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St John's College Nursery
Grove Road South, Southsea, PO5 3QW
023 9281 5118
2 years to 4 years
Our Southsea Nursery looks after a maximum of 28 children each day between the hours of 8am and 5.30pm, 51 weeks a year. The Nursery is split into two age groups: the Rockets (2 to 3 years), and the Stars (3 to 4 years), each enjoying their own special learning and play areas. Attendance can be sessional, term time only, or full-time.


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Anthony Adverse posterCopyright by respective production studio and/or distributor. Intended for editorial use only.
Directed by: Michael Curtiz, Mervyn LeRoy
Cast: Claude Rains, Olivia de Havilland, Edmund Gwenn, Louis Hayward, Anita Louise, Fredric March, Akim Tamiroff, Donald Woods
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Alien (1979)
Average Rating: 8.8/10
Reviews Counted: 91
Fresh: 88 | Rotten: 3
A modern classic, Alien blends science fiction, horror and bleak poetry into a seamless whole.
Average Rating: 8.2/10
Critic Reviews: 20
Fresh: 17 | Rotten: 3
A modern classic, Alien blends science fiction, horror and bleak poetry into a seamless whole.
liked it
Average Rating: 3.9/5
User Ratings: 450,792
Movie Info
"In space, no one can hear you scream." A close encounter of the third kind becomes a Jaws-style nightmare when an alien invades a spacecraft in Ridley Scott's sci-fi horror classic. On the way home from a mission for the Company, the Nostromo's crew is woken up from hibernation by the ship's Mother computer to answer a distress signal from a nearby planet. Capt. Dallas's (Tom Skerritt) rescue team discovers a bizarre pod field, but things get even stranger when a face-hugging creature bursts
May 25, 1979 Limited
Jan 6, 2004
20th Century Fox - Official Site
Watch It Now
Tom Skerritt
Sigourney Weaver
Ellen Ripley
Veronica Cartwright
Yaphet Kotto
Harry Dean Stanton
John Hurt
Ian Holm
Helen Horton
Bolaji Badejo
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June 2, 2014:Sigourney Weaver Is Up for More Alien
"There's more story to tell."
May 13, 2014:H. R. Giger: 1940-2014
H.R. Giger, the Swiss painter who designed the iconic creature from Alien, died Monday in a Z�rich...
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All Critics (91) | Top Critics (20) | Fresh (88) | Rotten (3) | DVD (44)
The most startling thing watching Alien again is its pacing. For the first 45 minutes, little happens. It's all slow, exquisite build-up, which makes the second half seem all the more horrific.
It is depressing to watch an expensive, crafty movie that never soars beyond its cold desire to score the big bucks.
The limited strengths of its staple sci-fi horrors always derived from either the offhand organic/ Freudian resonances of its design or the purely (brilliantly) manipulative editing and pacing of its above-average shock quota.
An old-fashioned scary movie set in a highly realistic sci-fi future, made all the more believable by expert technical craftmanship.
An empty-headed horror movie with nothing to recommend it beyond the disco-inspired art direction and some handsome, if gimmicky, cinematography.
The limited strengths of its staple sci-fi horrors always derived from either the offhand organic/ Freudian resonances of its design or the purely (brilliantly) manipulative editing and pacing of its above-average shock quota.
This revolutionary "haunted house in space" thrill-ride is the classic business, stunning you with shock after shock, even when the fascinating monster is exposed in all its hideous glory.
If you want cinematic kicks, Ridley Scott's massively successful Alien will give you them in profusion.
Look as hard as you like, you won't spot a single flaw, even though the film's had 24 years to date.
A perfect roller coaster blend of horror and science fiction. Sigourney Weaver was an amazing discovery.
In a century of sci-fi/horror hybrids, few if any movies do such a good job at reaching the absolute highest peaks of both halves of that equation as this one.
Alien has power, elicits terror, and the acid blood scars your consciousness.
It remains a benchmark of extra-terrestrial horror, and gave us a bona fide A-list star in the shape of Sigourney Weaver.
My favorite film of all time is one of the finest blu-rays in my collection.
The monster itself is still one of the flat-out scariest ever designed for the movies.
Ridley Scott's Alien is nothing short of a masterpiece. Technically brilliant, tense, horrifying and visually breathtaking, there's not a moment in this B-monster movie that doesn't excel well beyond the usual genre trappings.
It's a chilling, slow-paced, space horror movie using the same formula as the B-films of the 1950s.
Alien proved that material derided as B-movie fodder could be handled with finesse and glossy production values, without diminishing the thrills or polishing over the hard-edged horror.
Audience Reviews for Alien
Super Reviewer
It's a simple, even generic, but ultimately brilliant title. It works as both a noun and adjective, and really leaves things wide open in terms of what's going to happen.
The plot is rather simple: a group of workers aboard a commercial towing vessel headed back home have their journey interrupted by a mysterious transmission from a nearby planetoid. They stop to investigate, only to end up bringing an extraterrestrial threat back on board their craft.
The film is basically like a slasher movie in space, and essentially established the modern notions of the 'space horror' subgenre. It's a rehashing of old ideas and concepts, but it's done so well that it feels totally fresh and new.
What I really like about this is how it is firmly both sci-fi and horror. It blends the two quite well, and is a landmark entry in both realms. It's a slow burner, w emphasis mainly on mood, tone, atmosphere, and generating tension and suspense over a strong plot or actions and events. That might seem boring to some, but I rather enjoy its hypnotic qualities, as they draw you in, ramp things up to a high level, then finally release in bursts of scares.
I think it's worse it to sit through the first half because, even though not much really happens, it only makes the second half (especially the final act) that much more thrilling and rewarding.
From a technical perspective, this film is a real marvel, and its influence can be seen in a lot of avenues from films to video games like the Metroid series. There's expert use of matte paintings, practical effects, models, and real ingenuity versus reliance on CGI, and it's cool how this won an Oscar for visual effects.
The cinematography is dark, moody, and really adds a level of dread to the claustrophobic environs of the ship. I really dig the art direction and set design. The use of shadows, steam, and flashing lights also add to the creepy atmosphere, and make things quite intense and disorienting. I tend to overlook the importance of sound design in movies for some reason, but here, I can't help but get drawn in by all the hissing from steam, dripping corridors, and beeps and boops from the computers. Yeah, some of the technology seems a bit dated, but I think it has a nice, surreal charm to it. The ship also has a rugged, lived in look to it that makes things seem more authentic and believable. And then there's the alien: simply put: the creature designs by H.R. Giger are creative, intense, original, and some of the scariest and most unique ever conceived.
In a lot of films like this, the cast are made up of a bunch of unrealistic stereotypes that often seem out of place, but here the crew is just a group of working class blue collar folks, with the youngest being 29. I think this adds both to the realism, and makes things quite relatable. The cast have good chemistry with one another, and it all feels organic instead of forced.
The acting is also fine. It's nothing spectacular, but it does get the job done. I mean, since they're just regular folks, its fitting that they're performances are not all that remarkable. I do have to give special praise though, first to Ian Holm for being terrifically creepy, and to Sigourney Weaver who, as the youngest and least experienced of the cast, had a big hurdle to jump through, and succeeded, becoming a star as a result.
Jerry Goldsmith's score is compelling, and the heart beat like thumping during key scenes is a real nice touch. Ridley Scott provides some superb, subtle directing, showing a real flare for building tension and mood. I like how not a whole lot of exposition is given, leaving the viewer to fill in the gaps. I do think that at times things could be perhaps slightly tightened in the pacing department, and the damn cat that is a part of the crew is a tad annoying, though cute, but overall, I don't have any major issues with this one.
I recognize that this won't appeal to all audiences, as it is a deliberately paced and executed affair, but at the same time, due to how well a lot of this is done, and because of its legacy, I think it is one that everyone needs to see. It holds up remarkably well, and is a pretty memorable experience, so of course it is a must see. I prefer the theatrical cut, but the 'director's cut' has a few nice added moments, though the overall pacing is thrown off a tad.
Super Reviewer
Super Reviewer
Super Reviewer
Movies Like Alien
- Parker: I ain't drawing no straws, I'm for killing that goddamn thing right now.
- Ellen Ripley: Final report, the commercial star-ship Nostromo. Third officer reporting. The other members of the crew?Kane, Lambert, Parker, Brett, Ash, and Captain Dallas?are dead. Cargo and ship destroyed. I should reach the frontier within six weeks. With a little luck the network will pick me up. This is Ripley, last survivor of the Nostromo, signing off.
- Ash: I can't lie to you about your chances, but you have my sympathies.
- Ellen Ripley: We will and then we will blow it the fuck out into space!
- Parker: Get out of the room!
- Ellen Ripley: This is Ripley, last survivor of the Nostromo, signing off.
Discussion Forum
Discuss Alien on our Movie forum!
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Foreign Titles
- Alien - Das unheimliche Wesen aus einer fremden Welt (DE)
- Alien (UK)


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A memorial service will be held for Valerie V. Campbell, 56, of Moline at 11 a.m. today at Antioch Baptist Church, Rock Island. Burial will be at a later date at the National Cemetery, Rock Island Arsenal.
She departed this life on Jan. 18, 2013, at her home.
Orr's Mortuary, Rock Island, is assisting the family with arrangements.
Erie, IL Details
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SPOKANE, Wash. -- Spokane Police arrested a convicted felon after a short pursuit Wednesday afternoon.
Spokane Police closed the intersection of Perry and Indiana after the pursuit ended in a minor crash.
Police said Tyler Tofsrud, 23, is in custody.
Officers spotted a car near the intersection of Hamilton and Mission that was believed to be part of a stolen car investigation from Tuesday. Police said the car was recovered yesterday but they were still searching for a suspect. Spokane Police had reason to believe the suspect was armed with a handgun.
When officers tried to stop Tofsrud, authorities said he tried to get away. Officials said the suspect clipped a woman in a Cadillac near Perry and Indiana, then hit a pole and crashed.
Police determined Tofsrud was not the driver in yesterday's pursuit but he was a wanted felon. Authorities said Tofsrud had a gun in his possession.
Detectives seized Tofsrud's car to execute a search warrant for the gun. Tofsrud was arrested for attempting to elude a police vehicle. It is also illegal for Tofsrud to possess a firearm.
No one was injured. More charges are likely as the investigation continues.


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Lyme disease: just how screwed am I?
October 19, 2012
LymeDiseaseFilter: Have you or someone you're close to had Lyme, had it treated, and more-or-less lived to tell the tale? I'm seeking anecdata to help me calibrate exactly how freaked out I should be about this diagnosis.
So I recently got a definitive diagnosis of Lyme borreliosis via an antibody test (Western blot) that's apparently fairly unlikely to produce false positives. I've spent days reading over all the recent literature, but it's unfortunately a super-politicized field, with a big angry split between researchers who think it's no big deal, just take some antibiotics and it'll go away, and researchers who claim it's a persistent infection that might just never fully clear with current treatments. Plus bonus accusations and counter-accusations of ethical violations and evidence suppression, fun!
I'm to the point where I'd really just love to hear some real people's experiences with the disease, to help me figure out some sort of realistic middle ground between
Ehh, no biggie
Congratulations on your new future of inevitable agonizing pain and increasing cognitive dysfunction!
Bonus points if anyone can comment at all on:
-- Disease/treatment courses that depart from the "classic" mold. Part of what has me worried is that I'm fairly sure I got the Lyme erythema-migrans rash AFTER completing my first course of antibiotics: I'd gone to the doctor in early August with the post-tick-bite swollen-glands-and-fever part of the disease (no rash), and was prescribed 21 days of amoxicillin, but then ended up getting a fairly small (3cm) solid oval rash in early September, about two days after finishing the antibiotic.
(Full disclosure: I missed about 5 pills of the 63-pill course due to flightiness, but surely that shouldn't completely inactivate the treatment, should it?)
I spent most of September hoping that perhaps the rash was something else and I'd never had Lyme at all, until the positive Western Blot, plus some very mild but definite knee pain, plus the mysterious disappearance of the mystery rash on exactly the expected timeline for EM, pretty much clinched the matter. I started 21 days of doxycycline about a week ago, and the knee pain is pretty much gone, but I'm concerned that if there IS a biofilm-forming, refractory, brain-eating strain of the disease out there, the failure of the first course of treatment might mean that that's the one I've got. (I know the antibody test should stay positive whether I've got working Borrelia or not, but the new symptoms seem suspicious for ongoing infection... right?) So any anecdotal reassurance (or confirmation :( ) on that front would be awesome, as well.
-- Tips for dealing with docs. I will of course be seeing a rheumatologist ASAP, but I'd like to figure out beforehand exactly how aggressive I need to be about seeking ongoing treatment or assessment.
-- And lastly, dynamics of the disease with pregnancy/childbirth (another disputed topic among the experts). This is particularly rotten timing because we were planning on trying for another kid in late November.
Basically, tl;dr-- please tell me about your experience with Lyme disease. Thanks so much!
posted by
Health & Fitness
(28 answers total)
7 users marked this as a favorite
fwiw, people I know who've had their Lyme's disease diagnosed within a couple of months of getting it (which is rare and amazing) and go through the nauseating battery of antibiotics have gotten over it completely. (Apparently. Maybe it comes back when you're 70, like shingles. Who knows?)
The people in my life who are totally fucked are the ones who've had it for 20 years with various amorphous symptoms and finally get properly diagnosed (often after getting diagnosed with CFS, depression, etc etc). By then they've got nerve problems and are all sorts of a mess.
Speaking strictly anecdotally, the second scenario is more common, and it's compounded by the insurance companies prohibiting it as a diagnosis, or requiring extraordinary and expensive burdens of proof that they won't pay to get until the diagnosis is reached, sometimes years later, at which point they MAY reimburse you. There is even one insurance company that declares that Lyme's disease doesn't exist.
posted by
on October 19, 2012 [
1 favorite
I had Lyme disease when I was 13 (and it was still new, exciting and there was much less fear-mongering on the internet). I had neurological symptoms and a course of IV treatment. I never found a rash and only discovered that something was wrong when the symptoms showed up. It took about four months for me to be back to my usual state and meaningful improvement took about a week after diagnosis. I still have a few very minor parasthesia-type things that I assume will never, ever go away, but it's been more than 20 years and I have not had other problems.
I have a friend who had Lyme disease the produced fatigue. It took her about a year to really recover and she still has some fatigue problems occasionally. However, she had an underlying health issue before the Lyme.
As with almost every other medical problem I or a family member has ever had, IMO the people who post on the internet are the small minority who either have unusual cases or have psychological concerns which make getting better harder for them. When my partner got gallbladder problems, I read a bunch of message boards and was
people got "post-gallbladder syndrome". Which certainly sounds horrible and I have no doubt is real and crippling...however, I have since talked to a number of people who have had their gallbladders removed with
ill effects even over years, so it seems likely that there is a sizeable population for whom gallbladder surgery really is pretty undramatic. Similarly, I absolutely believe that there are people who suffer gravely from Lyme for many years, but I don't think it's common.
posted by
on October 19, 2012 [
2 favorites
I have known many people with Lyme. They were diagnosed fairly early, took the recommended course of antibiotics, and that was the end of it. They are all happy and healthy and do not complain about any lingering symptoms or discomfort. The worst case I personally know of is a friend who was diagnosed in 1989. She was on an antibiotic IV--it took care of the Lyme but apparently pretty much wiped out her natural biota and she suffered some severe intestinal issues--but once that was taken care she was fine.
posted by
Seymour Zamboni
on October 19, 2012 [
2 favorites
My ex's father had untreated Lyme disease for a long time before he was treated. I had suspected (but not confirmed) Lyme this summer.
My ex's father's experience, as I recall: Intermittent periods of feeling crappy, He let it go on long enough that he ended up with some kind of nerve damage. As I understand it, the nerve damage persists, but stopped progressing when he was treated. He doesn't have a "syndrome", but he does have lingering issues. You have to remember, though: He wasn't aware he had Lyme for quite some time. At least months, maybe a year or more.
My experience: I had a tick bite. I went to the doctor a few weeks later because I felt bad. He gave me antibiotics because he suspected Lyme or something like it. It cleared completely up, and there has been no fallout thus far.
Good luck.
posted by
on October 19, 2012
I guess after reading these other comments I should add: I did have wacky intestinal symptoms for a couple of weeks. I did have scary and dramatic neurological problems at onset. I did and do have some lingering nerve stuff - some permanent numbness, some numbness that comes and goes and my feet seem to get cold easier. I also
I'm a bit clumsier on the feet than I might otherwise have been, but it hasn't kept me from dancing, biking, etc. So my point is that you
have "nerve damage" and so on and still have it
not be that bad
- nerve damage can vary a lot. Honestly, the worst long-term effect was that for years I was convinced that the tiniest, tiniest symptom of anything was Something Terrible, since the onset symptoms for Lyme were very small but escalated rapidly, with the whole process taking just long enough to go from "huh, my feet feel weird" to "OMG, I have to go to the ER now!!!!!" in a couple of hours.
posted by
on October 19, 2012
And I add that we have
no idea
when I got Lyme - was it months of incubation? Years? No notion. Not a clue.
posted by
on October 19, 2012
Seconding small_ruminant - I have friends who caught it quickly and have recovered fully after antibiotics. I have friend who didn't catch it quickly and have been on antibiotics for years now and seem somewhat better but not at all "back to themselves". You are on the side of "caught it quickly", compared to their timelines. I agree that there is a ton of conflicting information out there.
posted by
on October 19, 2012
My dad got Lyme disease last year. Was getting pretty sick there for a minute. Started his antibiotics and was sick as a freaking dog for about a week. Now he's fine. Something similar happened to a few friends in college.
Then again, a friend of mine had these sort of chronic, poorly differentiated and diffuse symptoms which were apparently rather severe, and she bounced between diagnoses of IBS, CFS, fibro myalgia, and Lyme for quite some time.
Here's the deal. Lyme disease, as such, is a bacterial infection that everyone pretty much agrees about how to treat. You take a course of antibiotics, you frequently get worse before you get better--read up on the
Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction
, which occurs when large numbers of bacteria die all at once--but you do, in fact, get better. That's uncontroversial.
What's controversial is so-called "chronic" Lyme disease. There are a lot of people with diffuse and widely disparate symptoms, with presentation similar to chronic fatigue or fibro myalgia, two conditions similarly plagued by toxic levels of woo, who believe that their symptoms are related to a previous infection with Lyme disease. Thus far there is no concrete, objective study which confirms this, and most of the reputable epidemiologists and ID researchers who study Lyme do not believe in any connection between these symptoms and Lyme disease proper. But the belief persists.
What seems most likely is that if Lyme goes untreated long enough, the infection can cause permanent damage to various organ systems. This is, unfortunately, pretty common, as the symptoms of Lyme can be pretty subtle and diagnosis is frequently delayed by months or years. So yes, these symptoms may be related to Lyme disease, but taking more antibiotics isn't going to jack squat, because there aren't any bacteria left to kill. The toxins have simply caused irreparable damage which the patient is going to have to live with. Kind of like polio in that respect: just because the viral infection is defeated doesn't mean you can walk again.
The good news is that it's been only a month or so since you were first infected. Everyone I know who's been diagnosed under those circumstances has been back to normal within a week or three.
posted by
on October 19, 2012 [
1 favorite
My whole family, including, I kid you not, the dog have tested positive for Lyme and have received treatment. In the case of my daughter, she too broke out in the "Lyme" rash shortly after treatment. She was sent to a communicable disease specialist specializing in Lyme who informed us that our daughter was allergic to amoxycillin and tired her out on a couple of other antibiotics until he felt comfortable with another one. His initial advice was not to continue treatment at all and not to worry about it, but after a follow up positive test her pediatrician was too nervous and after much wrangling we went with the compromise course of action.
Also the antibiotics gave our dog diarrhea, but we finished the course and got him back to normal.
All family members now test negative.
posted by
The 10th Regiment of Foot
on October 19, 2012
I live (well grew up) in the county that has the highest concentration of deer ticks, and thus the most cases of Lymes, in the U.S. My doctor treats dozens of cases each summer. What he told us is that when you treat Lymes, it goes away completely. It's a bacteria so you're killing the organism. The blood test can react false-positive for months afterwards because the antibodies or something still in your system, so it's not a good way to tell if you "still" have Lymes after a first course of antibiotics. You can get it again -- if you have Lymes, get treated, it goes away, and you get bitten by another deer tick carrying Lymes, you get it again. It's like the flu. Reports of "recurring" cases are 99% people who live in Lymes-prone areas who got a new, distinct infection from a new bite.
I had Lymes. My mom had it twice. We're both fully healed. I know someone who got it 20 years ago (before they really knew what it was), it took them probably a year to diagnose, almost died from it, and after treatment, he's fully recovered. I know someone who *claims* to have lingering symptoms, but she tests negative. Pretty sure she's full of b.s. and attention seeking.
Between me, my mom, and friend #1 (20 year ago case) symptoms included: fatigue, joint pain, mental confusion, 30+ separate skin rashes at once, Bells palsy (one side and both sides of the face), wandering around confused in the middle of the night, etc., etc.
It took a while to fully heal, and I feel like my memory is not as great as it was before hand, but that could easily just be me getting older, stressed out, and overworked.
Case Number One
I had Lymes a few years ago. We caught it a little over a month after I was bitten. I developed 3 separate skin rashes a week or two afterwards. I became completely exhausted, had pain in all my joints, mental confusion, and developed skin rashes everywhere -- easily up to 50% of my skin surface. The rashes grew quickly and covered most of my right forearm, for example. There was swelling underneath, so the slowest thing to heal was my right wrist. From my own research, those rashes show the Lymes was most likely all over my blood stream. I finally went to the doctor (because I was brought up to not go to the doctor until you feel like you're dying, and yes, I felt that way, plus I didn't have insurance). Doctor took 1 look at my rashes and diagnosed -- he said there was no point doing the blood test because it's often not accurate. Put me on a 1 month course of antibiotics (amoxycillin, IIRC). My symptoms started reducing that day, and were basically gone 3 days later. The rest of the course of antibiotics was killer, actually made me throw up twice.
At my follow up visit, the doctor took a look at my wrist and said there was no permanent damage and it would heal on its own. I definitely had lingering pain in that wrist and in my left elbow, both places where the skin rash had surrounded the joint. To this day, if I write a lot (I'm right-handed), my wrist starts to ache (in high school, my fingers would get stiff well before my wrist felt anything). I had lingering tiredness, and my whole system was kind of thrown off. My sleep patterns were definitely screwy, but doc had me take melatonin and this got me back on normal patterns.
Case Number Two
My mom had Lymes twice, a few years apart (once the year before me, the second a year or so ago). The first time was pretty cut and dry -- developed the bullseye, went on antibiotics, healed Lymes but had side-effects from the antibiotics and had fungal infections to deal with afterwards. No lingering symptoms.
The second time, the first thing she got was Bells palsy (yeah, it's fun having your mom call you in the middle of class because half her face was paralyzed). I did some research, and by the time I got her to the doctor that afternoon we thought it was Bells palsy, caused by Lymes. The doctor thought the same (didn't do blood testing, deemed it unnecessary) and prescribed her the antibiotics. Her other (minor) symptoms went away and the Bells palsy healed, mostly in about a month. I think it was 3 months until she could see no difference between the affected and unaffected sides of her face. No lingering symptoms.
Case Number Three
Nothing like a case of Bells palsy at Thanksgiving to get the discussion going, right? Turns out a family friend of ours had Lymes in the early 80s, before it was
a thing.
It took months, possibly a year, to diagnose, all the while he was getting worse and worse and the doctors trying different things but not knowing what was wrong. I don't remember the specifics, but it culminated in a midnight ER visit when his wife found him wandering their neighborhood with no idea who she was, Bells palsy on both sides of his face, unable to speak. The doctors thought he was going to die.
And then they diagnosed it properly. The infection had reached his nervous system. The treatment included a spinal tap, but they got it. His healing process took about 3 years, and from what he said the only permanent damage was in his face -- the Bells palsy healed, but his face still has a bit of the "droopy" look. Nothing you would know if you weren't comparing before-and-after shots, though, so it's fairly minor as far as permanent damage goes.
Yeah, it sucks. Yeah, the antibiotics are brutal. Yeah, it can be a pretty nasty thing. But should you be freaked out about the diagnosis? Well, probably a little bit. Freak out just as much as will ensure that you take all of the antibiotics according to directions. Because at your stage, that's probably the only thing that will make it so it doesn't completely go away.
posted by
on October 19, 2012
I had Lyme Disease Meningitis earlier this summer. My wife was the first to suspect that I might have it, but initially my [skeptical] doctor did some tests and found nothing conclusive.
Felt so bad after few more days that I had to go to the ER. After 8 hours of ct scans, blood work, X-rays and miserable waiting time a spinal tap finally confirmed that I had Meningitis. I was admitted to the hospital immediately and put on 2 different antibiotics.
At the time of admission I felt worse than I have ever in my life. Horrible headache, back ache, double vision, every joint feeling off, etc. After about 10 hours of the antibiotics (and morphine) I suddenly felt about 10X better even as that was still 10X worse than feeling normal.
It took about 3 days to confirm that it was Lyme Disease Meningitis. I stayed in hospital for little over 4 days getting antibiotics and morphine through IV. When released I felt beat-up, but certainly didn't fear for my life anymore. I had course of antibiotics through IV (self administered under house care facility) for another month. Double vision persisted for almost 2 weeks, but I was working within a week and traveling with my meds by week 3.
Still have to have brain scan later this year to ensure that no permanent damage or whatnot, but feel fully recovered and according to doctors there shouldn't be a risk of long term problems. I don't know whether I was actually lucky that I developed Meningitis, which meant that every possible test had to be taken. Although we live in an area where Lyme Disease is relatively common and our house/ yard is adjacent to nature preserve with tick carrying deer population. Learned to be much better advocate for own care, but hopefully I won't become hypercondriac for life.
posted by
on October 19, 2012
1996: No rash, had flu-like symptoms, woke up one morning with Bell's Palsy. Big dose of antibiotics. Recovery within 6 months.
2001: Flu-like symptoms, woke up one morning with Bell's Palsy. Recovered within 3 weeks.
Apparently I have a weakened facial nerve that is susceptible to stress - I just make sure I am not godalmighty stressed.
As Frowner said upthread, there is a lot of fearmongering online and it's a very vocal
who seems to be dominating the discourse. The vast, vast majority of people recover just fine.
Memail me if you want to talk.
posted by
on October 19, 2012
As Valkyryn said, and from what I've seen, the "chronic" Lyme problems are more often because of damage done from untreated Lyme disease, rather than Lyme that's received prompt treatment.
No, really- a close friend of mine had a very acute case (seriously impaired motor skills, including speech) several years ago. He had to undergo some pretty serious treatment for the Lyme itself, then months of PT to regain full motor function. He's recovered completely, and been fine Lyme-wise ever since. My mother had a less acute case, underwent treatment, and has also been fine.
Interestingly, I've worked a lot with Lyme disease in livestock, where I've seen plenty of animals with low-level Lyme not receive proper diagnosis or treatment for long periods of time. While some symptoms are relieved with treatment, a lot of things- joint damage being the most noticeable- don't magically get reversed because the Lyme is gone. I've seen neuro symptoms linger, on rare occasion- but this is, again, with cases that had been ongoing for years.
So, yeah- you caught your Lyme pretty early, and you're treating it promptly, so I doubt you'd have any problems once you're cleared from this round. IANAD, but that's what my experience with the disease would indicate.
posted by
on October 19, 2012
I don't have Lyme but I do have a chronic disease that is the subject of almost as much internet discussion and (in my opinion) woo as Lyme.
I'm going to really strongly suggest that you stay away from "personal accounts" on the internet and
any kind of message board or listserv. You've just been diagnosed and you want to know more about it which is totally natural, but stick to reading books, legitimate sources like the Mayo Clinic website, and talking to your doctor. The vast majority of people who are active in internet communities about chronic illness are the people whose lives and identities have been totally taken over by that disease -- sometimes by their own choice. These are the people who have the most severe course of disease, the weirdest side effects, often the worst outlooks, and the
most damaging agendas
What I mean by that is that Lyme (as well as the disease I suffer from) has a whole internet sub-culture that functions pretty much the same way as the 9/11 conspiracy theory movement: what you and authorities believe is WRONG and they are RIGHT and there is SO MUCH EVIDENCE. I personally know people whose lives have been completely upended by getting obsessed with the alternative treatment protocols and who may be suffering even more from a refusal to engage with medical professionals.
Personally, I read a lot of the internet chatter about my disease when I was first diagnosed and it sent me into a totally unjustified and unpleasant depression and fear of the future. A really good friend convinced me to stop and my outlook improved significantly. It sounds like you're getting the right treatment. Read the facts if you care to, otherwise just try to move on and live your life.
posted by
on October 19, 2012 [
4 favorites
My son caught lyme when he was 3 or 4 years old. We caught the classic rash right away, and he was flat on the couch or bed with a high fever for a few days (which is saying a lot for an active little boy). He seemed to be fixed with a round of antibiotics. He's almost 14 now, and seems to be fine in every way, developing the normal obnoxious teenage habits. We will see what the future holds.
posted by
on October 19, 2012
Four siblings of mine (ranging from early teens to mid twenties in age) and both my parents all got Lyme, western blot positive. All of them saw the bullseye and took it from there except for one brother who doesn't know when he got it but started with a week of fever, joint swelling, fatigue... All took the courses of antibiotics and other than varying levels of fatigue and such and GI symptoms from the antibiotics, they were all feeling better within a month or two. No lingering symptoms
For what it's worth, echoing g others above, the only people I know who have lasting neuro and rheumatoid problems are those who didn't catch the diagnosis fairly early on and didn't get checked out until months to years down the road.
Another thing to consider is that many people posting stuff on the web about Lyme do not actually have a positive Lyme diagnosis by blood test and are "symptom diagnosed" who are absolutely convinced they have Lyme and that the doctors are conspiratorial against them or whatever. This is not to say that they don't actually have Lyme - science hasn't figured everything out here - but coming from a family full of undiagnosed rare disease that have seen every medical specialist in the Northeast US, just because something has a bunch of symptoms that seem to line up with a common diagnosis like Lyme, doesn't mean that it actually IS that diagnosis. So, while I'm not discounting personal accounts of struggle with Lyme-like illnesses, but I'm not personally convinced that all of these other symptoms and problems are always definitely related to it, either.
posted by
on October 19, 2012
Since you're looking for anecdotes, my brother got Lyme's twice before he was an adult, I've had other family members who have had it multiple times, caught it early and went through the rounds of antibiotics and fatigue and are healthy adults with no issues currently.
posted by
on October 19, 2012
I had a close friend who got Lyme's disease back in the late 1980s. At the time, it was a very rare and unusual disease. Local doctors in my small town did not know about it really. She had to go to specialists. I think it was diagnosed very late.
She missed a year of school. But, was back to school the next year (though had been left behind a grade).
Years later, she is perfectly fine and healthy. She has two kids and is happily married.
It was a tough illness for her. And I think it was wildly mis-handled because of its rarity at the time - but in the long run, she survived. She is fine today.
Around that same time, another friend was diagnosed with Crohn's disease. He has never been the same since. I am not a doctor, and don't know much about the either disease - but from seeing friends deal with these two illness as a teenager, Lyme's disease is not as bad as some other illness out there.
posted by
on October 19, 2012
Everyone I know, including all family has had an encounter with Lymes. Since I'm the responsible person, I'm the only one to have had really bad repercussions ;-) I'm usually good at bringing my family to the doctors at the slightest indication, but forgot myself. (we live in deer-land). Anyway. I am completely well now, but discuss with my doctor wether I have a cosmetic problem of part of my face sagging after the infection.
posted by
on October 19, 2012
but I'm concerned that if there IS a biofilm-forming, refractory, brain-eating strain of the disease out there, the failure of the first course of treatment might mean that that's the one I've got. (I know the antibody test should stay positive whether I've got working Borrelia or not, but the new symptoms seem suspicious for ongoing infection... right?) So any anecdotal reassurance (or confirmation :( ) on that front would be awesome, as well.
IAMA Microbiologist, IAMNY Microbiologist, but I can reassure you as one who hasn't gotten so much as a pen from any insurance company, vaccine manufacturer or whomever else is the boogeyman these days that there really is no significant debate on this issue within the scientific community.
There are a lot of big clues that make physicians really suspicious of Chronic Lyme Syndrom (CLS), anything that sticks around after the antibiotics, not mediated by inert, predictable, and non-progressive damage experienced by very few people with disease progressions that were left untreated for extended periods of time, as a disease with non-psychological origins. It fits all of the patterns we've seen before over and over again:
-All of the commonly reported symptoms that last more than six months are ones that have been previously individually demonstrated to have purely psychosomatic origins in past culturally mediated epidemics,
-The commonly reported symptoms are amazingly diverse and follow no other pattern, there are no diagnostic criteria beyond patient reports that separate the affected from the unaffected,
-Otherwise logical physiological interventions like continued antibiotic regimens have been demonstrated to have no meaningful placebo-controlled effect with wildly abundant clarity while psychological interventions have been shown to help,
-CLS is epidemic in regions where Lyme disease is not,
-Many of the reported symptoms have no meaningful relationship to symptoms that actual Lyme disease has,
-The majority of those who self-identify as diagnosed with CLS have no substantiated history of having ever contracted Lyme disease,
-And reported symptoms by patients over time have followed patterns where suddenly patients across the country discover similar symptoms at the same time.
At the very least, in addition to any underlying symptoms with non-psychosomatic origins associated with a long term aftermath of Lyme disease there may or may not be, there is a much larger epidemic at work here. Indeed, I would wager that, if such a thing were doable, a particularly unethical researcher could add to the list of symptoms that patients report to their physicians by finding a symptom that has in the past had known psychosomatic and associating it with Chronic Lyme Syndrome on the internet. To be fair, while I would be a surprised if there turned out to be something more to the non-psychosomatic after effects of Lyme Disease than the short term and certainly not progressive neurological damage that has already been characterized, it is at least conceivable. That those effects would encompass anything close to the breadth and diversity of CLS however, is absolutely not.
If you do get Chronic Lyme Syndrome you will have caught it from the internet not a tick, which is not to say that it would be either 'not real' or 'fake' but something that would not make sense to treat with antibiotics or whatever else the snake-oil salesmen keeping this shit alive are selling these days. I myself have a cough that is entirely psychosomatic and is a pain in the ass to deal with. It sounds horrible and deep, it often comes out of nowhere, and it sucks. When people ask me about it, generally wondering if I'm sick or otherwise ok, I usually share the story of where it came from; a camping trip up to Prince Edwards Island when I was 10. That damn island is famous for two things, Anne of Green Gables and its horrendous red dust that kicks up everywhere when the wind gets up; and the wind is always up. While I was there I was really sensitive to the dust and quickly ended up with red snot and hacking up impressive amounts of red sputum. At the same time this provoked what was likely an otherwise harmless viral infection that gave me a brief fever, and when I went home I got better but the cough never went away. When I asked my doctor they figured it was probably scar tissue and told me it may never go away, but that there was really nothing I could do. Eventually I realized that it came and went with stress as well as whenever I thought about it and both this awareness and learning meditation techniques have helped me significantly.
Part of what has me worried is that I'm fairly sure I got the Lyme erythema-migrans rash AFTER completing my first course of antibiotics
One of the quirks of our mind body connection it that it is actually fantastically easy to give someone either erythema or migraines by convincing them that they should get one or the other, or even that there is a small chance that they should get either. Seriously, try it on your friends if you're feeling punchy, stupidly easy and more than a bit hilarious in a pranking-acceptable context.
-- Tips for dealing with docs. I will of course be seeing a rheumatologist ASAP, but I'd like to figure out beforehand exactly how aggressive I need to be about seeking ongoing treatment or assessment.
There that really fine line between effective self advocacy and accepting advice from professionals with orders of magnitude more knowledge - kind of like with dealing with a car mechanic that I've never been that good at negotiating. However, one thing that I think will be important to keep in mind is that "Lyme-literate" folks are incredibly dangerous for physicians to treat, the average doctor is in no way equipped to deal with the kinds of unstable psychological conditions that are generally associated with CLS and they will be taking a meaningful risk by treating you - respecting that will go a long way towards helping you get effective medical care.
-- And lastly, dynamics of the disease with pregnancy/childbirth (another disputed topic among the experts). This is particularly rotten timing because we were planning on trying for another kid in late November.
There has yet to be one plausible case of mother to child transmission to be ever reported in the medical literature, and it doesn't make a damn bit of sense that there ever would be. If you had enough damage to your reproductive apparatus to let
through you would have much much bigger problems than
posted by
on October 19, 2012 [
14 favorites
IANYD. I have nothing substantial to add here, I just wanted to say that I love Ask Metafilter because when I saw this thread, I took a deep breath and thought oh lord, I'm gonna have to go in there and spend some time explaining, aren't I.... but I don't have to, because you guys are so good you're all over it! One of the greatest things about this site is how un-susceptible to the woo the community here is.
I shall add my voice to Blasdelb's in saying that I don't think you need to alter your plans to try to conceive based on this in any way.
posted by
on October 19, 2012 [
2 favorites
A friend of mine had it as a child, she took what she describes as "the standard lymes disease meds," and it hasn't showed up since. However, it harmed her already weak respiratory system, so her allergies and asthma became considerably worse.
posted by
on October 19, 2012
Pretty close friend almost died of it. However 15 years later, she's fine, had two kids, no symptoms at all. Took her about four months to fully get over it, but her heart stopped a couple times, so that was probably more the issue.
posted by
on October 19, 2012
I had Lyme disease maybe 5 or 6 years ago - I had the rash and swollen lymph nodes and not much else. I had 3 weeks of amoxicillin. I have had some hip stiffness/pain for the last 3 or so years (and I'm 21, so that is pretty unexpected), but nothing truly terrible in the middle-term (my brain is still working, there is no paralysis, I did not die from it, etc.).
posted by
on October 19, 2012
I also grew up in an area that has one of the highest concentrations of Lyme in the country, and spent a lot of time in the woods as did most of my friends. Probably most of the people I know from then have had Lyme at least once and often numerous times, as have most of our pets. If caught relatively quickly it's really not bad at all. I haven't studied it but it seems most of the lasting effects were from infections that weren't caught until they had had a long time to do damage. Around here I haven't heard of anyone having trouble with doctors in years - a test followed by doxy seems to be the standard procedure for both humans and animals. And the rash usually shows up early on from what I remember (if it appears).
posted by
on October 19, 2012
The Internet is a wonderful and terrible thing.
I had a brutal case of Lyme. It was really terrible. (And for some reason, I had to go to three doctors to get it diagnosed. I was like, "Um I am living on tick-infested Fire Island, I get ticks all the time, I have blotchy rashes, an insanely high fever, and crazy joint pain and partial paralysis down one side of my body" and the first two doctors were like "Huh, wacky, I wonder what that could be." (BIZARRE. Doctors!)
Anyway. Lyme disease is incredibly treatable. This is why people like Martha Stewart are like "Oh I've had it three times, whatever."
Ideas about Lyme are also aflame on the Internet because
of the election
. (
"Chronic Lyme" is pretty close to being up there with "vaccines cause autism." (Of course
Lyme is a real thing. Good news: you are being treated and diagnosed. So that does not apply.)
So when you ask about "disease/treatment courses that depart from the 'classic' mold": there are none. You do a course of antibiotics. Sometimes you do another course. There is no "future of inevitable agonizing pain and increasing cognitive dysfunction" if you have been diagnosed and treated. When you say there are "researchers who claim it's a persistent infection that might just never fully clear with current treatments," I would question your (and the Internet's) definition of "researcher."
Ask your doctor about this, after making sure your doctor is a good doctor.
And get your Lyme treated and get pregnant. :)
posted by
RJ Reynolds
on October 20, 2012
Not sure how the previous poster feels qualified to make the above statements, my guess is that he/she is not. . RJ Reynolds says
"Chronic Lyme" is pretty close to being up there with "vaccines cause autism".
Well not exactly. This from the Columbia University Medical Center's Lyme and Tick-Borne Diseases Research Center "To our knowledge, IV Ig has never been studied in a controlled fashion as a treatment for
chronic Lyme disease
, although some physicians are using this treatment for patients who are thought to have autoimmune-mediated neurologic sequelae from Lyme disease that persist after antibiotic treatment. There is insufficient data at this point to say whether IVIg treatment will have acute or sustained benefit for patients with persistent symptoms after being treated with antibiotics for Lyme disease". Read
.The Columbia site refers to chronic Lyme numerous times on the site and I don't believe their researchers arrive at work with tin foil on their heads.
RJ's implication that even the use of the term chronic Lyme is somehow "out there" and analogous to the autism controversy is wrong and incredibly insulting to the legions of people who experience extreme suffering from lasting effects of having had Lyme Disease. The very reason the Internet is flooded with Lyme forums and help groups is the shear number of people affected. The fact that there are many people who wrongly ascribe their symptoms to Lyme in no way negates the fact that there are thousands with legitimate lasting illness caused by Lyme.
RJ continues
So when you ask about "disease/treatment courses that depart from the 'classic' mold": there are none. You do a course of antibiotics. Sometimes you do another course. There is no "future of inevitable agonizing pain and increasing cognitive dysfunction" if you have been diagnosed and treated. When you say there are "researchers who claim it's a persistent infection that might just never fully clear with current treatments," I would question your (and the Internet's) definition of "researcher."
Well treatments do indeed depart from the classic mold (reference above linked Columbia article) for those less lucky than RJ who were not cured by a second course of antibiotics and now live in a present of agonizing pain and cognitive dysfunction. Maybe we should find out how Columbia defines researcher.
I take exception to a few of the above posts that reference the woo factor. Frowner said
there is a lot of fearmongering online and it's a very vocal minority who seems to be dominating the discourse. The vast, vast majority of people recover just fine.
Well how exactly does Frowner know who and what makes up this vocal group? From some sort of research, or just a general opinion? These are such a general statements as to be meaningless. What is the vast majority, 90 percent? Well if a million people contract Lyme Disease, that leaves 100,00 uncured in your vocal minority, people who have often spent years seeing multiple doctors, spent thousands of dollars and in many case experienced untold suffering for decades.
I find that we tend to have a limited capacity for compassion for people with illness in general, but if it's an illness of a nondescript cause, even family and friends often lose patience.
posted by
on November 4, 2012
I just went through that Columbia website and there are a bunch of bizarrely basic things it gets fundamentally wrong, for example in your quote Chronic Lyme is unambiguously a Syndrome and not a Disease. Their model for Chronic Lyme Syndrome is also pretty interesting, but is a model for autoimmune disease that has never actually been demonstrated before.
Our adaptive immune systems work in a really cool way that should, in theory, protect us from an infinite number of potential pathogens but has a few significant drawbacks. As the white blood cells that mediate the adaptive immune response get made they each are born with a completely new antibody through a very randomized process that has a very specific and very random shape on the business end that could, in theory, bind to anything. These antibodies are how our bodies recognize foreign invaders that have some means of evading our innate immune systems, and in theory there are enough white blood cells running around our bodies that one of them will have an antibody that will be effective. One white blood cell though is not enough to meaningfully fight off an infection, and so whenever a mature white blood cell encounters something that triggers its antibody it immediately races back to a lymph node and starts dividing like crazy to make enough cells to eliminate the infection. Then, once the infection is cleared, almost all of the new clones of the effective will trigger themselves for death to make room for new white blood cells. One of the big draw backs to the fantastically complex process that is the adaptive immune system is how long it takes to get going, so a significant portion of them will change in such a way as to protect themselves from degredation and remain as a resevoir of memory cells waiting in case the infection ever comes back such that the process has a big head start the second time. This is the biggest reason why when people get sick with infections they then get better as well as why people don't tend to get sick from the same thing twice.
One of the big problems with that strategy though is what happens when the fundamentally randomly shaped antibody recognizes something that is actually us or for what ever reason actually belongs in us and shouldn't be attacked. Our bodies deal with this by immediately killing all of the white blood cells that are born with an antibody that recognizes a target within the first few weeks of being created, the idea is that if it sees something that quickly its probably something that should be there. During these couple of weeks, white blood cells go through an extensive process of 'education' where the the antigens present in the body that actually belong are paraded in front them to see if any bind. Auto-immune disorders are what happens when this system fails for a variety of reasons and our immune cells start attacking things that are us.
The simplest and most common reason this fails is the violation of 'immune privileged' regions, places in the body that for a variety of reasons the immune system gets shut out of. The classic example of this is Type I diabetes; where the beta cells in the pancreas that regulate blood glucose are naturally hidden away from the immune system but if extraordinarily high fever, mechanical injury, and/or genetic predisposition causes it to be presented to the immune system all at once then there will be white blood cells that recognize these new patterns but haven't been selected against that will see them and mount a catastrophic response.
Their model for how Lyme provokes an auto-immune reaction makes a lot less sense. Their idea is that maybe the antibodies that recognize
, which grow with their respective white blood cells in response to infection, may be naturally inclined to cross-react with some some native antigen because of a hypothetically similar pattern that Borrelia and a human cell would share. This is not an idea that is original to Lyme, but it is one that doesn't really make sense and hasn't been shown to accurately describe an auto-immune disease. Just think about it, those white blood cells with antibodies that meaningfully cross react with a native antigen should have been selected against well before the
showed up. This is to say that while the model is certainly possible, its not very plausible, and certainly not nearly as plausible as the mountains of evidence showing various non-Lyme sources of Chronic Lyme Syndrome.
Incidentally, OP, I forgot to send you
this review
, which is recent and extensive.
posted by
on November 4, 2012
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An expert state witness testified that a bloody fight took place in the living room of the Dade County man on trial for murder.
Georgia Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Audie Murphy was called as an expert witness this morning during the trial of 19-year-old Johnathan Ellison on charges of malice murder, two counts of felony murder, aggravated assault and armed robbery in Dade County Superior Court.
Ellison and 27-year-old James Oglesby, whose trial is next year, were charged in the death of Antwane Hyatte, of Chattanooga.
Murphy testified that, when he arrived at Ellison's house on Sand Mountain around 9 p.m. on March 16, he found two knives in the living room, one under a window and a double-bladed knife in the corner of the room.
The knife underneath one of the four living room windows was bloody on the tip and the handle, according to photos entered as evidence in trial. A corner window also was broken and several bloody hand prints were smeared on the blinds, another photo showed.
"Obviously, there is a big struggle that took up the front of the room," Murphy told the jury.
The jury was also shown photos of Hyatte's body, shocking several female jurors. The photos showed Hyatte had been stabbed multiple times on his back, chest and face.
Ellison's defense attorney Steven Miller will continue cross-examining Murphy when court resumes at 1:15 p.m.
For complete details, see tomorrow's Times Free Press.
Joy Lukachick is the city government reporter for the Chattanooga Times Free Press Since 2009, she's covered breaking news, high-profile trials, stories of lost lives and of regained hope and done investigative work. Raised near the Bayou, Joy's hometown is along the outskirts of Baton Rouge, La. She has a bachelor's degree in mass communication from Louisiana State University. While at LSU, Joy was a staff writer for the Daily Reveille. When Joy isn't chasing ...
He's got all of the Charlie Manson that he needs.


text:
Co-sleeping made easy
When we found out we were expecting Little Woman, I was determined to get a co-sleeper cot. First time around with her big brother we had used a rocking crib and then the full sized cot/cotbed.
But it was a long long time before Little Man slept through the night and I swore that if we ever had another baby I wouldn't be spending my nights leaning in over a cot or a crib, trying to settle a baby and missing out on precious sleep in the process.
I never considered bed sharing because I was too nervous that one of us would roll over on our newborn baby. So a cosleeper cot seemed the ideal solution. A little bit of research later and we bought an Arms Reach Co-sleeper while I was still pregnant.
Setting it up
I imagined it would be much like a travel cot to set up, but it proved to be more complicated than that. Popping the cot frame open is relatively easy, but it takes about 15 minutes by the time you get all of the pieces together. Inside the main frame you place four hanging bars, which are connected by metal poles. This in turn forms the base for the suspended bassinet that you use for newborns.
Then you stretch the large fabric cover over the entire co-sleeper, buttoning it in place. You put one of the specially made sheets on the mattress and then lay it into place. And finally you position the cosleeper beside your bed and attach it securely to the bed using the straps provided.
Using the cosleeper
After the initial setup that was it. The cosleeper was solid and sturdy. I used to check every so often that it was still securely attached to the bed, but it was. There were never any issues with it.
From the day we got home from hospital I was in love with the cosleeper. Through the night, my baby was right beside me, but safe in her own sleeping space. When she woke I could stretch out a hand to touch her or soothe her. Because I was breastfeeding, I never had to get out of bed at night, even when she woke to be fed. I would just sit up slightly to lift her over to me, then feed her and pop her back in. I barely woke for the whole thing. I lost count of how many times I asked why we didn't have a cosleeper first time around.
If I have any complaints about the Arms Reach Cosleeper, they are minor. The first is that even though it markets itself as doubling as a travel cot, I don't think it is practical for a short visit anywhere. It just takes too long to assemble and dismantle.
The second is that even though the bar on the side of the cosleeper is padded, I found that when I was placing my baby back into the cosleeper I would end up leaning heavily on the metal bar with my arm as I lowered her in. Fine when she was a newborn, but we used the cosleeper with her until recently and once she was over four months, her weight meant that my arm got sore leaning on that bar. It even bruised a little where I'd lean on the same spot each night.
Those niggles aside though, I have no hesitation in recommending a cosleeper to anyone, especially if you are planning to breastfeed. I am sure that the fact that I was more rested from not having to get out of bed at night contributed to our successful breastfeeding relationship this time around.
And for any of my friends who are expecting babies, and who are like me and nervous about bedsharing, I always recommend looking into a cosleeper as an option instead. It's the best of both worlds as far as I am concerned.
You may also like:
8 Responses to "Co-sleeping made easy"
This would have been a great solution to all my troubles, a brilliant happy medium.
tric recently posted..Count your blessings not your worries.
I had an Arm's Reach Mini co-sleeper for both my babies, and I found it great. The mini is probably easier to set up because you don't have the inner suspended bassinet part (unless they've changed the design), but the baby grows out of it sooner, by four months or so. At that point mine were starting to roll over and I figured something else out for both of them.
Sometimes, especially with the second, the co-sleeper was little more than a barrier to reassure me that she wouldn't fall off the bed, as I kept her right beside me after the first or second feed rather than putting her back in. But it meant that, especially with a tiny newborn, I had no worries about squashing them or about their father elbowing them in the face if I kept them in between us instead of on my side of the bed.
Christine recently posted..Frozen
This looks great-didnt know such a thing existed. Using the same moses basket with E Bear as with Mini but as I'm breastfeeding a lot more this time around, anything that would make the night time feeds easier would be much appreciated!I am like you-petrified of having her in the bed next to us for fear of squishing her!Any particular recommendation or would they all be pretty much the same do you think?
Aedín Collins recently posted..Mini to 10!
We, of course, did things back to front: I co-slept for the first few months until they were starting to move a bit themselves, then we put a small bed beside ours, secured to ours (it's a lovely ancient 100 year old bed, and high enough to be on the same level as ours) it has been brilliant, and our little man regularly climbs in for a nurse at night, and then when I make him too hot, rolls into his own space Great review!
Emily recently posted..All Kinds Of Everything
Great review. I'm not nervous about bedsharing, having done it the first time around but I am a little confused about what our configuration is going to be with a newborn and potentially a toddler. Talitha doesn't sleep with us now but I can see her wanting to get back into bed with us when the baby is born.


text:
Xiaolin Chronicles
Here's some behind the scenes footage for Xiaolin Chronicles!
Hey guys!
The official Xiaolin Chronicles website is now up! Subscribe to the newsletter for updates and don't forget to like the Facebook page! :)
Best Friend:
First Kiss:
Has a crush on you:
Team Mate:
Best Friend: Jack Spicer
Lover: Hannibal Roy Bean
First Kiss: Jack Spicer
Has a crush on you: Dojo
Team Mate: Raimundo
Rival: Wuya
Dojo I'm too good for you bbs im surry, obby HRB you stud~ Come on Jack stop playin me, friends with benefits is not cool.
New design for Dojo.
From left to right: Wuya, Jack Spicer, a new character that has yet to be revealed, Shadow*, and Chase Young.
*Shadow - Shadow is a brilliant and cunning warrior chameleon capable of realizing all Chase Young's desires. They are so connected that they communicate telepathically.
Source (Pages 6-7)
This was just posted by Christy Hui on Facebook. Please read it! Thank you!


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The Trouée of Arenberg is a sacred place. Arriving at them, you feel the need to pray out of respect. Riding them, you feel the need to pray out of a sense of self preservation.
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Sermon Search Results for Back To Church
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Did you know that there are times that the church should be noisy? Not from idle talking and milling around during worship—but a church should be noisy just like the remnant was. A church should be noisy when it's working.
Series: Back From Babylon
Contributor: Jim Drake (232 sermons shared)
Scripture: Ezra 3:10-3:13
Tags: Church General
Shared: 2/12/2008
This is a sermon based on my testimony of how the Lord called me to start a church, and our biblical pattern for ministry & evangelism. Practical points are made on how we are called, how God fullfills that calling, and suggestions for church planting.
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Shared: 11/19/2001
There are three times in Hebrews 10:19-25, that the Hebrew writer uses the phrase, "let us," to appeal to the local congregation about being steadfast in their attendance to the local assembly or church.
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Consequences and benefits of looking back and planning the future
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We want God in America again. We want God to revive our land, we must first be revived personally.
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Scripture: 2 Chronicles 29:1-29:36
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Back biting is the stealth bomber of the unholy armed forces because the attack always comes when your back is turned...
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Scripture: James 3:6
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Just what are you doing ?
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Scripture: Philippians 3:1
Shared: 11/21/2009
A look at the early church and what was normal for them. What are we not doing today that was done in that time? A cry for the church of today to get back to the normal ways of Christianity as outlined in God's Word.
Contributor: Rodney Burton (95 sermons shared)
Scripture: Acts 2:42-2:47
Shared: 3/26/2009
Jesus said He would build His church. What did he say about it's foundation, function, fruit and future?
Series: Back to the Basics
Contributor: Stephen Sheane (97 sermons shared)
Scripture: Matthew 16:13-16:19
Tags: Church, Church Purpose Of, Purpose
Shared: 9/8/2009
In a time when Church, is seen in terms of Programs and systems that bring growth or perhaps even on the personality of the Pastor or leaders. We need to ask ourselves afresh. "Whose Church is it, any way?"
Contributor: Ian Johnson (102 sermons shared)
Denomination: Pentecostal
Scripture: Matthew 16:13-16:20
Tags: Church Body Of Christ
Shared: 4/6/2006


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WTF: Cow Manure Racer (Video)OMG, WTF — By Dave on 2011/06/02 7:35 PM
Did you wonder how that deadly EHEC O104:H4 bacteria outbreak in Germany started? I hope it wasn't cause of some crazy guy riding behind fertilizer truck like in this video…
Warning: You better not be eating because this is NOT for everyone's stomach.
Tags: cannon, cow, Cow Crap Racer, Cow Manure Racer, Cow Shit Racer, crap, crazy, disgusting, driving, dude, EHEC O104:H4 bacteria outbreak, Escherichia coli, face, fertilizer truck, german, germany, guy, hit, Insane, man, manure, racing, riding, shit, sprayed, sprays, truck, video, viral, wtf,


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We are closed for the 2013-2014 season. Thanks to everyone who braved this cold and snowy winter to join us! We look forward to having you back at our rink next season.
Skating School Registration
*Now Accepting Registration for the 2014-15 Season!*
To register for our Winter 2014 group lesson program, click here.
To submit a request for a private lesson, click here.
To plan your event for the 2014-15 season click here.
VIP TICKETS: $68 per person, plus tax
Avoid the line at Trump Rink this holiday season and head straight to our heated, rink-side hospitality tent with guaranteed table seating. A representative will bring your rental skates while you get settled, choose your locker, and perhaps enjoy selections from the included snack and beverage service. You may enjoy use of the tent for up to three hours. Skating is unlimited until you leave for the day/evening. Each session is limited to just 28 participants.


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See and share Beautiful Nature Photos and amazing photos of interesting places
THE LADDIES by the banks o' Nith
Wad trust his Grace 1 wi a', Jamie;
But he'll sair them, as he sair'd the King—
Turn tail and rin awa', Jamie.
Chorus.—Up and waur them a', Jamie,
Up and waur them a';
The Johnstones hae the guidin o't,
Ye turncoat Whigs, awa'!
The day he stude his country's friend,
Or gied her faes a claw, Jamie,
Or frae puir man a blessin wan,
That day the Duke ne'er saw, Jamie.
Up and waur them, &c.
But wha is he, his country's boast?
Like him there is na twa, Jamie;
There's no a callent tents the kye,
But kens o' Westerha', Jamie.
Up and waur them, &c.
To end the wark, here's Whistlebirk,
Lang may his whistle blaw, Jamie;
And Maxwell true, o' sterling blue;
And we'll be Johnstones a', Jamie.
Up and waur them, &c.


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In case you missed Tony Boudain's hilarious rant against the Food Network, it has been making its way around "the internets." New York magazine got into the action, rushing to the defense of the Food Network saying that Michael Ruhlman, who published the Bourdain rant on his blog, specializes in cheap shots. Ruhlman fired back calling NY Mag "wankers" and told them to buy his book. Good stuff. I can't wait for the TV version to come out (though probably not on Food Network).
Now we get this sent to the Dr. Vino world headquarters from a trusted source with insider knowledge (emphasis added):
Interestingly, [the Bourdain critique] is not a big deal at the Network at all. They are a media company first and they try to appeal to the masses as much as possible. It's part of the business model if you will and a byproduct of being available in over 90 million homes. As a side note, the fact that they're in 90 million homes is why it is very unlikely to ever have a show on wine or even organic foods on the air. They don't want to alienate any of the non-drinking viewers or preach to anyone about the wonders of organic foods, especially if they can't afford the extra cost or find them easily. As an extension of that, the Network doesn't necessarily want to alienate the "non-chef/home cook" too much either and that's why they need people like Rachael Ray and Paula Deen. But… they also need the balance provided by a Mario Batali and Bobby Flay.
Wine alienates viewers?! Organics are offputting?! Call or write your cable or satellite channel, demand a wine network!
Want free wine? It can be yours for the next few days courtesy of…HBO. Roll the tape [source: AdAge]:
HBO will offer complimentary bottles of "Rome" cabernet sauvignon at more than 100 eateries in the three cities to promote the second-season launch of its sex-blood-and-togas series, debuting Jan. 14. But rather than have restaurant servers introduce the product by saying "And our house wine tonight is brought to you by HBO," consumers will be presented with a polite card at their tables: "A taste of 'Rome' awaits you. Ask server for details."
Mmm, cabernet, swords and sandals. Sounds authentic? Hardly. But at least the promoters recognize as much.
Though intended to give diners an authentic taste of the show's premise, the "Rome" wine was not shipped in from Italy; it was produced in California. HBO's senior VP-consumer marketing, Courteney Monroe, was unable to secure an Italian wine vendor, but she doesn't believe the promotion fails logistically. The detail is as subtle as the promotion was intended to be.
Somehow, I bet the special effects are better than the wine…(hat tip: UTB)
I have assigned the book Fast Food Nation to political science undergrads. Eric Schlosser's non-fiction account about "the dark side of the all-American meal" really makes political economy theories about labor and markets seem much more relevant and grounded. Heck, even if you're not a polisci student it is still a great read, weaving together compelling stories that may change your eating habits forever.
So it was with great relish (but not ketchup) that I attended an advance screening of the new movie "Fast Food Nation" yesterday with director Richard Linklater and Eric Schlosser in attendance. The movie is a fictional account–written by Linklater and Schlosser–that weaves in much of the material from the original book. Even though the material is dark, it's got a lot of great acting and terrific characters, most of whom journey from innocence to cynicism–or just started off cynics anyway.
Since it has little relevance to wine despite being very worthwhile I'll leave the reviews to the pros. Check here for AO Scott's review in the NY Times. Or get a roundup of reviews over on metacritic.
But I did record the Q&A with Linklater and Schlosser so I will put that up here. You can learn about how they got access to slaughterhouses, their thoughts on potential lawsuits, and just how much Bruce Willis got paid for his excellent cameo.
Audio here (35 minutes)
Check out the movie, which opens in 321 theaters today.
Fast Food Nation, official site
NY Coalition of Healthy School Lunches, screening organizer
tags: wine | Fast Food Nation | eric schlosser | richard linklater
"A three-P movie: pleasant, pretty and predictable. One might add piddling." -Stephen Holden, NY Times
"Even judged by the not excessively demanding standards of middle-aged renovation fantasies, 'A Good Year' isn't much…Stocky and bullish, [Crowe] looks great on the bridge of a ship or holding off barbarians with a lance but exceptionally unhappy in a bespoke suit." -Anthony Lane, The New Yorker
Russell Crowe "manages to make Max unremittingly dislikable. What's more, Mr. Crowe inflicts on Max, and himself, a painfully clumsy version of the clownish physical comedy that Cary Grant once did so well. "A Good Year" is "Sideways" gone sour, the dregs of faux Provence." – Joe Morgenstern, WSJ
The reviews of "A Good Year" are out! And Ridley Scott, Peter Mayle, and Russell Crowe must be drowning sorrows in Aussie shiraz. Hopefully not a Penfold's Grange from 1964, Crowe's birth year. The actor just sent back a $4,400 bottle of it while dining at Marco Pierre White's Mirabelle in London last month. But, hey, at least he didn't throw it back!
So, how much will this vaguely wine-y movie, set in Provence, take in this opening weekend? I'm going with $8 million. "Borat," by comparison, made $26 million last weekend. Post your thoughts in the comments below!
"Stopping to smell the vintner's bouquet" NY Times
"Tasting sized pours" [Dr. V]
UPDATE 11/12: Well, it looks like the movie did even worse opening weekend than any of the predictions taking $3.77 million from 2,066 theaters showing the movie. The production budget was $35 million. [BoxOfficeMojo]
tags: wine | a good year | Russell Crowe
I can't get this resveratrol thing out of my head! And apparently others can't either as they are already popping pills according to this WaPo story. Remember, pop corks not pills!
I think I will write my first screenplay based on these lab mice living longer. Here it goes.
Strange Cru
Synopsis: Two wine lovers find a mouse in their bottle of wine and decide to go on an odyssey return it to the winery for a refund. After battling two teams of vicious hockey players, the duo arrive at the winery where the vintner (Max von Sydow) refuses to give them a refund. Through it all, the mouse refuses to die thanks to sheer force of will–and a high dose of resveratrol.
Related: "The Adventures of Bob & Doug McKenzie: Strange Brew" [IMDB]
tags: wine | resveratrol
Catch Jancis Robinson on her last NYC stop tonight at Astor Wine for a free tasting and signing of the new Oxford Companion to Wine. 6-8 PM.
In the most punchy writing ever seen on Decanter, a review calls "A Good Year" starring Russell Crowe "an absolute dog." Russell Crowe's character, an investment banker turned vintner in Provence, intones such lines as "I want a bottle that tastes like you and a glass that is never empty…" The screenwriter, Marc Klein, said that he "knew nothing about wine or Provence." [Decanter]
Jay-Z, who announced a boycott of Cristal early in the summer, has declared his new house champagne: Ace of Spades, from boutique producer Armand de Brignac. No word on the price of the wine. But you can watch him wave off a bottle of "cris" in his new video and take a bottle of Ace! [Decanter, YouTube]
Acker-Merrall, the NY auctioneer and high-end retailer, set a record with a $24 million auction last weekend. A methuselah (6L) of 1978 Romanée-Conti went for $125,475–$608 an ounce!
Want 10 million liters of French wine? Bid before November 10, probably pennies per ounce. [Scotsman]
"I love writing about wine. It's like being paid to date models." -Jay McInerney [Observer]
"A Good Year," [Dr. V]
tags: wine | wine auctions | Jay Z | A Good Year
The National Highway Safety Administration launches a new marketing campaign against drunken driving. Will it crimp wine sales the way a similar campaign has in France? [NYT]
Speaking of Washington (were we?), blogger Winesmith has contacted all the candidates for DC mayor and posts their wine preferences. The leading candidate likes Australian (!) Shiraz (!!) under $10 (!!!). He also gets the faves for DC's non-voting Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton and her recent interviewer, Stephen Colbert. [winesmith]
In New York City, Eater blogs about the closing-before-opening of Liquor Store Bar in Tribeca as a latest chapter in what they call "the drying of NYC." [Eater]
You can't say Mosel-Saar-Ruwer? Don't worry, it's being shortened to Mosel. [Decanter]
Steve De Long has thrown up an interactive map of Lonon wine shops–check it out before your next trip and find some wines to drink there since you can't bring them back (in your carry-on). [De Long]
The Guardian says that wine producers play a mark em up just to mark it down game in the UK. [Guardian]
And finally, next summer will see the release of Ratatouille, a Pixar movie about an epicurean rat who lives in the sewers of Paris. [movie trailer]
tags: wine | wine news | google maps
Last year, we kept you updated on the important wine-u-tainment news about the possibility of Russell Crowe starring in a Ridley Scott adaptation of a Peter Mayle novel:
Russell Crowe, Hollywood's cell phone-launching, bad boy maximus, is rumored to play the lead role. It could be quite an awkward blend of Mayle's mostly Merlot with Crowe's brawny Shiraz.
Well, now it is true. Scheduled for an October 27 launch in the UK and a November 10 release in the US (how did the UK edge out the US?!), cinema-goers around the world are about to soak up the warm rays of the Provencal sun. Surely they'll be ready to throw in the towel on lucrative careers in cold places, ditch their lame glasses, and move to vineyards populated by cranky locals and beautiful women.
"More wine to hit the silver screen" [Dr. V]
A Good Year movie trailer [via Apple]
"Mondovino, shaky, not stirring" [Dr. V]
"Sideways, the movie, the wine" [Dr. V]
tags: wine | wine movies | Russell Crowe | A Good Year