Doctors Appt. Today

Just a quick post to let everyone know I have an appointment with my OB today to get an HcG draw. Prayers would be appreciated.

Where Does Your Church Stand on Abortion? Part II

Yesterday I showcased denominations that are "pro-choice". Today I will showcase "pro-life" churches.

New Apostolic Church International

Termination of pregnancy

The New Apostolic Church is a proponent of life. According to the Church’s understanding, life begins with the union of the egg cell and the sperm cell. The fructified egg cell is already an individual life, which has a fundamental right to protection.

The New Apostolic Church fundamentally disapproves of terminating a pregnancy. In special cases, for example if the life of the mother is in serious jeopardy, the advice of the doctors and the apostle should be sought.

A Statement of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops -- November 12, 1997

The twentieth century will not end without one more anniversary to remind us that this era of extraordinary progress is also darkened by the shadows of unimaginable tragedy. January 22, 1998 marks the 25th anniversary of our Supreme Court's rulings in Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton. Because of those decisions, more than 35 million children have been killed, and reasons used to justify abortion are now extended to excuse infanticide. Today babies are being killed in the very process of delivery by a procedure called partial-birth abortion. Many mothers have lost their lives in abortion clinics, and countless others survive with physical, emotional or spiritual scars. Fathers and grandparents also suffer grief for a child they never met.

What was once seen as an act of desperation--the killing of one's own child--is now fiercely defended as a good and promoted as a right. Even worse, a deadly blindness has come over our land, preventing many persons of good will from recognizing the right of innocent human lives to respect, acceptance and help. Claims of privacy and an ethic of unlimited individualism have been used to undermine government's responsibility to protect life. Legalized violence has spread through our society like a cancer. The powerless of all ages are threatened.

We look upon this panorama with shame, and also with immense sympathy for all its victims. At the end of the Second Vatican Council, pope Paul VI said the "spirituality of the Good Samaritan" would guide the Church's encounter with the world of today. So often an "outsider" in a world blinded to the transcendent value of human life, the Church--like the outsider Samaritan--wishes to come to the aid of the victims of this eclipse of the spirit. It is in this spirit that we make our appeal on this tragic anniversary.

To all our fellow citizens we say: Abortion is an assault on human dignity, an act of violence against both mother and child and the whole human family. Legal protection for unborn human life must be restored in our nation. As the Second Vatican Council also reminded us: "Whatever is opposed to life itself, such as any type of murder, genocide, abortion, euthanasia, or willful self-destruction ... all these things and others of their like are infamies indeed. They poison human society but they do more harm to those who practice them than those who suffer from the injury. Moreover, they are a supreme dishonor to the Creator" (Gaudium et spes, 27).

We recall what is best in our common national heritage: Human beings, simply because they are human, must be recognized as persons with fundamental human rights. Our nation fought a terrible civil war because the practice of slavery was finally recognized to be inconsistent with our national ethos enunciated in the Declaration of Independence: All are endowed by their Creator with the inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Slavery is repugnant because it treats human beings as property to be disposed of at the will of another. It was morally absurd then to say: "I am personally opposed to owning slaves and would never own any myself, but I can't force my moral views on others. It is not the government's task to legislate morality. It is a personal choice." It is just as morally repugnant to say the same about abortion today. Our nation stands in judgment now, as it did more than a century ago: are we to be a nation that honors its commitments to the right to life, or not? And if not, then just what does our nation stand for?

No one has spoken more eloquently about the sacred value of human life than has our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II. It is he who reminds us that all who are "open to truth and goodness can, by the light of reason and the hidden action of grace, come to recognize in the natural law written in the heart (cf. Rom. 2:14-15) the sacred value of human life from its very beginning until its end, and can affirm the right of every human being to have this primary good respected to the highest degree. Upon the recognition of this right, every human community and the political community itself are founded" (Evangelium vitae, 2).

We see in our culture an ongoing conflict between good and evil, a conflict between life and death. As we strive to assure peace and justice, too often it is forgotten that the common good can only be served when the right to life, the right on which all other inalienable rights of the individual rest and from which they develop, is acknowledged and defended (cf. Evangelium vitae, 101).

In spite of the relentless propaganda in favor of abortion, most Americans have not become fully insensitive to the killing of children so weak that they cannot cry for help. Indeed, the 1973 abortion decisions set in motion the broadest grassroots movement this nation has ever seen. Our debt to those who serve the pro-life cause is immeasurable. The are the witnesses and bearers of our nation's most noble aspirations. In a special way, through the national debate on partial-birth abortion, they have focused the attention of Americans on the plight of the child.

Perhaps the most uplifting sign of hope is the witness of those teenagers and young adults who have come of age with legal abortion, but who are not seduced by its empty promises. They participate in the annual March for Life, fill our National Prayer Vigil for Life, organize supporters in their schools and campuses, run baby showers, and write to us asking what they can do to end abortion.

We especially honor the work of more than 3000 pregnancy centers, as well as those hospitals, agencies and medical centers in radical solidarity with women in need of counseling, pre- and post natal care, housing, material support and adoption services. And for those women who have had abortions and seek help to deal with its aftermath, Project Rachel and other post-abortion healing programs are available throughout the country. We pledge continuing support of these programs. Our condemnation of abortion is accompanied by an unswerving commitment to provide alternative solutions and compassionate care in respect for the dignity of all wounded by its violence. Such is the "spirituality of the Good Samaritan."

To our fellow Catholics, we ask you to do even more for life. Reach out to women who are pregnant and in need of help, to families struggling with financial or emotional difficulties. Stand by those who wish to choose life with the witness of solidarity, hope, and service. Catholic families should be living symbols of our conviction that life is always, always a gift from God. Teach your children to respect human life from conception to natural death. Pray as a family for an end to this evil that destroys the weakest of the weak, the poorest of the poor.

May God strengthen us in our effort to bring about a culture of life and solidarity for the true good of the whole of human society (cf. Evangelium vitae, 101)

Resolution #8: On Thirty Years of Roe V. Wade, adopted at the SBC (Southern Baptist) convention, June 2003:

WHEREAS, Scripture reveals that all human life is created in the image of God, and therefore sacred to our Creator (Genesis 1:27; Genesis 9:6); and
WHEREAS, The Bible affirms that the unborn baby is a person bearing the image of God from the moment of conception (Psalm 139:13Ð16; Luke 1:44); and
WHEREAS, Scripture further commands the people of God to plead for protection for the innocent and justice for the fatherless (Psalm 72:12Ð14; Psalm 82:3; James 1:27); and
WHEREAS, January 2003 marked thirty years since the 1973 United States Supreme Court Roe v. Wade decision, which legalized abortion in all fifty states; and
WHEREAS, Resolutions passed by the Southern Baptist Convention in 1971 and 1974 accepted unbiblical premises of the abortion rights movement, forfeiting the opportunity to advocate the protection of defenseless women and children; and
WHEREAS, During the early years of the post-Roe era, some of those then in leadership positions within the denomination endorsed and furthered the "pro-choice" abortion rights agenda outlined in Roe v. Wade; and
WHEREAS, Some political leaders have referenced 1970s-era Southern Baptist Convention resolutions and statements by former Southern Baptist Convention leaders to oppose legislative efforts to protect women and children from abortion; and
WHEREAS, Southern Baptist churches have effected a renewal of biblical orthodoxy and confessional integrity in our denomination, beginning with the Southern Baptist Convention presidential election of 1979; and
WHEREAS, The Southern Baptist Convention has maintained a robust commitment to the sanctity of all human life, including that of the unborn, beginning with a landmark pro-life resolution in 1982; and
WHEREAS, Our confessional statement, The Baptist Faith and Message, affirms that children "from the moment of conception, are a blessing and heritage from the Lord"; and further affirms that Southern Baptists are mandated by Scripture to "speak on behalf of the unborn and contend for the sanctity of all human life from conception to natural death"; and
WHEREAS, The legacy of Roe v. Wade has grown to include ongoing assaults on human life such as euthanasia, the harvesting of human embryos for the purposes of medical experimentation, and an accelerating move toward human cloning; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, June 17Ð18, 2003, reiterate our conviction that the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision was based on a fundamentally flawed understanding of the United States Constitution, human embryology, and the basic principles of human rights; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we reaffirm our belief that the Roe v. Wade decision was an act of injustice against innocent unborn children as well as against vulnerable women in crisis pregnancy situations, both of which have been victimized by a "sexual revolution" that empowers predatory and irresponsible men and by a lucrative abortion industry that has fought against even the most minimal restrictions on abortion; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we offer our prayers, our love, and our advocacy for women and men who have been abused by abortion and the emotional, spiritual, and physical aftermath of this horrific practice; affirming that the gospel of Jesus Christ grants complete forgiveness for any sin, including that of abortion; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we lament and renounce statements and actions by previous Conventions and previous denominational leadership that offered support to the abortion culture; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we humbly confess that the initial blindness of many in our Convention to the enormity of Roe v. Wade should serve as a warning to contemporary Southern Baptists of the subtlety of the spirit of the age in obscuring a biblical worldview; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we urge our Southern Baptist churches to remain vigilant in the protection of human life by preaching the whole counsel of God on matters of human sexuality and the sanctity of life, by encouraging and empowering Southern Baptists to adopt unwanted children, by providing spiritual, emotional, and financial support for women in crisis pregnancies, and by calling on our government officials to take action to protect the lives of women and children; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we express our appreciation to both houses of Congress for their passage of the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003, and we applaud President Bush for his commitment to sign this bill into law; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we urge Congress to act swiftly to deliver this bill to President Bush for his signature; and be it finally
RESOLVED, That we pray and work for the repeal of the Roe v. Wade decision and for the day when the act of abortion will be not only illegal, but also unthinkable.

(I really like the fact that the Southern Baptist's admitted that they were wrong, and corrected their mistake!)

More to come!

Where Does Your Church Stand on Abortion?

From RCRC

Episcopal Church, 1988
We regard all abortion as having a tragic dimension,
calling for the concern and compassion of all the Christian
community….
In those cases where an abortion is being considered,
members of this Church are urged to seek the dictates of
their consciences in prayer, to seek the advice and counsel
of members of the Christian community and where
appropriate the sacramental life of this Church….
We believe that legislation concerning abortions will not
address the root of the problem. We therefore express our
deep conviction that any proposed legislation on the part of
national or state governments regarding abortions must
take special care to see that individual conscience is
respected and that the responsibility of individuals to reach
informed decisions in this matter is acknowledged and
honored….


Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), From “Problem
Pregnancies and Abortion,” 1992
Problem pregnancies are the result of, and influenced by,
so many complicated and insolvable circumstances that we
have neither the wisdom nor the authority to address or
decide each situation.
We affirm the ability and responsibility of women,
guided by the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit, to make good
moral choices in regard to problem pregnancies.
The considered decision of a woman to terminate a
pregnancy can be a morally acceptable, though certainly
not the only or required, decision. Possible justifying
circumstances would include medical indications of severe
physical or mental deformity, conception as a result of
rape or incest, or conditions under which the physical or
mental health of either woman or child would be gravely
threatened.
We are disturbed by abortions that seem to be elected
only as a convenience or to ease embarrassment. We
affirm that abortion should not be used as a method of
birth control….
We do not wish to see laws enacted that would attach
criminal penalties to those who seek abortions or to
appropriately qualified and licensed persons who perform
abortions in medically approved facilities….
The Christian community must be concerned about and
address the circumstances that bring a woman to consider
abortion as the best available option. Poverty, unjust
societal realities, sexism, racism, and inadequate
supportive relationships may render a woman virtually
powerless to choose freely….
By affirming the ability and responsibility of a woman to
make good moral choices regarding problem pregnancies,
the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) does not advocate
abortion but instead acknowledges circumstances in a
sinful world that may make abortion the least
objectionable of difficult options….

United Methodist Church, 2004

The church's current position on abortion, approved by
the 2004 General Conference, is found in the Book of
Discipline, Social Principles. Text added in 2004 is in bold
face type.
Abortion—“The beginning of life and the ending of life
are the God-given boundaries of human existence. While
individuals have always had some degree of control over
when they would die, they now have the awesome power
to determine when and even whether new individuals will
be born. Our belief in the sanctity of unborn human life
makes us reluctant to approve abortion. But we are equally
bound to respect the sacredness of the life and well-being
of the mother, for whom devastating damage may result
from an unacceptable pregnancy. In continuity with past
Christian teaching, we recognize tragic conflicts of life
with life that may justify abortion, and in such cases, we
support the legal option of abortion under proper medical
procedures. We cannot affirm abortion as an acceptable
means of birth control, and we unconditionally reject it as
a means of gender selection. We oppose the use of late-term
abortion known as dilation and extraction (partial-birth
abortion) and call for the end of this practice except
when the physical life of the mother is in danger and no
other medical procedure is available, or in the case of
severe fetal anomalies incompatible with life. We call all
Christians to a searching and prayerful inquiry into the
sorts of conditions that may warrant abortion. We commit
our Church to continue to provide nurturing ministries to
those who terminate a pregnancy, to those in the midst of a
crisis pregnancy, and to those who give birth. We
particularly encourage the Church, the government,
and social service agencies to support and facilitate the
option of adoption. Governmental laws and regulations
do not provide all the guidance required by the informed
Christian conscience. Therefore, a decision concerning
abortion should be made only after thoughtful and
prayerful consideration by the parties involved, with
medical, pastoral, and other appropriate counsel.”
When an unacceptable pregnancy occurs, a family, and
most of all the pregnant woman, is confronted with the
need to make a difficult decision. We believe that
continuance of a pregnancy which endangers the life or
health of the mother, or poses other serious problems
concerning the life, health, or mental capability of the child
to be, is not a moral necessity. In such a case, we believe
the path of mature Christian judgment may indicate the
advisability of abortion. We support the legal right to
abortion as established by the 1973 Supreme Court
decisions. We encourage women in counsel with husbands,
doctors, and pastors to make their own responsible
decisions concerning the personal or moral questions
surrounding the issue of abortion. – Resolution on
Responsible Parenthood, Readopted, 2004

Unitarian Universalist Association, 1963
(reaffirmed 1968, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1987)
Therefore be it resolved that the 1987 General Assembly
of the Unitarian Universalist Association reaffirms its
historic position, supporting the right to choose
contraception and abortion as legitimate aspects of the
right to privacy; and
Be it further resolved that individual Unitarian
Universalists educate themselves, their congregation, and the public
about the new moral understandings emergent in the
works of feminist theologians and social ethicists; and
oppose any move to deny or restrict the distribution of
government funds as a means of restricting access to
full contraceptive and abortion counseling and/or
services, at home or abroad; and

• UnitarianUniversalists actively oppose all legislation,regulations and administrative action, at any level of government intended to undermine or circumvent theRoe v. Wade decision; and
  

• communicate their opposition to such attempts to their legislative representatives and to the electorate; expose and oppose bogus clinics and other tactics that infringe on the free exercise of the right to choose; andpromote legislation funding safe abortions for low-income women.

United Church of Christ, 1987
(Statements regarding freedom of choice were also passed
in 1971, 1973, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1985, 1989, and 1991.)
Whereas, women and men must make decisions about
unplanned or unwanted pregnancies that involve their
physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being; and
…Whereas, abortion is a social justice issue, both for
parents dealing with pregnancy and parenting under highly
stressed circumstances, as well as for our society as a
whole;
…Therefore, be it resolved, that the Sixteenth General
Synod:

• affirms the sacredness of all life, and the need to protect and defend human life in particular;

• encourages persons facing unplanned pregnancies to consider giving birth and parenting the child, or releasing the child for adoption, before abortion;

• upholds the right of men and women to have access to adequately funded family planning services, and to safe, legal abortions as one option among others;

• urges the United Church of Christ, at all levels, to provide educational resources and programs to persons, especially young persons, to help reduce the incidence of unplanned and unwanted pregnancies, and to encourage responsible approaches to sexual behavior.

Union for Reform Judaism, 1975 (reaffirmed 1981,
1990)

• Affirm our unwavering commitment to the protection and preservation of the reproductive rights of women;

• pledge our presence and support wherever, whenever, and for however long our goal may require it at the federal, state and local levels of government; further,

• we affirm our commitment to work in coalition with compatible pro-choice groups.

• Endorse the 1973 United States Supreme Court decision on Roe v. Wade and deplore all attempts, legislative and judicial, to dismantle it.

• Support non-restrictive federal and state funding of reproductive services, including abortion, and non-restrictive private insurer coverage.

• Support minors' access to reproductive health services, including contraceptives and abortion, unrestricted byparental notification, parental permission, or other court ordered requirements.
  
  • Support the use of public hospitals and clinics, however defined, for the performance of abortions, with unrestricted access and funding for women who need it; affirm the right of health professionals, those publicly employed and those in private practice, to provide reproductive service counseling and advice, including information about family planning, contraception and abortion, and to perform abortions; oppose the criminalization of either the health professionals who perform or assist at abortions or the women who receive them and affirm the obligation of local governments to protect physically the clients, staff, and premises of reproductive care facilities against the actions of anti-choice persons and groups.
  
  
  
  

United Synagogue for Conservative Judaism, 1975
(reaffirmed 1989)
Jewish tradition cherishes the sanctity of life, even the
potential of life which a pregnant woman carries within
her. Under certain unfortunate circumstances, such as
when the life or health of the mother are in jeopardy,
Judaism sanctions, even mandates, abortion. Judaism does
not, however, condone or permit abortion for contraceptive
purposes; and
Judaism does not believe that personhood and human
rights begin with conception. The premise that personhood
begins with conception is founded on a religious position
which is not identical with Jewish tradition. Therefore,
under special circumstances, Judaism chooses and requires
abortion as an act which affirms and protects the life, well
being and health of the mother. To deny a Jewish woman
and her family the ability to obtain a safe, legal abortion
when so mandated by Jewish tradition, is to deprive Jews
of their fundamental right of religious freedom;
Now, therefore, be it resolved that the United Synagogue
for Conservative Judaism continues to affirm its strong
support for the 1973 Supreme Court decision of Roe v.
Wade. Any weakening, limitation, or withdrawal of the
Roe v. Wade decision is sure to produce tragic
consequences.

Jewish Reconstructionist Federation, 1981
Although the Jewish tradition regards children as a
blessing, a gift of life itself, the tradition permits the
abortion of an unborn child in order to safeguard the life
and physical and mental health of the mother. The rabbis
did not take a consistent stand on the question of whether a
fetus resembles "a person." They did not think it possible
to arrive at a final theoretical answer to the question of
abortion, for that would mean nothing less than to be able
to define convincingly what it means to be human.
We recognize that abortion is a tragic choice. Any
prospective parent must make an agonizing decision
between competing claims—the fetus, health, the need to
support oneself and one's family, the need for time for a
marriage to stabilize, responsibility for other children and
the like. Some of us consider abortion to be immoral
except under the most extraordinary circumstances. Yet we
all empathize with the anguish of those who must make the
decision to abort or not to abort.


American Baptist Churches, USA, 1988
We grieve with all who struggle with the difficult
circumstances that lead them to consider abortion.
Recognizing that each person is ultimately responsible to
God, we encourage women and men in these
circumstances to seek spiritual counsel as they prayerfully
and conscientiously consider their decision…We also
recognize that we are divided as to the proper witness of
the church to the state regarding abortion…Consequently,
we acknowledge the freedom of each individual to
advocate for a public policy on abortion that reflects his or
her beliefs.
…We call upon American Baptist Congregations:
• To challenge members to live in a way that models
responsible sexuality in accordance with biblical
teaching,
•To expend efforts and funds for teaching responsible
sexuality,
•To provide opportunities for intergenerational
dialogue on responsible sexuality and Christian life,
•To provide relevant ministries to adolescents and
parents of adolescents in and out of the church.


American Friends Service Committee, 1970
(reaffirmed 1989)
For two decades the AFSC has taken a consistent
position supporting a woman's right to follow her own
conscience concerning child-bearing, abortion and
sterilization. AFSC is deeply aware that the decision to
terminate a pregnancy is seldom an easy one. That choice
must be made free of coercion, including the coercion of
poverty, racial discrimination and availability of services
to those who cannot pay.


Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), 1975
(reaffirmed 1989)
Whereas, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) has
proclaimed that in Christ, God affirms freedom and
responsibility for individuals, and
Whereas, legislation is being introduced into the U.S.
Congress which would embody in law one particular
opinion concerning the morality of abortion…
Therefore be it resolved, that the General Assembly of
the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)ƒ Affirm the principle of individual liberty, freedom of individual conscience, and sacredness of life
for all persons.

• ƒ Respect differences in religious beliefs concerning abortion and oppose, in accord with the principle of religious liberty, any attempt to legislate a specific religious opinion or belief concerning abortion upon all Americans.

• provide through ministry of the local congregation, pastoral concern and nurture of persons faced wƒith the responsibility and trauma surrounding undesired pregnancy.

Phew! Be sure to add more if you know of other Christian denominations that support abortion.

Still Pregnant

Just making a quick post to let everyone know I'm still pregnant. My doctor has given up hope (the last results pointed to miscarriage) and has discharged me from care until next week. So I don't know anything other than that I am still physically pregnant. We praise God for that! Keep me and little bee (or Furgus as Jacque so lovingly calls him/her) in your prayers.

We know that God is stronger than any diagnosis, even death. We saw Him work a miracle in Holden's life. We pray for Him to heal this child. We have bound Satan and loosed ourselves from his grasp. We know that we are in God's hands alone.

Praise be to God.

Holden's Birthday Party

Here's a pic that my BFF Jacque took at Holden's party. I don't think I've ever seen cake disappear that quickly!

For the Glory of God.

God is good. I don't know where to begin other than to praise God for all He has done.

My doctor has written off this pregnancy and this child. I pray that God can use us to bring Him glory.

I received the worst prognosis yet, but I have peace. Praise God for placing His hand in our lives. I went to church yesterday discouraged and low on faith. God's Holy Spirit blew through me and I am no longer afraid.

Praise Jesus, our Savior.

We have surrendered our child to God's will. We know that He comes to bring life and it more abundantly. We have dedicated this child to God.

I spoke with our good friend Heather who told us that during my doctor visit she was praying for *exactly* what transpired.

God is good.

Please Pray: HcG levels not rising correctly.

Please pray. My hormones are rising, but not well.

Defending Those who Hide Child Rape.

Planned Parenthood has made a big mistake. They have been caught over and over again covering for child rapists. Though they deny that they have a "don't ask, don't tell" company policy, such comment were written in the PP training manual. I would hope that even those who are "pro-choice" could recognize this for how horrible it really is. No such luck.

Undercover attack on Planned Parenthood

A hidden camera hit-piece on Planned Parenthood is quickly making the rounds on YouTube. The first of two videos captures a staff member at a Los Angeles Planned Parenthood clinic appearing to obliquely guide a pregnant 15-year-old on how to lie about her age in order to have an abortion without the clinic's being required to report a statutory rape to the police. In the second video, a worker at a different clinic counsels the girl and relates that she'd given birth at the age of 17 and later came to regret it. But, as it turns out, the 15-year-old is actually 18-year-old Lila Rose, a UCLA student doing undercover work for the Advocate, an antiabortion magazine.

There isn't exactly news here -- this is just the latest attempt by antiabortion activists to entrap Planned Parenthood workers by posing as underage girls. In the video, Rose takes on a childish, wavering tone and explains that her 23-year-old boyfriend got her pregnant, then pauses, and asks whether they have to report it. The Planned Parenthood worker leaves the room to double-check the age of consent and returns to tell her, "If you're 15, we have to report it ... If you're not, if you're older than that, then we don't need to." Rose asks, "OK, but if I just say I'm not 15, then it's different?" The worker then says, "You could say 16." Later, the worker says, "Just figure out a birthdate that works. And I don't know anything."

There's no question the Planned Parenthood worker was going against official protocol. I called up Kathy Kneer, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, who said, "It is our absolute policy that we do not counsel patients in that fashion. We regularly train our staff on how to comply and how to report suspected child abuse." She added: "She controlled the situation and that was her goal and intent. Ideally, our staff would have handled it differently." Since then, they've retrained their staff on reporting guidelines.

Link

Notice how they frame the subject as a "anti-choice" attack, instead of the actions of Planned Parenthood. It is quite obvious that Planned Parenthood is NOT helping women in any way through their "protect the rapist" policy. Instead on focusing on this fact, the author blames the pro-life community. There is no thought to the actual girls (like the one in OH who was raped repeatedly by her father after PP ignored the situation). It's hard to imagine that the author cares much for the women she says she defends.

The pro-choice community should be up in arms about this. Instead they say that a relationship between a 15 year old and a 23 year old is "her choice". No, it's not. It's rape. A 15 year old girl is not mature enough to consent to a sexual relationship to an adult. There are reasons statutory rape laws exist. It seems that if some "pro-choice" adults had their way, child rape laws would be a thing of the past.

HcG 35

Ok. My HcG levels 35. Which is a pretty good rise, not great, but not terrible. It fits perfectly with a 72 hour doubling time, which according to the national pregnancy association is the outer limits of "ok".

My doctor is a bit concerned because the levels are so low, but I'm believing that this is due to a miscalculation of ovulation and not a indication of something wrong with the baby.

Please pray for us during this time.

I'm Pregnant!

Note: This is not my actual test, just the same brand. My camera batteries were dead, so I improvised. :)

Of course, I didn't trust the trusty stick so I had a blood draw as well. My HcG levels are 21 but we're not exactly sure when I ovulated so we're checking again tomorrow. :)

Big News!

Coming soon...;)

Abortion is "Wonderful".

Would you trust this woman to give you advice about parenting?

Because of my abortion, I was able to heal the tattered pieces of my marriage without suffering a conflicted pregnancy at the same time. Because of my abortion, I've had the time, money, ability to follow my dreams and ambitions, to become the person I aspire to be. Because of my abortion, my husband, who has raised children since he was nineteen years old, will someday have an adulthood without kids in the house.

I'm so grateful I had that abortion, that I could have that abortion.

I grew up in a deeply patriotic family of American leftists who believed in the freedom of choices for all people. We fought for civil rights, women's rights, freedom of speech, the freedom to love who we wanted, to marry who we wanted, to live where we wanted, to be who we wanted -- we fought for all people to have the rights and abilities to choose their lives, not have them chosen by economics, politics, race, sexism. The right to have children. The right to not have children. The right to continue a particular pregnancy at a particular time. And when I was twelve years old, the Supreme Court deemed abortion a fundamental right.

I believe fiercely in that right, and my abortion only strengthened my conviction that abortions need to remain legal and available to all women. Abortion is never easy. Nobody wants one. An abortion is a deep emotional wrench and an uncomfortable medical procedure, but it is not a terrible thing. Unpleasant, yes. Wonderful -- absolutely.

Full Article

Thank you Erika Lutz, for showing me what a parent is not. Thankfully your expertise is in traveling with children, and not in instilling a moral compass into the next generation.

Holden is Two!

Happy Birthday!

The Most Hurtful Thing I've Been Told.

I just saw a picture of the MoD walk of a little white boy in a shirt that said "I'm not a wimpy white boy!". I imagine the reason for this shirt's existence is because, statistically, caucasian males have the lowest survival rates of any demographic when born prematurely.

The second I saw that shirt I was brought back to the days leading up to Holden's birth. My mother, in "girl-power" glee informed me OVER and OVER again that "african american girls have the highest survival rates and white boys have the lowest!" "girl-power".

Great...except for the fact that I was about to give birth to a "scrawny white boy". Even now it hurts that my mom put her enjoyment of feminism over the reality of our situation.

Ouch.

Boo for Expired Tests!

After hearing the wonderful news that my hormones are a-ok I couldn't help but take a mid-day early pregnancy test.

Then I looked at the package and realized that it expired this month. DOH!

I'm not about to waste my non-expired test on a mid-day sample!

(can you tell I'm excited?)

YAY!

Ok, so I still don't know if I'm pregnant but...

MY PROGESTERN LEVELS WERE "EXCELENT!"!!!

My luteal phase for the past 6 months has been less than 10 days, so this is SO GOOD!

Praise God!

Not to Get Anyone's Hopes Up, But...

Alright, it's still too early for me to test this month, but I have been having some crazy nausea today.

I've found that the pretty weird tasting lavender preggopops do wonders!

Update: It looks like a certain nearly two year old is also a fan of the pop!