Here's some more...

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

Blog Facelift Coming Soon

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

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

Bishop's Divine Timing

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

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

Cloth Diapering Adventure Begins!

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

Not Me Monday

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

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

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

Hold the VOCs please.

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

Yoga Baby

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

Guacamole

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

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

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

Mr. Independent

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



Are there free refills on this?

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

the organic transition

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

Not Me Monday

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

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

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

Vinegar

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

Bath Time!

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

New Blogsite!

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

more ranting about vaccines...

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