Pimped Out Ride and a Random Facebook Message

Well, there it is! My birthday present for the next 5 years! I never thought I would love it as much as I do. It is a Nissan Quest SL and thanks to our other vehicle for blowing it's engine we are looking forward to hulling our family around in it.

So my random FB message episode this week came from someone that I have never met and who is not one of my FB friends. This person is from Palastine and in her very poorly written English grammar she tells me that "anybody can be pregnant, babies are cute, pregnant women are not, they are not pretty and are ugly." My first thought to this message was, 'wow, apparently someone thinks I am ugly.' I wrote her back and asked her what she meant by her statement. She replied, "It just seems like you think you are the only pregnant women on earth, and your aren't." My reply, 'okay, but what are you basing that opinion on since you don't know me and have no access to my FB profile?' Her reply, "please don't send me anymore messages. I have three kids and a cat to care for and don't have time to read them. If you send me anymore message I won't read them and besides, why would I since you are not my facebook friend." Well there you have it. Odd! Apparently she is an Aunt of someone I know and she had the time to write me to tell me how she felt but doesn't have the time to answer my questions about her accusations against me. After her rude comments she actually requested my friendship on FB. Ha! So to all you pregnant women out there. You are not ugly! You are very pretty and your babies will be very cute!

22 lbs gained and 8 weeks to go to Show Time!

I can't believe how fast time flies when you are pregnant! I am very ready to have this baby and 8 weeks feels so far away, but really, it's not. Before I know it I will have the most adorable Joe or Mel JR. in my arms. I am starting my 32nd week this week and still feeling great. I don't feel like I have gained 22 lbs, but when I look in the mirror, that is a whole different story. I feel huge when really, I'm not. I'm just not used to having a belly in the way of everything I do.
I had my 2nd appointment with our midwife today. We spent a lot of time just talking about our families, our life, our desires, and of course camp stuff. She is very tuned in to getting to know us and I have felt like we are building more than just a professional relationship. Our next appointment will be at our home so she can become familiar with our environment. The last thing she usually does before we leave is check my blood pressure, listen for the baby's heart rate, and feel for the baby's position which is head down, right where it should be!
Other updates in the Wisley family. Joe and I have a new niece from Tailand! Her name is Noni and she is 8 years old and speaks very little english. Joe's step-sister and brother-in-law adopted her two weeks ago and she was so excited to go home with them. We are very excited about having her join the family and she is adjusting very well to the American culture.
I went to visit the Wisley clan last week and on my way there our one and only vehicle died on me about 20 miles south of the camp. Luckily, I was close to home. Joe was out of town, of course. These things always happen to me when Joe is gone. I called our maintainence guy from the camp and he came to pick up the car and take it into the mechanics. For now all we know is that the engine is probably blown and we will more than likely be car shopping this weekend for a family car. Not excited about having to have a car payment because we haven't had one for several years, but we trust God and know we won't have to worry about the finances because God knows our needs and if he wants us to get another car then he will provide us the funds to get one. So there you have it. We continue with a very busy summer at the camp. Joe returned home from his Wilderness trip this past weekend and jumped right into another week of camp that he is co-dean of called Kingdom Week. I don't know how he does it, but he seems to work well with a tight and busy schedule. I always look forward to his days off, but am very glad that I can take a short walk across the dam and see him whenever I want too! I am very blessed!

Who's Problem is it?

I am way past due on a new blog so sorry for the two week absence. So today's blog will be about something that really hit home for me while at church today. I am really not a church type person because I think there are better, more effective ways of doing church but haven't figured that all out yet, however, that is an entirely different topic. My decision to go to church today was well worth my time. Today's topic was about generosity and sharing (2 Corinthians 8:8-15). I think the whole chapter is an excellent chapter so if you want to read it go for it. What I loved about this lesson today was the challenge it gave me to find even more ways to share and give more generously to others. Almost two years ago before we left for our hike I would have defined myself as a slightly selfish person that held onto my possessions tightly. I hated tithing and wasn't good at letting people borrow our things. That soon changed once I gave up all my possessions for 6 months to hike the A.T. I was amazed at how little I could live on, the things I took for grated, and how much generosity we received from complete strangers the entire distance of the trail. It was truly overwhelming to accept the fact that people wanted to help us and let us stay in their home, cook us meals, wash our stinky clothes, buy us a meal or our groceries, and drive us where ever we needed to get too. It was so incredible to gain a new respect for strangers and see that their are people out there that want to serve others. This gave me a big desire to do the same when I returned home from the hike. Joe and I started tithing consistently, which we were before but not always on a regular basis. Our tithe doesn't always go to the same place, or person. We have found so much pleasure in finding people or non-for profits, like the camp, who are in need financially or even something as simple as sharing our things with others. The more often we give the more we want to give and the blessings in return have opened our eyes to God's hand at work. Joe and I have so much less than we have ever had in our marriage but are so much happier now. God has blessed us with so many friends who have been very gracious in passing on items for the baby or things that we can borrow for a few months, like maternity clothes, which are so expensive. Thanks to all of our friends who have thought of us in our time of need. Having a baby is not inexpensive! Friends, family, baby showers, and garage sales, help a ton!
So to conclude, let me explain the title of my blog. "Who's problem is it?" That was the question that was answered in church today. Answer: It's my problem; our problem, to take care of the needy, the starving, the homeless, and the sick. The more we give, the happier we are and more blessed we will be in our efforts towards generosity.
With that said, if their is ever something you need, not hesitate to ask us. We are always more than happy to share what we have!

2 Tim 6:17-19
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

Baby Belly Update 29 weeks

Well, there it is! I can't believe that I have less than three months until this little person comes into our life. I have been day dreaming about what that moment will be like for us. My dreams at night have gotten a little crazy too! My favorite thing to imagine or picture is that moment when I see Joe's eyes light up and get to bond with the baby in his own way. I feel that I have had a special bond with it inside of me, feeling it move around all day. It will be so wonderful to see Joe develop a special love for it as well. I am really excited to make my mom and dad grandparents for the first time, and my sisters first time aunts. That is about all for now. Short and Sweet!

My Top Ten Moments In LIfe

#1 - Of Course Marrying my perfect match Joe Wisley!

#2 - Our Wedding night and the honeymoon! (brownchickenbrowncow)

#3 - Finishing our 2200 mile journey on the A.T.

#4 - Finding out I was Pregnant for the first time!

#5 - Moving to Rainbow Christian Camp

#6 - Adopting my Dog Maximus

#7 - The Rock Week (Summer 2006)

#8 - Playing with my sister's and cousin's when we were little girls!

#9 - Being baptised by Joe

#10 - Feeling baby Wisley move inside me for the first time!

Think of the things that give you joy today! God Bless!

Just an Update

Life certainly hasn't slowed down for us lately. I have spent the last couple of weeks working out in the yard pulling weeds and redesigning our landscaping for a little more curb appeal than the way it was before. I love working out in the yard! Guess I get that from my dad, but I love working in the house too, cooking, cleaning and organizing which I for sure inherited from my mom. Summertime is my favorite time of the year, even though it means I have to suffer through some major sinus issues from all the pollen. I would trade any other season, especially winter, to have summer around for a few more months.
The baby's room is no where near being started. I decided not to repaint the room and stick with the neutral taupe that was in the room when we moved in. I hate painting and figured the baby doesn't care about the color so why bother. I do have my crib, rocker and dresser in the room ready to be placed and a few other items for the baby that I have found at resale shops, garage sales and craigslist. I am still looking for a white or natural, unstained wood colored changing table although I may change my mind on getting one since it will only be one more piece of furniture that I will have to store away when I don't need it anymore.
I am going on my 27th week of being pregnant and starting to feel more and more tired the closer it gets to August. It is so hard to listen to my body and take naps when I have so many other things I would rather be doing. Don't get me wrong, I love naps, especially on rainy days or during the cold winter months. I spent most of today relaxing, reading, doing some light yoga, napping and walking Maximus around the camp so I had my fair share of rest today.
Speaking of camp! The busy season is here for Joe and all the other staff. Our college summer staff arrived for training a little over a week ago, which means Joe's day starts at 8am and usually isn't over until 9-10pm, but only for these first two weeks. They have been working hard to get the camp back into summer shape, CPR and lifeguard training, as well as high ropes training. Our high school summer staff will arrive early next week and then the fun begins with week #1. I am so excited to see all the kids arrive and watch the camp come alive again.
My mom and dad came down for a visit from Chicago this weekend. It was so nice to have family around and a little help with some house work and advice about yard work from my green thumb of a father. They brought my cute little cradle with them that I found in Chicago as well as a few other cute baby items which included a Chicago Cubs onesie, bib and booties! I will not force my kids to be Chicago fans but as long as they don't know any better I will dress them in Cubs/Bears outfits when Joe isn't looking. :)
Well I think that is about all for now. I will post some pictures of my growing belly soon. Hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day!

So Why a Home Birth?

I have been reading frantically and praying a lot over the last couple of weeks about where I wanted to have our first child. There has always been something about Doctors and hospitals that had made me uncomfortable. It all started about 3 months ago when I began to question the drug industry in why drugs are almost always the answer to people's illness and pain. I asked myself if drugs were truly the way to a ill-free/pain-free life? I came to a conclusion that drugs are not the way for me to deal with illness and pain and I wanted to live in such a way to avoid the toxic side affects of drugs and other chemicals. An example from my own life stems from the effects I saw in taking birth control pills for almost 5 years and my story is nothing compared to others I have heard. I began to notice my emotions taking a turn towards the worst. I became numb emotionally and rarely did I ever feel happy or sad. I was an emotional zombie per se. I also noticed that my desire for sexual intimacy with my husband had faded away to nothing. This was frustrating for both he and I. I spoke with my OB/GYN about the issue and the only thing she could recommend was trying a different pill or using hormones as a way to deal with the problem. I decided against her recommendations and went off all birth control and within a month felt like a completely different person. One other thing that bothered me about the situation was I had also asked my doctor about Natural Family Planning as a way to prevent a pregnancy. The only answers she gave me were discouraging and still made me feel that some form of drug was my only option for preventing conception. So, I made the choice to take a risk and stay off the pill. After a year of being off the pill I was able to control when I wanted to conceive and became pregnant without any troubles. I have heard and read of so many couples having a hard time conceiving and I feel many of those cases result from the side effects of the chemical hormones in birth control that mess with a women's body. That brought me to wonder about medicated birth experiences. Why do women get epidurals? Is it really safe for the baby? Does it slow down labor and lead to more drugs and/or C-sections?
This raised my curiosity and through lots research and asking lots of questions of mothers who have had both hospital and home births, the info I given was eye opening! Therefore I am choosing to have the baby at home with the assistance of a midwife from Wabash IN. If I had the space to write all I have learned about hospital vs. a home birth or unmedicated vs. medicated births, I would explain everything I have learned. I encourage you to look into it yourself. I am so glad that I did because it has empowered me to feel in control and confident in my own body and I no longer fear the upcoming event of bringing this baby into the world. I have always feared being in labor and not knowing what to expect when the time came. Now that I know what I want and what to expect I feel confident and prepared. A few books I found to be very helpful are: "Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way" by Susan McCutcheon, "Gentle Birth Choices" by Babara Harper, and I am now starting to read "Husband Coached Childbirth" by Bradley. I also highly recommend that you find the dvd called "The Business of Being Born." It is a documentary by Ricki Lake who had a hospital birth for her first and a home birth for her second. Talking with my midwife last week and looking at her stats made Joe and me even more at peace with the decision. Our first appointment with her was 2 hours long and it was free! She had an 18 page Informed Consent Form that we went over together and she shared her stats and philosophy of care. I found out that each of my prenatal visits with her will last an hour because she really wants to get to know us and make us feel comfortable with her. The average time a male OB spends with his patients each visit is 7 minutes. For a Female OB it is about 10 minutes! Isn't that crazy? Midwives attend over 70% of births in Europe and Japan, but less than 8% in the U.S. The U.S. also has one of the highest maternal mortality rates than anywhere else in the world and 95% of women are giving birth in hospitals in the U.S. Hmmmmmm? In 1900, 95% of births in the U.S took place at home. By 1955, less than 1% were at home. It remains that same number today. I could go on...
After all the reading and documentaries I have watched I also learned that all of the medical technology (fetal monitors, meds, forceps, vacuums, surgery, episiotomy, etc.)that doctors use during a women's labor are most of the time unnecessary. Doctors simply don't let a women's body progress on it's own time before they decide that they need to intervene to get the baby out on their own time versus the mother and baby's time. Most doctors have never attended a natural delivery before they started their practice and most have never attended a home birth that was done completely natural without all the drugs and technology. 1 out of 4 women have c-sections and 80% have had some form of drug during labor today. Those numbers are just way too high! My philosophy now is that women were created by God to give birth in their own time and can be in complete control of their labor. I understand that having a midwife, or a home birth is not for everyone but I still encourage you to look into all of your options before you decide on where you will have you first, second or third baby. Since I haven't had the baby yet I have nothing more to go by than what I have read or heard from others. When the time comes I will be more than happy to share every detail of my experience with you. Have a wonderful day and God Bless!