Paul has been taking Andrew around town and snapping random photos of him for his Senior Picture. Here are some of the best he has taken:

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Andrew surprised and delighted both Paul and I this month by getting a 35 on his ACT test! I have had many moments to myself chuckling at the irony of this amazing test score. My long term readers and friends know that when we gave birth to Andy 17 years ago during our first Unassisted Childbirth, we had to transfer to the hospital because he was not breathing.

During the first three days of his life the staff at the hospital in an overwhelm of concern and obvious need to “set me straight” informed us over and over again that he was certain to be permanently brain damaged because of his homebirth and lack of oxygen after he was born.

During his first couple years a few friends and family members kept waiting for the damage to manifest, but it never did and he has been a delight to parent from the moment he entered our lives. I have to laugh thinking about the doom and gloom predicted and prophesied about this son-o-mine during his early years. The Medicos are particularly nasty when parents choose to forgo prenatal care and create the baby alone. I must confess to a secret desire to photocopy his test scores and mail them off to all the busy body nurses at those hospitals who were so put off by our choice to take personal responsibility for our child.

Nah. I will just go on enjoying the love and light emanating from my intelligent and handsome son while they continue to needlessly poison the innocents in their care with nasty birth drugs, vaccines, ultrasound, and baby formula.

Jenny Hatch