Mama Says

This is such a controversial subject these days...and I must say I haven't done loads of research except for reading a book or two....I know that when we took Josiah in for one of his first check-ups I felt so much pressure to vaccinate him right there on the spot...otherwise I was a bad mother. So I yielded...and they gave my wee baby 5 shots in one day! I felt so apologetic and wished I had come in armed with some sort of conviction regarding the matter. 
Now?...well...let's just say that I don't want to blindly accept every piece of advice that medical doctors give me...Hence the books on my shelf... "How to Raise a Healthy Child in Spite of Your Doctor" (outdated, but a refreshing perspective)..."Smart Medicine for a Healthier Child" (thanks, Christa)..."We Don't Die, We Kill Ourselves"...Oh, wait...that's not directly related to child rearing....Sorry...
Just to throw in a clause here....I'm not anti-vaccination...well, at least not every single one.... =)...But I'm still thinking through this issue, and certainly do believe that there should be an alternative schedule...certainly it is not necessary to give an infant five doses in one sitting...the same amount that would be dispensed to a 5 year old!??
So, please be patient with my "trying to think outside the cultural norm box"...and don't demand that I have this all figured out....(because if you would have asked me two and a half years ago, I would have been completely anti-vaccination!).
Aren't we as mothers responsible and entitled to evolve and even change our perspectives as we season?
ANYWAY...
 Here's some food for thought....An interesting article I read through another blogger's site.

This little girl...her hair is getting so long that it's in her face quite frequently...so we like to put it up in "tails", as Josiah calls them. I can't believe how big she's getting and how fast the time is going....

Here's our "jungle"....with a forest of tomato plants....still with little yellow flowers and green tomatoes. We heard some good advice about chopping off the excess greenery and yellow buds in order to insure a harvest by first frost....I think we'll be following that tip. =)

Take looky at this baby....our first harvested carrot....just to see what was really going on under that soil....

Not your average looking carrot....but still edible! A little more tricky to dice....

This little duo has been working on developing some musical talents....in addition to the chorus of shrieks, laughs, and provoked cries.

This budding young pianist climbs up on the piano bench everyday to play us tune....I think she mostly likes conquering the climbing challenge it offers her, but there must be at least some musical draw in her!

This little drummer boy is busy developing his air drum skills....practiced at home to his current favorite "Jesus Take the Wheel", and at church during the singing time has his eyes on the musicians...mimicking their guitar strums and drum moves. It's especially endearing when he really gets into it and closes his eyes....=)

Well...if it isn't completely obvious from my lack of communication, I haven't been in the blogging mood.....this pregnancy has been heading to the bed at naptimes and fairly soon after the kids are in bed for the night....and also frustrated with long bouts of nausea....It's worth it for sure, but I'm ready to be over with this phase of the pregnancy!
I also did a super long update for you, and for some reason it didn't post...so I was bitter. =)
We've had a busy summer.....harvesting apples from the tree, hosting visitors =0), weeding the garden, going for walks, and trying to keep up with the little darlings of ours.

Here's some of our visitors this summer...

Auntie Squisha, Uncle Jason, and Tyson....who was born a day after Grace. He's got her beat in the body mass department!

My brother Paul....the Las Vegas showman....spent the day with us in Bellingham.

My parents took us all to Anthony's for a special birthday dinner for Paul....just the grownups!

Daddy's been on a few fun fishing trips....

Josiah's  had a few fun rides this  summer....including some tractors, an asphalt paver, a fire engine, Daddy's truck, and a riding lawn mover.

And, of course, little miss "I've got something in my mouth".....probably something she gleaned from the garden....rocks, rotten apples, dirt, green/red boysenberries....she's had fun tagging along everywhere....anywhere where her brother is. She calls him "iah" and follows him like a shadow....squeals of terror or delight are sure to be heard from every corner of the house. Sometimes from her mother too...as she discovers Grace's latest "get-in-ta". =)