Babies

Disclaimer: No, this is not my belly but check out the photographer's online studio. Super neat!
I am now a little over six months pregnant and my back is well aware of the evils that can entail. However, it also has me all mushy, gushy emotional (and horny). My little girl will be three right around the time her brother pops out. I can't believe it! Three has never sounded like such a huge number before! Time flies, especially when we have lived in seven different homes in three (technically five) different cities since she was born. I spent some time today looking at her baby pictures. She found them fascinating (she loves being told how adorable she is and is always very concerned at the pictures that caught her crying or with a booboo). It just passes so fast. I think my favorite stage up until now was the newborn stage but I think we are hitting a new competitor for favorite. She is learning so much every day now. She loves to play and read and soak up every bit of every experience she can.

We had over 9 inches of snow here today and it was such a blast! I haven't seen snow like that in years, literally YEARS! We made a snow girl with jawbreaker eyes, bubble gum lips, a dog treat hair bow, and oddly shaped snow lumps for a body. We named her Candi. Our little toddler is a lot of fun but she is also emotionally high maintenance, even for a 2.5 year old. Then again, I have always been a bit of an emotional basketcase so I suppose it is only fair. Hopefully she will find more balance with age.

Our little bubba should be here sometime in late May and while part of me wishes he was here already another part of me can't believe I'm pregnant. This was a planned pregnancy and has gone very well so far (other than the excruciating backache that is) but it never seems quite real until you hold them. My favorite picture of me and my baby girl is still the first time I ever held her. All my motherly chemicals gush at the mere sight of it.

I'm so excited! I hope I make the most of every moment with them. I hope I live up to everything that I can be for them. I have learned so much in these last (almost) three years and I can only imagine what the next 3 and beyond will teach me. I love my kids :)

The Things They Will Tell Children

I was catching up on this week's Atheist Experience and my childhood memories were awakened. This week's topic was hymns. Tracie took direct quotes from religious songs, both old and new (all of the Christian variety I believe), and broke down exactly what it is they are singing about. Most of the songs were directly related to the crucificition of Jesus and all the bloody gore that it entailed. More recently, "modern" churches and choirs have made a habit of changing some of the less tasteful lyrics. You know...like taking the word 'wretch' out of Amazing Grace. Now, while this may appeal to our present-day sensibilities and morals it brings up a very interesting brand of hypocrisy. They don't want to offend the less fundamental parishioners so they edit. Many of them don't want to call themselves or their children wretches, worms, or the like. Yet, as Tracie points out, this is the central theme of their theology. You are a useless, pitiful sinner whose mistakes are so grand that they required a semi-god human sacrifice just to make your ass worth anything. Christianity, like all religions, undercuts personal self worth. They tell you that you're nothing without them, quite a bit like an abusive spouse. There was a moment in the show where 'Noah's Ark' was brought up. Ah, my childhood memories flowed.

Anyone who was ever associated with the Jehovah's Witnesses (my youth's particular indoctrination source) would have some across My Book of Bible Stories. Like the name implies, it is a compilation of 116 bible stories aimed at a young audience, around 4-11 years old. It is fully illustrated, each story lasting only a page or two with biblical references at the end. The stories are pretty graphic considering the age group. Still, they keep with the happy-go-lucky attitude as much as their stone age theology will allow. The horrific thing that I remember are those illustrations. This isn't some over-exaggerated memory either, I've reviewed the book at my mother's house as an adult. I'll stick with the Noah's Ark theme and tell you about the story that discusses the flood. While all the emphasis is on Jehovah's love, Noah's commitment, the animals, and the lovely little rainbow at the end, the picture tells another story. The Witnesses decided it was a great idea to depict all of those evil, useless sinners as they were drowning. One of the most detestable images is of a mother holding her infant as they are about to be engulfed by the rising water. Preschoolers are being told that perfect justice includes the drowning of millions, newborns included. God's awesome love...what a crock.

It never ceases to amaze me that parents could tell their children these stories and not be simultaneously appalled by their own gall. Then again, they probably don't even think twice about it which is even worse.