Merry Christmas!

Baby #3

Caption Contest

Well, actually this is more like a Captionfest than a Caption Contest since there isn't a prize (unless the glory of having the best caption is prize enough for you).

To play along, just leave a comment with a caption for this photo. I'll kick it off. . .

Mom's Group

One of the things I love most about the church we attend is the Mom's group I am part of. It is a great group of women and I look forward to the fellowship and encouragement every week. Recently, we had an outing at the Botanical Gardens and one of our church members offered to come and take some photos for us.

The Thankful Tree

I thought I'd share an idea I had for a simple craft to make with your toddlers to help them prepare for Thanksgiving. (I'm sure I'm not the first person with this idea!)

The Thankful Tree

You will need:

• Construction paper: brown, green, orange, red, yellow
• Scissors
• Glue
• Marker
• Bigger sheet of paper for "canvas"

I cut out a tree trunk, limbs, and leaves. Caleb was in charge of pasting. We started with an empty tree and then I asked him to think of something he was thankful for. I then wrote that item/person on a leaf and he pasted the leaf to his tree. When the tree was full of leaves, we prayed and gave thanks to God for each leaf on Caleb's Thankful Tree.

You could make this as simple or complex as you wanted. If you have more than one preschooler, you could use a different color leaf for each child. Or, you could even make it a family tree with larger leaves and more room to write (our little leaves only had room for one word, which worked fine for a three-year-old) . The possibilities are endless ;-)

Bye, Mom!

Yesterday evening, I went out with a group of moms from our church for a Mom's Night Out. Just as I was walking out the door, Caleb called from the living room, "Bye, Mom!! Have fun and be careful! It's slippery out there." Josh (who at the time of my departure was changing a nasty blowout diaper in the back of the house) told me later that just after I left, Caleb came running to him and said, "Dad, don't worry. . . I said goodbye to Mom and told her something she would be happy to hear. I told her to be careful because it is slippery."

Where does he get this stuff??

Banana Pops!

I know it's the end of summer for most of you, but if you're in the mood for one last taste of summer, give this a try. I'm not a banana fanatic, but these are delish and super easy to make. This is a great "cooking" project for toddlers. Caleb was able to do almost every step (with help) and he was so proud of the finished product.

Mmmmmmm!

(sorry, this is a terrible picture)

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Banana Pops

4 Bananas

8 popsicle sticks

about 1/2 cup chocolate chips

2-3 Tbs peanut butter

2 tsp butter

sprinkles

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the bananas in half, leaving the peel intact. Insert a popsicle stick 1/2 into into each banana and then peel (this keeps the banana from breaking apart). Place the bananas a parchment paper lined baking sheet and freeze for about 15 minutes to chill the bananas (this makes the chocolate stick better).

Microwave the chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter for 30 seconds. Stir and repeat until melted. Dip the partially-frozen bananas into chocolate mixture. Sprinkle with decorations and return to freezer.

Allow to freeze for at least 3 hours.

Annabelle's First Few Steps

THREE!

Happy Birthday, My Big Boy!

(the pink cake was supposed to be red, but we ran short on the food coloring)

Puddle Jumping on the Playground

It rained (as in, dumped) this morning so after lunch Caleb grabbed is bright red boots and headed down to the playground for some good old fashioned puddle jumping.

Just for Jessica

"Ask and it shall be given you". Jessica asked.

The only thing cuter than a pigtailed baby girl. . .


is a post-pigtail baby girl.

To Keep Things Fair

Just to keep things fair between the siblings and to to debunk any theories floating amongst you that I no longer take pictures of my firstborn, here is a recent favorite of Caleb. Look at that smile on his face. . . sheer joy!

Blueberries for Belle

One of Annabelle's favorite foods is blueberries. She will eat and eat and eat them until she's blue in the face (and everywhere else).

9 Months Old (Part 2)

9 Months Old (Part 1)

Conversation Snippet 5: Counting

I've been working with Caleb lately on counting. He's starting to recognize numbers and can (sometimes) count to ten. The other day he lined up a string of his toy cars and brought me over to look at them.

Caleb: Mommy, can you count them?
Me: (slowly pointing to each one) One, two. . . . eight. Eight cars.
Caleb: Wow! Good job, Mommy!!! You can count!!!

Mother's Day Picture

I love being the mother of these two!

The Lord Will Provide

My cousin, Jessica, asked her blog readers to share the lyrics to a song that has been meaningful each of them. This song has really been resonating with me lately. The words were written by John Newton (author of Amazing Grace). The version that I have was adapted by Matthew Smith (Thanks, Yvette, for buying me the c.d.!). It's a beautiful poem on it's own, but if you can download the song, it's 100 times better with the music.

So why this song? The words are so deep and really, I can think of about 100 reasons this song has blessed me lately. I think the most profound is that God himself has made provision for me on that last day. I love the last line and I do hope that is how I enter glory--shouting, "The Lord will provide!"

1 Though troubles assail and dangers affright,
Though friends should all fail and foes all unite;
Yet one thing secures us whatever betide,
The Scripture assures us, "The Lord will provide."

2 The birds without barn or storehouse are fed,
From them let us learn to trust for our bread:
His saints what is fitting shall ne'er be denied,
So long as it's written, "The Lord will provide."

3 We may, like the ships, by tempests be tossed
On perilous deeps, but cannot be lost:
Though Satan enrages the wind and the tide,
The promise engages, "The Lord will provide."

4 His call we obey, like Abram of old,
Not knowing our way but faith makes us bold;
For though we are strangers we have a good guide,
And trust in all dangers, "The Lord will provide."

5 When Satan appears to stop up our path,
And fill us with fears, we triumph by faith:
He cannot take from us, though oft he has tried,
This heart-cheering promise, "The Lord will provide."

6 He tells us we're weak, our hope is in vain,
The good that we seek we ne'er shall obtain;
But when such suggestions our spirits have plied,
This answers all questions, "The Lord will provide."

7 No strength of our own, or goodness, we claim;
Yet since we have known the Savior’s great name,
In this our strong tower for safety we hide,
The Lord is our power, the Lord will provide.

8 When life sinks apace, and death is in view,
This word of his grace shall comfort us through;
No fearing nor doubting with Christ on our side,
We hope to die shouting, "The Lord will provide."

Conversation Snippet 4: Vacation

I rarely let Caleb sit in front of the TV to watch a movie, but yesterday I was desperate to catch up on some housework, so as soon as Annabelle went down for her morning nap, I decided a movie was just the trick for keeping Caleb busy.

Me: Hey Bud. . . I want you to go sit on the couch.
Caleb (climbing onto the couch): Can I have a snack?
Me: Yep. I'll cut you an apple for snack. And guess what, you can watch a movie while you eat your snack!
Caleb: Oh wow!!!!! Are we on vacation?!?

8 Months Old! (a little late)

What Boys Love

If you've ever wondered what two-and-a half-year-old boys love, wonder no more. . .

Oh, and happy half-birthday, Little Boy. It's hard for your mommy to believe you are already halfway to three!

Just because I like you

Just because I like you, I'm going to pass along this little kitchen tip. If you're like me and don't have a dishwasher, this is particularly helpful in keeping germs to a minimum. Happy zapping!

Conversation Snippet 3: Something

Mommy, I'm hungry.

Okay, Bud. Would you like me to get you something to eat?

Yeah! I want to eat something!!

opening the refrigerator door and pulling out mango slices How about some of this?

Nooooooo. How about something?

Okay, would you like some raisins?

Noooooooo. I think I just want something. peering inquisitively into the refrigerator
Mom. . . which one is Something???

The "P" Word

Yep, I'm finally bringing up the dreaded "P" word. The one word that strikes fear into every mother's heart: POTTY-TRAINING.

I know there are a thousand different theories and methods out there and even more success/failure stories. If you're new to mothering, you are probably wondering where to start. I'd like to add to the confusion and give you yet another potty-training how-to theory.

I can now say, with confidence, that Caleb is potty trained. He has been almost 3 weeks now without diapers and only 2-3 accidents (all of those while busy playing) during that time. He's been sleeping in his big-boy undies and going out on the town in them, too. When he came running up to me on the playground and told me he had to go potty, I figured we had arrived at the past-tense of potty-training. =)

So, now I'm passing along my experiences to you. Take all of my advice with a grain of salt, since I've only done this potty-training thing once.

Rebecca's Potty Training Manual
1. Wait.
That's right. . . the first and most crucial advice I can give you is w-a-i-t. Bladder/bowel control and awareness is primarily a developmental milestone, not a matter of obedience. Your 18-month old may be ready, but chances are, he isn't. And, just because your neighbor's 3-year-old is trained, doesn't mean that your 3-year-old is ready. So, wait until you're sure that your child will succeed. That probably means waiting until AFTER your child is ready.

2. Ignore.
The second step is to ignore everyone's anecdotes (hmm, am I shooting myself in the foot here?) and advice. Go with your gut. If your great-uncle's wife's cousin trained her 12 children to go potty in the toilet when they were only 14 months old, that's great. But you shouldn't feel pressured to do the same. Ignore people who look at you funny when you're still buying diapers for your 2-year-old, it's okay. They'll get over it. For the sake of your child and yourself, don't use other people as your measuring stick. Don't even use other siblings. Remember, it's primarily a biological issue.

3. Relax.
Relax if things don't go the way you think they should. If you think your child is ready and it turns out they aren't, it's okay. Don't stress and don't make it a big deal. Just wait and try again in a few more weeks/months. I think another word to keep in mind is Grace. Be gracious with your child. I am a strong proponent of training for obedience, but I honestly feel like potty-training is less about obedience and more about the natural physical limitations of a child. Don't shame your child if he/she has accidents or is a little on the late side of being ready. It'll come eventually. Just look around you. . . how many normal 15-year-olds do you know that aren't potty trained? My guess is, none (that could be because there aren't any "normal" 15-year-olds!) So, don't stress. It'll happen eventually.

4. Have Fun.
Did I just say have fun? Yes, I did, and I didn't forget that we are talking about potty-training. This is a big achievement for you and for your child. Celebrate your successes. Make it fun. Children are very fun and playful. That is what makes children so magical. Don't make potty-training a drudgery. Your child probably won't respond well to it if it is. Buy the coolest, most fun underwear you can find. Put them out for your child to admire. Talk it up. . . when you use the restroom, talk about what a big girl (I'm assuming anyone that has made it this far into this post is probably a mom) you are and how exciting it will be when your child is a big boy/girl. When he decides to be a big boy and succeeds for the first time, throw a party. Dance around. Cheer. Call Daddy at work (if you can) or Grandma. . . or both! It's big news in your child's mind, so make it big news. Get out the ice cream or chips or whatever treat it is that your child loves best. Children love excitement, so make potty-training exciting.

So, what did this look like for us:
1. Waiting.
Before Caleb's 2nd birthday, we purchased a little potty chair. We put it in a prominent place in the bathroom and hoped that he might be interested. He was, but only if he could stay fully clothed while sitting on there. I was tempted to force him to try it sans diaper and clothes, but then I thought, "Why? Why does it matter if he wants to sit on the potty with his diaper on?" And, I realized that it didn't matter.

Over the next few months, he tried going potty a few times and was successful once or twice, but I could tell he really wasn't ready. So we kept waiting.

I knew we were getting close when he started asking to go. But, still we waited. I wanted to be sure that he was totally ready.

2. Ignoring.
Caleb's cousin, who is 9-months younger than Caleb, potty-trained herself almost 4 months ago. She was only 16-months at the time!! Talk about feeling the intense pressure to keep up with the Joneses! It wasn't anyone else I had to ignore this time, it was myself. I had to ignore the internal pressure I was feeling and go with my gut. I knew Caleb wasn't ready yet and that his cousin is a potty-protegy! I mean, seriously, how many 16-month-old potty-train themselves. Not many.

3. Relaxing
This one was pretty easy because by the time we actually started potty training, Caleb was definitely ready and he basically potty-trained himself. So, the relaxing I had to do was before the potty-training started. But, we have had a few accidents and when they happen, I just say something like, "Oh well, buddy! It's okay. We'll just clean it up and try again next time. Okay?" We clean it up, pick out more cool undies, and start over. No big deal. And, each day, we ask God to help Caleb grow big and strong and go pee pee on the potty. Remember, it's all about grace, and ultimately, it is God's grace we need, even for things like going potty.

4. Having Fun.
Chips and ice cream. That's what does it for Caleb. Once he learned that he could have a chip for going #1 and a bite of ice cream for going #2, he was like white on rice. Chips are his greatest love in life. Throw into the mix some cool Cars undies and lots and lots of dancing and cheering and there was no stopping him. Oh, and the coolest, getting to pee on a tree (this a boy-only activity) while we were out on a walk. Some things are inherently cool to little boys, and peeing on a tree is one of them. This is one thing his mother doesn't understand, but Josh assures me that boys think peeing on trees is really cool =)


So, take heart. If you are dreading potty-training, don't. It doesn't have to be horrible. Expect there to be false starts and accidents along the way. Cheer loud and give lots of hugs. Oh, and for every bite of ice cream you give your toddler, go ahead and take two for yourself. It'll help. I promise. =)


If you have any other advice or want to share your story, please leave a comment. The more the merrier!

The As-Good-As-Boxed Brownies

I love all things made from scratch. I'm into making bread, tortillas, muffins, cakes, cookies, egg noodles, yogurt, pizza and anything else I can find a good recipe for. But, I have a confession to make: I am a boxed brownie fanatic. That's right. . . boxed. The kind with a million preservatives and ingredients I can't pronounce. I love them. Seriously. I can eat a whole pan by myself if I forgo all self-control. Even when I exercise great self-control, I still end up nibbling away 3/4 of the pan over a period of a few days (no one else in my house loves brownies with the same passion).

So, when I finally found a from-scratch recipe for brownies that taste just like the boxed kind, I was thrilled! Why? What's the point? The point is, homemade brownies are way healthier (no preservatives and whatnot) so now I can eat the whole pan with no guilt =)

And, now, I am passing along this gift to you, my brownie-loving friends. May you eat your brownies in peace!

As-Good-As-Boxed Brownies
1/2 cup margarine
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 Tbs vanilla
6 Tbs cocoa
2 Tbs oil
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup nuts (optional)

Combine margarine, sugar and vanilla. Add eggs and beat well. Blend in cocoa, oil then flour. Add nuts, if desired. Bake in greased 8x8 pan at 325 for 30 minutes. Do not overbake (duh!)

Chaos

Several of you have been wondering why all the pictures I post are either one cute kid or the other, but not both at the same time. Here is why: when I try to get shots of both of them together chaos ensues.

Just see for yourself. . .


P.S.- Thanks, Kirsten, for your tips about photo processing. I've been having fun over at Picnik. =)

Conversation Snippet 2: The Sucker

It's Josh's birthday today. Caleb colored a birthday card for Daddy and then picked out a sucker to give with it. It's been sitting up on the table all morning, waiting for Daddy's return from work.

I think he forgot about the plan because he just spied it again and the following conversation occurred:

"Yum!! A sucker! Is that for me!?!"

"No. Remember. . . it's for Daddy. Today is his birthday."

"Um, can it be for me?"

"No. It's for Daddy. When Daddy gets home, you can give him this card and sucker and say, 'Happy Birthday, Daddy! This sucker is you, Daddy. It's from me.' Can you say that?"

"Hmmm. . . (long and thoughtful pause) How 'bout I say a different thing??"

"What would you like to say?"

"How 'bout I say, 'This sucker is for Caleb!"

Your daily dose of cuteness

I know my last post was a picture of Sweat Pea, but I just can't help myself. She so stinkin' cute!






And, just in case that wasn't a large enough dose of cuteness for the day:




Okay, I promise I'll stop. . . someday.

The Diva

Her First Six Months: A Short Video Montage

Motherhood: A Poem, a Story and a Picture

A Poem

My friend, Gina, posted this poem on her blog yesterday. Since If You Give a Mouse a Cookie is one of our favorite read-aloud books (remember this?), this poem had me cracking up.

If You Give A Mom A Muffin

Original Author Unknown

If you give a mom a muffin,
She'll want a cup of coffee to go with it.
She'll pour herself some.
Her three-year-old will spill the coffee.
She'll wipe it up.
Wiping the floor, she'll find dirty socks.
She'll remember she has to do laundry.
When she puts the laundry in the washer,
She'll trip over boots and bump into the freezer.
Bumping into the freezer will remind her she has to plan for supper.
She will get out a pound of hamburger.
She'll look for her cookbook ("101 Things To Do With a Pound of Hamburger").
The cookbook is sitting under a pile of mail.
She will see the phone bill, which is due tomorrow.
She will look for her checkbook.
The check book is in her purse that is being dumped out by her two-year-old.
She'll smell something funny.
She'll change the two year old's diaper.
While she is changing the diaper, the phone will ring.
Her five-year-old will answer and hang up.
She'll remember she wants to phone a friend for coffee.
Thinking of coffee will remind her that she was going to have a cup.
And chances are...
If she has a cup of coffee,
Her kids will have eaten the muffin that went with it.

A Story

Thursday evening, Josh and I were going to enjoy a night out with some friends from school. The plan was for me to taxi with the kids to school around 4:15 to meet up with the rest of the group and from there, head down to Clark Quay for dinner. Of course, the afternoon did not go exactly as planned. Caleb and Annabelle went down late for their naps. By the time they finally fell asleep, the house was a mess. So instead of showering and dressing, I quickly tidied up the house, folded the laundry that had been sitting on the couch for hours, and did the lunch dishes.

Before I knew it, it was 3:45 and I was still in my pj's. I took a quick cold shower (who has time for the water to heat up?) and managed throw on some clothes and make-up before the kids woke up at 4:00. I changed their diapers, told Caleb to grab his sandals off the shoe rack that is near our front door (in Asia, you don't wear your shoes in the house, so all the shoes pile up near the front door), helped Caleb put on his shoes while I fed Annabelle, called a taxi, put Annabelle in her baby sling, grabbed my purse, slid on my shoes and ran out the door to meet the taxi. Whew! 4:15 on the dot. I was pretty impressed with myself. The house was clean, the kids were clean, I was clean, and we were on time. Was I good or what!?

When we arrived at school, the parking lot was abuzz with after-school activity. I waved to several people and chatted a bit with a few friends. One of our good friends, Les, walked over to say hi to the kids and as he approached, I could tell he was looking at me strangely.

"What did you do to your foot?!?" he asked.
"Nothing." I said, confusedly, and glanced down. Annabelle in her baby sling was blocking my view so I lifted my left foot to inspect it. Nothing wrong there. I lifted my right foot and started cracking up!!! In my hurry to get out of the house, I had slid on two different shoes.

Ahh, Motherhood! Oh well, at least my kids' shoes matched =)


A Picture

Note to self: the brown shoes look way better than the black. Ditch the black pair.

The promised video

Here you go, as promised. Check out Annabelle's proud smile at the very end. It's adorable =)

Conversation Snippet 1: I'm proud of you, Daddy

I'm starting a new category called Conversation Snippets. There have just been too many good ones lately and I don't want to forget them. I hope you get a chuckle or two along the way.

The following occurred between Caleb and me just yesterday:


"Caleb, you went pee pee on the potty all by yourself!! Mommy is so proud of you!"

"I'm proud of Daddy!"

"You are?? Why?"

"I'm proud of Daddy because Daddy goes pee pee on the potty, too!"

Would you believe it if. . .

my soon-to-be six-month-old

Would you believe it if I told you that Annabelle is scooting all over the house now? Would you believe it if I showed you?? If you must see it to believe it, then stay tuned. Our video editor is misbehaving, but I promise I'll get you proof just as soon as Josh whips our editor back into shape.

Grocery Shopping with Caleb

I have been getting the biggest kick out of Caleb lately. He's got something to say about everything! It's as if the first two years worth of thought have finally formulated into words and he just feels compelled to get it all out.

We just got home from a much-needed trip to the grocery store. The kids were sick last week and I had already put off going the week before, so by today, I really needed to go. That meant, I was desperate enough to take both kids with me, in broad daylight. Brave, I know.

Had someone felt so inclined to follow us through the grocery store, they could have gleaned enough information about us to steal our identities, at least our food identities. Caleb found it virtually impossible to pass by any item he recognized without pointing it out and providing some sort of commentary on it. For instance, the cereals:

Hey Mom, look. Cereal!! That's the kind Daddy likes.

Yep.

We need to get some for Daddy.

Very thoughtful of you, Caleb. I guess we can get one for Daddy.

Ummm. . . maybe just two?? (it helps that this also happens to be his favorite cereal as well)

or fruit:

Oh wow! Apples. There are a lot of apples! Mom, those are the apples I like. You like apples, too, Mommy. Can we get apples, Mom???


So, if you have any questions about what the Redins like to eat, just ask Caleb. He'll be more than happy to tell you.

A conversation about heaven

Caleb was sick last week. Very sick. At one point, after praying with Caleb that God would make him better, the following conversation transpired:camping out on the couch

"I am sorry you are sick, Sweetheart. I hope God answers our prayer soon."

"Yeah, me too."

"Do you want to hear some really good news? Someday, if you accept Jesus and love him, God will let you go to heaven to live with Him forever. And in heaven, no one is ever sick. Isn't that something to look forward to?"

"Yes! No more sick. That's good!"

"Yes, it is good. God is very kind to us."

"Yeah, He is! . . . .Hey, Mom. . . I wanna go to Church!"

Slumdog Millionaire

For Valentine's Day, Josh took me to see Slumdog Millionaire. I don't recommend many movies on this site, but I would recommend this one. It's a bit heavy and I wouldn't take children to see it, but the acting is amazing. The soundtrack is amazing. The cinematography is amazing. And, besides all that, it's just a great story. Seriously. . . you should go see it.

Sharing a Room

Today I decided that Annabelle could graduate from her Moses basket in our room to the real crib in the room she'll be sharing with Caleb. So, for nap time this afternoon, I tucked Caleb into his toddler bed and put Annabelle in her crib.

Caleb was so excited to have her in his room that he could hardly contain himself. I knew that sleep was unlikely, but he was so happy to finally have his sister in the room, that I figured one missed nap wouldn't hurt.

I left the door open and went to the living room to enjoy a bit of peace and quiet. I could hear Caleb in there talking and singing, and Annabelle cooing. I listened carefully and when I heard Caleb saying "giddyup" I decided it was time to take a peek to make sure all was well. This is what I found:

Drink Choices

Caleb: Mommy, can I have juice?
Me: No, you already had a cup this morning.
(walking to refrigerator and opening)
You can have water or. . . SHOOT!, we're out of milk. Sorry.
Caleb: Um. . . I want Shoot, please.

A cute picture and a fun game.

My cousin, Jessica, always comes up with best stuff on her blog and when I'm running short on brain-power, it's easiest to either 1) post a picture of one of my darling children, or 2) steal something from Jessica's blog. As soon as I saw this game on her blog, I knew I was going to steal it. But since I love all you readers so much, I'm going to post a picture, too!

First, the picture:
Caleb just got his first bike. I can't believe he's old enough for a bike! I think he is pretty convinced that he is motorcycle racer and we haven't had the heart to brake the news to him yet that he's not.

Second, a fun game my cousin had on her blog. Here is how you play. . . below I have written a single word. One of you (first come, first serve) has to finish the sentence by leaving a comment in the comments section. At the end of your comment, leave another word for the next person. Since I know a few of you have already played, I'm sure the rest of you will catch on as soon as you click into the comments. It's pretty fun and I hope you play along!

The word to get the ball rolling: Nevermind. . . .

Five Months

It's worth going there again. . .

President Obama has made it clear by his reversal of the "Mexico City Policy" that abortion is going to be on the forefront of his political radar screen. That means that the topic is going to be discussed in the public sector with even more frequency and vigor than it has been in the past. I know I've visited and revisited this topic several times, but it's life and death we're talking about here. Innocent human lives being taken by the thousands every day. So, it's worth going there again.

John Piper published a thoughtful essay that gives 15 truths regarding the abortion "debate." It would behoove those of us who believe in the sanctity of every human life to study these points. There really is no reason that we should feel inadequate to answer the pro-choice arguments. Logic is on our side. Please take the time to read it (I've copied the majority of the text below but you can click on the link above for the original source):

Fifteen Pro-Life Truths to Speak

Download:

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By John Piper January 24, 2003

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"You will know the truth and the truth will set you free." - Jesus Christ

1. Existing fetal homicide laws make a man guilty of manslaughter if he kills the baby in a mother's womb (except in the case of abortion).

2. Fetal surgery is performed on babies in the womb to save them while another child the same age is being legally destroyed.

3. Babies can sometimes survive on their own at 23 or 24 weeks, but abortion is legal beyond this limit.

4. Living on its own is not the criterion of human personhood, as we know from the use of respirators and dialysis.

5. Size is irrelevant to human personhood, as we know from the difference between a one-week-old and a six-year-old.

6. Developed reasoning powers are not the criterion of personhood, as we know from the capacities of three-month-old babies.

7. Infants in the womb are human beings scientifically by virtue of their genetic make up.

8. Ultrasound has given a stunning window on the womb that shows the unborn at eight weeks sucking his thumb, recoiling from pricking, responding to sound. All the organs are present, the brain is functioning, the heart is pumping, the liver is making blood cells, the kidneys are cleaning fluids, and there is a fingerprint. Virtually all abortions happen later than this date.

9. Justice dictates that when two legitimate rights conflict, the limitation of rights that does the least harm is the most just. Bearing a child for adoption does less harm than killing him.

10. Justice dictates that when either of two people must be inconvenienced or hurt to alleviate their united predicament, the one who bore the greater responsibility for the predicament should bear more of the inconvenience or hurt to alleviate it.

11. Justice dictates that a person may not coerce harm on another person by threatening voluntary harm on themselves.

12. The outcast and the disadvantaged and exploited are to be cared for in a special way, especially those with no voice of their own.

13. What is happening in the womb is the unique person-nurturing work of God, who alone has the right to give and take life.

14. There are countless clinics that offer life and hope to both mother and child (and father and parents), with care of every kind lovingly provided by people who will meet every need they can.

15.Jesus Christ can forgive all sins, and will give all who trusts him the help they need to do everything that life requires.

Can it get any sweeter?

Making Cookies With Gram

We're back in Singapore from a wonderful 3-week trip to California (well, wonderful, minus a run-in with the stomach flu). Here is little video of Caleb making cookies with Gram. I'll be posting more stories and updates soon. . . after the jet-lag wears off!