Tyler kept crying last night, and was covered with red rashes all over by the time he woke up. Scares the hell out of me. I brought him to see the pediatrician this morning - thank goodness it was just heat rash. Dr Lee gave something to wash him with, and said that it should clear up in a bit, that I should keep him dry (apparently I am told that using plenty of powder would do just the trick) and cool. So much for keeping him off air-con, eh?

3 to 5% of aborted women are reportedly left inadvertently sterile as a result. Cervical damage (from forced dilation) is another leading cause of long-term complications. One hospital study found 12.5% of first trimester abortions required stitching for cervical lacerations, while another study of women in Hawaii found that cervical laceration occurred on 22% of the women who had abortions. Such cervical problems frequently lead to a permanent weakening of the cervix. This weakening may result in an "incompetent cervix" which, unable to carry the weight of a later "wanted" pregnancy, opens prematurely, resulting in miscarriage or premature birth, the Elliot Institute notes. An Australian medical journal found that 75% of the women who were forcibly dilated for an abortion had problems with cervical incompetence. Let's not forget the psychological implications - the emotional damage it caused. And she's telling us there's no adverse long-term consequences from having an abortion? Incredible.

Now, this IS a fine article by co-founder and national director of Priest for Life, Father Frank Pavone.

Look at this wonderful picture

Minnesota Bill Prohibiting Public Funding of Abortion Moves a Step Forward
Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life wrote of the bill in a media release, "The government doesn't give money to tobacco companies to decrease smoking or to alcohol manufacturers to stop underage drinking. Neither should the state give your money to the abortion industry..."

Newsflash: "The evolution of women's roles chronicled in the life of (Gasps!) Barbie". Makes one wonder how the dumb blonde stereotypes and cliches came about, eh?

Meanwhile, Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry is coming under fire for backing abortion and saying that he adheres to the Catholic faith. The Pope isn't the only leading Catholic troubled by Kerry's pro-abortion stance. Many pro-life Catholics say Kerry's embrace of abortion will cost him votes in November.

"A lot of Catholic right-to-life people, even if they like Kerry on other issues, would vote for Bush on that issue," Ohio Republican Congressman Bob Ney, a Catholic who grew up in a Democratic household, told the Cleveland Plain-Dealer.

In other news, passage of the Unborn Victims of Violence Act continues to make headlines. Cathy Young in her Boston Globe article called abortion rights supporters "ideological zealots who oppose any restrictions on abortion any time in the pregnancy". While this article calls for abortion rights advocated to stop denying reality.

The first of the three separate trials begins monday in New York. Attorney A. Stephen Hut, for National Abortion Federation (& seven doctors, with the help of the American Civil Liberties Union), told U.S. District Court Judge Richard Casey that the ban should be declared unconstitutional for many reasons, including its vagueness and that it lacks an exception allowing abortions to protect a woman's health. He argued that the law "in its stunning breadth would ... remove the range of abortion alternatives available to women in the second trimester." He cautioned that the evidence will include "very raw stuff" and that descriptions of surgery were "not for the faint of heart." Pro-life groups have cited the educational aspects of the partial-birth abortion ban as a second reason to put forward the legislation.

"The opportunity to present testimony showing the horrific nature of this procedure is an important ingredient in defending the national ban on partial-birth abortion," said Jay Sekulow, Chief Counsel of the American Center for Law and Justice.

Similar trials also began in Lincoln, Nebraska, with lawsuits filed by the Center for Reproductive Rights on behalf of abortion provider Carhart and three other doctors, and Planned Parenthood in San Francisco.

NAF insists that partial-birth abortions must remain legal to help women in rare, severe medical cases.

The Physicians' Ad Hoc Coalition for Truth (PHACT) - a group of over 600 physician-specialists (mostly in obstetrics, perinatology, and related disciplines) - says partial-birth abortions no only are unnecessary to protect the health of a woman, but actually do more harm than good. In Sept 1996, former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop and other PHACT members wrote members of Congers saying that "partial-birth abortion is never medically necessary to protect a mother's health or her future fertility. On the contrary, this procedure can pose a significant threat to both."

I'd like to hear from ladies who'd had prolonged bleeding following a D&C or any other induced abortion procedures, or other probable procedures which may cause severe uterine bleeding. Or if anyone have had a hysterectomy as a result of that. Please email or leave a tag.

Courts in three separate cities are scheduled to hear legal challenges today to the Partial Birth Abortion Ban with opponents arguing that it is unconstitutional because it could put the expectant mother's health at risk. The ban criminalizes a procedure that doctors call intact dilatation and extraction (thereafter known as D&X), which is sometimes used to terminate pregnancies after the first trimester. Specifically, it bans any "overt act" to "kill the partially delivered living fetus." Opponents contend that the language in federal law is so broad and vague that it covers even common abortion techniques used in the second trimester of a pregnancy. Government lawyers disagree and say they will defend congressional findings that the ban targets a "violent practice" that is "painful and cruel to the partially born child."

Abortion providers will argue at federal trials in New York, San Francisco and Lincoln, Nebraska, that the law wrongfully ignores a U.S. Supreme Court requirement that abortion bans contain exceptions that allow the procedure if a woman's health is in danger. The lawsuits were filed in Federal District Courts in the three states (in Oct) when the ban was still a bill (President Bush signed it into law in Nov). Plaintiffs include the Center for Reproductive Rights, Planned Parenthood, the National Abortion Federation and individually named doctors from hospitals nationwide. The defendant named in all the cases is Attorney General John Ashcroft.

Hardly the "Belle de Jour", eh? I know. I don't talk about my sexploits or what underwear I'm wearing right now. All I do is talk about babies, about abortions, preach life, preach life and well, preach life. (Oh, and bitch about irresponsible bastards) I don't claimed to be good (although I'm trying so hard to be), but we all grow up at some point in our lives. (Well, maybe not you, darling - you're just gonna get sloshed day in and day out until it breaks you, and it's too late) And that's what being a parent has done. It opened up your eyes. Made you value what you have, value life. Thousands of women and children, unborn children are dying everyday across the world. Surely that is more important than the color of my thong. The good news is, more and more women are coming out to talk about their post-abortion woes, kudos to the likes of these women.


p.s. So maybe this journalist should go read the victims' testmonies (some of whom do not even survived to tell their stories). Perhaps he or she'd understand why a federal law is necessary. Hmph. Prenatal politics. According to NARAL president Kate Michelman, this is why pregnant women are not helped by a Senate bill to allegedly protect them.

Reproductive rights advocates, many physicians and several medical groups are celebrating the fact that the morning-after pill (Plan B) will be available without prescription, citing that the change would help reduce unwanted pregnancies and abortions. The FDA advisory panels' endorsement of Plan B to over-the-counter status however, faces strong oppositions from medical critics and pro-life campaigners who say making the so-called emergency contraceptive so easily available is fraught with health risks for women, while pro-lifers oppose the drug on grounds that it can be an abortifacient. Is the morning-after pill abortion? Pro-life opponents pointed out that one of its functions is to stop the successful implantation of the embryo by affecting the lining of the womb. For those who believe human life starts at the point of fertilization, this clearly constitutes an abortion. And then there are the health-related concerns (relating to its use) to consider. According to the WHO, over-use of the morning-after pill can pose risks. In cases where the drug fails, "there may be a higher percentage of ectopic (where a fertilized egg implants itself outside the uterus - a serious and potentially life-threatening condition) pregnancies ... than among a normal pregnant population," it says. Women should be given the full picture of how the drug works before deciding whether they want to take it. Every women deserve to make an informed decision regardless, they deserve to know the truth.

Are the risks worth it? (And of course there's the moral stand point of the matter to ponder about) So maybe "Plan B" is not really Plan B, eh?

With the rise of premature birth as a major and growing threat to the health of more than 476,000 babies every year, the March of Dimes has made defeating prematurity a national priority. By taking steps in WalkAmerica, you'll be helping to find the answers we need to win this fight.

One in eight babies is born prematurely, while many died and others face lifelong disabilities. WalkAmerica, which will celebrate its 34th anniversary in April, is the nation's oldest walking event, supporting the March of Dimes goal to save more babies from being born prematurely. Prematurity is a serious and growing problem that is now the leading cause of death for newborns. More than 470,000 infants are reportedly born prematurely in the US each year.

Use your feet to give these premature babies a hand. Register today!

The awakening: Mel Gibson reveals the spiritual journey that led to his new controversial film.

I admit I rarely read print editions these days, but this one kept me on my seat long enough to set me thinking.
About the higher power. About my faith, my life.

Unborn Victims bill spur debates across the country and concern amongst abortion rights activists: The Bush administration had stepped up an "extraordinary and evil campaign'' to restrict legal abortion, contraception and stem cell research, NARAL says.

Meanwhile, Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry is drawing criticism for voting against the legislation that would protect pregnant women and their unborn children.

My back is killing me.

The abortion/breast cancer link: Having an abortion does not increase a woman's risk of getting breast cancer later, better-designed study says.

Now, this is bloody interesting, isn't it?

""We have demonstrated that a certain group of studies are unreliable and can't be trusted," said Valerie Beral, a professor of epidemiology at Oxford University, who coordinated the study. Overall, she said, "you could say, if anything, these results suggest the possibility of a slightly reduced risk of breast cancer if you have had an abortion."

The studies deemed unreliable are the ones that antiabortion activists have long championed. Beral, who conducted the analysis with an international group of scientists, said those studies were flawed because they were done by asking women with breast cancer whether they had ever had an abortion. Such women are more likely than healthy women to reveal they had an abortion, leading to the conclusion that there are more abortions among this group and that abortions may have played a role in the disease process, Beral said."

Click here for the Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer's response.

Update: Study flawed, said Coalition president

A study of pregnancy-associated deaths found that the maternal death rate from abortions is three times higher than those from pregnancies carried to term or childbirth. The annual death rate of women who had abortion in the previous year was also 46% higher than that of non-pregnant women. Women who carried to term had a significantly lower death rate than non-pregnant women. Non-pregnant women had 57.0 deaths per 100,000, compared to 28.2 for women who carried to term, 51.9 for women who miscarried, and 83.1 for women who had abortions.

The Unborn Victims of Violence Act: Senate passes bill

The 61-38 vote on the Unborn Victims of Violence Act sends the legislation, after a five-year battle in Congress, to President Bush for his signature, which he promised to provide. The legislation would ensure that criminals who attack pregnant women and kill or injure their unborn children, on federal property in during the commission of federal crimes, can be charged with two crimes. Massachusetts senator John Kerry, who backs abortion, voted no on the final passage. President Bush has long supported the pro-life legislation.

See: NRLC Unborn Victims of Violence
Read one woman's account.

News coverage:
Unborn Victims of Violence Act heads to President Bush
Senate passes unborn victims bill
Senate outlaws injury to a fetus during a crime
Senate passes bill on harm to fetuses

Meanwhile, this mommy is making headlines herself. Do doctor's orders overrule a patient's decision? Can the law force a c-section? Should she be convicted for a bad decision she made?

The act of abortion marginalizes women.
Contrary to pro-choice, pro-abortion advocates claim that abortion will empower them. In what sense, I asked? The fact that I can kill my child if I want to, so skrew everyone else? Abortion destroys, not affirms, women's rights.
Abortion does not liberate women.

It was almost a year ago. I was more than six weeks pregnant at the time. Jay has completely ignored me by then, never mind how I pleaded with him to do the right thing. Time was running out, I knew I had to make a decision within the next week. I felt like I had no choice but to go to Uncle Randy and his wife. I told him how badly I wanted Tyler. Maggie was supportive, but he was dead against it. You have to abort. He said that my decision would kill my mother, it will turn the family upside down. But what about what I want? I screamed. I can never forget the way I feel when I left his house that day.

Looking back, I realized that I was made to feel like I don't have a choice, that abortion was the only way out. I almost made that mistake (I'm glad I didn't). I'm glad I'm stronger than that. I'm glad I didn't have to mother a lifetime of sorrow and regret. Abortion does not solve a human problem, nor does it empower you. There is a better way, there always is. It is difficult, it takes courage to do this. But someday you'd look at your child and realize it is all worth it.

Read about it: The Unspoken Pain of Abortion

The pre-eclampsia/cancer link.

Battle over rights for fetuses.

"This is an example of foetal rights replacing the bodily integrity and autonomy of women under the law. When a woman becomes pregnant, she does not give up her rights to personal autonomy," Kim Gandy, National Organisation for Women.

So it's her rights, her decision however warped they are? I cannot grasp this concept.

Ok, something important which I have overlooked. Must say that I am appalled with the inaccurate information provided by the American Cancer Society, versus the studies and findings by the Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer - Re: the abortion/breast cancer link. Thanks to Annie of After Abortion/Operation Outcry for the heads-up and data.

Smile, people - we've gone global. Whee!

Read it: Aborting Abortion Rights

Amazingly, being a mother has somewhat reinforced my pro-life beliefs, something that I admittedly don't care very much about before, sadly.

More good news as Maryland Pro-life Unborn Victims of Violence Bill gets Senate's approval.

The girls get thumbs up with abortion signs at President Bush's rally, contrary to the negative reactions at Kerry's rally.

Meanwhile, anti-abortion senators amended bill to allow for license plates that would say "Choose Life". The Republican-controlled Senate defeated attempts to allow those that would carry "Pro-family, Pro-choice" message.

"When you conceive a child, you both enter into an invisible contract to take care of your daughter or son for the next 18 years""

And you know what, darling? You're SO bloody lucky we are where we are. If this is America - YOUR ASS IS MINE.

Then again, I'm sure my attorneys wouldn't mind the extra cash.. "Heh. Heh. Heh."

Another abortion gone wrong: Woman Sues Planned Parenthood After Botched Abortion

And speaking of which, one of the three judges overseeing lawsuits against the federal ban on partial-birth abortions has granted a request by the Bush Administration to call a witness to testify that unborn children can feel pain in the womb as early as 20 weeks into the pregnancy.

"Glad things worked out for you. Now all we have to do is sort out your taste in men (I think a 15 stage vetting process might be required)."

I'm glad it did too. And you know what? I never looked at life the same way again. Everyday is a beginning, everyday is a gift. I can't imagine how I waste my life away before this, before I had him. He opened up my eyes. He made me discover all these gifts. And for that I am glad, and blessed. I feel so, so blessed. Having Tyler made me re-evaluate my life. It made me see how flawed I was, how I could be a better person. He made me want to be a better person.

(What's wrong with my taste in men, anyway?) Hmm. They are an acquired taste, I know. But well, you got along fine with them, didn't you, Mr. W? :)

According to this NYT article, Laura Bush said that Roe vs Wade should not be overturned. It does contradicts her husband, who supports the constitutional amendment to outlaw abortion, doesn't it? Hmph.

A 1975 Abortion article
He held it motionless inside the womb and watched a wall clock for three minutes as it struggled for air and died.

Said Defense Attorney William P. Homans, Jr.: "This fetus never drew a single breath outside the body of the mother.. although the indictment refers to the killing of a 'baby boy' no 'baby boy' ever existed, and certainly no 'baby boy' was ever killed."

Assistant District Attorney Newman A. Flanagan remarked: "If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, quacks like a duck.. use your common sense."

The Bible never refers to gestating children as fetuses, but children.

He looked happy, lying there. He knows not how I feel, how I could be feeling right now. A constellation of emotions. Some days it frightens me. A beautiful life to behold, a big part of our lives will unfold. Looking into his eyes, watching him as his life unfolds, day after day. It's the greatest thing I'll ever do.

Families of Unborn Victims of Violence Head to DC to back Pro-life Bill

Following my earlier post re: Unborn Victims of Violence Act, those in the US who'd like to write to your senator and encourage them to vote can do so here.


I believe that anybody who kills children should die. I believe that. Because children are too pure, too vulnerable, and not in any way at fault.

- Shannon Hoon

Childbirth is more admirable than conquest, more amazing than self-defense, and as courageous as either one.

- Gloria Steinem

According to the World Health Organization, around 78,000 women die due to complications resulting from an estimated 20 million unsafe abortions that occur every year.
Imagine that.

Her name was Emily

You used to captivate me
By your resonating light
But now I'm bound by the life you left behind
Your face it haunts my once pleasant dreams
Your voice it chased away all the sanity in me

The Unborn Victims of Violence Act: Senate to vote

"Nobody can tell me that there were not two victims" said Mrs. Lyons. "I placed Landon in Ashley's arms, wrapped in a baby blanket that I had sewn for him, just before I kissed my daughter goodbye for the last time and closed the casket."

That's what is at stake with this vote. A matter of simple and deserved justice. Should killers of unborn children be forced to pay for their crimes?

The loss of a young mother's life is bad enough, but to pretend that a young child did not lose his life too is unacceptable. Ask yourself this: Can we as a society continue looking the other way, pretending that the cruel taking of an innocent life did not happen? Can we afford to be silent before this crucial vote?

Let your senator know what you think about this issue - it can be done through phone calls, letters or visits to town hall meetings.

Uh-uh.

Testimonies, complete with an overview of a fetal development and a peek at the various abortion procedures. Hopefully the stories are a motivation to those who are faced with a similar situation. Life as a single parent is not easy, but someday the sun will shine again. You'd look at your child and realised you did the right thing - because you did. Having Tyler had made me a better person, a stronger person. I'm glad I did what I did. If you are lost, like we once were, know that anything is possible - help is always there, all you have to do is ask.

A child is a gift, not a choice.

I'm trying to visualise how the eight tattoos would look like, 20-30 years down the road - when the skin is all wrinkly. Yikes.

Detroit girl dies. She was only fifteen when she bled to death on RU486 :(


Related news: New details Emerge in Swedish Teen's RU486 Abortion Death

Meanwhile, pro-abortion groups rattled by the recent pro-life legislation, are fighting back with a march of their own. NOW, NARAL, the Feminist Majority and Planned Parenthood are planning a rally to the theme of "March for Freedom of Choice - Save Women's Lives." Silent No More is planning a presence at the pro-abortion march scheduled for April 25 in Washington. Silent No More, in a press release, said that "We are planning on countering their message that abortion is safe and good for women and we would like to invite you to join us in Washington DC - our goal is to encircle their lies about abortion with the truth." The group is also inviting men to attend the event to hold signs saying, "I regret lost fatherhood."

To be included in the event, voice your support or offer prayers, contact Silent No More.

"Annie Banno, the state leader of Operation Outcry, Silent No More, a four-year-old organization comprised primarily of post-abortive women, also protested Saturday. Banno, who had an abortion as a 20-year-old college student, held a sign that read "Twenty-five years later, my 'choice' hurts me still." She had an abortion because she feared her parents would kick her out of her house if she had a baby, she said. "I've suffered 25 years of the pain of having lost my daughter," said Banno. "I've never had a daughter because of this. Because it was legal."

North Haven resident James Chu, a retired professor of engineering at Yale University in New Haven, said those who support abortion share values with terrorists. "Some people think that it is permissible to take an innocent life to solve a human problem," said Chu. "We do not. That is why we are here."" Full story here.

In Deuteronomy 30:19, the Lord says, Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, that you and your descendants might live!

Sometimes when things get rough, we began to question ourselves, our choices. At some point, we may even wonder if we'll ever be good enough for what we have. But every life, every child is a blessing, a gift. They are a reward from Him (Psalm 127:3). And because God gives, God will provide. A friend once told me: Believe and everything will fall into place.

So is Rebecca Porter incredibly brave or just plain stupid? You be the judge.

I can't resist posting this - from The S.I.C.L.E Cell - Ashli (mom and mom-to-be) sent this excellent letter to John Kerry wrt Rebecca Porter's sign which was destroyed by one of his campaign staffer:

"Subject: Here's Your Sign

"When one of your staff members stole and destroyed a sign carried by a grieving mother hurt by abortion, he was showing that he was devoid of the compassion and tolerance that Democrats say they love and constantly demand.

It is disturbing that you say you care for women and yet when they tell you and your staffers how they feel your staffers abuse them to shut them up. That is oppression of women if I ever heard it.

I aborted my first child in the second trimester, and it left me with permanent physical and emotional damage. I supported abortion until I lived it, and now I know better. I wouldn't wish this pain on a dog. You should listen to ALL women, not just the ones who agree with you on something you will never experience yourself.

I know I will be voting for Bush and urging all my friends to do so as I share with them what your campaign staff did to Rebecca Porter."

I'm afraid I have bad news - RE: SD's Abortion Bill
South Dakota state Senate killed the legislation that would outlaw abortion 'cept when the mother's life is in danger. While this would mean that the legislation was effectively dead, supporters said that it could be resurrected at a later date. More details on the report here.

Meanwhile, the state legislature in New Hampshire has voted down on a Pro-life Bill (see text) on Abortion that would prevent anyone but doctors from performing abortions:


"Some pro-life advocates note that the debate in New Hampshire points out the challenges involved in trying to regulate chemical abortions. While abortions by pill are marketed by the abortion industry as a convenient alternative to medical abortions, chemical abortions have proven to be potentially dangerous for women.

A California teenager, 18-year-old Holly Patterson, died after taking RU-486. Her death prompted calls to remove the drug from the market.

"Women and girls die from abortions," said Roger Stenson, executive director of Citizens for Life, the New Hampshire affiliate of National Right to Life.

"Women and girls suffer immediate and dangerous physical complications from abortion. And they suffer long-term physical complications. Abortion is invasive and should not be done by medical workers who are not licensed physicians," Stenson added.

The bill's sponsor, Rep. Fran Wendelboe, told the Manchester Union Leader that permitting non-physicians to perform even non-surgical abortions was akin to "practicing medicine without a license.. Abortion is surgery."

The legislation rejected by the New Hampshire House would have also permitted the collection of critical data about abortions and the women who have them."

Today was a total madness. Chad got a call in the wee hours - something crop up back home - and he left on a late flight back via New York a couple of hours ago. Tyler's finally asleep - thank the gods. He was cranky, and has been crying a lot today. I wanna cry too, coz I don't know what was wrong exactly. It's hard to fathom his emotions sometimes, I don't know if he's angry or unhappy because during the first six months of life, most of his reactions are still neurological in nature, and do not quite exemplify real 'emotions'. What we adults perceived as anger, happiness or fear, for instance, may not be a true indication of what he is feeling. A red-face, cranky Tyler could be feeling a host of sensations of an unpleasant state. While it is tempting to ascribe grown-up feelings and motivations to young babies, there are huge differences between adult and baby emotions - simply because emotions are tied to cognitive and physical development. To feel 'emotions', babies will have to go through a building-block process where they will develop the experience, the expectations to feel whatever they are feeling. And since babies have not yet gained the experience that adults have, they are unable to experience emotions the same way.

'So maybe we should really consider what we talked about, CJ,' I told Chad in jest as he was leaving. 'The boy needs you.'

He laughed out loud, leaned over and gave me a big hug. 'Yeah, perhaps.' He grinned. 'Hey... you'll make a good mommy, J..'

You're damn right I will. I'll make a bloody great mommy :)

The Blackmun Wall: Website lists women killed by legal abortion

.. if the statistics are not enough.

Click to see The Blackmun Wall

'My abortion hurt me,' she told John Kerry, and a campaign staffer tore up her sign.

LifeNews.com reported that onlookers were surprised by what they saw and expressed their disagreement. One man walked over to the two women, said he was pro-life and that what happened "wasn't right."

Hmph. Let's see them do the same to Connecticut State Leader for Operation Outcry, Annie Banno. That would be (to quote columnist Mona Charen) "chutzpah on stilts."


RU486 update: This eighteen year-old girl bled to death after using the drug. Another one bites the dust :(

I managed to do a bit of shopping after my errands this afternoon. It's been a while. Can't imagine how tiring it can be - my back and feet were bloody aching by the time I got home nearly four hours later. How did I ever enjoyed it so much before, I wonder? Maybe this is why Emily hates shopping. Hmph.

By the way - Tyler turns two months old today :)

Another fine article: A pro-life atheist explains why.

Personally, I am not sure know how I feel about this.

She had her fears, however irrational they were. Somehow I just don't think she actually intended to kill her child.

I get afraid sometimes. I've heard a lot about SIDS and it frightens me. SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), said to be prevalent in babies under a year old, appears most frequently in between two to four months. It's every parent's nightmare. SIDS was reportedly responsible for most infant deaths in the US. Although the rate (of SIDS) has significantly decreased by more than forty percent, I am taking every possible measures to reduce the risk, much less avoid it entirely. Pediatrics has recommended that babies be breastfed - and although there is no evidence that directly links breastfeeding with a decreased rate of SIDS, to keep them healthy.

Still, I get afraid. Tyler turns eight weeks old in a day. I get afraid when it's time to put him to sleep in the cot.

In the first of its many pro-baby measures to boost the population, it was announced today that the Constitution will be amended. Babies born to local women abroad will now have rights to citizenships, giving an equal claim to babies of local men abroad. What's next? Breeding partner benefits? Hmph. More should be done for single parents as well. GRR.

They should make it an offence (punishable by castration, and supplemented by strokes of the thick, fat rotan) to feck and abandon to begin with. Seriously.

A fine article, must-read.


The so-called right to abortion has pitted mothers against their children and women against men. It has sown violence and discord at the heart of the most intimate human relationships. It has aggravated the derogation of the father's role in an increasingly fatherless society. It has portrayed the greatest of gifts - a child - as a competitor, an intrusion, and an inconvenience. It has nominally accorded mothers unfettered dominion over the independent lives of their physically dependent sons and daughters. And, in granting this unconscionable power, it has exposed many women to unjust and selfish demands from their husbands or other sexual partners. Human rights are not a privilege conferred by government. They are every human being's entitlement by virtue of his humanity. The right to life does not depend, and must not be declared to be contingent, on the pleasure of anyone else, not even a parent or a sovereign.

- Mother Theresa, Notable and Quotable, The Wall Street Journal, 2/25/94, pA14

It's official - I'm in love with Tamyra Gray.

Hearing her beautiful rendition of Whitney's I Will Always You on Boston Public and on loop all day has left me inspired all over again.

Goddess recommends: A good theme song for the obsessed and stalker-at-hearts aka Fatal-attraction.

And... Protestors who push the limits.

The choices we make.. shape the way we live our lives, defines who we are. Which is why abortion cannot be a choice unless women know what they are choosing.


"From a scientific perspective, Dr. Elizabeth Shadigian, professor, researcher, and ob-gyn, provided perhaps the clearest voice. In her testimony, she explained that while we may have sufficient information on how to perform an abortion or how to deal with the immediate complications of an abortion, we have few studies concerning long-term complications.

Based on the limited research available, Dr. Shadigian noted four conditions that research has shown to be related to abortion: breast cancer, placenta previa (when the placenta covers the cervix, thereby making it necessary to deliver by C-section), pre-term birth, and maternal suicide.

For every other medical procedure, health-care providers must inform patients about the benefits and risks of the treatment. In the case of abortion, a woman's right to privacy means that she is so isolated in her decision that she is not even given full knowledge of the treatment she has "chosen."

Unfortunately even professional organizations like the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) are not exempt from political bias either. Dr. Shadigian, member and fellow of the ACOG, cited the organization's opinion from its Compendium of Selected Publications, 2004, Practice Bulletin #26:

"Long-term risks sometimes attributed to surgical abortion include potential effects on reproductive functions, cancer incidence, and psychological sequelae. However, the medical literature, when carefully evaluated, clearly demonstrates no significantly negative impact on any of these factors with surgical abortion."

Interesting. Despite the fact that medical research shows a link to at least four serious conditions, none of them falls under the criteria of "significantly negative." Since when is maternal suicide a good thing?"

South Dakota Governer Urges Abortion Bill Rewrite

"Supporters of the legislation, which would outlaw abortion except when the mother's life is in danger, said it was designed expressly to challenge the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court ruling that guaranteed a woman's right to the procedure.

The proposal would make performing an abortion a crime punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. It does not make exceptions in cases of rape or incest and defines life as beginning at conception."

Spanky the boy was awake the whole time today, never mind the cold weather. I just wanna curl up like a ball.

So my sister battled the rain yesterday and came by with toys and colorful mobiles in screaming shades of red, blue, yellow and green for the boy. Chad fixed it up and hung it over the cot so that he could watch it as it spins. Although his vision wouldn't fully develop until the third to sixth month, he is able to distinguish faces or objects at close range. I thought it was garish, but well, I guess a baby sees them differently. Because in the early months, the cells in the retina of the eye, which see colors, are still developing; hence he only perceives muted hues. I am told that it is good way to stimulate his visual development - which probably explains why he seems so fascinated, so delighted with the spinning thing. When he sees something he likes, his body will jerk as he cooed and gazed with obvious pleasure. I could just sit there all day and watch him.

(A double post from Daisies today) Your IWD Tidbits:

Man is defined as a human being and woman is defined as a female. Whenever she tries to behave as a human being she is accused of trying to emulate the male...

- Simone de Beauvoir

The Myth of the Vaginal Orgasm: A tale of women's sexuality, Anne Koedt, 1970

Why I Want a Wife: A wickedly humorous introduction to the sex roles defined by conventional marriage, Judy Syfers, 1971

The BITCH Manifesto: An analysis on independent women, Jo Freeman, 1972

I'm a bitch awright. :O

"I remember an experience as a resident on a hysterectomy. I remember seeing the baby move underneath the sack of membranes, as the caesarean incision was made, before the doctor broke the water.

The thought came to me, "My God, that's a person" Then he broke the water. And when he broke the water, it was like I had a pain in my heart, just like when I saw that first suction abortion. And then he delivered the baby, and I couldn't touch it.. I wasn't much of an assistant. I just stood there, and the reality of what was going on finally began to seep into my calloused brain and heart.

They took that little baby that was making little sounds and moving and kicking, and set it on that table in a cold, stainless steel bowl. Every time I would look over while we were repairing the incision in uterus and finishing the Caesarean, I would see that little person moving in that bowl. And it kicked and moved less and less, of course, as time went on. I can remember going over and looking at the baby when we were done with the surgery and the baby was still alive. You could see the chest was moving and the heart was beating, and the baby would try to take a little breath, and it really hurt inside, and it began to educate me as to what abortion really was."

- quoted in 'Pro-Choice 1990: Skeletons in the Closet'


"The doctors would remove the fetus while performing hysterectomies and then lay it on the table, where it would squirm until it died. .. they all had perfect forms and shapes. I couldn't take it. No nurse could."

- Joyce Craig, director of a Brooklyn clinic of Planned Parenthood who assisted in abortion for two months, then quit. p 34


"Following [the doctor's] directions, I took the collection bottle and poured its contents into a shallow pan. Then I used water to rinse off the blood and smaller particles which clouded the bottom of the pan.

'Now look closely,' the doctor said. 'It is important that we have got all the stuff out.'

I looked in the pan to find that the stuff consisted of the remains of what had been, a few minutes before, a thirteen week old fetus. I could make out the remains of arms and legs and a trunk and a skull. I tried to piece them back together in my mind, to see if there were any missing parts.

Most of the pieces were so battered and bloody they were not recognizably human. Then my eyes locked upon a perfect little hand, less than half a centimeter long. I stared at four tiny fingers and a tiny opposed thumb, complete with tiny translucent fingers.

And I knew what I had done."

- former abortionist "Chi An" quoted in Stephen Mosher's 'A Mother's Ordeal: One Woman's Fight Against China's One Child Policy' ps 60-61


Why is there so much fuss about abortion? Isn't what is removed only a mass of tissue?

"But when I look in the basin, among the curdlike blood clots, I see an elfin thorax, attenuated, its pencilline ribs all in parallel rows with tiny knobs of spine rounding upwards. A translucent arm and hand swim beside."

- Sallie Tisdale, 'We Do Abortions Here'


Mother Theresa once said that it is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish. I posted these because a lot of people do not know what really went on inside the abortion clinic. It's easy to say, go have an abortion, or I can't have this child, I'm not ready to be a parent. But there's the physical and emotional aftermath. It's difficult.. just reading them. I'll never be the same.

And as I typed this, I glanced over to the couch where Chad had him - in his arms - and he was sucking his thumb, and moving his feet and making this cooing sounds, and I said to myself, My God, I'm so glad I was not that person.

You came near when I called you, and said Do not fear.

- Lamentations 3:57

I was just reading through my older entries in Daisies, the ones I wrote when I first got pregnant. The things I wrote back then, I cried just reading them all over again. It was difficult. I think I'll be lying if I said I never thought of an abortion back then because I did - not because I want to, but because it felt like I had to. I admit that I didn't know a lot about abortions then. Nobody told me how terrible (you should read this, by the way) it could be. It came to a point when I felt like I don't have a choice. But I'm glad I didn't make that choice. I'm glad I didn't succumb to the lies. Because these are things I'll be missing out on.


I see her in my sleep, my red, terrible girl.
She is crying through the glass that separates us.
She is crying, and she is furious.
Her cries are hooks that catch and grate like cats.
It is by these hooks she climbs to my notice.
She is crying at the dark, or at the stars

- Sylvia Plath, from 'Three Women'

So apparently the President of Planned Parenthood in Virginia lied about the unborn feeling pain, and spoke against this bill that would require anesthesia for fetuses before abortions - for fetuses aborted in the second and third trimesters. This, however, is an excerpt from an article I read earlier:

"Dr. Jean Wright, a specialist in pediatrics and anesthesiology, testified that a fetus develops pain receptors six or seven weeks after conception, and by 20 weeks can feel pain from head to toe.

She said that a fetus likely feels pain more intensely than a newborn baby."

I think we all know that a developing fetus/baby does feel pain because they're alive. But Jesus, would administering anesthesia to the unborn before they were killed justify the act? Like we're supposed to feel better knowing that they won't feel any pain? It breaks my heart, really.

I know what it looks like. But maybe some of you don't - so maybe you should look at this Silent Scream video.

The abortion war: Campaigns between a Pro-Life Group and the Pro-Choice Education (Grr.. do they think that women are that stupid?)

Gregg Cunningham, CBR's (The Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform) Executive Director, said, "So long as abortionists continue to kill babies, CBR's tow banner airplanes and billboard trucks will show America exactly what they're doing."

Click on the hyperlinks and look at the images.

I can't do this, whatever 'this' is. I don't want to be dragged down the dark hole, I don't want to lose myself again. I don't want a lot of money or fame, or whatever that comes with that. I no longer want all that. I just want to be a good mother. I want to be good. Socrate says that wealth does not bring goodness, but goodness brings wealth and other blessings. I don't want to be confused. I don't want to get caught up with my worldly desires and forget myself, forget what I was sent here to do.

My priorities changed that day, the day I had him. I don't want to say that it killed my ambition, or all things worldly that I want to do, because maybe I still want to, just that I want to do it differently this time.

I want to make a difference, I want to make my life counts. Maybe if that (thing with TR) ever really materializes, then I know I made it.

It could've been so different: Roe vs Wade Was Almost Overturned

Files of Roe vs Wade Author to be Unsealed: A behind-the-scenes view into the personal files of the late Harry A. Blackmun, the justice who authored the 1973 decision that legalized abortion.

URGH. Trolls sux ('cept for when I'm one). I try not to cuss too much these days - it's bad for the baby. The boy's been grouchy and wants to be carried a lot. Thankfully Chad is still here to help mind him - maybe I should just convince him to marry me, so that he can be my full-time nanny. I am so tired. It's the heat and it's getting to me.

Why is Blogspot running birth defects banners here?! :O

I removed the link to that thread by the way, because it got deleted. I guess I should also mention that I got flamed. Because 'the mere discussion of the topic abortion pleased me' - and because of that also, I was TACKY. I was just addressing my thoughts, hoping to save lives here and I was deemed 'pathetic'? Hmm. I guess my darling "Samson" does have a string of churlishly cranky trolls in his backyard.

I am appalled with some of the replies. Women are dying from abortions. This young woman bled to death. And this one too. Aren't the numbers enough to show how serious an issue this is?

Tacky, eh? Hmph. Guess I really must be coz I CHOSE YOU.

'Plan B': An editorial insight from the Boston Globe.

Interesting thread on abortion in the forum today - that dumbass has the audicity to even ask about who has to pay. Hmph. Don't let me get bitchy because I will. I think there is this unsaid protocol about things like this, but that in its own doesn't justify what is expected of the man. Like I said, it doesn't stop there, at the abortion clinic. Just because you think you got rid of what is yours doesn't mean you have done your part.

I refused to talk about the Oscars - and that's because it's in almost every damn blog I've read tonight. Let's talk about the weather. I hate the weather and so does my boys. It's just too bloody hot it's bad for my skin, for Sleepy The Boy's and bad for Little Stripe's fur. We've got a household full of crankies, a good excuse to have ice-cream at bedtime and more frolicking in the cool room. Chad don't seem to be complaining though, and that is really weird.

I think the hot weather is not only getting to Tyler, but Smelly too. They both seemed happy 'lounging' in the nursery with the air-condition on. Frankly, I am worried about Tyler being in an air-conditioned room a lot. I'd keep it off and open up all the windows in the day.. but it's just too bloody warm these days for them both.

I need an ice bath.

What a load of bollox!

"Abortion is only murder if the fetus is a human person. It's not."

Tactless and what I would call cheap editorial. The lengths people would go in order to deceive. Which is sad indeed. God bless your soul, arsehole.