Happy Labor Day Weekend!!!

We pray you will find yourself well rested :)




our little Belly bridge-sandwich ;)

WOW....you have got to read this article...

but its not even an actual article!!! This was just a personal rant, by Corin from www.thehumanpacifier.blogspot.com's blog....I wish I could write like this...she totally needs to have this published or something!!!! Please read!!!....


"Why is it that everyone automatically assumes that midwives would be COMPLETELY unprepared for any sort of complication during labor?????

When people hear the term "midwive", what do they conjure up in their heads?

It has to be something completely off and totally devoid from all reality. Honestly, it has to be.

I'm getting really tired of hearing the same response over and Over and OVER and OVER again every time I am asked "the question"....

Q. "Oh you're pregnant! When are you due?!"

A. "August."

Q. "So what are you having?!"

A. "We don't know."

R. "Oh! I could NEVER do that!!!" {bulgy eyes}


~Okay, brace yourselves, here it comes...~

Q. "So where are you having the baby?"

A. "At home."

Q. "Which hospital?"

A. "At home."

Q. "AT HOME???!!! OH MY GOSH! YOU'RE CRAAAAAZY!!!"


~Oh! Here it is!!! Are you ready?!~

Q. "WHAT IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG???!!!"

Deap breath in ....and *siiiiiiiiiiiiigh*

I have tried answering this question in every way possible. I have tried avoiding it. I have tried expanding on it. I have tried giving personal testimony of my own daughters birth. I have tried answering politely, I have tried answering briefly, comically, honestly, openly, shortly, informatively, with hand gestures, without hand gestures, on my head, swinging from a tree branch, army crawling, hitchhiking, making big faces, making no faces, being calm, being happy, being solemn, being overt. I have tried answering this question in every known way possible to man {um...wo-man}.

Yet, I am still left with the nagging, questioning, "I don't get it" look on the other person's face.

My usual response is something along these lines...

"Good midwives are extremely well trained professionals. They bring emergency equipment with them to every birth and are very prompt at identifying a potentially dangerous situation."

I'm not going to go into a huge diatribe on every single fact I've ever studied about homebirth and midwives. That would take hours. So I give them the best possible answer I can give in the thirty seconds our conversation is likely to last with a few kids at each of our feet.

Plus, I don't feel obligated to give them an extensive, drawn-out, sit-down, "Now look..." answer. This is why I love having a birth blog. People can come here themselves and get all the information they want. They can seek it out themselves. That way, I know I'm writing to an audience who truly wants to be informed and learn about their options.

But honestly, lately when I get asked "the question", I am starting to believe that these people aren't really asking for the sake of becoming informed, but rather as a polite {and completely ignorant} way to say, "Oh! How irresponsible, you're baby is going to die!"

The reason I have started to believe this is because most of the time, their response is not, "Really? Wow, that's really interesting. Do you know where I could read more about that?"

Usually their response is an argument. Or some sort of glossy rebuttal or sugar-coated, "Yah, but what if..."

So here's what I think.....If you don't want to hear the answer, don't ask the question.

I think from now on the tables should be turned. I think this will be my new response...

Q. "WHAT IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG???!!!"

A. "Hmm...that's an interesting question. Well, if something goes wrong either one of four things will happen. 1. {The most likely scenario} My midwife will identify the problem and help to resolve it. 2. My midwife will identify the problem and know that it requires greater medical attention than what she can provide and I will be transported to the nearest hospital. 3. My midwife will not identify the problem and it will self resolve. 4. My midwife will not identify the problem and one or both of my baby and I will die or suffer serious injury.

Now let me ask you a question.....

What if you're laboring in the hospital and nothing is going wrong? What if you're laboring and nothing is going wrong but because you're on the hospital's time schedule, they induce you. Then, because they induced you, your contractions are much too powerful so you need an epidural. But because you got an epidural and have also been on pitocin and possibly a few other drug concoctions, your babies heart rate starts to go crazy. Or your heart rate or blood pressure starts to go crazy. Now there is an emergency situation. Now you need a cesarean. But during the cesarean you get an infection and two days later you die.

All when nothing was going wrong. Nothing was going wrong but because you were in the hospital having a medically managed birth, complications were produced and you or your baby suffer for it. Then what?

Could you fathom that your chances of being in the hospital when nothing is going wrong, and having something done to you to make something go wrong.....are much greater than me being at home and something going wrong on it's own and not being caught in time?"

Now, I completely understand that the person asking the question will either have stopped listening by now or probably just have walked away already.

But, unfortunately I do not feel that trying to give the clean, pretty answer is working anymore. I feel like they just want to argue. And I'm not going to argue. I feel like when most people ask me, "What if something goes wrong?", what they're really wanting to ask is, "Aren't you going to feel bad if something goes wrong?" And my answer is, "Aren't you going to feel bad if something goes wrong in the hospital? We have the second worste infant mortality rate in the industrialized world, that's a pretty big possibility you have there."

Maybe next time I get asked "the question" I'll just say, "Go google it."

*Okay, I would like to take the opportunity to pre-defend myself and the midwifery model of care at this time for all of the homebirth horror stories that are about to come out of the wood work.

I would like to end this post by saying simply.....

-People have died under the care of a midwife.

-People have died under the care of an Ob/Gyn.

There are homebirth horror stories, but there are also many, many hospital horror stories. Unfortunately, homebirth horror stories are vastly glamorized while hospital horror stories are largely masked and under-reported due to a large number of influencing factors such as a society that is generally obedient to a medical authoritative figure as well as the marketing and strategic tactics of an established medical and pharmaceutical community.

If you don't believe that the midwifery model of care is safe, then don't use it. And we all can continue to enjoy the most expensive and least productive maternity care system in the industrialized world."

Happy Frugle Tuesday!!

Kung Fu Panda it is!!!!

reduce, reuse....

RECYCLE!!!!

the problem: when i took this photo....it was still over a week away before pick-up!! Good problem to have i guess ;)

shhhh...dont tell jake....i have a boyfriend...

his name is Carsten(dr.tam's son)!!! Dr.Tamatha dropped my boyfriend off to play while she (unsuccessfully) tried to find a place to get her hair done. It was much fun!! We played "chase annabelle" and "pick-a-boo" and had a snack...





while Carsten, Annabelle, and I played inside...jake worked on a project for childrens church outside :)

A Must See!!!....

btw, we own this documentary and would love to let any one borrow it...so just holla!!

Crossings Comunidad Cristiana...

In June Crossings started a Spanish speaking campus right in the middle of the Spanish community in OKC. It is really flourishing!! Sunday they had 65 people with 3 new families!!! Heather, being the Spanish speaking girlie she is has become real involved there. Last week was their VBS and on Saturday they had a end of the week party...open to the entire community...over 600 people came!!!! I learned a few Spanish words ("sonrisa"- "smile" and "bonito"-"beautiful") and took my camera :) here are just a few...











beautiful babywearing momma

beautiful...

from this months Children's Ministries photos...

Hey Emotional...

I found this video on Jenny Mae's blog and just HAD to share!!! Since I am not a fan of medical-driven (the pill, iud's ect..) birth control...this cracked me up!!!! but it dosent matter if you have weird views on "peirod control" like i do.... ITS FUNNY!!

debt is normal....be weird!!!...

Jake and I officially became debt free in June!!!! We started Financial Peace University in August 2007...(BEST $85 WE HAVE EVER SPENT!!!)....Dave Ramsey truly gave us the tools and plan so that WE could change our lives!!! We didn't have near as much debt as most people start with....but in 10 months we completed our Step One: $1000 in the bank and our Step two: Pay off all debt(except the house...which happends in Step six!!!)...which was...

one credit card (you know for "emergencies" ;): $2,000
Toyoda Prius (you know because i "deserved" it ;) :$20,000
GMC Yukon (a now payed for car that I feel so blessed to drive!) :$10,000

Our first step (September 2007) SOLD EVERYTHING IN SITE...(annabelle was hiding, thinking she was next!)...Craigs list was our best friend and after a fall garage sale we had Step One ($1000 in the bank) done before we knew it. Our credit card didn't take much time either....then it got to the 2 big ones... $30,000 total! I know we could have worked longer and paid the 2 cars off in about 2 years....but GROSS!!! We were SOOO MAD at DEBT...it made us sick to our tummys!! We had total (what dave calls) gazelle intensity...and I said "bye bye prius!!". Even thought we only had the prius for about 9 months we "got back" about $6,000 back from the $7000 that we had "put down" on the Prius and with that we bought (WITH CASH) a RAD truck for jake....fast forward about 8 months the yukon was paid for!!!

So to clarify...WE DON'T BORROW MONEY... not for cars, not from our parents (anymore:), not for furniture, not for "10% off my first purchase", not for tickets to the latest concert, not for groceries (hey...people do it!!),not for camera equipment or music intruments, not for gas...we don't borrow money. If we dont have the cash we dont buy it...

Yes, people think we are totally weird...but you know...God called us to be weird...to stand out.... And I feel so completely blessed!!!

"Don't run up debts, except for the huge debt of love you owe each other"
-Romans 13:8 (the message)






Our "plastectomy", October 2007 :)

surely, surely goodness and mercy will follow me...

Most of you know that jake and I are very pro-homebirth. And when God decides that it is Jake and I's turn to be a mommy and daddy that we will plan a midwife attended homebirth. This video was found by a friend of mine (who will be having a homebirth in October that i have the privilege of attending!!). This video is a beautiful example of how simple, peaceful and spiritual labor and birth can be if we would just stop trying to over complicate things!

We're not Soi....but we're free ;)

We usually take Annabelle to this cute litte pet salon called "soi's" and even though Soi always does a great job....its like $45 after tip to get a hair cut and a bath. So we thought we would give it a try...so belly got a home made hair-cut this weekend ;) doesn't she just look pitiful! she was pretty much out the rest of the day after that adventure!!!

SYTYC Dance, Dance, Dance....

All year I look forward to the new season of So You Think You Can Dance.....and this was an AMAZING season....there were always 4 or 5 dancers i just couldn't choose from...they were all just so so so good!!! From the beginning I kept calling Katee to win... But every week falling more and more in love with Joshua!! Joshua...was this tough exterior street dancer....that was really a complete cry baby who even had training in ballet.... how could you not fall in love with that!! And apparently America did...because they voted for him....a lot!! HE WON!!! I am so happy for him....Ohh and Katee was the top girl :) Well most of the season they were partners, which was just a killer team that no one could compare to!! I have added a youtube clip of about a mid-season hip-hop that was my absolute favorite dance!!! For all of you who don't watch SYTYCD I added a full clip...so that you can learn a bit about Katee and Joshua....but the most awesome dance (i think) of the season is at about 2:00. ENJOY!!!

Its a privilege to pee....

I cant make this stuff up people.... "Its a privilege to pee" Is a song that was in the award winning Broadway play that Jake and I saw last night at Lyric Theater. Can I just say that I feel so so so incredibly blessed to have people in our lives like Marty and Donna Hepp. Marty plays in the Group 56 band on Sunday mornings with Jake. He texted Jake yesterday afternoon asking if we were free for dinner and a play at Lyric (they have season tickets and their daughters bailed on them....to our advantage :).....so he texted back.....YES YES A THOUSAND TIMES YES!!!! Most of you know I'm a total theater nerd....i didn't even know what we were seeing and frankly I did not care!!! Through out dinner and on the drive there Marty was apologizing to us about how the tickets are total nose bleed....I kept reassuring him...that anytime we have the privilege to go to Lyric its ALWAYS nosebleed so not even to worry about it.....well.... WE WERE 4TH ROW CENTER!!!!! I could not believe it!!! IT WAS AWESOME!!! We saw (again i cant even make this stuff up) Urinetown. It was really funny!!! Just look up some clips on youtube. Anyway....Marty and Donna if you read this....THANK YOU SO SO SO MUCH AGAIN for such a fun night!!!

Super Frugle Tuesday :) ....

Last night was Career Tech (which is the company that my mom and dad both work for) night at the Redhawks game, so my mom offered us (FREE!!) tickets....we invited our dear friends Michael and Jennifer and of course Heather came :) I didn't really watch much of the game...I'm much more of a people watcher :) But we had a lovely time with our friends!!!

what. you dont have cable. what.

If you and I are facebook friends you already know this....But i mentioned in an earlier post that i would explain why we are total weirdos and canceled our cable....

We LOVE TV so it was a hard decision....but this is why....
-it will save us $100 a month!!!
-we will get over being so "dependent" on the TV.
-we will conserve more energy...which will also save on our energy bill while also helping out our environment.
-It gives my sister Heather one more reason to make fun of me for being completely primitive and a "dirty hippie"
-My thought process will change from "hey whats on TV tonight" to "ohh i cant wait to see and love on my husband!!"
-we will go on more walks
-we will cook more
-we will read more

wow the possibilities are endless!!!.....

Although without paying for cable we still get the "main" 4,5,9 channels, we get four christian channels (no lie....JCTV, The Worship Channel, The Church Channel, and of course TBN), three Spanish speaking channels, Fox (thank you Jesus that i still get to watch SYTYCD) and the CW. So we are not completely out of the loop....but come on JCTV and the News (except for Ali ;) can get a little old....

Its been 2 months and we are going strong!!! not even missing it!!!