Wednesday, March 11, 2009
I'm Moving.
Goodbye blogspot..hello wordpress. I have let peer pressure get the best of me and from now on I will be blogging at www.mrsrivas.wordpress.com. Special thanks to Naty and Priscilla for pushing me. Hope you all keep reading! Blogspot...it has been a pleasure.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Important Message from the AFA
Obama seeks to take away religious rights of doctors and health care providers who refuse to perform abortions
Urgent: send your e-mail to the White House today!
According to several news agencies, President Barack Obama will rescind the "conscience rule" that protects health workers who refuse to participate in abortions or other medical procedures that go against their moral and religious beliefs. If the rule is rescinded, doctors, nurses and other health care workers could lose their jobs or be punished professionally for adhering to their sincerely held religious convictions. Obama's proposal would take away their religious freedom.
The current rule empowers federal health officials to cut off federal funding for any state or local government, hospital, clinic, health plan, doctor's office or other entity if it does not accommodate employees who exercise their right of conscience. It applies to more than 584,000 health care facilities.
The Obama administration is doing the bidding of pro-abortion advocacy groups who seek to penalize health care providers who refuse to participate in abortions.
According to The Washington Post, Obama administration officials stressed that the proposal will be subject to 30 days of public comment. That is why it is so very important for you to let the White House hear from you today.
Take Action
Enter your ZIP CODE and click "GO" to send your e-mail to President Obama opposing his plan to rescind the "conscience rule."
Forward this to family and friends and ask them to do the same.
Thanks for caring enough to get involved. If you consider our efforts worth supporting, would you please consider a small tax deductible donation to help us continue?
Sincerely,
Donald E. Wildmon, Founder and Chairman
AFA - American Family Association - Activism
Urgent: send your e-mail to the White House today!
According to several news agencies, President Barack Obama will rescind the "conscience rule" that protects health workers who refuse to participate in abortions or other medical procedures that go against their moral and religious beliefs. If the rule is rescinded, doctors, nurses and other health care workers could lose their jobs or be punished professionally for adhering to their sincerely held religious convictions. Obama's proposal would take away their religious freedom.
The current rule empowers federal health officials to cut off federal funding for any state or local government, hospital, clinic, health plan, doctor's office or other entity if it does not accommodate employees who exercise their right of conscience. It applies to more than 584,000 health care facilities.
The Obama administration is doing the bidding of pro-abortion advocacy groups who seek to penalize health care providers who refuse to participate in abortions.
According to The Washington Post, Obama administration officials stressed that the proposal will be subject to 30 days of public comment. That is why it is so very important for you to let the White House hear from you today.
Take Action
Enter your ZIP CODE and click "GO" to send your e-mail to President Obama opposing his plan to rescind the "conscience rule."
Forward this to family and friends and ask them to do the same.
Thanks for caring enough to get involved. If you consider our efforts worth supporting, would you please consider a small tax deductible donation to help us continue?
Sincerely,
Donald E. Wildmon, Founder and Chairman
AFA - American Family Association - Activism
Monday, March 2, 2009
2 1/2 Months
Soon enough...Ian will be turning 3 months and he is growing soooo fast. He went to the doctor last Monday and weighed 9 lbs 12 oz. I totally feel it in my arms. He is such a great baby. He barely cries. He loves hanging out on the swing and tummy time. He laughs at just about anything...even when I suction out his buggers, he laughs. His reflux had gotten better...and then it returned. Apparently, when it first started, we had been giving him too much milk for his size. We were giving him three ounces and that was too much for his little stomach and that's what was causing all the chaos. Well, when his body weight caught up, 3 ounces was just right and he was digesting it very well, so I boosted it up and now it came back. Well..I went down to 3 1/2 ounces because according to his body weight, he should be taking 3.123 ounces every 3 hours or 25 ounces in one day. He's doing better. He's barely gagging and barely spitting up, so that's good, and he doesn't stay hungry. He sleeps most nights for 5 hours straight and when he doesn't, he'll at least sleep 3 hours. He has a bit of a cold now. Nothing big, just a stuffy nose, so we're taking care of that. Above is a picture of Ian's dedication at church.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Ian's Eyes
What is the first thing you notice when looking at this pic? Right..that Ian's eyes have 2 different colors. It's not uncommon. I've met people with two different eye colors. I think it's pretty cool. He got 1/2 of an eye from mom and 1 1/2 from dad. I had to post it because you can't really notice it when you look at him in most lights and when I mention it to someone they think I'm crazy because they can't see it...well, here it is. Ian's eyes.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Update on Ian
My little man turned 2 months already and I can't believe how fast he's growing. He is now very alert and looks at everything and everyone. He loves to smile when you talk to him. He has rolled over a couple of times which is pretty crazy for a kid his age. He is doing a lot better with his reflux and has been sleeping most nights for 5 hours straight. I am loving all the time I get to spend with him because I get to see how he develops and I don't miss out on anything. He is a very happy and good baby and I can't wait to see what he does next.
Tennessee
This past week we spent it in Tennessee. Thanks to the Garcia Fam and Oliver and Marelys. We left last Wednesday and got in on Tuesday night. We had a great time and it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be to take a 2 month old on a 14 hour car ride. The whole way there he pretty much slept and he did the same on the way back. I'll leave the good funny stories for Priscilla to blog about because she's better at that than I am, but I'll mention some of the highlights of the trip.
1. Priscilla thinking we had made it to Daytona in an hour and yelling at me for correcting her.
2. Chris asking "Where's Keren?" when I had fallen asleep and my head was hidden. He thought I wasn't in the car.
3. Getting our first souvenir...a ticket in South Caroling by trying to catch up to Oliver. Special thanks to the officer who put it down as if Chris was going 10 miles under what he really was going.
4. The Falling Rocks. A new band in Tennessee according to Marelys.
5. Patty wanting to eat my baby with some biscuits and gravy.
6. Miriam's crazy looking glasses.
7. Our very special Valentine's Dinner. I think the waitress is going to request to take coffee and cream off the menu.
8. Chris on a horse. I'll leave it at that.
9. Our $400 rental car.
10. Being able to poop on vacation...that's priceless.
11. Priscilla singing Ian to sleep and not knowing we were watching, much less videotaping her.
Of course...I'm missing a lot of things, so if any of you that went want to add to the list...go ahead.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Rough Nights
So for the past couple of weeks Ian has had a bit of a hard time digesting his milk. He apparently suffers from reflux which is not a big deal, but does cause him pain and discomfort and it causes me a whole lot of stress and sleepless nights. He will cry uncontrollably for a while and fall asleep for a while and it just goes around in a circle. On top of the fact that his gagging really freaks me out. This normally happens at night. He went to the doctor on Friday and we're just going to keep an eye on it and see how bad it really is. We don't want to put him under any unnecessary medicine. However, looking at the bright side of things, he has not lost his appetite and is now weighing 8 lbs 2 oz. That's probably around what he would have weighed if he had been born when he was supposed to. He is very alert now and smiles when we talk to him. He moves around a lot and turns from side to side. He keeps his head up by himself pretty well. It's still a little wobbly, but he's getting there. He survived his first Super Bowl Party and his first trip to Dolphin Mall. Whew! I know this whole reflux thing will get better and I really look forward to that, but for now I'm just taking it one day at a time and when I find myself getting too overwhelmed with his consistent crying, Chris is there to rescue me and I really thank God for that.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Barneyisms
“A bro-ing away party, a special bro-casion, a bro-choice rally, bro-time at the Apollo.”
“In my body, where the 'shame' gland should be, there is a second 'awesome' gland.”
“LEGEN – wait for it, and I hope you’re not lactose intolerant because the next part is – DARY!”
“I hope you’re finding a new gender for yourself because I revoking your dude membership.”
“Here’s the mini-cherry on top of the regular cherry on top of the sundae of awesomeness that is my life.”
"How much does Korean Elvis rock? I'll answer that: Infinity. He rocks infinity."
"You're going as my wingman. Flight suit-up!"
"Phone five"
"This is so going on my blog"
"What up"
"What's that? Self five? Nice. We out."
“In my body, where the 'shame' gland should be, there is a second 'awesome' gland.”
“LEGEN – wait for it, and I hope you’re not lactose intolerant because the next part is – DARY!”
“I hope you’re finding a new gender for yourself because I revoking your dude membership.”
“Here’s the mini-cherry on top of the regular cherry on top of the sundae of awesomeness that is my life.”
"How much does Korean Elvis rock? I'll answer that: Infinity. He rocks infinity."
"You're going as my wingman. Flight suit-up!"
"Phone five"
"This is so going on my blog"
"What up"
"What's that? Self five? Nice. We out."
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
And So It Begins...
An article from NY Times
Obama Reverses Rules on U.S. Abortion Aid
WASHINGTON — President Obama repealed rules on Friday that restricted federal money for international organizations that promote or provide abortions overseas, sweeping aside a pillar of the social policy architecture of George W. Bush’s presidency.
The executive order that Mr. Obama signed reverses one of the first measures enacted by Mr. Bush when he took over the White House eight years ago and capped an opening-week flurry of action intended to signal a sharp break from the past in domestic and foreign arenas.
“For the past eight years, they have undermined efforts to promote safe and effective voluntary family planning in developing countries,” Mr. Obama said of the restrictions. “For these reasons, it is right for us to rescind this policy and restore critical efforts to protect and empower women and promote global economic development.”
In a written statement, Mr. Obama said he would work with Congress to restore financial support for the United Nations Population Fund. But he bemoaned the “politicization” of abortion and promised to reach out to all sides to initiate a new dialogue about reducing unintended pregnancies.
“For too long,” he said, “international family planning assistance has been used as a political wedge issue, the subject of a back-and-forth debate that has served only to divide us. I have no desire to continue this stale and fruitless debate.”
The move touched off the anticipated torrent of praise and criticism from advocates in the highly polarized abortion debate. Supporters of abortion rights hailed the end of what they call the “gag rule” binding family health clinics from even talking about medical options in other countries, while opponents warned that it would effectively spread abortion to all corners of the world.
The restrictions Mr. Obama lifted on Friday barred the United States Agency for International Development from providing money to any international nongovernmental organization that “performs or actively promotes abortion as a method of family planning” in foreign countries, and covered a wide range of activities, including providing advice, counseling or information regarding abortion. The restrictions did not apply to counseling for abortions in the case of rape, incest or danger to the life of the pregnant woman.
The policy has become a symbolic and substantive football in Washington politics over the years. President Ronald Reagan first imposed the ban in 1984 when it was announced at a conference in Mexico City. President Bill Clinton lifted it a couple of days after taking office in 1993. Mr. Bush restored it a couple of days after he took office in 2001, and advocates on both sides expected Mr. Obama to lift it again.
The only surprise was that Mr. Obama acted a day after the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision establishing a constitutional right to abortion, rather than on the day itself as the last two presidents did. Mr. Obama did little to call attention to his move, issuing his comments only in writing and releasing the order after 7 p.m. Friday.
Moreover, Mr. Obama did not move to lift restrictions that Mr. Bush had imposed on federal financing of embryonic stem cell research, another important issue in the abortion battle. Mr. Obama supports expanded stem cell research to find cures for diseases but it remains uncertain whether he will use his executive power or wait to let Congress write the policy change into law.
Abortion opponents condemned Friday’s order, calling it an unnecessarily divisive way for a president preaching unity to start his administration. “President Obama will be remembered forever not just as a smart, savvy, gifted and eloquent leader — but as the Abortion President,” Representative Christopher H. Smith, Republican of New Jersey and co-chairman of the House Bipartisan Pro-Life Caucus, said in a written statement.
Douglas Johnson, legislative director of the National Right to Life Committee, called the order “the first in an anticipated series of attacks on longstanding pro-life policies as the new administration pushes Obama’s sweeping abortion agenda.”
The effect, Mr. Johnson said, would be to redirect federal money “away from groups that do not promote abortion, and into the hands of those organizations that are the most aggressive in promoting abortion in developing countries.”
By contrast, the president’s executive order energized abortion rights and family planning groups. “President Obama’s actions will help reduce the number of unintended pregnancies, abortions and women dying from high-risk pregnancies because they don’t have access to family planning,” said Tod Preston, a vice president at Population Action International.
Word of the order was received enthusiastically at a meeting on population trends at the University of California, Berkeley. Many of the gathered experts work for family planning organizations that face declining flows of government and private aid.
“It is actually a great day for those who oppose abortion,” said Steven W. Sinding, a past director-general of the International Planned Parenthood Federation and population adviser to the World Bank. “This will help many of the most effective providers of family planning services to enable women to avoid unwanted pregnancies.”
Obama Reverses Rules on U.S. Abortion Aid
WASHINGTON — President Obama repealed rules on Friday that restricted federal money for international organizations that promote or provide abortions overseas, sweeping aside a pillar of the social policy architecture of George W. Bush’s presidency.
The executive order that Mr. Obama signed reverses one of the first measures enacted by Mr. Bush when he took over the White House eight years ago and capped an opening-week flurry of action intended to signal a sharp break from the past in domestic and foreign arenas.
“For the past eight years, they have undermined efforts to promote safe and effective voluntary family planning in developing countries,” Mr. Obama said of the restrictions. “For these reasons, it is right for us to rescind this policy and restore critical efforts to protect and empower women and promote global economic development.”
In a written statement, Mr. Obama said he would work with Congress to restore financial support for the United Nations Population Fund. But he bemoaned the “politicization” of abortion and promised to reach out to all sides to initiate a new dialogue about reducing unintended pregnancies.
“For too long,” he said, “international family planning assistance has been used as a political wedge issue, the subject of a back-and-forth debate that has served only to divide us. I have no desire to continue this stale and fruitless debate.”
The move touched off the anticipated torrent of praise and criticism from advocates in the highly polarized abortion debate. Supporters of abortion rights hailed the end of what they call the “gag rule” binding family health clinics from even talking about medical options in other countries, while opponents warned that it would effectively spread abortion to all corners of the world.
The restrictions Mr. Obama lifted on Friday barred the United States Agency for International Development from providing money to any international nongovernmental organization that “performs or actively promotes abortion as a method of family planning” in foreign countries, and covered a wide range of activities, including providing advice, counseling or information regarding abortion. The restrictions did not apply to counseling for abortions in the case of rape, incest or danger to the life of the pregnant woman.
The policy has become a symbolic and substantive football in Washington politics over the years. President Ronald Reagan first imposed the ban in 1984 when it was announced at a conference in Mexico City. President Bill Clinton lifted it a couple of days after taking office in 1993. Mr. Bush restored it a couple of days after he took office in 2001, and advocates on both sides expected Mr. Obama to lift it again.
The only surprise was that Mr. Obama acted a day after the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision establishing a constitutional right to abortion, rather than on the day itself as the last two presidents did. Mr. Obama did little to call attention to his move, issuing his comments only in writing and releasing the order after 7 p.m. Friday.
Moreover, Mr. Obama did not move to lift restrictions that Mr. Bush had imposed on federal financing of embryonic stem cell research, another important issue in the abortion battle. Mr. Obama supports expanded stem cell research to find cures for diseases but it remains uncertain whether he will use his executive power or wait to let Congress write the policy change into law.
Abortion opponents condemned Friday’s order, calling it an unnecessarily divisive way for a president preaching unity to start his administration. “President Obama will be remembered forever not just as a smart, savvy, gifted and eloquent leader — but as the Abortion President,” Representative Christopher H. Smith, Republican of New Jersey and co-chairman of the House Bipartisan Pro-Life Caucus, said in a written statement.
Douglas Johnson, legislative director of the National Right to Life Committee, called the order “the first in an anticipated series of attacks on longstanding pro-life policies as the new administration pushes Obama’s sweeping abortion agenda.”
The effect, Mr. Johnson said, would be to redirect federal money “away from groups that do not promote abortion, and into the hands of those organizations that are the most aggressive in promoting abortion in developing countries.”
By contrast, the president’s executive order energized abortion rights and family planning groups. “President Obama’s actions will help reduce the number of unintended pregnancies, abortions and women dying from high-risk pregnancies because they don’t have access to family planning,” said Tod Preston, a vice president at Population Action International.
Word of the order was received enthusiastically at a meeting on population trends at the University of California, Berkeley. Many of the gathered experts work for family planning organizations that face declining flows of government and private aid.
“It is actually a great day for those who oppose abortion,” said Steven W. Sinding, a past director-general of the International Planned Parenthood Federation and population adviser to the World Bank. “This will help many of the most effective providers of family planning services to enable women to avoid unwanted pregnancies.”
Monday, January 26, 2009
I Think He Needs a New Name
Priscilla..this is for you. Taken from Urbandictionary.com
Pancho:
The generic name for a Mexican person whom you don't know the name of.
"Hey! Pancho! What's up?"
"Actually my name's Jorge."
"Yeah whatever"
Pancho:
Usually, spanish slang for the name "Francisco". Can also mean "schizophrenic", "drug addict" or "very small, crazy bald person who lives in Puerto Maderou".
Pancho:
The generic name for a Mexican person whom you don't know the name of.
"Hey! Pancho! What's up?"
"Actually my name's Jorge."
"Yeah whatever"
Pancho:
Usually, spanish slang for the name "Francisco". Can also mean "schizophrenic", "drug addict" or "very small, crazy bald person who lives in Puerto Maderou".
Thursday, January 22, 2009
1 Month Later
Ian's already 1 month old! I can't believe how fast time goes by. Before you know it he'll be celebrating his first birthday and Chris and I always mention that soon he'll be one of those kids running around the room after the service is over and the chairs get picked up. I can't wait for those moments, but for now I'm enjoying every second I spend with him. Some days...or I should say...nights are pretty hard, but it really has been easier than I thought it would be and he's a great baby. Plus, God makes them so cute so you really can't get mad at them. On Ian's 1 month, we baked brownies and put a little candle and took some pics. Soon, we'll be taking him on his first vacation to Tennessee. I can't wait to spend time with our friends up there in a different environment. It'll be fun. So..that's what's up for now. I'll be sure to keep the blog updated from now on since I have way more time on my hands being home.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Update on Motherhood
I'm loving being a mom. I love every little second I get to spend with Ian. Feeding him, bathing him, playing with him, etc. He's a really good baby. He's sleeps great and only wakes up to eat. I can already see his personality coming out when he's awake. I haven't had bad postpartum. I cried when I was home and he was in the hospital and one night that he was home and I woke up in the middle of the night with massive headaches and I thought my spinal headaches had come back. Thank God they didn't. I've been healing nicely from the c-section. I've been off pain medication since the 23rd of December. I really thank God for this huge blessing he has sent us. I also have to thank God for the great husband he has given me. He has helped me in so many ways and he's really taken on his role as dad. Above is one of the most recent pics of Ian on his daddy's hands. The pic was taken by Bryan www.nbphotographix.com. Until next time I have time to write....
-Keren
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