This post is going to be about Jaundice and what you should know about it regarding your newborn.  As always, I want to thank all of you for taking the time to read this post and as always appreciate your input and experiences. 

Jaundice and your newborn:

Jaundice is a yellowish or light orange appearance of the skin and whites of the eyes.  It is a common condition in newborns and is usually not dangerous.

Jaundice usually appears on the 2nd or 3rd day of life in full term healthy infants, often disappearing in 1 week.  About 50% of full term infants get jaundice, but it is more likely in premature babies, more like 80%, and can last longer also.

Infants with bruising from birth, a sibling with jaundice or those who were delivered with help of a vacuum are at higher risk.

In most cases, jaundice is mild and is not problematic, but if it is more severe, present at birth or appears prior to 24 hours of life, treatment may be necessary. 

The causes of juandice :  Babys liver and other organs aren't fully mature.  One function of the liver is to rid the blood of excess Bilirubin, which is formed from the normal breakdown of old red blood cells.  This occurs all through life, but is more pronounced in the newborn period.  Until the babys liver begins to function fully, bilirubin tends to build up in the babys bloodstream, causing the skin and the whites of the eyes to become yellow in appearance.

The color change progresses from head to toe, so an infant with mild jaundice may only be yellow in the face, while one with severe jaundice will be yellow over more of his or her body, possibly all of it.

After being changed by the liver, most bilirubin is removed from the body through the babys bowel movements.  Increasing the feedings will increase bowel movements and help get rid of more bilirubin.

Occasionally jaundice can be caused by other problems.  If a baby and mother have different blood types, the mother may produce antibodies that destroy the newborns red blood cells.  This is called ABO incompatibility ( from the blood groups ), and can cause a sudden serious increase in bilirubin.

Another type of jaundice is called breast feeding jaundice, often because in the first few days baby doesn't get enough breastmilk, his bowels are not moving frequently and the bilirubin cannot be removed as easily.  The best way to treat this is by nursing more frequently.  Giving water feedings WILL NOT help.

The level at which jaundice may be dangerous depends on a few factors:

The babys age, whether the baby was full term or premature, or if the baby has any other medical conditions.  If your pediatrician is concerned they will do a skin or blood test as I discussed in my previous post.  When treatment is needed phototherapy is used.  Ultraviolet lights to help the body remove the bilirubin.  This is done in the nursery, baby is undressed except for his or her diaper and eye covers are used to protect his or her eyes.  The pediatrician will order checks to be sure the level is decreasing as it should.  The nurses will also check babys temps frequently, as the baby will be undressed and we don't want cold-stress to occur.

Report any yellow-orange discoloration to your pediatrician promptly, because if the level becomes extremely high, nervous system damage may occur, though this is very rare.

In my next post I will discuss Circumcisions.  Guys might not want to read that ! :  )

As always, thanks for reading and contributing your experiences. 

God bless you and yours,

Meredith - RNC

"And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken. For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac. And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him. And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him. And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me. And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age. And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned." Genesis 21:1-8 (KJV)

It seems that the original promise had only been given to Abraham, yet it is reasonable, profitable, and Biblical to believe that Sarah was the woman through whom a "great nation" was to come (Genesis 12:1-3ff.). Abraham is assured of this promise many times, and I am sure he gives assurances to Sarah concerning this promise, that God has promised them a son, or children. Sarah knew of the promise when she presented the Hagar idea (Genesis 16:1-3ff), and Abraham followed her insistent pleading. In the seventeenth chapter God renews the promise to Abraham, and for the first time mentions the name of Sarai; changing the names from Abram to Abraham, and Sarai to Sarah. Yet, only Abraham hears the voice of the LORD.

It is not until the eighteenth chapter that we have the LORD, in person, speaking directly to Abraham. and Sarah nearby hearing the promise "I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son." (Genesis 18:10a). It is at this point that she laughs. Is it a laugh of unbelief, or a laugh of frustration with the thought, "Yeah, right, like a ninty year old woman could have a baby"? It could be a little bit of both, yet knowing well God's promise has not yet been fulfilled.

The first verse of our text tells us "And the LORD visited Sarah as He had said..." Remember what the LORD has said, "Sarah thy wife shall have a son". Oh, how precious to have a visit from the LORD. Mary, the mother of Jesus, could tell us much about that. The birth of Isaac and the birth of Jesus are both precious miracle births. The first due to the age of the woman, and the second due to the fact that she was a virgin. Some would allow and argue that all human births are miracles, but I would beg to differ. These were also miracle conceptions, because God alone determined the person who would be born. I could agree with all conceptions being a miracle of God. There are a couple more miracle births mentioned in Scripture; the birth of Samson, though we are not told of her age we are told that she was barren (Judges 13:2-3), this birth is a miracle because God said it, brought it to pass and named the boy; another is the birth of John the Baptist to elderly parents who had been barren, similar to Abraham and Sarah (Luke 1:5-25). You could add one more and that being the birth of Samuel in 1 Samuel 1:1-2:11. Samuel came as a result of believing prayer on the part of his mother.

The conception of Jesus in the womb of His mother was different from them all. His mother was a virgin at the time of conception, and remained a virgin until after Jesus was born; "Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS." Matthew 1:24-25 (KJV). The Father of Jesus is the God of Creation. That is not true of Isaac, Samson, Samuel, or John the Baptist. No one can say they have God as their Father, except Jesus Christ alone.

In the conception of Isaac God came to Sarah and opened her womb, caused the seed of Abraham to fertilize the egg of Sarah, and designed the male baby, that would grow to become a man of faith. There is a promise here to all people who believe God; that promise being that He will fulfill His Word, and His promises. There should be no doubts about that.

Laughter was the name of the son who was born to them. The happy, joyous couple must have danced with joy upon knowing she was pregnant, and then, they were filled with joy, excitement waiting for that son to be born. Laughter and joy fills mothers and fathers of every era of time and parents of different ages too. As I write this I am in the fifty fourth Summer of my life, and I could not begin to imagine having children at that age. Our children are all in homes of their own, with children, with the exception of our youngest and his wife. The grand children are a joy. I would not want to think of having to diaper, feed and clothe, and care for everyday, a newborn baby of our own. There are couples who are waiting till they are older to have children, then, are having more difficulty conceiving. When they do conceive, they are really joyous about it, and may God bless them.

How Sarah's heart must have yearned those nine months to hold, and suckle that baby boy, as she was waiting for his birth. The anticipation, the waiting, the excitement, and the exuberance that must have flooded her soul, and that of Abraham's too. The Church has been given the promise of the return of our Lord and Savior; but where, oh where, is the anticipation, the waiting, the excitement and the exuberance in the Church for His return? It is hardly even mentioned in the pulpits of today. It is given rather to being spiritual, not real, but having to do with a person's salvation, or their death. "So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation." Hebrews 9:28 (KJV). If you will notice, the promise of Hebrews 9:28 is for them that "Look for Him", and that means far more than just looking toward the sky. Abraham and Sarah were looking for Isaac - their laughter, their joy, their anticipation, excitement, and exuberance; and even before that final nine months when the promise was nearing fulfillment. The hearts of many professing believers are growing cold toward the aspects of the return of Christ.

It seems that if Abraham could speak to us today, he would say, "Hold on, keep believing, keep trusting; God's Word will come to pass. He will not fail." Abraham carried through with the covenant of circumcision as God had spoken concerning his household (Genesis 17:2). The weaning age of children in the day of Abraham has been stated to be from age two all the way to ages of eleven and twelve; which eleven and twelve seems to be rediculous; and as late as the age of seven, though possible seems a bit stretchy as well. Abraham called for celebration when the boy reached the age of weaning and was weaned, ie., from his mother's breast milk, and onto solid foods. This causes me to think of Peter's statement, "Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious." 1 Peter 2:1-3 (KJV).

Laughter comes when the promise is fulfilled, and we are standing in the presence of the Lord of all creation, who is the Lord of our salvation.

-Tim A. Blankenship

I seem to have a lot of misconceptions.

Maybe I'm sterile.

note: I think a James Bond villain lives in this building.

http://humor-blogs.com/

I haven't had a chance to add an entry in the last few days, July is a very, very busy month in my family.  My husbands birthday was on the 9th, my sons birthday is today and we have a few others.  Not to mention the holiday weekend and work, so I slowed down a little bit, but despite today being my sons 6th bday, Im going to add a quick entry here.  As always, I hope you all find it useful and informative and if you have anything to add, please feel free.

INFANT PROCEDURES FROM BIRTH TO DISCHARGE :

When babies are born, they have many things done to them.  Once born and dried off, they usually get weighed and measured - length, head and chest circumfrence and indentification bands are placed on mom, dad and baby that all match with moms personal information.

In lots of hospitals, footprinting is also done.  In my hospital the prints go on a "keepsake" certificate, which also contains the date/time, and name typed in, but is not any type of legal document.

The pediatrician will usually do an initial physical exam sometime in the first few hours with the nurse assessing vital signs hourly for the first 4 hours. 

Sometimes in the first few hours of life, the infant gets a sponge bath and shampoo under a radiant warmer to prevent heat loss.  This is usually done in the mothers room so the family can observe.  The only exception is when mom has a c - section, which means the baby has its bath and shampoo in the nursery.

After the bath, the infant may receive 2 injections.  Vitamin K is first, it helps boost the babys clotting factors, as babies are born with a deficiency.  Important for boys and girls, but even more so for boys as they may get circumcised and we don't want much bleeding to occur.  The second is hepatitis B - our hospital offers to give the first of the 3 at birth which is one less shot in the next months of Dr. visits.  Hepatitis B injections ( set of 3 ) are now required for children attending public schools, so it just helps get them done faster.

Some other procedures that may differ at other hospitals are as follows.  We offer a free hearing screening test to all infants.  The test is very simple.  While the infant is sleeping, small sticky electrodes are placed on the forehead and the nape of the neck, ear cups are placed on the ears and are connected to a computer.  The computer gives small sounds, and the electrodes pick up when the brain responds.  This type of test is called AABR, or Automated Auditory Brainstem Response.

We also have a screening program for Jaundice, or yellow discoloration of the skin.  At 24 hours, all babies get tested using a non-invasive light sensor test on the skin of the breastbone to detect levels of Jaundice.  If below a certain level, baby is deemed ok, and no further treatment is needed.  If babies are above that certain level, a blood test is drawn ( from a heel stick ) to correlate the blood level with the skin level.  If elevated the pediatrician may order phototherapy, or treatment of Jaundice with low dose ultraviolet lights.  I'll cover more on Jaundice in another post. 

Babies at our hospital usually get a 24 hour health screening blood test, once again from a heel stick.  This is a screening test which tests for rare but serious disorders, such as Phenylketonuria, Maple Syrup Urine disease, Sickle Cell Anemia and Hypothyroidism.  If these disorders are detected they can be treated with a special diet or medication.

Thats it for todays post, I hope this offered you some information you may have been looking for and would like to encourage your participation.  Have a great day !

God bless always,

Meredith - RNC

It's been a few days since my last post, I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend. In this post I'm going to cover new babies and what you should expect. As always, I hope that you find this post useful and feel free to comment and share your experiences any time possible.

New babies:

Neonates/infants/newborns, take your pick, they all have interesting characteristics. Some of these are present regardless of birth method, others are specific to the way they were delivered.

ALL babies are born and come out with a bluish-purple discoloration, this is NORMAL until they get breathing properly. ALL babies also have vernix caseosa, or a white cream-cheese like substance on their bodies when they are born. Babies born at or before 37 weeks have more, babies at 40 weeks or more generally have less.

All babies also have acrocyanosis or a bluish discoloration of their hands and feet after their trunk turns pink. This discoloration may last for a few hrs. after birth, then normalizes.

For babies born vaginally, it is common to see molding - commonly called "conehead" , especially with first babies. It is caused by the overriding of the non-fixed skeletal bones to fit into the pelvic opening during birth. Usually it goes away within a few days.

Vaginally birthed babies also can have a swollen face and swollen eyes due to the pressure of being pushed through the birth canal, this also subsides in a day or two.

Babies born via planned C - Section usually don't have molding, not being pushed through the pelvis and usually don't have swollen faces either.

Some of the other "normal - abnormals" are swollen genitalia on boys and girls, swollen scrotum and swollen labia.

"Erythema toxicum" or normal newborn rash, looks like little red areas about 1cm or less with white centers. There can be quite a few or very little. They are more common on the trunk and back, but anywhere is ok. Baby isn't allergic to anything, though it looks like a breakout.

Also babies - boys and girls - can have swollen breast tissue, from hormonal involvement, and that goes away in a few days also.

Peeling skin is common with babies that are overdue, just keep them moisturized and it will eventually correct itself.

Lanugo - or fuzzy body hair, is common but usually sheds itself naturally with bathing. This is common on the back, shoulders and sideburn areas on both boys and girls, even occasionally on foreheads.

Milia or skin pores on the face with vernix in them are normal. They look like little whiteheads. They need no medicine or removal as they will absorb on their own without anything being done.

Cross-eyed appearance is present sometimes due to immature ocular muscles. As babies grow, the muscles strengthen, which usually corrects this problem.

In my next entry, I will cover some infant procedures from birth to discharge. I hope this entry has helped you in some way and as always appreciate your comments and feedback.

God bless,

Meredith - RNC

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I love seeing this happen, and in class they have learned to bring a journal with them to log their experiences, since the information they get is so specific to their future life and soul purpose. They are logging the information so they can share it with their child in the future, especially to remind them of their true spirit and purpose they chose to live out on earth. Amazing work!

I am in the process of creating a national distance BabySpirit meditation class for both pregnant women/couples as well as preconception (especially IVF), so if anyone is interested in spreading the word, I would love your help. I would have them email me to put them on a list for when I announce the dates. Thanks! Blessings, Elisabeth Manning

consciousconception.net (for the Babyspirit Meditation information)

Plurality alphabetic data clump even now

Guess what, you should think that the impossible can happen, because you are living proof. You have won a lottery already; in fact, you are a walking lottery ticket. For a moment think about what it took for you to get here on earth. It had to be your biolgical mom and your biological dad within a certain time period. Your mother had to be ovulating. Your Dad needed to have good soldiers. Fertility experts state if a man has 20 million sperm release they are comfortable with the chance of conception (The average man has between 50-150 million). Let's say they get together and conceive. Do you know that experts state that anywhere from 15 to 31% of pregnancies end in miscarriage (The older the woman the greater the chance for a miscarriage)? Most of the miscarriages happen within the first 13 weeks. This number goes up when we add abortions into the mix.

That was a lot. Let's review. Your father shots out anywhere from 1- 150 million sperm and connects with that egg to create your DNA. That is amazing in itself. You won. It is possible that you beat 149,999,999 other sperm. Then there was stilla 15-31% chance you would not make it, that increases when you include abortions. None of that happened, because you are here! You are a walking lottery ticket! You are so special.

Now, that you know your being here was against astronomical odds, how can you live your life below your potential. How can you consider suicide? How can you think of yourself as anything but a winner? You started off determined as a fast swimmer; determined to win the prize of fertilizing that egg. What happend? Are you still swimming fast?

Bottom Line: You are the winning lottery ticket. You are here for a reason. Go fulfill your purpose.

Blessings and Prayers
The BLAQUESMITH

Well who would have thought it but little Bean's 20 weeks old now and getting bigger everyday. She has her first tooth and plenty of dribble to add to it too! It's been a fun few months thought they have really flown by.

We decided to wait to try until September to try for another baby however Al got all excited this morning and announced that we could start trying now if I liked. I liked ! Exciting times ahead, the possibility of a little brother or sister for Bean is really cool.

I'm hoping that with a small age gap between them the sibling rivalry thing shouldn't be too bad. I'm working on the theory that Tom, Holly and Callum were close together and that they have always gotten on famously. Besides at 33 I'm not getting any younger, it's already scaring me to think that when Beans 7 I'll be 40 ! Man !

We're not bothered about whether we have a boy or a gal but if we were really honest we'd both like a little boy. I'm looking into the whole diet oin pregnancy thing at the moment and the list of things to eat if you want to conceive a boy (it's all a bit old wives talesish but then why not have a go and see!). Things like ...

• you are more likely to conceive a boy if you avoid milk and dairy products, such as yoghurt and cheese, nuts, chocolate, shellfish and wholemeal bread.
• eating food rich in nutrients such as potassium and calcium, and vitamins C, D and B12
• Salty food and bananas

Well it's early days yet but I'm going to go for the bananas and salty approach - yum!

Salty banana surprise anyone ?!

This blog is about spiritual fertility and conscious conception (consciousconception.net). It is home to BabySpirit Meditation, which profoundly connects parents-to-be with the spirit and personality of their child, whether pregnant or, wanting to be. The fertility consulting I do is unique and intuitive. It is energy and vibration, pure intention and Law of Attraction, and personal responsibility to own and heal one's life--and this new kind of approach to calling in and getting to know a child before conception/birth is especially helpful for IVF and IUI. It is about bringing more light into our lives first, so we can bring more light to our children, so they can in turn bring more light to the world.

I invite others to share their stories of conscious conception here. And I will share my experiences with you as well. More women struggling need stories of inspiration and support. I intend this to be a safe place for this.

It is happening now. You are more powerful than you think.

In Light, Elisabeth Manning

Story Notes

Author's Email: rhapsodyingreen@cox.net
Web page: http://www.geocities.com/lusa_thul/ecrirehome.html

Pairings: Aleeme/Azriel
Rating: R
Summary: Aleeme reflects during his imprisonment.
Spoilers: For pretty much all of Shades.
Disclaimer: Storm Constantine was brilliant and thought of all this, not me, tragically.

Fairy Tale

My hostling told me a human story once, about a princess trapped in a tower. She waited alone, empty and tragic until a prince arrived to save her. They fell in love and the entire world, from that moment on, was perfect. It's all backwards and wrong for me. I fell in love, I felt that way, and I actually understood and believed all those silly fairytales. But then it went wrong, somehow, for reasons I still don't really understand. I don't want to, anymore, because I'm scared to learn just what they might be. Now it's me locked away in a tower, not some distant character. Now I'm the one who suffers.

Can I describe this pain? Words don't really exist for it, because what my life has become is something too terrible for them. Even 'pelki' falls short. That first time Ponclast touched me I thought I could fight it. That I could be stronger than this. All I would have to do was think of Azriel and he could not hurt me.

I still love him, but I can no longer even remember his face.

I remember Ponclast's face, though. He was laughing. It was a violation on every level, something only the most twisted mind would even be able to imagine, much less actually do. I tried so hard to be strong, create walls in my mind to hide behind during it, but they shattered instantly. I screamed and sobbed and pleaded and none of it made the least bit of difference in the end, either time. I didn't believe harlings could be conceived in hate. Now I'm an expert on the subject.

I don't know what to think about my first son. The tiniest bit of my mind, the part that's still sane, doesn't want to hate him. Despite everything, it was not his fault. I don't know if I can call him innocent, but maybe he is. But the rest of me hates him for his existence, and can only picture that laughing, insane face when I see at him. I haven't named him. Most days I can't even bear to look at him. When I do, I sometimes feel guilty. He's so thin he can't even crawl anymore. I don't think Ponclast wanted him for the powers I have. He just wanted to hurt us all. I should take care of him, shouldn't I? Isn't my indifference as cruel as what was done to me? I can't, though. Touching him -- or anyone, now - repulses me. What kind of hostling am I? Am I as bad as his father in my treatment of him?

This second pearl I carry will be no different, I know that already. It's not in me to love these children. I'm not strong enough for that. Azriel and I wanted harlings, someday. Now I know that will never happen, even if I am freed. I don't ever want to have anything to do with this again, even with somehar I love. I don't know if I could even let him touch me, in that imaginary, impossible future. Even the thought of aruna with him leaves me terrified, desperate. It's something I can't even deal with. I don't think I'll have to, anyways.

I'm dying, and I don't care. I would have killed myself long ago, if they hadn't realized that and taken everything from this room I could possibly have used. Everything except my heart, which is fading away each day, as surely as a poison. Most days I just sit staring out of this barred window, silent, unmoving. Waiting to die. Not looking for rescue or a knight in shining armor to come riding up and save me, but for death. Those things don't exist any more.

The last time I saw Azriel was when Ponclast created this second pearl. He dragged me down to his cell and made him watch, just like the first time. It was even worse, though, because before we had both thought this was something we could survive. That second time we shared a single, numb glance that said it all. We were both broken, had both given up on hope, on memory, on love. Death was enough because nothing else worth waiting for existed. I still screamed, and he still begged Ponclast to let me go, to do this to him instead, and we still felt those desperate emotions but at the same time we were both so strangely detached from it all. Like we had both just accepted that we were going to suffer and resigned ourselves to it. As if nothing mattered anymore. We were both already dead.

I used to think about home, or the future to take my mind off things. I would imagine that we would be rescued and somehow everything would be all right again. That we could still have our happily ever after. I don't even remember those dreams anymore. Friends and family have become names, nothing more, and even those are threatening to fade. It's like my mind is just turning itself off, trying to shut down the suffering completely but even that is not enough to stop the pain. Nothing is.

If I could I'd step out this window, plunge myself and this not quite innocent harling to our deaths. A single moment of freedom before it all finally stopped. That's what I dream about now, not love.

That story about the princess never talks about her life in the tower, only her true love. It makes me wonder what happened to her, that no one would want to tell it.

The End

Never in a million years did I ever think this day would come - the day when I had to worry about something like this.  Looking back, I was so naive to believe that she would just always be the sweet, kind, gentle kid she was then.

I remember looking into those big brown eyes and seeing nothing but love, honesty and trust.  That changed a couple of years ago when the lying started.  The sneaking, the trying things.

I have read and read about how I could have prevented this - what didn't I do that would have stopped this, nipped this in the bud before it happened?  There are tons of answers out there, but the one that always strikes me as comical is "Talk to your child."

Let me assure you - there could not have been more conversation between she and I.  We talked about everything from the ground to the moon - and everything in between.  When we had "the talk", it was done so thoroughly that I knew she couldn't walk away wondering if oral sex was still indeed sex.  I had pictures, I had websites, I had movies, books.  We spent hours pouring over these and she asked so many questions, I thought my head would explode.

At the end of that talk, we hugged and she promised me that she would always talk to me.  In return, I promised that when she did come and talk to me, I wouldn't react.  I would know that she was ready and we needed to get to a Dr. so she could get on birth control.

That conversation never happened.

I found out she was having sex by keeping track of her on her computer.  There is, and always will be, a keystroke log installed.  She knows it's there.  I check her records weekly and go through - weeding out the cursing and getting to the core.

In November, I read one of her IMs.  The funny thing is, I had never really read them before.  Just skimmed over to make sure she wasn't giving out personal information to strangers.  I was sitting on the couch at my Grandmother's house, my Grandmother who was dying and whom I knew I wouldn't see alive again.  I'm sitting there going through pictures with my mother and reading through IMs at the same time and come across the announcement to a friend that she had "done it".

In horror, the color drained from my face.  How is it possible that she had "done it"?  She didn't come talk to me, she didn't come have a long conversation with me - the one she'd promised all those months before - letting me know she was ready.  This is when I realized my baby was gone.  Yes, my daughter was still there - and I still loved her very much.  But the little girl who once thought the sun rose and set on me was gone.

The lying and sneaking started pretty soon after that.  Maybe because I reacted so poorly to the "announcement"; I don't know.  Perhaps just because she needed to spread her wings.  Maybe I'll never really know why.  And I can tell you, I certainly don't ever want to know exactly how much she's gotten away with.

All of that was to take you back to sitting in Planned Parenthood today.  As I was sitting there, I was looking around at all of the other teenagers in there doing the same thing - only I was the only parent out of a sea of teens.

Does this mean I condone early sexual behavior? Absolutely not. Does it mean I'm glad my 15-year old daughter is sexually active? Hell no.  But it does mean I don't want my kid having a kid.  I don't, at the age of 36, want to be a Grandmother.

But most importantly, I don't want her to feel like she has to hide things from me. Yes, she chooses to do so regularly.  But she knows she doesn't have to - that at the end of the day, I'll still be there for her and I'll still be the one person rooting for her - always in her corner.

These teens today were from all different walks of life - you could tell the ones that were from lower income areas, the ones who were from affluent areas.  I wanted to stand up and ask for their parents numbers and say "Are you aware your child is here - thinking you don't care?"....but the truth is, 90% of those parents - and probably the ones from both sides of the economic tracks - don't know their kids are having sex.

Pay attention folks - more than likely they are.  Or they're thinking about it.  But no matter how much you talk, no matter how many late night talks you have - they're going to make their own choices and decisions.  And you can choose to be a part of that by just being there - or you can stick your head in the sand like I did for a long time.

They won't always keep you in the loop - hell, most times they're going to keep you completely out of it.  But give a shit and they'll always know they can come back when they're ready.

 vu chez Little Factory

- "J'ai enfin réussi à me faire sponsoriser. Ma voiture et moi, on fait la paire... "

designer: Simon Deering pour Opel Agila

- " Bravo, la descendance est assurée..."

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• Outillage de fonderie. Conception (Sylvain PERRET)

Ce dossier et son complément [M 3 586], qui traite de la partie fabrication de ce type d’outillage ont pour but d’apporter au lecteur un éclairage d’ensemble sur les outillages de fonderie, depuis leur constitution et leur conception jusqu’à leur finalité : méthodes de fabrication, matériaux et perspectives d’avenir.
Plus d'infos...
M 3585 / vol. MC 2 / 22 pages

• Outillage de fonderie. Fabrication et évolution (Sylvain PERRET)

  Ce dossier complète celui sur la conception des outillages de fonderie [M 3 585] en abordant la partie fabrication jusqu’à leur finalité, à travers le survol des méthodes de fabrication, des matériaux utilisés et des perspectives d’avenir de cette filière.
  Plus d'infos...
  M 3586 / vol. MC 2 / 9 pages

• Environnement en fonderie. Management environnemental (Bernard DUQUET)

  Le management environnemental désigne les méthodes de gestion et d’organisation d’une fonderie qui vise à évaluer de façon systématique les impacts de son activité sur l’environnement et à les réduire. Une démarche de management environnemental peut être poussée à différents niveaux, jusqu’à atteindre la reconnaissance éventuelle d’un système de management environnemental (SME). Les bénéfices d’une telle démarche peuvent être : la conformité réglementaire, la diminution du risque environnemental, une plus grande maîtrise des coûts, l’accès à certains marchés, une meilleure image et la confiance des parties prenantes. Néanmoins, la normalisation du management environnemental amène à réduire la gestion de l’environnement à l’application rigoureuse de procédures et d’instructions. Or, l’amélioration continue de la performance environnementale va au-delà, car elle engage tous les acteurs de l’écosystème entreprise avec toutes les interrelations que cela entraîne entre les acteurs internes et externes à la fonderie. La normalisation a conduit à une certaine rigidité et lourdeur du SME, qui constitue un frein à l’adhésion des PME.
  Plus d'infos...
  M 3683 / vol. MC 3 / 14 pages

We put our hands together and I noted for him that no-one else in the whole world had his fingerprints. Seth is unique. There never has been - nor will there ever be - another person with the patterns of his skin, his blood vessels, his eyes, let alone (and much more profoundly) his mind and heart.

And his four brothers are also unique. Because when you roll the procreative dice, in one of the most unfathomable mysteries of human existence, someone derived from you and another person, yet utterly different from both, is brought into being.

Line us up and we look like a family. Look under the hood, and you see quite a difference in make and model.

One of our boys, when a toddler, would go right up to people and charm them. His two natively introverted parents, who also don't detect much of the "outgoing gene" in the close branches of the family tree, were astonished. From that time to this, he relates effortlessly to people.  Where did he come from? How did he end up with his senses tuned in so naturally to others? Out of all the possible sperm-egg combinations, there he was. All we did was roll the dice. I'm proud, humbled, amazed, and...truth be told...even a bit jealous!

The others? Unpredictable combinations of creativity, drive, passivity, brilliance, stupidity, sensitivity, self-centeredness (well, that's predictable!), compliance, defiance, and a host of other attributes that both delight and perplex. Just when you think you have this parenting gig down - here comes the next curveball.

Even when the roll of the dice comes up with a troublesome result - a child with a disease, or defect, or incapacity - great levels of human love and nobility can arise as a result. The blind can cause others to see more clearly. The infirm can help others overcome their infirmities of self-centeredness. Those that die far too early can cause the rest of us to live more fully. You send the dice on their way - but you can never be sure, in the risky romance that is real life, what will unfold.

Now whether you believe in pure chance (I don't), or divine providence orchestrating events that often appear random (I do), there is much room for amazement with every swim of the dice that comes up "lucky." Locked away in that little helpless being, who can only cry, eat, sleep, and poop for a season, is someone who will quickly demonstrate to you an astonishing capacity for independent thought and action. Someone who will mimic you for a while, then, just when you figured they'd come up 3's, they show you sixes. It begins to dawn on you that in the depths of DNA-driven mystery, joined to divine creativity, there are levels of wiring in your little offspring which you cannot reach with even the sharpest of parental pliers. You contributed one cell to the mix - now you stand back in awe and say, "Where in the world did this come from?"

And then, you gaze into your heart, and wonder - "where did this love come from?"

As a boy, I used to look up into the seemingly endless heavens with awe (I still do). Now, having rolled the dice with my beloved, we flounder through the joyous and exasperating and confusing and exciting lifestyle of parents, marveling at what has been wrought. If you have little ones under your roof, you know exactly what I'm saying...with every "lucky roll" you've turned your world upside-down afresh, but somehow, you wouldn't ever almost never want to take that roll back!