Not a Happy Anniversary

Today is the anniversary of the Supreme Court's decision on Roe v. Wade. Since that flawed ruling over 50 million children have died.

It's interesting that today of all days I've been having a thought-provoking, albeit heartbreakingly sad, conversation with a reader about abortion. You can follow the conversation through the comments on the Being Pro-Life post and the Q and A: Politics post.

Being strong pro-life advocates, there are a few things we hear quite a lot. The first is that Roe v. Wade will never be overturned so basically "move on" already. The second is in essence, "If you say you are pro-life, stop talking about abortion and actually help someone."

So, you wanna go there, let's go there.

On the first point, why is the fact that there is a long standing atrocity being committed a reason to reconcile ourselves to it? We refuse to acknowledge an atrocity and not speak out about it. Remember this picture?

(Click on the picture for the post about it.)

I just refuse to be one of those people. If choosing to be aware and outspoken makes me a fanatic, I gladly don the title.

There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice,
but there
must never be a time when we fail to protest.


- Elie Wiesel

Have you seen the movie Amazing Grace--about the life and legacy of William Wilberforce? It's amazing how single-minded he was in his attempts to end the slave trade. The Slavery Abolition Act passed a month after he died.

Surely he must have heard a thousand times that slavery would always be legal, that it always had been legal and that he was beating a dead horse to propose ending it year after year after year. And yet he persisted and said, "Let us not despair; it is a blessed cause, and success, ere long, will crown our exertions. Already we have gained one victory; we have obtained, for these poor creatures, the recognition of their human nature, which, for a while was most shamefully denied. This is the first fruits of our efforts; let us persevere and our triumph will be complete. Never, never will we desist till we have wiped away this scandal from the Christian name, released ourselves from the load of guilt, under which we at present labour, and extinguished every trace of this bloody traffic, of which our posterity, looking back to the history of these enlightened times, will scarce believe that it has been suffered to exist so long a disgrace and dishonour to this country." speech before the House of Commons, 18 April 1791

While we are still addressing the first thing, it should be noted that in no way do we feel our cause is hopeless. We believe that Jesus said to "make disciples of nations." For so long we have read "nations" as "souls." But, nations means nations. A country can have a reformation and a great returning to the truth. William Wilberforce and his campaign for a societal reformation is proof of that. He championed animal cruelty laws, anti-prostitution laws, free colonies in Africa and so much more! Like Wilberforce we are contending to see our nation move to revival and from revival to reformation.

If it happened in the past, it can happen again!

Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O Lord. Renew
them in our day, in our time make them known...He stood, and shook the earth; he
looked, and made the nations tremble. Hab. 3:2,6

We see glimmers of hope in the world. Germany's Constitutional Court ruled in 1993: “ the unborn child is entitled to its rights to life independently of acceptance by its mother; this is an elementary and inalienable right that emanates from the dignity of the human being.” (Mother Theresa brought this to the U.S. Supreme Court's attention in a letter you can read here.)

On the second point above, our reader asked, "it's all well and good to not want people to have abortions but what kind of help is available to them when they do keep them? I'd love to know what activities you involved with, that you support that give women the emotional and financial support they need to have their babies?"

Now this is certainly not the first time we have been called on the carpet on this point. Not that long ago another reader commented, "this issue frustrates me when talked about with christians because all of a sudden its the most important issue in the world... and it shouldn't be that way, besides that it is NOT changing any time soon if ever and there are much better ways to spend our time and energy and money and prayer than trying to make abortion illegal. if you think its so bad then start a counseling center for women thinking of having one, start a class about what happens during one and what women go through a lot of times after wards... that will make an actual difference. it makes me furious that all people talk about is the 'innocent babies' what about the women?"

First of all, I find this argument fascinating. The discussion is about the inalienable rights of each person to life. From the way this challenge is presented one cannot believe in said right unless you run a crisis pregnancy center! When in actuality the right exists whether or not anyone chooses to acknowledge it. My being involved in pro-life efforts is completely beside the point.

However, since we are going there.....

As with most actively pro-life people that I know, we put action to our convictions.

~We founded and still fund a ministry called Mother-to-Mother. Testimonies of some of the mommies we've help can be read here and here. Basically, we provide food, vitamins, nutritional counselling and prenatal care to needy women in Mongolia--where the abortion rate is three times the birthrate.

~I am a childbirth educator and offer my services for free or for discounted rates for women in need.

~I have done post-abortion counselling with women dealing with post-abortion trauma.

~When I was a teenager I had a yearly baby-shower for local crisis pregnancy centers. We had a full-fledged baby shower, but all the baby things and maternity clothes were donated to the local center.

~We make regular financial donations to pregnancy support centers in our area of Southern California.

~I've been in life-chains, delivered cold drinks to sidewalk counselors, attended prayer meetings, provided interventions and counselling for young women considering abortion, gave a shower and a wedding for a young girl who decided to keep her baby and get married instead of aborting (her family abandoned her, so my family did the whole wedding).

~I've written and called politicians.

~And I've always voted pro-life.

And I don't think that any of this is in anyway extraordinary. Most of the pro-life people I know do the same sort of things. Many people I know have done even more for the cause. They've adopted babies. (We want to and plan to after Gana gets out of seminary.)

Our hearts break for the babies that have been slaughtered in the name of convenience. They are God's hopes and dreams that have been sacrificed. Our hearts break for the women and men who are so broken and still hurting from the abortions they chose for their children.

It's not a matter of caring for this issue or that issue. God doesn't ask us to choose between caring for victims of war or victims of abortion. He simply issues a very straightforward call:

Open your mouth for the speechless, In the cause of all who are appointed to die. Proverbs 31:8

On this anniversary of Roe v. Wade, pray for an end to abortion.

Saraa Ann Misheel

Yesterday afternoon we welcomed our second daughter to our family!


Saraa Ann Misheel Gombojav was 8lbs. 6oz. and 21 in. long. The whole family is thrilled to have another girl!



For those interested in birth stories or homebirth, keep reading. If it's not your thing, we totally understand!




A couple of weeks ago, we learned that the baby was footling breech. For some this would have caused some panic and a scheduled c-section. But, thankfully, we have a midwife who is very experienced with breech birth. So, we continued to plan our homebirth.


I got regular chiropractic adjustments, did lots of pelvic rocks, did some interesting positions and stretching, took lots of warm baths, and we prayed.


The baby happily remained breech.


About five days ago or so, our midwife recommended we try myrrh essential oil. We applied it topically in jojoba oil several times a day, then I laid on my side and took a nap or went to sleep for the night.


The baby moved during my sleep, but would flip back around when I resumed regular activities. We continued with the myrrh, but left the birth in the Lord's hands. If the baby needed to be born breech for some reason, we didn't want to force it nor worry about it.


On Monday we were pretty sure she had flipped head down, but we couldn't be sure.


On Tuesday morning contractions began around 7am. We called the midwife and my mom. I soaked in the bathtub and drank tea.


Here I am in the beginning of labor. If I look sleepy, well, I was!




Soon the children were up and we all ate cereal. They were so excited that the baby would be here soon that they didn't want to eat!




Gana did a great job of getting them all dressed and mobilized! They tidied the house, Meg washed the dishes and the kids took turns coming to pray for me. Gana is a better doula than I am, I think! He anticipated my every need or wish!

God had spoke to me just the day before that this birth would be a joyful experience. We had on worship music and Meg gave Gana this note:

Confirmation!

My midwife arrived about 9:30ish. My mom and sister, Sarah-Kate, arrived about 12:00.

The joy and anticipation could not be measured, although clearly seen on all the faces!

My water broke at a little before 2:10 and the baby immediately followed--HEAD DOWN!



Those Wisemen who brought the Christ-child myrrh sure knew how to pick a gift!



Lucas said since the beginning of the pregnancy that Jesus told him the baby was a girl! He was right.




It's a family affair from beginning to end!


Our midwife, Brenda:


Our baby's birth day cake!

Logic

God must have meant for me to sit around on my duff reading, watching television, and eating until the baby is born, otherwise why would He have given me this handy built in table?

My young philosopher

My son, Israel, has some deep thoughts sometimes.

Tonight during our Advent devotions we were talking about the little town of Bethlehem, about Jesus being born, and about how Herod was fearful of Him and so ordered the babies to be killed.

Israel interrupts the devotion and says, "Mom, I have something I need to tell you. When God decides to make a baby, He creates the baby and puts the baby in the mother's tummy. And when He does He says His dreams for the baby, like, you know, 'You will be a great man' and stuff like that. But when someone goes to the doctor and has the baby killed--what's that called...um...oh yeah, abortion--they don't just kill a baby, they kill God's thoughts and dreams, too."

How tightly is too tightly to hug a kid?

Got Flu?

From Reuters: With flu season fast approaching, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) issued a statement today reminding women — including those who are pregnant — to get vaccinated against influenza now.

I think I'll pass.

If you want to research this for yourself here are some links to get you started:

Flu Shot Facts by Dr. Mercola

Why I Never Get Flu Shots or Snorts by Chet Day

Do you know what's inside a flu shot? by Dr. Kim

Big as a House

This is the first time for people at my church and in our homeschool community to see me pregnant from beginning to end. All the time I hear how "small" I am (even though at just 26 weeks pregnant, I've already gained about 30 pounds!). I tell people to just wait. I'll be huge by the end.

People think I'm joking or being falsely modest.

Just to prove that indeed I am not, here is a picture of me before Captain was born.

No, I was not shoplifting watermelons. That is actually my belly.

Pregnancy Inspiration

This letter is one of the finest pieces of advice on pregnancy I've read in a long time. It has motivated me to put together my own list of pregnancy inspiration.

1. Each pregnancy is unique. Even if you have 10 children, don't ever assume that you'll get this moment back. So, enjoy it. Don't wish it away. Take the swollen ankles, the heartburn, and the itchy skin in stride. It won't last forever. Right now you can keep your baby safe and warm and right under your heart. This won't always be so. Enjoy it.

2. Don't keep trying to squeeze into your pre-pregnancy clothes. The moment you're in the least uncomfortable switch to maternity clothes. You should be comfortable while you are pregnant. Haute couture can wait. Right now, expect to see me in a muumuu and loving every minute of it.

3. Spend some time of every day relaxing. Lay in bed and read a great book, sit in the bath tub until you turn into a raisin, lay on the grass in the sunshine and dream, watch a sappy old movie you've seen a hundred times and don't stifle the tears. You may think that you are too busy to find time to relax each day. Well, you have to make it a priority. And when you're tempted to feel guilty for sitting in a coffee shop with your feet up sipping a cup of chai and flipping through Victoria, just tell yourself that you are doing it for the baby.

4. Indulge in the foods you love and crave. I'm not saying devour an entire family-sized bag of Sweet Maui Onion Potato Chips. I am saying not to deprive yourself of the things you love. I just finished off two glasses of milk and about four extra-gooey chocolate chip cookies. Pregnancy is as much about feeding your soul as it is feeding your body. So, eat the salad, the chicken breast, and whole wheat bread. But, don't go crazy trying to avoid the bowl of ice cream that you really want.

5. Pray for your baby. Ask God to give the baby a pleasant disposition. I learned this from a missionary to Mongolia from India. He told me to read the Psalms to my baby (I was pregnant with Luc at the time) and to ask God to give the baby a peaceful disposition. I liked that.

6. Get some fresh air everyday. Get outside to take a walk, a swim or even just to sit on a park bench. Breathe deeply and slowly--picking your baby up and putting the baby down with each breath from your abdomen.

7. Spend time daydreaming and talking about the baby--especially with your husband.

8. Pregnancy is a great time for romance with your husband. Stir it up and enjoy one another in every way.

9. Worship. I went to church tonight just for the singing-part. With my kids right down front we danced and jumped and sang and twirled until we were exhausted. Then we just sat and soaked in His presence. His love was so real and overshadowed me. I felt sort of like I was in the womb of God, surrounded by His love--just as my baby is in my womb and surrounded by my love. I think babies are sensitive to positive and negative feelings from their parents and even to good and bad spirits. So, surround yourself with the Holy Spirit every chance you get.

What a real woman looks like...

“I don’t know what this celebrity obsession of getting your pre-baby body back in the shortest time possible is all about. It’s the most unhealthy thing and it’s horrifying that you should somehow get back into a size two a couple of weeks after giving birth. So plan on seeing me podgy and fat, knocking around in Malibu and proud of it.”

--Minnie Driver (From Baby Center)

Spilling the beans.....

When we announced we were pregnant with Meg, we were met with lots of congratulations and some blank looks because we had only been married two months. When we announced we were pregnant with Israel we were met with jaws dropping and questions like, "Really?" This is because Meg was only three months old. When we announced we were pregnant with Luc, Captain and Belgee we were met with questions like, "Are you happy about this?" and jokes like, "Don't you know what causes that?" (None of this negativity has come from my parents, siblings, or best friend. They have always been happy!)

So, you can imagine our hesitance to announce we are pregnant with number six.

By now most people at church, homeschool co-op, and friends know we are pregnant. And there has been only ONE person who gave me that "Are you happy about that/how many are going to have?" response. Everyone else has been delighted. People have jumped up and down. People have gotten teary-eyed. People have rushed to hug me and to touch my still little stomach.

We have been amazed! This is Southern California where people have 1.2 children and drive mini-hybrids! Every time I go to the market, people actually count my children OUT LOUD and say, "FIVE?! You have your hands full!"

And yet the spirit of welcome and blessings we've received from everyone from our pastors to our cell members to our school friends has been overwhelming! We feel like somehow we have found a subculture of people who value life as much as we do. It's remarkable. It's truly counter-culture. It's something we have not experienced to this magnitude in any of our other five pregnancies.

I feel a renewed hope for the Christian community. Maybe the pro-life message is finally taking root and becoming something more then merely anti-abortion. Maybe Christians are truly starting to value the life of every child. And if this can happen in Southern California....there is hope for the rest of this country!

Exactly!

Blog o' the Week

Christy did it again!

If you've ever heard someone say that she had to be induced because her baby was too big, she had to have a c-section because the cord was around the baby's neck, it's no big deal to induce as long as you are "term" or that epidurals don't pass to the baby, you need to read The Top 10 Childbirth Myths.




Christy does her homework!





Visit her blog, leave her a comment, tell her I sent you!

Yep, that's my belly, with Belgee inside.

Is Midwifery Safe?

“Most of American obstetric practice in hospitals is not based on science but on myth. What obstetricians do may be the utmost in high-tech, but it is not true science. What you don’t know about modern medicine can hurt you and your baby, perhaps permanently.”

[David Stewart, PhD., in the foreword of Janet Tipton’s Is Homebirth for You? 6 Myths About Childbirth Exposed. Big Sandy, TX: Friends of Homebirth, 1990. David Stewart is the Executive Director of the National Association of Parents and Professionals for Safe Alternatives in Childbirth.]

“It is important to clarify that safety is measured by death (mortality) or illness (morbidity) during the labor and birth process and shortly thereafter. The United States has consistently high maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity rates compared to other industrialized countries. In 1990 the United States was ranked twenty-third by the Population Reference Bureau, which publishes the mortality and morbidity statistics. This means that there are twenty-two other countries where it is safer for women to give birth than in the United States.”

[Barbara Harper, R.N. Gentle Birth Choices. Rochester, Vermont: Healing Arts Press, 1994. Page 52.]

“At the present time, 43% of all births [in Holland] remain under midwives’ care: 44% ofthese are delivered in the hospital and 56% at home (Tew and Damstra-Wijmenga 1991:56). Perinatal mortality for these Dutch midwife-assisted births is the lowest in the world, approximately 2/1000 (Kitzinger 1988/236).”

[Brigitte Jordan, Revised and expanded by Robbie Davis-Floyd, Birth in Four Cultures: A Crosscultural Investigation of Childbirth in Yucatan, Holland, Sweden, and the United States. Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland Press, Inc., 1993 (Fourth Edition). Page 48. ]

So far, the largest and most complete study on the comparison of hospital birth outcomes to that of homebirth outcomes was done by Dr. Lewis Mehl and associates in 1976. In the study, 1046 homebirths were compared with 1046 hospital births of equivalent populations in the United States. For each home-birth patient, a hospital-birth patient was matched for age, length of gestation, parity (number of pregnancies), risk factor score, education and socio-economic status, race, presentation of the baby and individual major risk factors. The homebirth population also had trained attendants and prenatal care.

The results of this study showed a three times greater likelihood of cesarean operation if a woman gave birth in a hospital instead of at home with the hospital standing by. The hospital population revealed twenty times more use of forceps, twice as much use of oxytocin to accelerate or induce labor, greater incidence of episiotomy (while at the same time having more severe tears in need of major repair). The hospital group showed six times more infant distress in labor, five times more cases of maternal high blood pressure, and three times greater incidence of postpartum hemorrhage. There was four times more infection among the newborn; three times more babies that needed help to begin breathing. While the hospital group had thirty cases of birth injuries, including skull fractures, facial nerve palsies, brachial nerve injuries and severe cephalohematomas, there were no such injuries at home.

The infant death rate of the study was low in both cases and essentially the same. There were no maternal deaths for either home or hospital. The main differences were in the significant improvement of the mother’s and baby’s health if the couple planned a homebirth, and this was true despite the fact that the homebirth statistics of the study included those who began labor at home but ultimately needed to be transferred to the hospital.

[Dr. Lewis Mehl, “Home Birth Versus Hospital Birth: Comparisons of Outcomes of Matched Populations.” Presented on October 20, 1976 before the 104th annual meeting of the American Public Health Association. For further information contact the Institute for Childbirth and Family Research, 2522 Dana St., Suite 201, Berkeley, CA 94704]

“In the U.S. the national infant mortality rate was 8.9 deaths per 1,000 live births [in 1991]. The worst state was Delaware at 11.8, with the District of Columbia even worse at 21.0. The best state was Vermont, with only 5.8. Vermont also has one of the highest rates of home birth in the country as well as a larger portion of midwife-attended births than most states. . .

“The international standing of the U.S. [in terms of infant mortality rates] did not really begin to fall until the mid-1950s. This correlates perfectly with the founding of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologist (ACOG) in 1951. ACOG is a trade union representing the financial and professional interests of obstetricians who have sought to secure a monopoly in pregnancy and childbirth services. Prior to ACOG, the U.S. always ranked in 10th place or better. Since the mid-1950s the U.S. has consistently ranked below 12th place and hasn't been above 16th place since 1975. The relative standing of the U.S. continues to decline even to the present.”

[Stewart, David, “International Infant Mortality Rates--U.S. in 22nd Place.” NAPSAC News, Fall-Winter, 1993, pages 36, 38.]

“A six-year study done by the Texas Department of Health for the years 1983-1989 revealed that the infant mortality rate for non-nurse midwives attending homebirths was 1.9 per 1,000 compared with the doctors’ rate of 5.7 per 1,000.”

[Janet Tipton (Editor), Is Homebirth for You? 6 Myths About Childbirth Exposed. Big Sandy, TX: Friends of Homebirth, 1990. The study cited in this quote is: Berstein & Bryant, Texas Lay Midwifery Program, Six Year Report, 1983-1989. Appendix VIIIf. Austin, TX: Texas Department of Health.]

“Every study published shows midwives to be safer than doctors. Every study. No exceptions. If your physician disagrees with this, challenge him or her to produce the data that supports otherwise. They won’t be able to do it. Such data does not and never did exist. In a nutshell, that is the strength of the case for midwifery. It is unanimous. . .[O]ver and over again, throughout history, the data shows that when doctors displace midwives, outcomes get worse.”

[David Stewart, PhD. (Editor), The Five Standards of Safe Childbearing. Marble Hill, MO: NAPSAC Reproductions, 1982, 1997.]

Ihbeleg Dale Gombojav

Introducing..........

Ihbeleg Dale Gombojav!

Born: Friday, March 23, 2007 at 2:35pm

Weight: 7 pounds, 7 ounces

Length: 20 inches

Labor: 42 hours, born nautrally at our home in Pasadena

What in the world kind of name is Ihbeleg Dale?

Ihbeleg means "Great Gift" in Mongolian.

You can call him Belgee for short.

Dale means "natural" and is my aging grandfather's name.

Birth

We are preparing for our fifth home birth. I am nesting. It practically takes an act of congress to get me to leave the house. I just want to stay home, clean, read, cook and sleep. Oh, and cuddle with my kids. (Yes, Jenee, I am still exercising though! Just with a video and not on insanely long walks like before!)

Before Gana married me I’m sure he never thought he’d be “one of those people.” Well, probably, even more true, is that he didn’t know there were such things as “those people.” Those people who do things all naturally and birth at home. Those husbands who take childbirth classes and don’t even flinch if in everyday conversation the words vagina, mucus plug, or afterbirth are used. The kind of guy who catches his own babies and brags that his wife is exclusively breastfeeding.

Yes, we are “those people” but hopefully without being the stereotype of those people. :-)

As with our homeschooling, when people learn we have natural birth and that we do it at home we hear, “You’re so brave!” “I could never do that!” and so on. As with other things I don't think bravery has anything to do with it.

Let me share with you some of the reasons we have natural home birth.

1. C-sections are at all all-time high in America with birth outcomes hitting new lows. I’m too scared to birth in a hospital.

2. Birth is one of the most incredible things I’ve ever done. I don’t want anyone telling me that I’m doing it wrong, bugging me with stupid questions or even suggesting that I “need something for the pain.”

3. I have a midwife who has faith in the God who designed my body and believes in the birth process.

4. My mother birthed me at home. Just passing on the blessings to my kids!

5. The first sights my baby sees will be my face, my breasts, daddy’s face, his/her siblings, and a room full of people who are rejoicing, rather than a masked doctor’s face and bright hospital lights.

6. The first scent my baby smells will be my breasts, rather than a ridiculous plastic bulb syringe shoved up his/her nose.

7. The first sounds my baby hears will be, “Thank you Jesus!” And Daddy’s voice whispering his or her name. It will not be, “Clamps. Scissors. Bulb Syringe.”

8. The first human touches will be Daddy’s, Mommy’s and the midwife’s hands, warm caresses, kisses from the other children, and skin-to-skin snuggles.

9. Medication given to a mother in labor has been found in the baby’s blood stream up to six weeks postpartum. Saying NO to drugs begins at birth for me and my children.

10. Jesus redeemed me and reversed the curse. I believe that painless childbirth is possible. I’ve had one.

11. The pain in the other births I accepted as willingly as I took on the charge that this child is my responsibility and gift from God.

12. As Dr. Bradley said the loving support from a trained coach does more for the comfort and relaxation of his wife than any amount of medication.

13. I want to labor and birth my way……on a birth ball, in a tub of water, slow dancing with my husband, sipping tea and eating fruit and cheese, speaking in tongues, crying out to the Lord, worshipping the God of all creation, letting nature and my child take over my body.

14. When the baby is born I’m already in my bed, with my own clothes, with my own tasty food, with my husband and children snuggled around me. I don't have to be given permission to take my baby home.

15. There are no limits or stipulations on visitors in a home birth that I don’t set myself.

16. I’m already accustomed to the germs in my home so I don’t worry about the bag of water being broken more than 12 hours or a postpartum infection.

17. I don’t have to argue with anyone about my parenting decisions (like no vaccines, no vitamin K shot, etc.)

18. My baby and I can get our chiropractic adjustment from Tio (Sarah-Kate’s husband) the very same day as birth, making us comfortable and healthy from the start!

19. I’ve never had to worry about my babies being switched with someone else’s.

20. No needles. Need I say more about that?!

21. I can give my placenta to my mother so she can plant a tree over it.

22. I’ve been present—body, soul, and spirit—at the birth of all my children. I was never in a drug-induced haze.

23. My bed is bigger than a hospital bed. My husband and I can cuddle the baby together.

24. I can draw strength from the women present who have all done it many times and offer amazing encouragement and support. When else can women bond like they can when together they are welcoming a new baby into the world.

25. After every birth I’ve fallen in love with my husband all over again.

26. Have never worried about having the baby in the car on the way to the hospital.

27. Pregnancy is not an illness and birth is not a procedure.

28. My children know where babies come from and we’ve never had to have “The Talk” and we’ve never had to make stuff up about storks or magic.

29. Planned home birth attended by a trained midwife has been shown over and over again to be safe and often safer than hospital birth.

30. I can light as many candles as I want, creating a beautiful, relaxing and natural light. Most hospitals don’t allow free-standing flames.

31. Natural childbirth is cheaper than medicated or surgical childbirth.

32. Homebirth is cheaper than hospital birth.

Maybe other reasons will come to me later. But, writing this list has been very good in getting myself emotionally prepared for what is going to happen sooner than later.

These are MY reasons. Just as I am sure others have their reasons for a hospital, medicated or surgical birth. I wish, though, that more people considered natural childbirth. And for a natural childbirth mother, a home birth is a wonderful option.

Gotta keep a sense of humor!

Fun Baby Shower Games

I read this today in Baby Center's pregnancy newsletter:

Fun baby shower games!

• Guess how many times she'll pee in the next ten minutes!
• When her belly button pops out, will the baby be done?
• How many of us can fit in one pair of her panties?
• Who can finish a half gallon of ice cream first?
• Guess where she left her keys!