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Monday, February 2, 2009
Truth and honesty
We are all part of a system that is devouring the world. We know this to be true yet we deny it.
I saw an interesting quote the other day regarding truth:
There is the truth of authority and there is the authority of truth.
Which one do we believe when they conflict? Unfortunately, I think most of us follow the truth of authority.
While we know continued economic growth is a problem and that our consumer based take-make-waste culture cannot be sustained (authority of truth), we all listen to authorities (Governments, President Obama, mainstream economists, bankers, media moguls, corporations, etc.) who tell us otherwise and offer us more of the same solutions. Do we really believe we can grow our way to peace, prosperity and sustainability?
Morpheus, in the movie The Matrix, offers Neo a choice between a red pill and a blue pill. The red pill will allow Neo to see the truth while the blue pill will allow him to continue his life in ignorant bliss (Ignorant of his own slavery). When given the choice, do you live on in ignorance (and potential bliss) or do you lead what Aristotle called 'the examined life'...
If we keep doing what we are doing inside the same system, we will continue to get the same results. This is the truth. Are we being honest with ourselves?
Posted by Brian C. Setzler, CPA at 10:33 AM
Labels: Sustainability, The Matrix
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Pizza mogul Herman Cain has had a good few weeks. He's vacuuming up Texas Gov. Rick Perry's former supporters, rising in the polls and turning the GOP nominating contest on its heels. It's a testament to the pathetic GOP field that someone as quixotic as Cain has risen this far.
But as Michele BachmannMichele Marie BachmannBachmann won't run for Franken's Senate seat because she did not hear a 'call from God' Billboard from 'God' tells Michele Bachmann not to run for Senate Pawlenty opts out of Senate run in Minnesota MORE and Perry found out, being the front-runner is no picnic. People suddenly pay attention to what you say. And it hasn't taken long for the front-running Cain to hit his first pothole.
Don't ask Cain for an accounting of all those mass-murdering landscapers, busboys, nannies and crop pickers, because they don't exist. Just as Sen. John McCainJohn Sidney McCainHow House Republicans scrambled the Russia probe The Hill's 12:30 Report The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by CVS Health - A pivotal day for House Republicans on immigration MORE (R-Ariz.) and Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R) invented stories of beheadings in the border desert during recent campaigns, so too is Cain playing on voters' fears with mythology.
Yet the comment about killing immigrants raised some eyebrows, and Cain had to clarify that he was "joking" (even if Cain's audience was cheering, not laughing).
When people didn't laugh at a "joke" about killing people, Republicans either rushed to Cain's defense by accusing liberals of being "humorless," or remained silent. That is, except for the nation's largest organization of misguided Latinos, Somos Republicanos. But their voice was so lonely, so ignored, so irrelevant, that its Texas chapter director, Lauro Antonio Garza, an arch-conservative, lifelong Republican, quit the party.
"Today, we find the Republican Party has strayed from its roots and its founding principals [sic] so far that they can no longer be seen," he wrote, announcing his departure from the GOP. "We saw this yesterday, in the glare of broad daylight, when a leading presidential candidate, Herman Cain, not once, but twice, advocated for the murder of innocent people and that was met with cheers! Somos Republicans, America's largest organization of conservative Hispanics, was alone in its criticism of this loud mouth hateful bigot … The fact the GOP allows and applauds such outrageous thoughts is beyond reprehensible."
Republicans are facing a bit of a quandary. Theirs is a party whose electoral success has been heavily dependent on dividing Americans to attract the votes of so-called low-information voters. But as Rick Perry learned during the "N----rhead" affair, and as George Allen and Trent Lott showed us in recent years, overt racism no longer pays dividends. It's the reason Haley Barbour isn't running for president right now. Similarly, gay-bashing is no longer as risk-free as it used to be, as Bachmann and her husband, Marcus, recently discovered.
Maybe Cain thinks bashing Latino immigrants is an easy way to engage in old-fashioned Republican divide-and-conquer politics while escaping the public condemnation that greeted Allen and Lott. But even if it's more socially acceptable today to beat up on Latinos, it won't be tomorrow.
Latinos are the largest-growing demographic in the nation. That bodes poorly for the GOP, and not just in the long term — Obama needs even fewer white votes in 2012 than he did in 2008, and that trend isn't reversing.
Moulitsas is the publisher and founder of Daily Kos (dailykos.com)

subset: commoncrawl


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Recently, I have been developing some 3D models using a 3D modeling tool. The intention was to 'print' these models using the 3D printer that my company recently bought.
As part of the experimentation, I noted the difference between using a solid modeler and a simple 3D editor. With the solid modeler, it is possible to easily perform a Boolean operation like subtraction, for operations like embossing. This is because a solid modeler 'understands' solid geometry and fills up gaps created by the intersection of objects. A simple 3D editor only works at a mesh (or triangle) level and hence leaves gaps on performing such an operation.


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Ten young film crews from ten different countries were chosen as winners in the Action4Climate documentary competition.
In the 18-35 age category, the $15,000 top prize went to the Portuguese filmmaker Gonçalo Tocha with this provocative film : Trail of a tale
An American film maker, Nathan Dappen, won third prize with his Snows of the Nile, a documentary following Nathan's adventures uncovering indisputable evidence of the fast disappearing glaciers of Uganda's mountains of the moon.
I have to say, my particular favourite is from the younger 14-17 age group, an animated film by Francina Ramos, a young Argentinian filmmaker and her co-producer Benjamin Braceras.The Violin Player took top spot in this age range.
Get creative and educate – the future is ours if we act now!


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Colortime Crafts & Markers, your kids could make t-shirts their own way or color tote bags just the way they want! Colortime gives customers the chance to color and decorate their own t-shirts, pillowcases, backpacks, tote bags, bandanas, and more for parties, slumber parties, and scout meetings with permanent fabric markers.
Girls (big and small!) can show off their girlie side with t-shirts like the Circle of Friends t-shirt or Girls Rock pillowcase! Boys can show they like monster trucks with a Monster Trucks t-shirt and they can even a cowboy with a Wild West Backpack!
Colortime Crafts & Markers also offers Holiday items (including backpacks and totes) as well including 4th of July, Christmas, and many other Holidays. If your child is in the Scouts or know a family who is part of the organization, they have totes, backpacks, and t-shirts that great for indoor activities!
So get some Colortime Crafts & Markers ready for that Holiday vacation and let your children's creative colors fly!
Wanna win some cool swag from Colortime? Colortime is doing a giveaway via our Facebook page. It is a weekly fan giveaway. Here are the instructions:
Each week Colortime Crafts and Markers will randomly draw 3 lucky FANS who will receive a special craft package, which includes a Colortime color-your-own "Recycle Tote Bag" and three special permanent Colortime FABRIC MARKERS. All you have to do to be eligible is to "like" and become a fan of Colortime Crafts and Markers on Facebook.
The winners' Facebook name will be posted each Monday on the Colortime Crafts and Markers Facebook page. We will send you a message on Facebook informing you that you won. Look for it, and if your name is a winner, you can also send us an email message to email@example.com with your full name and address and in either case we will ship your prize within 2 weeks.
1) You must be a fan of Colortime Crafts and Markers Facebook page.
2) Once you win a prize, you are not eligible for additional prizes for this promotion for 12 months after the prize has been awarded.
3) Prizes not claimed within 2 weeks will be forfeited.
You can find Colortime on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
You can purchase the Recycle tote bag starting at $4.75 per tote. Each marker starts out at $2.35 each.
I am always on the look out for new products that help combat boredom but also help my cousins' babies(who I babysit frequently) from destroying everything around them. When I heard about Colortime, I couldn't wait to try it out!
I didn't have a paper towel (which was on the instructions to put inside the tote) but I did have a small enough cardboard box which I slipped inside the tote. The tote bag is very porous, but the markers will bleed through so be sure to have something inside the tote bag (or whichever item you get) so that it doesn't destroy the other side. I'll be honest- I felt like a kid when I colored the bag.
I think I'll pick up some more for gifts for next year or when I babysit again.
GIVEAWAYWanna win your own Recycle tote and 3 markers for your children (or even you) to color? Thanks to Colortime Crafts & Markers, one(1) winner will receive a Recycle tote bag and 3 markers!
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I was NOT compensated for this review/giveaway. I received a FREE Recycle tote and 3 markers from Colortime Crafts & Markers to review. All thoughts/opinions are my own.


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Measured accurately
Environmental and lifestyle risk factors provide a piece of the risk assessment puzzle as well, but since they change over time and are often difficult to measure, they don't provide all of the information. Lastly, genetic risk factors can be measured accurately and do not change over time. Since genetic data is personalized, this kind of risk assessment may provide additional incentive to change behavior. As more genetic risk factors are being identified, it is clear that their effects on disease risk are just as significant as the effects of environment and family history.
13p quynho77 14-11-2012 19 0 Download
Báo cáo khoa học: "Learning to Grade Short Answer Questions using Semantic Similarity Measures and Dependency Graph Alignments"
In this work we address the task of computerassisted assessment of short student answers. We combine several graph alignment features with lexical semantic similarity measures using machine learning techniques and show that the student answers can be more accurately graded than if the semantic measures were used in isolation. We also present a first attempt to align the dependency graphs of the student and the instructor answers in order to make use of a structural component in the automatic grading of student answers. ...
11p hongdo_1 12-04-2013 13 2 Download
The definition of combinatory categorial grammar (CCG) in the literature varies quite a bit from author to author. However, the differences between the definitions are important in terms of the language classes of each CCG. We prove that a wide range of CCGs are strongly context-free, including the CCG of CCGbank and of the parser of Clark and Curran (2007). In light of these new results, we train the PCFG parser of Petrov and Klein (2007) on CCGbank and achieve state of the art results in supertagging accuracy, PARSEVAL measures and dependency accuracy. ...
10p hongdo_1 12-04-2013 16 1 Download
The provision of relevant, accurate and timely performance information is essential for assuring and improving the performance of health systems. Citizens, patients, governments, politicians, policy-makers, managers and clinicians all need such information in order to assess whether health systems are operating as well as they should and to identify where there is scope for improvement.
750p camchuong_1 04-12-2012 23 0 Download
Difficult to measure accurately and deal with effectively, organic pollutants continue to be a major hazard in the environment. Significantly expanded, the second edition of Organic Pollutants: An Ecotoxicological Perspective describes the mechanistic basis of ecotoxicology, using major groups of pollutants as illustrative examples, and explores the problem of complex mixtures of chemicals.
377p ktct_1669 03-05-2012 45 18 Download
Standard laboratory methods for measurement of soil nitrate (NO3–N) use various procedures and instruments to analyze soil samples taken from the field and transported to the laboratory. Concerns with these procedures range from delays in measurement time, the high cost of soil sampling and analysis, high labour requirements, and the need to aggregate samples. With recent advances in using the ion-selective electrode, as presented in this chapter, soil NO3–N can now be measured directly, rapidly, accurately, at low cost, at a fine scale, and in real-time right in the field....
256p 123859674 04-07-2012 40 11 Download
The development of a respiratory tract model which accurately reflects reality is a difficult and complicated effort. This stems largely from the variety of airway shapes, airflow patterns, and cell types having different radiosensitivities. Anatomic and physiologic alterations in smokers or those exposed to chemicals, among others, further complicate modeling. In spite of the inherent difficulties, the continuing pursuit of a model that mimics actual conditions has been considered to be important by those involved in radiation protection....
260p camchuong_1 04-12-2012 30 3 Download
We studied four types of decisions with a potential for age effects. One feature of wisdom, which presumably is acquired over a lifetime, is meta-knowledge, accurately knowing one's own knowledge and abilities. We assessed this with self-reported confidence on answers to trivia questions. A common stereotype of older people is that they are "conservative, dislike taking risk and are "set in their ways". We tested this stereotype using choices over monetary gambles similar to those performed by psychologists and biologists .
12p taisaokhongthedung 01-01-2013 19 3 Download
THE outward guise assumed by the questions with which banking and currency policy is concerned changes from month to month and from year to year. Amid this flux, the theoretical apparatus which enables us to deal with these questions remains unaltered. In fact, the value of economics lies in its enabling us to recognize the true significance ofproblems, divested of their accidental trimmings.
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Accurate network trac measurement is required for ac- counting, bandwidth provisioning and detecting DoS at- tacks. These applications see the trac as a collection of flows they need to measure. As link speeds and the number of flows increase, keeping a counter for each flow is too ex- pensive (using SRAM) or slow (using DRAM). The current state-of-the-art methods (Cisco's sampled NetFlow) which log periodically sampled packets are slow, inaccurate and resource-intensive.
14p taisaovanchuavo 26-01-2013 20 3 Download
The company's key measures included Combined Ratio (a measure of profitability) and policies in force (units sold) and pure premium (cost per unit). In addition to these measure, I used many internal measures to assess individual, team and process effectiveness Over the years, I've found it very helpful to think of two flavors of measures. 1) Diagnostics: Diagnostics measure internal processes. Managers need a set of diagnostics to accurately assess their team's effectiveness.
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The fourth, fifth and sixth columns show the results of the models estimated using instrumental variables. The fourth column shows the results of using household assets as instruments, while controlling for community fixed effects. The fifth column also uses household assets as instruments but it conditions on a wide set of community characteristics instead of using community fixed effects. The last column uses average wages in the municipality as instruments.
0p can_thai 12-12-2012 17 1 Download
The Defence Procurement Agency (DPA), part of the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD), measures its annual performance against five key targets for its top 20 projects (by value), as documented in its Major Project Reports. Key Target 2 addresses programme slippage, which is the delay between the promised in-service date and the actual or projected in-service date. The MOD 2001/2002 performance report indicates slippage for the top 20 projects averaged approximately one year. Furthermore, the existences of...
0p xuancoem 05-02-2013 20 1 Download
The National Road Map Strategic Plan To Accelerate Reduction of Maternal, Newborn and Child Deaths in Tanzania 2008 - 2015
Ideally, civil registration systems with good attribution of cause of death provide accurate data on the level of maternal mortality and the causes of maternal deaths. In countries with incomplete civil registration systems, it is difficult to measure accurately the levels of maternal mortality. First, it is challenging to identify maternal deaths precisely, as the deaths of women of reproductive age might not be recorded at all.
102p nhamnhiqa 01-03-2013 31 1 Download
Chapter 17 - Unemployment: meaning and measurement. The following will be discussed in this chapter: Measurement of unemployment, incidence and duration of unemployment, Canadian unemployment trends, does unemployment rate accurately reflect hardship?
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There are only a few studies on calf muscle strength in patients with Achilles tendon disorders. Calf muscle strength has been measured after rehabilitation in pa- tients with surgically treated complete Achilles tendon ruptures4,14,15,17 and in patients with complete Achilles tendon ruptures treated either surgically or nonsurgi- cally.
5p quynho77 14-11-2012 20 0 Download
At the beginning, specialists tried to diagnose the stage of periodontal disease depending on the relation between the clinical appearances and the presence of some specific cell populations or specific matrix components (Havemose-Poulsen & Holmstrup, 1997; Romanos et al., 1993).
238p pt_1669 26-03-2012 652 218 Download
Temperature measurement and control are vital in many industrial processes. Accurate control of the temperature is essential in nearly all chemical processes. In some applications, an accuracy of around 5-10~ may be acceptable. There are also some industrial applications which require better than 4-1 ~ accuracy.
233p cusonson 21-01-2010 124 54 Download
The accurate measurement of additives in food is essential in meeting both regulatory requirements and the need of consumers for accurate information about the products they eat. While there are established methods of analysis for many food additives, there are others that still require complete methods. Analytical Methods for Food Additives addresses the lack of established methods of analysis for 26 major additives. In each case, the authors review current research to establish the best available methods and how they should be used.
273p transang5 30-10-2012 71 32 Download
CHAPTER 13 Hedge Fund Indices: In Search of a Benchmark. Hedge fund indices are gaining more notoriety than ever as investors seek ways to benefit from the usefulness of an accurate benchmark by which to measure investment performance.
46p mama15 27-09-2010 124 26 Download


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There is nothing more satisfying to me than a genuine reference question: a question with an obscure, but findable, and even interesting, answer.
LM at our Northeast Branch, a veteran of many years in the Reference Department at the main library, called to ask if I knew whether there was a grammatical term for brand names that have "gone generic", like Xerox, Saran Wrap, Scotch Tape, and so on.
I thought, "L., you're asking me? I'm not worthy!" When I started in reference, she could find answers more quickly in our print reference collection than I could find them online. But the branches don't have extensive reference collections.
I was dazed with my fall allergy attack when she called last week. To my shame, I didn't get around to searching until today.
They are called genericized trademarks or proprietary eponyms. According to Randall E. Krause, to whose Database of American Proprietary Eponyms I originally linked, which link is now dead, they are not nouns, but are in fact rare, proper adjectives.
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Artichoke Ham Fettuccine Recipe
5 1 1
"I like fixing dinner when my mom is going to be late coming home from work," says high-schooler Katie Anderson in Spokane, Washington. "This pasta dish is so different and delicious. Artichokes and ripe olives give it a flavor that's special."
Recommended: 35 Easy Dinners to Try This Winter
VERIFIED BY Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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- 1/2 cup julienned fully cooked ham
- 1 tablespoon chopped shallot
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 2 cups cooked fettuccine
- 3/4 cup water-packed artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained and chopped
- 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped ripe olives
- In a skillet, saute the ham, shallot and garlic in butter. Add broth; bring to a boil. Stir in fettuccine and artichokes; heat through. Sprinkle with cheese and olives. Yield: 2 servings.
Originally published as Artichoke Ham Fettuccine in Cooking for 2 Spring 2007, p24
Reviews forArtichoke Ham Fettuccine
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Reviewed Dec. 22, 2015


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Surgery or gynecomastia excision is thought of to be one of the most efficient, most proven way of getting rid of gynecomastia/ Male Breast Reduction.
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Much has been widely debated on the emojis topic in recent months with Google announcing that it was reversing a decision so that it could bring emojis back to search engine results pages. Now it seems that many users are starting to see emojis being used on some Google ads which further poses the question as to whether or not Google will allow emoji use in Google Adwords going forwards?
Historically, Google has always been very strict on ensuring that all adverts meet a stringent criteria before being approved for use. This includes the removal of adverts that make use of emojis up till now. Despite this, some adverts seem to be slipping through the net.
Please find an example below:
Image Credit: Barry Schwartz at SE Roundtable
Can emojis really make a difference and will Google relax its rule for Adwords?
There are plenty of arguments that highlight the fact that the use of emojis can be useful in catching the eye of users quicker and making them want to click through on the advert, thus increasing the click through rates. However, doubts remain as to whether or not Google will actually relax it's rules for adverts given it's recent concessions for emojis in SERP's (search engine results pages)*.
What happens if Google does allow emoji use and how will this impact on businesses?
At this stage, it is important to sit tight on this as a business, however it would be worth thinking about how you could take advantage of this trend across your sector when it comes to fruition.
Our Thoughts
Over the last few years, there are no doubts that emojis are being increasingly used across advertising platforms with increases in engagement particularly been seen across social media. However, the jury is still out as to whether or not Google will 'officially' allow emojis to be used in adverts that's not to say that advertisers won't continue to try and flaunt the rules and try to publish adverts containing emojis and hope that Google doesn't notice!
Are you looking for an agency to work with you on your social media or Google Adwords campaigns? Why not get in touch?
Our dedicated team of digital marketing specialists are available to discuss your specific social media or Google Adwords requirements and collaborate with you on the best course of action to help drive long term success for your business.
*SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages) are a list of results provided by a search engine such as Google when a searcher enters a specific term or query.


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Empower means:
* http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary/DictionaryResults.aspx?lextype=3&search=empowerment
|1. give authority to somebody: to give somebody power or authority*
|2. make more confident or assertive: to give somebody a greater sense of confidence or self-esteem*
We all need to realize that we have the "authority" and ability to achieve success. God has given us every thing we need to live a successful life. God knows the plans He has for your life, do you have any plan for your life?
At our Women Empowerment Conference, we learned that we must all PLAN
Put God first
Let go of your limitations
Assess you capabilities
Never let go of your aspirations
As we start the 2nd half of the year, how much have you accomplished per your plan? Do you have one? Or have you just let things happen to you? Are you "stuck" at the bottom of a mountain with a plan but no idea on how to proceeed? Do you need help up?
With God's help and inspiration, we'll share "Empowerment" tips on this blog. They may be things you already know and possibly things you have not done...but need to take note of and DO to get to the next level in your life. No-one can really help you beyond your first step...so arise, take my hand and...
...let's go...
...so you need to get used to it."


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I am one with all of humanity.
When I think of the spiritual quality of compassion, I think of Jesus. The love he gave others was like a healing balm. In quiet moments I remember God's compassion for me and for all people. I set aside time to fully engage with God's love. I extend myself to others through my compassionate thoughts and actions. Throughout the day, I behold the Christ in others and send them compassion-filled thoughts and prayers. These heart-to-heart connections enhance my sense of oneness with the world. We are one with God and one with each other. I am an expression of God's love, and through compassion, I connect to—and serve—all humanity.
As God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.—Colossians 3:12


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283 Broadway St (at about 2 blocks from Pacific Coast Hwy 1, Orange County), Laguna Beach, California, USA, 92651
Part of large natural foods supermarket chain. Has fresh fruits and vegetables including organic produce, deli and hot food bars, vitamins, supplements, personal care products, grocery, and much more. Open Mon-Sun 7:00am-9:00pm. Open daily.


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Simon Grayson's Blackpool side start their run of tricky, and possibly season defining, fixtures with the visit of Ipswich Town at Bloomfield Road.
Jim Magilton's team have bucked last seasons trend of performing abysmally away from home this campaign, picking up nine points on their travels – a stark contrast to the club which only won its first away game in February!
They possess quality all over the pitch, and with the loan signings of Jon Stead and Moritz Volz, look a good bet for a playoff place.
The young Irish gaffer Magilton, hasn't spent that much money in the summer. Kevin Lisbie was bought from rivals colchester United for £600k – a fee totally recouped with the sale of target man Alan Lee to Crystal Palace. Richard Wright was snapped up on a freebie and keeps goal. So too were Ivan Campo and Ben Thatcher – big names indeed.
However, 'Pool shouldn't be overawed by their opponents. Last season's game at home saw The Seasiders come away from the ground extremely unlucky not to have taken all three points.
Vital Quotes:
Jim Magilton has this week praised Larry on his tenure at Blackpool.
'Simon has done a magnificent job at Blackpool. He deserves a lot of credit for what he has achieved there' said the Town boss.
Blackpool Team News:
Steve Kabba might be fit for the game, but Daniel Nardiello and Stephen Crainey both look set to be out of action for sometime.
Danny Coid will continue at left back, with Mo Camara on the bench again.
Claus Jorgensen and Keith Southern – despite their doubters – are likely to continue in the middle of midfield.
Player to watch: Shaun Barker
The right back has found The Championship a relatively tricky league this season so far, and has struggled with fitness to begin with. However, since his fitness has improved the performances have started to flow.
Ipswich Town Team News:
Last time out Town defeated mangerless QPR 2-0 at Portman road, so it is unlikely that there will be much difference in the line up.
Likely Ipswich Eleven:
Ipswich: Richard Wright, Volz, McAuley, Naylor, David Wright, Norris, Sumulikoski, Garvan, Quinn, Walters, Stead
Player to watch: Jonathan Walters
Last season Walters was a thorn in the sides of all Championship clubs, and although his goalscoring form hasn't quite replicated itself as of yet for The Tractor Boys, it is only a matter of time before he finds his golden touch once again.
Hopefully it's not Saturday!
Predict The Game!
Click here to predict the match in our forum.
Ref Watch:
Click here to read aboput the referee, Colin Webster.
Next Fixtures:
Blackpool vs Preston Knob End;
16th November 2008;


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President Donald Trump is ordering more money and a bigger role for private companies in designing apprenticeship programs meant to fill some of the 6 million open jobs in the U.S.
His executive order shifts more taxpayer money into apprenticeships, allowing people to learn while they earn a paycheck.
Replicating the German apprenticeship model in the USA would require nothing short of a revolution. Enlarging the pool is an idea that has bipartisan support.
There are "millions of good jobs that lead to great careers" that do not require four-year university degrees and those people avoid "the massive debt that often comes with those four-year degrees". "Those can be factors, but they don't have to be". "I'm not saying [regulations] are the main driver of the low apprenticeship numbers in the United States", he says.
The new program, overseen by the Department of Labor, will cost an estimated $200 million and fill some six million vacant jobs in the country.
The U.S. has the unusual combination of a low labor force participation rate, along with an terrible lot of unfilled jobs, particularly in skilled trade areas. Democrats have stressed the need to train Americans for the jobs that are available, and Hillary Clinton, Trump's 2016 opponent, made pushing apprenticeship programs a part of her campaign. Instead, they could be overseen by third parties like companies, unions, and industry groups.
Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta speaks during the daily.
Critics immediately questioned whether the quality of such programs would suffer without more accountability.
The Obama Administration failed to push these programs with the vigor that President Trump and his administration have shown.
However, the federal program also includes a range of standards created to ensure the quality of the work and learning experience, in addition to protecting apprentices.
A senior Administration official noted during the briefing that the government is channeling billions of dollars into job training programs - in fiscal year 2017 spending on these programs totaled $16.7 billion before Pell grants - that he says have not effectively helped the American worker.
Employers are responsible for paying apprentices' wages and mentoring them on the job. "South Carolina has seized the opportunity to enhance business engagement, to educate and empower job seekers, and ultimately to provide businesses with skilled workers".
The president wants students to be able to use federal student aid for a wide variety of "earn while you learn" programs, including apprenticeships, the White House officials said. We don't want to talk too quickly.
Lerman says reducing the requirements for registered programs might make a difference in the number of employers who adopt them. "There needs to be a robust public work-force system that includes basic skills training", as well as access to child care and transportation help for people returning to work. An 8,000 hour program, apprentices work on the job 40 hours per week and are required to attend school, during the regular school year, two nights a week for three hours each night.
Gov. Scott Walker once told then-candidate Donald Trump "we don't need an apprentice in the White House". We can not allow the American people to be scammed by organizations that rake in million dollars in profit from vulnerable students and give them a shoddy education in return.
"Use available funding to promote apprenticeships, focusing in particular on expanding access to and participation in apprenticeships among students at accredited secondary and post-secondary educational institutions, including community colleges; expanding the number of apprenticeships in sectors that do not now have sufficient apprenticeship opportunities; and expanding youth participation in apprenticeships".
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text: Since the Cake Smash Photography trend is gaining momentum again, we thought we would give it a try. One of our loyal customers, who had already trusted us with both their wedding and their newborn baby images, was happy to bring their daughter in for the shoot to celebrate her first birthday. Ivy was fantastic to photograph even as a newborn, and her image can still be found on our gallery page smiling away while fast asleep in her first few days of life. At 1 year old she was still a joy, and I couldn't resist capturing a few B&W images of her first before we started on the cake: We just love Ivy's expression and beautiful big eyes in this image. So onto the cake smash. We went for a pink theme, which seemed to work great with the cake. Ivy didn't need too much encouragement to get stuck into it, and we're chuffed with the results. If you know anybody with children reaching their first birthday, then why not treat them to a cake smash photo shoot with us. Gift vouchers are available on request.


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Monday, December 13, 2010
Brodie Rolls Over and Army Crawls! (10w2d)
Friday, December 10, 2010
Mini Golfing with the Mei Tai (9w6d)
Thursday, December 2, 2010
2 month pediatrician appt (2m)
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Brodie's Nicknames
*Brodie Bear
I love our little Brodster!
Brodie's Songs
My brodie co-o-ole (to the tune of Sun Eyed Girl by Beck)
Brodie like a melody in my head (Replay tune)
Brodie, Broooodie (Hey Heyyyyy by Train)
Brodie, you and me in our sport utility vehicles (Veggie Tales silly song)
Brodie...Broooodie (to the tune deo deoooo me light come shining on my home)
Beautiful Brodie (tune of Beautiful Boy song by BOB)
I'm a baby and I'll cry if I want to...you would cry too if u were hungry like me! (Tune of It's My Party)
Sugar Pie Honey Buns
We also had a song about how much he barfs but I forgot the words lol.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Another first happened last night! (at 7wks)
Pediatrician Appointment Delayed Post (From 5w6d)
I walked in for an appointment because the nurse had told me if he hadn't pooped in a week that they were going to give him a suppository. :( My poor guy! They weighed him when I got there and he weighed 9lb 12oz (a gain of 1lb 2oz in exactly 3 weeks). Then, the doctor came in to examine him. He said that his belly was nice and soft, he didn't seem uncomfortable (he was smiling at the doctor the entire time), and that he was gaining weight so he was ok. He told me to give him 2oz of prune juice with 2 oz of water in a bottle 1-2x a day for 5-7days to help with get the poo moving. He wasn't constipated, because he is breastfed, but he still said he likes to see breastfed babies pooping at least once every 5 days.
I felt very wary about giving my baby prune juice, but went and bought it anyway. I called my mom to ask her advice and voice my concerns. She suggested I try giving him an oz or 2 of water first to see if that helped. So, I filled a bottle with 2oz of water and gave Nick the bottle to feed him (it was his first bottle and I didn't want him confusing the food I give him with the bottle). Well, he got less than 1/2 an oz of water "down." By down I mean he gagged on some water, drooled a lot out the sides of his mouth, and sucked down a little bit. After he was done with 1/2 an oz he immediately starting pooping, EVERYWHERE. Nick was holding him and he pooped all over Nick, himself, Nick's office chair, and was dripping a puddle of poo on the floor. I bet he lost 1/2 a pound from it! We were so happy we didn't have to give him prune juice! Daddy and Brodie went right into the shower to clean up and he was fine from there on out.
Here is a picture of the puddle of poo (that's not including what was on the chair, Nick, Brodie, or in Brodie's diaper). It was pretty epic!
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Brodie's first laugh! (5w5d)
So, while my dad was holding him I jingled the lion and had it "kiss" Brodie 4-5 times before pulling it away. Brodie did a HUGE smile and then that adorable baby laugh that sounds like they are gasping and chuckling. I was SOOO surprised because I didn't think he could socially smile or laugh this young. Maybe my child is just doing these things a little earlier? There is no doubt in my (or Nick's or my parent's) mind that he is smiling at specific sounds or circumstances now instead of just gas. I don't mind the social smiles/laughing at all...makes me sooooooooooo happy to see him reacting more to us!
Here is a picture I snapped right after the laugh. He is dang cute isn't he?
Friday, November 5, 2010
I failed at NaBloPoMo but was productive today!
In other words, it's only 1:35pm and I have been really productive today. I cleaned the kitchen (dishes, cleaned stove, and and counters), took out the trash, did laundry, vacummed, changed the sheets, and made chocolate chip banana bread! :) I did all that before 12:15pm and while taking care of Brodie- GO ME heh. Oh, and did I mention that I also got Brodie and I showered/dressed this morning and made cinnamon rolls for breakfast? WOOT
Ok, I'm going to go take a nap now... I need it!
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Miss Selah Desirae
This was also the day that my Brodie and her Selah, "cousins" born exactly 1 month apart got to meet. They were bumped together while in our bellies many times, and Selah had kicked Brodie while Heather held him on her chest while still preggo. They seemed to enjoy each others company and cooperated for a picture.
Selah is dang cute, with bigggggg chubby cheeks and a very round head. She seems so small compared to Brodie, but really isn't that much smaller weight/length wise. It's nuts how much more alert Brodie is than her after just a month.
I can't wait for Brodie and Selah to play together and grow up side by side! I love having so many friends giving birth in the next few months...it makes for an instant play group and lots of potential girlfriends for Brodie when he gets old enough.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Happy One Month Brodie! (4w3d)
My son, Brodie Cole, is already one month old today!!! I can't believe how fast time has gone by during this first month and know I am going to be saying this for the rest of my life as he grows up before my eyes.
Brodie is growing up a storm, and is more fun to be around every day. He stays awake for much longer periods (sometimes for the entire time in between feedings now) and also has days where he sleeps for a long period. Last night, he slept from 10pm until 4am. This was nice for me, because I got a 4 hour stretch of sleep.
Brodie is exclusively breastfeeding, and looooooves the boob. He gets excited when I whip it out, and eagerly sucks on it to the point of over-stuffing himself. He spits up 3-5 times after every feeding, sometimes before he falls asleep and sometimes a few hours later when he wakes up. Not just a little bit of spit up either, I'm talking a large amount that leads me to think he isn't getting any milk at all. But, I know he is because he gained a pound in the two weeks between his ped. appts.
Brodie makes the cutest faces and expressions, and does the "smiles" that indicate he has gas or something so many times every day that it is hard for me to think they aren't directed at me. I know he can't smile smile until 6-8 weeks but I like to imagine he can.
Brodie is obsessed with sucking on things. He will suck on his hands, his arms, my fingers, my arm, my cheeks, my chin, and his pacifier. Often times he will be fussing (the very little bit that he does fuss) and we narrow it down to just wanting to suck on something.
Brodie likes to stretch like his daddy, and Nick sings him lots of songs. He is SUCH a great dad!
I love my little man and can't imagine life without him now. I am looking forward to seeing him grow and develop in the next month and see what changes between now and then.
I love you Brodie Cole! You have come into a very loving family, I hope you feel loved.
Monday, November 1, 2010
What is the definition of fast food?
It all started with me saying that Pick up Stix was fast food and Nick saying it wasn't. That led to a conversation of how we defined fast food.
To Nick, fast food is any place that has a drive through...if it doesn't have drive through then it isn't considered fast food.
To me, fast food is any restaurant that you don't have a waiter/waitress or leave a tip at. Basically, any restaurant where you go besides a sit down restaurant you'd have a nice date night at.
I posted this on my facebook to see what people thought and an overwhelming majority agreed with me. I'm interested to see what the rest of the world thinks. How do you define "fast food?"
Babywearing is AWESOME! (4w2d)
So, for Nov 1st, I am going to write about babywearing and how it is awesome :) We only have 2 sleepywraps right now (a soft stretchy wrap good for newborns and up to 18ish pounds). Both Nick and I have worn Brodie in them and he conks right out when we put him in. I love being hands free and having my baby safe and secure against my chest. I'm so blessed that Nick is into babywearing and willing to wear him as well. I think I convinced him to wear Brodie when he saw me loving being hands free and when he realized he could play video games that way! I have gotten better at putting the wrap on (both in speed and accuracy) and am more comfortable every time I put him in it. I am also borrowing a Babyhawk Mai Tei to see if Brodie/I like to use that as well. If it's a good fit for us, I will be purchasing one of them in the near future as well! Here are a few pictures, followed by a definition of babywearing and a list of benefits for babywearing:
First attempt at babywearing (Brodie is too low and my wrap was too loose but it's all good!)
In the wrap while mama cooks dinner- he was fussy about 2 minutes before this pic was taken.
Wearing Brodie while I am at work makes me feel better about working while he is awake (tho he falls asleep right when he goes in the wrap as evidenced above)
Using the wrap to go out and about with Brodie. This is at a park for Cali's first birthday party (he is my "nephew" on the left in the pic with his mom- my cousin). It was a bit chilly but the sleepywrap keeps both of us very very warm so we were fine in the outdoors for 4 hours. It was awesome to be hands free during the party so I could eat (tacos YUM) and visit with the rest of the guests without worrying about my arms getting tired.
Nick's first attempt at putting on the wrap and sticking Brodie in it (HE DID AMAZING). Brodie is dang comfy and Daddy is a happy panda.
Babywearing your child while playing video games...the ultimate Bad A dad!
I strongly encourage all preggo/new moms to babywear. Its good for you and baby! Check out these sites for a TON of info:
Babywearing is basically what it sounds like...wearing your baby on your body so s/he can be close to you and secure. There are a TON of benefits to baby wearing (Take directly from the sleepywrap website-http://www.sleepywrap.com/index.php?page=benefits-of-babywearing):
"Wearing your baby is incredibly helpful in integrating your baby into your daily life. Not only is it practical to wear your baby but it is wonderfully reassuring to know that you are providing the richest and most beneficial environment that you possibly can.
Carrying your baby-
- creates confident parents
- allows you to safely move about with your baby regardless of terrain
- is convenient
- enables better communication between you and your baby
- provides security
- is good for your soul
- makes discreet nursing possible
- helps you to interact with your other children and hold your baby close at the same time
- allows you to decide who may touch or interact with your baby
- aids digestion
- allows you to go places, together!
Your baby will feel loved and secure. You will feel confident and free.
and the best of all...YOUR HANDS ARE FREE! You can cook, shop, paint, hike, sweep, read a book with your toddler, go for a stroll or even treat yourself to a nice lunch out in the town. "
Carried babies-
- learn more
- are allowed their necessary period of exterogestation which is often overlooked
- become independent faster
- regulate their own physical responses
- are calmer
- cry less
- get a better view of the world
- sleep better
Sunday, October 31, 2010
A few more things I've observed/discovered (4w1d)
-Any old type of "support" plastic bracelet (like breast cancer awareness etc) can be used to help remind you what side you need to nurse on next. Yes, usually you can feel which side is more full but at the beginning before your milk comes in and when you are super engorged it can be extremely helpful. It is most helpful for middle of the night feedings when your brain is not fully functioning. It is also helpful if one boob feels perpetually bigger than the other no matter which side got nursed on last (this is my case). You can see the bracelet in this picture:
- You can convert outfits that have buttoned legs without footsie bottoms into gowns to get more use out of them and make them easier in terms of doing diaper changes. Brodie's going home outfit was one of these and was newborn size, which he has outgrown. But, I can still use it as a gown for nighttime underneath the swaddle blanket or around the house to do diaper changes. Observe pictures below:
-When baby is crying go through the quick checklist of what could be wrong instead of getting frustrated that the pacifier isn't working to stop crying. Are they cold? Is the outfit covered in barf? Are they hungry? Are they wet? Do they just want to be held? Do they want the pacifier?
-Try and keep up on laundry...it is seriously never ending and piles up so fast. I haven't mastered this yet. I currently have 2 baby loads, 2 of our loads, and 2 sheet/linen loads to fold. (Hey at least they are clean!). I already have another load of ours to wash and a half of a load of baby stuff... and I just did laundry 2 days ago.
-It's better to be over prepared than under prepared when going places, but to be honest you won't use about 50% of what you pack in the diaper bag.
Ok...off to eat!
Happy Halloween! (4w1d)
Friday, October 29, 2010
Brodie's Birth Story
On Friday, October 1st, 2010 I was sitting in bed talking to Jessica Frausel about her birth plan for Whitney. I had been pretty "crampy" the last 3 days and was crampy as I was on the phone with her. Because I had been crampy for so long, I didn't think anything of it. Well, at 9:56am I heard a pop- sort of like a twig snapping far away followed by an extremely hard kick from the baby near my belly button. I thought, "that was weird..." and just laid there while on the phone for a minute. Then, I got up to go to the bathroom just to make sure everything was OK (while still on the phone hah) and as I stood up I felt a bit of wetness. I sat down on the toilet and thought, "Oh dangit! I must have peed myself or something." I told Jessica I needed to call her back and called Nick into the bathroom. I told him my water may have broken but I wasn't sure. My doctor had given us a sheet which outlined what to do when you thought your water broke or you are in labor, and on that it said to put a pad on and wait an hour to see if you soaked through it (if you did the paper said your water may have broken). So, I put on a pad and went back in bed and was about to turn on the TV. I was sitting up in bed for about 30 seconds and suddenly felt a giant gush which I could not stop. I leaped out of bed while yelling to Nick, "Yea...my water definitely broke!" I got to the bathroom as fast as possible, but unfortunately left a trail of fluid all along the bathroom floor. I ended up just putting a hand towel in between my legs because I was sick of soaking through clothes and proceeded to text my mom (she was at an appointment for a client) and started to get the last couple of things in our hospital bag. I called the OB office and they said to go to the hospital right away. Nick started freaking out at this point and trying to hurry me along, but I told him I wanted to take a shower and shave before we left.
At about 11 we left our house (with the hospital bag, the baby bag, and the car seat in tow) for Pomerado and at that point my mom was able to call us and talk to us. She was just going to meet us at the hospital on her way back up the hill and we would evaluate from there. All the way down there I continued having "cramps" which Nick insisted I tell him about so he could time them. Turns out they were 3 minutes apart, and Nick said I had to start calling them contractions and not cramps. When we arrived at the hospital, Nick dropped me off at the entrance while he went to park the car/bring up our bags. I walked to the elevator, got in with another couple, and asked for the 5th floor. On the way up, I gushed some more water...which I'm sure looked lovely to the other people in the elevator. I walked to the nurses station and checked in with them fairly quickly (since I had done pre-registration). Nick met up with me there and we got checked in to a room.
The nurse had me change into the lovely gowns they provide (and I told her she better have me put on some undies or something since I was still leaking amniotic fluid everywhere) and then I got put on the monitors for initial assessment of me and baby while she asked me a million questions. She honored my wishes for a hep lock and while I was answering a bunch of questions another nurse came in to put the hep lock in my arm. My mom arrived during this time. After the questions were done, the nurse checked me to see where I was at. I was still at 3cm (which was what I was on that Monday) and 60% effaced. She told me to just relax while they did the first hour of monitoring and then I could get up and walk around. Well, baby decided to lay on the umbilical cord or something because the heart rate decelerated as soon as she said this and she freaked out. She said that I basically signed myself up for almost continuous monitoring and would only be able to walk for 15 minutes after every hour of monitoring. I was super bummed about this. Also, she said that I had to get some fluids in me because that could help the heart rate. Baby kept moving and hiding from the monitors if I shifted so I had to stay in the same position and couldn't move during contractions.
Speaking of contractions, by this point they were getting a bit stronger but were still manageable. It sucked to not be able to move around, especially since the pain was 80% in my back and I was laying on my back. I gladly welcomed the 15 minutes when I could walk and booked it up and down the hallway (just ask Nick and my mom how fast I walked). After the 15 minutes was over, back to the monitors I went and sat again. The contractions were getting stronger to the point where I had to stop and breathe through them and close my eyes. Nick would tell me "you are doing so great" every single contraction and for some reason it annoyed me so I told him not to tell me that. Hahaha I'm a mean wife. After my second round of walking, I was hooked up again and at this point the contractions were pretty dang strong. I was whimpering during them and felt pretty dang crappy. I know I would have felt better if I could have been on the birthing ball or walking or in different positions, but I was confined to that dang monitor.
A new nurse came in and said that she got confirmation from Dr. Lasting that I could now do 30 minutes on the monitors, 30 minutes off. When my 30 minutes to walk started, a guy came in with a cart of tubes and said he needed to take my blood. Apparently, my Ramona doctor had lost all my prenatal blood work so I got to get stuck with a needle 2 times (first vein blew out) and get blood drawn during contractions. That wasn't too fun. Then, I told the nurse I had a pretty bad headache (which was from not eating from 8:30am til 6pm). She said "Nick" could have yellow jello and give it to me. I gladly took that and ate a few bites. As I was eating my jello and sitting up in bed I felt more gushing of fluid...I thought I was done leaking water everywhere but apparently not! I told Nick, "Oh my gosh I'm leaking and not stopping, it's not stopping...oh my gosh!" He told me to get up and go to the bathroom but I knew that would be disastrous. Then I started hearing dripping and looked over the edge of the bed to a huge puddle with more dripping into it. Nick paged the nurse and said, "Um...she is leaking a LOT...I think we need some help in here." My sweet nurse came in and thought we were just going to get up and go to the bathroom, but when I moved she said, "Uh...lets get you some new gowns and sheets." Needless to say I left a trail to the bathroom again and was dripping amniotic fluid all down my legs and feet as well.
After I got cleaned up the nurse regrettably informed me that my 30 minutes off the monitors was up and I had to be hooked up again. My contractions were just getting stronger so I sadly said OK and laid in bed. Now, every contraction was bringing tears and I started to shake. Nick and my mom stroked my hair, held my hands, and were very supportive. I told them I couldn't take much more contractions like this because I was in so much pain. Nick told me I could do it, but I was weak. Then, I got nauseous and 2 contractions in a row I projectile vomited into the little vomit bowl and on Nick. I was still stuck in the bed and couldn't move...I was done. I told Nick a million times that I was done and that I wanted the epidural. The nurse said that my contractions were TWO MINUTES LONG and I was getting a 1 MINUTE BREAK between each one (normal contractions are between 30-60 seconds long....I don't know why mine were so long). I told her I wanted to be checked and had resolved in my mind that if I was in transition (7cm or more) then I would tough it out since that is the worst part. I was devastated to hear that I was only 5cm/95% effaced (so 2cm more and 35% more effaced in 9.5 hours). I knew I could not handle contractions/dilation at that pace if I was stuck in bed. So, I caved and got the epidural. I felt extremely guilty and like a failure, especially since Nick kept telling me, "You told me to not let you get one and that it would get bad like this." I felt like I let him down and that I was letting our baby down. My mom and Nick both assured me that I wasn't a failure and that we just wanted a healthy baby/mom in the end.
The anesthesiologist came in at about 7:30pm and administered the epidural. When he came in so did my 3rd and final nurse (Anna- she was amazing). She held my shoulders and helped me breathe/stay still during contractions while Nick kept encouraging me on the side. It took about 15 minutes to get the epidural in and on, and the contractions I had during then were HORRID. The doctor said the epidural would start working immediately and would just keep working better til I felt no pain at all. It took a while for it to kick in, but each contraction got less intense and it got to the point where it was just a back cramp on my left side each time I had a contraction. I relaxed and started watching TV with Nick/my mom (we watched comedy central- Jim Gaffigan). After 30 min or so I said I was still feeling a bit of pain and needed to have the epidural upped so I didn't have that back cramp. He upped it ever so slightly and left. I guess it's common to have a "pocket" where the epidural doesn't work and I had one in my right lower side so each contraction was like a period cramp that wrapped around to the back. It wasn't super comfy but was much more bearable than the contractions before the epidural.
Dr. Lasting came in at about 8 pm and I told him, "Yea...I caved and got the epidural." He told me I did great, and most of his patients get one immediately upon hospital arrival at like 1cm. He thought I was awesome for lasting 9.5 hours. Dr. Lasting checked me and said I was a "good 5cm and completely thinned out." He said he would come back in an hour or so to see how I was doing. He did come back at about 9:30pm and I was already at a 7cm- which was a good sign that I was progressing quickly now that my body was relaxed. He said he would see me soon and left to go home (his wife was sick with the flu and he was taking care of his 3 daughters who are all 15 and under).
At 11:30pm, Anna came in and checked me again. I was surprised to hear, "Well, you are complete and ready to start pushing!" I had progressed 5cm in 4 hours as opposed to 2cm in 9.5 hours before the epidural. The nurse said that a lot of times a mom just needs to relax and her body starts moving a lot quicker. She left to call Dr. Lasting and have him leisurely come over. She told me that it usually takes first time moms 2 hours of active pushing to birth the baby so there is no hurry for the doctor to get here. Well, we got my legs in the stirrups and I was partially sitting up (to have gravity help with bringing the baby down). She wanted me to push through a few contractions before the doctor got there to get the baby started on it's way out and to get used to what pushing was like. Apparently my contractions had spaced out to 4-7 minutes apart so I had a big break in between each one to rest after pushing. I pushed through 3 contractions, with my mom holding my left leg and Nick holding my right. Anna was very impressed by my pushing ability and after the 3rd contraction she told me I needed to stop pushing during contractions and wait for the doctor to get there. I asked her, "Why? Is my baby against my cervix or something?" She responded with, "Oh no...reach down and feel your baby's head!" The baby was right there and she told me that the baby wasn't bald- which surprised me since I didn't really have much heartburn. After waiting 20 minutes or so without pushing she said I could maybe push every other contraction until Dr. Lasting got there for relief of pressure. Well, I pushed 1/3 times for the first contraction after that and she quickly said, "Woah...yea...we are definitely going to have to wait for the doctor."
Very soon after that, Dr. Lasting walked in and said, "Are we ready to have a baby?" Anna replied, "Oh yea, she is right there...you need to get dressed fast." He quickly put on his outfit and came and sat down at the end of the bed. He wanted me to do a "practice push to see where you are at" the next time I had a contraction. So, the next time I felt pressure of a contraction I pushed for about 5 seconds and he frantically said, "Stop pushing stop pushing stop pushing!" I stopped and was trying to do a kegal (which was impossible at this point) and told him, "I'm not trying to!" My mom told me, "The baby's head is out!" and I guess Dr. Lasting was trying to suction the nose/mouth before the rest of the body shot out. I don't know how well he was able to do that because not even 10 seconds later I heard crying and the baby was born at 1:06am on October 2nd...which was the due date!! Literally, it was the FIRST push that I did with Dr. Lasting being there....good thing we didn't do anymore practice pushes before he got there!
Dr. Lasting tried to put the baby on my chest but the umbilical cord was too short. He actually tugged a little bit to see if there was more and there wasn't...he said it was only 8 inches long! So, he put the baby on my lower belly until the umbilical cord stopped pulsating and then asked Nick to do the honors of cutting the cord. Nick did (he wasn't sure if he wanted to or not) and then they handed me my baby. I said, "It's a boy-Brodie Cole!" and cuddled him directly skin to skin on my chest. He was perfectly colored- pink with no vernix caseosa or blood at all. It was like he was perfectly clean already, just wet from the amniotic fluid. The nurse got him a little drier while he was laying on me and then put a warm blanket over him and me while we cuddled. He did poop right away on me and then opened his eyes and stared at me with his wide eyes and started sucking on his hands. Nicholas and I just sat and stared at him for a long time. Nick held him for a few minutes and then put him back on my chest. I was allowed to have him on my chest, feed him, and just cuddle until 2:30am. Dr. Lasting delivered the placenta and stitched me up (I had a second degree tear) while we were cuddling but I didn't even notice. At 2:30 they took him to get weighed (8lbs 2oz), measured (21 inches long), get a vitamin K shot, and give him his first bath on the other side of the room. Nick was right there with Brodie the entire time holding his hand and taking pictures for me. Then, he was burritoed up and given right back to us.
My mom had gone out of the room and called my dad while Nick and I were bonding with Brodie that first hour and came back in to hold him after his bath. She held him for a few minutes and then decided to go home (she had been up for 24 hours at this point) and let us get some rest with him. We sent out a picture message to our close friends/family at about 3am and stayed up with him until 5am...when we finally passed out until about 7:30am.
We had an uneventful rest of the hospital stay- he got his vitals taken a bunch of times when I got mine taken, got a 24 hour weight check (7lb11oz), got his hearing checked, got a PKU test, got circumcised, and FINALLY at 11:30am on Sunday, Oct 3rd we got discharged with him and got to take him home.
A few people saw us at the hospital, and a few right after we got home, but besides that those first couple of days are a good blur. I am glad that I had a good birth experience (minus being strapped to the monitors and caving to the epidural) and that I didn't need any other drugs besides the epidural (no pitocin or anything like that).
We have been blessed with an extremely relaxed baby, who nurses GREAT, sleeps a lot, and is pretty much the cutest baby in the ENTIRE WORLD. :o) We are in love with Brodie Cole, and every day that we are parents is better than the last. He turns 4 weeks old tomorrow...I can't believe it's been that long already and everyone tells me that I will be saying that phrase the rest of my life! OK, my darling baby is waking up...so I need to go love on him. :o)
Friday, October 22, 2010
Almost 3 week Pediatrician Appt (20 d)
We went to the pediatrician today... Brodie is a growing little boy.
At 2 weeks 6 days here are his stats:
-He gained a pound in the 2 weeks between visits, and went up from 7lb 10oz to 8lb 10oz now! (50th percentile)
-He grew an inch since birth- now 22inches long (75th percentile)
-His head circumference went up from 25cm to 37cm (Almost 50th percentile)
The doc was very very pleased with him and with his progress. He was STOKED that I was still exclusively breastfeeding and how healed his circumcision was. He said continue to do what I was doing and that he would see me when Brodie was 2 months old for his first set of shots. I'm not looking forward to the shots but am happy he is doing so well.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
My personal list of baby essentials
-car seat with infant insert
-co-sleeper/bassinet with a king size pillowcase for sheet
-2 pack of waterproof multiple use pads
-pack n play with changing table/bassinet attachment
-bouncer/rocker chair
-Sleepywrap/other type of stretchy wrap
Clothes (In newborn size or 0-3 month size depending on brand)
-4-6 gowns
-4-6 zip up footsie sleepers
-10 or so onesies
-3-6 pair of socks
-3 hats-2-3 bibs
-4-5 36 packs of newborn diapers
-box of Costco wipes
-12+ cloth diapers for burp clothes
-manual breast pump
-Boppy pillow w/ water resistant cover and one cloth cover
-nursing wrap
-12+ receiving blankets
-2-3 heavier blankets
-2-3 simple infant toys
-4 Soothie pacifiers
-baby bath
-1 bottle Johnson/Johnson all over body wash
-6 or so washcloths
-3 hooded towels
-Johnson/Johnson baby lotion-baby hair brush with soft bristles
-nail clippers
-dye/scent free detergent
For Mom
-1 tube nipple cream
-3+ boxes (60ct) of breast pads and a few pair of reusable
-3-4 soft sleep nursing bras
-3 normal nursing bras
-overnight sanitary pads (I've used about 60-70 in these first 2 weeks but haven't had HORRID bleeding)
-maternity or bigger undies to wear with the pads
-2 containers of witch hazel cooling pads
-squirty bottle to fill with water for cleansing "down there"
-800 mg ibuprofen every 6 hours for the first 5 or so days
-2-3 outfits that are very comfy to wear in the first week or so exclusively after delivery that are also "breastfeeding friendly"
And that's all (hah it's actually quite a bit) the items we've needed these first two weeks around here. Hope this helps someone out!
Happy Belated 3rd Anniversary
Last Wednesday was Nicholas' and my 3rd anniversary. There were no special plans, no special meals, no dressing up to try and impress each other. I stayed in my pajamas until late afternoon and got housework done. Nick worked all day and sat on the couch while I made Spaghetti (my first time cooking a dinner since Brodie's birth). We watched a few hours of TV together and I passed out on the couch after one of Brodie's feedings. Nick finally took Brodie off my chest, placed him in the bassinet, and woke me up. I stumbled through brushing my teeth and collapsed into bed before waking up a few hours later to Brodie wanting to eat again.
It's true, there were no plans, no special meals, no going out, no romantic fireworks.
But there WAS Nick, Brodie, and me all together in our house. We were all happy, healthy, and together.
And THAT ^^^ is what made our 3rd anniversary by far the best anniversary we have celebrated in my opinion. Being home with my boys= amazing. <3 Happy belated anniversary my love, I am so happy with my life and wouldn't change a thing about it. So much has happened in the past three years and I look forward to many many more years of memories with you.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Random Thoughts on Parenting so far (12d)
My advice (in no particular order) to soon to be moms/myself for the next kid I have when I don't remember. More like observations in these first 12 days:
1. Outfits with lots of buttons SUCK! Instead, go for zippered outfits, gowns with no buttons, or a traditional onesie with only 2-3 buttons in the crotch with socks/a hat if necessary.
4. Relax and chill out with your new baby. The more relaxed you are (with nursing/changing/in general) the more relaxed you baby can be. They sense stress and get stressed from that. Plus, being relaxed helps you stay happier!
5. The baby isn't as fragile as you think. They just got shoved out of a little area and man-handled by doctors...and they didn't break. Just be cautious to how you are holding them and you will be fine. Most things don't phase them as much as you'd think they would.
6. Be noisy around your baby so they get used to normal volumes of every day life. You don't want to tiptoe around them because it will make them super sensitive to noise. Yesterday I threw Brodie in the Sleepywrap (while awake) and vaccuumed my entire house... he passed out during the chore and stayed asleep until way after I was done.
7. Do lots of skin to skin. Babies love it, mama's love it, and it promotes bonding and helps with breastfeeding.
8. Don't give up on breastfeeding. I understand there are circumstances where medically it will not work out (I'm not talking to you guys) but MOST people can breastfeed successfully. I am still new to it, but everyone I've talked to says it takes 6 weeks to be a pro, and those first six weeks SUCK. It was hard in the beginning to get Brodie to latch, and when my milk came in I got SO engorged. The lactation consultant in the hospital told me I had 2 strikes against me (very large breasts and flat nipples) but said to try try try and hopefully we'd get it. With creative manipulation (me holding the breast and aligning the nipple to his mouth during a feeding) and using the manual pump to express some milk while I was engorged so he could attach to my flat nipple we were able to get past a hard hurdle. It was hard though, and a 2:40hr try to get him to eat for 10 minutes was very frustrating. Now he latches on in 10-20 seconds and nurses like a champ!
9. Take lots of pictures, you will never get the day back once it is past. I just sent off to get 93 pictures printed yesterday of Brodie's first 11 days of life. Obsessive, maybe. But I will be so happy to have a book of baby pictures to show people (and show Brodie) in the years to come.
10. Enjoy your baby!!!!!
Now...off to nurse! :o) I <3 my little man!!!!
Friday, October 8, 2010
Introducing Brodie Cole! (6 days 22 hours)
Brodie Cole made his appearance into the world on his due date, 10/2/10 at 1:06am. He weighed 8lb 2oz at birth and is 21 inches long with a 14cm head. He got a 9/9 on his APGAR tests and passed the hearing test with flying colors.
We are thoroughly enjoying our little man, and getting adjusted to the sleep deprivation and time requirements of a newborn. I will post the whole birth story later on... but here are a few pictures until then. :o) I can't believe in exactly 2 hours he will be a week old already!
Nick and I are in LOVE!
Til later,
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Baby Nano...COME OUT! (39w3d pic- plus 39w2d appt update)
*I gained 3 lbs (so basically made up the 2lbs I lost because I had the flu last week and didn't eat plus 1 more lb). That makes me at +17lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight.
*My blood pressure was "great" this week. I am so glad because I was worried it would slowly creep up at the end.
*The fundal height was 42, still 3 weeks ahead.
*I am now 3cm dilated, 60-70% effaced, and still have the low/soft cervix. This is good news because I more than doubled my dilation in a week and am thinning out. The baby is high though.
*The ultrasound to check growth indicated the baby weighs about 8lb 10/11oz. Obviously it could be +/- a lb like last time. This led to the "intense" part.
The doctor is concerned about the baby being too big if we wait much longer to deliver vaginally. He doesn't like to deliver more than a 10lb baby without a c-section. He wants to do this Thursday, but did give me the option to have a more detailed ultrasound done down in SD to verify weight, but I told him I wanted to talk to Nick about it first. We decided not to do the 2nd ultrasound because we are fairly convinced our kid is big. But, we did decide that we want to wait til after Saturday (my due date) to induce if possible.
I talked to the nurse last night to see if we could wait til Monday/Tuesday instead of Saturday (she is the one who returned my message). She said it could be possible because the doctor does do inductions those days and that she would ask the doc and let me know. I also asked her to ask him if he could strip my membranes Friday so there would be more chance I could go into labor on my own. She said he usually doesn't do that, but that she would ask him and get back to me yesterday or today. I am very bummed because I never got a call today like I was supposed to...hopefully early tomorrow morning I will know more.
Nick and I were both sorta bummed that the doctor is pushing the induction so much, as we really really wanted to do everything natural. But, since I could have an almost 10lber now, or almost 8lber now (I wish the measurements were more accurate) If i wait til next monday the baby will be at most 10lb3oz and at least 8lb3oz. That's why I'm not sure if he'll let me wait til then. Until I get a call, I'm waiting on pins and needles.
I guess regardless I know I will have a baby in a week or less...sorta scary but exciting at the same time! If everyone could please pray that that Nano decides to come on his/her time instead of me needing an induction that would be great. I'd love to not have to use induction meds and have to deal with more pain because of them. I am looking into various natural induction techniques to see if one of those will help kick start labor. Wish us luck!
Monday, September 20, 2010
Feeling Icky + 38w2d check up appt
Hello to my few loyal readers:
I still am feeling very icky (I think I have a stomach bug), my lower back is constantly hurting, and all my stomach/upper thigh/knee muscles are very sore. I have a feeling going to Sea World on Saturday and walking around for 6 hours there followed by final baby shopping for another 2ish hours that night is what did me in soreness-wise. I am definitely feeling "pregnant" and can say that last night was the most uncomfortable night for me this entire pregnancy. I was up every 30 min to an hour and finally just woke up at 4:45am since I couldn't sleep. I'm looking forward to not being so sore from a big belly/pre-labor type pains. :o) Hopefully this explains the tired/gross expression on my face...
I went to my appt this morning even though I was feeling bad because I wanted to make sure baby was ok, get an update on my dilation progress, and make sure my blood pressure /weight was ok.
Quick facts since I'm not feeling good:
*I LOST 2 POUNDS- making me at +14 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight. The doctor told me that I would definitely lose that much if not more when I went to the hospital to give birth (average sized babies =mom losing about 17lbs on average, bigger babies like mine is looking to be= mom losing about 19-20lbs). I joked with the doctor and said I guess pregnancy was my version of a weight loss plan :P
*Blood pressure was normal
*Fundal height was 41 (should be 38- so same 3wks bigger as usual)
*I am now 1.5 cm dialated (I was 1cm 2 weeks ago), 50% effaced (same as 2 weeks ago), and cervix is still soft/low. The doc said for women giving birth for the first time the checks don't really tell them when baby will come (I already knew that) and that I could go into labor tomorrow for all anyone knows. :P
Now I'm just a ticking time bomb....waiting for Nano to make his/her appearance into the world. I guess my doctor usually lets women go 1 week past their due date before seriously considering/discussing induction. I figure we take that part as it comes- and at least we know that Nano will be here in 3 weeks or less regardless!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Belated 37w3d appt post (37w5d)
When I was about 7 minutes away (driving wise) from the OB's office for my appointment I got a call from the nurse there saying that the doctor had gone home sick for the day. She wanted to know if I wanted to reschedule the appointment. I responded with, "Um...I am literally 5 minutes away from the office and had to leave my house 25 minutes ago to get here on time." She then told me she could, if I preferred, still do all the "check-up" things for my appointment except the cervix check. I jumped on that choice, since I didn't want to make another trip down the hill when I was already scheduled for an appointment a week away.
I arrived at the office shortly after hanging up with her and was surprised when I opened the door. All the waiting room lights were off, no one was in the room, and only the light behind the counter where the receptionist sits was on. The nurse came out from another room and immediately took me back to get weighed/give a urine. I was stoked that I didn't have to wait at all to go back (usually I wait between 30 min and an hour to see him). The entire appointment start to finish took 10 minutes and I drove home happily! I thanked the nurse for waiting for me to get there and letting me get my check up done. She could have gone home and told me I had to reschedule, yet she waited for me and closed up shop as I left.
Here are the stats:
*I gained NO weight this week!!!!! :o) GOOOO ME! That makes me still at +16 pounds pre-pregnancy weight. Not bad for being almost done!
*My blood pressure was "really good"- whatever that means
*My fundal height was 39 (2 weeks ahead- still consistent with previous measurements)
*Nano's heartbeat was 145- perfect! It took a long time to get a good reading on the heart beat because my child is a stinker already! As soon as she put the doppler on my stomach Nano scooted away from it towards my left upper rib and continued to do so until trapped in the corner. I told the nurse that s/he was moving away from her and she replied, "Yes, it's very evident...your belly is totally shifting shape!" She finally got a good hit on it and the little galloping horse sound filled the room.
*She didn't have my Strep B test results when I went in for my appointment, and said that usually they just send them to the hospital without telling the patient so they can stick the antibiotics in the IV. I told her I was having the hep-lock instead and was interested in the result so I could know if I needed to be hooked to something AT ALL during labor. She said she would call me when the results got in. Well, the next afternoon I got a phone call saying I was NEGATIVE FOR STREP B!!!! WOOHOO!
That's all the appointment consisted of. I have also included my weekly belly shot that I took that evening. :o) Next week is an appointment with a cervical check and afterwards I have an appointment with the pediatrician's office to meet them and ask questions. We are SO close to meeting our baby!!!! Only 2 weeks 2 days left!
Monday, September 13, 2010
Baby Clothes (37w2d)
Every brand of baby clothes in the 0-3 month at least is a different size. I got Gerber, Carter's, Disney, and Faded Glory brands at my shower and while folding them I was astounded. I lined up the 4 brands on top of each other smallest to biggest and there is a big difference.
***All four brands on top of each other Gerber, Carters, Disney, Faded Glory from top to bottom***
Gerber is the TINIEST, more what I would think a small newborn would wear. I actually refrained from opening the 2nd 5 pack of onesies in the 0-3 month size from Gerber because I don't know if Nano will even fit in the ones I did open/wash.
***Gerber on left. Carter's on right***
Carters is the LONGEST, but seems sort of slim. I don't know if it is because it is so much longer or what?
Faded glory is the biggest, but still seems so itty bitty for a baby to be in (I guess I'm not used to baby clothes yet). :o)
***Gerber on left. Faded Glory on right.***
Disney brand is in between Carters and Faded Glory.
It's so surreal to wash and put away baby clothes! I also assembled my pack-in-play today and the stroller is in front of the love-seat. We are getting close!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
36w3d OB appointment (with ultrasound and facts!)
My OB appointment today was a busy one and my favorite one because Nick was able to take off work and go with me. :o) I feel sometimes like he is missing out on all the little updates and the growth of our baby (pictures aren't nearly the same as an ultrasound). It isn't his fault, he just can't take off work for every appointment and as a result has only been to 3 total. He went to meet the OB 3 days after we found out we were pregnant, he went to the crappy 20 week ultrasound to see the baby cause it was supposed to be great (and he was extremely disappointed), and he went to yesterday's.
<<<--- Me at 36w3d pregnant! GIANT BELLY!!! Yesterday we knew we got to see Nano on ultrasound (to check growth) and I had the strep B test on top of the regular check up stuff. It was a great appointment and I think Nick really enjoyed the ultrasound! Dr. Lasting is awesome with ultrasounds- he really is interested in seeing the baby, getting a good picture for us, and making sure everything is going well.
I gained 6lbs for 16lb total weight gain. I'm not happy with this weight gain AT ALL but everyone assured me I'm still doing great and I'm fine. I just don't see how I gained 6lbs in 10 days!
We got called into our appointment 50 minutes after our scheduled time (he is a very popular and therefore busy doctor) and got a briefing from the nurse about when to call/go to the hospital if we thought we were in labor. Then, I was instructed to strip from the waist down and wait for the Dr. to come in. Dr. Lasting came in shortly thereafter and took my fundal measurement (he didn't tell me what it was but I figure it's the same 3wk ahead as normal since that's what it always is). Then, I got the lovely Strep B swabs from him (which wasn't bad at all- I expected worse).
Then, I got my first cervical check which was not as bad as I expected, very little discomfort and it was really fast. I was pleasantly surprised at the results and know they are normal. I was:
1cm dialated; 50% effaced; soft cervix
Then we got to see Nano on the ultrasound! We have a cute (yet chubby looking) child! I asked the doctor to calculate the weight for us, and he said he would but would have to call us the next day with it. I was SHOCKED when I got the call this morning and found out that our baby WEIGHS ABOUT 8, YES EIGHT POUNDS right now!!!!!! Our kid is huge and is going to get bigger and bigger every week (by a 1/2 lb or more a week til birth)! Eeek! I guess I know my child is not going to be super fragile!
Lastly, I got my blood pressure taken. It was better than last time, and was good at 124/70.
That was the appointment! It is crazy that we are so close to meeting our baby and that our baby is so big already!


text:
Crosshatching a 9x12 page with a 7x10 image area isn't fun when you have the annoying habit of holding your pens too tightly.
It's even less fun when, a couple days later, you redraw said image and use drybrush instead of crosshatching and it looks better.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Drawings were ripped up in frustration today.
Posted by Donal DeLay at 3:31 PM
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text:
Condition for the Joy of the Lord: in order for everyone to obtain the joy of the Lord, there is a condition to fulfill and sacrifice to make. And what are the conditions; the conditions are that He that covereth his sin shall not prosper but he that confess and forsake shall obtain mercy. Here it tells us that nothing goes for nothing as the Lord himself paid the price for sins we also need to abstain from our sins to conform to the price paid for our sins in order for us to constantly receive his joy we need to abstain from our sins, confess and forsake them
Basis of Joy of the Lord: Joy of the Lord comes when you fear God, do his will, testify him, seeking his face and drawing nearer to him. Owning to hardship or challenges of life one may ask is there any joy in this life of evil generation and perilous time which we are into, the answer is yes to those that fear God. His words said the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. A good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever. When you have wisdom of God you can deal with any challenges of life; as in the life of Solomon, who with the wisdom of God made good decision when it comes to Judge Israelite in time of conflict when he was a king. As God is source of wisdom to everyone even unto Solomon, that is why he says in THE LETTER OF JAMES 1:17 "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. This bible verse gives joy in the sense that, it tells us that, it's God alone can give good and perfect gift so we should only hope on him. What we only need to do is deliberately ask him and he will give us. He said in JAMES 1:5 "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." 2 Chronicles 1:7 "In the night did God appear unto Solomon, and said unto him, ask what I shall give thee. Then in Bible verse of this Chronicles 1:10 Solomon replied God what he want him to do for him. Here he said "Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people: for can who judge this thy people, that is so great?"
For the Joy of Lord he granted Solomon his request: Because Solomon knowingly asked God for wisdom and knowledge to Judge Israelite who is great to judge. And the joy of the Lord full for this request and Lord said in 2 Chronicles 1:11 And God said to Solomon, because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king: and in verse 12, God said "Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and wealth and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like. Here God teaches us that when we asking in prayer we should not ask selfishly, as Solomon did not ask pertained to himself, then the Lord in his joy will multiply an answers to prayers.


text:
I read an interesting article this week by Tamar Schapiro on "What Is a Child?" In a discussion about the possible justifications for what we generally believe are adults' special obligations to children, for "treating someone like a child," Schapiro (looking to Kant) suggests an understanding of the word 'child' as a status concept. The idea is that someone counts as a child when that person lacks the independence necessary (in the ethical realm) for governing himself in accordance with his capacity for reflective choice.
Schapiro suggests that childhood is in some respects analogous to Kant's notion of a state of nature in the political realm, where we need certain normative concepts (like rightful ownership and justice) that are lacking because there is no common political authority in which to ground such concepts. This makes a state of nature inherently unstable and requires that people in that state "pull themselves together" into a unified political state. In a similar way, Schapiro contends, children are like a state of nature in that they need normative principles to be able to make moral choices, but do not yet have a developed will on which to base these principles. An individual becomes an adult when she has "pulled herself together" into a unified reflective agent able to make choices about her desires.
An adult, Schapiro claims, "is one who is in a position to speak in her own voice, the voice of one who stands in a determinate, authoritative relation to the various motivational forces within her." In order to be considered a fully developed agent, one does not have to have worked out principles for any conceivable practical issue but must have a "plan of life." This basic structure, which Schapiro calls character, determines the relation between the pursuit of one's desires and the impulse to relate to others in mutually acceptable ways. Children lack this structure, and so, the argument goes, the distinction between adults and children is one of kind: adults have characters and children do not.
Childhood, therefore, is a "normative predicament" because children need adult help to govern themselves until they develop character, the unified perspective that allows them to exercise effective authority over themselves. Part of the way children develop this, proposes Schapiro, is through play, in which children "try on" selves to develop what is like to speak in their own voices and control their own worlds. As adults, we are obligated to help children escape their predicament by doing what we can to help them "work their way out of childhood."
This is a complex argument for which I am only providing a sketch, but I wonder about it. First, I question the definition of an adult as someone who has constituted herself as a unified reflective agent and can thus speak "in her own voice." It seems to me that the development of this normative structure does not occur in ways consistent with our ordinary judgments about who is a child and who is an adult (which in general depend solely on age). There are people we would characterize as adults (they are over 21) who do not have this kind of developed structure, and there are people we would characterize as children (they are under 17) who do.
Second, while the notion of play as "trying on selves," has much to offer, it does not apply to many people characterized as children (most people over age 10, for example). Schapiro acknowledges this and notes that we think of adolescents "as people who are characteristically 'in search of themselves' . . . [who] carry out this search by identifying themselves in a rather intense but provisional way with peer groups, celebrities . . . and the like." But being "in search of oneself" and "identifying with peer groups, celebrities, etc." is applicable to many adults as well. Does a person who falls within this description lack a "plan of life?" If so, would we have to hold that they should be "treated like a child?" And doesn't in some respects the process of "trying on selves" and developing a "plan of life" last a lifetime?
Finally, I'm reluctant to characterize childhood as a predicament out of which adults have an obligation to help children find their way. While I don't romanticize childhood as a time of innocent bliss or something, I do think that there is a special quality about the life of children that is positive, that as adults we remember with fondness and even wistfulness (see Proust, for example). For example, in my experience doing philosophy with children, I have observed that children often have particular access to creative ways of understanding the world because of their openness to the mysteriousness of human existence. Likewise, I'm hesitant to grant Schapiro's idea that children are different in kind from adults because they lack character. In my work with children, I have found them reliably capable of reflective deliberation and often quite clear and consistent about the internal principles by which they make choices among their desires. I think that children are often capable of "speaking in their own voices." I am just not convinced that all children lack character, or that all adults have it.