Cupcakes....truffle cupcakes...

So when I cook or bake, I often fly by the seat of my pants, rarely measure anything, throw stuff in a pan or bowl till it looks or smells just right...but I was told I was not allowed to let this fall into the annals of Becca's memory, never to be made the same again...so here it goes...you're lucky I actually measured stuff this time...

... I had this idea....I love chocolate truffles, and anything with ganache really...why not make a ganache filled cupcake...."truffle cupcake"?
So I used this recipe for chocolate cupcakes:

• 1/4 cup (2 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup (7 ounces) sugar
• 2 ounces of your favorite chocolate (You can use any plain chocolate that you like except white chocolate or candy melts. The chocolate doesn't have to be one typically earmarked for baking - any chocolate bar that isn't flavored and doesn't contain mix-ins like nuts, Rice Krispies, nougat, etc. will work.)
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 large egg yolks, room temperature
• 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon (4 1/2 fluid ounces) vegetable or canola oil, measured in a liquid measuring cup
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup (2 3/4 ounce) full-fat sour cream
• 1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) cocoa powder (natural or dutched will both work with this recipe)
• 1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces) room temperature water, measured in a liquid measuring cup.
• 
  

Follow the hyperlink for the instructions...

For the ganache filling: I used 3/4 of a cup of heavy cream and a tablespoon of butter and brought that to a simmer, and poured it over 1 oz of 60% cacao chocolate, 1oz of semi sweet chocolate, and two handfuls of milk chocolate chips(you want about 5 or 6 oz of chocolate in total)....I used ghiradeli brand for all my chocolate...they are one of the few brands that does still use real vanilla and just seem to have overall better flavor than Hershey's or Nestle(and they are the only other brands readily carried at my local grocery stores).   Of you want to use a pricey Godiva, go for it....I just think the quality of the chocolate is important!  Now, mix this warm cream/butter with the chocolate until smooth and set it aside.  Microwave it for ten seconds if it doesn't get smooth...but it should!




When the cupcakes are done, let them cool for about fifteen minutes...this is often a good time to make the ganache.  

Then, I took a paring knife and cut little circles into the tops of the cupcakes and took out the "core" of them.  Don't go all the way do to the bottom though...you still want some bottom to the cupcake.

Then I put about half the ganache into a ziplock bag and cut a tiny hole out of the corner, and poured the ganache into the prepped cupcakes.  If you overfill them a tad, that is ok...it settles a little I'm the next stage. 




This is where it gets time consuming.  You need to refrigerate the cupcakes at least an hour to let the ganache settle and firm up....otherwise, you won't be able to frost them.  I chilled them overnight, so all I had to do was frost them the morning of the event I took them too!

Then, for the frosting:
1/4 cup of heavy whipping cream - simmering
1/4 cup of high quality ghiradeli white chocolate chips
1 stick of softened butter
4 cups of confectioners sugar
Vanilla bean ppwder(optional)
A few tablespoons of cold whipping cream.

I put the chips in my mixer and poured the simmering cream over them and mixed it on low for about a minute.  Scrape down the bowl if needed and mix some more...it should be pretty smooth.  Then add the stick of butter.  Mix until well combined!  Then add the four cups of sugar, vanilla bean powder and mix...it will not look quite right...and might just become an ugly white lump in your mixer...slowly add the cold cream as needed, until it whips nicely.  I piped my frosting, so it needed to be firm to hold shape, but soft enough to pipe.  If it gets too soft, add a bit more sugar.  

I just piped the frosting in little flowers on top, and sprinkled a pinch of espresso powder to garnish on the frosting.


The white chocolate frosting doesn't melt into a blob of butter cream when warmed either.  I left these in the car on a hot Fl day for over an hour, and the ganache became like a lava cake, but the frosting held it's form really well.  

These cupcakes were a hit at the bridal shower I took them to....super tasty, impressive, and worth all the effort.  I hope you enjoy them!

Happy baking,
Becca H.

Why I'll keep enjoying my Chipotle....

There's a frustrating trend in the world right now...boycotting.  "I boycott them because they take this _____ political stance!" "I can't stand that company, so I'm boycotting them for _____reason."  - you get the point.  Today, I saw several of my Christian friends post an article titled "Chipotle Tex-Mex Chain, Founded by Open Homosexual, Promoting Sodomy in Pride Parades Nationwide".(an article from over a year ago)  And I just wanted to say "so what?  Are you going to stop eating burritos because of one man's support/opinion on something?"  Well, these friends are pulling the "Bible route" on things.  In the Bible, it does mention homosexuality as a sin, in both testaments, with great emphasis on how bad it is.  Ok...that's fine...it mentions a whole lot of other bad sins too...and that all sins are equal in the eyes of God.

Let me explain...

You will NEVER find a company that agrees with you politically, economically, socially, and religiously.  You just won't...

To the Christian who says "there's nothing wrong with Chick-fil-a...they are great in all those areas!" I beg to differ...God says to treat your body as a temple in the New Testament, with strict dietary rules in the Old.  CFA has both MSG and aluminum in their standard and spicy breading...they have pesticides and/or GMO's in most, if not all, of their food...even their salads aren't "good for you"...so this company is in direct disregard for the Scriptures...and essentially you sin by supporting them, right?  Many of the large farms that the produce comes from basically have slave labor, and the Bible says to treat your servants well...doubt that is happening...and to take care of the land...GMO's have caused way more pesticide use and have damaged lands, farmers, the farming industry, cause excess waste and pollution, etc....commercial farming of chicken produces huges amounts of waste and pollution...you get the point...

Many companies like Gap, Ford, Citigroup, Johnson and Johnson, and MANY MANY others support the right to chose abortion...you, faithful Christian, have you looked up all of those companies and boycotted them as well?  In your opinion, abortion = murder, so you are supporting murderous companies by your actions....

Target and Starbucks and many other companies support gay rights....did you stop patronizing them?  I love both those places and could care less about their social/political stance...because they have clean stores, good employees, good benefits, and treat their customers well...more than I could say about Walmart and Dunkin Donuts.

And then there's the issue of the local front - do you ask your server at a restaurant, or the cashier at the grocery store, or the manager of wherever you are, what all of their political and religious beliefs are?  Because, I am 100% sure, they won't line up with every detail of your's.  And you, by your patronage, are supporting them...(P.S. Please PLEASE tip your server...they make substantially less than minumum wage...20% is a standard tip...and if they did a million things for you, throw them an extra buck or two...they worked hard for all those little details to come together.)  So are you making sure your server is not gay, adulterous, fornicating, stealing, lying, murdering, honoring their parents, having no other gods before the Lord, etc.?

And most things in America are often "Made in China"...China is polluting the Earth at a rapid rate, is in political turmoil, martyring Christians, terrible working conditions in the factories, force abortions on pregnant women, etc....so don't buy anything made in China either...

Now, back to Chipotle.  Personally, I think it is a bit immature to single out the particular issue of homosexuality and come down so hard on them for this(when it is obvious, every company you patronize will have some flaws somewhere...whether it be child labor, bad pay to the workers, bad effect on the ecology/economy of the area it is in, etc)...when almost two years ago, you were proudly supporting Truett Cathy and his Biblical stance on marriage...and how this was America, and you have the right to believe what you believe!  Indeed, we do.  So does Mr. Ellis of Chipotle.  Chipotle DOES have some really great values...like treating their animals and farmers really well, using local and/or organic produce when possible, treating their workers well(their turnover rate is really low at the restaurants I patronize), good value for the food - giant meals for a decent price...and when all is said and done, maybe a penny or two is going to the thing you just cannot support...

Christians are most often criticized for being hypocrites.  And rightly so...ALL humans are hypocrites at SOME point in their life.  We just happen for be very vocal about certain things, while completely neglecting others.  Jesus specifically said to pay attention to the log in your eye before the splinter in someone else's.  Paul also said not to judge the unsaved, because that is God's job...

If I had a business, with a good product, for good value, with mostly "good principles", and someone did not use me because I go to church, how upsetting would be that be?  I know that members in every church have differing ideas...you may not agree with everything your pastor or deacons say or do, or what their secretaries say or do...but you still give the church money, and pay their paychecks, essentially. 

You aren't going to agree with everything, or be completely ok with where your money goes...stop stressing about it, and enjoy the life that you're given.  If you feel really convicted about it, then ok, stop giving money to something...but realize you're picking and choosing and probably supporting another company somewhere else that is doing the same thing, and you simply don't know about it.  There are much more productive things you could do...write an email to the company, pray for the leaders of the company, keep patronizing those places, and be a good example of a Christian that is loving people, no matter if you agree with what they're doing.  It is quite possible to love someone while disagreing with their behavior.  I'd rather not split hairs over one thing or another...Christ partied with tax collectors and other unsavory folks...He took on the uneducated and lowly fishermen...He didn't boycott them... 

Dear Baby,

Dear Baby H...
        today, I peed on a plastic stick...I had a feeling you were inside of me...but Daddy didn't believe me.  All my friends are getting ready to have their babies in the next month or two and I was so sad, because I didn't know I had you. 
        My whole life, I wanted to be a mommy.  But things weren't looking good for that.  This came up, that came up, my health became a bit weird...I was so scared I would never have you.  I cried, and prayed, and talked with Daddy, my friends, and Nana too! 
        And today, when I looked at that stick, it showed a + sign...God has funny math you know....1+1=3.  I am going to go to the doctor on Monday and probably a lot more in the next several months.  I am going to spend a lot of money and time...loving you! 
      You already make me tired, and sometimes sick to my stomach.  You make my heart flutter with joy and my smile can't fall off my face.  Daddy told me today, "Don't tell anyone, we need to go to the doctor to be sure first!  Honey, stop smiling!  All our friends will know immediately from that smile that you are pregnant!"  But I can't stop smiling, and I don't care if everyone figures it out...I'm just super happy today.
      That silly little stick changed my entire day...and you will change my entire life.  What a special blessing you are to Daddy and I.  I can't wait to count your fingers and toes and see what hair color you have (I'm voting for blonde or red...but Daddy says brown).  I want to hear you laugh and hold you when you cry....
It is pretty crazy that less than 12 hours ago, I peed on a stick...and it changed everything...I cannot believe how much I love you little Baby...

One year later - 2/28/2014

Baby Samuel James...your hair is brown...your eyes are still steely gray...they haven't decided if they will be blue or brown yet...you weigh about 17.5 pounds...where did my little baby go!?  You are 15.5 weeks old..and my heart overflows with joy!  Your daddy is a wonderful husband to me, which helps me be a better mommy, and a great daddy already to you...he holds you when you cry, he sang to you the first time he held you in the hospital(most precious moment of that day, besides getting to hold you myself!)...he makes the funniest faces when he changes your dirty diapers...he hums and bounces you, and loves you like no other!  You definitely changed our world...and we wouldn't have it any other way! 
One year ago, I found out that you were coming...and I'm so glad you did.  You are a constant example of God's grace and blessing!  We are so proud at how healthy you are and how fast you're growing and learning.  You just started liking Baby Einstein videos, grabbing things around you, testing out your voice, and playing in your jumperoo! 
You are my sunshine, my joy, my little love, and my son, whom I love with all my heart. 

Health Rant #5 - Vaccines 102 - A summary of a course by Dr. Cornelia Franz

On Sunday February 16th, I went to a seminar titled “Immunizations: The Untold Facts” by Doctor Cornelia Franz (a pediatrician in Orlando.  Samuel’s “pediatrician”, a nurse practitioner, Margaret Witzleb, works under Dr. Franz’s  supervision) .  I went with my parents, who were also curious, and I told them “I don’t know her stance on vaccines; just that she is careful and accepts children who are not vaccinated.”  (If you would like to take this class, please let me know and I will email her and see if she can come to this area or do another one in her office.)

We got there, just two minutes late, and she was saying “I started teaching this course to convince parents why they need to vaccinate…”  I schmirked…I did…wondering what kind of course this would be…

Her next statement went something like this – “I believe all vaccines to be morally and ethically irresponsible”.  Now, I smiled.  Schmirk – gone!

She went on to explain that vaccines are not immunizations.(Although, those two words are commonly interchanged).  Vaccines are what are given to a patient, an immunization is sometimes the result from the vaccine that is done by the body.  NONE are 100% full proof, and many are much less than 50% when you look into the studies,or need several rounds of a vaccine to illicit a response…which again, is not 100%...so you can give 5 doses of something, and still get the disease…(Side note: She cited how Merck made up studies about MMR for well over 10 years…completely falsified…¹)

She went through the history of vaccines…how there were only 2 true good vaccines, because they used live viruses – small pox by Edward Jenner  1796²  and oral polio vaccine by Albert Sabin in 1961³ (both NOT in use in America right now).  Both, also had serious issues – like infecting the person or their  family, with the actual virus and still had many side effects of the illness.  Infact, many people still died of small pox and polio, even after successful vaccination^4,5.  Remember, vaccination does NOT equal immunization. 

She went on to discuss what the ingredients are in vaccines and what they do when injected.  See, here’s part of the problem…we could eat some aluminum, and maybe 25% of that would end up in our bloodstream unabated…with injecting, versus ingesting, there are no barriers for a while…you inject something in the arm or thigh…it’ll be a while before it gets filtered by the liver or kidney…certainly no protection from the digestive system at all, at this point…so 100% of the aluminum or whatnot, goes into and is absorbed by the body, for better or worse.  The stomach and lungs and other areas have protective mucosal barriers to increase defenses with antibodies..also, the skin and mouth have, or should have, a wealth of flora and fauna to help defend also...

So I won’t cover everything, but I’ll cover a few of the baddies –

Aluminum – neurotoxin⁶.  It hurts the brain and other neurological tissues in the body.  It is linked with autism as well.²¹  It can be as high as .85mg in a single vaccine.  What happens when you get multiple vaccines in one visit?  What about if you “spread them out”…are they then safe?  No, because the build up is cumulative.  A 5 year old child following the current CDC schedule will be exposed to as much a 4.9 mg of aluminum- injected.⁷   The FDA is aware of the problem….babies are receiving as much as 50 times the “safe dose” of aluminum (no, I don’t think any is safe…) when they are 2 months old!⁸

 

MSG – another neurotoxin.⁹  Many people know that this is a BAD thing to eat.  You see products everywhere that say “No MSG*” or “No MSG added*”.  It is “generally recognized as safe”(GRAS) – that is a whole other problem…large conflicts of interest with the FDA and GRAS’s¹⁰; but thousands upon thousands of people report very negative health effects from eating it…and vaccines inject it.  MSG has been linked to other like MS¹², autism¹¹, obesity, and epilepsy¹³…We have no idea what it does when injected.  It has not been thoroughly tested for safety for ingestion…or injection…

Animal and/or human cells – again, this doesn’t seem to be a big deal…we eat animal products all the time.  But vaccines aren’t kosher, halal, vegetarian or vegan…they have pork/dog/monkey/egg/cow/etc. cells…and human aborted fetus cells in them…So if you are a Jew, Muslim, animal-friendly vegetarian, or purist no-animal product ever vegan – some vaccines technically violate your religion(belief or adherence to something).  Ok, so you’re NOT a Muslim/Hindu /vegan hybrid…what’s the big deal?  Well, the human cell line can be carcinogenic.¹⁴  Mouse brain cells can cause paralysis.¹⁵  Egg (chick embryo cells) cause brain/nerve cell inflammation…compounded with what we know of mercury(flu shot and trace amounts in DTaP-although it is not listed in the packaging) and/or aluminum in vaccines, the brain inflammation essentially makes it ripe for the neurotoxic metals to move in!¹⁶  You get the picture…the animal/human cells can and do cause damage, when injected…eat all the eggs/steak/bacon/etc. you want (avoid human tissue if possible :-P) and it will not do the things that it does when injected…especially in the presence of the other problematic ingredients.  And I could go on about the other mammalian tissues, but I’ll continue.

Formaldehyde – here, we are looking at yet, another carcinogen.  It is dangerous when eaten or inhaled, it is far more so when injected.¹⁷  There is an argument about it being very small amounts…or formaldehyde is present in food, etc.  Well, in food, it is bound, normally, to pectin…rendering it SAFE.  Also, we are talking about food…remember, the digestive system has a huge checks-n-balances system…it can, and does protect you…the skin protects you too!  But we inject it…no digestive or integumentary systems to protect us. 

Polysorbate 80-this one is terrible!  It is in food too(remember, GRAS ingredients and FDA conflict of interest!¹⁰)!  (It is bad in food also, REALLY bad when injected).  This culprit has offenses such as carcinogen, anaphylactoid reactions, infertility, toxin, and opens the blood-brain-barrier (BBB). ^18,19

Antibiotics- antibiotics save lives.  They absolutely do.  They can leave a problem behind when they are done with their cycle though.  Diseases are becoming resistant to them.²²  They kill good and bad bacteria.²³  You need good bacteria for good health.²⁴  Babies don’t have a well developed  microbiome (it takes a minimum of two years for a mature microbiome…that is assuming that there were no interventions….vaccines, antibiotics, formula, etc. will all effect the development, or lack thereof, of the microbiome), so adding an antibiotic(INJECTED once again) may damage proper growth and sustenance of the microbiome.  Babies need a vaginal birth (if possible, for the first dose of probiotics- antibiotics administered during the labor process will diminish the effectiveness of that first “dose” however),  breast milk (which contains pre and probiotics specially formulated to their biological needs), and the better the microbiome, the less likely that baby will get sick.²⁵  We also, as adults, need to sustain and provide for our microbiomes, with fermented foods, not using antibiotics when possible, and not using “antibacterial” products-which also cause resistant bacteria in streams and rivers.²⁶  Antibiotics in vaccines can cause yeast infections, colitis, diarrhea, and drug allergies.²⁷

 

 

Ok, I believe I have made my point (I could go on, but I’ll spare you) – ingredients in vaccines can be, and ARE, dangerous.  If you are feeling called to mission work in Zambia, you have to get yellow fever vaccine…it is legally required to enter that country…and it is an awful vaccine…so there are times when you might need to be vaxed…don’t think I would pick that particular country for a family vacation though…but that is the only country that requires any form of vaccines.  A lot of military stuff require vaccines...I have a friend who is a navy wife, and is not traveling with her husband to all the places she could, because she firmly believes in the problems with vaccines and won't have her children vaxed just for the sake of traveling with the military.  Yes, it is a sacrifice, but one she willingly makes for the safety of her children.

 

 Now, you might be scared of words like – measles, mumps, polio, whopping cough, flu, etc.  Well, Dr. Franz explained how most of those diseases are:

 A. not deadly under normal conditions, especially in America or other first world countries and/or countries with decent healthcare and nutrition. 

B. these diseases were well on the decline before mass vaccinations.²⁰ 

C.  Most of the diseases can be avoided with healthy lifestyle choices(I.e. healthy food, chiropractic care, exercise, fresh air, sun exposure-vit D, etc.) 

D. if you DO get the dreaded….measles, flu, polio, etc.  you can treat them…with several different methods – modern western medicine and/or traditional medicinal practices(when I had polio, we used Echinacea tea, willow bark, real chicken soup, etc.). 

       As someone who had the flu, polio, strep, whopping cough, etc. (and by the way, I was fully vaxed for polio and whopping cough on the 1980-ish schedule…which is about 25% of what the current vax schedule is now) I am currently, quite healthy.  I almost never get sick.  Literally, almost never.  Even as a child, I rarely got sick…ate my veggies, played outside, etc.  There are many vaccines for useless things like rotovirus - sounds scary right?  It is diarhea...smelly diarhea...worst case scenario - your kid is in the hospital for dehydration.  One of the potential side effects of this vaccine is your child's colon rolling up on itself internally...no thanks, I'll risk the diarhea.  There is also evidence to suggest that vaccines are spreading diseases, like whopping cough, and still offering no protection.

 

Besides the fact that vaccines have carcinogens , neurotoxins,  risk infertility, open the BBB, cause secondary infections, autoimmune disorders and allergies, type 1 diabetes and are linked with SIDS³³, Altzheimer’s/brain damage³⁴, etc…they also cause autism.  No, I do not believe that they are the ONLY way they cause autism^21,28…not all vaccinated children develop autism…or any of those side effects already listed.  It is a risk though.  Since the long term effects, good or bad, have not been studied,²⁹ and there is also some evidence to indicate that vaccinated children are literally LESS healthy than unvaccinated children,^30,35 I find vaccines to be too risky to chance it.  I wouldn’t let my child eat the ingredients I listed, I certainly don’t want to inject them(especially into babies and small children).  Perhaps wait a few weeks or months for vaccines?  Hep B is injected within 24 hours of birth, whether or not the mother is a carrier!  Get to know your child a bit before you start with the injections.  Dr. Franz waits a minimum of 6 months.  Japan found that once they waited until babies were 2, they didn't need as many boosters and such, because the microbiome and immune system were developed enough to respond better to a vaccine.  (also, their SIDS rates dropped to almost nothing....see #33)  Also, the vaccine schedule of today, is drastically different than the schedule of 70's and 80's babies.  1983 vs. 2013  Disease for disease - we're exposing the children to about 7 diseases in 1980's, and nearly 140 in 2013...seem odd?  Here's Dr. Franz's 5 reasons not to vaccinate: 
1.  Severe reaction after first round of vaccinations:
      -allergic reaction like hives after the shot
      -Seizure of collapse
      -Cry nonstop for 3 hours or more
      -Temp of 105 or more
2.  Child is ill: Fevers, allergy problems, eczema flare up
3.  Family history of autoimmune disease: "Children in families that have a history of autoimmune disorders are at increased risk of developing disorders from a vaccine."

4.  Immune deficiency or neurologic disorder, HIV, epilepsy, Guillain Barre syndrome, or any nervous system disorder.
5. Specific allergy to a vaccine component.

 

Why did I write this blog?  I already did one on vaccines before!  I feel like it needs to be said more than once, I am far more educated on it now, than I was before (I have put in hundreds of hours on this topic alone), and I’m concerned.  I am concerned for the lack of health(whether it be mental, physical, emotional, etc) that I see every day…

 

Too often I have heard “well, I would rather have a child with autism than one that got…the MEASLES!” – the death rate of the measles was less than 3 in 10 million before vaccines started.  And have you had to deal with an autisitic baby/child/teenager 24/7?  Talk to their parents who have.(Check out our4boys.com - a friend of mine with children with vaccine induced autism.)  Autism, autoimmune disorders, chronic illness, etc…they are all life threatening too!  I personally know someone who regressed to non-verbal autistic at the age of 5…not a baby…not a misdiagnosis…a 5 year old little boy, suddenly didn’t speak…didn’t know how to use a toilet anymore…has life threatening seizures when he misses simply 1 day of his medication.  Does his mom wish he had never had those vaccines?  Absolutely!  He will never live on his own, get married, communicate properly, go to college, have children of his own, etc.  Getting a “vaccine preventable disease”, which again,  is very possible even if you are vaccinated, definitely looks like the better option to those moms who know that their child’s autism is a direct result of vaccines.  Autism is not always super smart with social disorder and ticks.  It can be much more(and much less) and much worse than that. 

 

I hear this a lot too- “I’m trusting God that whatever happens, like if my kid gets autism or MS or whatever, was supposed to happen.”  Well, that logic evades me.  I’m sorry, it doesn’t make sense.  To me, that seems like letting a kid play in the busy street, and trusting they won’t get hit by a car unless God wanted them too.  The ingredients are obviously dangerous, there are thousands upon thousands of cases of death and horrible reactions to vaccines…why risk it?!  God gave us amazing immune systems – that need nourishment…we didn’t get to be 7 billion people on the planet because of mass vaccinations that started 50ish years ago….He didn’t make us with a “vaccine deficiency”…our bodies can extinguish invading pathogens wihtout a vaccine…it can find a germ and get rid of it, even without symptoms…you don’t need a vaccine to tell it to do so…a well-nourished system already knows how!³²

“I trust my doctor to inform me with what is best for my family.”(SIDE NOTE: IF YOUR DOCTOR VACCINATES YOUR CHILD WHILE SICK or recently recovering, THIS IS A HUGE RISK AND AGAINST THE INSERTS written by the pharmaceutical companies! DO NOT LET your doctor vaccinate while your child is sick!)    How do you know your doctor will do what is best?  Do they intimately know your family and family history(like cousins, aunts/uncles, etc.)?  Do they have a good reason to genuinely care for you, other than income and you seem like a nice person?  How much time do they take getting to know you and your concerns?  Do they spend time informing you of all the risks with each procedure and medication?  How much time have they invested in research?  (Med school text books are often printed by pharmaceutical companies.  The research done and listed in them are funded by the same companies.  Those same companies make billions on vaccines…and even more when your child is now dependent on medicine(s) for life because of a chronic condition.³³  Once again, conflict of interest….) I promise you, that if you are reading this, you are probably a friend of mine, and I probably love you and your child way more than your doctor does....

 

The scare tactics…people will tell you that you are a bad parent…ignorant, unscientific, lazy, etc. for even considering not to vaccinate.  Honestly, it is no one’s business.  You don’t need to tell anyone.  It isn’t legally required in any state…there are always exemption forms(medical, religious, and philosophical)…some are a bit more difficult to acquire (WV and Mississippi specifically).  WIC, food stamps, Medicaid, etc…do NOT require them.  They may ask for shot records…but a blank one, is still a shot record.  It doesn’t need to be filled in!  I have put my personal stance out there, and take the abuse for a reason…I genuinely hope that I trigger something in someone’s mind to maybe make a change…stop vaccinating(you don’t need to “finish the regimen”)…to never vaccinate at all…or to simply have respect for those that don’t.  I’m not ignorant…the links I have posted are scientific…many are directly from the FDA or CDC.   Am I lazy?  I took hundreds of hours to research this topic, combined with my degree in science, you could say thousands of hours behind this(two weeks just putting this stuff together during baby nap time and such).   There are plenty of doctors who do not support vaccinations.  Just because they may be fewer than the majority, it doesn’t make them wrong.   You might be surprised how many people don't do vaccines...just haven't ever told you.

 

I don’t think you’re a bad parent if you vaccinate.  I think you might be a little misled or misinformed by doctors or the media.  You may be completely informed, and are ok with the risks.  But, I think that you’re probably scared…scared of diseases or illness or peer pressure or what have you.  You know what – being a parent is very scary…a little tiny life in your hands to protect until adulthood…and after.  You want to do what is best for your child…you want them to be healthy and wonderful like every parent ultimately wants for their child.  I challenge you to genuinely think about the health of your child.  Are they truly healthy?  Infrequently sick, regular bowel movements and appetite, good energy levels, healthy “glow” in their skin, alert, no crazy mood swings, etc(and remember, long term effects like brain damage, cancer, and infertility may not be apparent for many, many more years)….and maybe you can answer “yes” to all of these questions…and that’s great…and I’m very happy for you…but someone else won’t be able to, because of vaccines…but there is hope!  Vaccine injured people (children and adults) can do detoxes, chelation therapies, special diets, etc. to help correct some of the damage.  Never has the world seen such a sickly nation, that spends the largest amount of money on health care...and is the most vaccinated country on the planet...I am not saying vaccines are 100% responsible for these problems, but I certainly give them some credit.  Please feel free to ask me any questions about vaccines or the diseases or anything pertaining to vaccines.  I love to research this topic, and will do my best to help you in any way that I can!

 

 

                        

Works cited:

(1)    http://www.nvic.org/NVIC-Vaccine-News/July-2012/merck-lawsuit-reignites-vaccine-safety-concerns.aspx

(2)  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1200696/

(3)  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2135158/

(4)  http://www.vaccinationcouncil.org/2013/08/27/vaccination-a-mythical-history-by-roman-bystrianyk-and-suzanne-humphries-md/

(5)  http://nsnbc.me/2013/05/08/bill-gates-polio-vaccine-program-caused-47500-cases-of-paralysis-death/

(6)  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21568886

(7)   http://drtenpenny.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Amount-aluminum-in-vaccines.pdf

(8)   http://thinktwice.com/aluminum.pdf

(9)  http://www.naturalnews.com/035243_Russell_Blaylock_MSG_interview.html#

(10)                       http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23925593

(11) http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0278584606002697

(12)                        http://www.msgtruth.org/multscle.htm

(13)                        http://www.msgtruth.org/epilepsy.htm

(14)                        http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/ac/01/briefing/3750b1_01.htm

(15)                        http://www.novaccine.com/vaccine-ingredients/results.asp?sc=241

(16)                        http://www.novaccine.com/vaccine-ingredients/results.asp?sc=70

(17)http://vactruth.com/2012/02/07/formaldehyde-vaccines-dna-adduct/

(18)http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC539316/

(19)                        http://www.novaccine.com/vaccine-ingredients/results.asp?sc=19

(20)                     http://genesgreenbook.com/content/proof-vaccines-didnt-save-us

(21)                        http://www.ageofautism.com/2012/03/the-aluminum-threat-a-interview-with-chris-shaw.html

(22)                      http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/

(23)                      http://commonhealth.wbur.org/2013/07/cell-damage-antibiotic-use

(24)                      http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/ultimate-social-network-bacteria-protects-health/

(25)                      http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/19/science/studies-of-human-microbiome-yield-new-insights.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

(26)                      http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/09/130919154433.htm

(27)                       http://ezinearticles.com/?Antibiotics---5-Reasons-to-Avoid-Them---Yeast-Infection,-MRSA,-Resistance,-Diarrhea,-and-Allergy&id=4592852

(28)                       http://healthimpactnews.com/2013/new-published-study-verifies-andrew-wakefields-research-on-autism-again/

(29)                      http://www.westonaprice.org/childrens-health/vaccinations

(30)                     http://www.naturalnews.com/038647_vaccinated_children_disease_risk_unvaccinated.html

(31)                        http://www.vaccinedecision.info/cgi-bin/viewcontent.cgi?article_id=37

(32)                      http://med.stanford.edu/ism/2013/february/dirt.html

(33)                      http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3170075/

(34)                      http://www.whale.to/b/blaylock.html

(35)             http://gaia-health.com/gaia-blog/2013-03-13/unvaccinated-children-suffer-fewer-infectious-diseases-study/
 

37 hours: my labor of love

Samuel James entered this world on 11/11:-)  I thought I would share his story for you.

11/09 - I was 40 weeks and 6 days pregnant.  I was planning a homebirth...in a birthing pool, in my dining room, with two wonderful midwives.  I woke up around 9, got my sneakers on, and went to pick up my best friend and cousin, Andrea.  We were going to get coffee and donuts and go walk the causeway (3 mile walk)....definitely wanting to have this baby!  I had pubic symphysis and had been in pain for weeks, often times, unable to sleep.  I had also been having Braxton Hicks and "false labor" off and on for several weeks too...needless to say, I was very ready to have this child.  After our walk, I went to the health food store to pick up some castor oil...it brought on my sister's labor, I was hoping it would start mine too!  It was around 2 pm that I took the oil, then I took a warm epsom salt bath with clary sage, peppermint, and lavender essential oils.  Clary sage and peppermint are supposed to be great for labor inducement...so I was hoping the walking, combined with the oils and the castor oil, I would get the labor going!  (The castor oil DID work, but it may have been what sent me to the hospital also...I don't think I'll be doing it for the next baby...I rushed things because I wanted him out...I should have been more patient!)

Around 7 pm, I started getting a lot of contractions.  At 7:45, my waters broke.  This is VERY early for water to break, but it was a sign I was in labor, so I was pretty stoked! Also, I had a LOT of water....after having leaky waters 11 weeks prior, I was happy to see my body had definitely recovered!

My midwives showed up around 8:30pm to check me and stay with me...We were all ready for a Sunday delivery...right on Daniel and I's 2nd wedding anniversary.  I was diffusing Balance essential oil right into my face as I contracted, it helped me keep focused and grounded in relaxing through the contractions!

11/10  I had labored most of the night(11-09)....my contractions were definitely getting stronger and more frequent!  Well, around noon on Sunday, I got checked again...and I simply wasn't progressing.  Not nearly fast enough.  My waters had been broken for QUITE a while now, and I was barely 3cm and still very posterior....  Legally, my midwives were running out of time to treat me.  They recommended I go to the hospital, get pitocin and an epidural (mind you, they are both VERY anti-medication...so my situation was serious enough to NEED those meds - pitocin would help me dilate, and the epidural would give me some much needed rest and allow my cervix to descend....which was just as needed as the dilation)

So, in tears and a panic, I got transferred to the hospital.  I did NOT want antibiotics or a c-section(or to be at the hospital at all!!)  And those were the two things I was bound to get in a hospital!  Dr. Conrad, the on call OB, came in, told me I would be going on pitocin to speed labor up...mentioned I could get the epidural if I wanted one, and under my midwife's advisement, I decided to get one(He never once said the words c-section or antibiotics...God was listening to the prayers of the friends and family...I didn't want antibiotics because it damages the flora and fauna of both me and the baby, and opens the body up for later infections or illness...and I didn't want a c-section for the obvious reasons of it being a major surgery, with a lot of possible problems...yes, many are done safely, and are medically necessary, but I still wanted to avoid one if possible)......  Bear with me here...I do NOT like medicated births...If I hadn't been in labor for so long and it not progressing, I would NOT have gotten the epidural.  It was medically necessary for me.  If I wanted a vaginal birth, my cervix NEEDED to descend, I needed some rest, and the pitocin was going to put my body through the ringer!  Doing that without the epidural, I was probably going to be looking at a c-section, simply from lack of energy.  By the time the epidural was administered, I had been in labor over 24 hours.  It was excruciatingly painful.  The Dr. hit a nerve in my back...I screamed in pain with tears running down my face...Daniel was strong and steady...my rock...in my face telling me to focus on him!  I was trembling remembering every negative side effect I was nervous about!  Finally, the pain subsided, and I was ok...I got to sleep for a few hours off and on...they started my pitocin drip....I was hoping to meet my son sooner than later!  Again, both of these things became medically necessary, and I had already been in "natural" labor for over 24 hours...I weighed the risks of the meds, but hopefully ending with a vaginal birth, with the risks of a c-section(which would still require some meds)...I was determined to give this birth my all and do as much naturally as I could!

11/11 - 1am...I woke up...in horrendous pain on my right side...only on my right side.  My epidural had drained into my left leg, even with all the sleeping and shifting on different sides...So they checked me, I was at 8cm...getting closer!  They decided to give me another dose of epidural to help with the last part of labor...off to sleep I went!

4am - again, I woke in terrible pain...I checked the monitor, I was definitely in transition phase!  They checked me, I was too far along to give another dose of epidural to....I would have to do transition phase with pitocin and no epidural. (basically, I would do the worst part "naturally", but like times 10...)  For the next hour, I experienced horrible back labor....and contractions about 30 seconds apart.  It was so intense, I could barely breathe.  I kept checking baby's heart rate on the monitor...it never faltered.(it dropped ONCE when I was sleeping, but it came back just fine!)  His heart rate, through the whole labor, had been in the 140's and 150's....I was so thankful.  He was still doing great even though I was going through all of this!  My mom and Daniel held each of my hands while going through this horrible part of labor.  My mom kept saying to control my breathing.  Eventually, I started singing...it was the only way I knew that I could control my breathing and not think so much about the pain...and it worked.  I highly recommend singing through transition phase for anyone who enjoys singing.  Next baby, I will probably make a cd or playlist with songs I love singing so I can sing through the whole thing.

5am - checked me again...I was "complete"...a word I had been LONGING to hear!  At this point, I have been in labor for 35 hours!  They gave me the go ahead to start pushing...so me and my nurse, Colleen, and my mom, started the pushing phase...it was slow and steady for a long time....it felt like I wasn't progressing at all....but I was;-) ...my other nurse, Tracy came in, replaced Colleen, and helped me for a while longer...  Because my epidural had drained, twice over, into my left leg, the leg was entirely useless.  With each push, my mother lifted my leg into position so I could push properly...I still tear up knowing what a labor of love she did for me.  Her arm was SHAKING by the end of it...my legs are pretty heavy...I couldn't imagine her lifting it every minute and holding it for 45 seconds for 3 and a half hours!

7am - Michelle, the next nurse came in...She was a bit more stern than the other two...which is what I needed at this point...She encouraged and coached me really well into pushing harder!  I was at my wits end...exhausted beyond belief, frustrated at how difficult it was pushing him out, and a bit concerned now...my leg was still super numb...I know some people have permanent nerve damage because of epidurals...I thought I might lose some or all of my leg's function if I didn't start feeling something soon!  (I still have some pain and back spasms, but my leg is functioning!)

8:30am - The doctor looked at me and my progress, and essentially nudged the baby out and caught his head, not 5 minutes after entering the room.  He told me to "look up"...and I saw my sweet boy...full head of hair...and as I sat up a bit more, the rest of him just slid on out!  I was so overjoyed!

8:34am - Samuel James was born...he was weighed  8lbs and 10oz, 20.5 inches long!  He was shivering, but barely crying...so they tried to tick him off to get him to cry more(he was so peaceful and content, even just after birth).  Then he was fine...but he was still shaking, so they were worried about his blood sugar...but that was perfect too...  He had a temperature, so they rushed him to the nursery, Daniel went with him, where I feared they would give him antibiotics...but the Dr. realized it was just an epidural fever, and let it come down on its own...within about 2 hours, his temp was 98.6!  :-D  Whew!  But Samuel didn't come back to me until 11am...I was so sad to miss out on those first couple of hours after birth! I only held him for 5 minutes before they rushed him away :-(

I declined the first bath, eye goo, hep B shot, and Vit K shot...several of the nurses and doctors tried to convince me or Daniel that we were making very "risky" decisions by doing this.  So I will explain why I didn't do these things;

First bath - they have brand new, awesome skin, with a layer of vernix which has a lot of beneficial properties for his skin.  And he didn't have much vernix or really anything on his skin...he was born very clean and they just wiped him off a bit...he didn't get his "first bath" until yesterday.  Also, in the hospital here, they basically scrub the babies down with an exfoliator...and that is so unnecessary!  It makes their beautiful baby skin raw and pink and at times, makes it look wrinkly!  I saw other babies in the nursery, and all their skin looked very different than Samuel's...I was so glad I declined the bath!

Eye goop- or otherwise known as erythromycin.  It is an antibiotic, put on the eyes, to prevent infection(and possible blindness) for babies born vaginally, to mothers to have certain STD's.  I don't have those STD's, and I am very low risk for them, AND, if there IS a subsequent infection, you can always apply the oinment at a later time to prevent blindness.  So, going with my low intervention birth, I opted out.  (BTW, he is not blind, and has no infection)  The doctor(pediatrician in the nursery) DID try to fear monger Daniel into it, even claiming falsely(lying), that it is FL law to get it...

Hep B vaccine - this is hugely controversial, so I'll try not to get too involved.  Basically, babies don't have a blood-brain barrier for quite a while after birth...Hep B vaccine has a ton of toxins, like aluminum and formaldehyde, in it(and no blood brain barrier to protect the wee one's brain from said toxins), allergic reactions to it are fairly common, I do not have Hep B, and it is a disease only transferred BY BLOOD.  So unless the hospital was planning a blood transfusion, with contaminated Hep B blood, the risk of him getting Hep B is 0%.   I wouldn't let him EAT formaldehyde or aluminum, why would I inject him with it, when his risk for getting Hep B is so minimal!?  I didn't get the Hep B vaccine until I went away to college...and the ONLY reason I did, was because it was required if I wanted to live on campus.  (I am sure there is an exemption form, like most schools have, I just didn't know to ask for it.)

Vit K shot - It is only vitamins, Becca, you're a health nut who takes tons of vitamins, why wouldn't you get this?!  There are definitely risks to it...and there are risks not getting it.  Here's a great little info blog on it(or you could google "risks of Vit K shot...you'll get more than enough info on it!)...I have been taking Vit K (natural, whole food form) since about 37 or 38 weeks, and the protein shake I have used nearly every day of my pregnancy, also has a whole, natural form of Vit K 2.  I encourage you to look up the risks yourself if you are expecting a baby or know someone who is....the rarity of the brain bleeding from lack of K2, is very unlikely...it is also a genetic disorder...chances are, you would know if you had that problem in your family.  Being that neither Daniel or I have that genetic problem, we opted out of this shot.  Something to be aware of is that babies start MAKING their own vit K2 at 7 days old...actually, the beneficial e. coli in their colons make it...but that's for a different blog!

So even though I didn't get my homebirth, I did labor for a long time at home, I had a very low intervention birth (save the epidural and the pitocin), and am so in love with my little boy!  He's such a pleasant, content little baby....It is a joy to be his momma!   I am so proud to be the wife of Daniel, who was so strong and steady for the whole birth...I'm pretty much the luckiest, most blessed woman, in the world...

<3
Becca H.