond between Bishop and his sweet cousin Avery is captured perfectly here. Bishop is so loved and so fortunate to have such a great family surrounding him...especially little miss personality above. I don't think I could love that girl more even if I had given birth to her!

2009-09-14T11:29:00.000-07:00

I love the way Bishop looks when he first wakes up. His hairy is messy, his brow is furrowed and his eyes are still sleepy. I was able to catch it on camera the other day after his nap. I just love everything about this sweet little face!

BabyLegs

2009-09-12T13:50:00.000-07:00

This month I am offering 20% off of BabyLegs at the boutique so to announce the sale I had to enlist the help of my favorite model. I just had to dangle a flower over his head to get these adorable shots.

Nourish Baby Organics

2009-08-30T21:00:00.000-07:00

I am proud to announce the launch of Nourish Baby Organics, my 100% organic skin care line made specifically with sensitive skin babies in mind. After trying unsuccessfully with multiple skin care products to soothe my baby's eczema I decided to formulate my own. I have been so happy with the results that I am now sharing them with other mama's. I use organic olive, pumpkin seed and sunflower seed oil for their high content of omega fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. My oil is infused with Calendula and Chamomile Flowers for their healing herbal benefits and when mixed with Lavender essential oil it takes on a heavenly scent. Massage daily onto your babies skin and add to their bathwater for best results. Great for children and mamas too! Oil comes in 8oz and 4oz bottles and retails for 21.50 (8oz) and 16.50 (4oz). My baby oil is packaged in round amber glass bottles to avoid chemicals from plastic and to keep them preserved longer. You can find them by going to the boutique here.

2009-08-28T09:47:00.000-07:00

Last month we went to the Sounds game for my dad's 64th birthday! He was so funny singing "When I'm 64" by The Beatles all day. This was Bishop's first time at the ball field or ball park...not quite sure what you call it I'm obviously not a sports fan. Bishop apparently isn't either atleast not yet. He starts getting sleepy as early as 5 some days so it was really pushing his bed time to get there at 7. We didn't stay for the whole game which was fine with me.

We had another first that night...nursing while driving down the interstate, don't worry I wasn't driving. Bishop was so mad on the way home the only thing I knew to do to calm him down was to nurse him so I climbed into the backseat and positioned myself over his carseat and nursed my sweet baby. He was asleep within a minute! Thankfully Jeremy's windows are tinted. :)

2009-08-17T15:43:00.000-07:00

I no longer shop for toys in the toy department...Bishop prefers the kitchen department by far.

daydreaming....

2009-08-09T07:03:00.000-07:00

I'm so blessed and thankful for all that I have but I still can't help but to daydream a little bit. I crave the country life. Living in my dream house (pictured above) on acres and acres of green land with lots of adorable farm animals running around would be so dreamy. I would have my own organic garden and even a goat to milk! Bishop would love exploring and helping around the farm.

My Birth Story

2009-08-05T19:16:00.000-07:00

I loved giving birth. I know some of you think that is crazy or that I am lying but it's true. It was the single most amazing experience of my life. It was fun and challenging! Kind of like how some people get a high off of running a marathon or climbing a mountain. Giving birth gave me that kind of high. You hear all the horror stories from moms who were in labor for 3 days or had to have an emergency cesarean and for some reason when you are pregnant they feel the need to share their stories with you. I don't know how many times I was asked "You're getting an epidural right?!?!" Even if I wasn't going to get one I don't think I would have told them just so I wouldn't have to listen to what a mistake it would be for me not to. I did get an epidural and I think that the scariest part of my delivery was anticipating them injecting me with it. In hindsight I wish I hadn't and I wish that I hadn't been induced but thankfully I was able to still have a beautiful delivery. I decided to get induced because my doctor encouraged me to and I really trusted his opinion. Bishop was a week late and we all thought that I was going to give birth to a baby sumo wrestler because I was so big ...I mean BIG. I was retaining water like the Hoover Dam! One day when I went in to see my sweet OB for a checkup at about 7 months he jumped back startled and said "You blew up like a balloon!" I only continued to get bigger. Even towards the end when most people stop gaining I was still packing on 3 pounds a week! By the time Bishop came I was over 200 pounds! My maternity clothes didn't even fit and all the extra weight had put so much strain on all my joints. In the mornings my fingers would be locked in a curl position. I had to physically straighten each one out with the other hand. I was dangerously close to getting preclampsia from the high blood pressure and weight gain and after my due date came and went we all agreed that I should be induced. So on the morning of October 30th we went to Baptist Hospital for my induction. My water was broke at around 9 and I started to receive my pitocine. At about noon I caved and asked for the epidural. I wanted to stick it out but the pitocine can make you have some mean contractions and I didn't want to miss my window of opportunity. After about a half hour I was completely numb from the waist down which is a very strange and annoying feeling. Then it was just time to wait. Thankfully my mom, sister, Jeremy and Lori a.k.a. Moppa were there to keep me company and the time flew by. After several hours I started feeling the contractions again so the nurse checked me and said that I was at 8 cm dilated and it was about time for me to start pushing! At 4:45 I started pushing with my sister holding one leg, Jeremy the other and my mom at the end of me with a very uncomfortable worried look on her face. I was in no pain only frustrated because I was so thirsty. Jeremy was so great by putting wet wash cloths on my head, getting me my chapstick and not annoying me. I told him before we got there that I didn't want him to look below my waist but once the nurse said that Bishop's head was visible I didn't want him to miss a thing. After what seemed like no time at all Bishop entered this world at 5:32 p.m. He made quite an entrance too with all his high pitched screaming! They immediately plopped him up on my chest and for a couple seconds I wasn't able to see him. I had been pushing so hard that my contacts were lost somewhere in my eyes. Finally when I regained my vision I looked down at the most beautiful thing that I have ever seen. There are no words to describe the overwhelming feeling of love, happiness and just pure awe. I knew that from that moment on my life would never be the same. It was like now that your here how did I ever live without you?!

He's a rollercoaster of emotions...

2009-08-01T11:52:00.002-07:00

9 months

2009-08-01T10:01:00.000-07:00

Bishop had his 9 month check up yesterday and he weighed 19.7 lbs (36.4%tile) and measured 30.5" (97.24%tile)! I couldn't believe he long he was! He is sleeping in his crib but he's teething really bad so he wakes up every couple hours. I don't think I've ever experienced pure exhaustion like this. Please pray for my sanity!

2009-07-24T17:57:00.000-07:00

Bishop has 6 top teeth coming in right now but that hasn't slowed him down. All he wants is to crawl and explore and he's so fast! You can't let him out of your site for one minute or he'll have a flip flop or something gross in his mouth. He's eating lots of different fruits and veggies like winter squash, apples and carrots which seem to be his favorite. He loves bananas too but still prefers his mommy's milk to anything else. He has been napping in his crib and sleeping there for the first half of the night too which is huge because only two weeks ago he acted like he was allergic to it. Next week we have his 9 month check so I will update with some more specifics.

I have been busy working on my skin care line, Nourish Baby Organics. I'm using 100% organic oils and herbs and formulating it specifically for sensitive skin...like my sweet baby's. This week I had 11 lbs of organic beeswax and 5 gallons of oil delivered to the house. Jeremy called me a mad scientist when I was in the kitchen mixing it up. Last week I took a time out to have my girlfriends over. We had a fun night playing games, drinking wine (except the 3 who are preggers) and chatting. I love those girls they have been there for me through thick and thin.

2009-07-07T14:05:00.000-07:00

Feed Me!

Seriously woman FEED ME!!!

2009-06-30T21:00:00.000-07:00

Bishop had his first boating experience and he did great! He is a natural born boater or boatsman...whatever you would call them. For father's day we went out on Moppa and Poppa's boat. He loved feeling the breeze through his hair. The only thing that he did not like was his life jacket. I can't blame him that thing was huge! I know that it had to be uncomfortable. Overall we had a great time and it was nice to be out on the water. I even took part in some water activities. I think I screamed the entire time. It was so much fun! I don't think that the float was used to someone my size though. It didn't float right after I had my turn on it.

Father's Day/Jeremy's B Day

2009-06-30T20:42:00.000-07:00

Father's Day was really special for Jeremy because it was his first and also because it was his birthday. He is truly the greatest father I could have ever hoped for for my baby boy. He is so gentle, patient and sweet with Bishop. They have such a loving bond between them. Bishop lights up when he sees his Da Da. I love to watch the two of them together. I'm so blessed to have them both.

8 months old!

2009-06-30T18:47:00.000-07:00

My sweet baby Lou (that's his current nickname...who knows why) is 8 months old today! He seems so old to me now because he is eating solids, babbling away and crawling all over the place! I'll set him down in his room to play and before I know it he is right behind me. He still wants his mama or should I say muma with him all the time and honestly the feeling is mutual I never get tired of being with him either. We spend our days reading books, singing songs, playing in the water and napping. Being a muma is so rewarding. He is still a great napper with one in the morning and another in the afternoon. His sleep schedule has changed a bit and I'm still trying to adjust to it. He gets sleepy as early as 5 or 5:30 and is definitely ready to go to bed at 6:30. He then wakes up when the sun comes up to say Da Da for a little bit then back to bed until about 7 then it's time to start the day...ready or not. That should explain the bags under my eyes for the past month. I'm going to have to train myself to become a morning person.

This month we have been on quite a journey trying to resolve his eczema, food allergies and GI issues. We found a great natural health doctor who has given us some great advice and recommendations. Her thinking behind all of his issues is that he has a toxic overload in his system and his liver is not working fast enough to release them, which explains the edema in his feet and legs. A major way that toxins are excreted are through bowel movements which he has not been having frequently. When your body is undergoing this kind of stress it can appear on your skin like his eczema has. Dr. Reed said that his eczema is actually a good thing because it is telling us that there are things going on inside that we need to resolve. I would much rather have this signal now then have it develop any farther and cause him to get any diseases. I'm sure your wondering how can a healthy baby that has only been breastfed and never even given vaccines have a toxin overload. He probably got exposed to the toxins while in utero since his issues started when he was a day old. There have been tests done on umbilical cords and placentas exposing over 200 toxins many which are highly carcinogenic! Dr. Reed reminded me that there is no way to completely avoid toxins after I mentioned my desire to move us out to the country and basically live like the Amish. I could be living in my little house in the middle of no where Bishop and I both we're our sars maks then have a farmer next door to me spray his crops with arsenic (they actually do that?!) and have it get into our soil that we grow our food in and then ingest it. You could really drive yourself crazy if you think about it too much.

Dr. Reed also gave us the go ahead on solids recommending avocado and egg yolk to help his skin. He loved them both. He has been wanting food for a couple months now so he was very excited to finally get some. He likes to take control of the spoon and feed himself too.

We also started going to a great Chiropractor, Dr. Farris, who has helped to realign his hips and spine which were very rotated possibly from the delivery. He loves hanging upside down, maybe it reminds him of when he was in the womb kicking my ribs constantly! Jeremy was not excited about the idea of it so I had to reassure him that the pressure she applies is very light. It's more like a massage. She actually assists with deliveries to help reduce injury for the mama and baby. Since we've been going to her his bowel movements are much more regular and his skin has shown a lot improvement. I was convinced to go after reading about a study that was done on 316 babies who all suffered from colic and after only 3 adjustments 94% showed significant improvement. I wish that we had done this a long time ago.

Fun in the Sun!

2009-06-01T20:53:00.001-07:00

This summer is going to be so much fun with this cute little surfer dude! For some reason we have a turtle theme going which was unintentional but he seems to like it. He loves being in the water. I know one day he'll be a great little swimmer. For now he's busy crawling and he has two bottom teeth!

a few of Nourish's products

2009-05-30T14:07:00.000-07:00

Nourish

2009-05-30T13:30:00.000-07:00

I've been on a little blogging hiatus lately because I have been so busy getting my online boutique ready and it is now up and running!!! There is still a line of baby wraps that I need to put on the website but the majority of products are on there. I'm so excited about it because I feel l like I've selected some great affordable products to sell. Everything on there I really believe in and stand behind and I love the charity that I have partnered with. A portion of all sales are going to Project Peanut Butter which feeds malnourished children in Malawi and Sierra Leone.

I have placed this store in God's hands and I pray that He is honored through it. Everything I have I give to God. I've never done that before. I would never take time to pray about things to make sure that I was following His will. I think that is the reason I have gone down so many wrong paths. I truly feel like now I am on the right path and that is a great feeling. :)

Beautiful Song...Beautiful Message

2009-05-13T10:29:00.000-07:00

Only Grace” by Matthew West

There is no guilt here

There is no shame

No pointing fingers

There is no blame

What happened yesterday…has disappeared

The dirt has washed away

And now it's clear

There's only grace

There's only love

There's only mercy and believe me it's enough

Your sins are gone

Without a trace

And there's nothing left now

There's only grace

You're starting over now

Under the sun

You're stepping forward now

A new life has begun

Your new life has begun

An’ there's only grace

There's only love

There's only mercy and believe me…it's enough

Your sins are gone

Without a trace

And there's nothing left now

There's only grace…

And if you should fall again

Get back up, get back up

Reach out and take my hand

Get back up, get back up

Get back up again

Ohh…get…back…up…again…

There's only grace…

There's only love…

There's only mercy and believe me it's enough…it’s enough

Your sins are gone

Without a trace

And there's nothing left now

There's only…there’s only…grace….

2009-05-12T19:29:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful 1st mother's day. It's a nice feeling to be involved in the celebration of that day now. It will be fun when Bishop understands it too. I'm sure he will have fun making cards for me and giving me flowers. There is nothing better then motherhood!

Today Bishop had his 6 month check up. He's actually about 6 1/2 months now. He is in the 60th percentile for height and weight. He weighs 18 1/2 lbs and is 27 inches long. Everything looked great except for his eczema. We are still having a hard time figuring out what the cause of it is and we have tried dozens of creams. I stopped dairy and soy and it still isn't better so now I am stopping wheat, corn, peanuts, eggs and fish. Hopefully this will work!

I have some exciting news...I am in the process of opening an online baby boutique called Nourish! I plan to carry cloth diapers, baby carriers, skin care and alot of other great natural baby products. I'm really excited about it and I hope that it will be a successful venture that will allow me to stay at home with Bishop as much as possible. I just hope that I'm not getting in over my head. I have never opened a business before and am completely new to all of this but I'm very driven. I have always wanted to own a business. I can't wait to see it up and running! Bishop will be my model for the website...of course. This one of him is going on the site!

2009-05-01T17:53:00.000-07:00

So we didn't have any takers in the free dog giveaway (shocking I know!) so it looks like he'll be hanging around a little longer. All joking aside Canyon is a good dog who is very sweet and gentle to Bishop and that is what matters the most.

Happy Half Birthday!

2009-04-30T07:53:00.000-07:00

Bishop is 6 months old today! Time is flying by and each stage that he enters into is more and more fun for me. He has had a busy month and has alot of new milestones to share about. He is rolling over, around and everywhere and I swear that he is trying to crawl. He can scoot himself around on his belly and is trying to push off with his strong little legs. He is sitting up by himself which is funny to see because he looks so much older when he does that. The milestone that got to me most was him cutting his first tooth. Something about feeling that little tooth in his mouth made me so emotional.

2009-04-24T07:20:00.000-07:00

Before April comes to an end I wanted to mention that it is Autism Awareness month and also Cesaeran Awareness along with Earth Day this month. It's a busy month! Sadly I was unable to join my fellow tree huggers at Centennial Park for a celebration because I was working but I try to make everyday earth day by recycling, using cloth diapers, energy efficient bulbs, buying locally when I can and bathing every other day to limit water use. Okay so I'm not doing that just to limit water use but mainly because Bishop won't always allow me to have time to shower. When you get a chance take some time to educate yourself on Autism which is a rapidly growing epidemic and watch The Business of Being Born to see why so many women are getting c-sections now. Don't watch it a week before you go in labor like I did. It made me even more nervous about my decision to get induced. Had the doctor not thought that I was carrying a ten pound baby and had I not been a week late I would have let him come naturally which I wish I had. My delivery was a wonderful experience thankfully but knowing what I know now the next one might just be born at home in my bathtub!

New Camera!!!

2009-04-19T21:05:00.000-07:00

*This last one has way too much flash but is still cute!

So I finally bit the bullet and bought a new camera! My i phone hadn't been doing too shabby of a job and they were honestly better then my other little camera but I'm capturing images that I want to last a lifetime so I thought that it was time to step it up a notch. Now I'm in the Canon Rebel club and I couldn't be happier about my newest purchase. Here are some test shots that I've taken. Keep in mind that I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing. I have a lot to learn about ISO, white balance and all that other jazz but I am a very eager student and I have an excellent subject to practice on!

Got Breastmilk?

2009-04-17T20:58:00.000-07:00

Below is a great article that my sister forwarded to me from http://www.mothering.com/ . We are both big breastfeeding promoters and know what an important decision it is to make for your child. The benefits from breastfeeding will last a lifetime for your baby and for you too. Not only is it something that you can do to ensure the health of your baby but it is a beautiful way to bond with them. I personally was breastfed until I was three and plan to continue breastfeeding Bishop until he is two or three. Don't get me wrong it was not always been such a great experience. For the first two weeks it was the worst pain I've ever experienced, yes even worse then childbirth. Everytime he would latch on I would have to hold back tears but after two weeks the pain left and I was able to enjoy bonding with my new baby. There is nothing more amazing then watching your baby thrive and grow and knowing that it is because of your milk. I hope that every new mother will educate herself on all of the benefits and make a decision to atleast give it a try for the first six weeks. This is when the baby receives colostrom which has antibodies to protect them from diseases and viruses. God thought of everything when he prepared our bodies to carry a new life. If you want more information or need help with breastfeeding contact your local La Leche League. They have experienced people who can come help you or you can attend a meeting to learn more and if you decide to not breastfeed atleast know what your giving your baby. Formula can have some nasty chemicals in it like perchlorate which is the main chemical in rocket fuel. Yummy, huh?

Nursing by Numbers: How Breastfeeding Boosts the National Economy By Olivia CampbellWeb Exclusive, April 2009
Forget about retail therapy, breastfeeding is an economic stimulator that's completely free. According to USDA research, infant formula-feeding exacts a toll on national pocketbooks.
"Breastfeeding and the provision of breastmilk exclusively for the first 6 months? promises the United States improved health of both its citizens and its economy," the US Breastfeeding Committee said in response to the USDA report.
Most people understand how nursing benefits baby's health and parent's finances, yet few people realize the extent to which breastfeeding benefits the mother's health and how this all spells savings for the entire nation.
Research shows breastfeeding decreases the incidence and/or severity of the following illnesses in childhood (and in many cases also into adulthood):- Ear infections- Bacterial meningitis- Respiratory infections and viruses- Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) - Asthma - Allergies (nasal and skin)- Urinary tract infections- Gastrointestinal infections- Diarrhea- Lymphomas, leukemia and Hodgkin's disease - Autoimmune thyroid disease - Type 1 and type 2 diabetes - Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease - Necrotizing enterocolitis- Multiple sclerosis - Obesity- Bacteremia- Celiac disease- Botulism- Pneumonia- Lung disease- High blood pressure- Anxiety/stress- Bed-wetting- Nearsightedness- Increased intellectual, developmental, and cognitive aptitudeFor the nursing mother, breastfeeding can help protect against the following diseases:- Breast cancer - Ovarian cancer- Uterine cancer - Thyroid cancer- Type 2 diabetes - Osteoporosis - Lupus- Rheumatoid arthritis- Obesity
In 2001, the USDA concluded that if breastfeeding rates were increased to 75 percent at birth and 50 percent at six months, it would lead to a national government savings of a minimum of $3.6 billion. This amount was easily an underestimation since it represents savings in the treatment of only three of the dozens of illnesses proven to be decreased by breastfeeding: ear infections, gastroenteritis, and necrotizing enterocolitis.
"Choosing to give your baby formula results in an increased risk for ear infections, for diabetes, for leukemia and so on. We as a nation need to understand that it is not that breastfeeding lowers the rate of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), but that choosing to feed an infant formula increases his risk of sudden infant death syndrome," said Stacy Kucharczk, a certified lactation consultant and pediatric nurse.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 2008 breastfeeding report card found that since 2000, breastfeeding of newborns has increased from 64 to 74 percent, and from 29 to 43 percent at six months. However, at one year, only 21 percent of babies continue to be breastfed. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends breastfeeding for at least one year. The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding for two years.
The AAP says each formula-fed infant costs the healthcare system between $331 and $475 more than a breastfed baby in its first year of life. The cost of treating respiratory viruses resulting from not breastfeeding is $225 million a year.
"Insurance companies should realize that covering a home visit by a board certified lactation consultant would result in significant healthcare savings down the road," said Kucharczk. "Savings in the short-term for decreased pediatric health care visits for common acute illnesses, such as ear infections, gastrointestinal illnesses, and upper respiratory infections to name a few. Savings in the long-term from lower rates of chronic illnesses, such as diabetes, asthma, certain types of childhood cancers, and obesity—as well as lower rates of premenopausal breast cancer and ovarian cancers in the mother."
Health benefits for the nursing mother include a reduction in risk of many cancers and other serious diseases, during and after lactation. The key to achieving the maximum benefit to the baby, mother, and the economy appears to be extended breastfeeding, which is nursing for more than just six months or one year.
"We need to help mothers understand that extended breastfeeding does matter," Kucharczk said. "I often point out to mothers that the studies demonstrating the benefits of breastfeeding often show a dose-related effect, as in some breastmilk is good, but more is better."
Lactation duration and breast cancer risk are inversely related. The longer a woman breastfeeds the less likely she is to get pre- or postmenopausal breast cancer, even with a family history of the disease.
Re-examination of data from 47 international studies found that for every year a woman breastfeeds, she reduces her risk of breast cancer by an average of 4.3 percent. The risk is reduced a further 7 percent by simply having a baby.
For example, if you had three children and nursed them each for two years, your risk for breast cancer would be reduced by 46.8 percent. In fact, one study found that women who've nursed for six years or more reduced their risk of breast cancer by as much as a 63 percent.
The multi-study report estimated that breast cancer rates could be cut by more than half if women increased their lifetime breastfeeding duration. The National Cancer Institute reported the national expenditure on breast cancer treatment in 2004 was $8.1 billion, meaning extended nursing could save upwards of $4 billion a year.
For each year of breastfeeding, a woman decreases her chances of getting type 2 diabetes by 15 percent, reported a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2005. So if we consider the woman from the aforementioned example, in her six years of breastfeeding she's earned a 90 percent reduction in her risk of developing diabetes.
The National Institute of Health estimates that between 10 and 11 million American women have type 2 diabetes. The estimated cost of their treatment and lost wages is roughly $78 billion a year. This expenditure could be cut drastically by increased extended nursing rates.
For the national Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), supporting a breastfeeding mother costs about 45 percent less than a formula-feeding mother. Every year, $578 million in federal funds buys formula for babies who could be breastfeeding.
A year of purchasing formula can cost a family between $700 and more than $3,000. Many women who go back to work soon after giving birth might think the expense of formula is worth the convenience. The extra medical issues of formula, for mother and child, make the cost more than monetary.
For employers, formula-feeding results in more health claims, more days off for sick children, and decreased productivity. It benefits employers in the long run to provide a time and place for mothers to pump breastmilk. A few minutes off the clock is more than made up for by the lifetime of health enjoyed by nursing babies and mommies.

Bishop the Bull

2009-04-17T14:45:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of Bishop the Bull! Look close he's dark and a little hard to see but was so cute. I tried to crop his mama out...she was taking care of some personal business that was a little too national geographic for this blog. Oh and one of Mammy and Pa's cow had a calf yesterday that they named Melissa. How sweet, now I'm really in the family!

2009-04-13T19:30:00.000-07:00

I've been having so much fun making blogheaders on scrapblog! The one that is on here now is special because we affectionately refer to Bishop as an owl. Right before he was born we had a screech owl that would sit on our neighbor's roof every night and make the loudest craziest noise you've ever heard. The first time I heard it I thought that a cat was dying. Then when Bishop was born he screamed so loud that he sounded just like that screech owl to us.

Louisiana

2009-04-13T09:16:00.000-07:00

*This is the finished post. My niece and nephew came over and one of them must have published it early. Little stinkers!

Last week we went to Louisiana to see Jeremy's family. We had a great time seeing everyone. Alot of them had not even seen Bishop before. They all agreed that he looks just Jeremy's dad and that he is fat, not Jeremy's dad but Bishop. We spent alot of time at Mammy and Pa's house. Bishop even had a calf named after him. The last day we were there one of their cows gave birth to a beautiful black calf and they named him Bishop. I loved being out in the country. It was so peaceful there. It makes me want to find some land, live in an old farmhouse, get some animals and plant a garden. Ahh I can picture it now.

40 days with our Savior

2009-04-12T17:06:00.000-07:00

I have reflected more on the resurrection this Easter than any other one before. In the past I've learned more about His death (I'm good on the history channel's crucifixion special for awhile) and not as much about what happened after He was risen and His resurrection is what truly is significant to me. This is what sets Him apart from anyone else. Everyone dies but only Jesus was Risen from the grave!
This year I feel like my eyes have been opened to the scripture and I drink it in like I've never read it before. Passages are revealed to me that I've never noticed. Like John 20:21-23, it says that after being resurrected Jesus appeared to the disciples and breathed on them and said "Receive the Holy Spirit" it gives me chills to think about how utterly amazing it must have been to have been breathed on by Jesus.
He continues to reveal Himself to the disciples for forty days and they watch as he ascends up to heaven in a cloud....I'm sure another amazing moment. The bible only gives us a glimpse at what happened in those forty days. I wish I could know all the details of what they experienced. John 21:25 says "Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written." Maybe when I get to heaven I could interview the disciples. Probably not though. I'm sure they have some kind of V.I.D room that I won't be allowed into.
(For those of you who didn't get my sad attempt at a joke V.I.D. stands for "very important disciples." I know I'm a dork.)

2009-04-08T08:47:00.000-07:00

Free dog to a loving home. Favorite things to do are to eat pacifiers, diapers(especially dirty ones) and toys then refresh himself with a nice cool drink from the toilet bowl. Also loves to lay on clean sheets and clothes and drool a strange black saliva on them. He has a slight gas problem and bad breath but is very lovable. Please contact me with any interest.

A day in the life of....

2009-03-30T19:47:00.000-07:00

The world's cutest 5 month old!

I poop, nurse, kiss daddy goodbye then go back to sleep with mommy. We are not morning people around here and I love to stay in bed and snuggle.

After we finally get up I'm ready to exercise my chubby little legs in the bouncer and mommy is ready for a cup of coffee.

Next I do some stretching on my playmat and grab my toys that dangle above me.

Then mommy makes me pose for some pictures so she can send them to daddy and laugh at how ridiculous I look in my enormous cloth diaper and rainbow baby legs.

Mommy puts me in my swing to watch one of my Praise Baby DVDs while she gets ready to take me on a walk. I love to learn songs about Jesus!

My aunt and cousins came over to walk to the park with us! Not much playing happened because we were too sleepy. I love spending time with my family though!

Prayer Request

2009-03-23T14:37:00.000-07:00

Please please please pray for baby Stellan. His mom, MckMama, is one of my favorite bloggers. He is in the PICU right now with SVT, he almost lost his life to this heart condition while still in his mother's womb. His heart rate was up to 300 beats per minute during the night and nothing that they are doing seems to help. Pray for his heart rate to slow down, for the doctors and nurses to have guidance in treating him and for his family to be at peace. I can't imagine what they most be going through. I feel as if I know Stellan b/c he's 2 days older then Bishop and I've watched them grow together.

2009-03-21T10:07:00.000-07:00

Here's another precious pic from Bishop's somewhat racey photoshoot. Pretty soon naked pictures won't be very appropriate.

Being still...

2009-03-20T20:52:00.000-07:00

I think that God has been sending me a message lately to be still. I can't tell you how many times I have come across the verse "Be still, and know that I am God" ~Psalm 46:10 over the past week. I love that verse and when I read it a feel such a peace come over me. I desire that more than anything but it's so hard when I have a 4 month old to take care of, dog to take out, laundry to do, dishes to be washed, bills to be payed, herbalist course to study, books to be read, blogs to write, twittering to do and of course facebooking...you get the point. My "quiet time" and stillness gets pushed to the bottom of the list. But I'm starting to understand that God doesn't just want me to stop what I'm doing and literally be still but to make my mind still as well. I also love Psalm 131:2 "I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me" I've heard it several times but never really understood it, why is a weaned child used as an example and not a nursing child? Then last night I read my new book "Satisfy My Thirsty Soul" by Linda Dillow and she explained it to me. I opened up to chapter 3 and it's titled "My Soul Finds Stillness" and under it is what else but Psalm 46:10, at that moment I thought okay God I can take a hint. Anyways, Linda had asked herself that same question and writes that when a child is weaned they no longer look to our bodies as a means to satisfy their hunger, they are content. That was the point that David was trying to get across when he wrote Psalm 131....he was satisfied and content he wasn't approaching God with requests but he was just wanting to be still in God's presence. That's a beautiful thought isn't it? I think that that is what God is wanting me to experience. I'm constantly asking Him to help heal sick babies, to protect my baby, my family, friends and me. I have a long list of prayer requests and praises that I fill my prayers with all through the day but I think that basically He wants me to just be quiet and content sometimes. It's such a simple thought but so hard to grasp.

2009-03-16T08:09:00.000-07:00

Here are some more pictures that our friend Richard took for us! Tomorrow I am fasting from the computer, television, phone and radio so I won't be posting again until later in the week...try to hold back your tears. ;) My bible study leader, Denise, asked us all to fast this Tuesday and to focus on praying for eachother throughout the day. Since I'm breastfeeding I can't fast from food so I chose electronics. I'm kind of looking forward to it. It will be a nice way to clear my head and refocus. I have so much that I need to do for my herbalist course anyways. My next project is to make bread from scratch! After I finish with the nutrition portion I'll start studying about pregnancy, birth and vaccines which you all know I can't get enough research on that topic!

Not Me Monday

2009-03-16T07:35:00.000-07:00

This one is for my mom!
My mom did not mistake my 4 month old for his 14 month old cousin and try to feed him a spoonful of lasgana! That would have been a big jump from breastmilk. No pureed carrots or peas inbetween just straight from breatmilk to lasgana!

I did not try to paint my neice's fingernails and spill bright red nailpolish on my parent's carpet and I didn't have a flash back to when I spilled black nailpolish at their house last summer. F.Y.I. windex works great for removing nailpolish from carpet.

Prayer Request

2009-03-11T21:12:00.000-07:00

There is a sweet family who needs not only our prayers but also donations. If you are able to I'm sure anything would be appreciated and if you can't then spread the word to someone who might be able to. They have an 8 month old baby who was born 3 months premature, weighing only 1 lb! Their daughter Kayleigh will hopefully be getting out of the hospital soon but they don't know if she will have a house to come home to. The parents are both realtors and the economy has hurt their business drastically not to mention all of the medical expenses they have from trying to save their baby girl's life. Read more of their amazing story here and if you can please donate to help save them from foreclosure. I have a donation button on the left-hand side-bar. More importantly please lift Kayleigh up in your prayers and ask for her health to continue to improve and that she gets a good report from an upcoming MRI and analysis for her eyes(they think she might be blind). Thank you!

4 month update

2009-03-10T18:00:00.000-07:00

Bishop had his 4 month doctor visit today minus the vaccines. ;) He was quite the little charmer and had everyone there under his spell. Everything went great and he weighed in at 16 pounds! He is in the 66th percentile for weight and 79th for heigth which was a big jump from his 2 month visit. I talked to Dr. Kalb about his eczema and he recommended that I eliminate dairy to see if it helps. The poor thing has had a hard time with it and vaseline is the only thing working so far so hopefully we will see some good results from me changing my diet. I tried eliminating dairy once before for his gas but didn't see a change from it. The only thing that helps the gas is his daily dose of probiotics. I'm excited to try an even better probiotic called returi that my sister told me about and maybe it will help even more. Reuteri is naturally found in breast milk and it helps with healthy digestion and boosts the immune system. Bishop is also starting to roll over. It's funny because my sister just asked me last night if he has started that (you can tell she has had three kids, she knows exactly when all of the milestones should happen) and then I noticed him doing it last night! He seems to want to do it more when he's sleeping which makes me nervous. Good thing he sleeps right next to me so I know if anything is wrong. Some people might think that I'm crazy but I love having him in bed to snuggle with and I'll be sad when he starts to sleep in his own bed. It works for us and he loves it too. Jeremy said that I was smiling while I was asleep the other morning, it was probably because I knew that my sweet baby was next to me.

What breaks your heart?

2009-03-09T21:48:00.000-07:00

I've been in an emotionally intense bible study on Esther with mom and Lori a.k.a. Ma and Moppa for the past several weeks and we've covered alot of great topics like the importance of having a mentor and this past week our leader, Denise Hildreth, talked to us about finding an organization to give back to. At least I think that was what she said Bishop has decided that he doesn't want to sleep through bible study anymore so I was in the back trying to keep him quiet the majority of the time. Anyways, it got me thinking about where I feel like I'm called to help. Denise said that if something breaks our heart then that is usually where God will use us most. There are so many things that break my heart like abortion, genocide, cancer, the list goes on and on but recently my heart has felt heaviest over sick babies that I have read about in the "blogworld". I feel like I am on a personal level with these families because they are sharing themselves so intimately with us in hopes that we can help them. It breaks my heart to see helpless innocent babies clinging to life and their parents dying inside not being able to save them. I think about Bishop and how grateful I am for his health and how it would kill me if anything were to happen to him. The faith of these parents amazes me. Its inspiring to see parents in their situation not blame God but glorify Him even more. The biggest way that I feel like I can help them is to pray. I pray everyday for their healing and for miracles to happen because I know that God can do that if we ask especially if we ask in numbers. If you don't believe that miracles can happen from prayer then read MckMama's story or Kelly's story. They had access to thousands of people through their blogs to pray for their miracle babies. Also check out this amazing story and picture of an angel appearing at the very same moment a miracle was happening . If you were in their situations wouldn't you like to know that you have a powerful team of prayer warriors on your side? I am always adding new buttons to the sidebar of families who need our prayers and I hope that you will take time to read their heart wrenching stories and pray for them. I am realistic and I know that not all of my prayers will be answered the way I would like them to but that won't stop me from trying. Having faith means that you don't question why some people are healed and others aren't...it is beyond our understanding.

"And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up." ~James 5:15

Not Me Monday

2009-03-09T09:33:00.000-07:00

This week I did not let the dishes pile up so high in the sink that I could barely get to the faucet to fill the dog bowl.

I also did not leave the house in a hurry to get to work and try to lock the front door with the remote to my car...which by the way I think would be a genius invention.
I did not trim Bishop's nails with my teeth because I was too lazy to get up and get the clippers. It actually worked pretty well!
And finally I have not been eagerly waiting for my organic sheets and adorable onesies to come in only to find out that I never actually submitted the order. This wouldn't be a big deal if I hadn't thrown away the gift card that I used to buy them with and the frustrating fact that they are no longer on sale. :(

2009-03-08T20:21:00.000-07:00

He melts my heart...

2009-03-06T11:05:00.000-08:00

He's cute even when he's mad!

Poopy Diapers

2009-03-02T09:32:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was the first day to use cloth diapers. I thought that I had it all planned out to avoid having to deal with poop in them on our trial day. Bishop normally poops early in the morning and then is fine the rest of the day so after his predicted morning poop I put him in his sweet grasshopper colored cloth diaper. He pooped in that one. I put him in the next cute little buttercup yellow diaper. He pooped in that one too. He was a pooping machine! I don't think he has ever pooped that much in one day. Thankfully he didn't poop in the third cloth diaper I put him which was white as snow. This is going to be more challenging then I thought so we're taking a break today. Besides the diapers just finished the second cycle in the washing machine trying to remove the poop stains. The amount of water and energy I am going to have to use will probably completely undermind any good I'm trying to do for the environment. I also seriously underestimated the number of diapers that I am going to have to buy...3 is not going to cut it! What have I gotten myself into?

4 months today!

2009-03-01T08:58:00.000-08:00

The only good thing that I think of about winter is that there are some really cute outfits to put Bishop in. He looks so much older in his little sweater and jeans and I've been dying to put him in his snowsuit. All of Bishop's cousins have worn the snowsuit and today he got his turn!

Here's some more...

2009-02-27T16:09:00.000-08:00

We can't thank our friend Richard enough for taking these incredible pictures for us. I will always cherish them!

Blog Facelift Coming Soon

2009-02-27T15:55:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited because my blog is getting a facelift soon! I think that I am combining both mama bear and bishop's mom into one super blog! I meet a sweet girl named Mandy who will redo your blog if you donate to a charity that she is supporting. Right now she is raising money for Multiple Sclerosis. She is participating in a bike race for the national MS society. I can't wait to see how it turns out! Click here if you want to check out Mandy's blog.

2009-02-24T10:04:00.001-08:00

Here is a little glimpse of Bishop's photo shoot on Sunday! There will be more to come...

Bishop's Divine Timing

2009-02-21T18:02:00.001-08:00

It's been a year since Bishop's life in this world began. It is amazing to think that after everything I've done in my life and as many times that I have turned my back on God He never gave up on me and even blessed me with the incredible gift of a healthy baby. I'm ashamed that at one time I didn't think of my baby as a gift. I've watched so many friends struggle to conceive and loose their precious babies. It makes me sick that I cried instead of rejoicing the moment I found out I was pregnant but I was blinded by self pity because it wasn't the "ideal" time in my life to get pregnant. When I was pregnant I went into a deep depression because I got pregnant during the hardest time of my life, my divorce, I was unable to recognize what a blessing my pregnancy would actually be. All I felt was shame and satan was taking advantage of it and pushing me deeper and deeper into my depression. I asked God for forgiveness and knew that I was instantly forgiven and washed clean of sin. If I had no reason to feel shame in front of Him then I certainly shouldn't feel it in front of anyone else. I remember crying to my Dad because I was starting to show and realized that soon people would know about my pregnancy. I will never forget him telling me to hold my head up high that I had nothing to be ashamed of. Satan would have me keep a scarlet letter on for the rest of my life but God would never had wanted me to put it on to begin with. It wasn't until I was several months pregnant and stumbled across a chapter in Rick Warren's book A Purpose Driven Life that I slowly started to come out of my depression. As I read "I am your Creator you were in My care even before you were born" something clicked in me. God knew what would be best for me and it was no surprise to Him that Bishop would be born and that because of Bishop my faith would be strengthen and my life forever changed. God knew all along that I would have this baby He knew the circumstances that it would be under and my baby had been with Him this whole time waiting for that exact moment to happen before entering into my world. I joke with Jeremy about this image that I have in my head about when Bishop came into this world. In my mind he is in a airplane next to Jesus and lots of other babies. Jesus is calling each one by name and telling them its time and they all walk over and jump out of the plane and finally Jesus calls out "Bishop Alan Vines You're Up" and Bishop with his little parachute on his back, helmet and googles on obiedentilly gets up and walks over (yes he can walk in this image) and jumps out of the plane and lands directly in my womb. I know it's silly but it plays in my mind just like a little movie. I love knowing that Bishop was in God's care before I was pregnant with him. There is no question in my mind that life not only starts at conception but even before pregnancy. Life starts before we can scientifically show that it does. It starts when God decides it to and He sends that life to earth when He thinks it should begin here. We have the scripture to prove it! Next time something happens in my life that I don't understand I won't doubt God's plan, I will instead glorify Him through the struggle of it.

"To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul; in You I trust, O my God. Do not let me be put to shame, nor let enemies triumph over me, no one whose hope is in You will ever be put to shame." ~Psalm 25:1-2

Cloth Diapering Adventure Begins!

2009-02-21T15:33:00.000-08:00

I have decided to change brands of disposable diapers that I've been using and try some cloth ones as well. After reading that most disposables contain dioxin and TBT which is a hormone pollutant we are switching to Seventh Generation disposables and after hours of research I just ordered some cloth diapers! There are so many to choose from it can be a little overwhelming. I finally decided to try the BumGenius 3.0 one size diapers. They got great reviews and your baby can grow with them without having to get new ones at every stage. They fit babies 8-35 pounds. Cloth diapers have come a long way and I'm hoping that I will be pleasantly surprised at how easy they are to use. I found a great website, Jillian's Drawers, which allows you to try several different kinds of cloth diapers, including BumGenius, for 21 days for only $10. I considered doing that but after reading all the great reviews on BumGenius I thought I couldn't go wrong with them. I will keep you updated on how they work out. Wish me luck!

Not Me Monday

2009-02-16T19:56:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

While in a hurry to get to a friend's house I definitely did not throw Jeremy's underwear into my diaper bag along with a change of clothes for Bishop and I surely didn't pull them out in front of everyone when it came time to change him. Jeremy should at least be happy that they were a good pair.

2009-02-16T13:32:00.000-08:00

Here's a cute picture of my little monkey man to start the week off right!

Hold the VOCs please.

2009-02-16T09:03:00.000-08:00

We just finished painting our master bedroom and it looks great and even better is the fact that we did it all without using any toxic paint. Not only can paints containing VOCs cause respiratory, skin and digestive problems they can also increase harmful ozone levels. Bishop spends a lot of time in there so we wanted to make sure to use the safest paint possible. We also painted his nursery using Mythic Paint which is a zero VOC and non toxic paint. I had my heart set on using the color silver sage from Restoration Hardware for our bedroom but after seeing the big warning label on the can that said "WARNING: This product contains chemicals known to the state of California to cause cancer and birth defects, or other reproductive harm" I decided to instead get the color matched using Mythic Paint and F.Y.I. Restoration Hardware is Benjamin Moore paint. I took the paint chip to All Seasons which an adorable little gardening, beer brewing and wine making store and their paint expert Ashley matched it perfectly. She also explained that not only are other paints harmful while painting but also after they are dry. Cancer causing chemicals can be released into the air for up to six years after painting! Once in the air they get into the ventilation system and end up in our carpet and furniture. Other paint companies are starting to catch on to trend of using low or zero VOCs in their paint but they may also contain lead, mercury, formaldehyde, formaldehyde precursors and crystalline silica which are known cancer causing chemicals. I looked at Home Depots' Fresh Aire no VOC paint and it still contains chemicals and you can't have it matched because you add a powder packet into the paint base to get the color. I've heard that it can look grainy on walls too. Thankfully Mythic Paint has come to rescue and eased the minds of many healthwise home decorating mamas.

Yoga Baby

2009-02-12T08:57:00.000-08:00

This is Bishop's favorite position to be in lately. It looks like he is doing yoga.
He's a very zen baby.

Guacamole

2009-02-10T17:48:00.000-08:00

Here is a great way to make homemade guacamole. It doesn't have mayonnaise in it like most and it calls for orange juice instead of lemon juice which makes it extra yummy. Avocados are a good source of protein and healthy omega fat too. This recipe makes a generous portion for two people.

-one avocado
-1/2 orange
-cilantro
-purple onions
-small tomato
-poblano peppers(optional)
-dash salt

Cut open avocado and scoop it out into a bowl, add chopped tomato, about 2 Tblsp chopped onions, 2 Tblsp chopped cilantro and salt. Squeeze half an orange over the ingredients and mix together.

Mr. Independent

2009-02-10T17:04:00.000-08:00

Look at me...I'm such a big boy!

Are there free refills on this?

Bishop has learned how to grab, swat and hold things in the last couple of weeks.

the organic transition

2009-02-10T08:50:00.000-08:00

I have been studying nutrition and what the benefits are from certain foods in my herbalist program. Did you know that asparagus can help with fertility? I am learning so much already! I am so much more aware of what I eat now and I want to have the best quality. So this week I am starting to transition into buying organic foods to have at home. Last night I made tacos with black beans and guacamole. Every single thing we put in our mouths was organic from the cilantro to the blue corn taco shells. It was so yummy and fresh tasting. I can't wait to have the left overs tonight. It honestly wasn't much more expensive to use organic products. I saved money by shredding cheese I had bought for sandwiches instead of buying the already shredded cheese and I bought the Whole Foods organic name brand,365, items if they were available. I spent about $20 and it made 4 servings. Another good idea is to buy sale items in bulk. It will save you money in the long run.
If you are wanting to make this transition as well but can't afford to buy everything organic refer to the "dirty dozen" when you're shopping which lists the fruits and vegetables that have been the most exposed to pesticides. This list includes peaches, apples, sweet bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, lettuces, grapes, pears, spinach and potatoes. One of the biggest concerns with pesticides is that it can cause long-term damage to the brain and nervous system in children. Some more food for thought is that conventionally grown produce is grown in sewage sludge. Yummy, huh?

Not Me Monday

2009-02-09T14:51:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

This week when someone asked me how much Bishop weighs I did not say last time I took him to the Vet?!?! he weighed 13 pounds.

That's all I have this time...as if anything else could top that one!

Vinegar

2009-02-08T09:08:00.000-08:00

Vinegar has a history of being used for a variety of reasons for the last 10,000 years! Caesar and Cleopatra were documented users of it. It is also mentioned in the Bible several times. The main way that I use vinegar is as an all purpose disinfecting cleaner. Vinegar's low ph makes it an excellent way to kill 80% of germs and viruses and it has no harmful chemicals! Keep equal parts vinegar and water in a spray bottle to use on countertops, windows, toys, tubs and whatever else you need it for. To kill tougher germs on cutting boards or mold in showers use straight vinegar. It is also a good idea to marinate meat in it before cooking to kill bacteria. The ways you can use vinegar goes on and on so I'll only share a portion of them. Pour a cup of vinegar in your washing machine with a load of laundry to prevent lint from clinging to your clothes. Use as a stain remover on clothes and carpet. Put a cup full in your dish washer monthly to prevent soap stains on your dishes. Use equal parts vinegar and olive oil to remove rings from glasses on furniture. Spray full strength on unwanted weeds and grass. Spray on ants to deter them. Coat car windows with 3 parts vinegar and 1 part water to prevent frost from sticking to them. Relieves sunburns, mosquito bites and bee stings. Add 2 Tblsp vinegar and 3 Tblsp sugar to fresh cut flowers to prolong life. Rinse hair with vinegar to fight dandruff. Relieve coughs by mixing 1 half cup apple cider vinegar, 1 half cup water, 1 tsp cayenne pepper and 4 tsp honey and take a tablespoon full with cough acts up. Get creative and I'm sure you can find many other great uses for vinegar.

Bath Time!

2009-02-07T11:44:00.000-08:00

Bishop loves taking baths as you can see from the video on the sidebar. He has been good about this since day one. I think he has only gotten upset once or twice during one. The main problem we have is that within 30 seconds of his cute little bottom hitting the water he pees. Being the smart mommy that I am ;) we now have a designated pee cup which is used to catch the pee. After all that is taken care of he is free to play and watch in amazement as we blow bubbles over him.

New Blogsite!

2009-02-03T12:57:00.000-08:00

I just created another blogsite to blog on in addition to this one...I know I have a serious blog addiction that might require an intervention at some point but until then I'm going to blog my heart out on both sites! This site is going to mainly be about Bishop, all of his milestones, our family and friends and my other site, Mama Bear, will have advice on living a natural and healthy life. Check it out and read about my newest adventure in becoming a certified Family Herbalist! Click on Mama Bear to be taken directly to the new site.

more ranting about vaccines...

2009-02-02T17:49:00.000-08:00

The mama bear in me has been awoken and I am fired up! If you are tired of hearing me argue against vaccines then you might want to stop reading now. For those of you who are still with me I found out today that my sweet little Bishop has been DENIED health insurance from a new policy I applied for. I'm currently paying a whapping $435 a month for us so I was really hoping to get on a new policy. The reason he didn't get approved was because I am delaying his vaccines and refusing to ever give him some. I spoke with the underwriter and she said that he has to have the "recommended" vaccines and that if I were to delay any I need to get a letter from his doctor stating when he will be caught up and they would look at it again. I tried to explain that I don't feel comfortable giving my infant vaccines because of his possible genetic predisposition to Autism and that even schools allow you to take a religious exemption from them but there was nothing I could do to change their minds unless I agreed to get him vaccinated the way they think I should...which is NOT going to happen. I'm so frustrated that people who are speaking out and saying this doesn't seem right and I'm not going to go along with this are getting penalized. I'm not crazy and I hate being made to feel like I am just because I want to protect my child. Mothers know their children best and they are noticing changes in their children after getting them vaccinated. I just read a story about a little girl in the middle of a huge court case who was a healthy baby walking and talking and then at 15 months received the MMR along with other vaccines and immediately after had an extremely high fever with vomiting, diarrhea and seizures. She's now extremely high on the autism spectrum (along a list of other diagnoses), can't talk and still wears diapers because she has lost control of her body. Studies haven't even been done on giving children multiple vaccines at once...they've just been done on each individual one and by the drug company that sells it. I find it interesting that a doctor who sits on the board at Merck was quoted saying the link between vaccines and autism is a sad coincidence. Considering his position even if he did know the risk of vaccines it's unlikely he would admit it. In 1980 children were recommended to receive 10 vaccines, today they are recommended to receive 36. I don't understand the reasoning for this...it's not like we have had an outbreak of polio or any other diseases that we are vaccinating against. It makes me think that someone is majorly profiting from this increase and that is the reason for it. How can you say it's a coincidence when there are studies showing vaccinated boys have a 155% greater chance of developing a neurological disorder such as ADHD or Autism then unvaccinated boys. But what do we expect when we inject 7 vaccines into a 13 lb 2 month old baby...that is equivalent to giving a 130 lb adult 70 doses!!! It makes me so mad that drug companies and our government aren't being proactive in changing this and it's sad that people are suffering because we thought we could trust them. I know that they are aware of the risks of vaccines. Why else would they set aside 2.7 billion dollars to pay damages to those who have suffered as a result of vaccines? They know the risks they are just choosing to look the other way. Besides think about how much money they would stand to loose! Just watch Constant Gardner it shows just how low drug companies will go to make money. Okay, I've said my peace and this mama bear is going back into hibernation...for now.

2009-01-30T17:39:00.000-08:00

Guess who turned 3 months old today?!?! It's my little angel muffin!

And God Changed His Mind

2009-01-30T08:44:00.000-08:00

I just finished one of the best inspirational books that I've read in a long time. It is called "And God Changed His Mind" by my favorite Christian author Brother Andrew. He also wrote "God's Smuggler" which is my all time favorite book. This incredible man has devoted his life to reaching oppressed Christians throughout the world by smuggling bibles into communist countries. It is hard to imagine living somewhere where you could be imprisoned or killed if you are caught with a bible. We have at least 3 in the house right now! He tells stories of Christians who pass a couple pages of the bible around to each other because that is all they have. Imagine having to meet in secrecy to have a church service and then your pastor only has a page or two of a bible to teach from. Thank God for our freedom of religion!
God Smuggler tells more about his journey becoming a missionary and amazing stories of the situations and people he encounters. And God Changed His Mind gives us insight into the power of prayer that allowed him to reach those people and change lives. Prayer is something that I have been confused about for awhile. I felt like it was vital for me to learn how to pray effectively in order to grow as a Christian. I have always wanted that close personal relationship with Jesus to where I feel like he is guiding me and speaking to me through the Holy Spirit but I have never really worked to get that or really known how. So I set off on a quest and it led me to this book that it has completely changed the way I pray. A couple of weeks ago I was praying for God to guide me and show me how He wants me to pray and I heard Him answer "Then get on your knees" and I did and as I prayed the tears rolled down my face and I felt a huge wall come tumbling down. That day I was praying for a sweet newborn baby who was clinging to life. Today she is off oxygen and able to nurse from her mother! Before when I would tell someone you are in my prayers it was more like a polite thing to say to them because I thought well God knows what is going to happen and He doesn't intervene so what is the point of asking him to? I still would pray but I didn't believe it would help. Now if I say that I'm going to pray know that I am on my knees pleading for God to intervene and help because I know that He can and that He does all the time. But if He doesn't I will accept that it is for reasons that I as a human am unable to understand. The old way of praying is precisely the way that satan would want us all to. There is constant spiritual warfare going on in this world and he knows what an impact prayer can have on it so he works in ways that we don't even see to keep us from praying effectively. For example I know that satan was responsible for making me feel guilty for asking God to help and because of it there has always been a distance in my relationship with God. I felt unworthy to ask the creator of the universe to change His mind. But God wants us to. He wants us to have a personal relationship with Him and to have faith in Him. Now if you pray for a million dollars the chances of Him answering that are pretty slim but if you ask Him for something that would be according to His will like healing a child with cancer or saving a nation from an oppressive leader I believe He will listen and answer. Even if the answer to that prayer is not what I would like I have faith that He heard it and answered it in His on way. I wanted to share because I'm so excited by this revelation and if anyone else has struggled with this I strongly encourage you to read this book...I'll even let you borrow it if you ask.

"You may ask for anything in My name and I will do it." John 14:14

2009-01-28T20:19:00.000-08:00

I caught him scratching again. He looks guilty doesn't he?

Not Me Monday

2009-01-26T15:32:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

This weekend.....

I did not show up to church over a half hour late with a baby that I had let sleep way too long so all he wanted to do was laugh and talk during the very quiet service and I did not almost knock a lady over with his carseat trying to get to my illegally parked car.

I did not have a bag of movie theater popcorn for lunch and rotel dip followed by cherry pie and ice cream for dinner on Saturday and I certainly did not have rotel dip for dinner the night before also.

I did not yell "why can't you hear me...what's wrong with your phone?" when I was checking a message from my mom and I thought I had actually called her instead.

I did not just spend my afternoon at JoAnne's getting supplies for another business venture that will probably never come to fruition and I did not go to Wild Oats next and spend way too much money on groceries and then drive to my mom's house to steal her viking bread from Meridee's out of her freezer as if that would balance out spending $7 on organic spinach.

And I am not occupying my time blogging when I should be taking advantage of having a sleeping baby by folding the 4 loads of clean laundry that are sitting on my bedroom floor, paying bills and then starting dinner.

2009-01-24T13:51:00.000-08:00

Jeremy and I are slowly getting our new house decorated how we like it. I gave him free reign of "the man cave" and so he has pretty much let me do the rest of the house. We did this wall the other night. I had been waiting for the crosses to go on sale at Hobby Lobby and they finally did! It was inspired by Kathleen's wall of crosses. I love the way it turned out.

2009-01-23T09:19:00.000-08:00

Check out those chubby hands!

I forgot to share about Bishop's new head scratching skills...sometimes he just drums his fingers on his head but mainly he scratches. I think he's taking his cradle cap issues into his own hands...literally.

12 Weeks Old

2009-01-22T18:18:00.000-08:00

Bishop is 12 weeks old today! He is such a sweet baby. His gas is getting better thanks to some probiotics so he's much happier now. He still sleeps a lot through the day and when he's awake he loves to sit in his bouncy seat and watch Baby Mozart. He still doesn't like his swing, play mat or crib but at least he likes his bouncy seat and co-sleeper. He is very vocal and tries to mimic us and smiles at everyone. His little legs are getting chubbier and his belly is bigger. I'm in the process of packing away his newborn clothes and bringing out the 3-6 months hand me downs from his cousin Ben which is fun. It's like going on a free shopping spree. Everything about being a mommy is fun...I love every minute of it.

2009-01-20T12:09:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of me and mom that I just found.

I couldn't have asked for a better mom. I'm so lucky.

Ma's Chicken Pot Pie and Ginger Cookies

2009-01-20T10:47:00.000-08:00

I thought I would share some of my favorite recipes from my mom. I've seen where other people post recipes on their blogs and I thought it was a really good idea only I forgot to take a picture of the pot pie to show and now it's half way gone but I promise it is so yummy and easy to make. The ginger cookies are addictive. Jeremy ate atleast 6 the other night and he doesn't even have a sweet tooth like me.

CHICKEN POT PIE
2- cans mixed vegetables, drained
1- can cream of potato soup
1- can cream of celery soup
2- chicken breast cooked and shredded
1 1/2- Tbsp of tastefully simple's onion onion
(if you don't have this pick some other kind of seasoning like season salt and dried onion flakes, you decide and experiment)
2- 9" pie shells

-Mix first five ingredients together on the stovetop and just enough to warm them, add a little milk so they don't burn
-pour into a pie shell and then place the other pie shell on top, poke holes on the top
-bake at 425 for 15 mins or until golden brown

GINGER COOKIES
1/2 cup canola oil
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup light molases
1 egg beaten
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ginger

-Mix oil and sugar together.
-Add molasses and egg, beat well.
-Add sifted dry ingredients and mix well.
-Roll dough into small balls and roll in sugar.
-Place 2" apart on greased cookie sheet.
-Bake at 375 for 6-8 mins.

Vaccine Woes

2009-01-13T10:41:00.000-08:00

I am really struggling in weighing the pros and cons of vaccines. Bishop had his two month check up this morning and we chose not to start the recommended vaccines. I just can't imagine letting them inject his little 13 pound body with 6 different vaccines that contain live viruses. We already said no to the Hepatitis B shot when he was born even though the doctor treated me like an idiot for not doing it. If I was worried about my infant shooting up or becoming a prostitute I might have considered it otherwise it seemed unnecessary to me. There are others that I have ruled out also like Polio. There hasn't been any cases in the United States since 1979 (actually there was one case in 1985 that was caused from the vaccine but no other natural occuring cases) and the vaccine is derived from aborted fetuses! Chicken Pox, Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR), Hepatitis A and Rabies all come from aborted fetuses as well. I have also read that flu shots come aborted fetuses but I haven't looked into it to confirm it. I was shocked when I read that! Being someone who is Pro-Life it would have been nice to have been given that bit of information upfront instead of stumbling across it through my own research. I asked my doctor about this and he said "Yeah I've heard that too but I'm not sure which ones." There are alternative forms of the vaccines that are derived from monkey kidney cells and chicken embryos but you have to ask for them.
Another huge concern of mine is the risk of Autism. Autism has now reached epidemic proportions with 1 in 150 children diagnosed, boys are 4 times as likely. More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than with AIDS, diabetes & cancer combined! This is an issue that hits very close to home for us because Bishop's 8 year old uncle, Alden, is Autistic. Alden is an incredible little boy who's IQ far surpasses mine. I've never met an 8 year old who names composers and compisitons as his favorites that very few adults have heard of and reads books like The Inconvient Truth. I was completely stumped when I tried to play "name that composer " with him. Even though he is a child prodigy we don't know how he will socially function in society as an adult. It's sad because his disease possibly could have been avoided if we knew half of what we know now when he was a baby . We will never know for sure what caused his autism but with all the research being done on autism's link to vaccines that is the most logical cause. For example the measles component of the MMR vaccine has been shown to be in the brain, spinal fluid and intestines of children with autism and not in children without autistism. That is more than just a coincidence to me and I don't believe it is worth the risk. The more research I do the more uncomfortable I become. What if Bishop has a prediposition for autism and I allow something to be given to him to trigger it? This was why I was up until two o'clock last night stressed out. I guess ignorance really is bliss. I'm not saying that vaccines should never be given and I understand that they are recommended to protect us from having outbreaks of diseases and viruses but I just want more research to be done to make them safer and until then I'm staying on the fence.

2 Great Inventions

2009-01-12T19:22:00.000-08:00

So I just had to share with all you moms and moms to be a couple of things that are making my life a whole lot easier these days. These have me raking my brain for some other genius creations to invent and strike it rich with. I already have some things cooking!

The first is a baby carrier from BabyHawk. This was introduced to me by my sister who is an amazing example of what a loving mom should be. It is better than the Baby Bjorn because it equally distributes the weight so it's alot easier on your back and shoulders. You can also customize the color and design. Kathleen and I get stopped all the time and asked about them because they are so cute. And most important Bishop loves it because he is close to me. Check them out at http://www.babyhawk.com/.

The second is the miracle blanket. I read about this on MckMama's blogsite http://www.mycharmingkids.net/ this woman is full of information on parenting in the most natural granola tree hugging way possible. Bishop has slept in his co-sleeper the last three nights because of it which is amazing! I kind of feel like I'm putting him in a straight jacket but he does not fight it at all and goes right to sleep. I wish I had known about it from the beginning because when he was first born and I would try to swaddle him his hands would always pop out no matter what I did. The miracle blanket has two pieces of fabric that kind of look like wings that go over his arms and then under his back to secure it and then you swaddle them. Check it out at http://www.miracleblanket.com/ .

Back to work.

2009-01-09T11:16:00.000-08:00

Ready to go to Ma's house!

This was when the water works started.

This week was my first week back to work after three months of maternity leave and I think I handled being away from Bishop pretty well. I did however wake up Wednesday morning and look over at him and start crying remembering that today was the day that I would have to leave him for 6 whole hours! I cried a little on my way to work too. I purposely wore little mascara expecting that to happen. He did great while I was gone and my mom even thanked me for letting her watch him but she is the one that needs to be thanked. It was so comforting knowing that he was in her care and safe. When I went to pick him up he wouldn't look at me...like he was punishing me for being gone. He kept turning his head in the other direction and both nights after we got home he continued to sleep in his carseat until midnight, which is unheard of for him. If we are in public he can sleep for hours in it but the minute we get home he wants out. I actually had to wake him up and bring him to bed. I think he was in a bit of a milk coma since mom gave him 10 ounces while I was gone. I told him it's okay everyone overeats when they go to Ma and Pa's. ;) It was nice seeing everyone at work and my clients. I missed all of them and I really do love my job but I love him much more so I hope that I will be able to stay part-time. Besides I'm happier to be at work when I'm not there 40 plus hours a week. I'm much more productive and positive. I think the french are onto something with their minimal work hours and long vacations. Americans need to adapt that lifestyle. I'm sure that our life expectancy would increase drastically. I got the chance to go to Paris with my dad several years ago and I was amazed how they would just close up shop and take two hour lunch breaks in the park. Could you imagine doing that here? Most people are lucky if they even get to take a 30 minute break. So I'm going to continue with my 10 hour work week and pray that it will be enough and that I won't have to miss a minute more than I have to with Bishop.

Fondue Night

2009-01-04T11:03:00.000-08:00

CeeCee, Paige with Bishop, me and Julia

Julia and Matt and the pretzel rigged fondue pot.

Matt and Sophia holding Baby Bishop.

Sophia breaking in Bishop's rocking horse.

Last night we hosted a fondue party with my lovely girlfriends there and their hubbies. This was the first time all of us (except for Dallas) have been together since September and also the first time we hosted a party at our new house. We had so much fun! Catch phrase got a little out of control but overall the party was a success. Even Bishop and little Sophia were there to party with us. I have the greatest friends in the world. Some of these girls, my ya-ya's, have been my friends since sixth grade and I'm so thankful that we have remained close after all these years.

First pictures of the new year.

2009-01-01T19:13:00.000-08:00

Welcome 2009!

2009-01-01T11:56:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a Happy New Year! Ours was very low key but just how I wanted it to be. We stayed in and played games and barely stayed awake until midnight. Having a newborn can really shift your priorities. I'm so excited for this new year to start. It's nice to close the chapter on 2008 and start fresh! I am setting three goals for 2009 which I think are realistic for me to achieve.
The first and most important one is to continue to grow and mature in my faith. I want to be a good example for Bishop and to raise him in a loving Christian home. I am so thankful to my parents for raising my sister and I that way. I don't know if my faith would be as strong as it is today if it hadn't been instilled in me from the beginning. Here is a "deleted scene" from a sermon at the church we've been going to called Journey Ecclesia:

Some of you need to let go of resentment, and treasure again.You need to go back to the sweet moments. The good things.You need to cleanse your soul.For some of you, it is not a matter of forgiveness but a matter of simply being reminded of what you have. For once, would you put the dishes down, and leave them dirty and come and sit on the couch.For once would you shut your phone off and give more than 15 minutes to each conversation.Would you close your laptop, and star into the eyes of the real people surrounding you not the pictures of the ones on your Facebook.I am not saying those things are wrong, I am just saying how often are you fully present?How much time to take to ponder and treasure that which is good.I honestly believe this is one of the secrets of life.Without it, you will spend most of your minutes in the day, off center...Being fully present keeps you more acutely aware of the kingdom that is around you...The radar of the soul remains sharp and is not dulled by the restless, driven pursuit of doing.

I think this is a great reminder to all of us. Sometimes we just need to slow down and treasure each moment. Blogging has helped me do this. I never thought I would be someone who would enjoy this because I've always been pretty private about my personal life but it has allowed me to reflect and journal all that I'm thankful for.
The second goal for 2009 is to get on a budget. I'm not too excited about this goal because I've never really had to do it before so it's kind of scarey to me. I started my career when I was 20 and it has been a great and successful career for me. But now Bishop is my top priority and I want to be with him as much as I can. I want to work to live not live to work. I don't think anyone has ever loooked back over their life and said I wish I had worked more. I'm sure that it's been more like I wish I had spent more time with the people I loved. So I'm going to have to get creative and be very disciplined in order to do this. It will be a nice challenge for me.
And last but not least is to loose the baby weight and then some! I wish that I had been in better shape before I got pregnant so I could have exercised through the pregnancy. Even though the majority of what I gained was water weight and it's already come off I still have a ways to go. It's amazing what one little 7 pound 12 ounce baby can do to your body! I'm still wondering if my feet will shrink back to normal size. But, I am going to make this goal more about a lifestyle change and not just about the weight. I need to create habits that I love like cooking healthy, yoga and exercising outside. For me following a specific diet plan and being in the gym will just set me up for failure. Wish me luck!

2 months old

2008-12-28T15:00:00.000-08:00

playing dress up with his bear outfit

canine brother Canyon

cousin Ben

Aunt Anne Marie (Ame) and Uncle Alden

cousins Sydney and Avery

Bishop is 8 weeks and 5 days old today! His personality is showing more and more everyday and he is so strong. Ever since he was born he could hold his head up and move it from side to side to everyone's amazement. I'm certain that he will be crawling and walking well before he is expected to. I was walking by 8 months so he just might follow in my footsteps. He has so much determination already. I joked with mom when I was pregnant that I wanted to have him in time to be a libra because libras are suppose to be laid back and calm but he had plans of his own and ended up being a scorpio which are said to be high maintenance and strong willed. So when he gets mad I say that its the scorpio in him coming out. It really doesn't matter to me I will love him no matter how he behaves. He is great when we go out in public. He is a regular at Starbucks and has been to the movies and church several times and always acts like an angel. We have discovered the bouncy seat and he likes it so much better than the swing so I can actually take showers when I want to now and I don't have to wait for Jeremy to get home to hold him. The Baby Einstein videos are starting to capture his attention also. But he still mainly just wants to be held and he loves being in the baby bjorn too. Mom just ordered me a carrier similar to it but better from babyhawk and I can't wait until it gets in. It's a little more stylish and comfortable. I never could get the hang of the slings even though Kathleen swears by them. He would just sink into it and I would worry that I was going to smother him. I think he prefers to be able to move his arms and legs too. He is really filling out and starting to get a little belly. He now weighs 13 pounds! We got a video camera for Christmas from my parents (thanks mom and dad) so we can capture everything now...not that we haven't been already with our cameras. Jeremy makes me send pictures to him during the day so he doesn't feel like he's missing out. I'm starting back work next month and even though I'm looking forward to it I am going to miss Bishop so much. It's only 2 days a week and an occasional 3rd day so its not as bad as it could be and I'm going to feel better knowing that our parents will be watching him and not a stranger. We are so lucky to have such a wonderful family who loves Bishop so much. It's so cute to see Jeremy's little brother and sister, who are only 8, and my nieces and nephew with him. He loves his Aunt Ame who can put him right to sleep and Avery, his 3 year old cousin, tries to nurse him. She'll pull down her shirt and rest her chest on his head. It's hilarious! I'm sure that she'll love that story when she gets older and Bishop and Ben who just turned a year old will be, as Leslie Kathleen's father-in-law said, "thick as thieves" when they get a little older. It will be so much fun seeing them all grow up together.

2008-12-27T19:50:00.000-08:00

First Christmas!

2008-12-27T17:38:00.000-08:00

We just celebrated our first Christmas with Bishop! He slept through most of it with no idea what he was missing. We didn't do santa this year because there was an hour and a half wait and I figured he could care less since he is only eight weeks old. His Pa was a good stand in though with his santa hat. Next year I'll be more prepared and get him to the mall early. He looked adorable with his little romper that has a reindeer on the butt and we got him his first Bible that has thick pages so we don't have to worry about him tearing them out.

Jeremy and I splurged on each other this Christmas because we figured that after this year we are going to be more focused on making it fun for Bishop. So I got him a mountain bike that he's already been riding all around the neighborhood like a little kid and he got me a necklace and ring, but not that kind of ring. ;) They are both so precious to me. The necklace has Bishop's name on it and the ring has a beautiful handwritten quote by Rumi going around it that says; A mountain keeps an echo deep inside itself. That's how I hold your voice. Needless to say I got teary eyed when he gave it to me. He is also getting me a cleaning service to start coming to the house which is priceless. But the best present of all was Bishop! Having him here to share Christmas with makes my favorite holiday a hundred times better. It will be so much fun to see the excitment on his face when he is older and understands it and I hope that I can do as good of a job as my parents did in teaching him the real meaning of Christmas...the birth of Jesus!

Six Weeks Pictures

2008-12-11T18:10:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures taken today on Bishop's six week birthday by his Aunt Kathleen. She did such a beautiful job and was so patient with him.

5 weeks pics

2008-12-06T18:19:00.000-08:00

Bishop had his one month appointment this week and he weighs 10 lbs and is 22 inches! I wonder if he'll be a chubby baby like his daddy was. :) He started smiling this week too!

Forgiveness

2008-12-05T14:53:00.000-08:00

Now that I'm home from work on maternity leave I've been trying to get into some healthy and productive routines so I don't just stay in my pajamas watching TV all day. One thing that I've started doing is listening to sermons that I've downloaded onto my phone. So every day I set aside time to rock with Bishop and read, listen to music or one of the sermons. I love this time with him and now I look forward to it every day. The other night I listened to a sermon about resentment that really spoke to me. I am guilty of being resentful and I struggle with letting things go and forgiving people and I probably worry too much about people that haven't forgiven me too. But I know that once you do there is a peace that comes over you and a weight is suddenly lifted. After all who are we to judge we are all human and make mistakes but when you hold onto resentment it's as if you are saying that you are better than that person. It becomes a control issue. It can make you feel good about yourself and powerful to hold things over people and not allow them to experience your forgiveness. A sad part of it is that usually the people you are resentful towards you once loved. In the end it's actually you that suffers and becomes bitter. It's not healthy to hold onto so I'm letting go of any resentment I carry and I pray that God gives me strength to forgive those who have hurt me and that I am in return forgiven by those I have hurt. Life is too short and I don't want to waste it being bitter.

One month old today!

2008-11-29T13:54:00.000-08:00

My sweet baby boy is a month old today! I can't believe how quickly it has flown by and how much he has grown. I feel like it was just yesterday that we brought him home. He is so much more alert to his surroundings now and doesn't sleep constantly like he used to. He is still a little on the fussy side or as I like to say he just has alot of personality but he is a sweet baby who loves to be held and cuddled. In fact the most challenging part this month is that he ALWAYS wants to be held even during the night so it can be hard to get things done. I know I should enjoy it now because there will be a day where I wish he would let me hold him more. This past month has been better then I could have ever imagined and he has added so much happiness to our lives. We feel so fortunate to have him.

I'll pass on the turkey this year.

2008-11-23T20:08:00.000-08:00

I went nine whole months without eating turkey so I wouldn't give Bishop any bacteria from it and I craved it the entire pregnancy so as soon I had him I ordered a turkey sandwich at the hospital and I have had one every day since not to mention all the ground turkey I eat to substitute for ground beef. I was so happy to be able to have it again until I turned on the TV and saw that horrible interview with Sarah Paline at a turkey farm with a turkey being decapitated in the background. I can't get that image out of my head and it has ruined my love for turkey! What was she thinking doing an interview there? After all the controversy of her hunting moose this was the last thing she needed for her public image and why couldn't that farmer have politely waited until her interview was over to butcher that poor turkey? So it looks like I'm back to being a vegetarin until I can get over this. Bummer!

Bishop's Birthday!

2008-11-22T20:23:00.000-08:00

Motherhood

2008-11-22T14:38:00.000-08:00

It's been a little over three weeks since Bishop entered the world and I already can't imagine life without him. People told me how life changing being a parent is but it's something you can't understand until you hold your child for the first time. I have never loved someone so much in my life. I am so grateful to be his mom even when he wakes me up screaming at two o'clock in the morning. Every pound I packed on (all 65 of them) and stretch mark I got was worth it. I feel as if my life is complete with him in it like he is what I've been missing. It can sometimes be hard to understand why things happen in your life and why you choose the paths that you do but becoming a mom has helped me to see that everything happens for a reason and there is always a greater plan for you.