Gianna Molla Schrader
Max is very taken with his new sister. He's already a great big brother!
Mom and Gianna shortly after birth
Gianna at her BaptismSunday, May 20, 2007
Gianna Molla Schrader
Gianna Molla SchraderMax is very taken with his new sister. He's already a great big brother!Mom and Gianna shortly after birthGianna at her Baptism
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Not all Life Issues are Equal
Stephanie belongs to a great Catholic fertility Yahoo! Group. The ladies are wonderful and have meant much to her since she first discovered them. For myself, I am so very grateful for their prayers, advice, and stories that they all share. Many an evening I sit and listen to updates from Stephanie on the latest "thread".
Today she wrote on a thread in this group regarding the Supreme Court's ruling yesterday upholding the federal ban on partial birth abortion. She mentioned something I had said to her regarding the ruling. I had told her that elections matter and that because President Bush had been re-elected he was able to nominate two Justices to the Supreme Court who ended up voting to uphold the ban. I also told her it would have been a different ruling if John Kerry had been elected president and nominated two Justices. It is likely the ban would have been overturned.
Stephanie let me know that these comments caused someone in the group to reply that the lives lost in the "unjustifiable" war (in Iraq) might not be happening if Kerry were president. After this remark and in the same reply, the commenter made a plea to keep politics out of the messages in the group. I found it interesting that this plea came after the comment about Kerry and the war. It guess it is okay to get a "politics" comment in and then ask that no one else do the same. How convenient.
Well, here at Playing and Learning, politics is welcome. Very welcome.
It is unfortunate that any Catholic equates the lives lost in the Long War with those lives lost to partial birth abortion. They are not the same, in fact they are very different. One cannot equate the murder of defenseless, innocent children who have no choice in the matter, with the deaths of our brave uniformed men and women who knowingly put themselves in harms way and who freely choose to serve and defend their nation and its people against fanatical terrorists who would, if they could, attack us not like they did on 9/11 but worse. Far worse.
It is unfortunate that any Catholic thinks that electing a man who may have, by ending the American presence in Iraq, saved the lives of many of our military men and women, would have been better than electing a man who promised his Justice Department would defend the partial birth ban, and that he would appoint federal judges and justices who would likely rule to uphold such a ban. In truth Kerry wanted to keep partial birth abortion legal, yes legal, in this nation.
It is unfortunate that any Catholic thinks talking about men and women in government who want to keep abortion legal is "politics" and should not be discussed. (It would be one thing to not want to discuss it because it does not fit the general theme and purpose of the group, but is quite another to not want to discuss it because it is "politics".) Of the three serious contenders for the Democratic nomination for president, all said the ruling yesterday was unfortunate. Unfortunate!? Unfortunate that a means of killing babies is now outlawed? Unfortunate that no longer will babies brains be sucked out of their skulls while they are in the process of being born? Unfortunate that a small battle in the war against the culture of death in this nation was won?
No, what is unfortunate is that some Catholics hide behind "politics" so as not to discuss the reality of yesterday's ruling. I do not wish to offend and I do not want to stir the pot. Again, the women in the Catholic fertility group are a special group who mean so much to Stephanie and I. But, as an adopted child given up by a unmarried teenager and as a military officer I could not just let this one go. I will pray for them and I ask that those that read this pray for me. I also ask St Thomas More, patron of politicians and judges, to pray for our men and women in government making decisions involving life, all life.
Today she wrote on a thread in this group regarding the Supreme Court's ruling yesterday upholding the federal ban on partial birth abortion. She mentioned something I had said to her regarding the ruling. I had told her that elections matter and that because President Bush had been re-elected he was able to nominate two Justices to the Supreme Court who ended up voting to uphold the ban. I also told her it would have been a different ruling if John Kerry had been elected president and nominated two Justices. It is likely the ban would have been overturned.
Stephanie let me know that these comments caused someone in the group to reply that the lives lost in the "unjustifiable" war (in Iraq) might not be happening if Kerry were president. After this remark and in the same reply, the commenter made a plea to keep politics out of the messages in the group. I found it interesting that this plea came after the comment about Kerry and the war. It guess it is okay to get a "politics" comment in and then ask that no one else do the same. How convenient.
Well, here at Playing and Learning, politics is welcome. Very welcome.
It is unfortunate that any Catholic equates the lives lost in the Long War with those lives lost to partial birth abortion. They are not the same, in fact they are very different. One cannot equate the murder of defenseless, innocent children who have no choice in the matter, with the deaths of our brave uniformed men and women who knowingly put themselves in harms way and who freely choose to serve and defend their nation and its people against fanatical terrorists who would, if they could, attack us not like they did on 9/11 but worse. Far worse.
It is unfortunate that any Catholic thinks that electing a man who may have, by ending the American presence in Iraq, saved the lives of many of our military men and women, would have been better than electing a man who promised his Justice Department would defend the partial birth ban, and that he would appoint federal judges and justices who would likely rule to uphold such a ban. In truth Kerry wanted to keep partial birth abortion legal, yes legal, in this nation.
It is unfortunate that any Catholic thinks talking about men and women in government who want to keep abortion legal is "politics" and should not be discussed. (It would be one thing to not want to discuss it because it does not fit the general theme and purpose of the group, but is quite another to not want to discuss it because it is "politics".) Of the three serious contenders for the Democratic nomination for president, all said the ruling yesterday was unfortunate. Unfortunate!? Unfortunate that a means of killing babies is now outlawed? Unfortunate that no longer will babies brains be sucked out of their skulls while they are in the process of being born? Unfortunate that a small battle in the war against the culture of death in this nation was won?
No, what is unfortunate is that some Catholics hide behind "politics" so as not to discuss the reality of yesterday's ruling. I do not wish to offend and I do not want to stir the pot. Again, the women in the Catholic fertility group are a special group who mean so much to Stephanie and I. But, as an adopted child given up by a unmarried teenager and as a military officer I could not just let this one go. I will pray for them and I ask that those that read this pray for me. I also ask St Thomas More, patron of politicians and judges, to pray for our men and women in government making decisions involving life, all life.
Saturday, March 17, 2007
"Is your baby sleeping through the night?"
Stephanie and I were talking tonight about what lies ahead of us with the new baby. I brought up how agitated I can get when people ask, "Is the baby sleeping through the night?" The question, though supposedly expressing concern for the baby's well being, at least to me, is really expressing concern for the parents' well being. So, why not just ask the parents if they are sleeping through the night? To be fair, some do ask that question, but I believe this just shows that the concern is for the parents rather than the baby.
When I am asked questions such as this I always wonder how I should answer. I do not wish to be rude or condescending or point out the assumptions being made by the questioner. Instead I really want to be honest and positive. Well, we started brainstorming what a honest and positive answer to the question above should be from parents like us who co-sleep with their baby and from a mother who breastfeeds on demand during the night. Well, I racked my head for a few minutes with nothing but sarcastic and rather inappropriate answers. (I won't share them here.) Stephanie in a genius moment came up with the perfect answer with the positive and honest attributes I was looking for. She said, "Just tell them, 'It doesn't matter, because I'm still getting plenty of sleep at night.'" Brilliant!
The family bed and breastfeeding on demand are contrarian ideas today. It definitely is a unique way of doing things, but it works for us. So, I think I need to tell it like it is to those who pose the question, "Is your baby sleeping through the night?"
I can't wait to be asked.
When I am asked questions such as this I always wonder how I should answer. I do not wish to be rude or condescending or point out the assumptions being made by the questioner. Instead I really want to be honest and positive. Well, we started brainstorming what a honest and positive answer to the question above should be from parents like us who co-sleep with their baby and from a mother who breastfeeds on demand during the night. Well, I racked my head for a few minutes with nothing but sarcastic and rather inappropriate answers. (I won't share them here.) Stephanie in a genius moment came up with the perfect answer with the positive and honest attributes I was looking for. She said, "Just tell them, 'It doesn't matter, because I'm still getting plenty of sleep at night.'" Brilliant!
The family bed and breastfeeding on demand are contrarian ideas today. It definitely is a unique way of doing things, but it works for us. So, I think I need to tell it like it is to those who pose the question, "Is your baby sleeping through the night?"
I can't wait to be asked.
Saturday, March 3, 2007
To be more like Mary
Can you imagine being Mary for just one day?? I often think about her life as the Mother of Jesus and how selfless she had to be. On a bad day if I can get together enough to remember to ask Jesus for guidance. I always seem to be led to meditating on her life and how as a mother I should strive to be more like her. The task seems nearly impossible some days, especially today. Today I was sitting around feeling sorry for myself that I am uncomfortable and tired. When you are uncomfortable you can't sleep and when you are tired it drains you emotionally and physically and makes you even more uncomfortable. This morning I was wishing I was one of those women that just LOVE being pregnant and for the most part it was easy but God knew that's not what I needed. This morning I received an email from a woman at my Church that was looking for help leading a station this Wednesday night and there was link to go and read Mary's way of the Cross which is a beautiful version of what Mary endured during Jesus' Passion and Death. I thought I can do that. After reading the first 3 I was crying so hard I called my husband in to give me a hug. It has put today in perspective for me. Amazingly I feel so much better than i did 1 short hour ago. If you are a mother grab a hanky and click on the link below and read through each station. I hope and pray that you too will find your spirit renewed with selflessness, a trait that every mother needs. Gods Blessings on all of my Family and Friends near and far.
http://gloryb.members.atlantic.net/index20.html
http://gloryb.members.atlantic.net/index20.html
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Mardi Gras Party
What a beautiful day it was today!! Our living arrangements since June 06 has been on a military base in housing that are quads (4 houses hooked together). There is another quad across from us and we have a community "front yard" . This has been good in many ways but does have it's occasional downfalls. Today we all got together for a potluck outside (Cajun style). I brought Blackberry Cobbler that took 2 hours to cook sine i tripled the recipe. I brought it and and a bucket of ice cream out and it was almost gone within 30 mins. I could hardly believe that 3lbs of blackberries were gone!!! The kiddos decorated there power wheels and had a parade. We sat outside from noon to 6:30 pm!! Max fell asleep as Daddy was reading to him. He was EXHAUSTED!!
Friday, February 23, 2007
Happy Birthday
Happy Birthday to my dear husband. Max asked Dad his favorite cake when he came home from working out this morning and he picked Carrot Cake. Max got right to work and had the carrots "pulverized", oven set, eggs cracked, sugar and oil measured and beat, flour sifted and in the oven within 20 minutes. Now our home is filled with a yummy aroma of a baking cake which will be frosted and topped with 36 candles tonight. The cake will be enjoyed by us after some Pizza. Timer is going off........
Stephanie
Stephanie
Here I Am
OK... So I have been wanting to start a Blog for a lil while now and my nap from 8pm to 11pm has enabled me to be up at 1:30 am and figure this all out.
Stephanie
Stephanie
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