The Pill

I have felt a conviction to write about something for awhile and shame on me for waiting this long to do it!  To get straight to the point, I have a question for you.  Are you pro-life?  If yes, keep reading.  If not, you probably aren't that interested in this post anyway.  If you are pro-life, you probably wouldn't have an abortion if you got pregnant unexpectedly.  You probably wouldn't even take the day after pill.  You probably wouldn't use an IUD as a form of birth control either, which is known to be abortive. So, if you wouldn't do these things, should you be taking "The Pill"?  The pill is very common among believers, so most people don't question or research whether it is abortive or not. 

There are two types of birth control pills.  The progestogen only pill is known to be abortive.  The other type is a mix between progestogen and estrogen.  I will give you a brief explanation on how this pill works.  It does two things to try to prevent conception from occurring.

1.  It tries to inhibit ovulation (not abortive).
2.  It makes changes in cervical mucus, which makes it more difficult for the sperm to get into the uterus, where it would normally fertilize the egg (not abortive).

However, one more thing happens.

3.  The lining of the endometrium is thinned, which makes it difficult for fertilized eggs (ie: a zygote or baby) to implant, which may result in an abortion of the baby the next time you have a period.  This happens 2-10% of the time (see source below). 

Basically, doctors are not in agreement on whether the pill is abortive or not.  But, if you claim to be pro-life, don't you think you should be consistent in your beliefs by knowing how your pill works?  The pill is not 100% effective.  This means some pregnancies occur during its use.  This fact proves that ovulation and conception is not always prevented.  We need to be consistent in our beliefs.  I asked my doctor about it (the one who delivered Emerson), and she also agreed that they don't know whether it is abortive or not.  Caleb and I decided we'd rather be safe than sorry. 

However, there are other forms of birth control which are not abortive (natural family planning, spermicide, condoms, i feel weird saying those words on my blog, etc.).

My challenge to you, friend, is not to quit the pill immediately just because of what I said.  I challenge you to do your research.  Read articles from both sides.  What type of birth control pill are you using? How does it work?  What findings do you discover in your research?  After praying with your husband, what do you feel is right?

Whatever you decide, I will not judge you.  I just don't want people to be uninformed like we were the first year of our marriage.   When it comes to protecting our children's lives, born or unborn, we decided we didn't want to risk it. 

The facts I used in this post were found here.  Pg 9-10.  Here is another resource.

10 Ideas for a Date Night In

Let's be honest, when you have a baby, you will spend many nights at home.  You can't just leave the sleeping baby to go off and have your own fun (unless you hire a sitter, which can be expensive).  It often ends in staying indoors after 7:30 when the baby hits the hay.  So Caleb and I have had to come up with some creative ways to have "at home dates".  I thought I would share a few ideas of some things we've tried for other homebody couples out there, that way you don't end up glued to the tube every night.

1.  Fancy dinner.  Alone.  After bedtime.  Just you and the hubs.  And a glass of wine, maybe?  Some romantic music.  And you've got yourself a classic date at home.

2. Game night.  Play a good two-person game and drink some decaf coffee along with it.  A good puzzle will also keep you entertained and provide good quality time for days.  

3.  Fondue Night.  We try to do a meat (cooked in peanut oil), a cheesy side, and a chocolatey dip dessert.  You can find lots of recipes online and if you don't have a fondue pot, you can easily use normal pots or a crock pot. 

4.  Firepit night.  Or fireplace, if you have one.  Cuddle up with a blanket, good conversation, and maybe a roasted marshmallow?  And a pipe if your hubby is into that kinda thing.

5.  Take-out.  There's just something fun about take out.  Especially Chinese.

6.  Cook something together.  A dessert is always a winner in my book.

7.  Take on a project together.  Not like cleaning out your closets.  But more like woodworking or a painting/refurbishing project.  Pinterest can give you lots of ideas, I'm sure.

8.  Star-gazing.  You can do this in your own backyard!

9.  Read a book together.  This will also last a long time.  It will also give you something to talk about if you ever run out of conversation topics!

10.  Double Date.  Just like you would do a double date, you can also have another couple over after baby is asleep!  This is one of my favorite things we've done.  Once, we had two other couples over for a wine night.  Each couple brought a bottle of red wine and then we did a tasting of each one, discussing and comparing them to one another.  We also had snacks and a lot of laughter. 

Just remember, food always seems to make the night a little bit better :)  And worst come to worst, you could always just make another baby.  We have yet to cross that off the list.  However, the effort to do fun things together and spend quality time has helped keep our marriage alive and growing this past year.  So, what are some ideas you have?

My boys

Today I am linking up with Kelly's Korner, so welcome visitors!  Today's topic is moms of all boys.  Really, though I only have one boy.  Unless you count my husband and dog.

When we found out we were pregnant (surprise!), I knew it was a girl.  Caleb knew it was a boy.  So much for maternal instincts.  It was a boy!  I grew up in a family of all girls, so I knew I had a lot to learn about little boys!  But I do have to say that my husband is such a godly, loving, strong man that I think he is perfect for the job of raising boys.  He will be a great example to Emerson (and any other future boys God blesses us with).

Now, so far I've learned that boys are rougher than girls.  Emerson just turned 1 in March.  He has a sweet spirit, but he is rough about it.  For example, he loves giving me kisses.  But he is totally aggressive about it and there is hair pulling and head banging involved sometimes.  He is also all about trucks, balls, and bugs right now.  The baby girls that we know in playgroup seem to be much more interested in other people and interacting with one another, while the boys just want to be active and all over the place the whole time.  It's fun to see their differences at such a young age.  I'm sure this is just the tip of the iceberg and I still have a ton to learn!

Counting my husband and dog, too, I am a little outnumbered.  But I love my family of boys.  Everyday I have such joy and gratitude that I get to have this little family.  I love seeing life through Emerson's eyes.  Don't you remember as a child feeling so full of life?!  That is Emerson.  So joyful when he wakes up.  So excited to start the day.  He gets so happy over the littlest things and I love getting to be the one to show him this beautiful world that God made.  God has been so good to us.

Foster Care Update

Hey friends!  I was just thinking about how I told you guys about our call to do foster care awhile back and then haven't been updating you on the journey so far!  Oops!  I really want you all to be a part of our journey.  We will definitely need prayers along the way, especially once we finally get a child! 

So, I went to an informational meeting at DHS back in February.  Since then we have filled out a bunch of paperwork, got fingerprints done, sent off for background checks, and a lady came to see our house and do a little more paperwork.

I was able to get in touch with the woman who is leading The Call and we are now registered to go to the July training.  There is a May training, but my sis is getting married one of the weekends, so it's a no go.  So, now, we have a few more things to mark off our checklist and then it's waiting for the training in July.  We volunteered at the Tommy House in West Fork, which houses a larger group of foster children, and I just felt assurance that this is what we are called to do.  There were three boys there, ranging from 8 to 13 and it was good getting to talk to them a little bit.  It eased my nerves a little about the age range we are planning on accepting (6-11ish).  So, that's an update for you!  Please keep us in your prayers as we try to obey what the Lord is calling us to do!

Top Reasons I Love Fayetteville

1.  The Community.  Fayetteville is one of those towns that offers a lot of community events.  The Farmer's Market.  Summer concerts.  First Thursdays.  You will often recognize some of the same people if you become a regular at these events. 

This past Saturday was just one of those good days.  We went to the first farmer's market of the season and it was PACKED.  Colorful flowers.  Yummy produce.  Dogs in little "adopt me" vests.  Great music.  Good friends. 

2.  Events.  From sports to Broadway musicals, this town has a lot to offer in entertainment.  We just went to a gymnastics meet last weekend too.  There were schools from California to Maryland.  Not many towns have such a wide variety of sporting events. 

3.  Parks and Rec.  The parks in Fayetteville are superb.  There is a biking/running trail in Fayetteville that is 15 miles long, not to mention all the trails at the individual parks.  This town definitely promotes an active lifestyle amongst its residents. 

4.  Scenery.  Our house is nestled between a couple of small "mountains".  I used to love taking Caleb to work when we only had one car because on the way home, I came over a giant hill to look into this valley far off and you could see the fog settled in the lowest parts, since it was early in the morning.  We also have forests and hiking trails not far from home. 

5.  My Friends and Church.  Last but definitely not least.  We have such a great community and support system here.  We are so blessed to have the genuine friends we have.  Our church, also, has such solid, biblical teaching and provides such a fantastic community.  We are thankful to be a part of UBC.

We are glad we aren't going anywhere anytime soon :)  Fayetteville is my Favorite-ville.

Measuring Stick

It's about time I post another craft on here, yes?  I have to admit I haven't felt like much of the crafty type since Emerson was born, because I choose to rest or keep house when the boy is down.  But this was a simple, practical project that I will use for years to come. 

My mother-in-law showed me this idea on Pinterest to make a giant ruler to measure your kids as they grow.  It's nice because you can take this measuring stick with you wherever you go.  You know, if you move houses.  You probably don't want to take this giant ruler with you wherever you go.  My plan is to measure my children on each birthday.  It's simple and self-explanatory on how to make it, so I won't go into the deets (cut board, measure board, paint board... I don't want you to get board..ha.).  Ok, sorry, I'll just show you the pics.

I know I look like I'm almost 6 feet in the pic above, but don't be fooled.  We started the measurements at 6 inches in case we choose to hang it on a wall so it won't interfere with the floorboard.  

 

We measured the dog.  He is about 2 feet tall.  It depends on if you count ears or not.  He probably won't be growing much in the years to come though.  He's basically an adult, around 25 in dog years.

The finished product!  I'm excited about this because it will be in our family for years.  How fun to watch our babies grow each year.  Now that, folks, is how you measure a year. 

Play Date

So, I got to watch a friend's little boy recently and I was so excited for him to come over and play with Emerson.  When he got here, Emerson just kept smiling at him and I think he was excited to have a friend over.  Emerson was showing off his toys to Isaiah and both the boys loved the balls.  When I would hold Isaiah on my lap, Emerson would act a little more protective/clingy than usual.  Both the boys were all over and Isaiah was definitely a little explorer of the new territory.  When Isaiah left they both waved bye-bye to each other.  It was SO cute and I just love how the babies are getting old enough to interact with each other now!  We had a fun time and Emerson hopes we can do it again soon :)

The boys at 3 and 5 months.

The boys at 12 and 14 months.