tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211815342024-03-13T22:59:50.205-04:00I will be a healer, and love all things that growAs the Lady Éowyn learned to abandon pride and instead follow her love, Faramir, she became used to build and nurture instead of destroy. Here I devote myself to all that grows us in strength, joy, clear thinking and godliness.Eowyn's Heirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14717363754137835260noreply@blogger.comBlogger886125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21181534.post-19028158641647643532021-09-29T00:16:00.004-04:002021-09-29T11:54:33.753-04:00Open Letter to Church Leaders Regarding "The Rona Jab"<p><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;">I wrote this letter to a local church in my area, after they sent out an email which contained a blanket encouragement to "consider being vaccinated." I post it here in case it is useful to anyone else.</span></p><p><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;">-------------------------------------</span></p><p><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;">Dear Sirs-</span></p><div class="gmail_attr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div class="gmail_attr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">You do not know me, nor I you, however I have grown up in the area and have long respected your church and appreciated its ministry. I am a fellow Believer who has spent many hours reading studies & medical topics over the last 20 years, as a mother, a birth worker, a student & a teacher. As for my connection to this church, I've attended multiple conferences held in your buildings and have many friends who have attended for years. My husband & I visited for a few weeks when trying to find a church home after our marriage. A friend sent me a copy of a church-wide email which included the following plea from one of your leaders: <i>"<span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: 9pt;">Please consider joining my wife and me, [other church leaders] in making the choice to be vaccinated. If you have struggles related to issues connected to the vaccine, we are available to talk and pray with you about this decision."</span></i></div><div class="gmail_attr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: 9pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_attr" style="background-color: white;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">That </span><span style="font-size: 12px;">sentence</span><span style="font-size: 9pt;"> was quite troubling to me. A follow-up email clarified:</span></span></div><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><i>"The issue here is not whether one is for vax or against vax, the issue is one of leadership and trust. As an elder I never want anyone to feel pressured to make a decision like this because I or another elder is insisting on it. My intent was, as I said, for people to consider whether to get vaccinated -- not to imply there is only one acceptable choice."</i><br /><br />That sentence is enlightening. I am thankful that you do not wish to overstep your bounds as spiritual leaders to try and pressure families into making the same medical choices your family has made. <b>However, be advised that there is NO need to remind ANYONE in the West to "consider getting vaccinated."</b> We are already being pressured on billboards, TV, news, social media, the walls and PA systems of grocery stores, medical facilities, and random placards downtown. Your voices being added to the din without so much as a whiff of scientific reasoning is -to put it mildly- unhelpful. <b>It was 100% peer pressure, from persons in spiritual authority. </b> It does not affirm the weight each person should feel for stewarding their God-given body well. It does not in any way show how or why you came to that conclusion nor does it acknowledge that it is legitimate to "consider" and come to another conclusion. </div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">I send this in all humility, as to my brothers in Christ, yet also boldly, for the same reason. I have taken over a week to think about, pray, and compose this email, because I do believe it is worth your time and mine. I have included linked articles where relevant and have many more if you would like clarification on any point I have raised. <br /><br /></div><div dir="ltr">If you will bear with me, please take a moment to consider why it might be UNwise and UNloving for a family or person to get these vaccines:</div><div dir="ltr"><br />1. <b>Emergency Use Approval</b>-- this designation removes all liability for the manufacturer, since the product is experimental by nature-- the now-FDA-approved Pfizer "Comirnaty" covid 19 vax is impossible to obtain in SC at this time-- the BioTech EUA version is all we have, and it remains legally distinct-- ie there is no recourse for you if you are injured. Here you can read one concerned legislator's letter to Dr. Janet Woodruff, acting commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, on this exact topic: 2021-08-26-Letter-to-FDA-re-<wbr></wbr>Comirnaty.pdf (<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://childrenshealthdefense.org&source=gmail&ust=1632975049893000&usg=AFQjCNEW79Nu2r0RQ5kVBzGsZalu9S1rCA" href="http://childrenshealthdefense.org/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">childrenshealthdefense.org</a>). Many people have no desire to be a part of an experiment in which all long term effects are unknown. (<b>We don't have animal trials or even trials of similar drugs to look at</b>... this is completely new tech when it comes to widespread prophylactic use.) Is it wise to pressure people to sign up to be a part of an ongoing experiment, undertaken by companies which ALL have recently been proven, in courts, to be corrupt and unsafe, especially when they have not even a semblance of liability here?</div><div dir="ltr"><br />2. <b>Vaccines carry serious risk</b>. As of now, VAERS, which is a passive, voluntary reporting system to register adverse events following vaccinations, and as such is known to only catch 1-10% of actual adverse events (VAERS should be mandatory & automatic but it **is not**)-- has to date 623,343 total adverse events reported (including 13,627 deaths). A few from this past week include: a 15-year-old boy (VAERS I.D. 1498080) who previously had COVID, was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy in May 2021 and died four days after receiving his second dose of Pfizer’s vaccine on June 18, when he collapsed on the soccer field and went into ventricular tachycardia; a 13-year-old girl (VAERS I.D. 1505250) who died after suffering a heart condition after receiving her first dose of Pfizer; two 13-year-old boys (VAERS I.D. 1406840 and 1431289) who died two days after receiving a Pfizer vaccine. As of Aug 20, 3190 pregnant women reported adverse events related to COVID vaccines, including 982 reports of miscarriage or premature birth. There have been 2,640 cases of Bell’s Palsy reported, 530 reports of Guillain-Barré Syndrome, 132,694 reports of anaphylaxis, 8,528 reports of blood clotting disorders, 2,162 cases of heart inflammation. <b>If VAERS is reporting 13K deaths, that means it is very likely we have in actuality between 130K and 1.3 million deaths in the US due to these vaccines.</b> These vaccines DO carry serious risk. We could argue that not all of those would be due exactly to the vaccine, that many of those might have had pre-existing conditions, etc-- but that only reinforces the point that the risks are NOT the same for everyone. Each family needs to feel free to make their own risk assessments.</div><div dir="ltr"><br /><div>3. <b>Not everyone is at equal risk from SARS-Cov-2. </b> Healthy children are at essentially 0% risk of any complication from a covid19 infection. They also are unlikely to spread this illness to others. In the US no healthy children have died of COVID-19, and only around 360 total have died from ages 1-18. Healthy adults are also at very low risk from all variants. Those with poor outcomes in general have blood sugar issues, obesity and other predisposing factors. <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.coronatracker.com/country/united-states/&source=gmail&ust=1632975049893000&usg=AFQjCNGnqio8dxHxPozqXwVmH4MBcuw4kQ" href="https://www.coronatracker.com/country/united-states/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">This website </a>gives up-to-date stats on rates of hospitalization & infection. Right now of all Americans with known covid19, only .1% are needing critical care treatment. Only 22% are needing any medical intervention at all. That means 3 out of 4 people who get covid19 (and know they have it) are going to recover just fine with NO doctor's help. Out of 1000 people, only 1 would need critical care to recover. There are a lot of options in between "no medical assistance" and "ICU"-- and that might include getting prescription nebulized steroids, an outpatient dose of IV fluids or prescribed early-intervention medicines and nutraceuticals, or even a short hospital stay that does not involve ICU. **It is also fairly predictable which persons will be in which category.** Younger people, those well-able to regulate their own blood sugar (not insulin resistant), those with good muscle tone & low adiposity (not obese, especially without excess abdominal/visceral fat), those without pre-existing conditions (heart disease, asthma, for ex), will likely be fine. There are also MANY ways people can prep for covid, including having specific vitamins, OTC prescriptions and other immune-supporting substances on hand, working out regularly, and getting good sleep. Remember, as Christians we believe God made our bodies well, and that if we steward them well, they work well unto His service. What is my point? <b>That it would be especially foolish for someone at low risk of suffering complications from covid to choose the most risk-y way to try and handle covid.</b> Why are you encouraging your whole church to unilaterally sign up for the absolute least-tested, most-risky option? Why not beg everyone to review the protocols put out by the Frontline Critical Care Alliance: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://covid19criticalcare.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/FLCCC-Alliance-I-MASKplus-Protocol-ENGLISH.pdf%23:~:text%3DThe%2520I-MASK%252B%2520protocol%2520is%2520a%2520bridge%2520to%2520vaccines,made%2520in%2520consultation%2520with%2520your%2520health%2520care%2520provider.&source=gmail&ust=1632975049893000&usg=AFQjCNF2tDFHwGe5kxlRNXXdFLiE7Ol5Sg" href="https://covid19criticalcare.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/FLCCC-Alliance-I-MASKplus-Protocol-ENGLISH.pdf#:~:text=The%20I-MASK%2B%20protocol%20is%20a%20bridge%20to%20vaccines,made%20in%20consultation%20with%20your%20health%20care%20provider." style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">I-MASK+ Prophylaxis & Early Outpatient Treatment Protocol for COVID-19 [v16 – updated September 1, 2021] (covid19criticalcare.com)</a> and have these things on hand? Why not beg the church to address underlying conditions which endanger their health (and the health of those around them by making them more susceptible to all infectious disease, not just covid)? T<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=97NcB5gVKJc&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR3gubQp7edEkxN__WVQ-3RUYHEQutgBnmw-cjYLSG08H5DCol3D_niPGVg">his doctor </a>has had excellent results in a part of the state with lower education, poorer diet, poorer everything... and yet she has maintained zero fatalities and zero intubations with early proactive treatment. We could do even better with lifestyle changes AND proactive treatment!! <a href="https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-EkjSK7Exgs&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR15Nh-wWcZFZjhLzSXtOosSGrYq8QoXj2NIePUZzipUgN0jlkIj2SkuNjI">Another doctor from another part of the state</a> with similarly excellent results <a href="https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-EkjSK7Exgs&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR15Nh-wWcZFZjhLzSXtOosSGrYq8QoXj2NIePUZzipUgN0jlkIj2SkuNjI">here</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>4. <b>Why not instead address very common sins of gluttony, fear, sloth, addiction and other lack of self-control? </b>Those put Chrsitians at greater risk of negative outcomes from covid 19 by their effect on the body. These sins are true cancers that threaten not just the body but also the soul, and render the church members less fit for ministry in every single respect. Why not encourage the obese to say "no" to white carbs and to begin a regimen of daily walks-- out of neighbor-love? Why not speak up against those who fear what can harm the body (covid?) instead of fearing Him who will judge body AND soul? </div><div><br /></div><div>5.<b> The covid-19 shots currently available DO NOT PREVENT TRANSMISSION of covid-19. </b> (<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/us-coronavirus-covid-19-vaccines-work-exceptionally-well-against-severe-illness-and-death-but-no-longer-prevent-transmission-cdc-chief-says/ar-AAMXa3a&source=gmail&ust=1632975049893000&usg=AFQjCNEsGRoRy2-l0_v_tPIqh86LUeZgSw" href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/us-coronavirus-covid-19-vaccines-work-exceptionally-well-against-severe-illness-and-death-but-no-longer-prevent-transmission-cdc-chief-says/ar-AAMXa3a" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Fully vaccinated people who get a Covid-19 breakthrough infection can transmit the virus, CDC chief says</a>.) They are intended to reduce serious symptoms for the recipient only. <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/dr-fauci-first-covid-vaccines-will-aim-to-reduce-symptoms-not-infections/ar-BB1awj22&source=gmail&ust=1632975049893000&usg=AFQjCNETByfEmQh72nO1my22fouTbGlKcQ" href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/dr-fauci-first-covid-vaccines-will-aim-to-reduce-symptoms-not-infections/ar-BB1awj22" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">This has been the case since they were rolled out</a>. It has NEVER made sense to "take one for grandma." In fact, cocooning has never worked-- the flu shot is one example. A Cochrane review of data on the flu shot given to health-care workers on behalf of their elderly patients shows that this <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.cochrane.org/CD005187/ARI_influenza-vaccination-healthcare-workers-who-care-people-aged-60-or-older-living-long-term-care&source=gmail&ust=1632975049893000&usg=AFQjCNEKTZE2vqhPZp8Z79qwmw46lwqXzA" href="https://www.cochrane.org/CD005187/ARI_influenza-vaccination-healthcare-workers-who-care-people-aged-60-or-older-living-long-term-care" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">idea does NOT work and never has</a>. (However being overall more healthy, with a more healthy immune system that handles ANY assault, be it viral, bacterial, or fungal-- that DOES protect those around you.) Lately data has emerged showing that the vaccinated tend <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.bmj.com/content/374/bmj.n2074&source=gmail&ust=1632975049893000&usg=AFQjCNGYQ2xlDAzWJ5GE_-9poJAHUzP41g" href="https://www.bmj.com/content/374/bmj.n2074" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">to carry the same or MORE level of communicable viral particles </a>even when they are not symptomatic, unlike the unvaxed who will get noticeably sick if carrying high viral loads, and will thus know to STAY AWAY from the vulnerable. (If Delta is your main concern, why are you urging people to "consider" shots which do not protect against Delta? That's like pushing last year's flu shot.)</div><div><br /></div><div>6. <b>Those who have recovered from covid19 do not need a shot.</b> They already <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/lasting-immunity-found-after-recovery-covid-19&source=gmail&ust=1632975049893000&usg=AFQjCNHEpfU2_PdUyE2anD1rsBrB7U2UCA" href="https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/lasting-immunity-found-after-recovery-covid-19" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">have long-lasting immunity</a>- yes, even against Delta. In fact, <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.firstpost.com/health/study-shows-80-covid-19-antibodies-lost-six-months-after-second-pfizer-vaccine-dose-what-this-means-9943651.html&source=gmail&ust=1632975049893000&usg=AFQjCNGF9M3rnmemBVzVKA85QdLRJeExIw" href="https://www.firstpost.com/health/study-shows-80-covid-19-antibodies-lost-six-months-after-second-pfizer-vaccine-dose-what-this-means-9943651.html" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">they are more protected against all strains than the vaxxed are</a>, (also here: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-08-27/previous-covid-prevents-delta-infection-better-than-pfizer-shot&source=gmail&ust=1632975049893000&usg=AFQjCNEthPABpTng2ZjxDT-V2GX31QIvXQ" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-08-27/previous-covid-prevents-delta-infection-better-than-pfizer-shot" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Previous Covid Prevents Delta Infection Better Than Pfizer Shot</a>) and they are also <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.news-medical.net/news/20210426/Previous-SARS-CoV-2-infection-associated-with-more-adverse-events-following-mRNA-vaccination.aspx&source=gmail&ust=1632975049893000&usg=AFQjCNE_Vew0LMZnXq16F-ldR5d1PxyanA" href="https://www.news-medical.net/news/20210426/Previous-SARS-CoV-2-infection-associated-with-more-adverse-events-following-mRNA-vaccination.aspx" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">more at risk of negative effects from a shot</a>. Don't forget that a great number of people are already immune and would receive no personal benefit from a shot-- they would actually incur MORE risk- and they already are not posing any "potential danger" to anyone else. </div><div><br /></div><div>7. Is it even Biblical to treat other humans as "potential risks" to others just by being the way God made them (ie unvaccinated)? <b><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2159087/Healthy-people-share-bodies-10-000-species-germs.html&source=gmail&ust=1632975049893000&usg=AFQjCNHCVWbo90Gch-LNCo5uA3S90xDMzg" href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2159087/Healthy-people-share-bodies-10-000-species-germs.html" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Yes, we all carry "germs" all the time and always have.</a>.. the "one another" commands ALL still apply and always have. </b> Those who are unvaccinated are not inherently dirty, contagious nor extra germy. They are not sick; abstaining from an experimental drug program is not akin to active leprosy. Why are we acting like accepting these drugs make us somehow less germy? Why are we even thinking like the main factor in our health is the health of our neighbor? Is it not more Biblical to take personal responsibility and trust the Lord for protection, not the vax status of others?</div><div><br /></div><div>8. <b>Many Christians object to these vaccines due to <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/which-covid-19-vaccines-are-connected-to-abortion/&source=gmail&ust=1632975049893000&usg=AFQjCNFJLnMI5D-oXCMgUxS__YTOUTO1ng" href="https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/which-covid-19-vaccines-are-connected-to-abortion/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">their link to abortions and the abortion industry.</a></b> Is there anything less neighbor-loving than an industry which profits off the premeditated murder of our most defenseless and innocent neighbors? I know Christians draw different lines around the links between aborted fetal tissue and pharmaceuticals-- but it is worth considering, and noting that other Christians may be conscience-bound to abstain from a shot they believe to be derived from murder. Another<a href="https://s27589.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/COVID-19-Vaccine-Candidates-and-Abortion-Derived-Cell-Lines.pdf"> chart</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>For all these reasons, and many more which I have not mentioned, please consider revising your "suggestions" to instead encourage people to make prayerful, fearless decisions that make sense **FOR THEIR OWN FAMILY** as well as considering their overall health and taking action to steward that well out of neighbor-love, showcasing the fruits of the Spirit (such as faithfulness and self-control). Let us not be fearful.</div><div><br /></div><div>In Christ, </div><span style="color: #888888;"><div><br /></div><div>Christina </div></span></div></div></div></div></div>Eowyn's Heirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14717363754137835260noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21181534.post-90641434750276016032021-06-18T00:07:00.026-04:002021-06-19T15:58:40.933-04:00Jack's Birth, part 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: small;">**note: this story purposefully ends on the triumphant, joyful note of Jack being born. There is more to the story which was not so joyful or triumphant, and I will eventually also share that... but for now, just rejoice with me at his safe arrival!**</span></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xATIf2C40uc/YM46rlsV06I/AAAAAAAAnI4/jzZ10HZSd-80ByXmdaqnbutSz8Y6wo3XQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1440/CE4DCA98-F87D-44EF-8E9B-BCDDDF51A472.jpeg" style="clear: left; display: block; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xATIf2C40uc/YM46rlsV06I/AAAAAAAAnI4/jzZ10HZSd-80ByXmdaqnbutSz8Y6wo3XQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/CE4DCA98-F87D-44EF-8E9B-BCDDDF51A472.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div></div><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Wednesday March 24, 2021</b>- 40 weeks & 3 days</span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">- 4 am- I try the "castor oil cocktail"</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">- 8:37 am- text to my midwife, Janelle: “<i>plenty of ctx (contractions) - some pretty strong- but nothing regular.”</i> J: “<i>that’s how it starts! Or it completely fizzles out.”</i> me: <i>gee thanks *laughs* </i>J:</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>well obviously I’m hoping for the former! </i>Janelle tells me to get rid of my kids for the day, I send them to my mom’s, and try to rest. I am so uncomfortable, my hips hurting, acid reflux after almost any food, referred pain, piriformis pain. My lower abs feel like they are tearing from the weight of my belly. Alas, no contraction pattern emerges and they fizzle out.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;">- Ryan takes me to midwife appointment and to chiropractor (Megan Martins) in the afternoon. </span> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vf-w2l3591Q/YM46qLBmB9I/AAAAAAAAnJI/afJpyW486wczTsdBUcHUrQJc4ralyFKVwCPcBGAYYCw/s2048/0A23F114-A3C9-4B0D-88DA-A3BAE6E8D277.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vf-w2l3591Q/YM46qLBmB9I/AAAAAAAAnJI/afJpyW486wczTsdBUcHUrQJc4ralyFKVwCPcBGAYYCw/s320/0A23F114-A3C9-4B0D-88DA-A3BAE6E8D277.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Patrick (5) waiting for me during my acupuncture</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /><b>Thursday, March 25th </b></span><p></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">9:30 am, text to Snarky Advice Column group (my doula Karla and my friend & previous midwife Elizabeth, who now lives out of state); “<i>I feel super gross. Nausea, liver pain, headache. So I’m gonna try to go to acupuncture.</i>” Karla- “<i>Jack doing good?”</i> me: “<i>as far as I know, he moved SO much after Dr. Megan adjusted my pelvis. He seems happy. He had a good HR at the appt yesterday.</i>” Janelle comes over to draw blood to test for bile acids since mine had been on the higher end several weeks before and I had been doing things (including coffee enemas) to lower them.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">11 am, text to SAC “I<i> have just lost all will in the matter</i>” Jack has turned to be face-out, or "OP" again. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Acupuncture feels really good, providing relief from the liver pain and nausea and fluid retention; my hands look less puffy. I am able to make dinner, clean the kitchen and even sit at the table with my family to eat it.Really difficult night with restless legs. “<i>But of course I couldn’t sleep last night because too much comfort would go to my head.”</i></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lGXB0FyLKDQ/YM46qkN6-zI/AAAAAAAAnIs/oN5cdNN2lXIGYDPiKBd-VXSDjpBDgNo1ACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/BEAD733B-A038-4875-A56D-A3EB64135A9B.jpeg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lGXB0FyLKDQ/YM46qkN6-zI/AAAAAAAAnIs/oN5cdNN2lXIGYDPiKBd-VXSDjpBDgNo1ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/BEAD733B-A038-4875-A56D-A3EB64135A9B.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ready for the little man</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Friday March 26, 4pm </b></span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0hxIu-vhY9U/YM46qKLP1eI/AAAAAAAAnJA/Wx0KspWzVMQ3tCKZxT7LTQZlNVmprfKWACPcBGAYYCw/s2048/649F6B1D-B6E7-4563-AE88-76277CF14F94.jpeg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0hxIu-vhY9U/YM46qKLP1eI/AAAAAAAAnJA/Wx0KspWzVMQ3tCKZxT7LTQZlNVmprfKWACPcBGAYYCw/s320/649F6B1D-B6E7-4563-AE88-76277CF14F94.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">puffy hands</td></tr></tbody></table>2:30, text to SAC: “<i>he is ROA”</i> (this is the optimal fetal position for birth, yay!)</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">4 pm- text to my good friend Katelyn Fusco, another homebirth mom, doula, placenta encapsulator, and host of "The Happy Homebirth Podcast": “</span><i style="font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">so, my coffee enemas have worked. I was at a 9.8 (cutoff for danger is 10). Janelle says they usually just rise until delivery. Yesterday mine were 2.4! </i><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"> K: “</span><i style="font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">PRAISE GOD That is INCREDIBLE!”</i><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"> me: “</span><i style="font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’m still not sure that she didn’t swap my blood for someone else’s - but I also still continue to have referred pain that’s pretty intense.” </i><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Me to SAC: </span><i style="font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">my bile acids are a whopping 2.4” </i><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"> E- “</span><i style="font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">that definitely downgrades the medical necessity to get him out” me- “I’m still in pain, swollen & itchy but glad he is safe!! (at least from bile acids)”</i></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hzjjhfP4jwM/YMwkUeOIMoI/AAAAAAAAnHk/qC5RH7QQb5oDwMD64sVW9tIWBxtZMySVQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/6FD6F503-A100-4EEB-95C9-E3BAB0671CE7.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hzjjhfP4jwM/YMwkUeOIMoI/AAAAAAAAnHk/qC5RH7QQb5oDwMD64sVW9tIWBxtZMySVQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/6FD6F503-A100-4EEB-95C9-E3BAB0671CE7.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Mom this is where we pee off of"</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p></li></ul><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I remember taking a hot epsom bath at night, reading about mold toxicity & EMFs.</span></p></li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YmWCKhhWXoE/YM46sA6HfKI/AAAAAAAAnI8/t89MPzS4UVI9HV8BX9HqFQOSzIaftePOACLcBGAsYHQ/s960/DB0D8AA3-109D-4860-8811-D370252CA09E.jpeg" style="clear: left; display: block; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="538" data-original-width="960" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YmWCKhhWXoE/YM46sA6HfKI/AAAAAAAAnI8/t89MPzS4UVI9HV8BX9HqFQOSzIaftePOACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/DB0D8AA3-109D-4860-8811-D370252CA09E.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">at Eowyn's soccer game</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Saturday March 27</b></span><p></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I went to my daughter Eowyn’s soccer game & son Patrick’s t-ball game, had a prenatal massage with <a href="https://alliswellinmyworld.com/">Nadine Gammon,</a> even did acupressure w clary sage.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I continue to feel conflicted about what the right thing to do is regarding induction, waiting, etc. I'm very uncomfortable and wanting to have Jack out safely but also not wanting to risk anything by trying to force the issue. I am getting weary of all the pain... and of enemas. My pelvis and hips feel like they are about to fly apart. I tell myself I must have felt this way every time, that all moms feel like this at 40 weeks and that I need to just stop being a wuss and suck it up.</span></p></li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Sunday March 28-</b> full moon</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I remark to several people “<i>Nope, no hint of labor. I may as well be 7 months pregnant if you ask Jack.” </i> To Janelle: <i>“I just finished my raw iron and my dates, like I have no more. Signs I should assist the full moon and cotton root bark this kid out tonight?”</i> Jack rotates OP again. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">7:21 pm- having a bunch of Braxon-Hicks ctx. Stupid moon. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">9 pm- My hips get markedly tight. Ryan does <a href="https://www.spinningbabies.com/pregnancy-birth/techniques/side-lying-release/">side-lying release </a>with me.</span></p></li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q_yhpq5LbV4/YMwjVrRGOKI/AAAAAAAAnHQ/Ezd5FigGa8oePmc7ZwrZkF8H7QqmhQ-7gCPcBGAYYCw/s2048/FA602923-1B3B-4E62-AB2E-3467ED795DED.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q_yhpq5LbV4/YMwjVrRGOKI/AAAAAAAAnHQ/Ezd5FigGa8oePmc7ZwrZkF8H7QqmhQ-7gCPcBGAYYCw/s320/FA602923-1B3B-4E62-AB2E-3467ED795DED.jpeg" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /><b>Monday, March 29,</b> exactly 41 weeks</span><p></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px; text-align: left;"><li aria-level="1" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">7:49 am -Text to Katelyn: “t<i>rying the herbs today (castor oil, cottonroot, black cohosh, senecio… throwing it all at this belly)</i> K: <i>“do you need any blue vervain?”</i> me: “<i>I’ll try these three and if I don’t get any results I will try that.”</i></span></p></li><li aria-level="1" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Patrick goes next door to my mom, whom the kids call "Nina," for his “Nina Day” and I do school activities w the older 2 kids all morning.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">10:30- I've finished herbs & castor oil then lay down, feeling very tired. Note: </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Junen, my dog, stays close to me all day.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2:11 pm- I get up, feeling like I want to go outside and be with the kids in the sunshine, it's such a beautiful day. I put on the rebozo Janelle had lent me to support my belly and tell the kids I want a walk, envisioning a walk on our road… nope, they decide to show me “all their new hideouts in the woods”... of course this involved hills and no paths at all! Liam quips that we “are going at the speed of pregnant mom.” Nina was out in her yard and came with us. Ryan texts to tell me his equity in a former company is likely to be worth a good chunk of money. I answer<i>, “Good, we can pay for an elective c-section so I can get this kid out of me!” </i></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o8JosO-XmCQ/YM46rEPCh3I/AAAAAAAAnI0/EXSPFNYN-I4u81_zgxp74iQBpynh-V1OgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/C726355D-387B-4291-87D9-7E734EA8F647.jpeg" style="clear: right; display: block; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o8JosO-XmCQ/YM46rEPCh3I/AAAAAAAAnI0/EXSPFNYN-I4u81_zgxp74iQBpynh-V1OgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/C726355D-387B-4291-87D9-7E734EA8F647.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ryan setting up the tub</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bf2fh9r9vyg/YMwkTdBDGQI/AAAAAAAAnH0/oPlsyDc0nmExRJ7-Arx8h5uYDoz-QoDygCPcBGAYYCw/s2048/2BEFBCA2-0237-47A4-82DC-7484AB0AA453.jpeg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bf2fh9r9vyg/YMwkTdBDGQI/AAAAAAAAnH0/oPlsyDc0nmExRJ7-Arx8h5uYDoz-QoDygCPcBGAYYCw/s320/2BEFBCA2-0237-47A4-82DC-7484AB0AA453.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sitting down for a little rest on our hike</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p></li><li aria-level="1" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2:59- Katelyn texts- “<i>you doing okay?”</i> me: “<i>yeah… just kind of discouraged and amazed that my body is uninterested in labor.” </i></span></p></li><li aria-level="1" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3:20 pm- We get home & I tell the kids I am going to put some things on my phone and then lie down the rest of the day, and I’ll do spelling with them from my bed. Not feeling any contractions at all. I sit down at the computer to put some Hypnobabies tracks on my phone, thinking I can listen to those while I rest. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R4ZeEuFYE2c/YMwkTyCVGDI/AAAAAAAAnIA/iTzTyeBNxHgVmcKRj0Zfcgyo9d9ztVFLACPcBGAYYCw/s2048/6C255927-AE6F-4D8C-8C19-02A6C97776F5.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R4ZeEuFYE2c/YMwkTyCVGDI/AAAAAAAAnIA/iTzTyeBNxHgVmcKRj0Zfcgyo9d9ztVFLACPcBGAYYCw/s320/6C255927-AE6F-4D8C-8C19-02A6C97776F5.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Mom this is a great hideout"</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3:30- I feel a light “pop” and think “<i>was that my water breaking? No, surely not…</i>” I feel a trickle and then suddenly realize there will be a gush. I jump up out of the chair over to where the “dog towel” is by the door to our back porch and shout out to the kids, who are nearby, “<i>My water just broke, quick, get me more towels!!”</i> I feel totally frozen and unsure of what to do next… I keep thinking “<i>this is not how I labor!</i>” There is so much water, I don’t want to just stand there by the back door but neither do I want to make a huge mess trying to go anywhere. My pants are soaked and it’s not slowing down. The kids are asking me questions and I am outwardly calm, trying to explain what is happening. I decide to just go stand in the bathtub and get there as quickly as I can, instructing Eowyn and Liam to wipe up any amniotic fluid on the floor. <i>“Will you still do spelling with us?” “Ummm… no.</i>” When I get to the bathtub I see that the water has meconium in it. I call Ryan and Janelle, Ryan telling me he is ½ hr away, Janelle not answering. The meconium and the sheer strangeness of broken water makes me want someone with me. I text Snarky Advice Column, Jennifer Conway (birth photographer), other people who have been waiting to hear. I know that this was "it". Patrick asks me how I am pooping Jack’s poop. </span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div><p></p></li><li aria-level="1" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4:06- I have the kids bring me the fetal doppler and find Jack’s heartrate, it’s 160s (normal for him) and reactive so I am less concerned about the meconium and a little more at ease being alone. I send the kids outside/to my mom’s house, put on a Depends from the birth kit and wait for Ryan. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4:15- Contractions start picking up. My doula, Karla, tells me she is leaving her house and on her way (she lives 45 minutes away). Ryan gets home and I ask him to go ahead and set up the birth tub. This takes him a while to figure out. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4:18- Janelle sees my missed calls & calls me back.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4:30- I sit on the side of the bed, over a chux pad and towel and just feel totally frozen. Water still gushes out every time I move and I am astounded at the sheer volume. “<i>How is there this much fluid in my uterus??”</i> Elizabeth quips “<i>Apparently most of your weight gain was amniotic fluid- watch Jack be 7 lbs.</i>” This makes me laugh and I answer “<i>as long as his head is nice and easy to deliver.</i>” The depends is already flooded and I have to change it. With all the water I have seen leak out I feel totally justified for being uncomfortable the last few weeks, the thought goes through my mind: </span><i style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">my poor pelvis was holding together a 50-gallon aquarium! No wonder it felt like it was going to come apart any minute! I wasn't being overdramatic!! </i></p><i style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0-oPcRXyB18/YMwbhXlQCTI/AAAAAAAAnG8/4i6r2HZzKlMgL_HTxs0eZ5oLVwe-ZCCcgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/The%2BBirth%2Bof%2BJack-29.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0-oPcRXyB18/YMwbhXlQCTI/AAAAAAAAnG8/4i6r2HZzKlMgL_HTxs0eZ5oLVwe-ZCCcgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/The%2BBirth%2Bof%2BJack-29.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my daughter (11) was also with me in Patrick's birth</td></tr></tbody></table></i></li><li aria-level="1" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4:42 to Janelle- <i>“Can u come soon? I’d feel better. Bloody show!</i>” J: “<i>OTW! 15 min ETA</i>” Karla texts and asks me to leave out a cardigan for her bc she forgot hers. She jokes <i>“my comfort factor at your birth is of utmost importance</i>.” I have one out on the dresser already thankfully because I really don’t feel like I can move. Ryan is still fiddling with the tub and trying to get everything ready to fill. My birth photographer and friend, Jen, arrives.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ze4eA_uGSYg/YMwSoHEoSeI/AAAAAAAAnEA/LKeV60dYnmEivG8y7y3rn9XaleGVVObZgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/The%2BBirth%2Bof%2BJack-18.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ze4eA_uGSYg/YMwSoHEoSeI/AAAAAAAAnEA/LKeV60dYnmEivG8y7y3rn9XaleGVVObZgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/The%2BBirth%2Bof%2BJack-18.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><p></p></li><li aria-level="1" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5:00- I tell my friend Megan to head this way. Megan was with me at Patrick’s birth 5 years ago, a dear friend who knows where everything is in the house so she will be able to help with the kids and also be another set of hands when it comes to fetching & finding things.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r_df6WW6rlo/YMwTKtIPqFI/AAAAAAAAnEU/wO4UXqjtFn8DqLAHLrrAnSqWipJpuPGsACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/The%2BBirth%2Bof%2BJack-44.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r_df6WW6rlo/YMwTKtIPqFI/AAAAAAAAnEU/wO4UXqjtFn8DqLAHLrrAnSqWipJpuPGsACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/The%2BBirth%2Bof%2BJack-44.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Janelle checking on Jack</td></tr></tbody></table></div><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5:05- Janelle arrives, takes my vitals (118/92, Jack HR 140s), She records that I’m having ctx every 3 min, lasting 45-60 sec. I remember her listening to Jack and me asking “<i>is he OK</i>?” and her answering “<i>he’s perfect.</i>” This became our ritual every time she checked on him-- “<i>is he OK?” “he’s perfect</i>.” (It's funny how my doula brain noticed parts of my labor during labor and made mental notes, such as "<i>oh look, I'm establishing a coping ritual</i>.") Karla gives me counter pressure on my back. I also labor on the ground in a lunge and on my hands & knees.</span><p></p></li><li aria-level="1" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LPM9AFTk4cw/YMwTOQfe-6I/AAAAAAAAnEc/jOpXA40ngtUBMPRQ51nplk_f2ybabmwewCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/The%2BBirth%2Bof%2BJack-46.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LPM9AFTk4cw/YMwTOQfe-6I/AAAAAAAAnEc/jOpXA40ngtUBMPRQ51nplk_f2ybabmwewCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/The%2BBirth%2Bof%2BJack-46.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saying goodbye to Liam</td></tr></tbody></table>5:30- my son Liam leaves for his baseball game, my dad giving him a ride. The other two kids head to my mom’s next door for supper-- they come back when I’m in the tub and mostly sit on my bed, reading or playing a game on a device.</span><p></p></li><li aria-level="1" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div><p><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; text-align: left;">Megan arrives and I ask her to make me some<a href="https://wellnessmama.com/61647/ginger-honey-switchel/"> Ginger Switchel Labor-Ade</a> , having put all the ingredients out on the counter that morning. Janelle has me eat some apple sauce pouches, fruit leather strip and I drink sips of labor-ade and water throughout. </span></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-363v6Pm-WOA/YMwTC93FWmI/AAAAAAAAnEo/0W9YeKhz8e04LGAfnZLi9cqx9Ty547_2QCPcBGAYYCw/s2048/The%2BBirth%2Bof%2BJack-62.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-363v6Pm-WOA/YMwTC93FWmI/AAAAAAAAnEo/0W9YeKhz8e04LGAfnZLi9cqx9Ty547_2QCPcBGAYYCw/s320/The%2BBirth%2Bof%2BJack-62.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Megan giving me sips of LaborAde</td></tr></tbody></table></div><p></p></li><li aria-level="1" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">6:35- I get in the tub. Janelle asked me to sit in a "w-sit" to try and help make room for Jack to descend. Eowyn was horrified, as I have always encouraged my kids to NOT sit this way (as it doesn't allow the core to work), but Janelle assured her I'd be OK for just a little while in labor. (So funny what kids are shocked or not shocked by. My loud vocalizations didn't phase any of my kids.) Karla encourages me to put my Labor Mix music on, so I get it playing on my phone. I remember singing harmony with Eowyn to Sara Groves’ rendition of “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXvOij6tgY8">Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.</a>” Other songs include “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvXPKRWeaJg">Great is Thy Faithfulness” (Fernando Ortega) </a>and “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj5GXSJ6ktw">By Thy Mercy” (Indelible Grace)</a>. Janelle later tells me she was impressed I could sing every word of every verse to most of the songs, and Karla later tells me that she didn’t remember I could sing so nicely. I remember crying in several of the songs as I fought to believe them-- there's been so much pain and darkness in my heart for the past 2 years… I prayed that the songs would be true. I remember praying them back to God, asking Him to let them be my experience, that I would feel His presence. “</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When the morning falls on the farthest hill, I will sing His praise, I will praise Him still. When dark trials come and my heart is filled with the weight of doubt, I will praise Him, still.”</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">7:30- I feel like I need to pee. Ctx lasting 60-90 sec, every 3-4 min. I tell Janelle that I need to pee and she tells me it may just be from the pressure of Jack descending, but I don’t think that’s it. “<i></i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i></i></span></div><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l7SEPK4hCa0/YMwbretOI0I/AAAAAAAAnHA/QvcTbqNzcY09_OzVimY4YUI92npUNGaeACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/The%2BBirth%2Bof%2BJack-66.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l7SEPK4hCa0/YMwbretOI0I/AAAAAAAAnHA/QvcTbqNzcY09_OzVimY4YUI92npUNGaeACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/The%2BBirth%2Bof%2BJack-66.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Junen checking on me</td></tr></tbody></table>He doesn’t feel low like that… I think I really do just need to pee.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i5saU2OYnqI/YMwT2pUg_yI/AAAAAAAAnEw/zoCmnCUFhuw90C4Niyx3xj1Psy15sdbAgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/The%2BBirth%2Bof%2BJack-65%2Bcopy.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1646" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i5saU2OYnqI/YMwT2pUg_yI/AAAAAAAAnEw/zoCmnCUFhuw90C4Niyx3xj1Psy15sdbAgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/The%2BBirth%2Bof%2BJack-65%2Bcopy.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Belly so tight while contracting</td></tr></tbody></table></i>” I don’t really want to get out of the tub, though, and I'm not far gone enough to just pee in there. Contractions are intense but I don’t feel the baby moving low. I try to labor leaning back in the water and holding my belly up to try and keep Jack over my cervix, which I know to be fairly posterior. I turn over onto my knees with my arms over the side of the tub and Karla applies counter pressure to my back. It feels good to bear down slightly with the contractions but I don’t feel like the baby is low enough to really push, I begin to suspect that this labor will be like Patrick’s. I say something like that out loud and am reassured “<i>oh every labor is different, don’t worry.</i>” “But this FEELS the same” is what I’m unable to say. Junen has been supportive of me throughout labor, staying at the glass back door and whining, even howling, along with me. At some point someone lets her in the house, though not my bedroom, so she can feel nearer to me. <br /></span><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HN_m8l9845E/YMwUTU9n_TI/AAAAAAAAnE4/XBszcYh9edgzLahwMuuSauL2X9lMAi57ACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/The%2BBirth%2Bof%2BJack-98.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HN_m8l9845E/YMwUTU9n_TI/AAAAAAAAnE4/XBszcYh9edgzLahwMuuSauL2X9lMAi57ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/The%2BBirth%2Bof%2BJack-98.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I actually love how strong I look here</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LfgaFOYtTqY/YMwTS_0-J5I/AAAAAAAAnEg/_4KKQ9mAUG4Qrdpv4t2DeCRDyfwjyqS9wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/The%2BBirth%2Bof%2BJack-81.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1630" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LfgaFOYtTqY/YMwTS_0-J5I/AAAAAAAAnEg/_4KKQ9mAUG4Qrdpv4t2DeCRDyfwjyqS9wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/The%2BBirth%2Bof%2BJack-81.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">8- singing “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzdZ5eJ7Lnw">Lord from Sorrows Deep I Call</a>”- I finally decide to get out of tub and sit on toilet to pee. I stay in there to labor through a few contractions. I like how isolated it feels and dark, even though I know I probably sound 10 times louder in there. I check myself and find my cervix posterior and fairly closed, 2 finger widths only. I tell Karla this. <i>“Do you want Janelle to check you?” “I don’t know…” “I think you should let Janelle check you, then you’ll know for sure.” I say, resignedly, “ok… fine” </i> I remember saying “fine” several times, not in an angry way, just resigned. This song has sustained me over the last 2 years, taken straight from Psalm 42: </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“</span><span face="Roboto, sans-serif" style="color: #444444; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lord, from sorrows deep I call/ When my hope is shaken/ Torn and ruined from the fall /Hear my desperation/ For so long I've pled and prayed/ "God, come to my rescue!"/ Even so the thorn remains/ Still my heart will praise You.// And, oh, my soul, put your hope in God/ My help, my Rock, I will praise Him/ Sing, oh, sing through the raging storm/ You're still my God, my salvation.”</span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qt3uqneDet8/YMwUdCrdTwI/AAAAAAAAnFI/C5R4R7I5HKwLZ9ZhqFX3UjEpXGcBNXKqQCPcBGAYYCw/s2048/The%2BBirth%2Bof%2BJack-103.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qt3uqneDet8/YMwUdCrdTwI/AAAAAAAAnFI/C5R4R7I5HKwLZ9ZhqFX3UjEpXGcBNXKqQCPcBGAYYCw/s320/The%2BBirth%2Bof%2BJack-103.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dear Karla, doing for me what I have <br />done for so many other mamas</td></tr></tbody></table></li></ul><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">8:30- I lay on the bed and the kids go out so Janelle can check me. She affirms what I suspected-- I am still in early labor, only 3 cm, 75% effaced. She assures me that my cervix is coming forward and that Jack is moving down ( -1 station). I am discouraged though, telling Karla “<i>I didn’t want to do this again!”</i> Karla understands that I mean I didn’t want to have another labor like Patrick’s, in which I had to consciously resist pushing for 45 minutes and dilated very fast-- but with a lot of pain. <i>“You are just going to have to sing again, Christina. You did this before, you can do it again.</i>” Again the resigned sigh-<i>“...fine.</i>”</span></p></li></ul><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1UElq-AyOgM/YMwWR2CjxUI/AAAAAAAAnFQ/OfsKB5LehhMhQF6ff_eRj45BqVPpU3ufQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/The%2BBirth%2Bof%2BJack-112.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1UElq-AyOgM/YMwWR2CjxUI/AAAAAAAAnFQ/OfsKB5LehhMhQF6ff_eRj45BqVPpU3ufQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/The%2BBirth%2Bof%2BJack-112.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">9- Janelle has me stand against the bathroom wall doing belly lifts with Ryan’s support through several contractions. They are more and more intense and it is all I can do to try and get through them. Like with Patrick’s labor I am forced to be very present in each contraction rather than be able to zone out. This is very hard for me emotionally. Months ago, Janelle had asked me what the hardest type of labor would be in my mind, and I had said “<i>another labor like Patrick’s… but even then I guess I know I can get through it since I already did before.</i>” I remember that conversation now and struggle in my heart with dismay that I am being asked to do the same labor again. Around this time Ryan and my mom put the boys to bed.<br /></span><p></p></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_VPGcYbNYEk/YMwXVF83maI/AAAAAAAAnFY/cX7w_vUW4Z8x5RJ0isGc2umfc1dZBIYMwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/The%2BBirth%2Bof%2BJack-118.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1416" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_VPGcYbNYEk/YMwXVF83maI/AAAAAAAAnFY/cX7w_vUW4Z8x5RJ0isGc2umfc1dZBIYMwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/The%2BBirth%2Bof%2BJack-118.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">9:15- Janelle has me move to the bed to labor on my right side using a peanut ball-- this device helps open the hips, allowing the baby plenty of room to rotate and descend. It often allows for quick progress in labor but very few women find it comfortable. She tells me we will do this for 30 minutes then switch sides. I sing “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWdMrhMmCs8">To Christ the Lord</a>” and struggle very much. After a while I ask if it has been ½ an hour yet and I switch sides.<br /></span><p></p></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">9:40- Still on the peanut, now on my left side, I am mentally very weary-- “<i>I really can’t do this again!”</i> I say, more than once. Every time I am reassured “<i>yes, you can, yes, you are</i>.” I sing to give myself something to focus on, at times desperately, at times more peacefully.</span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lp9-WwHGqvM/YMwXcS18MRI/AAAAAAAAnFc/1yc3Bvnw3mcVOwRNxCeVyTrzIs2XfiNzgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/The%2BBirth%2Bof%2BJack-120.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lp9-WwHGqvM/YMwXcS18MRI/AAAAAAAAnFc/1yc3Bvnw3mcVOwRNxCeVyTrzIs2XfiNzgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/The%2BBirth%2Bof%2BJack-120.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Yes, you can!"</td></tr></tbody></table></li></ul><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">9:45- I go back on toilet, close the door, wanting to be alone and in the dark. I remember telling Janelle <i>“go away!”</i> when she asks if I want any company. After a few minutes Karla or Janelle asks, through the door-- “<i>Do you feel like you need to push?” “No, no pressure yet.</i>” Everything just is so intense, so painful. I work through the contractions as best I can, loud. After about 2 of them I realize that, “<i>yes I feel some pressure now.”</i></span></p></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">9:59- Janelle asks me through the door if I want to get in the tub again. “I’<i>m afraid I’ll jinx it” “Well don’t you want a water birth?” “Yes” “Then I think you’d better get in the tub” </i>pause, then a resigned <i>“...fine”</i> I climb back into the tub which feels so wonderful and warm. Ryan is on my left side, Janelle at my right. My mom & Eowyn are off to the right of the tub with Megan & Karla floating around and Jen behind Ryan almost in the bathroom.</span></p></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: Arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mF6O8hiKg08/YMwZOpgTLRI/AAAAAAAAnFo/UtnLTuFLHtccLUWTE-ZScZoNGBy7ddmaACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/The%2BBirth%2Bof%2BJack-140.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mF6O8hiKg08/YMwZOpgTLRI/AAAAAAAAnFo/UtnLTuFLHtccLUWTE-ZScZoNGBy7ddmaACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/The%2BBirth%2Bof%2BJack-140.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0SEaH3fjWVc/YMwZOiiI2fI/AAAAAAAAnFs/jQ2_3YW9yFMDo3A_Tuv2xpfgXfShFQ12wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/The%2BBirth%2Bof%2BJack-144.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0SEaH3fjWVc/YMwZOiiI2fI/AAAAAAAAnFs/jQ2_3YW9yFMDo3A_Tuv2xpfgXfShFQ12wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/The%2BBirth%2Bof%2BJack-144.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love the trust seen here between mama & midwife </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F8fQbbmnshM/YMwZO15z6kI/AAAAAAAAnFw/HoKuLw6kJJYxZTb8o7Mx3pD0Xh2OZ4dIwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/The%2BBirth%2Bof%2BJack-149.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F8fQbbmnshM/YMwZO15z6kI/AAAAAAAAnFw/HoKuLw6kJJYxZTb8o7Mx3pD0Xh2OZ4dIwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/The%2BBirth%2Bof%2BJack-149.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Begging Janelle to "pull him out!"</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">10:09- I start bearing down and pushing “for real”- but it feels like nothing is happening. <i>“Something’s wrong, I don’t think I’m moving him at all”</i> I say to the room at large. They tell me that I am, that they can see his head. In my mind I don’t really believe them, I think they are probably just trying to encourage me. I reach down and I can feel his head just barely at the perineum. Then the “ring of fire starts” and I tell them “<i>it hurts!</i>” Janelle reminds me to ease him out slowly. On the one hand I don’t want to endure this another minute, but on the other hand I remember the long-lasting pain of a second-degree tear with Eowyn and decide avoiding that is worth a few extra seconds of pain, so I try to only push with the contractions and pant between. Karla counts 5 pushes to bring him to crown.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-inSKEpQyqGM/YMwZpsPZTzI/AAAAAAAAnGA/cmc1uKd4--w6nFrUSuIsYdSilrD90GoyACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/The%2BBirth%2Bof%2BJack-159.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-inSKEpQyqGM/YMwZpsPZTzI/AAAAAAAAnGA/cmc1uKd4--w6nFrUSuIsYdSilrD90GoyACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/The%2BBirth%2Bof%2BJack-159.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><p></p></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">10:15- “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XTO4WiP8Bw">Joy in our Hearts” (Sara Groves) </a>is playing: <i>//Hallelujah, allelujah- Christ our joy and strength// Now with patience in our suffering/ Perseverance in our prayers/ With good reason this hope is in our hearts//" </i>
Karla says “<i>you’re bringing him down, he is right there”</i> Me- <i>“Ow ow ow ow!!</i>” Mom- “<i>He is right there, Christina</i>” Karla “<i>You’ve got this, you’ve got this”</i> Me, to Janelle- <i>“Get him out!”</i> and I mean it! She chuckles and soothes “<i>He doesn’t have a handle</i>” I think <i>of course he does, grab his ears</i>! but out loud I only grunt “<i>Yes he does!</i>... And then I whisper "<i>please, help me</i>!” I mean for Janelle to help catch him as I don’t feel I can let go of the sides of the tub. She understands and puts her hands down to help guide him out. “<i>He’s here- you’ve brought him out to his ears”</i> In my mind I think-- i</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">f you can see his ears you can use those to pull him out!! Two pushes have brought his head out. “<i>There he is!</i>” </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I give one final push and feel pressure release-- Janelle tells me to reach down and pull him out! In shock I comply, and as I have dreamed of doing for the past 5 years, I put my hands around a slippery chest under two slippery arms and pull him slowly to my chest </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“<i>Oh, Jack! Jack</i>!” </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I whisper. Around me the room fills with cheers and tears and smiles that pass from my mother to my daughter, my dear friends and my husband… but I have eyes only for this long-prayed-for-son who has opened blue eyes and looked into mine. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It is a long, perfect moment-</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">- I take in so many things; </span></p><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y-kSdQXW60g/YMwZ47lESII/AAAAAAAAnGQ/B1MrjU3IVqEiG-8q69R02RVz2xseDZcdgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/The%2BBirth%2Bof%2BJack-170.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y-kSdQXW60g/YMwZ47lESII/AAAAAAAAnGQ/B1MrjU3IVqEiG-8q69R02RVz2xseDZcdgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/The%2BBirth%2Bof%2BJack-170.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">his head isn’t molded, there’s no blood so I didn’t tear-- how is he so vernixy?-- his arms are SO rolly, how big is this boy? -- he isn’t crying, he is just watching me-- he is so peaceful, is he OK?- Yes he’s turning pink, he’s breathing, the cord is still pulsing…</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Out loud I marvel “<i>how is he so vernixy</i>?” and “<i>I can’t believe he’s real!”</i> Everyone is telling me he is beautiful, that I was amazing, and Jack has looked around and looked at me but not made a sound. I ask him- “<i>Can I hear your voice? I’m your mama!” </i> He lets out the sweetest little cry and we all swoon. I sob for joy, for relief, for all the pain of the past 2 years, in disbelief that this has actually happened, that I have labored and delivered my son into my own hands in a pool of water in my own room. Every minute of every pain, suddenly worth it. Jack closes his eyes again, safe against my heart.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KvWfJCW6rf8/YMwZywbpFnI/AAAAAAAAnGM/pZUNUEiULXMexPfECLA5uoF4tGhXfdpAQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/The%2BBirth%2Bof%2BJack-163.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KvWfJCW6rf8/YMwZywbpFnI/AAAAAAAAnGM/pZUNUEiULXMexPfECLA5uoF4tGhXfdpAQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/The%2BBirth%2Bof%2BJack-163.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at all that vernix!</td></tr></tbody></table></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mx1aiyG1ezE/YMwZy52pBII/AAAAAAAAnGI/3yaaQw6VuEkPeRm11xD8Hzj5schcwpJuACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/The%2BBirth%2Bof%2BJack-166.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1496" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mx1aiyG1ezE/YMwZy52pBII/AAAAAAAAnGI/3yaaQw6VuEkPeRm11xD8Hzj5schcwpJuACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/The%2BBirth%2Bof%2BJack-166.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It is 10:15, March 29th, and my son is born.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hciLEsrdp1E/YMwbB3_pfjI/AAAAAAAAnGk/gfjvcYpnBrMcpYu8aRCn1v906tTJF2X7QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/The%2BBirth%2Bof%2BJack-178.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hciLEsrdp1E/YMwbB3_pfjI/AAAAAAAAnGk/gfjvcYpnBrMcpYu8aRCn1v906tTJF2X7QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/The%2BBirth%2Bof%2BJack-178.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">this chunk turned out to be 11 lbs 10 oz, 22" long</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YAlHLaPh9YQ/YMwbLe2hD9I/AAAAAAAAnGo/Sy4gVbgQC3ksa2HTgR3j6_JnMup2NzwNQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/The%2BBirth%2Bof%2BJack-181.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YAlHLaPh9YQ/YMwbLe2hD9I/AAAAAAAAnGo/Sy4gVbgQC3ksa2HTgR3j6_JnMup2NzwNQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/The%2BBirth%2Bof%2BJack-181.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Proud Daddy</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BG3ATKPDdYQ/YMwbPo6edfI/AAAAAAAAnGs/tn2ruUNHasMP-Tv-g3Qe1ymQdFBA-YhrgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/The%2BBirth%2Bof%2BJack-220.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1239" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BG3ATKPDdYQ/YMwbPo6edfI/AAAAAAAAnGs/tn2ruUNHasMP-Tv-g3Qe1ymQdFBA-YhrgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/The%2BBirth%2Bof%2BJack-220.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mother & Child, Mother & Child</td></tr></tbody></table></div>Eowyn's Heirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14717363754137835260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21181534.post-89752312067697699952020-03-15T15:26:00.000-04:002020-03-17T22:26:25.232-04:00Coming Alongside a Friend who has Miscarried<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zv8l8IHOYys/Xm5-eOR_kiI/AAAAAAAAlV4/PpbJqqCH6H45y46qPyT37HFB0MrUA3jUACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/image9.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="552" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zv8l8IHOYys/Xm5-eOR_kiI/AAAAAAAAlV4/PpbJqqCH6H45y46qPyT37HFB0MrUA3jUACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/image9.jpeg" width="276" /></a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">We hear the stat</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">istics that one in every
four to five pregnancies ends in miscarriage, but it isn’t until you find yourself in
that 1 in 5, and start hearing from others about their own experiences, that
you start to grasp what that number really means… it means probably half of all
women will experience one at some point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Yet for all that, there seems to be a somewhat surprising lack of
resources for how to come alongside women & families during and after a miscarriage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So many people have no idea what to
say, whether to say anything, how to help, what’s normal… Just a lot of
questions all around. </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">After my</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> miscarriage in January of
last year, I knew what helped me and what was less helpful, and I asked for
feedback from other parents on social media, and promised to compile and
condense it all into an article… I’ve had several people ask about it in the
meantime… and… I’ve since experienced a second miscarriage (this week)–one that
was markedly different from my first-- so can speak even more to the
issue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A lot of these tips will
apply to any loss but some will be specific to miscarriage and infant loss.</span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">reach
out.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">if someone has shared with you
that they are miscarrying or recently miscarried… do something with that
knowledge.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">It probably took a lot
of courage for them to tell you.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Check in on them—call, text, best of all, </span><b style="font-size: 12pt;">an actual card</b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Set a
reminder in your phone, leave a post it note up, whatever, to remind yourself
to remember them & reach out.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">We never </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">mean</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> to forget, and
everyone knows that… but it is such a blessing to have someone remember and
tell you you aren’t alone.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><b>keep
reaching out</b>—if you know when they miscarried, put a reminder in your phone or
calendar or whatever system you use—send them a card this time next year. If
you know their due date, same.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> In the meantime, they probably are grieving every week — “one week since I lost __,” etc. One friend who experienced a stillbirth on a Thursday woke every Thursday for weeks remembering the experience with dread and new grief. Another friend who lost a daughter at 13 told me it was much like a new baby; at first you count in days, then weeks, then months and finally years from the loss. <b>All that to say, texting weekly or sending cards more than once would be a huge blessing</b>. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The
body is amazing and it remembers loss and trauma, and even when we don’t consciously
remember dates and anniversaries, our bodies do.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">One of the loneliest days for me last year was my daughter’s
10</span><sup>th</sup><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> birthday—because it was also my due date for the daughter I
will never hold… and no one else seemed to remember.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Have your kids draw some pictures and mail them one at a
time over several days or weeks. (Maybe address them & stamp them all at
once and put post-its on them as to when you will mail them.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><b>Seriously, half the battle of ministry
is just overcoming our own forgetfulness.</b>)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S8EPYCfkA4w/Xm5-diOiq3I/AAAAAAAAlWI/40_wjpgfqeQbvRELLxUYfHu7rwBYDp8ngCEwYBhgL/s1600/image8.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S8EPYCfkA4w/Xm5-diOiq3I/AAAAAAAAlWI/40_wjpgfqeQbvRELLxUYfHu7rwBYDp8ngCEwYBhgL/s320/image8.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div>
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">what
to say—this is a really hard one so I’ll keep it as broad as I can:</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><b style="font-size: 12pt;">think
about what you would want someone to say to you.</b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Send an encouraging scripture, a quote from a favorite hymn
or song, send a note about how much you love them… even just “hey, I know this
is a pretty hard time for you, and I want you to know I’m praying for you and I
love you.”</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I’ve had people say
some pretty insensitive and way-off things, but I would rather have that than
the complete silence from people who I know know my situation.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">We’re already sad—you telling us you’re
sympathizing with our sadness won’t make us more sad, I promise!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">answer
their calls and texts (and yes, call</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">ing them
back is fine if you can’t get to the phone!!</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">)—this should go without saying for friendships in
general, but just know that when someone is grieving it takes extra energy to
reach out, and when that energy seems wasted it can be quite devastating.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">help
in practical ways.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><b style="font-size: 12pt;">Please note that they may need help for a
lot longer than you’d think</b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">. Miscarriage itself can take a while (my last
one took 4 weeks from the time I first realized something was wrong) and then
there’s the physical recovery, and then there’s the emotional recovery.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">It could be a good six months or more
before your friend is back on her feet. Here is a list of practical things that
can be helpful:</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"></span><br />
<ol><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">bring snacks over; this can
be done even from a state away. It’s
often hard to keep everyone fed when Mom is down for the count. No-prep individually packaged foods can
be extra helpful.</span></li>
<li><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tKM4VyxncCw/Xm5-bBMj3KI/AAAAAAAAlV8/LqigE4vn74QexsnERIgFMAoB5fTwtYjWwCEwYBhgL/s1600/image0.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="150" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tKM4VyxncCw/Xm5-bBMj3KI/AAAAAAAAlV8/LqigE4vn74QexsnERIgFMAoB5fTwtYjWwCEwYBhgL/s200/image0.jpeg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">clean their bathrooms,
vacuum their stairs, sweep their kitchen, etc. Coming once a week for 1-2 hours
for a month could make a huge difference in their family’s quality of life—and
if you’re doing a specific task it can make sure your friend doesn’t feel
guilty for resting while you work</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">make and/or bring a meal
(not just dinner—often breakfast foods are very helpful)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">walk their dog</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">run an errand – when you offer,
try to offer specific ideas, like “can I pick up some vitamins for you?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you need any office supplies? Do you
need anything mailed?” etc.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">take their kids for an hour
or a day</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">buy them groceries—if you
don’t know them well, ask if they have any allergies or preferences</span></li>
</span></ol>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">
</span>
<br />
<ul>
</ul>
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</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rBskHVJVJYY/Xm5-dmivJVI/AAAAAAAAlWI/0uTlxbkisUk_YS_QZPmzKEpILM3VIyNigCEwYBhgL/s1600/image7.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rBskHVJVJYY/Xm5-dmivJVI/AAAAAAAAlWI/0uTlxbkisUk_YS_QZPmzKEpILM3VIyNigCEwYBhgL/s200/image7.jpeg" width="150" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">send an encouraging package—their
favorite show, a new book, a gift card, a cozy blanket—if their kids know about
the miscarriage, they may appreciate a small gift too. A subscription box for a month or two
could be a wonderful gift; a few ideas:
Mama Needs, snack boxes, sips by (tea), mighty fix (green gadgets)…</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">send nourishing foods or
teas—red raspberry leaf tea, soups, fresh fruits, etc.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">send anything that you’ve
found that helps you when you are emotionally distraught. It could be an essential oil blend, it
could be a book, it could be a tea…</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">enable them to get to <b>self care appointments like massage,
acupuncture and chiropractic</b>—and ordinary doctor appointments. This could mean driving them there,
watching their kids while they go, pooling money with another friend to buy
them a gift card to a spa, or donating your services if you are a practitioner.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">encourage them to go to
above appointments.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">encourage them to rest</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">encourage them to talk about
their loss if they want to</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">when she feels up to it,
keep the kids and let the parents go on a date. Miscarriage takes a toll on
both parents.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">guys, reach out to your
friend. They lost a child, too.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><b>honor
their child & their suffering</b>—flowers are a traditional gift, and they
really do brighten a room.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Other
gift ideas are a potted plant, a donation to a children’s charity, flower seeds,
sun-catchers, a necklace with their child’s name on it (or a birth stone for
their child’s birth month), nice pens & a blank journal…<a href="https://www.laurelbox.com/"> Laurel Box</a>
provides a great source of ideas—they will send a box to your friend, or you
can get ideas from their site and assemble your own.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Many parents choose a symbol for their child,-- a butterfly,
a flower, an anchor are a few examples-- ask your friend if they have and
incorporate that into the gift.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sw7eFCh1LsQ/Xm5-daUeZWI/AAAAAAAAlWM/gaV0PHL9R7Q2DW8sSGR9qi2_c_hv-RE9wCEwYBhgL/s1600/image6.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sw7eFCh1LsQ/Xm5-daUeZWI/AAAAAAAAlWM/gaV0PHL9R7Q2DW8sSGR9qi2_c_hv-RE9wCEwYBhgL/s200/image6.jpeg" width="150" /></a></div>
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">pray
for them.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Again, set alarms,
post-its, whatever, to remind yourself to pray.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Pray with them if you can!</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">I had a friend pray with me over the phone at my first
doctor appointment, and another pray with me in my room after my last
miscarriage.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">share good news (especially your own pregnancy news) with them privately. They will definitely want to rejoice with you... but it might take a minute. Tell them the news in a no-pressure environment, so they can have time to process before having to respond publicly.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">other
women; hug them, touch them… I know this is a fine line, <i>I</i></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">’m not even all that huggy, </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">so always leave them the
option to pull away, but most of the time, miscarriage is such a very physical
trial, where we often feel that our own bodies have betrayed us, that physical
contact can be a tangible reminder that we aren’t as alone as we feel.</span></li>
</ul>
<!--[if !supportLists]--><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>Just a few thoughts on things
to avoid-- </b></span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">I tend to dislike long lists
of “don’t ever say” because the truth is that so much depends on context… so I
will keep these general:</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Gj1umVAFhhM/Xm5-bnXOvOI/AAAAAAAAlWI/NdUV450Jq_oCdNti2lbgBUcauXdEehWBQCEwYBhgL/s1600/image10.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Gj1umVAFhhM/Xm5-bnXOvOI/AAAAAAAAlWI/NdUV450Jq_oCdNti2lbgBUcauXdEehWBQCEwYBhgL/s320/image10.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Don’t minimize the loss or
imply that they should “be over it” in any specific time frame.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> Ex “well at least you weren’t far along” or “well at least you have other kids” or “it was such an early loss, shouldn’t you be past this?” etc.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Don’t try and top their grief
story with one of your own (or your sister’s neighbor’s cousin)—identifying
with them is great—just make it clear that you are doing so to </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">validate </i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">their feelings</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Be very very slow to imply or
assume that they are handling something incorrectly—there may be a time to
gently call someone out on an unbiblical attitude or response, but that time is
usually NOT when the grief is fresh.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Don’t assume that you know
why they are sad. Especially if they have postpartum depression or anxiety,
which is a whole ‘nother topic, don’t assume that they are “sad about the
baby.”</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Anxiety and depression is
not always rational. It’s not often that someone can reason their way out of
it.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">They may be able to function
very well, they may not “seem sad’ but could be dealing with a low-level
constant nagging anxiety or distress under the surface.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Don’t assume their kids know
about the miscarriage. Don’t bring it up around their kids unless they do it
first.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Be discreet and ask!!</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">We did not share our first miscarriage
with our children for a variety of reasons. We did share our second, and at
that time also told them about our first miscarriage.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Every family is different.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Don’t assume they can’t
handle hearing about your own life struggles.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Now this is a balance, do be sensitive—when a woman has just
lost her child it might not be the best time to ask them to pray for your friend’s
cousin who just had her 3</span><sup>rd</sup><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> kid and can’t seem to keep her act
together… But don’t assume that just because they have their own pain that they
aren’t glad to carry yours, too. So often shared pain binds us all together,
and we can share each other’s burdens even if they aren’t the same.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Be sensitive about bringing
your own kids when you come by to help—again this will vary by the</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">situation and even by the day, but
sometimes extra kids will just be overwhelming to a mom who is miscarrying, and
sometimes will keep you from being able to meaningfully engage with your friend
if they want to talk.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">If you can
leave your own kids at home that can be worth exploring.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Or make a conscious plan for how you’ll
help your kids be calm and quiet—some ideas:</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">tell them ahead of time that they’ll need to play quietly or
outside, bring a movie, bring a car DVD player, bring a board game or new toy
set for them to play (with your friend’s kids possibly), or offer to bring all
the kids back to your house after you visit. But your friend may be fine with extra kids— it may be actually helpful for her kids to have playmates, she may want a little one to squeeze, she may just not mind... so ask! <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Try to avoid offering vague
help like “let me know if you need anything!”</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><b style="font-size: 12pt;">They definitely need
stuff. So how are they supposed to
let you know?</b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">When you’re in
the throes of the physical & mental toll of a miscarriage, logistics are
hard.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">It’s also hard to gauge what
a person really means when they offer (unless you know them really well)—how
inconvenienced would they really be willing to be?</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Try to think of a way that you could help and ask them if it
would be helpful, and then schedule a time to do it right then.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">For example “hey can I come walk your
dog on Thursday evening?” or “I get groceries on Monday, can I grab some for
you? Is there anything you all really love or need?”</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
I hope this is helpful... when in doubt, ask your friend... they would much rather you ask.<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FUgd9BhMSkc/Xm5-b35C4_I/AAAAAAAAlWA/FhWbKqTDR0ANZN7mZ9wdWZ0-VGQUuAVnQCEwYBhgL/s1600/image11.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 12pt; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="246" data-original-width="640" height="122" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FUgd9BhMSkc/Xm5-b35C4_I/AAAAAAAAlWA/FhWbKqTDR0ANZN7mZ9wdWZ0-VGQUuAVnQCEwYBhgL/s320/image11.jpeg" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">
</span>Eowyn's Heirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14717363754137835260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21181534.post-85107509662086130412019-07-24T15:37:00.001-04:002019-07-25T15:55:01.132-04:00Reasons Why a Christian Might Object to Vaccines on Religious Grounds<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Lately there has been an increased scrutiny on families who choose to
forego vaccines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In most states,
parents can opt out of <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">“<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">mandatory<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">”<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> vaccines for religious, philosophical<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">/personal<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">, or medical reasons and
their children must be allowed to attend public schools or publicly-funded
programs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">s families who use these exemptions come under
attack, many have asked <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><i>“</i><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><i>why would a
Christian even TRY to claim a religious exemption?</i><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><i>”</i><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><i> </i> <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Of course there are as many reasons as there are
Christians and Christian families<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">—<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">but<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> the reasons tend to occur along similar lines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">I have not seen an attempt to answer that <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">question<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">,<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> thence this paper. I hope it engenders more graciousness and open-mindedness among Believers who may disagree. I also hope it encourages more Christian schools and daycares to accept children with religious exemptions to vaccines with open arms instead of barring them and their families-- or, even better, just leaving the question of vaccine-status unasked and left up to the consciences of<i> the parents</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><i> </i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: windowtext;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: windowtext;">As
a Christian, the reasons for which some object to vaccines can be divided into
three groups: objections to
specific ingredients in vaccines (i.e. </span><i><span style="color: windowtext;">how</span></i><span style="color: windowtext;"> the vaccine(s) are produced), objections to the philosophy behind
vaccination (i.e. </span><i><span style="color: windowtext;">why</span></i><span style="color: windowtext;"> vaccines are given), and
objections stemming from the effect observed from vaccinations (i.e. </span><i><span style="color: windowtext;">what</span></i><span style="color: windowtext;"> vaccines do). While a
person from any faith could have objections which would fit into those categories, I specifically am
writing as a Christian, seeking to show how a faithful reading of Scripture
(our religious text) could lead to these objections.
Please note
that </span><b><span style="color: windowtext;">I am not trying to say all
Christians must or do interpret Scripture to lead to identical objections,</span></b><span style="color: windowtext;"> nor am I even spelling out
a full defense of my own position—I am simply
seeking to explain how Christians might come to object to the current CDC
vaccine schedule due to their religious faith. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l6 level1 lfo6; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; text-decoration: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Objections to the “how” of
vaccines:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>problems with
ingredients in vaccines themselves.</span></span></i><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most
parents begin investigating vaccines by looking <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">into how they are made and what they are made
of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just as it is good practice to
turn a prepared <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">food
item over and read its ingredient list before we eat it or serve it to others,
it is wise to know what we are consenting to have injected into our child
beforehand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(The FDA publishes all
vaccine inserts at </span></span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><a href="https://www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/vaccines/vaccines-licensed-use-united-states">fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/vaccines/v<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">accines-licensed-use-united-states</span></a></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">) <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">A cursory look at vaccine ingredients is rather
shocking:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>formaldehyde,
antifreeze, antibiotics, metals such as aluminum and mercury, and of course
disease particles—all of which must be g<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">rown on some medium or other, i<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">.e.<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> it must have been allowed to infect something so it would grow (“be
cultured”) and then it was weakened or killed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That “culture medium” could be a chicken egg, tissue from an animal (unborn cow, a
live monkey, cow blood), or an unborn human (or tissue from an unborn human).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Viruses must be grown in human or animal tissue—thus any vaccine against
a virus (<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">such as <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">measles, mumps, rubella,
influenza, polio, <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">or <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">chickenpox) will always
contain animal or human tissue. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Christians we believe the body is an integral part of who
we are as God’s Image—we reflect Him not just in our minds/thoughts and
heart/emotions but also in our physical bodies<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> (Gen 1:27; 2:7-23)<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">.<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The body is fallen <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">(Gen 3:19) <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">but will be Raised and
perfected<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> (1 Cor
15:52-53; Phil 3:21)<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Christians believe the body affects the
mind and spirit and vice-versa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
are called to honor God with everything our body does<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">—eating, drinking, sexual activi<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">ty, etc<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> (Rom 6:12-13; 1 Cor 6:15<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">-20; 9:2<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">7; 2 Cor 4:10; 7:1; 1 Thess
4:4)<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The body is the home of our own soul,
and in a Christian, </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">is part of </span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">the very temple of
God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is why Christians have
always respected the body—we have historically buried our d<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">ead, cared for the sick, <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">punished those who injured
the bodies of others, and even made damaging corpses a legally punishable
crime.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Christians are called to be
mindful of what they put into their bodies, so it is a very “Christian” thing
to ask: “what is<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> in
this shot?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many Christian
parents, after asking that question, find specific ingredients particularly
worrisome from a Christian perspective: </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div>
<ol>
<li><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: windowtext;">aborted fetal cells</span></i><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;">—Several vaccines on our schedule contain “human
diploid cells.” Those cells come from cell lines (cells in petri
dishes that are allowed to consistently grow and reproduce) that originated
with the body parts of unborn babies.
Each cell line came from a different child and each successful cell line
is the product of dozens of attempts—that means dozens of abortions were used as “stem cell
harvest opportunities.” (See <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282116974_The_serial_cultivation_of_human_diploid_cell_strains">Hayflick's paper on developing WI-38</a>, the cell line used in adenoviruses, rubella, measles, mumps, varicella zoster, poliovirus, hepatitis A and rabies vaccines) In fact,
abortionists and researchers have and continue to collaborate on opportunities
to get “perfect tissue specimens”—this may mean pressuring a mother known to
have a baby at risk
for a specific infection to abort her child rather than carry to term (ex.
rubella); this may mean targeting specific women whose babies are the right age
to “harvest” a certain tissue; this may mean changing the way the abortion is
done so that a “pristine
specimen” is harvested—never with any pause to consider that these are human
beings whose murders are being planned and discussed (though their very
humanity is what makes their tissues so desired)—</span><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: windowtext;">images of God.</span></i><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;"> The most recently approved cell line comes from a “water bag” abortion done in 2015, in
which a </span><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;">4 month gestation baby girl</span><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;"> was delivered in</span><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;"> her</span><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;"> bag of wat</span><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;">ers</span><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;">, and </span><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;">s</span><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;">he was butchered for </span><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;">her lung tissue</span><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;"> while still alive without
so much as a shot of anesthesia.</span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?rinli=1&pli=1&blogID=21181534#_ftn1" name="_ftnref" style="text-indent: -0.25in;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">[1]</span></span></a><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;"> Yes,
such an abortion is illegal
in the US, but that will not stop US child</span><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;">ren from receiving shots in
which</span><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;"> that cell line is used.
Also, cell lines only last about the length of a human life; thus new
cell lines are constantly being developed… as long as the market demands human cell lines, abortions
will be done and used to provide them, leaving men to profit financially from a
child’s planned death.</span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?rinli=1&pli=1&blogID=21181534#_ftn2" name="_ftnref" style="text-indent: -0.25in;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">[2]</span></span></a><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;"> Is
this in line with God’s assertion that the taking of a human life is a crime
deserving of death? </span><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: windowtext;">Christians who believe every human is created in God’s Image purposefully by Him</span></b><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: windowtext;"> </span></b><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;">(</span><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;">Gen 25:21; 30:22; Ps 127:3-5) </span><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;">Is 6:9),</span><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: windowtext;"> known by Him since the
moment of conception</span></b><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: windowtext;"> </span></b><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;">(</span><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;">Is 44:24; </span><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;">Jer 1:5; Ps 139:13-16), </span><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: windowtext;">may object to any medication that
contains products obtained through any killing of a human, no matter the age… especially when such a medication will be
injected directly into our own child’s body.</span></b></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: windowtext;"><i>bovine tissue</i></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;"> – in the
beginning, mankind’s job was to care for the plants and animals of the
Earth—this continues even after the Fall (Gen 2:15-20). We see Noah gathering and saving plants
and animals (Gen 6-7), we read Jewish law
prohibiting animal cruelty</span><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;"> (Deut 5:14; 14:21; 25:4)</span><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;">. Even as Jesus asserts that compassion for humans is even
more important than compassion for animals, He assumes that His hearers’ care for their beasts of
burden is normal and good (Luke 14:5)…
we even call ethical treatment of animals </span><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: windowtext;">humane</span></i><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;">, because it is such an integral part of being </span><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: windowtext;">human-</span></i><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;"> unlike a beast</span><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: windowtext;">. Christians
then may object to any product that depends on or causes undue animal suffering.</span></b><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;"> “Fetal
Bovine Serum” is
obtained by puncturing
an unborn calf’s heart
</span><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;">after its</span><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;"> mother is slaughtered—again with no anesthetic (that would contaminate the tissue). </span><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;">The calf’s heart needs to
be still beating in order to harvest the maximum amount of blood. </span><span class="MsoFootnoteReference" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?rinli=1&pli=1&blogID=21181534#_ftn3" name="_ftnref" style="text-indent: -0.25in;" title="">[3]</a></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"><br /></span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: windowtext;">injections of known poisons</span></i><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: windowtext;"> </span></b><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;">(s</span><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;">uch as formaldehyde, </span><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;">MSG, </span><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;">antifreeze, antibiotics</span><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;">, aluminum)</span><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;">- As explained above, Christians view the body as something
for which they must
care and steward well. Living in this fallen world will
certainly mean interacting with potentially harmful materials, and Christians remember
that God promises to use all those for our own good and the good of our
children (Rom 8:28; James 1:2-4). However, there is a difference
between accepting the reality that sickness, harm and suffering </span><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: windowtext;">will </span></i><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;">come to our
children (and their
bodies) and intentionally injecting
known poisons into our children </span><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: windowtext;">ourselves</span></i><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;">, in doses known to be harmful in humans</span><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;">. If we saw a friend giving their child the contents of a
vaccine mixed into applesauce, we would be alarmed and call poison control
(rightly so)—yet an injection bypasses all normal defense mechanisms (skin, mucus
membranes, stomach acid, digestive enzymes and beneficial bacteria, expulsive pathways such as
coughing or vomiting) and puts the poison directly into the child, unlike
anything in the natural world with the exception of a snake’s venom. </span><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: windowtext;">Christians may object to the intentional introduction of known poisons directly into
their child’s body as an assault on an aspect of God’s Image.</span></b></li>
</ol>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Objections to the “why” of
vaccines:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>problems with the
philosophy of vaccination itself<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></i><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Christians have a lens
through which they see the whole world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They belie<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">ve
that there is a good, sovereign Creator who created this world with order and
beauty, intentionally to bear witness to His own Order and Beauty<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> (Gen 1-2; 1 Cor 14:40<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">; Psalm 148<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">)<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">. Everything points back to a marvelous
Creator—the stars sing of His majest<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">y<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> (Psalm 8:1)<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">,
the flowers of His provision<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> (Luke 12:27)<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">,
the <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">storms of His
might<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> (Psalm 148:8)<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">—so that no one has an
excuse of not knowing He exists<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> (Psalm 19:1; Rom 1:20)<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mankind was created to
reflect God’s glory and to care for and tend God’s creatio<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">n in the same way He cares
for us—we are His ambassadors, we bear His Image.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Christians believe that even though the sin of man
introduced evil into the world, meaning nothing works perfectly anymore and now
all tends towards chaos (entropy) and disorder,<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> that the fundamental created Order did not
change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our job did not change<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> (Psalm 8)<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And one Day, all will be remade new and perfectly beautiful
again<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But until then, humans are still called
to “exercise dominion” over the earth and fill it with “the <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Glory of the Lord as the
water fills the sea.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">We are still able <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">to marvel at the Creator
who so masterfully created the millions of intricate systems that we observe at
every level of creation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Many Christians find that the very system of childhood <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">preventative vaccinations
goes against this created order and so</span></span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">,</span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> may object to them.</span></span></b></div>
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<ol>
<li><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: windowtext;">exercising dominion-</span></i><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;"> In the beginning, humans
were tasked with “exercising dominion” over all of Creation (animal, plant, and
presumably also even microbes),</span><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;"> by properly </span><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;">“</span><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;">husbanding</span><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;">” or tending it, NOT by seeking the annihilation of any one species. As we have learned to our own detriment
multiple times, every area has an ecosystem with each living being needed
within it. The extinction of any
one type of living thing has far-reaching effects. And
invariably, when one species is killed, others fill their places in food webs
(though often not as perfectly as the original species did). Why would we think that the
annihilation of microbes would be beneficial? Vaccine campaigns seek to “eradicate” a specific disease by rendering all its hosts
immune; presumably without a food source (hosts) the microbes will just die
out. However, as with any
ecosystem, the elimination of one species will merely create a vacuum, which other types of similar beings –in this case other bacteria
or viruses—will fill. It would
seem that vaccine campaigns are not only pointless and untenable in the long
run, but even against the spirit of exercising dominion in a Biblical sense,
which would mean
seeking to find and maintain order within Creation—perhaps by seeking to find
ways to strengthen the host so disease is no longer as problematic, or by
encouraging beneficial bacteria.</span><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: windowtext;"> Christians may object to
vaccines b</span></b><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: windowtext;">ecause they view them as
antitheti</span></b><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: windowtext;">cal to the mandate of exercising dominion and tending living beings.</span></b><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: windowtext;"><br /></span></i></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: windowtext;"><i>the created
order of the childhood immune system </i>–</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;"> belief in a good, wise and
orderly Creator leads us to appreciate the intricate systems He designed. One such system is the immune
system. The human immune system contains
at least two reactive branches; <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T_helper_cell#Th1/Th2_model">the humoral or Th2 (mediated by antibodies made by B lymphocytes) and cell-mediated or Th1 (mediated by T lymphocytes)</a>. Inflammatory responses such as <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11113021">fevers,</a>
swelling, soreness and redness are all part of a cell-mediated immune response.
In infancy, the cell-mediated immune response is actively suppressed, because inflammation is harmful to a
rapidly developing brain—this is why it is very concerning when a young baby gets a fever. As
doctors know, young babies </span><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: windowtext;">should not get fevers.</span></i><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;"> The baby
human body is designed to by default </span><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: windowtext;">not</span></i><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;"> react to disease. Instead, the baby’s immune system purposefully relies mainly on
the humoral immune system; that of antibodies—not their own, but their
mother’s, passed to them through her milk, <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000821.htm">or remaining from the placenta during pregnancy</a>. Vaccines aim to force an inflammatory response. Trials of vaccines
in young babies did not
show good responses—babies’
immune systems (as designed) just didn’t react, they didn’t make antibodies…
<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17548093">this is why extra-strong ingredients guaranteed to provoke inflammation had to be added: adjuvants, </a>usually heavy metals (aluminum or mercury). </span><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: windowtext;">Christians may
object to a childhood vaccination program that turns the created order on its
head, trying to strong arm an immune system to </span></b><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: windowtext;">act in ways it never was D</span></b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: windowtext;"><b>esigned to do. </b>(thorough examination of this topic <a href="http://www.beyondconformity.org.nz/hilarys-desk/vaccines-and-neonatal-immune-development">here</a>)</span></span><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: windowtext;"><br /></span></i></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: windowtext;"><i>misplaced trust</i>—</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;">in both the Old and New
Testaments, God tells His people they must trust in Him alone. This is why witchcraft was expressly forbidden—the effort to gain power and
control events was exactly against what trust in Him entails</span><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;"> (Lev 19:31; 20:6,27; Deut
18:10-14; Gal 5:19-21; Rev 18:23; 21:8)</span><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;">. Does the
making of a serum—including diseased animal particles, multiple poisons, and
metal, and then injecting in into a child with the faith that it will protect
them against disease—not
sound at least somewhat like the making of magical amulets? Especially when this practice is defended with a religious fervor? </span><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;">(Incidentally, t</span><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;">he Greek word </span><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;">used </span><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;">for </span><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;">“</span><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;">witchcraft</span><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;">” in the New Testament</span><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;"> is </span><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: windowtext;">pharmakaia</span></i><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;">, the same word from which we get our word “pharmaceutical.”) Over and over in Scripture Christians are told not to be afraid, but
instead to put their trust in God—and make decisions out of faith, NOT fear.</span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?rinli=1&pli=1&blogID=21181534#_ftn4" name="_ftnref" style="text-indent: -0.25in;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">[4]</span></span></a><span style="color: windowtext; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: windowtext;">Christians may object to
being required to put
their trust in any one medical regimen, as opposed to freely making choices in faith in God
(not out of fear).</span></b></li>
</ol>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Objections to the “what” of
vaccines:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>problems regarding the
observed effect of vaccines and vaccine schedule today</span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></i><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Vaccines are no longer just
an idea, now they have multiple years and even two generations of data<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">—Christians evaluating them
for use in their own families now also have to consider whether the potential
and actual </span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">effects</span></span></i><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> of vaccines are in line
with their beliefs. </span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">neighbor-</span></span></i><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">love</span></span></i><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">– the entire
Law which Christians are c</span></span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">alled to obey is summed up as:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>L</span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">ove God u</span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">ltimately and completely, and l</span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">ove </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">your</span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> neighbor as </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">your </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">self.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">(</span></span></span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+22%3A35-40&version=9" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Matthew 22:35–40</span></span></a><span style="background: white; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">,</span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> </span></span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+12%3A28-34&version=9" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Mark 12:28–34</span></span></a><span style="background: white; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">,</span></span><span style="background: white; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> </span></span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+10%3A27a&version=NRSV" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Luke</span></span><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> 10:27</span></span></a><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">) </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Christians always have to evaluate whether their actions are honoring to
God and loving to their neighbor, the nearest of which is their own child (1 Tim 5:8) Vaccines all have risk; according to the Supreme Court they are “unavoidably
unsafe”</span></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?rinli=1&pli=1&blogID=21181534#_ftn5" name="_ftnref" style="text-indent: -0.25in;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;">[5]</span></span></span></a><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">There
is a fund set up (from taxes paid on vaccines) to pay damages to parents of children injured by vaccines—it is called the <a href="https://www.hrsa.gov/vaccine-compensation/index.html">National V</a><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><a href="https://www.hrsa.gov/vaccine-compensation/index.html">accine In</a><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><a href="https://www.hrsa.gov/vaccine-compensation/index.html">jury Compensation Program.</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><a href="https://www.hrsa.gov/vaccine-compensation/index.html"> </a> </span>(This is intended to protect the manufacturers of said
vaccines from all responsibility and accountability for vaccine injuries</span></span></span></span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">,</span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> not to protect </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">vaccine recipients</span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each vaccine insert outlines those for
whom the vaccine is con<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">traindicated, as well as listing potential reactions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If any parent reading those feels that
it would not be loving to their child to put them at risk for those
reactions<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>--especially taking into
account their own family’s history, genetics, and the chil<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">d’s own past vaccine
reactions, health, and genetics—then the Christian parent may believe that it
would </span></span></span></span><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">not </span></span></i><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">be loving to their child to
administer that vaccine.<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Christians are never asked
to love their far-away neighbors by putting their </span></span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">nearer-</span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">neighbors<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> at risk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are told to be ready to lay down
their own lives, but not anyone else’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is not Biblically valid to appeal to the command to “love your
neighbor” to entice them to vaccinate their child for the sake of “herd
immunity.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Christians are n<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">ever called to love someone
else or other group by doing something unloving (endangering) to any one
person.<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Christian parents may believe that giving their child a particular
vaccine would violate God’s command to love their neighbor (their child).</span></span></b><span class="MsoFootnoteReference" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?rinli=1&pli=1&blogID=21181534#_ftn6" name="_ftnref" style="text-indent: -0.25in;" title="">[6]</a></span></span></b></span><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><br /></span></span></i></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><i>right to parental autonomy</i></span></span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">- <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Scripture is very clear that parents are </span></span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">primarily </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">responsible for their
children</span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> (Prov <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">10:1,
15:20, 17:25, <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">22:6,
15)</span></span></span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">, that the family is a crucial foundation of society</span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">and that children are
required to obey their parents first<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> and foremost</span></span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> (<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Ex 20:12, 21:15; <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Deut 5:16<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">, 21:18-21<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">; <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Prov <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">15:5, <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">20:20; <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Mark 7:10-13; <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Eph 6:1-3<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">; Col 3:20<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">; 1 Tim 5:4<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">)</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Parents are responsible for their children, not the State<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> (Prov 19:18; 23:13-14;<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> 29:15-17; Col 3:21; Heb
12:7-9<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">)<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">(Indeed
our first resp<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">onsibility
is to care for all our blood relatives, and secondly to care for the needy
within our spiritual family, the Church—1 Tim 5:8)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">It is a Christian principle
to believe in parental responsibility and autonomy, which go hand in hand.
Vaccine program<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">s
apply a one-size-fits-all approach to all children without considering the
individual child. </span></span></span><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Christians may object to
anything that interferes with their</span></span></b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> </span></span><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">God-given responsibility to protect their own child.
</span></span></b></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><i><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">lack of wisdom</span></span></span> -</i>There is evidence that vaccines, especially cumulatively over time, <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">alter the vaccinated person’s DNA. One mechanism by which this can happen is that human DNA fragments present in the stem cells (taken from aborted babies as mentioned above) can integrate<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> into their host’s DNA. </span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?rinli=1&pli=1&blogID=21181534#_ftn7" name="_ftnref" style="text-indent: -0.25in;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;">[7]</span></span></span></a><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> It should be noted that
vaccines are not tested for mutagenic potential. This is just one of many unforeseen effects which
vaccines—especially when more than one are given at once, and given quickly in
a short span of time—can have. Most vaccines themselves have never actually been tested against an inert placebo; their safety studies have no control groups.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One group of children will be given one vaccine, the other group another version of the same vaccine, or at least the same vaccine (including all the adjuvants and other toxic ingredients) just without the disease particles, but no group will receive a saline shot—there is no standard by which to judge the vaccinated g<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">roup’s outcome… for any of our childhood vaccines. Christians are instructed to be wise all throughout Scripture (Prov 4:5; 19:8; Matt 10:16) <b>Christians may object to (a) vaccine(s) because they believe to use them/it would violate the Biblical admonition to be wise.</b></span></span></span></li>
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<span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">I have attempted in this paper to summarize the main types of reasons why
Christian parents may object to the current CDC-recommended vaccine schedule on
religious grounds—as Christians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">I should also note that <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">healthy <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">unvaccinated children do
not pose any additional risk to others around them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are not contagious for any disease.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course if any child becomes sick, or
is around someone who was sick and so is possibly incubating an illness, they
could pass on that<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">
illness—vaccinated or no<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">t<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">, <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">“<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">vaccine-preventable illness<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">”<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> or no<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">t<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>B<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">ut
a healthy child is just that:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">a healthy child.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, for certain attenuated
viruses, such as that which causes whooping cough, those who are </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">vaccinated</span></span></i><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> are actually more likely to <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">be contagious without knowing it (they </span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">are asymptomatic) and for
longer than those who have never been vaccinated. </span></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?rinli=1&pli=1&blogID=21181534#_ftn8" name="_ftnref" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[8]<!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> (See “</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><a href="https://thinkingmomsrevolution.com/an-open-letter-to-legislators-currently-considering-vaccine-legislation-from-tetyana-obukhanych-phd-in-immunology/">An Open Letter to Legislators Currently Considering Vaccine Legislation,</a>”
by Tetyana Obukhanych, PhD in Immunology</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">, for a fuller expl<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">anation of this.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">So the question remains… why would any organization
that claims to be built on Christian religious principles obj<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">ect to parents living out
those same Christian religious principles, as they best understand them to
apply to their own ch<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">ild(ren)?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wouldn’t it make more sense for such an
organization to welcome them and provide them safe haven?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><i>Especially since their
children pose NO additional threat to anyone else? </i>Shouldn't Christian leaders be defending the rights of parents to follow their consciences and encouraging all Christian parents to be evaluating every decision they make from a Biblical worldview, instead of simply following our culture's assumptions and expectations?</span></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">No matter what, Christians <i>should</i> be able to discuss such issues with one another knowledgeably and graciously, even if they disagree. It is not Biblically valid to say that someone is "unloving" and "unChristlike" merely because they disagree with you or a popularly held position. However, it <i>is</i> Biblically valid to say that someone is "unloving" if they are belittling, demeaning, or name-calling someone with whom they disagree. I hope and pray that this paper contributes to this conversation in an informed, gracious, rigorous and Christ-exalting way.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?rinli=1&pli=1&blogID=21181534#_ftnref" name="_ftn1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[1]<!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> See “</span></span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4526020/"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Characteristics and viral <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">propagation properties of a new human dipl</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">oid cell line, W</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4526020/">alvax-2, and its suitability as a candidate cell substrate for vaccineproduction</a>” by </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Bo Ma et al</span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">,</span></span></i><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> </span></span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4526020/"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Hum Vaccin Immunother</span></span></i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">apy</span></span></i><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> 2015 April.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Note the reason given for abortion (mother had had a
previous c-section) as well as the rigorous research into the parents’ health
and employment histories, going back 5 generations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was clearly planned and very intentionally done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eth<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">ical barriers present in the US which are lacking in
China are also mentioned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
abortion was done in China and would have been illegal in the </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">US. Nine abortions were involved in the making of this
new cell line (Walvax-2).</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?rinli=1&pli=1&blogID=21181534#_ftnref" name="_ftn2" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[2]<!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">This use of fetal tissue o<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">btained in truly disgusting ways – intentional
dismemberment, timed poisoning, drowning, live organ harvesting, pressure on
pregnant women in order to benefit from their child’s death- is by no means
unique to the vaccine industry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>See “<a href="https://aasldpubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/lt.22322">Efficient human fe</a><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><a href="https://aasldpubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/lt.22322">tal liver cell isolation protocol based on vascular perfusion for livercell-based therapy and case report on cell transplantation</a>.”</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Gridelli B, et
al. 2012</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">, for just one example.
Note how</span></span><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> unborn babies </span></span><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">are </span></span><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">delivered "intact"- read <i>alive</i>- at 5 months gestation, thrown into<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> icy saline, and cut
open within the hour to harvest their livers. No drugs are ever given, no
sedatives, no anesthesia. These children are delivered live and cal</span></span></span><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">lously either allowed to
drown, </span></span><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">freeze or die by having their li<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">vers sliced open. This happens at our very own
Allegheny Women’s Clinic so that fetal liver</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> stem cells </span></span><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">can be obtained for </span></span><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">University of Pennsylvania
(tax</span></span><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">-payer supported!).</span></span><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">So much medical and
pharmaceutical research rests on the harvesting (let’s be hon<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">est- the torture and
butchering) of the unborn that it has predicted its own disaster and collapse
if such atrocities are stopped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">(</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">See article by NBC "<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/what-fetal-tissue-research-why-it-important-medicine-n1014481">What is fetal tissue research and why is it important to medicine?</a>"</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">) </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Many Christians h<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">ave serious reservations about supporting such an industry at all, much
less trusting them to have their living children’s best interests at
heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?rinli=1&pli=1&blogID=21181534#_ftnref" name="_ftn3" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[3]<!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> F</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">or a discussion on the ethics behind fetal bovine serum harvesting, see “</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/11396187_The_use_of_fetal_bovine_serum_Ethical_or_scientific_problem">The use of fetal bovine serum:</a><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/11396187_The_use_of_fetal_bovine_serum_Ethical_or_scientific_problem"> ethical or scientific problem</a>?” by </span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Carlo E. A.
Jochems et al.</span></span></i></span></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?rinli=1&pli=1&blogID=21181534#_ftnref" name="_ftn4" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[4]<!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> Just to be clear, there is nothing inherently
unbiblical about </span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">choosing</span></span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> to use modern medications or procedures, but whatever resources a
Christian uses should be used with prayer and faith </span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">in God</span></span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">, not in the medicine/procedure itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, the “how, why and what”
questions presented here to evaluate vaccines from a Chri<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">stian perspective would
form a good rubric for evaluating all medications or procedures:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>investigating how any medication
was researched and made, asking whether it is working against the created
order, weighing potential risk and side effects carefully,<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> etc.</span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?rinli=1&pli=1&blogID=21181534#_ftnref" name="_ftn5" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[5]<!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES - BRUESEWITZ ET AL.
v. WYETH LLC, FKA WYETH, INC., ET AL. October 2010—Majority opinion:
(<a href="https://www.supremecourt/">https://www.supremecourt</a></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><a href="http://.gov/opinions/10pdf/09-152.pdf">.gov/opinions/10pdf/09-152.pdf</a>)
</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Minority dissent <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/pdf/09-152P.ZD">here</a>. This is regarding a court case against a vaccine manufacturer by parents of a child who was harmed by a vaccine.</span></span></span></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?rinli=1&pli=1&blogID=21181534#_ftnref" name="_ftn6" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[6]<!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> A quick note just to address the objection “but it’s
more unloving to leave your child at risk of disease”—as will be discussed
below, there are no studies comparing unvaccinated children and vaccinated <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">so we have no data by which
to evaluate whether vaccinated children really do experience lower rates of
disease (both chronic and infectious).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><a href="https://cfmofgreer.com/observations-on-the-immunization-controversy/">Doctors who treat both types of children say that the unvaccinated do not tend to be sicker</a>
(and thus the unvaccinated kids are </span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">less</span></span></i><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> l<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">ikely to be
contagious).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">There is one study that compared kids unvaccinated and
vaccinated for flu, and it found that kids who’d gotten the flu shot actually
were ill MORE than those who had a placebo—the conclusion was that the vaccine
may increase susce<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">ptibility
to non-flu respiratory illnesses. (see “</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">I<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3404712/">ncreased Risk of Noninfluenza Respiratory Virus
Infections Associated With Receipt of Inactivated Influenza Vaccine</a></span></span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3404712/"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">” by</span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> </span></span></i><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Benjamin Cowling et al.</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> </span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Clinical Infectious Diseases</span></span></i><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> 2012 June)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Another study found that children were more at risk of getting a serious
illness within 2 weeks of getting a flu shot (see </span></span><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">“</span></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="mso-field-code: "HYPERLINK \0022https\:\/\/www\.sciencedirect\.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0264410X18303153?via%3Dihub\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022";"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span id="goog_1174299533"></span>Assessment of t<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">emporally-related acute
respiratory illness following influenza vaccination</span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">” by </span></span><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Rikin S al</span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">.</span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> </span></span></i><i><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Vaccine</span></span></i><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">. 2018<span id="goog_1174299534"></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">) </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Also, there are many ways of supporting the body’s own
immune system to fight all disease, not just the 15 currently vaccinated
against in <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">childhood—many
of these have been studied (a few:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><a href="https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/91/5/1255/4597253">Vitamin D</a>, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/why-handwashing.html">hand washing</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4848651/">elderberry syrup</a> (also <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15080016">this study</a>), <a href="http://orthomolecular.org/resources/omns/v09n16.shtml">Vitamin C</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11869601">Vitamin A</a>, lowering of stress, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2783630/#R4">ownership of pets</a>, <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.3181/00379727-83-20456">adequate sleep</a>, a whole foods diet</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">, <a href="https://www.nber.org/papers/w10511.pdf">adequate plumbing</a></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">) for efficacy and found to be very p<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">rotective against
disease.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Vaccination is but one
among many efforts parents can make to protect their child from being seriously
harmed by disease in this fallen world</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">.</span></span><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<div id="ftn" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?rinli=1&pli=1&blogID=21181534#_ftnref" name="_ftn7" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[7]<!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> See </span></span><a href="http://www.soundchoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/DNA_Contaminants_in_Vaccines_Can_Integrate_Into_Childrens_Genes.pdf"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">“</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Spontaneous Integration of
Human DNA Fragments into Host Genome</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">” by</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> </span></span></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><a href="http://www.soundchoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/DNA_Contaminants_in_Vaccines_Can_Integrate_Into_Childrens_Genes.pdf">K. Koyama,</a><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><a href="http://www.soundchoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/DNA_Contaminants_in_Vaccines_Can_Integrate_Into_Childrens_Genes.pdf"> T. A. Deisher</a></span></span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> </span></span></i><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?rinli=1&pli=1&blogID=21181534#_ftnref" name="_ftn8" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[8]<!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> See “</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24277828">Acellular pertussis vaccines protect against disease but fail to preventinfection and transmission in a nonhuman primate model” by Jason M. Warfel etal., 2013</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Also, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11083851">this study</a> found vaccination caused a <i>decrease</i> in the adult <span id="goog_1174299512"></span><span id="goog_1174299513"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a>body's response to pertussis. </span>An excellent discussion
of this phenomenon</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> (the
vaccinated spreading d<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">isease
more than the unvaccinated)</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">, due to “original antigenic sin</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">,</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">” can be found <a href="http://www.beyondconformity.co.nz/hilarys-desk/whooping_cough_and_chameleons"><span style="color: black;">here</span>.</a></span></span></div>
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Eowyn's Heirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14717363754137835260noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21181534.post-34394102795782861912018-02-25T17:34:00.000-05:002018-02-25T18:10:12.837-05:00Lent for Littles: Making Room to Listen & Grow<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hunger-God-Desiring-through-Fasting/dp/0891079661/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1519597460&sr=1-2&keywords=hunger+for+god&linkCode=li2&tag=mamszr-20&linkId=2f6eba4d8c2ba3eea918fa05b37a5a99" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0891079661&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=mamszr-20" /></a>My friend Jenny came up to me at church and pitched the idea to me: <i>"I really want to make Easter more special to my kids-- at least as special as Christmas, because, you know... to a Christian it's supposedly the most important day in the year. So, I was thinking-- could you maybe teach a lesson and some songs for <img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=mamszr-20&l=li2&o=1&a=0891079661" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />the church playgroups I'm hosting during Lent? I can do a craft if you do!!"</i> Always up for a teaching challenge-- especially one including music!-- I said "sure!" But as my mouth was forming the "sure" my brain was whirring, <i>How in the world am I going to teach "Lent" to a bunch of toddlers??</i> I started praying and brainstorming and finally took my pink journal out during naptime and started brain-dumping everything I had learned or knew or wondered or had heard about Lent, fasting, and Easter. I re-read parts of John Piper's <i><a href="http://amzn.to/2EQIGej">A Hunger for God</a></i>, and the children's book <i><a href="http://amzn.to/2BQa09u">Make Room</a>, </i>and prayed more. I read about Jesus' time in the wilderness, read about the children of Israel in the wilderness. The Lord brought Hebrews 12:1-2 to mind as great theme verses for the concepts swirling in my head and a skeleton of a lesson emerged. I think it worked rather well so I'm posting it here in the hopes that it might encourage others!<br />
<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=mamszr-20&l=li2&o=1&a=1612616593" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Make-Room-Childs-Guide-Easter/dp/1612616593/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1519597394&sr=1-4&keywords=making+room&linkCode=li2&tag=mamszr-20&linkId=f94266f00ee5549b697c388c61ad9f87" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1612616593&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=mamszr-20" /></a><br />
-------------------------------------------------------<br />
<i>Making Room to Listen & Grow</i><br />
Hebrews 12:1, Matthew 4:1-11; Deuteronomy 8:1-10<br />
<br />
I recruited my 8 year old daughter to help me with a little skit (which she relished!).<br />
<br />
She came quite literally running in, dressed in shorts and sneakers, with a headband and jersey on. She also carried in her hand boxes of toys, several purses and an armload of books, with a backpack on her back. She quite theatrically stumbled and everything went flying!<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bOZSgunrvhs/WpM5W84-5bI/AAAAAAAAjNk/mGXz-XX-Ju8q4f8muRSrA664wsUHfn_WgCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_9024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bOZSgunrvhs/WpM5W84-5bI/AAAAAAAAjNk/mGXz-XX-Ju8q4f8muRSrA664wsUHfn_WgCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_9024.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">this picture of E dressed as a runner <br />
(from Jan 2016) always makes me laugh</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i>Woah, woah! Where are you going?</i><br />
<i>Oh, I'm going on a run!!</i><br />
<i>Well, why are you carrying all these things? You can't possibly run very well with all that!</i><br />
<i>Oh, but I LOVE these things!! This is my favorite doll! And these are really REALLY good books!! And I might want to play a game... and in my backpack I have all kinds of snacks, and a sweater if I get cold...</i><br />
<i>Kids, do you think it's a good idea to take all this with her on a run? (NOOOO) Honey, I think you're going to get hurt! </i><br />
<i>But these are all GOOD things, Mom!!</i><br />
<i>They totally might be, but sometimes we have to put some things down in order to do other things well! You'll be able to run much faster, and you can see where you're going... Actually, we're about to talk about this-- do you want to take a little rest and listen? </i><br />
<i>Ok, I guess I can do that! </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
So, like Eowyn and I were just learning, sometimes we have to say "no" or "not now" to GOOD things in order to do other things, or do things better. Did you know there is a Bible verse about this? We're going to need to stand up to sing this one! (This is the tune from VBS Reachout Adventures' <i>Olympion</i>) This song is about throwing off things that "hinder" us-- do you know that word? It means "gets in our way and slows us down."<br />
<br />
<br />
"Hebrews 12:1, Hebrews 12:1, Let us run run run (run in place) the race marked out for us (motion to self)
There...fore.... since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses (spin around)<br />
let us throw off (throwing off motion) everything that hinders,<br />
and the sin that so easily entangles (pretend to pull a rope from around feet)<br />
and let us run with perseverance (running motion)<br />
the race (clap clap)<br />
marked out (clap clap)<br />
for us.<br />
Let us run run run (running in slow mo)<br />
Run with perseverance<br />
Let us run run run<br />
The race marked out for us<br />
Let us throw off everything that hinders (throwing off motion)<br />
And let us run run run (running) the race marked out for us."<br />
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The Bible uses a "race" to help us understand what we are doing-- we are all trying to follow Jesus and live like He did, in a way that obeys and shows love to God. That's what is called the "race of faith." So when we say we are going to "run run run" in that song we are talking about how we live.<br />
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Did you know that a long long time ago, God wanted to teach His people about putting some things away for a little while so that they could learn to listen to His Word better? This is a picture of the Israelites in the desert. Do you see any flowers or trees? What about nice gardens and farms? No... there isn't anything like that. God called His people away from those for a little while. But look at what amazing things He gave them instead! This is a picture of Him feeding them with manna-- the bread of angels!! It fell from Heaven! That is so special, something they never would have enjoyed if they were still eating their own food from their own gardens! And look at this! Water from a rock! And best of all, God's own Law coming down from Heaven at Mount Sinai!! God called His people into the desert to teach them His Word. They spent 40 years learning obedience and trust in His Word in the desert.<br />
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Did you know Jesus also spent time in the desert? Not 40 years, but 40 days. Right after His baptism-- which many of you learned about in Sunday School just last week!-- God the Father called Him into the desert to learn obedience and trust in His Word, too. Jesus didn't just leave behind gardens and flowers-- He went without ALL food! How do you think He felt? Hungry!! But He had all kinds of time to listen to His Father and think about His word. He was ready when His Enemy, the devil, that old serpent came to try and trick Him. Oh... I am not sure if you are ready to see this picture. It's kind of scary. Are you ready? Ok.<br />
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<i>Jesssssssus, I know you are hungry... why not just make yourself some bread? You don't need to wait for God the Father to give you food.</i> And Jesus said "No, Satan! don't you remember what the Israelites learned in the desert? Obeying God's Word is more important than worrying about food!" <i>Jesssusssss, I know you want to become king of the world... instead of going to the Cross, why don't you worship me instead? Then I'll make you king!" </i>"NO! God's Word says-- worship God only!" <i>Jessussssss, why don't you show everyone and Yourself just how amazing you are-- jump off this high place and let the angels catch you! God's Word says they can do that!</i> NO, God's Word also says "do not put God to the test!"<br />
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After Satan had tried all these temptations and Jesus had said NO to them all, Satan gave up and left (for then)-- and do you know who came then? Angels actually did come, and the Bible says they took care of Him-- maybe they brought Him manna just like the Israelites had.<i> </i><br />
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So in both of those stories, for a time, God called His people to put aside very good things-- like trees, gardens, even food!-- to make room for Him to teach them His Word and to listen better to Him. Like that verse said, sometimes there are things that are "hindering" us and we need to throw them off so we can run. Sometimes there also is sin tangling our legs up, and we need to ask God to help us repent and stop that too!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With all these great things there are no room for flowers!</td></tr>
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I know this is kind of tricky to understand so I have one more picture for you. Let's imagine that you are this little boy (hold up a Playmobil boy) and this cardboard box is your garden. Let's pretend you really want to have lots of flowers in your garden! But first... you put in a bench like this. See? It fits so nicely! And now you can sit and enjoy your flowers! Then you get an idea of some rocks to climb on, so you put those in too! See? I made a little rock path. But then you remember that merry-go-rounds are really fun, and<br />
you decide to put one of those in! And last of all you decide you really really REALLY want this slide and monkey bar set! Ok... now for the flowers. OH NO!! Where will they fit??<br />
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They won't!! <br />
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Are the bench, monkey bars, slide, and rocks BAD things? No... but we might need to take some things out of this little garden to make room for flowers. Wow! Look how beautiful the flowers are! That's what Lent is all about: making room in our lives to listen better to God. Your moms and dads probably will be talking about what they are putting aside -- a good thing they are going to stop doing or enjoying for the next 40 days, because they think it might be hindering them a little bit. It might be going to Target... it might be watching a show... it might be a special food... These are things that are good, but sometimes we need to put them aside to make room for better things. This is called a "fast." Often God uses fasts to teach His people things about His Word and Himself. We make room to listen so we can "grow." We let go so we can "run" better.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Now there is lots of room for flowers!</td></tr>
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Now we are all about to make some crafts with flowers and seeds-- these will help you remember what we have talked about!<br />
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Now I know there are lots of other aspects of Lent and fasting and repentance and seasons that I didn't tap into ... but they were little bitty kids and even with my craziest voices and best visuals I can only keep them paying attention for maybe 15 minutes, hah!<br />
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Stay tuned for part 2 on Hebrews 12:2-- Fixing our eyes on JESUS-- and the Easter story!Eowyn's Heirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14717363754137835260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21181534.post-35036295361639509662018-02-25T16:06:00.002-05:002018-02-25T16:08:28.372-05:00Rest and Refresh<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Refresh-Embracing-Grace-Paced-Endless-Demands/dp/1433555220/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1519592563&sr=8-4&keywords=refresh&dpID=31q7hTz2IdL&preST=_SY344_BO1,204,203,200_QL70_&dpSrc=srch&linkCode=li2&tag=mamszr-20&linkId=22e0eb3c06377198085581174604a5db" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1433555220&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=mamszr-20" width="131" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=mamszr-20&l=li2&o=1&a=1433555220" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />For Christmas my dear friend gave me an uncommon rarity: a book I'd never heard of. :) It was the set of books <i>"<a href="http://amzn.to/2EUuZXF">Refresh</a>" and "<a href="http://amzn.to/2HL1aKV">Reset</a>"</i> by husband & wife Pastor David Murray & Dr. Shona Murray. I looked at the back and refrained from rolling my eyes... ANOTHER book about grace? Well, ok, fine, my friend gave it to me, I'll give it a try...<br />
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Wow.<br />
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As some of you may know from my past <a href="http://eowyns-heir.blogspot.com/2017/08/on-gently-leading-those-that-are-with.html">blog entry on postpartum rest</a>, I have been realizing that our culture desperately needs to remember the meaning of <i>rest</i>. And **I** need to remember and incorporate rest in my own life. I've said before that if I ever write one book it will probably be on recapturing the Sabbath in today's rest-less culture... well... that clearly is NOT my life mission because David & Shona Murray have already done it!!<br />
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The books are very similar in content & style but are aimed at women & men respectively. I've found <i>Refresh</i> to be encouraging, practical, insightful, theologically astute, and so so so needed. If you are a go-getter type person, someone who feels overwhelmed, or you love someone who is either of those... read this book. Actually probably everyone should just read it. :) . I won't say more because... well... that would defeat the point of telling you to read the book!!Eowyn's Heirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14717363754137835260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21181534.post-15518623984872711762017-08-08T16:07:00.001-04:002017-08-08T22:25:32.385-04:00On Gently Leading Those that Are With YoungIt's been a while since I blogged-- longer still since I shared on any kind of regular basis. I'm still here, listening, reading, praying, thinking and talking-- thinking a lot. I have a lot of articles outlined, thoughts jotted down, things I'm thinking about and chewing on and wanting to share. But for the past few years I've just felt the Lord saying a lot of "wait. Just listen and learn. You have a lot to watch, a lot to experience, a lot to just wait through." The more kids I have, the more births I attend, the more books I read, the more life I live, the more sermons I hear, the more I realize just how much there is to learn... just how many perspectives there are to consider, just how many connections there are between so. many. things.<br />
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I want to write for hours on so many topics, just to get it all straight in my own head... but there are so many things to DO-- I have three little kids to feed (GAPS kids no less, so food is not quick and easy), not to mention homeschool, a giant dog to walk, a husband to seek to know, a house to occasionally clean, and most recently, two kittens to supervise. There are a hundred good things I don't get done every day. And I'm learning to live with that.<br />
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So many excellent, knowledgable people are writing and singing and podcasting and presenting, and I'm happy to just be a glorified card catalogue, holding resources in my mind and passing them on to friends as needed, on most topics. But lately there are a few topics that I have not seen covered too extensively, and one in particular that, if I become a clanging gong that only plays one note, I guess I'd pick this note to clang out over and over again. :)
<b>That is on the topic of the Church and Rest-- specifically, on the Church following her Shepherd Who "gently leads those that are with young."</b><br />
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<i>If there is one thing I think our culture has totally forgotten how to do, it is how to balance work and rest. </i> More, I think we have gotten totally out of sync, forgotten all rhythms... we don't know how to operate seasonally, or even weekly. We seem to only have two positions, on and off, and as a culture "off" is usually mindless and selfish. Our work is often also selfish, all about building a reputation and being able to live in comfort and control... none of those are bad things in and of themselves, but like anything, they become idols when we make them the Main/Only thing instead of just A Good Thing. By the same token, when we finally collapse, exhausted, and "rest," we make that all about us too. We need "me" time, we don't want to be bothered, we don't want to think, and we definitely don't want to do anything on purpose. It's easy from the outside to see how that is a skewed perspective, and as Christians we recognize that everything, rest or work, is supposed to be unto the Lord, so we try to fill our "rest" days with serving, with loving, with doing, with fellowshipping...<br />
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We forget that <b>true rest is a contentment in what Christ has already done</b>-- that it is a <i>resting in Jesus,</i> a rest that is not at all self-focused, but neither must it be others-focused. It is a sense of joy in loving a Person who has best loved us-- our Savior.<br />
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We forget that we need physical rest <b>as a reminder of our human frailty,</b> as a reminder that we are not the Savior.
<b>We forget that God is always working, and He is using all the thousands of members of His Body in the world... so that every weak member can rest in turn.</b><br />
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We forget that there is a weekly rhythm of rest: <b>one day in seven</b> (yes, despite it all I'm still convinced the Sabbath is made for man). But also, t<b>here are yearly rhythms and seasonal rhythms and life-long rhythms of rest.</b> The s<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Leviticus+15&version=ESV">eventh year was to be a year of rest for the land</a> (and for its farmers). The seventh seventh year (the year of Jubilee), all Hebrew slaves were to be set free, and the land was to rest. Women were<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Leviticus+15&version=ESV"> to rest every month</a> (I'm convinced this is the point of the "cleanliness laws"). And in the life of every Hebrew mother, after every child born, there was to be a very defined time of rest immediately after childbirth.<br />
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There is one more principle that plays into this, and that is that of prioritization of the family (nuclear and then immediate including grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins). In an agricultural or migrant culture, there will be times of the year where labor for the sake of the family will take precedence and not allow much other work (you've got to harvest all day long in late summer or your family will starve in the winter)-- and other times of the year where there is much more freedom to serve outside the family, and other times where there is more time to rest. For the first year of a new marriage, <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy+24:5&version=ESV">in the Old Testament</a>, a man was to stay near his new bride no matter what battles beckoned him to defend his brothers.<b> In times where a family's needs are very demanding, it is right to use our limited resources to first serve them, and feel no guilt in resting while needs outside our family remain unmet by us. </b>(remember, there are other people God can use to meet those needs!) In the New Testament, over and over we are reminded that our duties to our families take precedence over other responsibilities. (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+15&version=ESV">Matthew 15:4-5</a>; <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+6&version=ESV">Ephesians 6:1-4</a>; <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Timothy+5:8&version=ESV">1 Timothy 5:3-4, 8</a>; <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Timothy+5:16&version=ESV">1 Tim 5:16</a>) This applies in small churches, to pastors & their families, to ministry leaders, and to families in demanding job situations.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Six weeks of rest: resting with my newborn soon after birth-- <br />
I didn't leave this bed much in the next 2 weeks, <br />
hardly left the room for the next 2, <br />
and hardly left the house for the next 2!</td></tr>
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All that said, <b>I want to speak to the young mothers in the Church</b>. <b><i>Please, rest</i></b>. Physically speaking, your body will not return to "normal" <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/karen-laing/post-baby-body_b_8739254.html">for a full year after it has gone through the miraculous</a>, God-glorifying process of nurturing and birthing and sustaining a new life. Pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding will take a huge physical toll on your body. Nutrients (especially the fat-soluble ones so needed for building brains and nervous systems) will take about <a href="http://healthyfamiliesforgod.com/2014/07/maternal-depletion/">two years to restock</a>, <a href="http://goop.com/postnatal-depletion-even-10-years-later/">sometimes far more</a>-- especially if your body does what it is designed to do and continues to partially feed another small person for another two-ish years after birth. Childbirth itself is a huge physical event, burning as many calories as running a marathon, <a href="http://www.chw.org/medical-care/fetal-concerns-center/conditions/pregnancy-complications/postpartum-hemorrhage/">expending 500 mL-1000 mL of blood</a>, with hormone shifts unlike any in the human life cycle (from the highest point of estrogen to the lowest within 3 days). Tending a newborn, who is designed to need near-constant touch and warmth to regulate his breathing and digestion, who is designed to need to eat almost hourly for several weeks and <a href="http://www.urbanchildinstitute.org/why-0-3/parenting/guide/first-year">then every 2-3 hours for months</a>, <a href="https://www.livescience.com/47298-babies-amazing-brain-growth.html">in order to double his brain size </a>and <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/infant-and-toddler-health/expert-answers/infant-growth/faq-20058037">triple his body weight within a year,</a> is exhausting. <b>This is absolutely something that should be expected to massively "change our stride." And that is God-honoring and good.</b><br />
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In the Old Testament, mothers would have been forced to rest by <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Leviticus+12&version=ESV">cleanliness laws</a> that rendered them & everything they touched "unclean" for<b> 5 - 10 weeks after childbirth</b>. If you knew you'd have to burn or scrub by hand everything you touched, you would not touch much!! In that culture, new mothers were cocooned, surrounded by community and help with their only responsibilities being resting and feeding the baby. As a doula, I've seen that it often takes about that long for breast-feeding to become established. By six weeks, many babies have settled into somewhat of a routine, sleeping semi-predictable stretches, able to smile and interact with someone other than mama.<br />
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In traditional cultures all over the world similar customs and taboos keep new moms and tiny babies safe, away from unfamiliar germs (family germs are not a threat to an infant because mom's milk guards against those), able to rest and regain strength and get nursing (crucial to infant survival outside of the developed world) well-established.
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In our culture it's expected that moms SHOULD start worrying about "getting their bodies back" as soon as they are home from the hospital. Friends and family members come from all over to "get their baby fix" --ie expose the new baby to germs-- but often don't do much (if anything) to help the parents rest. Moms are seen as healthy and strong if they can post a pic to Instagram of them doing their Target run at 3 weeks postpartum, baby in tow. Date night without baby is expected as soon as possible, multiple nights a week is even better. Mom needs to keep right on serving and doing everything she was doing before, taking care of her other children, and if she is exhausted then all the pressure should be put on the BABY to change, to get with the program and sleep longer stretches, instead of accepting that this is a time of life when the whole family needs to shift a bit so Mom (And baby) can <i>rest</i>.<br />
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<b>Moms, please hear me: there is so little margin between feeling great and feeling awful when you have just given birth. You have far less reserves than you think you do. Rest.</b><br />
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Even after those first 6 weeks, please structure your home to allow you to rest. <b>Please institute a "quiet time" where your children are all quiet and safe so you can safely nap, every day if you need it</b>. Please reach out to family members and church members to regularly care for you and your older children with meals and cleaning and whatever else they offer to do. Please do not feel guilty for taking it easy and being slow to add a bunch of (even church) activities to your plate. Please don't feel guilty for going to bed early.<br />
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<b>Dads, please protect your wives and their ability to rest.</b> Don't expect her to do anything other than rest and care for the baby in those early weeks, and understand that it will be months, even a year or two, before she is able to do everything she once did-- and she will be changed forever by motherhood (as you will be by fatherhood). If you know you won't be able to help very much (beyond working to make money), do what you can, actively recruit family members, coordinate friends, and even hire help. <b>Most of all, affirm the value of what she is doing (caring for a new <i>soul, a bit of God's Image that will never ever die!!!)</i> and the legitimacy of her need to rest.</b> She is not being lazy, she is not a slacker. Do everything in your power to lighten her load, not add to it. Even a wife who is planning to return to full or part time work <b>needs to fully rest for a minimum of 6 weeks</b> and it is far better for her to be able to rest even longer-- creative approaches can be needed to make the finances and logistics work, but she will need your support more than ever in doing it.<br />
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Most concerning to me, lately I've heard wonderful preachers and teachers encourage parents to stay right in the "swing of things" at church immediately after childbirth. <a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/soul-care-for-exhausted-young-mothers">One preacher whom I respect recently described his own experience</a> of driving his wife and new son straight from the hospital (days after birth) to a small group meeting, and discussed how they never missed a small group meeting from that point on-- baby just napped in the other room. Now, that may be ok for some women... but for most... that would be an absolutely terrible idea. After childbirth the only place a mom should go from the hospital is TO BED. The only place a baby should be after birth is HOME. I think of the patriarch <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2033">Jacob's no-nonsense observation to his brothe</a>r Esau regarding traveling with young animals and children: "<i>My lord knows that the children are frail, and that the nursing flocks and herds are a care to me. If they are driven hard for one day, all the flocks will die.</i>" <b>Do not drive yourself hard, do not drive your children hard.</b><br />
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Absolutely please make fellowship your priority--<b> if you only have energy for one outing a week, make it church or small group, NOT Targe</b>t... but please please don't see yourself as spiritually inferior if you don't make it to church events for a good long while. Thankfully, babies are so wonderfully packable from about 3 months to 9 months, which makes fellowship much easier. Please do prioritize fellowship and spiritually feeding things (listening to sermons, Christian music, the Bible on CD, etc).<br />
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What is God's heart towards young mothers and young children? It's the same as Jacob (a literal shepherd)'s was towards his flocks and walking family: "<b>He [God the Father] will tend His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs in his arms; He will carry them in his bosom,
and gently lead those that are with young."</b> (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+40">Isaiah 40:11</a>) OK, Church, how can we "gently lead those that are with young"? Are we putting the brunt of responsibility on young mothers (and young fathers), or are we ensuring that they are first able to care for their little ones and themselves? Are our healthy young adults and those without children free to serve? Are our "empty nesters" and parents of older kids stepping up and taking on the lion's share of service, or are young parents (honestly, specifically young moms) the ones asked and expected to do the bulk of everything, often <i>without</i> their kids?<br />
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Church-- physical rest is a huge thing a new mom needs, so how can we serve them in that? I don't like making absolute statements but here is one I'm confident is a good rule: <b>Don't expect a new mom to serve at all in any capacity for 6 months minimum after childbirth (or adoption). </b> Now if a mom comes to you and asks to help, sure, but please don't put that on them. New dads don't need any extra responsibility either; anything you ask them to do away from their families means more pressure on their wives. If a nursing mama wants to serve, by all means let <i>hers </i>be the schedule you work around-- she may not be able to make a meeting at 7:30 am after nursing a baby all night. She may not be able to skip a meal with her family to help set up an event. Her baby likely needs her to go to sleep at night, so be respectful of that. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4ezg9d8BsDA/WYoZQGspiFI/AAAAAAAAgvI/t_tSreFcwUIvHgVMfr8zyurekn_qJyVTgCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_8658.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4ezg9d8BsDA/WYoZQGspiFI/AAAAAAAAgvI/t_tSreFcwUIvHgVMfr8zyurekn_qJyVTgCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_8658.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Resting at a family Christmas event with my 2 month old</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The other huge need new moms have is community. The pastors urging moms and dads to stay in step with the Church have this right-- they know that even after childbirth we need to guard against sin by regularly meeting together to encourage one another. (Hebrews 13) So, Church, how can we do that? Again I go back to Jacob, speaking so sensibly to his brother about a group of people literally walking from one place to another: <i>" I will lead on slowly, at the pace of the livestock that are ahead of me and at the pace of the children, until I come to [you] my lord in Seir."</i> <b>How can we figuratively match our pace to theirs?</b> Practically speaking, this looks like coming to their home with food, doing household chores, reaching out and going out of our way to encourage them without asking them to <i>do</i> anything. It means giving baby gifts like a postpartum doula, housecleaning services, healthy meals, and postpartum massages. It looks like taking older children out of the house so mom and baby can sleep. It means pet-sitting after a birth. <b>After that first 6 weeks or so, when moms and babies are out and about, it looks like welcoming their children in services, in meetings, in any place where moms are welcomed.</b> It looks like inviting them over so they don't have to cook. It looks like taking the initiative to keep in touch. And it might even look like trying to live in physically close proximity to each other so that these things can happen naturally.<br />
<br />
<b>Being tired, being malnourished and being alone are the three main risk factors for postpartum depression. </b><i>Let's help guard our moms against that by encouraging rest, bringing good nourishing food, and reaching out to encourage and help.</i><br />
<br />Eowyn's Heirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14717363754137835260noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21181534.post-54560215745094736242017-03-26T22:41:00.001-04:002017-03-26T22:41:18.548-04:00Resources for Cultivating a Word- Centered Home<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/mKrSoLDBMQY/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mKrSoLDBMQY?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
I hosted a workshop at my house this weekend, discussing how we can seek to build our homes more intentionally on God's Word. This is a video of the talk I gave (well, a version of it-- thanks to technology I was able to broadcast the actual talk live on FB, but recorded a second version, a little longer because I included more, to post for those who are not on facebook). <br />
<br />
I compiled a list of helpful resources and here it is! Eventually I hope to add links but for now it's just book names. And at some point I will type up my notes from the talk so people who want to just quickly skim can do so without having to hear the whole 45 minutes!<br />
<br />
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Environment</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">a)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Instagram: bb_lettering designs (handwritten Scripture etc)</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.3pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level2 lfo2; tab-stops: 58.5pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">b)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">instagram:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>dchdesignco (Scripture painted on wood-
local to Greenville)</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.3pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">c)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">inspiredbyjulia.com
(Scripture & hymn art)</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.3pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level2 lfo2; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">d)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">TONS on etsy (search
“hand-lettered Scripture”)</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.3pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level2 lfo2; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">e)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Hobby Lobby </span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.3pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level2 lfo2; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">f)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">mymaryandmartha.com </span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.3pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level2 lfo2; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">g)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">everthinehome.com
(wonderful variety of resources)</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">h)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">http://annvoskamp.com/sticky-notes-signup/</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 49.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Music</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level2 lfo2; tab-stops: 58.5pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">a)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Seeds CDs (multiple albums)</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level2 lfo2; tab-stops: 58.5pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">b)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Judy Rogers – If You Love
Me (10 Commandments); Guard your Heart (the Proverbs); Go to the Ant<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> or Teach Me While My Heart
is Tender</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level2 lfo2; tab-stops: 58.5pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">c)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Slugs & Bugs Sing the
Bible (3 CDs)</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level2 lfo2; tab-stops: 58.5pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">d)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Hide Em In Your Heart, Vol
1 & 2, Praise & Worship, also a DVD version</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level2 lfo2; tab-stops: 58.5pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">e)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hidden in my Heart Lullabies, Vol 1 & 2</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level2 lfo2; tab-stops: 58.5pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">f)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Rain for Roots (3 albums)</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level2 lfo2; tab-stops: 58.5pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">g)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Gettys’ Kids Hymns album –
Keith & Krystin G<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">ettys</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level2 lfo2; tab-stops: 58.5pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">h)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">My Soul Among Lions, Psalms
album</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level2 lfo2; tab-stops: 58.5pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">i)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Michael Card albums:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Ancient Faith (the OT); The Life
(the Gospels); Unveiled Hope (Revelation); A Fragile Stone (life of the apostle
Peter); Soul Anchor (Hebrews); Close Your Eyes so You can See; Sleep Sound in<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> Jesus (for children)</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level2 lfo2; tab-stops: 58.5pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">j)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Christian Hymns personal
hymnal (lots of classics in this one)</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 49.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Sure-win podcasts or
sermons- Tim Keller (Redeemer Presbyterian Church in NYC); Grace Church in
Greenville SC; Desiring God Ministries; Sojourn Community Church in Louisvi<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">lle KY; Immanuel Baptist
Church in Louisville KY</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 49.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Christian Stories</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level2 lfo2; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">a)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Picture Books</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l8 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Will, God’s Mighty Warrior</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l8 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">God Loves Me More than
That- Dandi Mackall</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l8 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Most of All, Jesus Loves
You- Noel Piper</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Read-Aloud Bible Stories (4
Volumes)- Ella K Lindvall</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l8 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">The Magnif<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">icent Amazing Time Machine-
Sinclair Ferguson</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l8 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">The Illustrated Pilgrim’s
Progress- Jean Watson (similar:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Dangerous Journey)</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l8 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">The White Pony- Sandra Byrd</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l8 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Fool Moon Rising</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l8 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">The Lightlings (and any
others by RC Sproul)</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Kingdom Parables-
Christopher Lane</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Little <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Arch Books—The Braggy King
of Babylon; The Man Who Was Swallowed by a Fish (many other titles)</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Christopher Churchmouse
books (audiobooks exist too)- Barbara Davoll</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l8 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Giant Steps for Little
People (others in same series)- Kenneth Taylor</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Adam Raccoon stories- <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Glen Keane</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l8 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Spotlight on Charity
(Psalty characters) – Ken Gire</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l8 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Look & Find Bible
Stories, other similar like “Can You Find Jesus?”</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level2 lfo2; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">b)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Chapter Books (great for
read-alouds too)</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level3 lfo2; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">The Bark of the Bog Owl –
Jonathan Rogers (series retelling story of David)</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level3 lfo2; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">The Bro<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">nze Bow- Elizabeth George
Speare- set in time of Jesus</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level3 lfo2; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Cabin in the North Woods-
Christian family on frontier</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level3 lfo2; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">The Chronicles of Narnia –
CS Lewis- also on audiobook</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level3 lfo2; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Little Pilgrim’s Progress –
Helen</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">100 Cupboards – ND Wilson
(series)</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level3 lfo2; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Crown & Jewel </span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level3 lfo2; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">The Run<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">away Princess – Milly
Howard</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level3 lfo2; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">In Grandma’s Attic- Arleta
Richardson (series set in early 1900s)</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level3 lfo2; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">How to Cook a Crow and
other stories – Jim Crowmarty</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level3 lfo2; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Captive Treasure- Milly
Howard (based on a true story)</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level3 lfo2; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Cooper Kids Adventure
Series- Frank Peretti (like Ind<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">iana Jones)</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level3 lfo2; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Biographical Fiction:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Bible Smuggler; Morning Star of the
Reformation; They Shall be Mine</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level3 lfo2; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Treasures in the Snow –
Patricia St John</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Wingfeather Saga- Andrew
Peterson (4 books)</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level3 lfo2; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">The Green Ember – SD Smith
(series)</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level3 lfo2; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">the Millers series –
Prudenc<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">e & the
Millers, Wisdom & the Millers, more- Mildred Martin</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level3 lfo2; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">for adults (or as a family
read-aloud): the Mitford Books- Jan Karon</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 45.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Misc.</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">a)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">instagram: shereadstruth</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">b)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">instagram: hymnsillustrated</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">c)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Faithful Women & their
Extraordinary God by Noel Piper- specifically<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> first chapter on Sarah Edwards; her home-keeping was a
huge ministry</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l5 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">B.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Rituals & Habits</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 45.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Family Worship Resources</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level2 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">a.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">General & Bible
Overview</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 63.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level3 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">7 Arrow Questions that help
apply any text- I would add “How does this text point me to Jesus?”- </span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">https://blogs.thegospe<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">lcoalition.org/trevinwax/2013/10/22/7-arrows-for-bible-reading/</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 63.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level3 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Walk Thru the Bible – many
resources </span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">http://www.walkthru.org/store/product-categories/bible-teaching-tools</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 63.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level3 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Grace & Truth Memory
Book, Volume 1 – Tom Aschol – verses, hymns & catechism question<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">s all together</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 63.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level3 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">The Greenleaf Guide to Old
Testament History- very simple; this has you reading large section of straight
Scripture with discussion questions</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 63.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level3 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Bedtime Bible Story Book- a
story book Bible with a short story for every day of the year, covers e<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">verything chronologically
from Creation to Revelation</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 63.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level3 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">The Chronological Bible</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 63.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level3 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">the Holman Bible Atlas</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 63.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level3 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Bible Map Book</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 63.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level3 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Walk with Y’Shua through
the Jewish Year</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 63.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level3 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Devotions for Preschoolers
– I use this as a first devotional for my early readers rather than as s<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">omething I read to my
preschoolers</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 63.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level3 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Some classic adult
devotionals:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My Utmost for His
Highest – Oswald Chambers; Charles </span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Spurgeon’s Morning & Evening</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">; John Piper’s Pierced by
the Word (and others)</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 63.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level3 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Lift-the-Flap-Bible – Sally
Lloyd Jones </span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 63.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level3 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Family Night Tool <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Chest (series)- devotional </span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 63.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level3 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Tip from Brooke:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>as kids grow, encourage independent
Bible reading through individualized Bibles, just as a Journaling Bible or an
Apologetics Bible, or the Adventure Bible</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 63.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level3 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Wise Up – Marty Machowski –
10 minute family devotiona<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">l through Proverbs</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level2 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">b.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Biblical Theology</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 63.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level3 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Because He Loves Me- Elyse
Fitzpatrick (for adults)</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">A Gospel Primer – Milton
Vincent (for adults)</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">God’s Big Picture – Vaughan
Roberts (for adults or teens)</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 63.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level3 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Celebrate the Feasts –
guide to celebrating OT Feasts as a way <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">to see Jesus</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 63.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level3 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Thoughts to Make Your Heart
Sing- Sally Lloyd Jones – devotional for children – with audiobook </span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">The Biggest Story – Don
Clark- beautiful illustrations</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">The Big Picture Story
Bible- David Helm & Gail Schoonmaker- ages 2-6 – also has audiobook</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Th<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">e Big Picture Family Devotional</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 63.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level3 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">The Jesus Storybook Bible –
Sally Lloyd Jones – 4-9 years old – also has audiobook</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Close Your Eyes so You Can
See – Michael Card - read-aloud from perspective of children in Jesus’ life</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Long Story Short (also Old
Story New)-<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> Marty
Machowski – devotional for families with elementary aged kids</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 63.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level3 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">The Gospel Story Bible –
Marty Machowski – 6-13 years old</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 63.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level3 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Grandpa’s Box – Starr Meade
– narrative overview of the whole Bible</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 49.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level2 lfo5; tab-stops: 45.0pt 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">c.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Systematic Theology</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 63.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level3 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Systematic Theology – Wayne
Grudem (for a<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">dults)</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 63.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level3 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Give them Truth – Starr
Meade – very helpful guide for parents </span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 63.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level3 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Visual Theology – Tim
Challies – unique book that uses infographics and visuals to teach systematic
theology – for adults and families</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 63.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level3 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Awesome God – Sovereign
Grace Music</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Why Can’t I Se<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">e God? – Judy Rogers- songs
through Children’s Catechism</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 63.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level3 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">The Baptist Catechism <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">to music <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">(2 volumes)- Jim Orrick</span></span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 63.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level3 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Leading Little Ones to God
– Kenneth Taylor</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Big Truths for Young Hearts
– family devotional – Bruce Ware</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 63.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level3 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Big Truths for Little Kids
– Susan Hunt<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> –
stories for young children through the catechism</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">The Ology – Marty Ma<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">chowski – family devotional
for families with elementary aged kids<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> – CD by same name from Sovereign Grace Kids</span></span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 63.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level3 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Mighty Acts of God – Starr
Meade – Bible story book with explicit theolog<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">ical teaching and terminology.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also </span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Wondrous Works of God –</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> Starr Meade </span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 63.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level3 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Big Beliefs – Bruce Ware –
short devotionals for families to introduce the main ideas of the Bible</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 63.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level3 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">The Radical Book for Kinds-
Champ Thornton- this book kind of defies a category… it<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> includes church history, systematic theology,
Bible history and more</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 45.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Prayer Aids</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level2 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">a.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Christmas cards
hole-punched and put on a binder ring as a prayer aid</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level2 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">b.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">The Songs of Jesus- Timothy
Keller – devotional/prayer prompts through the Psalms</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level2 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">c.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Psalms for Children - <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Marie-Helene Delval</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level2 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">d.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Operation World (for
adults)/ You Can Change the World through Prayer- prayer guide for unreached
and mostly-non-Christian people groups worldwide</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level2 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">e.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">the Valley of Vision-
collection of Puritan prayers</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level2 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">f.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Laundry Time prayer prompt</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level2 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">g.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Prayer car<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">ds from everthinehome.com
for praying Scripture for each member of your family</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level2 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">h.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Missionary Stories with the
Millers- Mildred Martin – other similar missionary stories can help prompt
prayer for missionaries sent from your own churches</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level2 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">i.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Voice of the Martyrs –<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> represents the persecuted
church world-wide: www.persecution.com</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level2 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">j.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Orthodox Prayer Schedule- </span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">http://www.orthodoxprayer.org/Hours.html</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">- many Orthodox prayer
schedules can be helpful, however they tend to include prayers to saints and
the use of icons in wors<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">hip which I do not believe to be Scriptural</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level2 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">k.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Tip from an Anonymous
friend:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>use the changing of dirty
diapers as a reminder to pray for people going through messy “poopy” times</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 45.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Scripture Memory</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level2 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">a.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Fighter Verses- Desiring
God ministries – app available too</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level2 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">b.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">My <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">ABC Bible Verses – Susan Hunt</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 45.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Biblical Language,
especially in Discipling/Discipline of Children</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level2 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">a.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Shepherding a Child’s
Heart- Tedd Tripp</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level2 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">b.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Don’t Make me Count to
Three – Ginger Plowman <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Hubbard <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">(Shepherding
applied to younger years)</span></span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level2 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">c.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Age of Opportunity- Paul D<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">avid Tripp (specifically
relates to teen years)</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level2 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">d.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Hints on Child Training- H.
Clay Trumball</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level2 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">e.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">The Mission of Motherhood –
Sally Clarkson</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level2 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">f.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Wise Words for Moms –
Ginger Plowman (chart)</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level2 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">g.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">God’s Wisdom for Little
Boys – Jim & Elizabeth George (through Proverbs)</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level2 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">h.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">God’s<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> Wisdom for Little Girls-
Elizabeth George (through Proverbs)</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level2 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">i.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Child Training Bible; the
Virtue Bible</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level2 lfo5; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">j.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Doorpost Chart:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Go to the Ant Chart
(www.doorposts.com has MANY resources for using Scripture in the home)</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l5 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">C.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Celebrations & Seasons<br />
<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">EXCELLENT overview: <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Treasuring Christ in our Traditions-<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Noel Piper</span></span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 45.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo6; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Advent/</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Christmas</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo6; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">a.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Jesse Tree tradition<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> – many many options</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo6; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">b.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Advent readings<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> – many good options,
including two by John Piper:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
Dawning of Indestructible Joy and Good News of Great Joy</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo6; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">c.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">for Sunday only read<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">ings, the Revised Common
Lectionary is a free and easy way to read just Scripture- </span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">http://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/lections.php?year=B&season=Advent</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo6; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">d.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Lectionary for daily
readings- </span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">http://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/daily.php?year=A</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo6; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">e.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Candle to<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> Cross wreaths (for both
Lent and Advent) - </span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">https://joywares.ca/collections/wreaths</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo6; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">f.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Why Christmas? – Barbara
Reaoch</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo6; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">g.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Prepare Him Room – Marty
Machowski – family devotional for Advent</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 45.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo6; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Lent/Easter</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo6; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">a.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Bread and Wine- Lent
readings from a variety of authors includ<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">ing St Augustine & CS Lewis</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo6; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">b.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">the Easter Mystery—and
other resources – at <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">everThinehome.com</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo6; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">c.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Ann Voskamp’s free
downloadable Lent devotional<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">s; she has a few<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">-
</span></span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">http://annvoskamp.com/2017/03/because-sometimes-you-want-to-take-back-lent-a-broken-world-your-breaki<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">ng-heart-a-free-40-day-lent-devotional-journey/</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> - for adults and families</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo6; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">d.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Mission Accomplished –
Scott James- 2-week devotional for families</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo6; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">e.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Resurrection Eggs &
book Benjamin’s Box<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">-
available from Family Life and allThinehome.com<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> – great for preschool & el<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">ementary age- older kids
can be challenged by adding verses for them to read and memorize daily.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Start on Palm Sunday (do 2/day until
Day 5, then do 1/day)</span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo6; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">f.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">The Garden, the Curtain,
and the Cross – Carl Laferton & Catalina Echeverri – gorgeously illustrate<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">d very simple retelling of
the Easter story in all its redemptive context – for even very young children</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo6; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">g.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">The Legend of the Easter
Egg</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo6; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">h.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Make Room – child book for
Lent (it’s not that gre<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">at but the best I have found)</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo6; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">i.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Why Easter?- Barbara
Reaoch- 4 weeks of da<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">ily
devotional material geared towards children </span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo6; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">j.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Lenten Lights – free
devotional for children- 8 readings for Lent by Noel Piper - </span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/lenten-lights</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo6; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">k.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Child’s Guide to the
Stations of the Cross- skip over mentions of praying a<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> Hail Mary/edit as needed – still very helpful and
well-illustrated explanation of the tradition of walking the Stations of the
Cross (often done Good Friday)</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 45.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo6; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">St Valentine’s Day<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">- book by Voice of the
Martyrs</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 45.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo6; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">St Patrick<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> – book by Voice of the
Martyrs</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 45.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo6; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Hallow<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">een/Reformation Day</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo6; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">a.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Church History 101 –
Sinclair Ferguson (for adults)</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo6; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">b.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Reformation ABCs – Stephen
Nichol<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> – for children
</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo6; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">c.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Church History ABCs –
Stephen Nichols<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> – for
children </span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo6; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">d.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">books on the Reformers
(Huss, W<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">ycliff,
Tyndale, Zwingli, Calvin, the Luthers – b<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">oth Martin and Katie, etc) – some picture books exist,
for others read-aloud chapter books</span></span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo6; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">e.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">The Pumpkin Patch Parable</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 45.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo6; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Jewish Feasts, especially
Passover </span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo6; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">a.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Celebrate the Feasts<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> – Martha Zimmerman</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo6; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">b.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Walk with Y’Shua through
the Jewish Year</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo6; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">c.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Messianic Jewish Child<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">ren CD’s- You Gotta Jump!
and Yeladim for Y’Shua both teach Hebrew including the Hebrew alphabet and
several Psalms in Hebrew, as well as Scripture in English</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 58.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo6; tab-stops: 99.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">d.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">A Christian Haggadah
Passover – free resource by Ann Voskamp - </span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">http://annvoskamp.com/sticky-notes<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">/</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Eowyn's Heirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14717363754137835260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21181534.post-522302004462738902017-03-09T18:00:00.000-05:002017-03-09T18:00:43.322-05:00Book Review: High Calling of Motherhood <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Calling-Motherhood-Chimene-Shipley-Dupler/dp/1620205823/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1489097839&sr=8-1&keywords=high+calling+of+motherhood&linkCode=li2&tag=mamszr-20&linkId=4f3563a2264688562facf89998b29945" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1620205823&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=mamszr-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=mamszr-20&l=li2&o=1&a=1620205823" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
It's been a while since I took part in a blogged book tour! But I was thrilled to get to read an advanced copy of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Passion4Moms/">Chimene Dupler's</a> new book <i><a href="http://amzn.to/2lIHBf0">The High Calling of Motherhood</a></i> to review. My passion both as a doula and a blogger (and I hope, as a friend) is to help women find their strength-- to help them think clearly and intentionally plan, to become wise and humbly confident that they will be given all they need to do whatever God asks of them. As such, in many ways this book beats right along with my heartbeat.<br />
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The author, Chimene, has worked with both mothers and children, in various professions, and exclusively as a homemaker. I appreciated that she was able to approach "motherhood" from various angles because of this. It seemed to me that the goal of her book is to encourage moms to actually take a good look at their role as mothers, and set about intentionally fulfilling it, with eternity as our timeline and God's Word providing a perspective. There is much that is helpful in the book. <b>The first few chapters aim to summarize our culture and show how motherhood in many ways is neglected; it is neither respected nor really taught. </b> Women marry and "fall into it" or, even if they choose it intentionally, often do not plan how they will go about it long-term.<br />
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"You get married. You have kids. It is just something we are expected to do as adults. We have bought into the lie that it is meaningless and insignificant outside of our own satisfaction." (p. 56)</blockquote>
The second section of chapters tries to redefine marriage in Biblical terms. Chimene returns to Scripture to remind mothers who they are in Christ, and to encourage us to be intentional, long-sighted, and faithful. Parenting is spiritual warfare, she reminds us-- and she reassures us that ultimately our children are in the sovereign grip of God (not only dependent on our perfect parenting!) She has good insights into some practicalities-- establishing authority in toddlerhood, so that adolescence can be enjoyed. <b>She also has very much-needed reminders that motherhood is vitally important, and it is time-limited-- we only get 18 years at most, and we need to intentional and careful how we spend those years.</b> There are no ultimatums like "you must do XYZ" but there is enough Truth to give moms a chance to evaluate their current practices and mindsets Biblically.<br />
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The third section of the book is practical, hands-on advice. <b>There is a lot that is helpful here: the idea of making a game plan, the exhortation to <i>pray</i> for our children as we do battle spiritually, and clear examples of how to use situations to reach our children's hearts. </b> I know many moms-- especially those who did not grow up in a Christian home-- who are quite at a loss as to <i>how</i> to even begin to speak to their children about spiritual things, much less capitalize on the unscripted teachable moments that come up day to day. This last section is great at meeting that need for practical ideas.<br />
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"The question isn't about avoiding trouble but whether we know who we are fighting and how to fight. We can rest in the fact that God is in control. God is sovereign, and He sits on the Throne. It is from this place of understanding that we see our children with potential. It is from our calling and commission to make disciples that we see the army of world changers we are training. We are raising up an army for God and must equip them for spiritual warfare." (p. 132)</blockquote>
<b>So did I like this book? Yes! Absolutely. Is it helpful? Yes, definitely. </b>Could it have been improved? Well, honestly, yes. It seemed to me that this book needed an editor-- there is too much repetition, too much meandering and personal anecdotes whose point I struggled to see, and (most irksome to me, just because I am a nut about it), plenty of misuses of the word "literally." ('<i>We can literally touch the world</i>'... somehow I doubt that. '<i>We can literally impact this generation and leave our handprint on future generations</i>'... well, let's hope we aren't smacking people hard enough to leave LITERAL handprints...) <b>I think this book could have been twice as powerful with half as many words, a clearer structure, and a willingness to back up statements with sources. </b> For the first section of the book, which is kind of describing "motherhood in America today" the author just kind of assumes many stereotypes of our culture-- "Mommy Wars," using social media as a popularity meter, etc. In my experience these things are not ubiquitous, and with no sources to back them up, it's not a very convincing start. Broader truths could have been used to address motherhood in the West more effectively. I must say that my doula heart also cringed at the descriptions of washing newborns (with antibacterial soap) after birth, and the flippant attitude about legitimate discussions outside the scope of her book (breast v bottle feeding, mode of birth). Those issues deserve to be thought through with just as much intentionality as the rest of parenting-- it isn't a silly little mommy war to be dismissed out of hand as divisive and judgmental.<br />
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So while I don't think this book is particularly ground-breaking or uniquely helpful (I would point to "<i><a href="http://amzn.to/2monKyC">Shepherding a Child's Heart</a>",</i> <i>"<a href="http://amzn.to/2m4Mv18">Don't Make me Count to Thre</a>e" </i>or <i>"<a href="http://amzn.to/2moA9CV">The Mission of Motherhood</a>"</i> and the old classic <i>"<a href="http://amzn.to/2nkg6on">Hints on Child Training</a>"</i> for those titles)<b> I certainly give it a solid 4 stars and encourage moms of all ages to read it!</b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">You also have a chance to win either 2 tickets to the Passion4Moms Conference in Washington DC (May 5-6, 2017) OR a custom-made "World Changers" necklace! <a href="https://gleam.io/iAlu8/the-high-of-calling-of-motherhood-blog-tour-giveaway">Enter the giveaway here</a>.</span><br />
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Order your own book copy here:<br />
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<a href="http://amzn.to/2m56soC">Amazon</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-high-calling-of-motherhood-chimene-shipley-dupler/1125819957">Barnes & Noble</a><br />
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<a href="https://squareup.com/store/ambassador-international/item/the-high-calling-of-motherhood">Ambassador </a> (here you can use the code "HighCalling" at checkout for 10% off!)Eowyn's Heirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14717363754137835260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21181534.post-48401553675143035442016-10-19T00:34:00.001-04:002016-10-19T00:44:46.485-04:00Advice for a Mom Starting Classical Conversations in K4, K5 or 1st grade<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JuiY5Lzn5UE/WAbiIJi62zI/AAAAAAAAecg/-LECvSIbUHgyEh85QkE6m7lwR7ML4m9owCPcB/s1600/8ea7eafb-55c4-4ccc-9d84-8731869f8cb2" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JuiY5Lzn5UE/WAbiIJi62zI/AAAAAAAAecg/-LECvSIbUHgyEh85QkE6m7lwR7ML4m9owCPcB/s320/8ea7eafb-55c4-4ccc-9d84-8731869f8cb2" width="320" /></a>I have now been homeschooling my daughter for 5 years and have been around homeschooling professionally for almost 10... I definitely have found it to be an ongoing learning experience and I always find myself asking for advice from moms a bit "ahead" of me in the journey. Like... "what did you do with the baby when you had two to school?" or "what curriculum did you love for ___ subject?" I've been asked many times for my input on curriculum to use starting out with a child in that first year of schooling and especially homeschooling. Today I thought I may as well make it an official "post" so maybe it will help more moms! <br />
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I am a part of a local Classical Conversations Community and highly HIGHLY recommend it. We have been a part of one for 4 years and the more I get into a groove with it the more I like it and see its value. (It does have two potential downsides I'll mention by way of full disclosure: 1-- your tutor may not be great with classroom management, seeing as how they may have no classroom experience and 2-- your child may do better with you out of the room and CC requires a parent on campus at all times. With this in mind, know you also will be able to affect both of those by either being proactive in your child's class to help manage if it's needed, or you can volunteer in child care or go with your other child if you have more than one enrolled in CC). Ok on to my recommendations.</div>
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How would I recommend a new homeschooling mom start off with a new student? ESPECIALLY if you are on a tight budget?</div>
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KEEP IT SIMPLE. Don't get overwhelmed by all the amazing ideas out there and wonderful curriculum options! Don't feel like you have to do EVERYTHING. Here are my recommendations. The titles are all links to where you can buy the materials mentioned, mostly on Amazon if they are available there. I've also made a <a href="http://amzn.to/2e0aSLN">"Shopping List" here</a>.</div>
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<b>For you:</b> grab <i><a href="http://amzn.to/2e6m2lT">The Read-Aloud Handbook</a></i> (Jim Trelease, any edition) and <i><a href="http://amzn.to/2dz1Fe4">Teaching from Rest</a></i>. These will help you get a real feel for what matters in home-schooling (and any education). If you can get your child familiar with the world of books, if you can maintain the wonder that God has put in every child as they survey His creation... your child will be absolutely fine academically. Also grab Cathy Duffy's <i><a href="http://amzn.to/2dmkhPN">102 Top Picks</a></i> (or the older editions <i>100 Top Pick</i>s & <i>101 Top Picks</i>-- all are great) from your library or borrow it from a friend to peruse at some point between this year and next. It's super helpful but I would hold off on reading it until after you have most of your first SIMPLE year under your belt.</div>
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Now on to the subjects. My recommendations are made with both cost and simplicity in mind. If after trying these out you hate them, ping me for alternative recommendations:<br />
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<b>Reading:</b><br />
<i>- <a href="http://amzn.to/2dmieLQ">Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons,</a></i> as your main phonics-based reading curriculum. (Available used on Amazon or Better World Books for $5; older editions are fine). <br />
- Fun picture books out of the library-- you can use a book list like <i>Best Books</i> or <a href="http://amzn.to/2egjkXD"><i>Honey for a Child's Heart</i>,</a> or the one at the back of <i>The Read Aloud Handbook, </i>or just grab whatever books you think looks fun. Many public libraries have pamphlets with titles like "100 Books to Read in Kindergarden" or you can ask a librarian. I have many times just grabbed 6-7 titles off the display shelves and run! <a href="http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/caldecottmedal/caldecottwinners/caldecottmedal">Caldecott Award Winners </a>are pretty much always shoo-ins.<br />
- <i><a href="http://amzn.to/2dz42xb">Bob Books</a></i>- for some reason kids love these small quirky books, and they are a great compliment to the <i>100 Easy Lessons</i>. Costco regularly carries them, and they are not hard to find used. *more on this later*<br />
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<b>Handwriting: </b>For the youngest, I would honestly more focus on drawing lines, curves, shapes & don't worry so much about letters, except teaching them to write their names. Scissor work is great for motor development and hand strength. <a href="http://amzn.to/2e6nYe1">Kumon workbooks</a> are wonderful for this -- aesthetically pleasing and perfectly incremental. Or you can take a permanent marker and draw straight lines, waves, swirls, and shapes on catalogues or junk mail and let your child cut on those! Also of great use are stickers!! Have them line up stickers along the lines you drew, or inside big shapes you drew. Pinterest ideas for fine-motor skill development and use things you already have-- spoons, tweezers, cotton balls, cups, empty egg cartons... All that is handwriting-readiness. Make <a href="http://bouncebackparenting.com/8-fun-sensory-activities-for-the-bean-box/">a bean box</a> and a<a href="http://www.mommahopper.com/2012/08/08/salt-boxes-for-writing-and-cursive-first-curriculum/"> salt tray!</a> Use paint on sandpaper or puff paint on cardstock to make tactile cards of the letters for them to trace with their fingers... All of this is "handwriting."<br />
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As they get older & stronger, I personally teach cursive first and <a href="https://www.logicofenglish.com/2-uncategorised/122-why-teach-cursive-first">highly recommend it</a>. We are using <i><a href="https://www.logicofenglish.com/handwriting/cursive-workbook">The Rhythm of Handwriting</a> </i>workbook and love it-- I use a sheet protector over the pages and dry-erase markers so we will be able to reuse the pages indefinitely. <a href="http://swrtraining.com/shop/penmanship/cursive-first/"><i>Cursive First</i> </a>is also decent. If you want to do print first, <i><a href="https://www.hwtears.com/hwt">Handwriting Without Tears</a> </i>and <i><a href="https://www.rainbowresource.com/product/Get+Ready+for+the+Code+A/001717">Get Ready for the Code</a> (Get Set for the Code, Go for the Code) </i> come highly recommended.<br />
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<b>Science & History</b>:<br />
CC<a href="http://amzn.to/2e09s41"> <i>Foundations Guide</i></a>- Classical Conversations topics are quite sufficient for this age. Grab books from your library or buy a child's encyclopedia. Each week read picture books or illustrated excerpts on the topics. If you want to, you can find printables to color online to go with each week's topic, or there are coloring books you can find via Amazon or Rainbow Resource on almost every topic! <br />
<i><a href="http://www.classicalconversationsbooks.com/fobo.html">Classical Conversations</a> Songs</i> CD<i> </i>for your year's Cycle (you will reuse it in 3 years)<br />
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<b>Math:</b><br />
<i><a href="http://amzn.to/2dpKuYW">Saxon K</a></i> if your child is in preK, <i><a href="http://amzn.to/2dz3xDC">Saxon 1</a></i> if he is in K, <i><a href="http://amzn.to/2e6r8OR">Saxon 2</a> </i>if he is in 1st grade. DO NOT feel like you have to do all of every lesson-- it repeats & builds on itself so you can combine as you want and omit portions of each lesson. (For example we regularly combine 2 lessons but only do one side of one worksheet and a timed fact worksheet, instead of the recommended 4 sides of a worksheet and 2 timed fact sheets). ** Find a used homeschool edition teacher's guide off ebay, Amazon or homeschoolclassifieds.** For Saxon 2 you will want to buy the <a href="http://amzn.to/2ejO35s">student workbooks</a>. I have found them "used" (but not written-in) on ebay for cheaper than buying them new. (Most homeschooling families put the worksheets in page protectors and use dry erase markers so you can reuse them.) **Don't worry about the manipulatives or "meeting books" if money is an issue. **<br />
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(For manipulatives: Use <a href="http://theendinmind.net/15-homemade-math-manipulatives-2/">stuff you have around the house</a> and/or grab a pack of 100 erasers or glass vase beads at the dollar store-- that's what we have done! Instead of the Saxon Meeting Book you could use a wall pocket calendar like <a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/classroom-calendar-pocket-chart-a2-62_2017.fltr">this one </a>or you CAN make ALL those out of paper! Dollar Tree often has small math workbooks that can be a fun addition too.)<br />
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<b>Bible: </b><br />
- <i><a href="http://amzn.to/2e4JehI">Grace & Truth Memory Workbook,</a></i> Volume 1. I LOVE this small booklet. It has hymns, catechism and both verses and passages of Scripture all laid out for each age, from 2 years old to 4th grade.<br />
- Whatever story Bible or Bible reading plan you want. My <a href="http://www.mamaszrama.com/articles/bible-favorites">favorite story Bibles are recommended here</a>. I really like <a href="http://amzn.to/2e6sfOG">The <i>Greenleaf Guide to Old Testament History</i></a> which has you reading chunks of Scripture aloud-- we are going super slow; started last year and are still in Deuteronomy. :)<br />
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For the "extras," I would put a few things on your child's birthday or Christmas wishlist as they are both fun and VERY useful throughout the school year:<br />
- Bob Books<br />
- audiobooks of <i><a href="http://amzn.to/2egllDr">The Story of the World</a>- </i>you can start with whichever best matches your CC year (Cycle 1 goes with Book 1; Cycle 2 with Book 2; Cycle 3 with Books 3-4)<br />
- wooden pattern block sets- <a href="http://amzn.to/2dpLpIJ">Amazon has many options</a>-- we have and love <i><a href="http://amzn.to/2e6pVY2">Melissa & Doug</a>'s</i> set<br />
- wooden clock set- we have and enjoy <i><a href="http://amzn.to/2e4H55I">Melissa & Doug's Shape Sorting Clock</a></i><br />
<i>- <a href="http://amzn.to/2dmlhUj">Usborne's Encyclopedia of World History</a></i><br />
<i>- </i>wall pocket calendar like <a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/classroom-calendar-pocket-chart-a2-62_2017.fltr">this one</a><br />
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As for WHERE to do school... we kind of do it all over the house, often at the dining room table, but I do have a "School Area" where I store all our currently used books and manipulatives. It's just a corner of our foyer w a rug from IKEA, shelves off craigslist for school stuff, a bulletin board strip & our wall pocket calendar.<br />
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I hope that was helpful! Please feel free to add any comments or ideas of your own!<br />
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Eowyn's Heirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14717363754137835260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21181534.post-32632897666514643422016-09-10T10:25:00.000-04:002016-09-10T10:25:19.882-04:00Birth Thoughts, Part 3: C's birth- Emotional Signposts as Reliable Markers of Progress<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My third birth this year was with a repeat client, which is extra fun. I had served "C" and her husband during their son's birth 2.5 years before, and she had rocked a natural hospital birth, surprising everyone (including me!) with how calm and controlled she stayed throughout transition. We were all a bit shocked when she said she thought she was ready to push (she was!). This second birth was in many ways the same...<br />
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Well, we did have some drama early on when Miss M's heart rate dropped through the floor, getting us admitted faster than I've ever seen. Baby M must have had her umbilical cord caught between some body part, because she really didn't like certain positions, and she definitely didn't like C's body's efforts to shift her through quicker, stronger contractions. A terbutaline shot to slow contractions and some rest were enough to give M the time she needed to move on her own sweet time. After the shot wore off we were able to move fairly freely, though C stayed on the monitor in case baby M's heart rate dipped again.<br />
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True to form, C labored so calmly and quickly as she progressed that baby M was almost born in the shower instead of the tub her mama had envisioned. (I will refrain from commenting on the arbitrary policy of denying a mom entry into a labor tub before 6 cm, except to point out that moms are regularly given epidurals before 6 cm, and an epidural is far harder to reverse than a tub. All you have to do if a tub gets in the way of labor progress is get out.) <b>However, this time I was not caught by surprise, not because C was having regular cervical checks, but because I was watching her <i>emotions</i>.</b><br />
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C's birth left me with a clear example of how emotions/moods are a reliable marker of labor "progress." I remember learning about this in the Bradley birth class I took while expecting Eowyn, and it was mentioned again in my Hypnobabies birth class. I'd seen the various phases in other births, but never so clearly as C's birth, possibly because I knew I'd need to watch for them if I was to not be caught off-guard again. <b>With this birth, I learned that emotions really are more reliable than contraction length or strength, and especially the clock, when it comes to discerning how close a mama is to giving birth.</b><br />
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<i>1. Excited phase-</i> when we got the hospital, C was having contractions that were quite strong, yet in between them she was excited, joking with me and her husband about the baby's name, thrilled with "eating" popsicles, able to relax and rest. Despite the length of time we spent in this emotional phase, I wasn't surprised when the nurse checked C and found she hadn't dilated much; emotionally she just didn't seem to have "moved" to me. However, within 15 minutes of being checked, it seemed to me something shifted, labor wise. C wanted to get into the tub, and being told "she wasn't dilated enough," she opted for the shower. Her whole demeanor became purposeful, she got very quiet between contractions, and I could tell she had moved to the next "phase:"<br />
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2.<i> Serious "get her done" phase</i>- once we moved into the shower, C became far more vocal about what worked or didn't work for her, with my suggestions being either followed or met with a clear "no, I don't WANT to." (This had her husband laughing because C is usually the most soft-spoken compliant person ever.) She no longer wanted to make any decisions but also knew pretty quickly when something wasn't working for her. We worked to get the hot water hitting various parts of her back, and provided hip counter pressure. I called the nurse and asked again for a tub, explaining that with her previous birth, once we had hit this point, birth was fairly eminent and we wouldn't have much time to set the tub up. The nurse seemed torn, but had been told by the OB that she should leave C to labor for a while longer before checking her, and that there was no way she had dilated much in the past half-hour after her long slow labor of the morning. But she agreed to come back after she checked her other patient. Within a very short amount of time C's emotions changed again.<br />
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3. <i>Vulnerable phase</i>- This was accompanied by a loss of modesty and a need for reassurance. "I'm not sure I can do this" was heard as well as "Oh, this is hard." When C, a hospital nurse herself, was willing to go on her hands & needs in a hospital shower, I knew all inhibitions were gone and pushing would be soon. I kept up the encouragement and so did C's husband (it wasn't hard because C was so beautiful as she labored!). Within 10 minutes, I could tell that C was bearing down a little with each contraction and we moved to the bed (earlier she had said "I don't want my baby born in the shower!") and I called the nurse, who hadn't made it back yet from checking on her other patient.<br />
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4. <i>Energized phase</i>-- I call this the "mama dinosaur" phase- C never got to a certified "roar," but she definitely FELT like she was loud. We called the OB in who was so surprised that the labor had gone so quickly all of a sudden. To her credit, the OB was calm and let C do her thing without trying to make her get in any particular position. Her earlier doubts gone, C pushed efficiently and effectively. In a very short amount of time, baby M was born! Once again, C had rocked a birth so calmly and quietly that the staff was caught off-guard! I would have been, too, if I hadn't been with her the whole time and been tuned in to her emotional changes. It helped that I'd been at her previous birth and knew how she was in birth -- a<b>nother plus of having a care provider who stays with you during most/all of the birth (such as a midwife), and of having support that is consistent across multiple births! </b>Eowyn's Heirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14717363754137835260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21181534.post-62768121769935174382016-09-09T08:20:00.002-04:002016-09-09T10:17:58.481-04:00Birth Thoughts 2: B's Birth- A Closer Look at Birth after Cesarean<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I’d served women during VBAC before; H’s birth had been a beautiful victory despite a posterior baby and extended pushing. I’d read all the literature and carefully researched risks and benefits of VBAC, and was staunch in my support of it. Even ACOG (American College of Gynecologists) had recently adjusted their position to be more broadly supportive of the practice. So when B & her husband interviewed me as their doula, I was thrilled. Her first baby had been an unexpected but scheduled c-section: her doctor had told her he suggested a big baby 5 days after her due date, and baby had been born by cesarean that evening. She and her husband desired a larger family and her research led her to believe VBAC was a safer option for mama and baby as well as future babies and future pregnancies. I remember her husband, W, asking me “what are the risks of a VBAC?” and I answered, “well, there are the usual risks of any birth, but the main concern in addition to those is a uterine rupture, where the uterus breaks open along the site of the previous incision.” He asked me “how would we know if that happened?” I answered “well, signs are usually pretty obvious: mom usually KNOWS something is wrong, pain is great, there is usually a lot of bleeding. These are all reasons to let the body labor on its own as much as possible, and to avoid interventions that might inhibit mom knowing what’s going on in her body. It’s also a reason to have a care provider who is familiar with and supportive of VBAC, which you all have.”<br />
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Rather than narrate B’s birth story, which is quite the tale, I will jump to the end and say that B suffered a uterine rupture. She and her baby were fine in the end, but it was terrifying for a while there. I had to re-evaluate everything I ever knew or thought I knew about VBAC and C-section, and needed a lot of support from my local birth community to work through the emotions of the experience.<br />
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<b>So, having now seen and experienced a uterine rupture during a VBAC, I want to summarize what I learned by asking two questions: </b><br />
<b> 1. What does a uterine rupture look like? (What are the signs it has happened and how does this affect how we treat laboring women hoping to VBAC?) </b><br />
<b> 2. Is VBAC really worth the risk? </b><br />
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Ok—<i>what does uterine rupture look like?</i> This was definitely<b> not </b>a textbook manifestation, but looking back in hindsight <b>it DID have several classic markers</b>.<br />
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<li> First off, <i>there was NO bleeding</i>. B’s water never broke. This ended up being life-saving for Baby M, who continued kicking, snuggled safely in the bubble of her amniotic sac even as her head and shoulders edged out of the womb and into her mother’s abdominal cavity. But because B's water never broke we never had any bright red blood flow signaling a big problem. There also was hardly any blood flow internally, since the scar itself was not vascular (full of blood vessels) and surrounding tissue had only begun to tear and bleed when the c-section took place.</li>
<li>Second, there <i>was </i>a lot of pain. B handled contractions very well for all of one night and most of another day. Though there was a definitely frustrating stop-and-start quality to the contractions, she labored with grace and courage. She took joy in working with her body and was encouraged that her body was doing exactly what it was created to be able to do. We did find that one position (leaning back) was much more painful than any other, but she found hands & knees, swaying, slow dancing with her husband, and sitting on a birth ball all bearable. We even had been able to get her comfortable enough to snatch a nap in an exaggerated sims position (using lots of pillows). We worked through emotions from frustrations & fear both past and present. It wasn’t until dinner time that B felt she could not handle any more. In a rather abrupt change of demeanor she wanted to go to the hospital. I had left to get some dinner and nurse my own baby, and when I met her at the hospital I was struck by how this pain was much less like active labor and seemed like “transition,” which comes immediately before pushing. In hindsight, the rupture probably occurred around 6 pm, right when B felt that she needed to go to the hospital and that the pain became unmanageable. <b>This reassures me so much—moms <i>know</i>.</b> More on this later. Meanwhile, even as nurses wondered about admission because her contractions didn’t seem strong enough, I could tell B’s suffering was great. Something was wrong. Her pain was disproportionate to "where she seemed" in labor. The words she used- “unrelenting,” “just doesn’t let up,” “so bad,” - all indicated something more than normal labor. I went to the doctor and the nurses and told them something was wrong, that B was asking for c-section, because of this symptom. **<b>Listening to moms planning a VBAC as they listen to their own bodies is crucial.** </b></li>
<li>Third,<i> the missing cervix</i>. When B arrived at the hospital and we met in triage, she seemed to me to be in the final stages of dilation, yet the nurse could not even reach her cervix. This mystified everyone and caused B no small amount of pain as two nurses, her doctor and then another doctor all tried to check her dilation and could not find any cervix. We now know that as her uterus ruptured along the incision, the cervix was pushed further back. The baby’s head was palpable but was covered by a membrane that wasn’t an amniotic sac—it was because the baby’s head was descending <i>outside </i>the birth canal. The doctor brought in a portable ultrasound machine and still couldn’t see any sign of the cervix or even what was really going on. It was at this point that the doctor decided firmly on a quicker c-section under general anesthesia v a slower one in which B could have been awake and W could have accompanied her. </li>
<li>Fourth, <i>maternal intuition</i>. B looked at me during one contraction in triage and told me “I just keep visualizing my scar. I just keep thinking of it. What does that mean?” In hindsight I’m sure it meant that her body knew EXACTLY what was going on. She had an urgency about her, urging her doctor to go ahead and do a section without delay—she knew, even though she didn’t know she knew. </li>
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Through this experience I learned that not all ruptures are obvious, but even when they aren’t, there are clear signposts, especially in a mom who is in tune with her own body.
OK, so that's the "hindsight is 20-20/what I've learned" from this birth... but the question that I had to wrestle with in a newly personal way is:<br />
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<i>Would I now say that VBAC is worth the risk? </i>Well, I understand and appreciate more than ever why a practitioner would choose to not support VBAC. Having been through the anxiety of a birth where no one knows what is going on, but something is certainly drastically wrong, I understand why no one would want that. The alternative, a repeat c-section, seems so <i>safe</i>, so<i> controlled</i> by comparison. The terror of wondering what will happen to a wife and mother, and especially a baby, is not something I ever care to experience again. So I understand in a very real way the fears surrounding uterine rupture.<br />
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I also appreciate more than ever the need for <b>truly informed consent.</b> It’s easy to read favorable statistics and say “well, yeah, bad things can happen, but, usually they don’t!” It feels different when you are on the other side of the statistics, even if they are very unlikely. That’s why it’s so important to take a good honest look at risks on both sides—so no one is blindsided if something bad happens. <b>The truth is that birth is only as safe as the rest of life; usually safe, but sometimes very very not. </b> No birth worker can give a guarantee of a positive outcome, whether it’s a home birth or a scheduled c-section. We have to approach every birth like we should approach every day; ultimately trusting the Lord, and knowing that He alone is Sovereign, and that He ordains everything for our good—even the very very painful. I find <a href="http://vbacfacts.com/2012/04/11/best-compilation-of-vbac-research-to-date/">this summary</a> to be helpful:<br />
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Women are entitled to accurate, honest, and high quality data. They don’t deserve to have the risks exaggerated by an OB who wishes to coerce them into a repeat cesarean nor do they deserve to have risks sugar-coated or minimized by a midwife or birth advocate who may not understand the risk or whose zealous desire for everyone to VBAC clouds their judgement. Sometimes it can be hard to find good data on VBAC which is why I’m so thankful for the 2010 NIH VBAC Conference and all the excellent data that became available to the public as a result. There are real risks and benefits to VBAC and repeat cesarean and once women have access to good data, they can individually choose which set of risks and benefits they want. </blockquote>
Even as I relive the experience and my heart races, I remember that, when I re-examined all the evidence and research, and experiences besides my own, <b>VBAC is statistically safer than repeat C-section most of the time</b>. Yes, it's terrifying to walk through a rupture (or any birth complication), but <b>reacting purely emotionally isn't fair to mamas and babies</b>. And honestly, would a hemorrhage during a planned c-section be any better? We have to take a step back and look at the big picture.<br />
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The odds of uterine rupture during a VBAC (vaginal birth after 1 cesarean) in a mom with a low transverse incision (the standard c-section scar today) is a little less than 5 out of 1000, and it goes down with each subsequent VBAC. (The risk after two c-sections, or VBA2C or VBAC-2, definitely seems to go up, but it's hard to tell how much. ACOG does still recommend VBAC after two c-sections.). That means that 994 women who attempt to VBAC would not have a rupture. To put that in perspective, the <a href="http://contemporaryobgyn.modernmedicine.com/contemporary-obgyn/content/tags/bradley-holbrook-md/umbilical-cord-prolapse?page=full">odds of a cord prolapse</a> (when the umbilical cord comes out before baby is born- a true emergency requiring immediate cesarean) are between 1.5 and 6.2 out of 1000. So, <b>the risk of a uterine rupture during a VBAC seems comparable as the risk of a cord prolapse in an uncomplicated ("normal") birth</b>. I've never experienced a prolapsed cord; I know it does happen, but it isn't very often. Similarly, I am unlikely to ever witness another rupture. The attending doctor himself had never encountered a rupture before, despite being supportive of VBAC.<br />
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The risks of VBAC are complex, and each mother will need to take into account her own factors (ex. what led to the first c-section, or the second, etc.), <b>but we have to remember that the alternative is a planned pre-labor c-section, and the risks to that are equally complex, and many of the most serious risks aren't seen until much much later.</b><br />
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C-sections carry all the risks of a major surgery when it comes to the mother: risk of infection, risk of hemorrhage (uncontrolled bleeding), risk of <a href="http://americanpregnancy.org/labor-and-birth/cesarean-risks/">accidental damage to other organs</a> (nicking the colon or bladder are the most common, at 1- 2 out of 100 women), risk of poor reaction to drugs, including an allergic reaction to anesthesia, risk of blood clots post-op, and a potentially slow & painful recovery. A mother loses twice the amount of blood in a c-section that she would in an uncomplicated vaginal birth. Maternal death is higher after c-section as opposed to vaginal birth. (It might surprise you to read how common these side-effects are!) There also are <a href="http://www.vbac.com/how-does-a-cesarean-affect-the-baby/">risks to the baby</a>: risks of being nicked or cut during incision (1-2 out of 100); <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001563.htm">risks of respiratory distress in the first few days after birth</a> and even life-long respiratory difficulties <a href="http://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749%2811%2901148-1/abstract">like asthma</a>; and risks inherent to the use of antibiotics at a time when babies need to be <a href="http://jn.nutrition.org/content/138/9/1796S.full">colonized by healthy bacteria</a>. Breastfeeding also is more difficult after a surgical birth, as is bonding. (None of these are insurmountable, and much can be done to improve surgical birth if & when it is truly necessary!)<br />
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Despite all this, I would say the <b><a href="http://vbacfacts.com/2009/08/03/risk-of-serious-complications-increase-with-each-cesarean-surgery/">most serious risks t</a>hat need to be taken into account are the risks to future pregnancies</b>-- and these are seldom mentioned to mothers deciding whether to plan a VBAC or a repeat section. These also increase with every C-section. One risk is scar tissue (“adhesions”) –these can form in the pelvic reason and lead to placental abruption (placenta coming off uterus before baby is born) or placenta previa (placenta forming over cervix). Because the scar on the uterus doesn’t have blood vessels in it, if a baby attaches near it, its placenta will have a hard time getting enough oxygen and food, so it will keep growing through the scar, at times sending “roots” all the way through the uterine wall. This is known as placenta accreta, and it is quite risky for both mom and baby since the placenta can’t easily detach from the uterus (causing extra bleeding). Usually such a pregnancy ends with a c-section followed by a hysterectomy. The risk of placenta accreta increases with each c-section, as does the risk of uterine rupture, even prelabor. This is worth considering especially in families who don't want to limit their family size because of birth method.<br />
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One last point I'll make is that, as I experienced first-hand, a rupture is not always an immediate crisis (though it certainly can be)-- in our case, though it occurred at home, we still had time to get to the hospital, to be seen by multiple doctors and nurses, to have an ultrasound and then be prepped for c-section, and baby and mom had a good outcome. This isn't to downplay the risk of rupture-- it definitely needs resolution as quickly as possible!-- but rather to highlight that a low-intervention birth environment can be safely maintained for the mother as she labors; we don't need to push all women planning a VBAC to labor in the O/R of a large hospital.<br />
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Many of my birth worker friends have asked me if I would ever consider taking on another VBAC client, and my answer is "yes." I will focus on educating any such clients ahead of time on what a rupture <i>could</i> look like, and will be proactively listening to her throughout labor. My only regret in B's labor is the length of time she had to endure the pain of a rupture as everyone tried to figure out what was going on. Hopefully this account will help other ruptures be identified more quickly! I also am more motivated than ever at seeing our initial c-section rate drop in the US. <b>If that first c-section can be avoided, we don't have to worry about the risks of VBAC v. ERCS (elective repeat c-section)</b>. Without a first c-section, rupture is very unlikely.<br />
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So if anyone asks me if I would calculate VBAC as "worth the risks," I would say, <b>each situation is different, but statistically, yes, because the alternative is a repeat C-section, and the risks there are weighty. It's definitely worth a try. </b> Know how to minimize the chance of rupture, the signs of a rupture, and have care providers who are competent, supportive and able to act quickly if need be.<br />
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(Note: I have attempted to sources for my data; click the linked text in order to read the full articles.)Eowyn's Heirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14717363754137835260noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21181534.post-44994347881727321442016-09-08T15:57:00.002-04:002016-09-08T16:03:18.922-04:00Birth Thoughts, Part 1: A's Birth-- Addressing the Fear<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times"; font-size: 13.5pt;">My first four births of 2016 have been very, very different. Each taught me something or reinforced a particular concept for me.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times"; font-size: 13.5pt;"> My first birth of the year was lightning-fast, the second was a VBAC ending in c-section, the third was a long slow birth that started out with some drama and ended in a quick triumph, and the fourth was a more “classic” water-birth in which mama was respected & supported, and in turn greeted her baby with extraordinary grace. Every birth had beautiful moments, unpredictable twists, impressive mothers and so much depth. I am honored to have been a part of each one; no matter how many births I see, I remain mesmerized and enthralled by the process, and brought to worship of the Creator of this intricate, powerful, transformative Dance we call birth. In this brief series each birth will get its own post and a summary of what each taught me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times";"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 18px;">(for this series each mama got assigned a letter in alphabetical order)</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times"; font-size: 13.5pt;"><i><b>A’s Birth: leaving fear behind</b></i></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times"; font-size: 13.5pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times"; font-size: 13.5pt;">A hired me for her second birth. A poised, articulate go-getter with a charming toddler, she came to me well-read and continuing to do more research. Our kids played together as we discussed parenting and how to keep Christ at the center of a birth—I was delighted to find that she shared my faith! Her first birth had been on the long side with a bit of trauma, and she wanted to have someone with her this time around who would make sure she understood all happenings and ensured she was able to be an active participant in decision-making. With her first son’s birth she had experienced a lot of pain early on, and had requested an epidural. She anticipated an epidural again this time around, but wanted to have support to enable her to delay it to minimize complication risk and also to prevent C-section once it was in place. As we sat together crafting a birth plan and discussing her last birth, I got the feeling that her main issue was not going to be managing an epidural but rather <b>working through fear of the process</b>; something told me that, once she could embrace the unpredictable nature of birth and find freedom in trusting, she would not need any form of pain management. I also had a suspicion that this next birth would be far quicker than her first and might not even leave time for a pharmaceutical option. To my surprise, when I accompanied her to a late-term midwife appointment, the midwife brought the same point up: “</span><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "times"; font-size: 13.5pt;">you know, second births are often so much faster and you live so far from the hospital; you probably want to have some non-location dependant options to manage the labor in case an epidural isn’t an option. I also want to assure you that if you do find your labor moving too quickly for pain meds that we will help you manage—you absolutely </span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "times"; font-size: 13.5pt;">can</span><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "times"; font-size: 13.5pt;"> do it, and we will be with you in those moments.”</span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "times"; font-size: 13.5pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times"; font-size: 13.5pt;">I got a phone call on a Monday morning two weeks before her due date, saying “I think I might just have gone into labor… I’m taking a shower and calling my childcare just in case.” She was still talking normally through contractions so I told her to keep me posted and went about my normal day, though I did throw my doula bag in the car and put my own childcare people on standby. Within an hour, I got another text saying that labor was definitely progressing and she would be beginning her way to the hospital, could I please meet her there? (She lived 45 minutes from the hospital) Wow! In a mad scramble I got my kids taken care of (including my own 3 month old) and arrived at the hospital about 15 minutes after they did. She was already in transition and almost ready to push. The room was dimly lit, just A, her husband and the midwife—A was in the middle of a contraction as I arrived, and as soon as it was over her eyes found mine and she whispered “Oh, Christina, I’m not going to get my epidural, am I?” “No, this little boy is moving too fast for that—but I am here with you, and we are going to do this! You can do it, your body </span><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "times"; font-size: 13.5pt;">is</span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "times"; font-size: 13.5pt;"> doing it, and I’m not leaving you for a second.”</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times"; font-size: 13.5pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times"; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times"; font-size: 13.5pt;">Sure enough, within the hour, A was cradling her second son, in awe at both the gift of him and at the miracle her body had just done. “I can’t believe I did it,” she kept saying; “I can’t believe how good I feel right now. I can’t believe I just had a baby—I don’t even feel like I just had a baby.” Looking back over her birth I remember a shift; a moment when she realized that “well, here I am—let’s do this,” and instead of wondering </span><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "times"; font-size: 13.5pt;">if</span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "times"; font-size: 13.5pt;"> she could do it and being afraid that she wouldn't be able to handle it, it just became about </span><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "times"; font-size: 13.5pt;">doing it.</span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "times"; font-size: 13.5pt;"> All she needed was a voice in her ear reminding her that she was strong in her weakness, that God was good, that she was not alone, and encouraging her when her energy flagged. And she did exactly what she had feared she could not do: she birthed a baby with no intervention, no trauma, just support… and she did it </span><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "times"; font-size: 13.5pt;">beautifully.</span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "times"; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times"; font-size: 13.5pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times"; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times"; font-size: 13.5pt;">A’s birth reminded me that every woman benefits from having a support team versed in unmedicated birth, because sometimes that’s all you have time for, and in those moments you want people who aren’t freaking out, because they have done this before (even if you never have). <b>Fear = pain, which is why support and encouragement enable so many moms to do what they never thought they could do; because those things banish fear.</b> A had a midwife and a doula (me</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times"; font-size: 13.5pt;">) who encouraged various positions, kept up a stream of positivity and actively kept fear at bay. She had a supportive husband, cheering for her and staying positive the whole time. She found a strength she never knew she had, she overcame her fear, and she looked absolutely gorgeous as she did it. </span></div>
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Eowyn's Heirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14717363754137835260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21181534.post-7882485243218501372016-06-12T17:02:00.000-04:002016-06-12T17:11:17.917-04:00Headed on the Tongue Tie Awareness War-pathWell, I've reached my limit.<br />
<br />
Any cup will eventually overflow if enough drips into it; I think I'm at the overflow point, and it's time to channel the runoff. I've watched enough suffering of both babies and moms, I've heard enough nonsense and I've experienced enough exhaustion. It's high time we had consistent and consistently simple care for tongue ties in our nation (and the world). Let me quickly tell my story, summarize the current state of affairs, and outline my plan.<br />
<br />
<b>My story?</b> I've had three babies, all tongue-tied, and my own self, who is tongue tied. With my first, my sweet Eowyn, I pushed through painful breastfeeding, reflux, and a baby who did not enjoy nursing for 5 months, because I didn't know about ties and everyone told me nursing always hurt at first anyway. By 5 months her mouth had grown enough that my pain and hers went away, and we thought all was well. However, her tie was still there, and though we had it revised at age 3 she is still in speech therapy at age 6.5 for a lisp caused by a tongue that sits too far forward in her mouth. (Another symptom for her has been biting of her tongue repeatedly while eating; we're talking almost daily for her whole life.)<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jW1Yp4bkMfo/V13M-fzv_YI/AAAAAAAAeMQ/EWvfya83t60sY12PuG8soMHtX6bS7xQjwCKgB/s1600/IMG_8214.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jW1Yp4bkMfo/V13M-fzv_YI/AAAAAAAAeMQ/EWvfya83t60sY12PuG8soMHtX6bS7xQjwCKgB/s320/IMG_8214.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Patrick, whom I've loved nursing to chubby roundness</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Second baby, Liam three months of heartache, exhaustion, mental torture and more to find anyone who acknowledged that something was not right in my beautiful baby's mouth. I wasn't a hypochnodriac mom; my son projectile vomited, turned blue-white around the mouth, and actively fought nursing and bottle-feeding alike, starving himself all day and only feeding in his sleep with a complete plateau of weight gain, not to mention breastfeeding pain. I was a sleep-deprived zombie going from one specialist to the next, until finally Dr. Kotlow revised my son's lip and posterior tongue ties and we began to improve. We still needed several months of feeding therapy, cranionsacral therapy, chiropractic care and years of sensory play therapy along with a second revision of his tongue. By two, all symptoms were finally gone including Liam's sensory aversions, reflux, laryngomalacia, feeding difficulties, texture issues, and uncomfortable latch. (<a href="http://eowyns-heir.blogspot.com/2012/11/our-saga-through-land-of-sucknswallow.html">Full story here</a>.)<br />
<br />
Third baby, Patrick, had the most obvious piston tie and a lip tie so tight his upper mandible was (and is) notched. We had his addressed at three days old, again at 6 weeks, and a third time under the tongue at 3 months. It was three months of stretches, massive nutritional supplementation for me (for him), many therapies, and body work BUT by 5 months we were done with everything, settled into comfortable, easy nursing with a baby who never once stopped gaining (he's still in the 90th percentile for everything at almost 8 months), is happy and easy going. Sure, it was an intense road up front but it was DONE, totally done, by 5 months.<br />
<br />
Three kids-- first still dealing with tie repercussions at age 6.5; second, finished by age 2; third, finished by age 5 months. Which would you pick?<br />
<br />
<b>Current state of affairs. </b>In my area of the country, there are two-three providers who do releases correctly in each major city. However, NONE of them are pediatricians or primary-care providers, which is problematic for many families when it comes to paying for a release (though all of the care providers are exceedingly gracious and many will do payment plans). There are only one or two IBCLCs who are experienced with ties, and usually only a handful of SLPs (speech language pathologists, who handle feeding therapy in SC) which is far too few, especially since moms with tied babies/toddlers need a good deal of support until the tie is resolved. So this is discouraging enough, but to add to it practices in my area who actively DISCOURAGE treatment of tongue ties, blame mothers and babies, and IBCLCs who spread misinformation regarding these issues, and you have an intolerable situation. Honestly, it amounts to oppression and injustice. <a href="http://www.kiddsteeth.com/articles/ttfactssheet.pdf">Children are left to suffer, often for life,</a> never knowing that their speech, dental, digestive, sleep, and respiratory issues are caused by a thin tendon being too tight in their mouth. Many are labeled "high needs," "fussy," "colicky," and "lazy." Moms are left to suffer and feel guilty for weaning early, bottle-feeding, or to push through difficult breast-feeding, physical pain, disrupted sleep; often they are blamed when their babies are gassy or don't gain weight. They are told their milk quality is poor, that they must be eating things their baby doesn't like, that it's normal for nursing to hurt or for babies to eat for hours around the clock. Families either don't know treatment is possible, or its unavailable, or they are discouraged from seeking it because they are told the procedure is controversial, risky, painful, and/or with awful aftercare. (Having gone through it a total of 8 times in our own home, at various ages, I can assure you a properly done release is NOT that bad!! Worth the pain for sure!)<br />
<br />
In my dream world, babies would be checked for ties at birth, at 2 days old and at 6 weeks; all OBs, midwives, family doctors and pediatricians would know how to assess tongue & lip range of motion properly and how to release in office (with laser, scalpel or scissors), or would refer to a practitioner who did (lasers are so effective and generally only dentists or ENTs will have those). All moms would be assured that the procedure is quick, safe, and with relatively low pain & risk involved. All IBCLCs and above mentioned care providers as well as chiropractors would know all the symptoms of a tie in a nursing dyad (baby <a href="http://drghaheri.squarespace.com/blog/2014/2/23/a-breastfeeding-moms-symptoms-are-as-important-as-the-babys">OR mom</a>) or a bottle-fed infant, so no one would fall through the cracks. The procedure would be so commonplace and inexpensive that insurance wouldn't hesitate to cover it. Lastly, many trials and studies would be going on to determine WHY we are experiencing such a spate of restricted oral tissues right now, and how to avoid them in future generations.<br />
<br />
<b>My plan. </b> I've got a fire in my bones about this. Posting some thoughts on the Tongue Tie Babies Support Group on FB got immediate support and lots of feedback, so here is my approach:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li> to have an online printable letter for parents to print & give to their care providers, based on existing letters by Dr. L Kotlow (<a href="http://www.kiddsteeth.com/articles/ttfactssheet.pdf">here</a>) and Dr. B Ghaheri (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/DrGhaheriMD/posts/579436175551096">here</a>).</li>
<li> to send letters to every care provider in Greenville (my area) personally </li>
<li> to personally & publicly call out local practices that have blocked treatment of TT babies (through open letters posted here and also mailed </li>
<li> to have an online petition to make three proper exams for ties a standard of care for every baby (at birth, at two days and at 6 weeks)
- to send info to Good Morning America with the hope of having <a href="http://www.kiddsteeth.com/articles.php">Dr Kotlow</a> or <a href="http://www.ourmilkyway.org/dentist-sheds-light-on-tongue-tie-in-infants/">Dr Notestine</a> or <a href="http://www.drghaheri.com/">Dr Ghaheri</a> or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DrJackNewman/posts/260842767400110">Dr Newman</a> to speak on the ease of releasing and the need for it</li>
</ul>
<div>
Harry Potter fans, this is my S.P.E.W. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Onward!</div>
Eowyn's Heirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14717363754137835260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21181534.post-61064215610892513652016-05-13T01:40:00.000-04:002016-05-13T01:49:44.397-04:00Patrick's Birth Story<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">This version of Patrick's birth story has been 6 months in the making. I tried to write this the week after his
birth and just couldn<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">t condense it down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everything was too vivid, too
fresh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wa<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">s hard to step back and get
a summary; there were too many details for me to articulate a <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">“<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">big picture.<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">”<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> About 4 months ago I wrote a thorough birth story, but it's taken me this long to condense everything into something blog-able. My friend Brooke gave me pictures from the birth, so now I just want it finished. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">All that to say<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">…<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> here is Patrick<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">s birth as I remember it:</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">For six weeks
now, contractions had come, stayed a while, and gone,<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> often leaving me breathless and sore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My feelings had run the gamut of hope,
confusion, frustration, anger, and finally, acceptance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had weathered a flea invasion, a
horrible stomach virus and colds in my kids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>40 weeks had come and gone, along with<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> them several people who
had hoped to be a part of my birth team from out of town<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">—<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">my sister Nicole, my dear friend Amy, fellow home-birth fan Leah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had prayed so long that whomever
needed to be at my birth would be there, and with them gone there was no<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">thing left to do but trust
and wait.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">t do waiting well<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">…<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> I have a hard time </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">not</span></span></i><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> doing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At 40 weeks I went for an acupuncture
session hoping to balance whatever in my body was causing such consistent
non-progressive labor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the way
to the session <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">I had
such strong continuous contractions that I had trouble breathing deeply.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As soon as Katie inserted the needles
into my legs, my body forcibly relaxed and the contractions stopped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ahhhhh such relief.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A week and a day later (Saturday) I
began to ha<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">ve strong
contractions again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They continued
off and on into the next day, sometimes requiring me to practice breathing
deeply and focus, but any time I tried to time them they spaced out and
stopped. <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As had become usual the past few weeks,
I sent my les<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">son
plans for the class I taught at my daughter<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">s co-op to another mom who would step in for me if Patrick came on a
Monday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sunday was my cousin<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">s birthday and we hadn<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">t RSVPed to his party because I just wasn<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">t sure what would happen or what I<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">d be able<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> to
handle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But at 6 o<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">clock I felt ok so we headed over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We enjoyed the party and my cousin
joked that he would really like a birthday buddy.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">We got home,
got the kids to bed and I settled to try and sleep around midnight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course as soon as it was n<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">o longer technically my
cousin<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">s birthday, my contractions
began to regulate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every 10
minutes they came<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">…<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> all night long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">d get up and walk or sit on my birthing ball or rock in my rocker, and
they would space out and ease up<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">…<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> I<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">d get back into bed and<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> they would be too intense to <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">sleep through and they
would last <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">much
longer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I finally got into a hot
Epsom bath around 4 and by 5 felt like I could sleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I texted my co-op sub and said to plan on teaching because I
would be at best running on 3 hours o<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">f sleep and my body was plain wore out.<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> My mom volunteered to take the kids to co-op for the morning
so I could try and rest. I texted
my midwife<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">, <a href="http://www.ermidwife.com/about_us">ElizabethRandolph,</a><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> and asked
what she thought I should do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">The only difference I had
this morning as oppo<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">sed
to every other morning lately was <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">“<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">bloody show.<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">”<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">She offered to bring<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> over some cottonroot bark
tincture<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">, saying she
thought it might help my <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">body <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">“<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">get over the hump<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">”<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> and kic<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">k into full-blown labor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She also recommended I go to the chiropractor for a<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">n adjustment<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">; often the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">“<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">round<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">”<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> ligaments that
anchor/support the uterus will get uneven and impede labor<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">.<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So
she brought the tincture by and I headed to the chiropractor<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">s.<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Elizabeth<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> volunteered to come over around 10 pm to hang out and
be near just in<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> case
something happened tonight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
liked the idea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">So I got adjusted right
around<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> 10:30 and
started<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">the herbs around noon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I puttered around tidying up and taking
my tincture<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> every 15
minutes as I<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">d been instructed<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">, finishing w a big ol dose
of castor <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">oil at
3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(It<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">s really not so bad<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">—<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">just hold your
nose hard and cut it w juice.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then I took a nap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I
woke up 2 hours later my kiddos were coming home for dinner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt refreshed after my nap, but no
real contractions<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> and
as far as I could tell, no <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">effects at all from the castor oil<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">My one bit of hope was that
I was still having bloody show all day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">I sat up on my
birth ball and started getting <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">“<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">the scoop<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">”<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> on the day from Eowyn (my 6 year old daughter)
and wow!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A good pressure wave hit!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Big deal<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">, those hit all the
time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But then another came, and
before it had eased up another and then a third.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I stood up, leaning on Ryan<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">s dresser (it<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">s about shoulder-height)
and moaned through them, and as soon as I got a bit of a break, fumbled for my
phone <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">as I told Eowyn
<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">“<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">tell Daddy I need him.<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">”<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
texted Elizabeth <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">“<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">these are relentless- can I
get in the s<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">hower?<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">”<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
said <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">“<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">of course.<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">”<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
didn<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">t know what was going on,
but needed some kind of relief and hoped the hot water would help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I turned the water on<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> as hot as I could and got
in, contractions still hitting hard and staying hard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I finally got a bit of a break as I knelt in the shower with
the water on my back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I texted my
mom to come back and help feed the kids dinner so Ryan could be with me, and I<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> told Elizabeth what was
happening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I said I didn<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">t know if anything was different but that I just
couldn<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">t stand the thought of not
getting in water now and really wanted to set up the birth tub.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> said <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">“<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">I will be in
my car in 3<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> minutes<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">”<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> and that was <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">very comforting to me.<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
was around 5:45 pm.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">By the time she
came pressure waves had spaced to a more manageable distance apart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I never timed them, and honestly I don<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">t know what told me that this set of contractions
was different than any of the previous<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">—<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">instinct? <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe it was just the likelihood of
timing (41 weeks 3 days gestation, same as Liam<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">s birthday), maybe it was because I<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">d taken herbs, maybe it was just wishful thinking, but I called my friend
Megan, who was functioning as a <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">“<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">birth
hospitality coordinato<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">r.<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">”<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My
Hypnobabies instructor <a href="https://juliebyers.com/">Julie</a> had mentioned that during a home birth it was
helpful to have a member of the birth team who knew where everything was and
could make sure every guest was comfortable, so that the mom wouldn<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">t be trying to play hostess <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">when she should be
birthing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">d asked Megan to do that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She had friends & family member<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">s phone numbers to keep in the loop, and was
responsible for calling in my non-medical birth team members:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wendy, a dear friend & also an RN;
Brooke, who would b<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">e
taking pictures; and Christin, an aquaintance who was interested in exploring
midwifery as a career but had yet to see a birth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Elizabeth would come and determine whether or not this was <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">“<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">it<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">”<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> and would
call her apprentice, Sarah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-72phYpTASZk/VzVmgfF7yxI/AAAAAAAAeKI/Qq4LDibMpi4itxDnBktVe6GgF3QM0nmxgCLcB/s1600/_IMG2972.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-72phYpTASZk/VzVmgfF7yxI/AAAAAAAAeKI/Qq4LDibMpi4itxDnBktVe6GgF3QM0nmxgCLcB/s320/_IMG2972.jpeg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">I sat upstairs
on my <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">bed cross
legged, relaxing between contractions and trying to stay loose through
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I walked around and slow
danced with Ryan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He started
filling the birth tub.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I commented
on how plastic-y the tub liner smelled and so he opened our bathroom window<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">—<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">I<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> didn<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">t realize it but this
window stayed open throughout the birth, allowing one of our neighbors to hear
our baby crying right after birth, and to remark <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">“<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">I think they had that baby just now<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">”<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> to his wife.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Time began to
do that funny thing it does in lab<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">or; everything seems to stand still and rush ahead at once.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could have been laboring for hours or
minutes, contractions could have been 5 or 10 or 2 minutes apart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They still weren<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">t <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">“<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">regular<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">”<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> and seemed to vary in intensity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remember Elizabeth arri<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">ving and that being such a
relief.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One by one friends arrived
and the birth scene I had envisioned began to be enacted, both fun and relaxing
to me:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a birth tub full of
inviting hot water; low lights, Jack o<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> lanters with candles, the letters <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">“<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">B-A-B-Y<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">”<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> a<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">nd even a Harry Potter poster.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We talked in hushed voices or else
laughed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Elizabeth & Sarah
began unfolding the various birth materials, double-making my bed with sheets,
a plastic sheet, and another set of sheets, arranging Doppler and gloves<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">…<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> it was a<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">ll done so quietly, so gently, so quickly that it was
almost like magic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Someone set out
our baby<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">s first outfit:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the tiniest little cloth diaper and a
Gryffindor Quidditch jersey<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was dark outside and
glowing & warm inside<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">—<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">just like I<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">d always envis<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">ioned for this baby<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">s birth.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VEbXgg7Vfgs/VzVmgWfkK5I/AAAAAAAAeKE/VcnIA_eemuQ4hgynKhKvfPFIp9UW43q3ACLcB/s1600/_IMG2978.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VEbXgg7Vfgs/VzVmgWfkK5I/AAAAAAAAeKE/VcnIA_eemuQ4hgynKhKvfPFIp9UW43q3ACLcB/s320/_IMG2978.jpeg" width="212" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Around 8:50 <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">I got in the tub<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">—<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">ahhhhh<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">…<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">. such a relief.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I still
felt like I was in early active labor; purposeful but cheerful and in good
spirits between contractions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Our bedroom has its own
bathroom & a boudoir large enough f<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">or the birth tub.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The boudoir opens onto the master bedroom with double French doors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had one closed so it felt very
private even with a half dozen people in the master bedroom. The only people in
around the tub were Ryan and one of the midwives, and <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Eowyn as she wanted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">
came in & out and I talked to her between contractions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes I cried during a contraction,
not out of pain, just because the release felt good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ryan applied counter pressure and reminded me to relax.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had three playlists <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">ready for labor:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>my Hypnobabies tracks, a Labor Mix, and
Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had imagined I would want HP3 because it had been my
Hypnosis cue all throughout pregnancy, helping me to relax and usually go to
sleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But just in case <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">it didn<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">t feel right in the moment, I had the other two
playlists, and to my surprise, I found myself wanting the playlist of
songs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So we started that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt strong and happy; unafraid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Around 9:40 <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">I started getting the urge to push and let myself pus<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">h with the
contractions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could tell the
midwives thought this might be it, maybe the prodromal labor had done all the
work and this would be a fast birth!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But something felt <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">“<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">off<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">”<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Baby<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">s head didn<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">t feel anywhere near the perineum and I just di<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">dn<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">t feel like I<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">d gone through
transformation/transition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">about 30 minutes and <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">a few pushes, squatting in
the water, holding onto Sarah<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">s hands as
Ryan applied counter pressure to my hips, Elizabeth asked to check me to make
sure I didn<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">t have a cervical lip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">agreed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She immediately told me I wasn<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">t complete.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My doula brain
knew that this meant at best pushing would tire me out, and at worst would
cause swelling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I had to try
to <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">“<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">not push.<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">”<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Easier said then done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Fitting though that the hardest part of<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> this labor would be so like the hardest part of
my pregnancy:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>waiting without
doing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">This was about 10:20<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Eowyn<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">s birth was long and exhausting; she was
malpositioned and didn<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">t descend for hours. I
remember saying <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">“<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">I<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">m going to die,<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">”<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> which I never act<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">ually feared<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">…<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> just the<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> physical<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> intensity shocked me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Liam<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">s birth was so much quieter and more peaceful,
quicker too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remember floating
in the tub and contractions coming and leaving, and me roaring through pushing
but otherwise being fairly quiet<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">t one point <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">my music had<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> ended and I had just finished laboring in
silence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had expected this birth
to be even more calm, especially after going through Hypnobabies and having
even more tools to relax, and with Eowyn in the room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The timing was similar<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">; labor picking up all evening and baby coming in the
night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If anything I felt even
more comfortable and calm, surrounded by friends in my own bedroom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But this, this not doing what my nerves
were screaming to do (PUSH) was new.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Physically speaking it <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">is the hardest thing I have ever done.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">I flipped over
onto my back to try and bring my big old belly back over my posterior cervix
and get it to dilate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(I was still
only 4ish cm, which was just a tiny bit more than what I had been for the past
week<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Than<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">kfully Elizabeth didn<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">t tell me this and I didn<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">t want to
know.<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With e<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">very <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">pressure wave<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> I
felt like I was fighting myself to not push, and it felt like I would tear in
two.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wondered how in the world I
would finish this labor. It seemed like I really <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">would be pregnant forever<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">—<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">not just having "false labor" for weeks but now never dilating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I told Elizabeth that this would never
work and to please just take me to the hospital for a c-section.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course as soon as the <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">wave had retreated<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> I retracted that, <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">and they assured me we
weren<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">t going anywhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I absolutely could not get into
self-hypnosis<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">—<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">not pushing required me to
stay very </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">present</span></span></i><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> in my body and the whole
point of hypnosis <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">(as
I understand it) <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">is
to turn over your body to your auto-pilot so you c<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">an <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">“<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">go<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">”<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> elsewhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Desperate to find something to focus on, I started singing along with
the playlist </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">“<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Come, Thou Fount of every
blessing; tune my heart to sing thy praise; Streams of mercy, never ceasing
call for songs of loudest praise<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">…”<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> </span></span></span></span></span></i><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">singing harmony<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> kept my mind off of the
pain, gave me something to mentally grab.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">The next song
was Andrew Peterson<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">s </span></span></span></span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">“<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Labor of Love</span></span></span></i><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">,<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">”<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> and I remembered little Mary laboring in a barn, I remembered the War we
women have always waged against the Serpent<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">—<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">fighting to bring <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">forth our children, fighting to bring them into light and love and raise
t<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">hem to battle his
lies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As in m<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">y<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> other<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> birth<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">s<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">, I felt so
connected to every woman who has brought forth children all over the
world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also felt my own weakness
and need for Grace<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">“<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Give us faith to be strong;
give us strength to be faithful, <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">‘<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">cause life is
not long but it<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">s hard!<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></i><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So for the ne<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">xt half-hour, I gave the concert I never expected to give:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>singing as my body brought my child
into the light.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I'm not sure what my college voice teacher would say about my technique, but I have never had a more worthy goal. </span>Andrew Peterson,
Sara Grove<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">s, Fernando
Ortega, Sandra McCracken, these were my partners; old friends I was glad to
have to lean on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Physically, my
birth team was so supportive, keeping the water in the tub hot (I had no idea
how comforting that would be!), holding my hands, offerin<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">g me water and coconut
water, praying aloud for me, and even singing with me at one point<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> (my favorite memory!)<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eowyn was amazing, coming in and out to<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> pat my back, rub my head
and tell me <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">“<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Mommy, you are so
strong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You are doing such a great
job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">can do it, you are doing a wonderful thing.<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">”<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
was so impressed by her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Liam was
supposed to go over to my aunt<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">s house but
ended up staying home, mostly out of the room with my mom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">After about
half an hour,<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> around
10:45,<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> looking back I
can tell somet<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">hing
shifted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the moment it just
felt like what little control I had was slipping away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My mental endurance and physical
endurance were wearing very thin and I remember thinking <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">“<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><i>this is why women get epidurals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I was in a hospital I would ask for</i><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><i> one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I</i><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><i>’</i><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><i>m at my wall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think I will
go insane if I have to do this much longer</i>.<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">”<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">had one contraction where I really could not
cope.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew I was <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">crying out<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">—<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">it was </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">so</span></span></i><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> hard to not push--<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> and I begged them to make
sure Eowyn was out of the room<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">, I didn<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">t want her to be frightened<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They told me she already was<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> out (<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">she was sad for me so she left to cry a little, be
comforted by Megan and my mom, and she would come back when she was ready<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">)<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> told <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Elizabeth<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> something had to
change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She asked me if any<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">thing felt different, all I
could manage was <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">“<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><i>I don</i><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><i>’</i><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><i>t even know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You just have to tell me what to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please, tell me what to do.</i><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><i>”</i><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> I remember so clearly looking into her eyes and desperately needing
someone else to </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">think</span></span></i><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> instead of trying to do
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I ha<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">ve always been told and taught others that women
remember parts of their birth in startling detail, specifically how they felt
and how they were treated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">s totally true. <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is
one of those mental snapshots.</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 10pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";">Elizabeth
suggested I get out and try </span><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";">“</span><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";">the</span><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"> rotisserie</span><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";">”—</span><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";">a series of positions that can help a baby turn or
shift as they need so they can descend.</span><span style="font-family: "georgia";">
</span><span style="font-family: "georgia";">I</span><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";">’</span><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";">d start out on my left side
on the bed.</span><span style="font-family: "georgia";"> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia";">So I got up, stepped
out of the tub, and immediately felt another </span><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";">wave building</span><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"> and knew I would have to pus</span><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";">h with it, no matter how hard I resisted.</span><span style="font-family: "georgia";"> </span><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";">“</span><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";">I</span><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";">’</span><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";">m going to pee on the
floor!</span><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";">”</span><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"> I shouted to the room at
large.</span><span style="font-family: "georgia";"> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia";">Sarah threw some towels
down and sure enough, I peed. </span><span style="font-family: "wingdings";">:) </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">I knew Eowyn would be<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> appalled and I found this funny.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ryan helped me onto the bed, and I <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">lay my head down in his
lap, holding his hands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sarah
helped me bend my right leg and applied counter pressure to my hip<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">s & back<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> which felt SO right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">wave began to build<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> and I again knew I<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">d be pushing whether I wanted to or not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So much pressur<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">e<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">…<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> then POP, my water broke
everywhere<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> (10:57)<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I realized that I was completely dilated at the same time as
Elizabeth s<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">aid the
sweet beautiful words <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">“</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Christina, you
can push<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">.<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">”<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">“<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">I already am!!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></i><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">”<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">To finally be able to work
WITH the contractions was freein<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">g, but these were no joke.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
think my volume went down as I alternately silently pushed and loudly ahhhh-ed,
but I was amazed again at how long I could push and how
much energy I had.<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">A long, hard push and I felt my old frenemy Mr. <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Ring of Fire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did my best to let it be, to let his
head stretch whatever needed to stretch, to rest and breathe and relax, but in
my head I was shouting </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">“<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Lord, PLEASE send another
contraction, PLEASE!!!<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">”</span></span></span></span></i><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">pressure wave<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">—<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">stretching, burning, fire,<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> a hundred thousand seconds
<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">long <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">and IS THAT HEAD OUT
YET?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">“<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">You<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">re doing so good, Christina!<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">”<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">“<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">You can do it!<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">”<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">“<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Your baby<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">s head is out!<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">”<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">“<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Oh look at
this hair!<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">”<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">“<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Oh my goodness, your baby is already breathing!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can you feel the baby breathing?<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">”<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></i><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">(my ment<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">al response:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">ARE YOU
INSANE?? ALL I FEEL IS FIRE!!!)</span></span></i><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> And a very <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">calm
but serious<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">“</span></span></span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Christina, with
this next contraction I want you to push as hard as you can.<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">”</span></span></span></i><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> from the midwife.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I reached deep inside <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">and prayed so hard <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">“</span></span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">please oh
please oh please help<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">
me get him out let this be the last one please let the baby be ok please help
me!<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">”</span></span></span></span></i><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> and I felt the sweet
relief of my bab<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">y<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">s body birthed through my own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Suddenly the burning was gone <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">and hands were passing me a
war<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">m slippery bundle<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">, <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">crying softly<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">“<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Oh, thank you! T<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">hank you Jesus!<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">”<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">I was so relieved that it was over, finally, that
the baby was ok and here in my arms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I tried to see or feel baby<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">s gender and
couldn<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">t tell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ryan checked and announced <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">“<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">it<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">s a boy!<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">”<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">At 11:03<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> pm, just <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">6 minutes after my water
broke, <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Patrick Ryan
was laid on m<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">y
chest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had dilated 6 cm in<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> only<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> 45 <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">minutes after <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">6 weeks of prodromal labor.
</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10pt;">My body was shaking and shaking and my uterus wasn’t about to stop
contracting, not af</span><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10pt;">ter
doing it for so long. I really wanted to bond with and enjoy
my baby, but I could hardly hold him, especially not laying
diagonally across the bed like I was.
He was crying, I noticed, more so than his brother who didn’t fuss much
at all. (It turns out he had a subluxation in his neck,
probably a combination of the way he was delivered and his tongue tie- when our
chiropractor came and adjusted him the next day he was noticeably happier.) He had hair, he was big like his brother, slippery, squirmy. I asked for help getting
into a less precarious position and Eowyn came over to check out her new brother. Later on she would say watching him “come out” was her favorite part of the whole birth, and Wendy said her face was one of complete awe and amazement.
I just wanted the placenta to come out, I can’t explain why… it just felt heavy and irritating inside. I also wanted the contractions to STOP—I knew they were working to expel the placenta and just wanted it over. It seemed to take forever for the cord to stop pulsing and
be clamped & cut, and longer still for the placenta to detach and follow its occupant into the air. It was a big old healthy one, 5 lbs on its
own!</span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10pt;">I finally felt able to enjoy my baby after the placenta delivered. Liam came in and was ecstatic to meet
his brother. </span><i><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10pt;">“I heard you
say ‘I can’t do it!,’ Mommy! What were you talking about? Why you say that?”
“Oh I was working hard having your brother.” “Well, you did it, Mom</span></i><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10pt;">.” Yes I did, didn’t I? </span><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "wingdings";">:)</span></span> </span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10pt;">I asked for some butterbeer and the chocolate chip
pumpkin muffins to munch on, and that was so fun. The kids had been longing for those muffins for weeks!! The best part about home birth (besides
not having to drive during labor) is the after-party!</span><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10pt;"> I was amazed at how quickly the birth team cleaned and re-ordered my
home. By the time I was showered
(I saw my underbelly for the first time in months, haha) and
back in bed the birth pool was taken down, the sheets had been changed, and
everything was either in the wash or the trash.
To top it all off the midwives came back into the room dressed in Hogwarts-style black robes and pointed
witches hats! Oh I wish I had taken a picture then!! Another quote I remember was Elizabeth </span><i style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10pt;">“I’m sorry you
missed your water birth again! I didn’t realize you were
that close!”</span></i><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10pt;"> and I laughed </span><i style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10pt;">“Fourth time’ll be
the charm!” </span></i></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10pt;">Eventually we weighed the little man and he was a whopping 10 lbs 9 oz, and even more amazingly, 23.5” long. </span><i><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10pt;">“Christina, he is almost 2 feet long! WHERE did you put him?”</span></i><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><i><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10pt;">“Well didn’t you feel those legs? They just kept going and going and going in there! How could he NOT be massively long?”</span></i><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10pt;"> Patrick, you set a record for the midwives as biggest baby caught to date. I checked him for tongue tie (dang it, a super obvious one) and marveled that he wasn’t bald. Finally my mom took the big kids to her house to sleep and Ryan & I settled into bed with our new baby. We were both in such love with him. Immediately after his birth I felt such sweetness, such blessing, in his coming. I can’t describe it more than that.</span><br />
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<br />Eowyn's Heirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14717363754137835260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21181534.post-1810682656983118902015-12-05T22:00:00.002-05:002015-12-05T22:00:34.817-05:00Books to Help Prep for a New Baby<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RDn51Tg0AXU/VmOkvBh2jYI/AAAAAAAAdGs/3nnX28RLjkE/s1600/IMG_7074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RDn51Tg0AXU/VmOkvBh2jYI/AAAAAAAAdGs/3nnX28RLjkE/s320/IMG_7074.JPG" width="320" /></a>We've now had two rounds of the "prepping for a new baby," so I feel a bit more qualified to share which books we've enjoyed and found helpful. I'm a big believer-- as a teacher and a parent, and honestly, as a grown-up-friend too-- in prepping eliminating a lot of risk of poor reaction. Proper expectations are half the battle, whether it's a pep-talk before the concert reminding middle schoolers how we conduct ourselves, a role-play with preschoolers of how we greet people in group settings, or a walk-through of a medical procedure, knowing what to expect and how to respond is <i>very</i> helpful.<br />
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I found that many books intended to prep children for a new sibling assume that jealousy will be a part of the adjustment process. I do not find this helpful. In my experience, with my kids and also in other families I've observed, if babies are presented as something to love, serve and value, kids will follow suit. <br />
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These are our favorite 5 "big brother/big sister" books:<br />
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1. <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0807591106/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0807591106&linkCode=as2&tag=mamszr-20&linkId=7ITVFWQ7KADSFQBC">Will There Be a Lap for Me?</a></i>, by Dorothy Corey-- I love the realism of this book. A boy notices his mom's lap getting smaller and misses sitting in it. Of course his mom is pregnant and there is a sweet picture of him feeling his sibling kick and looking forward to the birth (so very positive in that way). But even when the baby is born (a brother), mom's lap isn't so available-- the baby is so needy! I love the line about the baby being hungry "all the time," showing Mom nursing. Anyone who has nursed a newborn knows this is reality. I also loved that the diapering is cloth diapers! But as the baby gets bigger his big brother is able once again to get time with Mommy just like they did before the baby was born: they swing outside watching the birds, with him on his mother's lap.<br />
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2. <a href="http://amzn.to/1XBKvJz"><i>On Mother's Lap</i></a>, by Ann Herbert Scott-- this book is set in a modern Eskimo village, which is something different and subtly shows the universality of family, maternal love, and siblings. It is not directly about welcoming a new baby, but addresses the question siblings could bring about "is there room for both of us?" This book gives a resounding YES; there's ALWAYS room for you on Mother's lap.<br />
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3. <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060218436/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0060218436&linkCode=as2&tag=mamszr-20&linkId=TH5GWMD6JWA2FEFH">Ben's Baby</a>,</i> by Michael Foreman-- in this story, the big brother asks for a baby for his birthday, and the whole year is spent preparing to welcome the answer to his prayers. By his next birthday, his wish has come true!! So positive and sweet. Beautiful illustrations.<br />
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4. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0955453607/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0955453607&linkCode=as2&tag=mamszr-20&linkId=PUCZWNELLFU2UNGV" style="font-style: italic;">Our Water Baby</a>, by Amy Maclean-- this one was particularly helpful for us this time around, because we planned a home water birth just like the family in the book, however even families planning to have a birth center or hospital birth, or a non-water birth, can find it helpful. (Just say something like "some mommies labor and give birth at home, other mommies go somewhere else for the birth, or the birth and the labor.") It is very positive, portrays birth realistically without being scary or graphic ("Mommy is doing hard work to get the baby out; she will feel better when the baby is born."), shows breast-feeding and best of all, shows a family purely <i>welcoming</i> a new baby. The big brother imagines what he will teach the baby, not what the baby will do with/for him. I also like that the baby is expected in a general season ("when the roses bloom") instead of a date.<br />
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5. <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140564411/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0140564411&linkCode=as2&tag=mamszr-20&linkId=HTQEEY4TUN5WJOS5">Peter's Chair,</a></i> by Ezra Jack Keats-- Keats' illustrations are splendid as always, and he captures the emotions and family dynamics so well. Peter's old crib, cradle and high chair have all been claimed by his new sister, so he selfishly grabs his little chair and runs away... however when he realizes he can't even fit in the chair anymore, he comes back home and paints the chair pink himself. I like that this does show some negative emotion-- selfishness over hand-me-downs-- but the big brother sees the folly in that all on his own.<br />
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Runners up:<br />
<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061900656/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0061900656&linkCode=as2&tag=mamszr-20&linkId=M42FNBCD4SLTF4HU">I'm a Big Brother,</a> </i>by Joanna Cole-- I find the newer version with Rosalynn Knightly's illustrations to be preferable to the older version, but neither are what I would ideally choose. I LOVE the positive tone in this book. Drawbacks are that the mom still hardly holds the baby, bottle feeding is the only form of feeding shown, and the baby is mostly in a carseat-type carrier.<br />
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<i><a href="ttp://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1452110735/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1452110735&linkCode=as2&tag=mamszr-20&linkId=CXJY7WLIO43ZC7Z4">What Brothers Do Best,</a> </i>by Laura Numeroff-- this shows many things a big brother can do for a smaller sibling -- just make sure that it's clear that a new brother or sister won't be able to enjoy any of these things right away!<br />
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<br />Eowyn's Heirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14717363754137835260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21181534.post-60162370807292373632015-11-12T22:05:00.000-05:002015-11-12T22:32:05.463-05:00What's in a Name? Patrick Ryan<table align="right" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Dear Patrick,</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">I am sure that the story of your namesake is one you will hear many times during your life. I write it down here for you to read, and others in case anyone is interested. I kind of have this idea that I’d love to name my boys after historical
figures and my girls after literary characters, with the caveat that I also
like the names’ meanings... and that Daddy likes them too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So
far it’s worked out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your sister's name, "Eowyn Grace" is <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">from
Tolkien’s </span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">The Two Towers </span></span></i><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">(</span><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><u>The Lord of the Rings</u></span><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">),
and we named your big brother "William Christopher" after your Poppy (my father-in-law) and your daddy’s good
friend, as well as history’s William the Conqueror and Christopher Columbus,
who at the very least had vision and initiative whatever their faults. H<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">is name means “strong protector, bearer of
Christ.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So when I thought of
names I’d love to give a second son, top of the list was Patrick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">As for your middle name… I think that one’s pretty
obvious:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> your</span> daddy<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’s name<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I happen to think carrying that n<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">ame is an honor any son will be glad to have.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">it’s the name of<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> a smart, compassionate <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">man who works<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> diligently<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> to provide for his fami<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">l<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">y, serve his church, be a faithful friend, and fight sin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">He is one who<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> consistently <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">befriends<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">“<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">the least of these<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">”<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> yet <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">is unafraid to converse with <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">those society calls <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">“<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">great<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">,<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">”<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> and who <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">genuinely cares <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">about <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">both.<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">He is brave and adventurous, a gifted writer and an
innovative businessman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">He also happens to be able
to make me laugh like no one else and is incredibly good-looking. <span style="font-family: "wingdings";">:)</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">d love it if you, my boy, grew
up </span></span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext;">to be "just like Daddy."</span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NMG6pT19qJw/VkVTEGKjVdI/AAAAAAAAc9A/V1m-Q4OB51Q/s1600/IMG_7237.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NMG6pT19qJw/VkVTEGKjVdI/AAAAAAAAc9A/V1m-Q4OB51Q/s320/IMG_7237.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Both “Patrick” and “Ryan” have connotations of nobilit<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">y, of royalty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope to raise a son who carries
himself as though he is of noble blood, in every positive sense of the word,
with none of the arrogance.</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">So, Patrick…who was he<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some Catholic saint?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Someone who loved to drink and looked
for leprechaun g<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">old?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did he even exist?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m happy to say that yes, there really
was a man named Patrick, and he had nothing to do with leprechauns or searches
for treasure at the end of rainbows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He probably loved a good drink like any shivering Briton of the 5</span></span></span></span><sup><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">th</span></span></sup><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> century, a<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">nd as for Catholicism, he
was a Christian—and that was the only kind of Church there was before the
East-West Schism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But the historical Patrick, originally named Sucat, was passionate for
the Gospel; brave, compassionate, effective pastor, <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">smart, poetic and a gifted evangelist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(I think of him as his day’s William
Carey, Tim Keller and John Piper rolled into one.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Most do not know his true history, so I’ll give my own biography of him here:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Sucat grew up o<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">n what is now <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">the coast of <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">England, son<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> of a deacon<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">, loved and well-taught in Scripture but unbelieving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a teenager he was
kidnapped out his bedroom window by Scottish raiders (“scotti” means “pirate”),
taken to Ireland and sold as a slave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While there he was a shepherd, alone for most<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> of each day in the wild green hills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had a lot of thinking time, just him
and the animals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All the lessons
and prayers from his childhood came back to him, and he turned to the God he
had long ignored.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amidst the
fear-filled druidic paganism and untamed beauty around him,<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> he Believed and began to find joy in communion with
the one Friend for sinners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
other servants jokingly dubbed him “Holy Boy” as he began to spend each day in
prayer and speak to them all of this kind God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One night he had a dream that led him to es<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">cape.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Miraculously he made it home to
England, where he was reunited with his overjoyed parents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Years later he had another dream, this
time of a man crying out in Irish “</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">we beg you, “Holy B</span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">oy,</span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">”</span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> come back and walk among
us!</span></span></i><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">” and awoke with the weight of <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">thousands of souls on his conscience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He began to realize "</span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">who better to take the Good News to the Lost of Ireland than one who knew their ways and spoke
their language?" <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></i><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">After receiving seminary
training and being ordained and commissioned as a minister of the Gospel,
Patrick s<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">et out for
the land where he had been enslaved, despite knowing that his escape from
slavery would mean his old master could legally kill him.</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">What happened next was nothing short of miraculous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Patrick’s simple teaching and faithful
preaching <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">began a com<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">plete upheaval in
Ireland.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hundreds<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">, both wealthy –even
nobility—and simple,<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">
left their old religion of fear and appeasement and turned to the One True God
whose love cast out all fear, and whose wrath had already been appeased by His
Own Son’s sacrifice.<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Good News spread through the
network of bards God had sovereignly put in place over the centuries, both traveling singers and the officials who were responsible
for keeping record of each lord & clan’s history and feats in song. Poetry and
songs as only the Celts can write began to be sung in the praise of Je<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">sus from one end of the
island to the other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even the bard
of the High King converted, and the man who once had been sent to
diplomatically secure magical talismans from rival lords instead used his
talent with words to compose the hymn we sing today as “<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Be Thou My Vision.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hundreds of young men and women came to Patrick desiring to
become nuns and monks in devotion to God’s work for life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All this occurred d<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">espite constant death
threats<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> against<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> him<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> from druids who did not appreciate the incursion<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> into “<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">their” territory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Patrick <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">refused any financial gifts, knowing these would
tie him to a lord and a clan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
left him essentially without legal protection, yet he <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">fearlessly continued to teach and preach,
believing he would only die when the Lord’s work<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> for him was done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the time the Lord took him Home, the Irish church had been
well established, with a rich Celtic liturgy all its own, quite distinct from
that of the rest of Europe's, as Patrick encouraged his congregants and disciples
to use their tale<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">nts
to write their own songs and hymns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>(Unfortunately under English oppression this liturgy was nearly
completely lost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Several tunes
survived through oral tradition as well as a few prayers and hymns; however all
record of the system the Irish Celts on<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">ce used to notate their music was lost forever.)</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8BFySGC3XD8/VkVPCkt7eeI/AAAAAAAAc6c/H2b_p3jXaA0/s1600/15%2B-%2B1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8BFySGC3XD8/VkVPCkt7eeI/AAAAAAAAc6c/H2b_p3jXaA0/s320/15%2B-%2B1" width="320" /></a><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Very few of Patrick’s own words survive to this day, however two
documents do remain—his “Confession” and a<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">n open letter which he wrote—and several pieces of
poetry are also attributed him by tradition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">The
writings show a courageous, humble man passionate for God’s glory and deeply compassionate for his
fellow man, especially those in Ireland.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">“</span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">I am Patrick, yes a sinner
and indeed untaught; yet I am established here in Ireland where I profess
myself bishop. I am certai<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">n in my heart that "all that I am," I have received from God.
So I live among barbarous tribes, a stranger and exile for the love of God.</span></span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> […] </span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">If I have any worth, it is live my life for God so as to teach these
people; even though some of them still look d<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">own on me.”</span></span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><br /></span></span></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">“</span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">How is it that in Ireland,
where they never had any knowledge of God but, always, until now, cherished
idols and unclean things, they are lately become a people of the Lord, and are
called children of God; the sons of the Irish and the daught<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">ers of the chieftains are
to be seen as monks and virgins of Christ.</span></span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">[…] I confess to my Lord
and do not blush in His sight, because I am not lying; from the time when I
came to know Him in my youth, the love of God and fear of Him increased in me,
and ri<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">ght up until
now, by God's favor, I have kept the faith.”</span></span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><br /></span></span></span></i></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">And one of my favorite bits of poetry, “</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">the Lorica of S</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">t Patrick’” contains the
verse:</span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> “</span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">I arise today</span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> </span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">/ </span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Through the strength of Christ's birth and His
baptism,</span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">/ </span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Through the strength of His crucifix<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">ion and His burial,</span></span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> </span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">/ </span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Through the strength of His resurrection and His
ascension,</span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">/ </span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Through the strength of His descent for the
judgment of doom.</span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">”</span></span></i><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;"> </span><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span>Though we
don’t know for certain that Patrick penned those words, they certainly fit in
with the Gospel-centeredness
of his life, to wake up every morning completely & intentionally <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">in</span></span></i><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"> Christ.</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Those are all words I would be glad to know my son
could also honestly claim.</span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<!--StartFragment-->
<!--EndFragment--><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;"><o:p>Patrick, my sleeping little son, you are awfully small to bear such big names. I pray you grow into them and do them honor, "by God's almighty help and grace."<i> </i></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;"><o:p><i><br /></i></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VQ6qN7CgL-k/UWR3cgZ8SeI/AAAAAAAAHLo/IizNxBdc3Sc/s1600/IMG_7579.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="215" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VQ6qN7CgL-k/UWR3cgZ8SeI/AAAAAAAAHLo/IizNxBdc3Sc/s320/IMG_7579.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St Patrick's Rune as used by Madeleine L'Engle <br />
in <i>A Swiftly Tilting Planet </i>(one of my very favorite books)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;"><o:p><i>With all my love,</i></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;"><o:p><i> Mommy</i></o:p></span></div>
Eowyn's Heirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14717363754137835260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21181534.post-80651293051507995342015-11-11T23:44:00.001-05:002015-11-11T23:45:04.649-05:00Letter to Liam, age 3<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zrPw5IthNB0/VkQYH2swh3I/AAAAAAAAa4o/FQSJp22grVk/s1600/IMG_6176.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zrPw5IthNB0/VkQYH2swh3I/AAAAAAAAa4o/FQSJp22grVk/s320/IMG_6176.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">My dear little man, William—</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">You have been 3 for four whole months now… every one of those months I have
meant to sit down and write you—something to help you know your own
three-year-old self later one; something for me to read and remember these
precious da<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">ys.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Daddy and I agree that this age is so
much fun; YOU are so much fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> You giggle and are amazed by everything. You make us laugh so much. </span>You
are sweet, thoughtful, empathetic and caring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You love to kiss and hug your baby brother, having dubbed
him “Chubby” and giving me a play-by-play of his well-being if I have to<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> leave the room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once I came in to find you just
watching him, saying “I’m your big brother (“brozzer”); that’s why I’m watching
over you.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’ve never resented
him or shown anything but affection towards him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t wait until the two of you are fast<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> friends, just like you and
Eowyn already are.</span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">If you are unkind and I explain to you how the other person was affected,
even if at first you shout that you want them to be sad or that you like being
mean (and yes, you do say those kinds of things), without fail, when<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> you’ve calmed down, you
will come to me or your dad and very sincerely apologize, and show that you are
very sad that you hurt someone else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You love to hug us and your little arms around my neck is one of my
favorite feelings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After naps –you
still tak<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">e a good
1.5-2 hour afternoon nap every day—you are especially snuggly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love the smell of your curly head,
slightly damp from sleep. Today you lay your head down on Daddy’s shoulder
completely unprompted, and he just melted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You have our hearts, big bo<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">y.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WPFjPdzLSI4/VkQYHwdCMyI/AAAAAAAAa4s/rIyTPlm7aBk/s1600/IMG_6370.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WPFjPdzLSI4/VkQYHwdCMyI/AAAAAAAAa4s/rIyTPlm7aBk/s320/IMG_6370.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">You are a sensitive little soul, correction often bringing you to cross
your arms, drop your head and the whispered words “I’m embarrassed” followed by
tears.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or just tears.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lately you’ve been crying a lot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The phrase “threenager” applies very
aptl<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">y.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I might ask you to do something very
routine—come to dinner, or clean toys up in preparation for bedtime—and the
response will be <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">incredibly
dramatic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Suddenly, you’re on the
floor screaming, or you’ve thrown your hands up and are shrieking “I HATE DA<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">T!!” or are wailing that
you weren’t done playing… as if eating and sleeping were totally unexpected<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">, unreasonable <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">events.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Liam, y</span>ou are a small person of very big
passions.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Bedtime continues to be our most difficult time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You (and your sister) tend to pop out<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> of bed repeatedly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You usually come out quietly, crawling
into my lap saying “Mommy, I just need some love” or “I just want you.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s very hard to resist those hugs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I usually snuggle you for a while and
send you back to bed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Othertimes there is great weeping and gnashing of teeth... on all sides. </span>Often at
bedtime you’ll <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">ask me
to “stay with me just one more minute?” and I usually do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have to take off my glasses and you
put your arm around me. You tell me, after about a minute “ok, Mommy, you can
go now.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You want me to say the
Aaronic blessing over you, and sometimes <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">will try and say it in turn to Patrick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So sweet.</span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">You have a keen little mind, memorizing songs and spoken words very
well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You listened to </span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">The Big Picture Story Bible</span></span></i><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> on CD as you went to sleep for several weeks, and
often will quote passages of Scriptu<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">re at the most hilarious of moments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once, while you were washing your hands
alone, I heard you intone in a deep voice “Go! Wash in the Pool of
Siloam!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yesterday you remarked
that only Cesar Augustus was the king of the world—not your sister.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another t<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">ime you used “Do not make My Father’s house a
house of trade!” in an argument with her… we aren’t sure how you thought it
applied but it definitely had us laughing behind closed doors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Your imagination is amazing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You often delve into a world all your o<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">wn, complex and usually heroic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You jump off our steps wearing goggles
and begin flailing, waving a block and shouting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In moments you are on your belly, groaning with faux
exertion as you crawl along.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
I ask what you are doing, you explain very cal<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">mly that you dove into the water to fight a shark
with your sword, because it was trying to eat your baby, and you will kill the
shark even though it bit your leg off, and the doctor will put your leg back
on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then you’ll be back in your
play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your imagi<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">nation always demands
full-body involvement… It’s always detailed, extremely energetic, and often
quite violent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You love to be a
superhero (usually Superman flying around with sound effects), Mike the Knight,
a swimmer or occasionally a wild beast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> you play
with your sister, you like to be the “daddy” or “husband” (or her little
boy).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Up until about a week ago
you didn’t grasp the idea of play names, and referred to everyone by their
title as you played.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’d hear you
shout out in your fake man-vo<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">ice “Wife!” whenever you wanted her attention, and you responded only to
“Husband.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lately you have assumed
the name “Davis” whenever you play pretend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not sure where you came up with that one.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Another little quirk of late has been your obsession with wh<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">at you call “up sleeves,”
ie short sleeved shirts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite
the weather turning cooler, you insist that you do NOT want “downsleeves,” and
especially that you do NOT want “downpants,” but only “upshorts.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The past few days you have even further
narrowed y<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">our tastes
to Superhero-themed clothing, most especially the Superman shirt with a
detachable cape you got for your birthday (from me), and a pair of navy blue
knit shorts “with a tie (faux drawstring) on the front.”<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You
also want to wear your Batman pjs.<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We finally have reached a
compromise of you wearing various shirts to school or church (often
“downsleeved”) or the Superman shirt with a sweater over it, and pants OVER
your shorts (mainly one pair of grey fleece pants because they are
“soft”).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we l<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">eave, you assure us that
“when I get home, I’m gonna change into pajamas!” and sure enough, there will
be a trail of shed clothing as soon as you walk in the door.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is quite a change from your prior
attitude towards clothing; you loved making your own<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> outfits and were always quite deliberate in how
you (mis)matched them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, I
guess that’s the common theme:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>you
really do care about your clothes and shoes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even when you are freezing, you insist on your
“upshorts”—though there have been a few times <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">when yo</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext;">u willingly put on something warmer with a
sheepish grin!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: windowtext;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">You had your first haircut two weeks ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your favorite Sunday School teacher ever, “Mrs Charla” from
TCC, cut it at her studio and did an excellent job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We kept your mop-top of crazy blond<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> curls but tamed the back a bit so it gets less
tangled and matted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You look less
like Einstein and your hair stays curly instead of becoming a blond frizzy
halo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You were <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">so nervous about your hair<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">c<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">ut, even though you asked for one<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The day before<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">,<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> you<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> asked if it would hurt,
and were reassured as Eowyn and I explained to you that only the part of your
hair still in your scalp could feel and your haircut wouldn’t hurt at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You were so stoic, self-conscious and
then proud during your hair cut.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You w<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">ouldn’t
hardly look up, much less talk to Mrs. Charla!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ie1J8Fs__cw/VkQYHdCRveI/AAAAAAAAa4k/4KIR1TEYjPo/s1600/IMG_6268.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ie1J8Fs__cw/VkQYHdCRveI/AAAAAAAAa4k/4KIR1TEYjPo/s320/IMG_6268.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">You love Legos and little figurines of all kinds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I find play horses, Playmobil knights,
dinosaurs, cars and dragons all over the house, often with weapons and in boxes
of some kind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">You build ver<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">y well and surprise me with
your abilities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However you still
need your sister to assemble your Legos following the visual directions, or
your Playmobil castle or train tracks which you regularly dismantle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Yesterday you and <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">she<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> made a “hideout” behind o<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">ur downstairs couch and you all have stocked it with all sorts of
necessities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love to hear you
play together and truly interact.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Your sister often has very specific ideas about how things should go,
and you usually are content to go along with her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Y<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">ou
are a very sweet little brother, really you are! Lately she has been learning (with encouragement) to let you
have more input because your ideas are really good! And… she does love you and doesn’t mind indulging you—she’ll
come to me laughing behind h<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">er hand at how cute you can be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She’s a good big sister… when she isn’t bossing you around or
threatening to not let you play if you don’t do what she wants. <span style="font-family: "wingdings";">:)</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you are in trouble with Mommy or Daddy, 9 times out of
10 she will run in and hug you and<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> comfort you.</span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x3LJQYnOG8E/VkQYIn1-dzI/AAAAAAAAa40/ksXagcBbjpk/s1600/IMG_6395.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x3LJQYnOG8E/VkQYIn1-dzI/AAAAAAAAa40/ksXagcBbjpk/s320/IMG_6395.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Your typical day starts around 7:30.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some mornings you start playing in your
room, others you come crawl into our bed… often you beg to look at our phones,
and we usually let you look at our pictures and home videos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">You usually are the one to let Alina (the cat) out of
the laundry room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">We get<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> up around 8 to make you
breakfast, usually yogurt, sometimes eggs, or if we are running late, a banana
and milk (two of your favorites!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Mondays we go to CC, Tuesdays and Wednesdays you go to preschool in “Miss
Kassie (Kathy)’s class.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Usually
there is<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> at least one
meltdown involving not wanting to eat or wear something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After school we come home for lunch and
usually Levi is with us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You two
really are best buds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You usually
play outside while I make lunch and then we eat together—I read sometimes w<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">hile you eat, usually from
the Bible, sometimes from picture books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then it’s a nap for everyone (Mommy too!) and afterwards you and Levi
(and Sis sometimes) play until he’s picked up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On Thursdays and Fridays you like to do some school with me
and Eowyn<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the late afternoons you might get to
watch a show—your favorites now are Super Why, Jake & the Neverland Pirates
or the WildKratts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You also like
Mike the Knight, Diego and Kipper the Dog. Daddy comes home & we eat dinner
together—these are some of <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">my favorite times as now you and Eowyn are old enough to really talk to
us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You tell Daddy about your day,
and we laugh and laugh together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Daddy reads a Bible story and a chapter or two in “Johnny Chuck”, we
sing a song (your usual requests are "Jesus Draw Me Close," "Be Thou My Vision," and "Jesus, what a friend for sinners") and pray together, and then you a<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">re tucked in bed with your Bobo & Baby and a music CD on.
You still have a bit of a hard time sleeping alone in your room since Eowyn
moved out, but the <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">penguin
night-light pillow helps.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4Ie1S4Uf8UA/VkQYJwa6ESI/AAAAAAAAa5E/CbT8ZGD08bI/s1600/IMG_6403.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4Ie1S4Uf8UA/VkQYJwa6ESI/AAAAAAAAa5E/CbT8ZGD08bI/s320/IMG_6403.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Sp<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">iritually you
are sensitive.<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You love to memorize Scripture and
remind me to read our devotional every<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> morning and to drill you on your catechism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At night when you’re scared you ask me
to “pray for Jesus!” and draw comfort from knowing that while you can’t see
God, “He always sees me!” and that He is stronger than any bad guy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You are quite aware of sin<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> and your own part in it,
yelling angrily that you KNOW you are disobeying and you WANT to run away from
God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This makes me so sad, but
also I have to smile because your words are exactly what my own heart screams
when I tantrum, too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Daddy and I
pray th<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">at you learn
to see the Enemy’s lies in those words!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’ve been surprised at just how much you grasp—last night I asked you a
question after our Bible story, not expecting you to know the answer, but you
did!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You really are listening and
absorbing everyth<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">ing
you hear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh, I pray that these
seeds bear good fruit!!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">I love you so much, my wild-haired compassionate, passionate little
hero!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You always have my
heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">m so glad right now you still need hugs and kisses and snuggles from
me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love that you still want me
to hold you, and that my arms are still strong enough to do it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love that you are spirited and funny
but also tender-hearted and teachable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> You forgive easily and are a loyal friend. </span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Dn2jeX0yM3k/VkQZHHkurMI/AAAAAAAAa9k/pkXg6sXGRHM/s1600/IMG_5984.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Dn2jeX0yM3k/VkQZHHkurMI/AAAAAAAAa9k/pkXg6sXGRHM/s320/IMG_5984.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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I can<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">’<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">t wait to watch you keep
growing up into a heroic man<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">…<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"> but it also
breaks my heart to imagine you being any older than you are right now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love you dearly, W<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">i<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">lliam <span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Christopher, and thank God e<span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">very day for the blessing of being your mommy.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Love, hugs, kisses, and every good story I can tell,</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;">Mommy.</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-line-through: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Eowyn's Heirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14717363754137835260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21181534.post-72444522656601086002015-06-05T23:56:00.002-04:002015-06-14T22:50:30.707-04:00Strikes Against the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella)For those who question the wisdom or evidence in support of the schedule <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/hcp/imz/child-adolescent.html">currently recommended by our CDC</a>, there are generally many layers of questions. Many question the schedule itself; with yet another dose of flu shot being recommended this year and the HPV (human papilloma virus) vaccine recommendations being expanded again-- our vaccine schedule seems quite full to many, especially in the first two years of a child's life (at least 25 shots by age 2, a total of 36 doses). It certainly is more aggressive than most of the rest of the world. (google a few and notice just how widely they vary from nation to nation, both in schedule, frequency, and diseases vaccinated against. For example, <a href="http://japanhealthinfo.com/child-health-and-childcare/vaccination/">Japan's schedule- which recommends 22 doses</a> by age 2, or the <a href="http://www.euvac.net/graphics/euvac/vaccination/sweden.html">Swedish schedule- which recommends 21 doses</a> by age 2 as opposed to ours)<br />
<br />
Then there are many who question the one-size-fits-all approach instead of considering each child's environment, personal health history, current health, family history (genetic predisposition) and even weight/body type (there is no dosing difference between a shot given a 5 lb or 10 lb newborn, for ex).<br />
<br />
Then we come to questions and concerns about individual vaccines. Many families feel more comfortable with certain shots than others, and their concerns may vary from shot to shot. <b>Their concerns may be ethical, practical, or medical in nature. </b>This is why so many feel insulted and frustrated when all vaccine questions are answered with a pat "oh, don't worry about autism! That's been disproved so many times." Whether or not it has, <b>that generally is not the sum and total of a parent's concern on this issue.</b><br />
<br />
Lately one vaccine seems to keep popping up in my life, whether it's reading yet another online story about the "horrible measles outbreaks", or an article in a magazine in which parents are encouraged to speed up their child's doses in preparation for travel, or in an admission form for kindergarden... t<b>hat vaccine is the MMR. The issues with the MMR are myriad, and I would like to list them one at a time. My purpose is simple: to explain clearly why parents may desire to delay or omit this vaccine. </b> I am not a medically degreed individual, just a parent who enjoys research, can stomach reading medical studies until her eyes start crossing, and desires to empower other parents to make their own decisions, in discussion with their own trusted care providers. Perhaps this list will be a good starting point for a conversation with your own medical care provider. I certainly hope so! As always, please follow the links in order to read primary sources on your own.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">1. The MMR is a live vaccine</span>-- that's how it is classified <a href="https://www.merck.com/product/usa/pi_circulars/m/mmr_ii/mmr_ii_pi.pdf">according to its Merck </a>packaging. According to the <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/downloads/prinvac.pdf">CDC's Pink Book</a>, "<b>Live attenuated vaccines are produced by modifying a
disease-producing (“wild”) virus or bacterium in a laboratory.
The resulting vaccine organism retains the ability to
replicate (grow) and produce immunity, but usually does
not cause illness."</b> A few of the main concerns regarding live-virus vaccines:<br />
- Live vaccines seem to be better at provoking more immunity (because they are more like the original disease), and they unfortunately have more side effects for the same reason. The US has therefore traded the live oral polio vaccine (OPV) for the inactivated polio vaccine (IPV). Again quoting from the Pink Book:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"<b>The more similar a vaccine is to the disease-causing form
of the organism, the better the immune response to the
vaccine.</b>") "When a live attenuated vaccine does cause
“disease,” it is usually much milder than the natural disease
and is referred to as an adverse reaction. [...] <b>Live attenuated vaccines may cause severe or fatal reactions as a result of uncontrolled replication (growth) of the
vaccine virus. [...] A live attenuated vaccine virus could theoretically revert to
its original pathogenic (disease-causing) form. This is known
to happen only with live (oral) polio vaccine." </b></blockquote>
The CDC states that live-virus vaccines are only a danger to those with certain immunocompromisation (HIV etc), however many parents wonder if those listed sources of are the <b>only</b> potential sources-- could family (or personal) history of autoimmune disorders indicate susceptibility?<br />
- <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/encephalitis/basics/causes/con-20021917">encephalitis</a> (brain swelling)-- Travel of a virus into the brain is a rare complication of several viral illnesses, <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9323433/">including measles,</a> and is a topic of ongoing research. Unfortunately, it seems live virus <i>vaccines</i> also carry this risk, as this case study illustrates and as the vaccine inserts themselves state (see all three types of encephalitis listed under <a href="https://www.merck.com/product/usa/pi_circulars/m/mmr_ii/mmr_ii_pi.pdf">"Adverse Reactions</a>"). According to the Mayo Clinic, "<b>Secondary encephalitis often occurs two to three weeks after the initial infection. Rarely, secondary encephalitis occurs as a complication of a live virus vaccination."</b> this in turn can be a factor in developing autism or other learning disabilities. Encephalitis/encephalopathy is listed as a <a href="http://www.hrsa.gov/vaccinecompensation/vaccinetable.html">"Table Injury,"</a> meaning it is recognized as a possible vaccine reaction that will be compensated by the federal Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-kirby/post2468343_b_2468343.html">Two children were compensated</a> for it this earlier this year.<br />
- live virus vaccines "shed," meaning they are able to be passed on from a recently vaccinated person. The NVIC's report is <a href="http://www.nvic.org/CMSTemplates/NVIC/pdf/Live-Virus-Vaccines-and-Vaccine-Shedding.pdf">here</a>.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">2. The MMR is a combination vaccine-</span> by that I mean that it is not a shot for a single illness, but rather for three: measles, mumps and rubella. The technical name is "polyvalant." It stands to reason that giving the body three separate pathogens to identify and mount antibodies against would be more taxing than giving one at a time. <a href="http://het.sagepub.com/content/31/10/1012.full">One recent study </a>(published in <i>Human & Experimental Toxicology</i>) analyzed reported adverse vaccine effects by number of vaccine doses given at one time, and found<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"<span style="background-color: white; color: #403838; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px; text-align: justify;">Our findings show a positive correlation between the number of vaccine doses administered and the percentage of hospitalizations and deaths reported to VAERS. In addition, younger infants were significantly more likely than older infants to be hospitalized or die after receiving vaccines."</span></blockquote>
(Interestingly this is also being discussed among vets and dog-owners, as multiple vaccines at once is linked with higher adverse reactions, especially in small dogs. <a href="http://veterinarycalendar.dvm360.com/vaccination-overview-proceedings">Example here</a>.) Many parents (myself included!!) would like the option of monovalent (single dose) vaccines, but separate shots for each MMR component are no longer available in the US though they can be found in parts of Europe and in Japan.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">3. The MMR is a viral vaccine-</span> viruses are very very very tiny, so small they can only be seen under an electron microscope. So, when they are cultured, there is no way to isolate <i>just</i> the viruses. Rather, infected tissue (of whatever animal the virus is being cultured in) is used. While many efforts are made to purify and test the tissue for harmful substances, there is no way to test for every possible contaminant: you can only test for what you know might be there. <b>Viral vaccines therefore are most at risk for being contaminated.</b> Several examples include the contamination of several batches of past polio virus vaccines with simian virus-40, now implicated in numerous human cancers (I explored this topic more thoroughly <a href="http://www.keeperofthehome.org/2011/03/the-thoughtful-parents-guide-to-thinking-through-vaccinations-10-questions-to-ask.html">here</a>.), or pig virus contamination (PCV1) of the <a href="http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm205625.htm">rotavirus oral vaccine in 2010</a>. The FDA suspended the use of the vaccine during investigation and determined that the viral contaminants would not harm humans. However, the very fact that it was unexpectedly present in a vaccine is a bit alarming. (Was 4 weeks really long enough to evaluate long-term effect on children?) There have also been <a href="http://www.virology.ws/2010/03/29/DEEP-SEQUENCING-REVEALS-VIRAL-VACCINE-CONTAMINANTS/?UTM_SOURCE=FEEDBURNER&UTM_MEDIUM=EMAIL&UTM_CAMPAIGN=FEED%3A+VIROLOGYBLOG+%28VIROLOGY+BLOG%29%0A">findings of contaminants</a> in measles virus cultures and a monkey virus contaminant in RotaTeq.<br />
<br />
4. <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Measles is not a dangerous disease in healthy children</span>- contrary to what our media would have us believe, measles is neither deadly nor risky in healthy children. Sure, the typical symptoms are not exactly pleasant: high fever, cough, runny nose, watery eyes, and a rash (<a href="http://www.cdc.gov/measles/about/signs-symptoms.html">according to CDC</a>), but even when measles infection in childhood was nearly universal, with 3-4 million cases per year, the number of deaths was approximately 500/year (source: <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/downloads/meas.pdf">Pink Book</a>). That works out to a 0.017%- 0.0125% death rate, or between 1 in 6000-8000. (If you got the measles, you had about a 1 in 7000 chance of dying of it, and if you survived, you were immune for life. No more chance of dying of measles ever again in your life.) Just for perspective, in 2015 in the US our odds of dying in a cataclysmic storm or from heat stroke are around 1 in 6, 700. Our odds of dying from choking on food are double that (1 in 3000), and our odds of dying in a car accident or poisoning is about 1 in 110. (All numbers from the <a href="http://www.nsc.org/NSC%20Images_Corporate/odds-of-dying-graphic.jpg">National Safety Council.</a>) The odds of dying of measles are about the same as dying in a tornado or hurricane... way less likely than dying of choking, and even less likely than dying from poisoning.<br />
<br />
There have been no measles deaths in the US for the past 10 years. In other countries, where malnutrition and poor sanitation are concerns, measles complications can be fatal (which isn't surprising, given that anything is life-threatening for a malnourished person)-- however even then, the <a href="http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs286/en/">WHO says</a>:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">All children in developing countries diagnosed with measles should receive two doses of vitamin A supplements, given 24 hours apart. This treatment restores low vitamin A levels during measles that occur even in well-nourished children and can help prevent eye damage and blindness. Vitamin A supplements have been shown to reduce the number of deaths from measles by 50%.</span></blockquote>
The virus is quite contagious due to coughing but is fairly easy to eliminate from surfaces, "rapidly inactivated by heat, sunlight, acidic
pH, ether, and trypsin. It has a short survival time (less than
2 hours) in the air or on objects and surfaces." (<a href="http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/downloads/meas.pdf">Pink Book</a>)<br />
<br />
5. <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Mumps is not a dangerous disease in healthy children- </span>similarly to measles, mumps was once viewed as a childhood rite of passage (my mom remembers getting it as a child). Like measles, mumps infection confers life-long immunity. The options for supporting the immune system through the infection with vitamins, nourishing foods, rest and herbs are myriad when the patient is a healthy child. Mumps <a href="http://www.patient.co.uk/health/mumps-leaflet">symptoms typically</a> are swollen glands under the throat, headache, fever, tummy ache and malaise. Even the CDC <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/mumps/outbreaks/outbreak-providers-qa.html">FAQ </a>on the disease states:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Lato, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 25px;">Almost all people with mumps fully recover after a few weeks. During the illness, many people feel tired and achy, have fever, and may have parotitis. Some may feel extremely ill and be unable to eat because of pain around the jaw, and some may develop serious complications. Men and adolescent boys can develop orchitis, which rarely results in sterility. Women and adolescents girls may develop oophoritis. Meningitis and loss of hearing can also occur, and in rare cases this hearing loss can be permanent. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Lato, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 25px;">The most serious complication is encephalitis, which can lead to death or permanent disability, although rarely.</span></blockquote>
As with many "childhood" diseases, <b>disease complications tend to increase with age; </b>in this case, only males that have gone through puberty are at risk for potentially developing sterility. It is worth noting that with vaccination, formerly childhood diseases such as mumps h<a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=sxakBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA559&lpg=PA559&dq=mumps+age+group+shifting+due+to+vaccines&source=bl&ots=P2zAPMCI0m&sig=doG0_MLdh4_sQqi_JRVKAWPo75o&hl=en&sa=X&ei=0-VgVeC8IcGhgwSb4oDADw&ved=0CDsQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=mumps%20age%20group%20shifting%20due%20to%20vaccines&f=false">ave shifted to diseases which adults</a> or babies are more at risk for (due to moms not being able to pass on natural immunity via breast milk, and vaccine protection wearing off in some individuals). This is concerning to many. As far as the encephalitis risk, see point #1 which points out that this is also a danger with vaccination-- arguably more of a danger than it was with the natural disease itself.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">6. Rubella is a danger to unborn babies of moms who've never had rubella-</span> it is not a danger to healthy children, nor even to unborn babies of moms who have had rubella. So the question is whether or not routine vaccination of children is the most effective, most risk-free way of avoiding infection of moms during pregnancy in order to avoid CRS (congenital rubella syndrome). Would it be advantageous to allow children to contract it naturally, allowing girls to then convey that rubella protection to their own infants later on via breast milk? Vaccine immunity can wear off in many individuals, and doesn't transmit as well via breast milk. Perhaps a vaccination for girls who show no immunity to rubella by age 12 would be a better option? (<a href="http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ogi/2014/659838/">This study on CRS in women in Saudi Arabia </a>discusses just this, mentioning that immunizing children seems to limit CRS in younger mothers while increasing risk of it in older mothers as immunity wanes, while selective vaccination does better at allowing for life-long natural immunity but doesn't lessen the incidence of rubella itself. However this is not necessarily a bad thing, as the study describes rubella as a "mild, self-limiting viral infection.")<br />
<br />
7. <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Concerns with the measles component include many indications that it compromises gut health</span>- <a href="http://www.doctor-natasha.com/gaps-book.php">Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride (MD) has written extensively about this in her book</a> <i>Gut and Psychology Syndrome</i>, where she describes the findings of live measles infections-- of the same strain in the vaccine-- in the guts of certain patients, causing extensive gastrointestinal problems, and surprisingly, a host of chronic and neurological conditions, among them Autism Spectrum Disorder. Read one study finding association between measles virus in the gut and developmental disorders<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11950955"> here.</a> The<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3564498/"> gut dysbiosis-autism link</a> has begun to be studied from several angles, among them the use of probiotics to reduce symptoms of autism (especially after <a href="http://www.cell.com/cell/abstract/S0092-8674(13)01473-6?_returnURL=http%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0092867413014736%3Fshowall%3Dtrue">this study in mice</a>- <a href="https://www.autismspeaks.org/science/science-news/good-bacteria-ease-autism-behaviors-mouse-model">here summarized by Autism Speaks</a>). <br />
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8. <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Concerns with the mumps component include indications that the vaccine is ineffective and falsified data was used to obtain FDA approval-</span> this article <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/lawrence-solomon/merck-whistleblowers_b_5881914.html">summarizes the current 3 court cases well</a>. Essentially, the concern is that Merck used one form of the attenuated mumps virus in testing in order to show 95% efficacy, when in practice that efficacy has not been true since at least 1999. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Merck fraudulently represented and continues to falsely represent in
its labeling and elsewhere that its Mumps Vaccine has an efficacy rate of 95 percent or higher.
In reality, Merck knows and has taken affirmative steps to conceal -- by using improper testing
techniques and falsifying test data -- that its Mumps Vaccine is, and has been since at least 1999,
far less than 95 percent effective." (Read more in the<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> </span><a href="http://probeinternational.org/library/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/chatom-v-merck.pdf" style="font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">court documents</a> for <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Chatom v Merck.</span> )</blockquote>
There is evidence <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25027089">supporting the idea that the mumps component is not efficacious from India as well</a>. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">9. Concerns with the rubella component include its origin in tissue taken from aborted babies, which raises ethical concerns for many, and health concerns due to the presence of foreign <i>human</i> DNA.</span> - From the <a href="https://www.merck.com/product/usa/pi_circulars/m/mmr_ii/mmr_ii_pi.pdf">MMR insert</a>: the rubella component contains the "Wistar RA 27/3 strain of live attenuated rubella virus propagated in WI-38 human
diploid lung fibroblasts." As this <a href="http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Leonard_Hayflick/publication/9269319_THE_LIMITED_IN_VITRO_LIFETIME_OF_HUMAN_DIPLOID_CELL_STRAINS/links/02e7e5155d74040ae0000000.pdf">1964 paper entitled ""The Limited in vitro lifetime of human diploid cells</a>" explains, "WI-38 and WI-44 [came] from female human fetal lung. All embryos were obtained from surgical abortions and were of approximately three months’ gestation." (And as I understand it, the numbers refer to the number of cell lines that were "tried" before this cell line worked... so many many more than two babies' bodies were used to develop just those cell lines.) The cell lines used to culture the current rubella vaccine came from a healthy human child whose life was ended by her mother at 3 month gestation for no medical reason-- many parents who believe abortion to be murder find any connection to aborted fetal tissue abhorrent-- even those who believe in the efficacy of vaccines. Until a new medium is found for the rubella vaccine line (<a href="http://www.immunize.org/concerns/vaticandocument.htm">as the pope has urged Christians and pro-life individuals to clamor for</a>), many parents find it reprehensible to use the current rubella vaccine (as well as other vaccines using human tissue obtained through abortion), and as such would object to the MMR. <br />
- Those who may find no ethical dilemma in the use of cell lines originating in aborted human babies <b>still may have concerns about the medical consequences of the injection of any tissue containing foreign human DNA</b>-- recently, <a href="http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.3109/1547691x.2010.545086">researcher Helen Ratajczak</a> implicated the use of human (fetal) DNA in vaccines in the rise of autoimmune diseases, among other factors (published in the Journal of Toxicology). Here is part of her explanation of why this may be: <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #202022; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 22.1000003814697px;">"Because it's human DNA and recipients are humans, [...] That DNA is incorporated into the host DNA. Now it's changed, altered [... and the] body kills it. Where is this most expressed? The neurons of the brain. Now you have [the] body killing the brain cells and it's an ongoing inflammation. It doesn't stop, it continues through the life of that individual" (<a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/vaccines-and-autism-a-new-scientific-review/">source</a>)</span></blockquote>
Another analysis of vaccine safety data has implicated the human tissue in the varicella, Hep A and second dose of the MMR in rises in autism disorder. (Article from the Journal of Public Health <a href="http://www.academicjournals.org/journal/JPHE/article-abstract/C98151247042">here</a>). Levels of human tissue in vaccine samples were found to be far above the current "safe" level. <b>The human tissue is implicated in a rise in childhood leukemia and lymphoma as well. </b>(quote from study author Dr. Deisher <a href="http://s3.amazonaws.com/soundchoice/soundchoice/wp-content/uploads/Sound-Choice-Pharmaceutical-Institute-Website1.pdf">here</a>.)<br />
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10. <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Childhood infectious diseases involving fevers (such as measles, mumps and rubella) may actually be beneficial in healthy children. </span><br />
- There is evidence that infectious diseases in childhood are protective against chronic or autoimmune diseases later in life, reducing the <a href="http://www.wanttoknow.info/health/cancer_link_vaccination_fever_research.pdf">risk of cancer</a>, <a href="http://www.vaccinationcouncil.org/2013/01/29/measles-vaccines-part-ii-benefits-of-contracting-measles-by-dr-viera-scheibner-phd/">asthma & allergies</a>. Fevers have even been used as part of <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK6084/">cancer treatments</a> and infectious diseases (including measles!) were f<a href="http://archpedi.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1180367">ound to cure disorders of the kidney in the past.</a><br />
- Other research has collaborated the "old wives tale" that <a href="http://www.emory.edu/EMORY_REPORT/erarchive/1999/March/ermarch.1/3_1_99lampl.html">fevers always come before growth spurts</a>, perhaps because the stimulation of the immune system by disease provides a "push" that allows the child to then grow.<br />
- The protective/positive effects seem to be due partially to the effect fever/infection-suppressants has on the gut flora of children, and partially due to the need for all aspects of the immune system to be balanced and properly developed (Th1- cell-mediated immunity which includes the use of fevers, Th2 - antibody immunity). The same mechanism that will kill tumor cells gets trained to "clean up" by <a href="http://www.wanttoknow.info/health/cancer_link_vaccination_fever_research.pdf">killing viruses using fevers.</a> Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, was reported to say: “Give me a medicine to produce a fever and I can cure any disease.”
Maybe he was on to something.<br />
<br />
My point in summarizing these 10 "strikes" against the MMR is not to suggest that anyone who uses the MMR is stupid, uneducated, or irresponsible-- no, <b>my goal is to explain that the reasons why SOME parents choose not to use this particular shot are varied, not one-size-fits-all.</b> If you hear that a friend or patient, client or family member has chosen to skip this vaccine, remember that they may not be worried about "that guy who said the mercury in the MMR causes autism." They likely have multiple reasons for their choice, based in ethical, medical, or personal reasons!Eowyn's Heirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14717363754137835260noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21181534.post-80320646368161602092015-06-01T23:34:00.000-04:002015-06-02T15:12:15.849-04:00Looking Forward to First Grade (2015/2016 School Year)Wow. I can't believe that. Wasn't I just pregnant with her? How is she already in "real school?"<br />
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<b>Life Skills:</b> with a new little brother or sister coming in the Fall, Lord-willing born at home, she will be getting a very detailed course in Infant Development, Home Management, Surviving Without Mom, Independent Foraging/Cooking, and Self-Entertainment. :) Honestly for the first few months, this may be the bulk of her education, lol. At least Liam will be enrolled in a local 2-day preK program. But assuming we get past the sleep deprivation and correct whatever tongue tie issues this child has (I'm just assuming it will have them, considering all the grandkids on one side have it and all but one on the other side have too.)... here is our slightly more academic home education plan for 2015/2016.<br />
<br />
<b>Math: </b> <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1565770196/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1565770196&linkCode=as2&tag=mamszr-20&linkId=HZA2EWQKWQZC6PJS">Saxon 2</a></i>, with workbooks like <i>Littlest Pet Shop Math Practice</i> and <i>Grade 1-2 Everything for Early Learners</i> for extra practice. I actually find the "<a href="ttp://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0769633471/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0769633471&linkCode=as2&tag=mamszr-20&linkId=TEPSSLYOZROAI3YQ">Everything for Early Learners</a>" series to be really good as far as workbooks go! We are using it through the summer to reinforce and practice too.<br />
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<b>Language Arts: </b><br />
-<b> Spelling: </b><i><a href="http://www.allaboutlearningpress.com/All-About-Spelling-Level-2/">All About Spelling 2</a></i><br />
- <b>Grammar: </b><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0971412928/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0971412928&linkCode=as2&tag=mamszr-20&linkId=XYB7FHENSGMHEVKN">First Language Lessons</a>, level 2 </i>(This book has both levels in one book which is very economical and good for crowded shelves)<br />
<b> - <b>Handwriting:</b> </b><i>Cursive First, Prescripts (Classical Conversations)</i><br />
<b style="font-weight: bold;">
- Writing:</b><b> </b><i><a href="http://iew.com/shop/products/bible-heroes-writing-lessons">Bible Heroes</a></i> from Institute of Excellence in Writing, and a daily journal. Each day she'll have a prompt and write & illustrate her answer in this book (<a href="http://millerpadsandpaper.com/Picture-Story-Spiral-Books-1st-Grade-4886.htm?categoryId=-1">My Picture Story Book</a> by millerpadsandpaper). I think we'll use our well-loved <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307952967/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0307952967&linkCode=as2&tag=mamszr-20&linkId=5VMH6ZZFZ2ECD4HC">Q & A a Day for Kids</a></i> questions as her prompts.<br />
<b style="font-weight: bold;">
- Literature: </b> <i><a href="http://www.veritaspress.com/browse-by-subject/literature/first-grade/first-favorites-guide-vol-1.html">First Favorites Guides Volumes 1 & 2</a></i> and <i>More Favorites </i>by Veritas Press. I'm not really sure we "need" these since we tend to talk about books as she reads them and she gets plenty of reading comprehension practice that way, but since I know my time and brain power will be seriously curtailed by "Baby Blue"'s arrival early in the school year, I think this will be helpful, as anyone who is helping me (Daddy, grandmas, friends) could use this. I also got them second hand at a good price, which helps. :) I'm hopeful that this book - <i><a href="http://www.centerforlit.com/Materials/RRM.aspx">Reading Roadmaps</a></i>- will help me handle literature from here on out to a good ways. We will be reading tons of good quality kids books (thank you local library) as well as readers from Christian Light Publishers: <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0878139303/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0878139303&linkCode=as2&tag=mamszr-20&linkId=XNQRJF75R64B3CMS">I Wonder</a> </i>and <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0878139338/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0878139338&linkCode=as2&tag=mamszr-20&linkId=RJW2MKU5CZRLTG6M">Helping Hands</a>.</i> They are beautifully illustrated, well-written readers that are both edifying and interesting.<br />
<br />
<b style="font-weight: bold;">History:</b><b> </b> Ancient History-- finally buying the full <a href="http://www.classicalconversationsbooks.com/clacandfahic.html">Classical Conversations Acts & Facts</a> Cards set!! Woohoo!! <i><a href="http://www.veritaspress.com/bedes-history-of-me-e-book.html">Bede's History of Me</a></i> is a fun little book we'll be trying too. (Ebook available from Veritas Press) I have accumulated many coloring books that tie into Egyptian, Roman, etc. Ancient History, from Miracle Hill (local thrift shop w books for 50 cents), friends whose homeschooled kids have graduated, and yard sales. We will be going through <i><a href="ttp://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1933339004/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1933339004&linkCode=as2&tag=mamszr-20">Story of the World Volume 1</a></i>. I actually have the <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1933339055/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1933339055&linkCode=as2&tag=mamszr-20&linkId=2ILY2WJQPVVWGD7K">Activity Book</a> for it too so that will be fun. :)</i><br />
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<b style="font-weight: bold;">Geography:</b><b> CC</b><br />
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<b style="font-weight: bold;">Science: </b>maybe <i><a href="http://growinghealthyhomes.com/nutrition-101-choose-life-book/">Nutrition 101: Choose Life</a></i> from Growing Healthy Homes. I hope to use this on a rotating schedule throughout all our homeschooling years! It combines Nutrition and Anatomy in a comprehensive, Biblically-sound curriculum adapted to both older and younger students. I'm just not sure I'll be able to handle it next year... we will see.<br />
<br />
<b>
Fine Arts:</b><br />
- Music- Suzuki violin? Suzuki piano? lessons. We are exploring options but she will for sure have SOME kind of instrument lessons. (Summer participation in 2nd Presbyterian's Musical CAT Kids, May-Aug).<br />
- Visual Art- <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001F3A29U/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001F3A29U&linkCode=as2&tag=mamszr-20&linkId=47E6YSUHF7DWGLZQ">ArtPac 1</a></i> by Art with a Purpose, also CC<br />
- Ballet<br />
<br />
<b>
PE- </b>ballet!!<br />
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<b style="font-weight: bold;">Bible:</b><b> </b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0970524803/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0970524803&linkCode=as2&tag=mamszr-20&linkId=DHZKWEF5OJUPE2M7" style="font-style: italic;">Truth & Grace Memory Book #1</a> and an intro to Hebrew with <a href="http://store.jewsforjesus.org/children/jewish-kids-celebrate-jesus.html">Purple Pomegranate's kids CDs </a><i>Yeladim for Y'shua </i>and <i>You Gotta Jump, </i>as well as their book <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1881022404/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1881022404&linkCode=as2&tag=mamszr-20">Walk with Y'Shua through the Jewish Year.</a></i><br />
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<b style="font-weight: bold;">Foreign Langage:</b><br />
<b>
- Spanish: </b> I'm seriously considering this 3-DVD series, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DG9T8HI/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00DG9T8HI&linkCode=as2&tag=mamszr-20&linkId=VKE3PDKMJO4YMK5V">Foreign Languages for Kids by Kids</a>, which is immersive in its approach, and from all accounts is quite popular with kiddos. I watched a few clips and was so relieved that the kids all have GOOD accents! However, the $25/DVD price tag is quite steep... I may wait another year until they start being sold used...<br />
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<b style="font-weight: bold;">K3</b><br />
Liam will be in a K3 class at a local church school two mornings a week (along with his bestest buddy Levi), mainly to give him a chance to obey a non-parent and learn to function in a group, and to give me the chance to get two full mornings of school in with Sis, I do hope to have plenty of learning opportunities available for him, especially while I'm working with Eowyn more formally than ever before. I was so impressed with the book <i>The Homegrown Preschooler</i> especially as a former preschool teacher myself-- it is so reassuring, empowering and non-stressful, not to mention pedagogically sound and downright beautiful to look at. Imagine my joy when I found out that the authors have now published a full curriculum, entitled <i><a href="http://www.thehomegrownpreschooler.com/product/a-year-of-playing-skillfully-printed-version/">A Year of Playing Skillfully</a>.</i> It is just as well-laid out, beautiful and doable as their book! While the book makes it very clear that you don't need a formal curriculum, with a new baby coming I am in favor of anything that minimizes need of brain-power for me. :) I plan to use this both this year and the next for our little preschooler. As he desires to I will also start some phonics/reading with him too-- he's already pretending to sound things out, recognizing letters and wanting to do everything Big Sis does, so I think he may be ready. <br />
- Dance... he really really wants to try it.Eowyn's Heirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14717363754137835260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21181534.post-21083110736929165652015-05-31T16:00:00.000-04:002015-06-02T16:13:24.591-04:00Szrama Summer School<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Otnqe9JWR_E/VW4KQ1qm9oI/AAAAAAAAZwc/MoahAK_EiEU/s1600/IMG_5474.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Otnqe9JWR_E/VW4KQ1qm9oI/AAAAAAAAZwc/MoahAK_EiEU/s320/IMG_5474.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zoo with Daddy!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I tend to prefer a laid-back, "chilltastic" approach to schooling, especially in the little years when they so desperately want to learn EVERYTHING, but get tired so easily, and need lots of time to just play. I also found as a teacher that so much is lost over the summer that I really think it "works" better to take more frequent shorter breaks rather than one huge long break-- or at least to keep some mind-stretching activities going even when "school" isn't in session. So around here we do school year-round, but we never spend long days in school. We go to the zoo and the museum, the library, the pool, the park, the backyard, Nina's creek, and to play with friends. We listen to books on tape, we try dance, choir, gymnastics and art... it's all learning and it goes year-round.<br />
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In some ways summer is my favorite time of "schooling." It's warm (ok fine-- HOT) enough for my favorite activities of creek-splashing, lake-jumping, beach-combing and plain old pool swimming. We grow lots in our garden, we take trips to exciting places and we get more time with friends and family. There are weddings and cookouts and all of that is great for learning!! All of our weekly school-year commitments are over so we are free to stay home, or to leave for a week. We use the summer to "catch back up" at our laid-back pace.<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<b>Our basic summer schedule is to spend the first hour each morning on "school." </b> I pull out more workbooks than we use in the school year (my kids think they are super fun since they hardly ever use em), and we just do a page each in math, phonics and reading/grammar. Then I rotate subjects where I need to actually teach-- grammar, spelling, and math. Over breakfast I read them a devotion from <i>Thoughts to Make Your Heart Sing</i> and write in Eowyn's journal. (Liam has a Kumon sticker workbook he LOVES or he cuts paper or he works on his <a href="ttp://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0769633471/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0769633471&linkCode=as2&tag=mamszr-20&linkId=TEPSSLYOZROAI3YQ">Everything for Early Learning Preschool </a>workbook.) <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HSaKrUyQD-4/VW4KQ4iJbyI/AAAAAAAAZwc/y2HIOdSMrEE/s1600/IMG_5495.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HSaKrUyQD-4/VW4KQ4iJbyI/AAAAAAAAZwc/y2HIOdSMrEE/s320/IMG_5495.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reading happens quite naturally these days, yay!</td></tr>
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<i>Reading: </i>Eowyn's reading has taken off so I don't work on that directly anymore-- she chooses to read on her own whenever she gets the chance, so I keep a good supply of great books at or just above her reading level available from our library. I use<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0890847290/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0890847290&linkCode=as2&tag=mamszr-20"> <i>Best Books</i></a> and <i>The Read-Aloud Handbook</i> for ideas.<br />
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<i>Handwriting:</i> this is THE area where she really needs to focus right now. Her spelling, grammar, reading and composition ability are quite advanced-- she is just held back by her freaking out about writing. So, slowly but surely we are remedying that. Just one page of handwriting each day, and slowly she is gaining confidence. Lots of praise, lots of stickers, and plenty of working alongside her.<br />
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<i>Spelling</i>: we really enjoy <i>All About Spelling</i> and would be done if I did more than one lesson/week. I'm making it last through the summer though. :) She enjoys it and so do I!<br />
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<i>Math: </i>We are going along with Saxon 1 and lots of workbook practice bc she enjoys it.<br />
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<i>Grammar: First Language Lessons Grade 1</i>-- we often do 2-3 grammar exercises at a time. She loves memorizing the poems and the activities are fun. I love how oral it is, so it really isn't dependent on ability to write! I think we'll be on track to start Grade 2 right as next school year begins.<br />
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<i>Read-alouds:</i> we are loving read-alouds... <i>Mathilda</i>, <i>How to Train Your Dragon </i>and various E. Nesbit books are on our list right now. We have finished <i>The Hobbit</i> on audiobook and I read <i>James and the Giant Peach</i> aloud. Liam still asks for "more Bilbo" every night but will condescend to <i>The Tale of Despereaux</i>. We have started <i>Rabbit Hill,</i> and the kids are enjoying it more than I am. I shall persevere and finish it. Probably.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exploring shaving cream plus water</td></tr>
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<i><br />Fine Motor/Sensory: </i>we are working our way through quite a list of <a href="http://www.learnplayimagine.com/2014/06/dough-recipes.html">sensory dough/goops</a>. These really do add to imaginative play as well as being good for them. I hope to build a sandbox this summer for them too. They get TONS of water play, and the legos, trains, cars, blocks, playmobils, barbies, and lincoln logs are good for little hands too... and cutting/pasting. They love that. My floor does not...<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Gross Motor:</i> we joined the Y and I'm teaching the kids water safety and swimming and if they haven't grasped it by August we'll do lessons. Both kids will take horseback lessons at a local stable for the month of June as we've done for the past 2 years. Liam is VERY excited that he gets to ride this year too!<br />
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Special foci:</div>
<i>Music:</i> I just started a 6-week music class in my home. 8-10 little friends come over and we are exploring pitch, beat, rhythm, the idea of notation, music telling a story (<i>Peter & the Wolf</i>), and the orchestral instruments. Super fun!!! In August I hope to do another 4-week series using another classical music piece (probably <i>Carnival of the Animals</i>) and do more with notation.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Read-Alouds are such fun!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Road Trip!!</td></tr>
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<i>Geography:</i> I'm actually super-excited about this!!! I'm taking the kids on a three-week road trip through Pittsburgh, Toronto, Chicago and Louisville, with stops in Charleston (WV) and Detroit. We will use this as an excuse to reinforce state geography and also to enjoy museums and zoos all around the country. I am getting to use the books my mom bought for that very purpose when we did our long road trips, and since they no longer print the little US State Sticker "Passports" we loved filling up, I found a <a href="http://mudpuddlesoup.blogspot.com/2013/10/usa-passport-activity-booklet-free.html">printable version</a> as well as printable stickers. I saved some big old Atlases that are falling apart so E can help me map our route. She is already very excited about her role as "navigator" who gets to tell us about each state, and I've promised we'll stop at a Welcome Center for each state we pass into so she can get her book stamped and we can look at cool stuff. This trip, speed will NOT be the name of the game...Eowyn's Heirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14717363754137835260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21181534.post-34047277076898462042015-03-20T19:39:00.002-04:002015-03-21T01:11:14.329-04:00Mid-Year K5 ReportWell, it's officially Spring and my kids are already looking forward to the summer and warmer weather (not that it's been all that <i>cold</i> in South Carolina). We headed to Rita's for our free Italian ices today and my kids were asking if we could swim and when we would go the beach... not yet, guys, not yet. :)<br />
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Ok so here is how our year has shaped up, where we are and where I hope to be by next Fall (2015):<br />
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<b>Math:</b> We really find Saxon to work well for us-- we abbreviate & combine lessons, use our own manipulatives, as described <a href="http://eowyns-heir.blogspot.com/2014/09/k5-in-casa-szrama-20142015-school-year.html">here. </a> No stress, no mess, no need for me to prepare a lot ahead of time. I didn't buy the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1565770188/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1565770188&linkCode=as2&tag=mamszr-20&linkId=6B4L54CANHOQJ6BG">Saxon 1</a> workbook 1 (though I did find book 2 for a good price), so we've used various workbooks to reinforce concepts each day, and plenty of play with our pattern block sets, manipulative and chalkboard. I often do mini "worksheets" on the chalkboard for her, sometimes copying the Saxon workbook problems exactly. Saves paper and the extra tactile input from writing with chalk seems good for her. She still enjoys our Lentil Math set and is more and more able to work completely independently on it. (Lil bro LOVES getting into the bean box which is an excellent sensory activity for him. I am thrilled to say his last vestiges of sensory integration disorder have GONE!!!)<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BZvA-s89S6k/VQyt_t7farI/AAAAAAAAYSg/5p0s3r8OR5s/s1600/IMG_4046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BZvA-s89S6k/VQyt_t7farI/AAAAAAAAYSg/5p0s3r8OR5s/s1600/IMG_4046.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a>
<b>Language Arts:</b> We finished TYCTR around Christmas time and since then have done tons of reading from books on her level. I personally have found the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0736431209/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0736431209&linkCode=as2&tag=mamszr-20&linkId=PFWG24RMWAORW7IE">Step Into Reading</a> graded readers to be the most accurately leveled, with a wide variety of topics. Seems like TYCTR puts kids at a solid Level 2, able to stretch and read some of the Level 3s with a bit of help. We also enjoy the Bob Books (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0439845068/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0439845068&linkCode=as2&tag=mamszr-20&linkId=FS5KMQQRDEVUSHCX">Levels 4 </a>&<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0439865417/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0439865417&linkCode=as2&tag=mamszr-20&linkId=UC6SAG6BDHWIZDWO"> 5</a>) and Elephant & Piggy books. <a href="ttp://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1933339446/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1933339446&linkCode=as2&tag=mamszr-20&linkId=FWP7DRI3XDPK44VD">First Language Lessons 1</a> has been great for grammar. I visited a homeschooling curriculum fair and was intrigued by <a href="http://www.allaboutlearningpress.com/all-about-spelling/">All About Spelling</a> so we bought it and have started it Level 1. So far so good! It's well-designed, not stressful and so far we are flying through it. I'm hoping to start off with Level 2 in the fall. (See <a href="http://cathyduffyreviews.com/spelling-vocabulary/all-about-spelling.htm">Cathy Duffy</a>'s review of the curriculum here.) E's discovered the joy of audiobooks and we get many from the library. So far she's enjoyed multiple Magic Tree house stories, <i>Winnie the Pooh, Anne of Green Gables, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, Redwall </i>and<i> The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane</i>. She listens to them as she falls asleep and often when she first wakes up too! <br />
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<b>History: </b> Our progress has been slow, and we've chosen to stay in the Revolutionary/Colonial era until now, and are just starting to get into the War of 1812 (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0098REK9S/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0098REK9S&linkCode=as2&tag=mamszr-20&linkId=ECJHXZD2PK4X4Q22">Caroline</a> books in the American Girls series). However I'm confident that she does have a pretty good grasp on the Colonial Era-- the Felicity books & movie have been hits, and the PBS series <i>Liberty Kids</i> has been good too (our library has them all on DVD). One thing I've noticed in the American Girls books is that the older versions of the books-- the 6-book series rather than the 2-volume series they sell now-- are much better for younger children. They are illustrated, more manageable as shorter volumes, and have such helpful endnotes on the time period, complete with photos of actual places and artifacts. So go for the older books if you can find them! At her age I'm happy to linger in one "era" a while and just do rote memory of the History Sentences. (Side note: I've been amazed at how much WILLIAM loves the AG books, be they Kaya, Felicity or Caroline! He begs to read them and sits fairly riveted while I read them. I'm not sure if there's a comparable series with a male protagonist, but we may just use the AG books when he comes along too! Moms of boys, any suggestions?)<br />
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<b>Geography:</b> we've made less progress in this area than I expected, though I don't worry about it too much. We are still working on the states and their capitals as well as US geography.<br />
<b>Science:</b> Eowyn LOVES the Magic Schoolbus experiment kit and asks to use it regularly. Alas I haven't been able to get to it as much as I'd like. <br />
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<b>Foreign Languages:</b> our friends MOVED unexpectedly in January and we miss them AND our Spanish classes!!!!! We are learning John 1 in Latin in CC.<br />
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<b>Fine Arts: </b> we enjoy what we do at CC (studying masters of painting last semester and orchestra this one), and do our share of painting, chalk art, and table time at <a href="http://www.creatingartistsfortomorrow.com/class-and-fun-stuff/table-time-2">Creating Artists for Tomorrow </a>(thank you livingsocial again). I also picked up this little drawing workbook last week: <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1560109505/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1560109505&linkCode=as2&tag=mamszr-20&linkId=7FEHGEJVDQMXOZ4M">Things Girls Love</a></i> and it's been quite the hit. I will snag some more in the <i>Watch Me Draw Series</i> if I see them!<br />
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<b>Bible: </b> <a href="https://www.bsfinternational.org/">BSF</a> has been great to keep us moving through the Pentateuch and having really good discussions on sin, complaining, pride and faith. I recently acquired the "<a href="http://www.doorposts.com/details.aspx?id=13">Go to the Ant</a>" chart from <a href="http://www.doorposts.com/finder">Doorposts </a>and am so eager to use it in addressing current difficulties in both kiddos. I love that the chart helps them ask themselves heart-probing questions which take the focus off of me, and make it clear that I'm NOT "getting onto them" for "something I don't like about them," but rather am helping them identify and correct an attitude that <i>their Heavenly Father</i> warns against. I am so impressed with the Doorposts material and as soon as they come out with an ESV version of their charts (it's in the works!!) I hope to buy their "<a href="http://www.doorposts.com/details.aspx?id=119">Parenting Essentials Package</a>" to use in character training in my own home. I love that their materials don't focus on the negatives of God's commands but help them read about examples of those in Scripture who both ignored and obeyed God's word, allowing them to see both the consequences of disobedience and the blessings of obedience. It's far from moralistic, is Scripture-rich and very practically laid out. Each time my kids see how far they fall from obeying (or even wanting to obey) God's word, it's a chance to remind them of the Gospel, their need for a Savior and of the One who is Able to strengthen and change them!<br />
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Last week we had a few days of very warm, very pleasant weather (high 70s!) and I had the pleasure of taking my kids to play in my parents' creek... not only did I have flash backs to happy memories of my own childhood-- largely spent in that creek with my sisters and cousins (when I wasn't reading a book)-- but I got to witness childhood unplugged. For HOURS my 5 year old and 2.5 year old played completely contentedly with leaves, sand, rocks, water and a few toys-- a Lego pirate boat set and a cup. They watched ducks paddle by, they dug and imagined and yes there was a short-lived episode of mud-slinging that ended with one of them crying and the other very apologetic. I can't wait to have more days like this. We brought our schoolwork outside and did "games" on the back porch, splashed and played, and only came in when it was time for a quick lunch and naps.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jClASlqi5Fk/VQyt_qT34qI/AAAAAAAAYSg/tF-YvMgFFFA/s1600/IMG_4038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jClASlqi5Fk/VQyt_qT34qI/AAAAAAAAYSg/tF-YvMgFFFA/s1600/IMG_4038.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My little crafty Christmas elf, hard at work</td></tr>
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It's been a great year for our family; I've loved watching Eowyn really "get" reading and start to pursue it on her own. Recently her little bro was upset (of course during dinner prep so I was not very available) and all on her own, she consoled him and convinced him to sit and let her read to him. Five books later his tears were forgotten and they were playing together happily. I was amazed and so thankful for her initiative and compassionate heart! I keep remembering <a href="http://www.keeperofthehome.org/2012/05/a-homeschooling-conversation-with-susan-wise-bauer-advice-for-newbies-curriculum-and-terrible-no-good-days.html">Susan Wise Bauer's advice</a> to new homeschooling parents to just start with math & grammar and then add one subject in at a time. That has been so helpful! I do feel like our math and grammar are solid, and so we've added in spelling as another area to emphasize. Next year I'm not sure which subject I'll pick to make solid-- probably music or science-- and will continue to just memorize the CC sentences for Latin, science & history and take them slow. I'm also determined to continue to pursue Scripture study & memory with my kids!! All the academic knowledge in the world is useless without a sturdy character underneath it... and how will they know of Whom they have not heard, and how will they hear without a preacher (me) and the Word itself, dividing soul and spirit?<br />
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PS- I've started a book club with some friends and I LOVE IT!!!!!Eowyn's Heirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14717363754137835260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21181534.post-25585353328421422592015-03-07T15:37:00.003-05:002015-03-08T20:07:38.932-04:00Dr. Sears, I Don't Buy the "High-Needs Baby" Theory...<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Babies are all high-needs at first. But they are simple creatures. They don't send subtle messages. They don't have complex emotions. They don't get offended at your word choice; they get hungry. They aren't passive-aggressive; they're just helpless. But they WANT to be quiet, to be happy-- because they WANT to be clean, dry, comfortable, safe, warm and fed. If they cry, it's for a simple reason: something is wrong. Most parents learn to run down the list of what could be wrong very quickly: dirty diaper, too hot, too cold, lonely, hungry, needs to burp, frightening noise, tired... But there are babies for whom nothing "works"-- clean, dry, held tight and loved, they cry and cry and cry.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This is where the estimable Dr. Sears and I must part ways. He would have us believe that <a href="http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/health-concerns/fussy-baby/high-need-baby/12-features-high-need-baby">some babies come out of the womb "high-needs;</a>" naturally a bit more demanding; having a narrower spectrum of "comfort" or perhaps just a little ticked off that the world is so bright & cold... and that this is a normal personality variation.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Those of you who've worked nursery or held many children are probably holding up your hands right now, wanting to tell me-- <i>just wait a minute, Christina, there ARE some kids like that! </i>And I agree. Yes, there ARE babies who are more "difficult," more "demanding," who cry more and sleep less easily. Where I differ with Dr. Sears is the assumption that these children are <i>healthy. </i><b>These children don't have "high needs personalities;" they are in pain.</b> <i><b>While "attachment parenting" can do these babies a tremendous service of ensuring that their needs are met in babyhood, it can also do them a tremendous DISservice of encouraging their parents to stop there-- to meet their needs and no more-- instead of working to correct whatever underlying issue is causing the crying, the fussing, the sleeplessness.</b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">It seems to be common sense that babies would be designed to want "happiness." Who doesn't want to have their needs met and be pain-free? Babies are designed to cry until they get what they need from their parents. If a baby keeps crying, it's because he still doesn't have what he needs. If he keeps crying, he's in pain. If he doesn't nap except in snatches, if he doesn't smile, if he seems tense, if he has reflux, if he doesn't want to be put down ever, then your mommy intuition is probably right: something is off. (<i>I would extend this to children, too. If a child is consistently whiny, fussy, defiant, unreasonable, angry, and unpleasant, my first question would be whether they feel well-- physically, then emotionally. I am snappy and harder to live with when I have a headache! This could be an entirely different post, but, </i><i>barring turmoil and inconsistency in the home life,</i><i> I would be suspect food allergies, vitamin deficiencies, subluxations and other neurological stress.</i>)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">But back to "high needs babies." Having had two who seemed to fit that bill but who actually had underlying medical conditions I've been mentally compiling a list of possible reasons for "colic," "causeless crying" or "high-needs babyhood" over the past 4 years. They are:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">1. torticollis/ subluxation</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">2. tongue tie</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">3. other pain/discomfort- digestive, headache or earache- all related to food intolerances</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">4. neurological damage </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">5. overtiredness</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">6. hunger</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">7. parenting style</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Taking each of these in turn:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>1. Torticollis/subluxation</b>- either in the womb or during birth, some babies' spines are "kinked," especially their necks. Some get into an odd, asymmetrical position during their last few months of development (especially twins), some have a strange presentation during birth or even birth trauma due to caesarean delivery, forceps or vacuum usage or pitocin-induced contractions (often far stronger than natural contractions). Go back mentally to the last time you had a neck-ache... often it hurts to look or bend to one side, and at times nerves are actually pinched. In<a href="http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/bones/torticollis.html"> babies with torticollis </a>muscles on one side of the neck are shorter than the other, causing tension and pain of many kinds, or discomfort when a baby tries to turn its head one way. As a speech pathologist friend once told me-- "We are designed to be pretty symmetrical. Whenever a baby isn't, that's a sign of a problem." One of the major nerves that goes through the neck and is easily affected by even slight tension is the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vagus_nerve">vagus nerve,</a> which affects digestion and heart rate (and mood). In a baby, vagus nerve compression can cause sucking and digesting issues.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
<i>Hints that torticollis or subluxation is an underlying problem:</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">- baby holds its head always tilted the same way</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">- baby prefers to nurse only on one side</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">- baby prefers to lay on same side</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">- known birth trauma</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
<i>Treatments:</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">- chiropractic care- you can find a certified pediatric chiropractor in your area <a href="http://icpa4kids.org/Find-a-Chiropractor/">here</a>. Many chiropractors will come to your home days after delivery and adjust baby and mama. A few testimonies of children helped by chiropractic care <a href="http://www.keeperofthehome.org/2012/03/our-experience-with-newborn-chiropractic-care-and-why-you-should-consider-it.html">here</a> and <a href="http://www.mamanatural.com/natural-remedies-for-baby-reflux/">here</a>. The pressure used to adjust babies is the same amount you use to check a fruit for ripeness-- nothing scary or potentially damaging! Find a pediatric chiropractor <a href="http://icpa4kids.org/Find-a-Chiropractor/">here</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">-<a href="http://www.llli.org/llleaderweb/lv/lvaugsep01p82.html"> craniosacral therapy</a> - this therapy focuses on making sure the fluid that surrounds the spine and brain can flow correctly, without any pressure or difficulty. <a href="http://www.craniosacral-therapy-healing.com/faq-what-is-craniosacral-therapy-and-where-does-it-come-from.html"> Practitioners use a light touch</a>-- some are licensed massage therapists, some are chiropractors, and some are occupational therapists. Some success stories <a href="http://www.craniosacral-therapy-healing.com/how-cst-help-with-my-babies-inconsolable-crying.html">here</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">- stretching as directed by a health care provider, and in some cases, physical therapy</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>2. Tongue/lip tie-</b> As you may know, this played a huge part in my son's disposition. There are the obvious ways a tongue tie can cause issues-- baby gets too fatigued eating so he stops before he is full, then wakes up crying, or baby can't coordinate sucking and swallowing so he chokes-- again, leading to crying-- and with a lip tie, he can't get a good seal, so <a href="http://www.kiddsteeth.com/articles/aerophagia_2011.pdf">he often swallows air, leading to painful gas, and/or reflux </a>again leading to crying. But tongue and lip ties also cause a fair amount of tension due to the restriction they impose on the lips, tongue and whole mouth. This tension can lead to tension in the whole body. I am on the <a href="http://ttbsg.weebly.com/frenectomy--after-care.html">Tongue Tie Babies Support Forum</a> on Face Book and have seen some truly remarkable before & after pictures, of babies whose whole bodies were tense all the time, and after revision became the relaxed, happy infants they were meant to be. Often, tongue-tie release (frenulectomy) goes hand in hand with bodywork (chiropractic care, CST, as described above). It is the recommended follow-up to laser or scissor revision according to most care providers (including our son's doctor, <a href="http://www.kiddsteeth.com/articles/Exposing%20the%20top%2010%20Mythsf.pdf">Dr. Larry Kotlow</a>). Many children with tongue ties struggle with sensory integration and anxiety-- especially if they haven't had bodywork following their revision, or have not had a revision. One mom's testimony <a href="https://www.facebook.com/myofunctionalcenterllc/posts/323104431213732:0">here</a>. Another <a href="http://www.mommypotamus.com/why-our-mothers-shouldnt-have-listened-to-theirs/">here</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
<i>Hints that a tie is an underlying cause:</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">- <a href="http://www.kiddsteeth.com/nursingbookaugfc2011.pdf">any of these symptoms</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">- a visible or felt tie. Check for one yourself <a href="http://www.cwgenna.com/quickhelp.html">here</a>. Many of the <a href="http://ttbsg.weebly.com/provider-list.html">preferred care providers</a> on the TTSG list will also allow you to email in pics of your child's mouth and will give a preliminary evaluation based on that and a description of symptoms.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">- baby being called "a lazy eater" </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">- baby nursing frequently yet never seeming full- this also usually interferes with sleep</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
<i>Treatments:</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">- complete tie revision by a knowledgable practitioner (usually dentists, a few ENTs) - usually done by laser but some providers use scissors</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">- "bodywork"- CST and/or chiropractic care</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">- suck training (sometimes occupational therapy, other times speech therapy)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">- <a href="http://eowyns-heir.blogspot.com/2014/10/resources-for-you-if-you-think-your.html">stretches, massages and other strategies</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>3. Other pain-</b> This includes tummy pain due to indigestion, often due to imbalanced gut flora (too much "bad bacteria or yeast" and too few "good guys"), or could be migraines due to food allergies (yes, even babies can get them), or it could be pain from food sensitivities-- my son reacted to onion, echinacea, nutmeg and potatoes in my milk.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
<i>Hints that pain is an underlying problem:</i></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W1zJGHbuPm0/UVtE6TMeDBI/AAAAAAAAHCE/fWqQFiHSx6Q/s1600/PC250728.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W1zJGHbuPm0/UVtE6TMeDBI/AAAAAAAAHCE/fWqQFiHSx6Q/s1600/PC250728.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Liam's bright red allergy-cheeks, 3 mos</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">- baby seems averse to nursing (and a tie has been addressed or been ruled out by a knowledgable practitioner)- he could be reacting to something in your milk and know it instinctively</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">- eczema or bright red cheeks following nursing (keep a food log to track these)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">- gas, burping, drawing up of legs when crying, noisy belly, constipation followed by blow-outs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">- baby popping on & off the breast, never fully draining a feeding</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">- visible <a href="http://www.llli.org/llleaderweb/lv/lvoctnov98p91.html">signs of thrush </a>in baby or yeast in mom; pain while nursing </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
<i>Treatments:</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">- have baby's ears checked. Some babies (especially those with dairy intolerance) have constant low-level ear infections, which are painful but don't always manifest with a fever. Natural treatments (such as <a href="http://livininthegreen.blogspot.com/2012/10/garlic-ear-oil-remedy-does-it-really.html">garlic oil</a> or <a href="http://theecofriendlyfamily.com/2013/02/how-to-use-onions-for-earaches/">onion</a>; we use an <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001E8DBU8/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001E8DBU8&linkCode=as2&tag=mamszr-20&linkId=DWIVLQCMG2RBBERQ">ear oil similar to this one</a>) of ear infections are often very effective in children, as are dietary reduction of sugar, salt and pasteurized cow's milk (all these tend to create mucus). In cases where diet doesn't help, tubes may be recommended. See below on probiotics & ear infections.</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lr2XlnexyGc/VPY8y237E5I/AAAAAAAAYRw/k6DTWp3i2TE/s1600/IMG_8150.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lr2XlnexyGc/VPY8y237E5I/AAAAAAAAYRw/k6DTWp3i2TE/s1600/IMG_8150.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">more allergy break-outs at 10 months old</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">- chiropractic adjustment- <a href="http://www.acatoday.org/content_css.cfm?CID=69">this specifically can help recurrent ear infections</a>. I've personally felt my ears drain following an adjustment as an adult!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">- probiotics. If baby's gut flora is off, she can't digest her food properly, causing gas and constipation and this <i>hurts.</i> In <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022347612009201">one study</a>, L. reuteri was very successful at reducing crying time in "colicky' breast-fed & partially breast-fed babies. <a href="http://www.biogaia.com/press/lactobacillus-reuteri-protectis-shown-reduce-colic-infants">BioGaia</a> drops have specifically been studied and found helpful (you can <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0069OL6EA/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0069OL6EA&linkCode=as2&tag=mamszr-20&linkId=ZCZLJO3CSX2LQAKV">buy on Amazon</a>). <a href="http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/oral-probiotic-reduces-ear-and-throat-infections-children-and-adults">Probiotics are also helpful at preventing and treating ear infections</a>. In another recent study, <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-01-28/probiotics-offer-hope-for-children-with-peanut-allergies/6051278">l. rhamnosus was used to treat anaphalactic peanut allergies</a>, with promising results.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">- be checked and treated for yeast. Helpful resources <a href="http://kellymom.com/bf/concerns/child/thrush-resources/">here.</a> One friend's baby never nursed for longer than a few minutes at a time, popping off the breast and nursing around the clock, even at night. She was also very very hard to soothe to sleep. These behaviors all greatly improved when her mom was treated for yeast. Remember that <a href="http://www.motherandchildhealth.com/Breastfeeding/Becky/thrush.html">mom AND baby should both be treated </a>simultaneously, even if one seems to be asymptomatic.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">- essential oils or herbs- many blends are helpful in digestion, often including chamomile, ginger, peppermint and fennel. Oils would be diluted in a carrier oil and applied to feet or on belly. Herbs would be made into a tincture or strong tea and fed in very small amounts (1/8 -1/4 tsp of tinctures, teaspoons of tea) to baby via dropper or in a bottle.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">- elimination diet for nursing mom or solid-eating toddler - read Doris Rapp (MD)'s "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0688119077/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0688119077&linkCode=as2&tag=mamszr-20&linkId=N34A3I2MYVFBCWTO">Is This Your Child?</a>" on diagnosing and treating food allergies. As a child gets older, the <a href="http://www.gaps.me/preview/?page_id=28">GAPS diet </a>may be useful in healing the gut and curing many pervasive chronic conditions, including food allergies and sensitivities.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /><b>4. neurological damage-</b> this is the most controversial category, and potentially the most broad. Signs of neurological damage include an inability to sleep long stretches, difficulty regulating breathing, and sensory integration issues. Several factors that could cause neurological damage include <a href="http://www.skepticnorth.com/2011/02/new-study-shows-emf-effect-on-brain-%E2%80%93-so-what/">EMFs</a>, <a href="http://health.cvs.com/GetContent.aspx?token=f75979d3-9c7c-4b16-af56-3e122a3f19e3&chunkiid=14255">metals in the environmen</a>t (including <a href="http://www.nrdc.org/health/effects/mercury/guide.asp">mercury-contaminated fish in pregnancy</a>), or other known toxins such as pesticides, both <a href="http://www.pnas.org/content/109/20/7871.short">before</a> and <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1566233/">after birth</a>. Exposure to plastics- even pre-birth- like BPA <a href="http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/epigenetics/nutrition/">can also cause a healthy person's DNA to have impaired methylation</a>, as if they have a MTFHR mutation (more on this mutation later). Highly recommended reading: <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0954852028/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0954852028&linkCode=as2&tag=mamszr-20&linkId=UJXYBJD4INJCVK3S">Gut and Psychology Syndrome</a> </i>(Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride) and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0345494512/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0345494512&linkCode=as2&tag=mamszr-20&linkId=YNWTFSR4ZNPAIF7Q"><i>Healing the New Childhood Epidemics</i></a> (Dr. Kenneth Bock).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
One big potential for neurological damage is vaccinations. One vaccine is routinely given at 12 hours old: the Hepatitis B vaccine. This vaccine aims to protect against a disease that is mainly sexually transmitted, and includes yeast and .25 mg of aluminum. <a href="http://www.immunize.org/packageinserts/">Read the vaccine inserts for all possible reactions</a>-- they include encephalitis & encephalopathy (brain swelling), migraine, multiple sclerosis,
neuritis, neuropathy, paresthesia, Guillain-Barré syndrome and Bell’s
palsy, optic neuritis, paralysis, paresis, seizures, syncope, and transverse myelitis. (<a href="https://www.gsksource.com/gskprm/htdocs/documents/ENGERIX-B.PDF">source</a>) One such reaction to the vaccine is <a href="http://www.iansvoice.org/">here</a>, another <a href="http://www.nvic.org/vaccines-and-diseases/Hepatitis-B/fatherstory.aspx">here</a>. In these cases the result was death, but there can be a whole spectrum of adverse reactions due to neurological damage, including the following.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">My friend Megan M. has allowed me to share a bit of her son J's story:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>J was a sweet healthy newborn who nursed well, slept well, and had a lusty cry the few times he let us hear it (such as his heel prick). However, just before discharge at 2 days old he was vaccinated with the Hep B vaccine. Immediately he screamed a high-pitched strange scream... and didn't stop screaming. For the next day he screamed and nursed, sleeping in snatches of 5-15 minutes instead of the peaceful several-hour chunks he'd slept before. When he finally fell asleep after 24 hours, I was so relieved. He seemed to sleep deeply, finally. However my relief turned to terror as after 4 hours I could not awaken him. He remained limp and non-responsive, even as we undressed him and had ice on his feet. As I tried to wake him up, he suddenly convulsed, his eyes flew open, and he stopped breathing. I will never forget his face as long as I live. I screamed to my mom, a nurse, to help. She started CPR while I called 911. By the time EMS arrived we had managed to get him breathing again. We were rushed to the hospital where every imaginable test was run; blood tests, x-rays, even a spinal tap. Every test was the same-- inconclusive. No one could tell us why our perfectly healthy little boy had suddenly stopped breathing. In the hospital he again had episodes of apnea (not breathing) but each time we were able to "get him started" again. We mentioned the vaccine repeatedly but each time were told "the Hep B vaccine is safe." After two days of testing, we were sent home with the diagnosis "unexplained life-threatening event," and given the rather empty assurance that "it probably won't happen again." However, J stopped breathing multiple times for the next few months. We slept with him on our chests so we could wake up and pat him until he would start breathing again. He also never again slept long stretches-- he'd sleep half an hour and be awake the next 1.5 hours around the clock. He did not sleep through the night until 17 months old. As a concerned mom, I began to research the Hep B vaccine J had received and found that all but one of his symptoms were listed as potential effects on the vaccine insert. Why, then, had his doctors been so adamant that it could not have been responsible? </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i>
<i>J was a very "high-needs" baby, and became a high-needs toddler; sweet and happy, very smart, yet very intense, clingy and anxious when faced with change like separation from mama, with repetitive behaviors and odd fixations. This past year we received an autism spectrum diagnosis. Thanks to many strategies and therapies he is thriving in our homeschool; at age 6 he has nearly completed 3rd grade and is learning so well. J's story is far from over, however, we will never know what his beginning would have been like without the Hep B vaccine."</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">It is a fact that at least some children will have an adverse reaction to vaccines; they are legally classified as "unavoidably unsafe"-- thence the establishment of the <a href="http://www.hrsa.gov/vaccinecompensation/index.html">National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program</a> to provide for & make reparations to families of children injured or killed by CDC-suggested vaccines. Unfortunately, very little effort has been made to ascertain <a href="http://thinktwice.com/risk.htm">what risk factors could predict which children are most likely to have an adverse reaction</a>. (you'd think with massive vaccine campaigns this would be important!) <em style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-size: 14px; text-align: -webkit-center;">"...research suggests that most individuals who experience an adverse reaction to vaccines have a pre-existing susceptibility. These predispositions can exist for a number of reasons – genetic variants (in human or microbiome DNA), environmental exposures, behaviors, intervening illness or developmental stage, to name just a few, all of which can interact. Some of these adverse reactions are specific to the particular vaccine, while others may not be. Some of these predispositions may be detectable prior to the administration of vaccine; others, at least with current technology and practice, are not.”</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-size: 14px; text-align: -webkit-center;"> – Institute of Medicine, 2012 (<a href="http://www.nvic.org/vaccines-and-diseases/vaccinations--know-the-risks-and-failures-.aspx">source</a>)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-size: 14px; text-align: -webkit-center;"><br /></span>
<b>However, there are a few factors that might raise risk: a tongue-tie or other midline defect (sacral dimple for ex), because it can be a symptom of a MTFHR mutation, which impairs remethylation, crucial for detoxification</b> (<a href="https://babyfoodsteps.wordpress.com/2013/10/23/its-no-vaccident/">this blogger sums it up well and has done her research well</a>); <b>personal history of <a href="http://www.regardingcaroline.com/Immune_System.html">overactive Th2 branch of the immune system</a>- <a href="http://www.dermnetnz.org/dermatitis/atopic-causes.html">eczema</a>, food allergies, seasonal allergies; family history of same; family history of vaccine reactions; anything GAPS related; personal history of mild to moderate vaccine reactions (high fever, high-pitched scream, lethargy, catatonia)</b>. Many children who end up with a serious adverse reaction to vaccines had one or several "mild" but <a href="http://thinktwice.com/stories.htm">increasingly serious reactions to prior vaccines,</a> especially vaccines in the same series. This is an area where there are glaring gaps in research: "<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-size: 14px; text-align: -webkit-center;"><em>The committee found </em></span><em style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-size: 14px; text-align: -webkit-center;">that evidence assessing outcomes in subpopulations of children, who may be potentially susceptible to adverse reactions to vaccines (such as children with a family history of autoimmune disease or allergies or children born prematurely), was limited and is characterized by uncertainty about the definition of populations of interest and definitions of exposures or outcomes.”</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-size: 14px; text-align: -webkit-center;"> – Institute of Medicine, 2013" (<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2843136/">some research is being done</a> but it is very limited)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-size: 14px; text-align: -webkit-center;"><br /></span>Vaccinations during pregnancy are another factor to consider. While the CDC currently recommends several vaccines to all pregnant women, the vaccine inserts themselves caution that there is no safety data regarding use in pregnancy (and breastfeeding, in some cases) and caution that the drug should only be administered "in cases of real need." (See all inserts <a href="http://www.immunize.org/packageinserts/">here</a>.) The flu shot is particularly controversial, firstly because in its injected multi-dose form <a href="http://www.medicinenet.com/mercury_poisoning/article.htm">it does contain mercury (thimerisol)</a>, but secondly because viral antibodies & fever during pregnancy increase the <a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071016090135.htm">risk of autism </a>and <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15289276">other neurological damage i</a>n the baby. The point of vaccines it to trigger antibody production. <a href="http://healthland.time.com/2013/07/09/mothers-antibodies-may-explain-a-quarter-of-autism-cases/">If antibodies are a factor in autism</a>, why risk anything that intentionally creates more?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i><i>Hints that neurological damage is a root cause:</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> - change in disposition or sleeping habits soon after vaccination</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">- family history of vaccine reactions</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">- known MTFHR mutation in family or child (very <a href="http://www.lovingourguts.com/mthfr-part-1-2/">helpful summary of MTFHR</a>)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">- family history of autoimmune or chronic disease (for ex. type 1 diabetes, eczema, serious food allergies, asthma, ADHD, ASD, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, childhood cancer, celiac disease)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">- mother vaccinated during pregnancy</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">- family home near cell towers or high-voltage power lines</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">- high degree of EMFs in room where child sleeps</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">- known interaction with pesticide or other environmental toxins</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i><i>Treatments: </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">- avoiding further vaccination at least until child's neurological condition has resolved</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">- <a href="http://wellnessmama.com/8331/detox-bath-recipes/">detox baths</a> to aid in detoxification</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">- <a href="http://www.gaps.me/">GAPS diet </a>in children, best done under the supervision of a certified GAPS practitioner</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">- switching from vitamins and foods fortified with folic acid to the natural form, folate</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">- glutithione supplementation and eating foods high in glutithione (ex. avocados)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">- coming under the care of a <a href="http://autism.about.com/od/alternativetreatmens/f/dandoc.htm">DAN! doctor,</a> who look at chronic conditions in children from a multi-faceted biomedical model</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i>
<i>Well, that sums up the first 4 medical reasons why a baby might be labeled "high-needs." That was pretty long; kudos to you if you're still reading! :) Tomorrow I will attempt to tackle the last 3 contributing causes which sound so much more ordinary. :)</i></span>Eowyn's Heirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14717363754137835260noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21181534.post-21927746021226118862014-11-05T23:37:00.001-05:002014-11-05T23:37:09.175-05:00Thanksgiving Books We Love <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-omRNp0AG6bQ/VFr5o5Xln_I/AAAAAAAAVds/DYiWw6PtIGg/s1600/14%2B-%2B1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-omRNp0AG6bQ/VFr5o5Xln_I/AAAAAAAAVds/DYiWw6PtIGg/s1600/14%2B-%2B1" height="240" width="320" /></a>One of the easiest traditions we have is also one of my kids' favorites: seasonal books. I have a box for the major seasons (well, more than one for Christmas!), with the decorations, books & special toys I've collected for that season. Our "Fall" box has our beautiful autumn placemats, silk flower arrangements, halloween trick-or-treat bags, a pretty "thankfulness leaf" glass jar, my "Harvest Blessings" wooden pumpkin centerpiece... you get the idea. But the best part (according to the kids) is the books. Starting small and adding a book or two each year has gotten us a great collection in just 7 years of marriage's time. Here are some of the books in our Thanksgiving/Fall collection now, along with a few I hope to buy this year. I keep my eyes open at thrift stores, consignment sales and Amazon Marketplace (used & new) and the most I pay is $4 for a really nice copy.<br />
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-- <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0679802185/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0679802185&linkCode=as2&tag=mamszr-20&linkId=L4IZDHZOKKX2SF7T"><i>The First Thanksgiving</i>,</a> by Linda Hayward, illustrated by James Watling-- this simple reader is well-illustrated and gives a wonderful brief overview of who the Pilgrims were, why they left England, their voyage aboard the Mayflower, their first winter in Massachusets, their friendship with Samoset, Squanto & Massassoit, and the first "Thanksgiving" (harvest feast). I appreciate that the text doesn't try to revise history or make any political point: the story is simply told, both groups (I feel) fairly and positively represented. <br />
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-- <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1400320399/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1400320399&linkCode=as2&tag=mamszr-20&linkId=ROBLMYZEALFWK5OZ">Squanto & the Miracle of Thanksgiving,</a></i> by Eric Metaxas, illustrated by Shannon Stirnweis-- I can't read this book without choking up a bit. The tragic events that God used to allow the first Plymouth colony to survive are not widely known: that Squanto (Tisquantum) had been kidnapped as a young man and sold as a slave in Spain, that he was bought, set free & discipled by Spanish monks, that he lived & worked in London for 5 years, that he finally came back to his home village after 10 long years to find it completely emptied by plague, himself the sole survivor, that it was this very village, with its abandoned huts, graveyard & stores of corn which offered enough shelter for the shivering Pilgrims to survive that first winter, that Squanto's understanding of English ways & language prevented misunderstanding & allowed the Pilgrim survivors to have a bountiful harvest that summer, that their coming gave a broken man renewed faith in the God who made use of his misery... all these weave together to make a beautiful backdrop for that first feast of Thanks. Beautiful illustrations. Together they lead you to praise the sovereign goodness of God.<br />
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-- <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1930900635/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1930900635&linkCode=as2&tag=mamszr-20&linkId=YYMSIZWSRXHGECDF">Cranberry Thanksgiving, </a></i>Wende & Harry Devlin-- This tale about a famous cranberry-bread recipe and its would-be thief is Eowyn's favorite book right now. She remembered making the cranberry bread (recipe included! We just de-glutenized it =D) from last year and can't wait to make it again. The story & illustrations are just perfect. A fun story set at the time of Thanksgiving with the message that not all are what they seem; friendship is found in the most unlikely places.<br />
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-- <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1558589597/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1558589597&linkCode=as2&tag=mamszr-20&linkId=TOVHQX4FX5IYNX7R">Over the River & Through the Wood,</a></i> poem by Lydia Maria Child, woodcut illustrations by Christopher Manson-- This is my personal favorite. The woodcut illustrations perfectly evoke a 19th century New England Thanksgiving. I love giving my children a glimpse into what life was like at that time. Note: there are many different illustrations for this one classic poem. Manson's are my favorite of them all. :)<br />
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-- <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0590383477/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0590383477&linkCode=as2&tag=mamszr-20&linkId=SC4ZQS7QUUS4SEPI">Over the River & Through the Wood,</a></i> illustrated by David Catrow-- this book was actually mailed to me by mistake when I ordered the above version, and it is definitely not one I would have bought. The cartoonish illustrations are set in modern times (so there is the value of comparing travel then & now), with a baby floating out the window into a Macy's Day Parade and being caught in Grandma's baseball cap. Ehhh maybe it will grow on me... I just really don't like the style of illustration.<br />
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-- <a href="ttp://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0439105668/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0439105668&linkCode=as2&tag=mamszr-20&linkId=Z4BTGOJYPEE34NYX"><i>If You Were At... The First Thanksgiving</i>, </a>by Anne Kamma, illustrated by Bert Dodson-- one of the excellent Scholastic books in the question & answer style. It does a great job answering all the questions children want to know about life in Plymouth & that first Thanksgiving.<br />
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--<i> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0590451618/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0590451618&linkCode=as2&tag=mamszr-20&linkId=KROLRI3YJKUTRXT6">...If You Sailed on the Mayflower in 1620</a>,</i> by Ann McGovern, illustrated by Anna DiVito-- overlaps a bit with the above volume but focuses more on the voyage, presented in ways a child unfamiliar with month-long trips in small spaces with NO DVD players, can grasp. <br />
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Books I hope to snag & add soon:<br />
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-- <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1416958568/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1416958568&linkCode=as2&tag=mamszr-20&linkId=7UJOSIVNKPAI4FRE">Bear Says Thanks,</a> </i>by Karma Wilson, illustrated by Jane Chapman<br />
-- <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316798665/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0316798665&linkCode=as2&tag=mamszr-20&linkId=GZXDTUGTRJ6RBKT6">A Strawbeater's Thanksgiving</a>, </i>by Irene Smalls<br />
--<i> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0824956346/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0824956346&linkCode=as2&tag=mamszr-20&linkId=P7EO3FRSOU47D6VK">Thanksgiving Graces</a>, </i>by Mark Moulton, illustrated by David Wenzel<br />
-- <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060004509/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0060004509&linkCode=as2&tag=mamszr-20&linkId=5SWB3LYGDG27MBX7">An Old- Fashioned Thanksgiving</a></i>, abridged & illustrated version by James Bernadin- I had this vibrantly illustrated children's version given to me by a student's parent when I taught preschool... and alas I think I must have left it in my classroom when I moved to SC because I can't find it anywhere! I also would like to eventually buy the unabridged version when my kids are a little older.<br />
-- <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0310712513/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0310712513&linkCode=as2&tag=mamszr-20&linkId=C6X2L7T4L6M66EJQ">The Berenstein Bears Give Thanks</a>, </i>by Jan & Mike Berenstein-- (and/or any of the other BB Thanksgiving-themed stories)-- only because my kids are both absolutely enthralled with these books (I remember being the same way as a kid). I don't know what it is about these books that so fascinate kids (I kind of groan now when they ask me to read them... which they do... every day), but whatever it is, this series hones in on it!<br />
-- <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0763663069/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0763663069&linkCode=as2&tag=mamszr-20&linkId=URMSIN55CRFUHLHY">The Great Thanksgiving Escape</a></i>, by Mark Fearing<br />
-- <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1550747444/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1550747444&linkCode=as2&tag=mamszr-20&linkId=U42MKCO3LLY2RFSK">A Pioneer Thanksgiving,</a> </i>byBarbara Greenwood, illustrated by Heather Collins <br />
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There are quite a few books out there that look great-- <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/3CW2G3WG2MAS3/?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&tag=mamszr-20&linkId=2H3MPNHRJRRMAHZ5">see my ongoing "wish list" here</a>!<br />
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<i><b>What books do you remember reading about Thanksgiving? Most of our favorites have been recommended by friends like you! </b></i>Eowyn's Heirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14717363754137835260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21181534.post-32202833388238371182014-10-28T17:14:00.000-04:002017-07-17T21:03:30.195-04:00Resources for You if You Think Your Baby MIGHT Be Tongue or Lip-Tied<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">normal latch (what we're aiming for)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is one issue I get emailed about fairly regularly, so I thought I'd make it into a blog post so more people can see it (and I can easily direct questions there instead of retyping everything every time, usually from my phone no less!). This is by no means comprehensive and I'm not an expert, and each baby & mom is different. However here's what I have gathered as helpful data through our own two-year-tongue-tie journey. Ideally you will be able to surround yourself with a <i>team</i> of people to support and help you-- starting with you- the educated parent/advocate-- and including other adult family members (spouse, SO, grandma etc) who will be able to help out, also knowledgable care providers and specialists. You'll have a winning team around your baby-- <i>Team Baby!</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>First of all,</b> here is a <a href="http://www.drghaheri.com/blog/">good blog all about tongue & lip ties.</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I would start there; you could read through the dozen or so articles Dr. Ghaheri has written in an evening or so, and would be fairly educated on what ties are & aren't, why they matter, what can be done about them (hint: it should not require full anesthesia or a hospitalization) and what you can do as a parent. If even that seems too big an assignment, this <a href="http://www.drghaheri.com/blog/2014/10/2/tongue-tie-and-lip-tie-faq">one article provides an excellent overview, addressing many tie myths</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">- Good cautionary word on over-diagnosing lip ties:</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.drghaheri.com/blog/2014/10/8/the-difference-between-a-lip-tie-and-a-normal-frenulum" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">http://www.drghaheri.com/blog/<wbr></wbr>2014/10/8/the-difference-<wbr></wbr>between-a-lip-tie-and-a-<wbr></wbr>normal-frenulum</span></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">How to diagnose tongue ties:</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">-<a href="http://www.cwgenna.com/ttidentify.html" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://www.cwgenna.com/<wbr></wbr>ttidentify.html</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Unfortunately, most care providers (pediatricians, midwives, nurses, dentists, IBCLCs and ENTs) will not know how to recognize all types of ties. So you most likely will need to first diagnose it yourself, then track down someone knowledgable to confirm it.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Reasons to revise</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">- <a href="http://www.kiddsteeth.com/articles/aerophagia_2011.pdf" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://www.kiddsteeth.com/<wbr></wbr>articles/aerophagia_2011.pdf</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">- <a href="http://www.kiddsteeth.com/articles/ttfactssheet.pdf" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://www.kiddsteeth.com/<wbr></wbr>articles/ttfactssheet.pdf</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">- <a href="http://www.kiddsteeth.com/Does_Your_Child_Need_a_Revision_of_the_Lingual_Frenum2010.pdf" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://www.kiddsteeth.com/<wbr></wbr>Does_Your_Child_Need_a_<wbr></wbr>Revision_of_the_Lingual_<wbr></wbr>Frenum2010.pdf</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">- <a href="http://www.tonguetie.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://www.tonguetie.net/<wbr></wbr>index.php?option=com_content&<wbr></wbr>task=view&id=3</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">- <a href="http://nursingrubysue.wordpress.com/are-you-tongue-tied/">http://nursingrubysue.wordpress.com/are-you-tongue-tied/</a> (great point about the link between TT & TMJ)</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ofVPACiVk34/VE_9ZyoUL4I/AAAAAAAAU1A/QJH2acoGUnE/s1600/image%2B(2).png" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: transparent; clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="202" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ofVPACiVk34/VE_9ZyoUL4I/AAAAAAAAU1A/QJH2acoGUnE/s1600/image%2B(2).png" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">cheek support during bottle feeding</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Breastfeeding moms-- Tricks for latching in the mean time-</b> **Note: these links will take you to videos and images of women BREASTfeeding. ** </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Try one at a time until you feel comfortable, then try another-- you may use two or more tricks at a time, like latching with the "breastwich" technique, then supporting your baby's cheeks during feeding, then using manual compressions at the end of a feeding. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">- cheek support- often called the <a href="http://www.nursingconsult.com/nursing/journals/0891-5245/getImg?article_id=738706&issn=0891-5245&spid=22957245&PAGE=f09000765002.jpg&module=journal">"Dancer Hand" position</a>- during both nursing & bottle feeding; the fat in baby cheeks is there to help their milk go down their throat properly. <a href="https://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/bf-info/down">This webpage is aimed at helping babies with Down syndrome</a>, and much of its recommendations are completely appropriate for babies with ties (revised or not). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">- manual compressions during feeding
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">- <a href="http://www.drmomma.org/2010/08/breastfeeding-latch-trick.html">"nipple twist" deep latching trick </a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">- make a "breastwich" with your hand in the shape of a C behind the areola to help baby get a good mouthful, roll it in the way you eat a sandwich: rolled in from the bottom lip first.
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">- if baby is tucking top lip: two "tricks" to help</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">- "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGttPTx7iSs">flipple" technique</a> (where baby latches over your finger) or have them latch over thumb so you can roll out the upper lip (it must flange)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">- "<a href="http://www.biologicalnurturing.com/">biological nurturing</a>" position where baby is sitting up against you & you are leaning back.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">- U-shaped fingers supporting under breast (see <a href="http://www.transitiontoparenthood.com/ttp/parented/position.htm">here under "cradle position"</a>)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">- on augmenting supply (usually by 6 weeks a woman's supply changes from hormone-driven to demand-driven, and if baby isn't effectively draining the breast, you may see a dip in supply)- <a href="http://www.breastfeedinginc.ca/content.php?pagename=doc-HRMS">herbal/food measures</a>, pharmaceutical (<a href="http://www.breastfeedinginc.ca/content.php?pagename=doc-DGS">domperidone</a>).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">- on supplementing at the breast: <a href="http://www.breastfeedinginc.ca/content.php?pagename=doc-LA">explanation</a> & <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezGIkIkhC_o">video</a></span><br />
- stretches to ensure the wound heals properly open, not fused back shut exactly how it was: <a href="http://www.drghaheri.com/aftercare/">video and explanation of simple technique</a>, and also a<a href="https://vimeo.com/55658345"> lovely gentle play video </a>that will help keep the wounds open. <i> In my experience, more frequent gentler stretches are more effective than forceful less frequent ones.</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>You may need an Occupational Therapist or a Speech Therapist (we had both!) on your <i>Team Baby</i> but these may help in the meantime or in addition or if you can't get to one:</b></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p94A7V7TTb8/VE_9SeYaHHI/AAAAAAAAU0o/G2vgYnESpOQ/s1600/image%2B(1).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p94A7V7TTb8/VE_9SeYaHHI/AAAAAAAAU0o/G2vgYnESpOQ/s1600/image%2B(1).jpeg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Oral Training </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">- oral motor training stretches- do 3-5 times each day, usually before or after a feeding. We would make these a game, Mommy making funny noises and faces, and talking through them to baby "Top Lip in, out, whee!" etc</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">- training baby to make a groove in tongue: use a Nuk toothbrush, your finger or a bottle nipple to draw a "line" gently down the center of baby's tongue</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">goal of Beckman Oral Motor Training: puckered lips</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">- with a Nuk toothbrush, finger or soft washcloth, trace the gums with light pressure-- this helps baby feel whole mouth</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">- after release: play games touching all around baby's lips, usually accompanied by silly phrases or noises; baby will naturally try to follow with their tongue, which is great for mobility</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Example of finger feeding for suck training</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">-great explanation of suck training: <a href="http://www.justbreastfeeding.com/sore-nipple-management/suck-training-tool-breastfed-baby/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://www.<wbr></wbr>justbreastfeeding.com/sore-<wbr></wbr>nipple-management/suck-<wbr></wbr>training-tool-breastfed-baby/</a></span><br />
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- helpful summary of WHY some babies need "extras" and for others, the simple revision seems to be enough: <a href="http://www.michalechatham.com/blog/tether-berg-or-tether-floe"> "Is Your Baby a Tether-Berg or a Tether-Floe?"</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Good to Remember:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">- Diagnoses depends both on symptoms AND appearance. A baby with visible frenum may not need revision if there are no problems- but a baby with seemingly less frenulums may be a lot more restricted, as seen by symptoms in mom & child. Also, a lip tie is almost ALWAYS accompanied by a "twin" tongue tie.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">- A child can often bottle feed without being able to properly latch: the mechanisms are TOTALLY different. In breastfeeding, the tongue </span><span style="background-color: white;">does a wave-like motion; this begins peristalsis that continues all the way down the digestive tract. If it's impeded it will affect all digestion. (So don't believe anyone who tells you that "you must be the problem because your baby can drink fine from a bottle." That MAY be true in your case, but it may not be!)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">- Many tied kiddos have a need for "body work:" either & both cranio-sacral therapy (CST) and chiropractic to correct tension from being overly restricted for the first months of life (even in utero). Just think-- if your arm was tied across your body so you couldn't fully move it for 9 months, and then it was let free, you would feel all "off" and all sorts of tendons, ligaments and muscles would ache as they now had to stretch and totally adjust to the new freedom. It would be great freedom, far better than staying tied up and tense... but still requiring an adjustment.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">- Also, most ENTs (and many other care providers) know diddly squat about tongue ties (nothing against them, it's just the way it is right now). Go to a provider known for understanding ties if at ALL possible (or it's probably a waste of time). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">- Our story is <a href="http://eowyns-heir.blogspot.com/2012/11/our-saga-through-land-of-sucknswallow.html">here</a>.</span></div>
Eowyn's Heirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14717363754137835260noreply@blogger.com0