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Jim Thompson: The Legendary American of Thailand, by William Warren (TPB, 1970, $2)
One year in high school I read The Ugly American. It was the first time I had ever considered that Americans could be greedy, selfish, arrogant, or stupid. Well, I was pretty naive back then.
Jim Thompson is an example of the best America can offer. He was from wealth, graduated from Princeton, and then designed homes for the rich. During WWII the OSS sent him to Thailand. After the war he returned to the private sector but stayed in Thailand. He was amazed by the indigenous woven silk, but the industry was dying. Local vegetable dyes were unpredictable and often faded with use. Silk, in general, was seen as either too old fashioned, or too expensive. Few people in Thailand wanted it. Enter our Mr. Thompson, who was fascinated by everything Thai: their people, architecture, art, and textiles.
He started his silk company in the 1950s. He insisted his weavers use color-fast dyes, and that the silk fibers be of the best quality. He had a spectacular eye for color, and an amazing ability to combine colors and patterns, so his fabrics were different from anything anyone had ever seen before, even in Japan.
Thompson believed strongly in helping the Thai people. First he insisted his weavers work out of their own homes and not in factories, so they could maintain their culture. He also insisted that 51% of his silk company's owners be Thai citizens. He made sure profits went to his workers and the people of Thailand. His board of directors kept trying to raise his salary, and he kept saying he made enough.
He was lucky. Rogers and Hammerstein's The King and I dressed its performers in Thompson's silk. Now everyone wanted it. Queen Elizabeth redecorated a room in Windsor Castle with it. Movie stars wore it, both when they were filming, and when they were not. Other companies tried to compete, but Thompson's silk was always the best.
Eventually he wanted a place to display the art he had collected over the years. He designed a "museum" he could also live in. He moved 6 antique Thai dwellings onto his property, and connected them. Then he started to entertain. Anyone who was anyone could be found there, as well as a lot of just regular people that Thompson thought interesting.
Tragedy struck in 1967. He went for an "evening stroll" in the jungle and never returned. Was it murder? Did he stage his own disappearance? Had he been injured, or gotten lost? Everyone looked for him. Nobody found him.
Reading about Thompson's disappearance is fascinating, but this book drags it out for too long, and keeps coming back to it, again and again. Otherwise, I really liked this book, and this man. Now he would have been someone to meet!
Look for the book on the new non-fiction table. (L-Th)
According to the internet, some bones were found in 2007 that might be his, but tests to determine if they were have not been done. Apparently the bones "are in a safe place", whatever that means.
13 Ekim 2012 Cumartesi
Papal Authority: Peter as the First Pope
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Some people don't believe that Jesus meant for the bishop of Rome, that is, the Pope, to be the head of His church. They think that when Christ said "You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my church and to you I will give the keys to Heaven," He didn't really mean that Peter and the popes after him are to be his vicars on earth. People say that the Catholic Church invented papal authority. So, my question would be, When did the Catholic Church invent papal authority?
Let's take a jog backwards through history, shall we? Hmm, I see before Pope Benedict XVI, there was Pope John Paul II. John Paul I, before him. Paul VI, before him. Oh gosh, with 265 popes from today extending all the way back to St. Peter, this could take all day, and it wouldn't tell us when exactly the church supposedly started making up this papal authority thing.
Let's look at old writings. That's what we do when researching historic events, right? Either that, or we can take a trip with Doctor Who on the TARDIS. :)
A.D. 597- Here's a quote from a letter from Pope St. Gregory I to Bishop Eulogius of Alexandra. "Your most sweet holiness has spoken much in your letter to me about the chair of St. Peter, prince of the apostles, saying that he himself now sits on it in the persons of his successors..." Oh dear! It sure sounds like papal authority, doesn't it? Guess the great conspiracy has already taken root by that time. Maybe we'll look earlier in history for some sign that these popes weren't really popes.
A.D. 367 - St. Optatus of Milevis wrote, "You cannot deny that you know that upon Peter first in the city of Rome was bestowed the episcopal cathedra, on which he sat, the head of all the apostles (for which reason he was called Cephas), that in this one cathedra, unity should be preserved by all..." Oh my! Another vote for papal authority. It's funny, because I've heard other more recent (protestant) explanations about Simon-Peter's naming. But that's a tributary I won't travel in this post, but you can go to this CatholicAnswers site to learn more about that.
A.D. 189 - St. Irenaeus of Lyons wrote this in, Against Heresies. This is a long quote, but I'll give the key phrases. "...Tradition universally known Church founded and organized at Rome...For it is a matter of necessity that every church agree with this church, on account of its preeminent authority..." I don't even need to comment. It's pretty clear.
A.D.80 The Shepherd of Hermas. "Therefore shall you write two little books and send one to Clement [Bishop of Rome] and one to Grapte. Clement shall then send it to the cities abroad, because that is his duty."
And now I'm looking at Acts of the Apostles and seeing clearly that Peter is the leader of the apostles. It would be tedious to highlight each passage that points to this. Now, obviously Jesus knew Peter wouldn't live forever, so he had to pass on the keys. I mean, notice how the apostles took it upon themselves to replace Judas (Acts 1). Unless you're going to toss out all of Acts, you're going to have to admit that Jesus kept the church alive though the apostles with Peter as the head.
For me, all the evidence points to the fact that the early Christians felt Jesus intended papal authority, and that when Jesus said, "Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah: flesh and blood has not revealed it unto thee, but my father which is in heaven. And I say unto thee also, that you are Cephas, and on this rock will I build my Church; and the gates of hades shall not prevail against it" (The Diatesseron 23 [A.D. 170]) he meant for Peter to be His right hand man in His church on earth.
For more information see Jimmy Akin's book The Fathers Know Best and Catholic.com, especially this page or this one, but also search around that site. You'll read stuff by people way smarter and better educated than myself. I'm just a Catholic blogger in love with Jesus and truth. :)
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| St. Peter 6th C. |
Some people don't believe that Jesus meant for the bishop of Rome, that is, the Pope, to be the head of His church. They think that when Christ said "You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my church and to you I will give the keys to Heaven," He didn't really mean that Peter and the popes after him are to be his vicars on earth. People say that the Catholic Church invented papal authority. So, my question would be, When did the Catholic Church invent papal authority?
Let's take a jog backwards through history, shall we? Hmm, I see before Pope Benedict XVI, there was Pope John Paul II. John Paul I, before him. Paul VI, before him. Oh gosh, with 265 popes from today extending all the way back to St. Peter, this could take all day, and it wouldn't tell us when exactly the church supposedly started making up this papal authority thing.
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| Pope chart available here. |
Let's look at old writings. That's what we do when researching historic events, right? Either that, or we can take a trip with Doctor Who on the TARDIS. :)
A.D. 597- Here's a quote from a letter from Pope St. Gregory I to Bishop Eulogius of Alexandra. "Your most sweet holiness has spoken much in your letter to me about the chair of St. Peter, prince of the apostles, saying that he himself now sits on it in the persons of his successors..." Oh dear! It sure sounds like papal authority, doesn't it? Guess the great conspiracy has already taken root by that time. Maybe we'll look earlier in history for some sign that these popes weren't really popes.
A.D. 367 - St. Optatus of Milevis wrote, "You cannot deny that you know that upon Peter first in the city of Rome was bestowed the episcopal cathedra, on which he sat, the head of all the apostles (for which reason he was called Cephas), that in this one cathedra, unity should be preserved by all..." Oh my! Another vote for papal authority. It's funny, because I've heard other more recent (protestant) explanations about Simon-Peter's naming. But that's a tributary I won't travel in this post, but you can go to this CatholicAnswers site to learn more about that.
A.D. 189 - St. Irenaeus of Lyons wrote this in, Against Heresies. This is a long quote, but I'll give the key phrases. "...Tradition universally known Church founded and organized at Rome...For it is a matter of necessity that every church agree with this church, on account of its preeminent authority..." I don't even need to comment. It's pretty clear.
A.D.80 The Shepherd of Hermas. "Therefore shall you write two little books and send one to Clement [Bishop of Rome] and one to Grapte. Clement shall then send it to the cities abroad, because that is his duty."
And now I'm looking at Acts of the Apostles and seeing clearly that Peter is the leader of the apostles. It would be tedious to highlight each passage that points to this. Now, obviously Jesus knew Peter wouldn't live forever, so he had to pass on the keys. I mean, notice how the apostles took it upon themselves to replace Judas (Acts 1). Unless you're going to toss out all of Acts, you're going to have to admit that Jesus kept the church alive though the apostles with Peter as the head.
For me, all the evidence points to the fact that the early Christians felt Jesus intended papal authority, and that when Jesus said, "Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah: flesh and blood has not revealed it unto thee, but my father which is in heaven. And I say unto thee also, that you are Cephas, and on this rock will I build my Church; and the gates of hades shall not prevail against it" (The Diatesseron 23 [A.D. 170]) he meant for Peter to be His right hand man in His church on earth.
For more information see Jimmy Akin's book The Fathers Know Best and Catholic.com, especially this page or this one, but also search around that site. You'll read stuff by people way smarter and better educated than myself. I'm just a Catholic blogger in love with Jesus and truth. :)
When Atheists Judge You
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When I was pregnant with my first child I was young,unmarried, and because I was so liberal, rather proud of myself. I had afeeling she would be a boy. Yes, she.I was totally wrong. But at the time, I was convinced she was a boy. I was incollege at the time--literature major--and many of the professors wereman-hating Christian-hating, loaded with "white guilt," liberals. Myhistory professor was one of the worst. "White, Christian males are bad.They're responsible for all of the ills of the world." When you'rehormonal, thinking you're carrying a white male in your belly, this is hard totake. My unborn baby had already been judged unfit. Maybe it was all of thetears I'd shed after that class, but the liberal scales started to fall from myeyes. These people who always said Christians were judgmental, well, weren'tthey being judgmental themselves?
In my experience, atheists verbally attack Christians,not for behaving as Christians, oddly enough, but for behaving as atheists. Withthe rise of the internet, they have a whole new arena in which to work.
Obviously I'm not talking all atheists. The majority don't bring up matters of faith, or whenthey do pop up, they're respectful, open minded, and judge people asindividuals rather than preconceived stereotypes. Sadly, the atheist"haters"(people who comment on blogs, on YouTube, at a party, etc. forthe sole purpose of saying hateful things), are so much more in-your-face thanyour average atheist that you must remind yourself that the average atheist isin fact, behaving quite like a Christian. In this post, I'm not talking aboutthose atheists.
So, what are things atheists criticize? Typically, notpraying, though they do scoff at our faith, as if they didn't have faith inanything unproven. They conveniently forget that Darwinian evolution is only atheory. (BTW, Catholics are free to believe in evolution. See below)*
They criticize us for behaving as atheists. They latchonto the stereotype of a judgmental, self-righteous, hateful person with noroom in his/her heart for love. They assume our faith is without reason andthat we haven't thought it through. And they accuse us of being robots with nomind of our own. Essentially, Hate-filledrobots. That would make a catchy band name.
Maybe there are mean Christians, but I daresay they areChristian only in name. A person with genuine faith in Christ tries to puttheir whole life into living with His values: love, humility, generosity, stewardshipover the earth, self-sacrifice. Yes, sometimes we fail. We get grumpy and snapat somebody. We give in to selfishness. We're not perfect. But it's not becauseof our religion that we behave badly, as the atheist believes-- without proof ;-) but when we go against our religious principles.
The atheist view is that we're all just jumbles of cellsformed into animals by chance. The species popped up and thrived because someindividuals happened to be more fit than others. And we have no souls.
Why do "hater"atheists not simply shrug when they see a Christian behaving as if we're allanimals and that survival of the fittest is the rule of the day? Shouldn't theybe happy to see somebody living those values? No. Because deep down, they knowwe were made for more. They recognize evil and good in spite of their disbelief in God. They know in their hearts therein a standard for GOOD that human society didn't invent. It's withoutscientific explanation. It doesn't match their proposed worldview. But theycannot ignore the inner sense of right and wrong put into them by The Creator.
But why do they attack random Christians with false judgments?Christians who may be good people? Why not get to know somebody before seeingthem only as a stereotype? Maybe some atheists were hurt by a bad Christian. Andwe all know if you're harmed, by all means, hate everyone from that religion,ethnic group, or gender for the rest of your life and teach that hatred to yourchildren and students so they can pass it on to theirs. :p
As for Christianity being without reason. Well, can'tknow that without investigation. Some Christians simply know it's true, but can't tell you why. Many of these are beautifullyclose to our Lord and very good people in the best sense of the word good. Others have examined and studiedtheir faith and have figured out there is very good reason for it. I'll go intothat on another post. This one has grown longer than I usually like.
But if you do want proofs of God's existence, please seePeter Kreeft's website.
*God created all things. He is the prime mover. If hewants to create a new species out of a preexisting one, He can. And worlds betterthan we can, I gather from the evidence. We've bred flies like you wouldn'tbelieve and all the scientists could see were more flies. We've bred dogs. Weget quite a variety from mastiffs and cockapoos, but they never evolve intoanything but dogs. If evolution created species, then it wasn't by chance.
When I was pregnant with my first child I was young,unmarried, and because I was so liberal, rather proud of myself. I had afeeling she would be a boy. Yes, she.I was totally wrong. But at the time, I was convinced she was a boy. I was incollege at the time--literature major--and many of the professors wereman-hating Christian-hating, loaded with "white guilt," liberals. Myhistory professor was one of the worst. "White, Christian males are bad.They're responsible for all of the ills of the world." When you'rehormonal, thinking you're carrying a white male in your belly, this is hard totake. My unborn baby had already been judged unfit. Maybe it was all of thetears I'd shed after that class, but the liberal scales started to fall from myeyes. These people who always said Christians were judgmental, well, weren'tthey being judgmental themselves?
In my experience, atheists verbally attack Christians,not for behaving as Christians, oddly enough, but for behaving as atheists. Withthe rise of the internet, they have a whole new arena in which to work.
Obviously I'm not talking all atheists. The majority don't bring up matters of faith, or whenthey do pop up, they're respectful, open minded, and judge people asindividuals rather than preconceived stereotypes. Sadly, the atheist"haters"(people who comment on blogs, on YouTube, at a party, etc. forthe sole purpose of saying hateful things), are so much more in-your-face thanyour average atheist that you must remind yourself that the average atheist isin fact, behaving quite like a Christian. In this post, I'm not talking aboutthose atheists.
So, what are things atheists criticize? Typically, notpraying, though they do scoff at our faith, as if they didn't have faith inanything unproven. They conveniently forget that Darwinian evolution is only atheory. (BTW, Catholics are free to believe in evolution. See below)*
They criticize us for behaving as atheists. They latchonto the stereotype of a judgmental, self-righteous, hateful person with noroom in his/her heart for love. They assume our faith is without reason andthat we haven't thought it through. And they accuse us of being robots with nomind of our own. Essentially, Hate-filledrobots. That would make a catchy band name.
Maybe there are mean Christians, but I daresay they areChristian only in name. A person with genuine faith in Christ tries to puttheir whole life into living with His values: love, humility, generosity, stewardshipover the earth, self-sacrifice. Yes, sometimes we fail. We get grumpy and snapat somebody. We give in to selfishness. We're not perfect. But it's not becauseof our religion that we behave badly, as the atheist believes-- without proof ;-) but when we go against our religious principles.
The atheist view is that we're all just jumbles of cellsformed into animals by chance. The species popped up and thrived because someindividuals happened to be more fit than others. And we have no souls.
Why do "hater"atheists not simply shrug when they see a Christian behaving as if we're allanimals and that survival of the fittest is the rule of the day? Shouldn't theybe happy to see somebody living those values? No. Because deep down, they knowwe were made for more. They recognize evil and good in spite of their disbelief in God. They know in their hearts therein a standard for GOOD that human society didn't invent. It's withoutscientific explanation. It doesn't match their proposed worldview. But theycannot ignore the inner sense of right and wrong put into them by The Creator.
But why do they attack random Christians with false judgments?Christians who may be good people? Why not get to know somebody before seeingthem only as a stereotype? Maybe some atheists were hurt by a bad Christian. Andwe all know if you're harmed, by all means, hate everyone from that religion,ethnic group, or gender for the rest of your life and teach that hatred to yourchildren and students so they can pass it on to theirs. :p
As for Christianity being without reason. Well, can'tknow that without investigation. Some Christians simply know it's true, but can't tell you why. Many of these are beautifullyclose to our Lord and very good people in the best sense of the word good. Others have examined and studiedtheir faith and have figured out there is very good reason for it. I'll go intothat on another post. This one has grown longer than I usually like.
But if you do want proofs of God's existence, please seePeter Kreeft's website.
*God created all things. He is the prime mover. If hewants to create a new species out of a preexisting one, He can. And worlds betterthan we can, I gather from the evidence. We've bred flies like you wouldn'tbelieve and all the scientists could see were more flies. We've bred dogs. Weget quite a variety from mastiffs and cockapoos, but they never evolve intoanything but dogs. If evolution created species, then it wasn't by chance.
Why God is a "He"
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Is God literally a male? Jesus took on a human malebody, but outside of that, God has no physical body. God revealed Himself to be male to the ancient Jews, Jesus was bornmale, and Jesus referred to the Father in male terms. It makes sense to me becausethe Church is considered female--the bride of Christ.
Where do we see this "bride of Christ" thing inthe Bible? Ephesians 5: 25-32 is an example of that theme. And Christ refers tohimself as the bridegroom in Matthew 9:15, Mark 2:19, Luke 5:24.
All of this is enough for me to obey sacred tradition andwhat I believe to be God's plan, and continue referring to him as male.
However, in reading Handbookof Catholic Apologetics, by Peter Kreeft and Ronald Tacelli, I came acrossan additional argument. It had to do with the fact that nature--meaning thewhole physical universe--was createdby God, not birthed by Him. "As a man comes into a woman from without tomake her pregnant, so God creates the universe from without rather than frombirthing it from within and impregnates our souls with grace or supernaturallife from without." (Kreeft & Tacelli p.104)
I find that beautiful.
Risking getting into a whole other territory, I'll justmention that this makes it clear why Jesus chose men to be his Apostles and whywe still today hold that He intended a male priesthood. A priest stands forChrist at the altar--he performs "In Persona Christi,"(in the personof Christ). A priest is meant to be Jesus' representative--His regent. A regent, as you know, is aperson or persons who rule while the real ruler is away. Jesus is the one truepriest, but he appointed regents (the Apostles).
Is God literally a male? Jesus took on a human malebody, but outside of that, God has no physical body. God revealed Himself to be male to the ancient Jews, Jesus was bornmale, and Jesus referred to the Father in male terms. It makes sense to me becausethe Church is considered female--the bride of Christ.
Where do we see this "bride of Christ" thing inthe Bible? Ephesians 5: 25-32 is an example of that theme. And Christ refers tohimself as the bridegroom in Matthew 9:15, Mark 2:19, Luke 5:24.
All of this is enough for me to obey sacred tradition andwhat I believe to be God's plan, and continue referring to him as male.
However, in reading Handbookof Catholic Apologetics, by Peter Kreeft and Ronald Tacelli, I came acrossan additional argument. It had to do with the fact that nature--meaning thewhole physical universe--was createdby God, not birthed by Him. "As a man comes into a woman from without tomake her pregnant, so God creates the universe from without rather than frombirthing it from within and impregnates our souls with grace or supernaturallife from without." (Kreeft & Tacelli p.104)
I find that beautiful.
Risking getting into a whole other territory, I'll justmention that this makes it clear why Jesus chose men to be his Apostles and whywe still today hold that He intended a male priesthood. A priest stands forChrist at the altar--he performs "In Persona Christi,"(in the personof Christ). A priest is meant to be Jesus' representative--His regent. A regent, as you know, is aperson or persons who rule while the real ruler is away. Jesus is the one truepriest, but he appointed regents (the Apostles).
C.S. Lewis, Kids' Book Clubs, and Christ
To contact us Click HERE
I run a children's homeschooling book club and haverecently had the honor or leading the discussion of C.S. Lewis's The Magician's Nephew. Some members ofour club are not Christian, so I felt I must keep away from Christian themesand symbolism. Easier said than done.
The more I struggled to see past the Christian themes,the more they stood out for me. You have the struggle of good vs. evil, a manseeking power for power's sake who can't recognize God when he's standing infront of him, a Genesis creation story, temptation in the garden, a forbiddenapple, and the promise of a savior. I'll tell you how I skirted these topics ina moment.
I know neo-pagans, new agers, atheists, and even anti-Christianatheists who love the Narnia books. Why would they be drawn to them when thebooks so obviously deal with Christian themes? Sure, they are good stories. Butthey're only great stories if you seethe deeper meaning that is hidden (or at times, not so well hidden) within them.A child unaware of the Christian elements might enjoy them, but a grownup who'snot only non-Christian, but anti-Christian?
I have a theory. Thoughsociety tells us to love self, in ourhearts, we want to love God and imitate Him by loving our fellow human beingsin a selfless manner. We are made to love and know God. This is why Narnia ispopular. It's why we admire self-sacrificing heroes in books and films. It'swhy we grow disgusted at villains using power to step on others as they striveto rule the world. It may be why mynon-Christian friends and family celebrate Christmas. I'd thought it was acultural tradition thing; now I'm not so sure.
Still, the loving selfthing pops up in a couple of ways in our society. One has a bad reputation--theover consumption of goods, such as expensive cars, jewelry, and other luxuryitems. The one that is gaining in popularity (at least in my sphere) is themore new-agey idea that you are your own god or goddess. An atheist relative ofmine posted on Facebook, "Be your own savior."
Of course we should love and respect ourselves. Godcreated each of us as unique human beings. We have an inherent dignity as hischildren. But when self-centeredness gets in the way of loving God and others,there's a problem.
But back to the topic. What did we discuss at book club? Good and evil (because everybody understandthat dichotomy), the similarities between Uncle Andrew and the witch and whatmakes them villains, the nature of the Cabby (aka King Frank), the children, thehorse, and we also touched on Aslan. We discussed the similarities between theWood Between the World and the attic tunnel (both being in-between places, notreally places where things happen), and the similarities of Charn and how thecharacters feel about London. Both were described as hard, cold places.
So, I thank the Lord for the works of C.S. Lewis. Theirpopularity fills me with hope for our society.
BTW IMDb says the film The Magician's Nephew is in production and might not be out until 2014.
If you enjoyed this post, you might like the post I wrote on self-sacrificing mothers in books and film.
I run a children's homeschooling book club and haverecently had the honor or leading the discussion of C.S. Lewis's The Magician's Nephew. Some members ofour club are not Christian, so I felt I must keep away from Christian themesand symbolism. Easier said than done.
The more I struggled to see past the Christian themes,the more they stood out for me. You have the struggle of good vs. evil, a manseeking power for power's sake who can't recognize God when he's standing infront of him, a Genesis creation story, temptation in the garden, a forbiddenapple, and the promise of a savior. I'll tell you how I skirted these topics ina moment.
I know neo-pagans, new agers, atheists, and even anti-Christianatheists who love the Narnia books. Why would they be drawn to them when thebooks so obviously deal with Christian themes? Sure, they are good stories. Butthey're only great stories if you seethe deeper meaning that is hidden (or at times, not so well hidden) within them.A child unaware of the Christian elements might enjoy them, but a grownup who'snot only non-Christian, but anti-Christian?
I have a theory. Thoughsociety tells us to love self, in ourhearts, we want to love God and imitate Him by loving our fellow human beingsin a selfless manner. We are made to love and know God. This is why Narnia ispopular. It's why we admire self-sacrificing heroes in books and films. It'swhy we grow disgusted at villains using power to step on others as they striveto rule the world. It may be why mynon-Christian friends and family celebrate Christmas. I'd thought it was acultural tradition thing; now I'm not so sure.
Still, the loving selfthing pops up in a couple of ways in our society. One has a bad reputation--theover consumption of goods, such as expensive cars, jewelry, and other luxuryitems. The one that is gaining in popularity (at least in my sphere) is themore new-agey idea that you are your own god or goddess. An atheist relative ofmine posted on Facebook, "Be your own savior."
Of course we should love and respect ourselves. Godcreated each of us as unique human beings. We have an inherent dignity as hischildren. But when self-centeredness gets in the way of loving God and others,there's a problem.
But back to the topic. What did we discuss at book club? Good and evil (because everybody understandthat dichotomy), the similarities between Uncle Andrew and the witch and whatmakes them villains, the nature of the Cabby (aka King Frank), the children, thehorse, and we also touched on Aslan. We discussed the similarities between theWood Between the World and the attic tunnel (both being in-between places, notreally places where things happen), and the similarities of Charn and how thecharacters feel about London. Both were described as hard, cold places.
So, I thank the Lord for the works of C.S. Lewis. Theirpopularity fills me with hope for our society.
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| Plaque on the Unicorn Inn |
12 Ekim 2012 Cuma
Donation of Some Odd Classics
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We have just received a large collection of TPB classics. Some of them are the usual ones, like Austin and Dickens, but some are a lot more obscure. For instance, did you know that Carlo Collodi wrote one of the world's most famous children's stories- Pinocchio? Hey, I figured Walt didn't write it, but I had thought it to be an ancient fairy tale. Nope, it was written by an Italian in 1873.
You can't have this copy of Pinocchio till I finish reading it, but the rest of these odd classics can be found on the floor in front of the classics section.
Of course when I call them "odd", it probably shows how ignorant I am, but I bet you won't have heard of all of these gems. Well, Sue probably would have, but her knowledge base was incredible. She had even READ most of the books she talked about. This is my first blog since her death. Life goes on, but she is already greatly missed.
You can't have this copy of Pinocchio till I finish reading it, but the rest of these odd classics can be found on the floor in front of the classics section.
Of course when I call them "odd", it probably shows how ignorant I am, but I bet you won't have heard of all of these gems. Well, Sue probably would have, but her knowledge base was incredible. She had even READ most of the books she talked about. This is my first blog since her death. Life goes on, but she is already greatly missed.
Dying for Chocolate!
To contact us Click HERE
Just arrived-
12 PB mysteries by Diane Mott Davidson.
One of them is the above book.
"Dying for Chocolate"- that is a pretty good description of me. Even after losing a lot of weight for health reasons, I still allow myself one piece of Chocolate Wave Cake each week at Red Lobster. To think that I never ate chocolate until about 10 years ago! When I was young, I was violently allergic to it. Once I outgrew my allergy I could eat chocolate without getting hives, but in my opinion it tasted horrible. Then I turned 45, and the whole world changed.
These books by Davidson can be found on the floor in front of the mystery section. Sorry, you will have to buy your own chocolate!
12 PB mysteries by Diane Mott Davidson.
One of them is the above book.
"Dying for Chocolate"- that is a pretty good description of me. Even after losing a lot of weight for health reasons, I still allow myself one piece of Chocolate Wave Cake each week at Red Lobster. To think that I never ate chocolate until about 10 years ago! When I was young, I was violently allergic to it. Once I outgrew my allergy I could eat chocolate without getting hives, but in my opinion it tasted horrible. Then I turned 45, and the whole world changed.
These books by Davidson can be found on the floor in front of the mystery section. Sorry, you will have to buy your own chocolate!
Sue's memorial. The future of the store.
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Sue's memorial service was Friday. There were sure a lot of people there: her cousins from out-of-state, plus people from the college, the bookstore, and her church.
When there was a time to share I spoke about how Sue had pushed me out of my comfort zone. Many of you may not know that it was Sue who got me to blog. She wanted us all to blog, but I was new to computers, and wanted no part of this blogging stuff. I stormed in the next day announcing to all that if I was forced to write a single blog I would no longer work at the store. Somehow, though, by the end of the day I had written two blogs, and the rest, as they say, is history.
You will have noticed that lately we have rarely blogged. Partly, it is because of Sue's death, and partly because the future of the store is uncertain. It turns out that the store is owned by the Houghton Foundation, and they have yet to make the decision to continue the store, or not. You will not be surprised to know that all of us who volunteer at the store hope the Foundation does let us continue.
When I know anything, I will let you know
Karen Sue
When there was a time to share I spoke about how Sue had pushed me out of my comfort zone. Many of you may not know that it was Sue who got me to blog. She wanted us all to blog, but I was new to computers, and wanted no part of this blogging stuff. I stormed in the next day announcing to all that if I was forced to write a single blog I would no longer work at the store. Somehow, though, by the end of the day I had written two blogs, and the rest, as they say, is history.
You will have noticed that lately we have rarely blogged. Partly, it is because of Sue's death, and partly because the future of the store is uncertain. It turns out that the store is owned by the Houghton Foundation, and they have yet to make the decision to continue the store, or not. You will not be surprised to know that all of us who volunteer at the store hope the Foundation does let us continue.
When I know anything, I will let you know
Karen Sue
tlhIngan Hol Dajatlh'a' (Do you speak Klingon?)
To contact us Click HERE
Do you speak Klingon?
Or do you want to?
If so, this is the book for you. Apparently some people actually do speak this nonsense. At least they do on The Big Bang Theory.
So, here you are:
The Klingon Dictionary: English/Klingon and Klingon/English (Star Trek, The Official Guide to Klingon Words and Phrases), by Marc Okrand (PB, 1985, $5, has a weak binding, and yellowed pages) Look for it on the new non-fiction table (L. sci. fi. )
(I just looked this book up on Amazon. It is amazingly rare. There is a more recent edition still in print. It is even available in e-book format. There are also entire books entirely in Klingon! Amazing, aint it.)
Or do you want to?
If so, this is the book for you. Apparently some people actually do speak this nonsense. At least they do on The Big Bang Theory.
So, here you are:
The Klingon Dictionary: English/Klingon and Klingon/English (Star Trek, The Official Guide to Klingon Words and Phrases), by Marc Okrand (PB, 1985, $5, has a weak binding, and yellowed pages) Look for it on the new non-fiction table (L. sci. fi. )
(I just looked this book up on Amazon. It is amazingly rare. There is a more recent edition still in print. It is even available in e-book format. There are also entire books entirely in Klingon! Amazing, aint it.)
Jim Thompson, hero of Thailand's silk industry
To contact us Click HERE
Jim Thompson: The Legendary American of Thailand, by William Warren (TPB, 1970, $2)
One year in high school I read The Ugly American. It was the first time I had ever considered that Americans could be greedy, selfish, arrogant, or stupid. Well, I was pretty naive back then.
Jim Thompson is an example of the best America can offer. He was from wealth, graduated from Princeton, and then designed homes for the rich. During WWII the OSS sent him to Thailand. After the war he returned to the private sector but stayed in Thailand. He was amazed by the indigenous woven silk, but the industry was dying. Local vegetable dyes were unpredictable and often faded with use. Silk, in general, was seen as either too old fashioned, or too expensive. Few people in Thailand wanted it. Enter our Mr. Thompson, who was fascinated by everything Thai: their people, architecture, art, and textiles.
He started his silk company in the 1950s. He insisted his weavers use color-fast dyes, and that the silk fibers be of the best quality. He had a spectacular eye for color, and an amazing ability to combine colors and patterns, so his fabrics were different from anything anyone had ever seen before, even in Japan.
Thompson believed strongly in helping the Thai people. First he insisted his weavers work out of their own homes and not in factories, so they could maintain their culture. He also insisted that 51% of his silk company's owners be Thai citizens. He made sure profits went to his workers and the people of Thailand. His board of directors kept trying to raise his salary, and he kept saying he made enough.
He was lucky. Rogers and Hammerstein's The King and I dressed its performers in Thompson's silk. Now everyone wanted it. Queen Elizabeth redecorated a room in Windsor Castle with it. Movie stars wore it, both when they were filming, and when they were not. Other companies tried to compete, but Thompson's silk was always the best.
Eventually he wanted a place to display the art he had collected over the years. He designed a "museum" he could also live in. He moved 6 antique Thai dwellings onto his property, and connected them. Then he started to entertain. Anyone who was anyone could be found there, as well as a lot of just regular people that Thompson thought interesting.
Tragedy struck in 1967. He went for an "evening stroll" in the jungle and never returned. Was it murder? Did he stage his own disappearance? Had he been injured, or gotten lost? Everyone looked for him. Nobody found him.
Reading about Thompson's disappearance is fascinating, but this book drags it out for too long, and keeps coming back to it, again and again. Otherwise, I really liked this book, and this man. Now he would have been someone to meet!
Look for the book on the new non-fiction table. (L-Th)
According to the internet, some bones were found in 2007 that might be his, but tests to determine if they were have not been done. Apparently the bones "are in a safe place", whatever that means.
One year in high school I read The Ugly American. It was the first time I had ever considered that Americans could be greedy, selfish, arrogant, or stupid. Well, I was pretty naive back then.
Jim Thompson is an example of the best America can offer. He was from wealth, graduated from Princeton, and then designed homes for the rich. During WWII the OSS sent him to Thailand. After the war he returned to the private sector but stayed in Thailand. He was amazed by the indigenous woven silk, but the industry was dying. Local vegetable dyes were unpredictable and often faded with use. Silk, in general, was seen as either too old fashioned, or too expensive. Few people in Thailand wanted it. Enter our Mr. Thompson, who was fascinated by everything Thai: their people, architecture, art, and textiles.
He started his silk company in the 1950s. He insisted his weavers use color-fast dyes, and that the silk fibers be of the best quality. He had a spectacular eye for color, and an amazing ability to combine colors and patterns, so his fabrics were different from anything anyone had ever seen before, even in Japan.
Thompson believed strongly in helping the Thai people. First he insisted his weavers work out of their own homes and not in factories, so they could maintain their culture. He also insisted that 51% of his silk company's owners be Thai citizens. He made sure profits went to his workers and the people of Thailand. His board of directors kept trying to raise his salary, and he kept saying he made enough.
He was lucky. Rogers and Hammerstein's The King and I dressed its performers in Thompson's silk. Now everyone wanted it. Queen Elizabeth redecorated a room in Windsor Castle with it. Movie stars wore it, both when they were filming, and when they were not. Other companies tried to compete, but Thompson's silk was always the best.
Eventually he wanted a place to display the art he had collected over the years. He designed a "museum" he could also live in. He moved 6 antique Thai dwellings onto his property, and connected them. Then he started to entertain. Anyone who was anyone could be found there, as well as a lot of just regular people that Thompson thought interesting.
Tragedy struck in 1967. He went for an "evening stroll" in the jungle and never returned. Was it murder? Did he stage his own disappearance? Had he been injured, or gotten lost? Everyone looked for him. Nobody found him.
Reading about Thompson's disappearance is fascinating, but this book drags it out for too long, and keeps coming back to it, again and again. Otherwise, I really liked this book, and this man. Now he would have been someone to meet!
Look for the book on the new non-fiction table. (L-Th)
According to the internet, some bones were found in 2007 that might be his, but tests to determine if they were have not been done. Apparently the bones "are in a safe place", whatever that means.
11 Ekim 2012 Perşembe
Fetal Heart Rate - Healthy Heart Diet
To contact us Click HERE
The fetal heart rate an important factor that would help that doctor asses the condition of the baby while he is still in his mother's womb. The normal can range from 110 beats per minute to 180 beats per minute. However, the baby's heart rate can vary depending on his activity. If he seems to extra hyperactive, it could even go up to 190 beats per minute. That is still considered normal. If he is resting, it could go down to 110 or 120 beats per minute.
Listening to the fetal heart rate of the baby can be a wonderful bonding activity between mother and child. With the use of a Doppler ultrasound, the baby's heartbeat could be heard as early as 8 weeks. However, there are also babies whose heartbeats cannot be detected until three to four months. This is fairly normal and should not be a cause for worry. There are mothers that might have more abdominal fat content than others, and that could suppress the sound of the baby's heartbeat.
The baby's fetal heart rate could be affected by a lot of factors. Most of these factors are directly related to the mother. The mother's physical and mental health greatly affects how the baby turns out. Stress is a huge factor. Studies have shown that stress could have untoward effects on the baby's overall health and not just his heart rate. Another factor would be the mother's cardiac health. A mother with high blood pressure could also seriously affect the baby's growth in the womb. A high blood pressure, also called preeclampsia, can decrease the nutrients that the baby receives, resulting in various health problems. It could even be life threatening for both the baby and the mother.
Every mother should engage in a healthy heart diet, for not only is it beneficial for her but for the baby as well. It is a common misconception that a pregnant mother should be eating for two. This not only wrong, but can also be potentially dangerous for the baby. A healthy heart diet should be low in salt and fat. Both salt and fat are the culprits of every cardiovascular condition out there, and they should be avoided completely if possible. Acceptable food would be fruits, vegetables, lean meats, chicken and fish.
Engaging in a healthy diet, while pregnant, would also help the mother attain the recommended weight gain required during pregnancy. The ideal numbers would be two to four pounds a week during the first trimester, and a pound a week for the next six months. Overall, the mother-to-be is expected to gain around 25 to 35 pounds in nine months.
Unlike before, monitoring the fetal heart rate can now be done at home. There are Doppler ultrasound devices that are readily available to the public. The process can be easily done with the use of the probe and some water-soluble lubricant. The best places to start looking would be at the bottom right or left of the abdomen. It would greatly help if the mother knows how to look for the baby's back. That is where the heartbeat is the loudest.
If you are pregnant and you want to learn more about fetal heartbeat, there are great online websites available for reference.
About this Author
For more information on Different Types of Diseases, Symptoms and Diagnoses, Please visit: Fetal Heart Rate and Healthy Heart Diet.
Listening to the fetal heart rate of the baby can be a wonderful bonding activity between mother and child. With the use of a Doppler ultrasound, the baby's heartbeat could be heard as early as 8 weeks. However, there are also babies whose heartbeats cannot be detected until three to four months. This is fairly normal and should not be a cause for worry. There are mothers that might have more abdominal fat content than others, and that could suppress the sound of the baby's heartbeat.
The baby's fetal heart rate could be affected by a lot of factors. Most of these factors are directly related to the mother. The mother's physical and mental health greatly affects how the baby turns out. Stress is a huge factor. Studies have shown that stress could have untoward effects on the baby's overall health and not just his heart rate. Another factor would be the mother's cardiac health. A mother with high blood pressure could also seriously affect the baby's growth in the womb. A high blood pressure, also called preeclampsia, can decrease the nutrients that the baby receives, resulting in various health problems. It could even be life threatening for both the baby and the mother.
Every mother should engage in a healthy heart diet, for not only is it beneficial for her but for the baby as well. It is a common misconception that a pregnant mother should be eating for two. This not only wrong, but can also be potentially dangerous for the baby. A healthy heart diet should be low in salt and fat. Both salt and fat are the culprits of every cardiovascular condition out there, and they should be avoided completely if possible. Acceptable food would be fruits, vegetables, lean meats, chicken and fish.
Engaging in a healthy diet, while pregnant, would also help the mother attain the recommended weight gain required during pregnancy. The ideal numbers would be two to four pounds a week during the first trimester, and a pound a week for the next six months. Overall, the mother-to-be is expected to gain around 25 to 35 pounds in nine months.
Unlike before, monitoring the fetal heart rate can now be done at home. There are Doppler ultrasound devices that are readily available to the public. The process can be easily done with the use of the probe and some water-soluble lubricant. The best places to start looking would be at the bottom right or left of the abdomen. It would greatly help if the mother knows how to look for the baby's back. That is where the heartbeat is the loudest.
If you are pregnant and you want to learn more about fetal heartbeat, there are great online websites available for reference.
About this Author
For more information on Different Types of Diseases, Symptoms and Diagnoses, Please visit: Fetal Heart Rate and Healthy Heart Diet.
Caffeine During Pregnancy
To contact us Click HERE
There is no question that many of us love our morning cups of coffee, or tea. Caffeine wakes us from our slumber and helps us become alert for the challenging day ahead. The true question, which is very important for a pregnant woman to understand is why, and how, caffeine affects the mother's body-and the subsequent affect of that cup of coffee, tea or hot chocolate to her unborn child.
Products that contain caffeine, such as coffee, tea, and chocolate are amongst the most popular and widespread products consumed in the world and its usage may date as far back as 3000 BC, in China. While caffeine is known to be a natural pesticide that paralyzes and kills insects feeding on certain plants, it's sustained popularity stems from its unique physiologic and pharmacologic properties. In other words, caffeine contains chemicals that have a profound stimulating affect on the nervous system, as well as many other human bodily functions.
Caffeine's stimulant properties may:
* affect the central nervous system leading to increased alertness and arousal.
* cause an increased heart rate.
* have a diuretic affect that may lead to increased urination.
* affect the muscular system positively through increased coordination and ability to perform physical labor but can also affect the muscular system negatively in higher doses, as it can also lead to tremors.
* have mental effects which can increase short term memory but decrease long term memory.
* increase the effectiveness of other drugs, such as headache medications, and can help overcome drowsiness from antihistamines.
What happens to the baby when a product containing caffeine is consumed?
Caffeine is absorbed by the stomach and small intestine within 45 minutes of ingestion. It crosses readily to the placenta, accumulating in both the fetus and amniotic fluid. It is metabolized three times more slowly in pregnant women compared to non-pregnant women, allowing for greater, and longer lasting, accumulation in the fetus.
Caffeine also significantly decreases blood flow in the placental villi, (small projections which help increase absorption of nutrients) through constriction of the vessels. Keep in mind that the fetus gets everything it needs from blood flow including nutrition, oxygenation, etc. and, if these vessels become constricted, the fetus gets less of everything needed for growth and development. Consequently, it is thought that maybe this constriction c`n possibly lead to reduced growth and can be associated with impaired development later on in life-or even stillbirth.
Considering the quantity of caffeine consumed, knowing whether caffeine is harmful in pregnancy is a major public health concern. Many studies have been written about the safety of caffeine in pregnancy most concluding that no malformations have been attributed to caffeine consumption and that most scientists believe that caffeine is not a teratogen (an agent or factor that causes malformations in an embryo) in humans.
However, concerns regarding harmful effects have stemmed from animal and human studies that have shown decreased intrauterine fetal growth, lower birth weights (less than 2500 grams), and skeletal abnormalities. (Vlajinac,1997;Caan, 1989). Other studies have shown no association between caffeine use and adverse outcomes in pregnancy. (Linn, 1982;Bech 2007, Clausson, 2000) Results of these kinds of studies are always questionable because many have been retrospective studies; those being studies that depend upon patient recollection, vary in the amounts of caffeine consumed, have differing sources of caffeine (coffee, tea, chocolate, medication), and have different methods of preparation and serving sizes.
Other studies have correlated specific quantities of caffeine consumed as being the determining factor of risk. (Fenster,1991)
It is known, however, that caffeine is readily transferred into human milk and therefore breast feeding mothers, who consume caffeine, may cause stimulatory effects in younger children.
In 1980, the United States Food and Drug Administration advised pregnant women to avoid caffeine containing foods and drugs, or use them sparingly.
The UK Food Standards Agency has recommended that women limit caffeine intake to under 200 mg of caffeine per day, which is equivalent to 2 cups of instant of coffee.
In Summary:
Most recent studies conclude that caffeine intake during pregnancy does not impose a major public health issue with regard to fetal health. However, because of the controversy that exists with the use of caffeine and impaired fetal growth in pregnancy, it is probably advisable to reduce the intake of caffeine during pregnancy to under 300 mg/day (3 cups of coffee) and encourage drinking decaffeinated coffee as a substitute.
Estimates of caffeine intake that might be helpful for pregnant women: (150 ml portion)
- Coffee
- Tea
- Soft Drinks
- Cocoa
- Brewed 115 mg
- Loose 39 mg
- 15 mg
- 4 mg
- Boiled 90 mg
- Tea bags 39 mg
- Instant 60 mg
- Herbal 0 mg
Dark roast has less caffeine compared to light roast because roasting reduces the caffeine content.
Tea generally contains more caffeine that coffee but is generally brewed much more weakly.
1 g of chocolate bar = 0.3 mg caffeine.
Most drugs contain 50-100 mg of caffeine per tablet.
About this Author
Since the beginning of her Obstetrics and Gynecology practice in 1982, Dr. Michele Brown has delivered more than 3,000 babies. She has her medical training to guide her in the development of Beaute de Maman's unique health and beauty products. Dr. Brown has a busy obstetrical practice in Stamford, Connecticut. As a clinical attending, she actively teaches residents from Stamford Hospital and medical studentr from Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York. Dr. Brown is a board-certified member of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, a member of the American Medical Association, the Fairfield County Medical Association, Yale Obstetrical and Gynecological Society and the Women's Medical Association of Fairfield County.
Please visit http://www.beautedemaman.com.
Products that contain caffeine, such as coffee, tea, and chocolate are amongst the most popular and widespread products consumed in the world and its usage may date as far back as 3000 BC, in China. While caffeine is known to be a natural pesticide that paralyzes and kills insects feeding on certain plants, it's sustained popularity stems from its unique physiologic and pharmacologic properties. In other words, caffeine contains chemicals that have a profound stimulating affect on the nervous system, as well as many other human bodily functions.
Caffeine's stimulant properties may:
* affect the central nervous system leading to increased alertness and arousal.
* cause an increased heart rate.
* have a diuretic affect that may lead to increased urination.
* affect the muscular system positively through increased coordination and ability to perform physical labor but can also affect the muscular system negatively in higher doses, as it can also lead to tremors.
* have mental effects which can increase short term memory but decrease long term memory.
* increase the effectiveness of other drugs, such as headache medications, and can help overcome drowsiness from antihistamines.
What happens to the baby when a product containing caffeine is consumed?
Caffeine is absorbed by the stomach and small intestine within 45 minutes of ingestion. It crosses readily to the placenta, accumulating in both the fetus and amniotic fluid. It is metabolized three times more slowly in pregnant women compared to non-pregnant women, allowing for greater, and longer lasting, accumulation in the fetus.
Caffeine also significantly decreases blood flow in the placental villi, (small projections which help increase absorption of nutrients) through constriction of the vessels. Keep in mind that the fetus gets everything it needs from blood flow including nutrition, oxygenation, etc. and, if these vessels become constricted, the fetus gets less of everything needed for growth and development. Consequently, it is thought that maybe this constriction c`n possibly lead to reduced growth and can be associated with impaired development later on in life-or even stillbirth.
Considering the quantity of caffeine consumed, knowing whether caffeine is harmful in pregnancy is a major public health concern. Many studies have been written about the safety of caffeine in pregnancy most concluding that no malformations have been attributed to caffeine consumption and that most scientists believe that caffeine is not a teratogen (an agent or factor that causes malformations in an embryo) in humans.
However, concerns regarding harmful effects have stemmed from animal and human studies that have shown decreased intrauterine fetal growth, lower birth weights (less than 2500 grams), and skeletal abnormalities. (Vlajinac,1997;Caan, 1989). Other studies have shown no association between caffeine use and adverse outcomes in pregnancy. (Linn, 1982;Bech 2007, Clausson, 2000) Results of these kinds of studies are always questionable because many have been retrospective studies; those being studies that depend upon patient recollection, vary in the amounts of caffeine consumed, have differing sources of caffeine (coffee, tea, chocolate, medication), and have different methods of preparation and serving sizes.
Other studies have correlated specific quantities of caffeine consumed as being the determining factor of risk. (Fenster,1991)
It is known, however, that caffeine is readily transferred into human milk and therefore breast feeding mothers, who consume caffeine, may cause stimulatory effects in younger children.
In 1980, the United States Food and Drug Administration advised pregnant women to avoid caffeine containing foods and drugs, or use them sparingly.
The UK Food Standards Agency has recommended that women limit caffeine intake to under 200 mg of caffeine per day, which is equivalent to 2 cups of instant of coffee.
In Summary:
Most recent studies conclude that caffeine intake during pregnancy does not impose a major public health issue with regard to fetal health. However, because of the controversy that exists with the use of caffeine and impaired fetal growth in pregnancy, it is probably advisable to reduce the intake of caffeine during pregnancy to under 300 mg/day (3 cups of coffee) and encourage drinking decaffeinated coffee as a substitute.
Estimates of caffeine intake that might be helpful for pregnant women: (150 ml portion)
- Coffee
- Tea
- Soft Drinks
- Cocoa
- Brewed 115 mg
- Loose 39 mg
- 15 mg
- 4 mg
- Boiled 90 mg
- Tea bags 39 mg
- Instant 60 mg
- Herbal 0 mg
Dark roast has less caffeine compared to light roast because roasting reduces the caffeine content.
Tea generally contains more caffeine that coffee but is generally brewed much more weakly.
1 g of chocolate bar = 0.3 mg caffeine.
Most drugs contain 50-100 mg of caffeine per tablet.
About this Author
Since the beginning of her Obstetrics and Gynecology practice in 1982, Dr. Michele Brown has delivered more than 3,000 babies. She has her medical training to guide her in the development of Beaute de Maman's unique health and beauty products. Dr. Brown has a busy obstetrical practice in Stamford, Connecticut. As a clinical attending, she actively teaches residents from Stamford Hospital and medical studentr from Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York. Dr. Brown is a board-certified member of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, a member of the American Medical Association, the Fairfield County Medical Association, Yale Obstetrical and Gynecological Society and the Women's Medical Association of Fairfield County.
Please visit http://www.beautedemaman.com.
Understanding Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
To contact us Click HERE
Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is a pattern of mental and physical growth defects that develop in a fetus because of high levels of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. A study says that around 50% of pregnant women consume alcohol, and therefore FAS complications are growing considerably. This article is a guide to help you understand and prevent FAS.
What is FAS
Foetal alcohol syndrome is a series of birth defects that can develop in a fetus because of high levels of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. These defects lead to many more physical and mental growth complications in the child after birth. In a pregnant women drinking alcohol, it passes from mothers blood to the fetus, where it acts as a depressant to slow down the central nervous system, effecting the cell coordination and intellectual abilities of the fetus. That is, the alcohol has direct toxic effect on the blood cells of fetus, slowing down the natural metabolism, leading to many complications for both child and mother, during and after the child birth.
Effects of fetal alcohol syndrome
Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can lead to many diverse effects of foetal alcohol syndrome like:
- It can lead to growth retardation and birth defects in major organ systems, like an abnormal heart structure.
- It can lead to complications of the brain and create problems in psychological development, effecting the IQ of child.
- Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause facial deformations of head, eyes, mouth and jaws in the child; and poor growth of the baby while in the womb and after birth.
- FAS is the most common known causes of mental retardation and hyperactivity.
- Drinking alcohol while pregnant can also lead to premature delivery of the baby, and sometimes even miscarriage that can result in infant death. FAS is not only dangerous to the fetus, it also endangers the mother's life.
Detection
FAS can be diagnosed from:
- Diagnosing the Blood alcohol level in pregnant women showing signs of alcohol syndrome.
- Ultrasound of the pregnant womb that shows slow rate of growth of the fetus.
- Fetal alcohol syndrome pictures, like the CT or MRI images showing abnormal brain development.
A group of medical professionals will examine the Prenatal alcohol exposure, the growth deficiency, FAS facial features and Central nervous system damage before coming to a conclusion.
Prevention and Cure
Fetal alcohol syndrome is completely preventable. Abstaining from alcohol during the entire pregnancy period is the only sure way to avoid it. Pregnant women addicted to alcohol should take help of rehabilitation programs or support groups, always monitored by a health care specialist. Also, early recognition of FAS risk will make it easy to treat the child with appropriate medical treatment.
Think of the innocent unborn child inside you and make sure to take good care of him, for he is going to take care of you later.
About this Author
Tanmi Gold
Content and Copywriter.
Tanmi Services
What is FAS
Foetal alcohol syndrome is a series of birth defects that can develop in a fetus because of high levels of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. These defects lead to many more physical and mental growth complications in the child after birth. In a pregnant women drinking alcohol, it passes from mothers blood to the fetus, where it acts as a depressant to slow down the central nervous system, effecting the cell coordination and intellectual abilities of the fetus. That is, the alcohol has direct toxic effect on the blood cells of fetus, slowing down the natural metabolism, leading to many complications for both child and mother, during and after the child birth.
Effects of fetal alcohol syndrome
Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can lead to many diverse effects of foetal alcohol syndrome like:
- It can lead to growth retardation and birth defects in major organ systems, like an abnormal heart structure.
- It can lead to complications of the brain and create problems in psychological development, effecting the IQ of child.
- Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause facial deformations of head, eyes, mouth and jaws in the child; and poor growth of the baby while in the womb and after birth.
- FAS is the most common known causes of mental retardation and hyperactivity.
- Drinking alcohol while pregnant can also lead to premature delivery of the baby, and sometimes even miscarriage that can result in infant death. FAS is not only dangerous to the fetus, it also endangers the mother's life.
Detection
FAS can be diagnosed from:
- Diagnosing the Blood alcohol level in pregnant women showing signs of alcohol syndrome.
- Ultrasound of the pregnant womb that shows slow rate of growth of the fetus.
- Fetal alcohol syndrome pictures, like the CT or MRI images showing abnormal brain development.
A group of medical professionals will examine the Prenatal alcohol exposure, the growth deficiency, FAS facial features and Central nervous system damage before coming to a conclusion.
Prevention and Cure
Fetal alcohol syndrome is completely preventable. Abstaining from alcohol during the entire pregnancy period is the only sure way to avoid it. Pregnant women addicted to alcohol should take help of rehabilitation programs or support groups, always monitored by a health care specialist. Also, early recognition of FAS risk will make it easy to treat the child with appropriate medical treatment.
Think of the innocent unborn child inside you and make sure to take good care of him, for he is going to take care of you later.
About this Author
Tanmi Gold
Content and Copywriter.
Tanmi Services
Bringing Out Your Company's Soul At a Trade Show
To contact us Click HERE
Have you ever been bedazzled by a theatrical trailer only to find out it completely misrepresented what the movie was about? False expectations can ruin a great movie. The same is true about what your trade show display tells visitors. If your trade show booth design doesn't embody the soul of your business, you're not doing your product justice.
So here are a few tips to help you imbue your custom trade show displays with the essence of your business.
Be true to yourself. You may have the most versatile vegetable peeler in the world, but fight the urge to try to be all things to all people. Focus your collateral material, your demos, and your talking points on what you do better than anyone. You'll be surprised how many people are willing to change their demand around a well presented product with a clear purpose. In fact, people love learning about novel ways to solve familiar problems, which leads us to our next tip.
Show off something fresh and unique. No one peruses custom trade show displays looking for the coolest thing from last year. Your brand is a living thing and people want to see life and progression. This doesn't mean you have to sit out the trade show just because you haven't invented a new product in awhile. Repackage what you have. Show what else is so unique about it. Make a minor design change. Little Giant Ladders revitalized sales for their ladder systems by adding a couple little wheels to move their ladder more easily. You can reinvent your product in the visitor's mind while maintaining your brands identity.
Sell a lifestyle, not just a product. This can be a challenge for a 10' by 6' trade show booth design. But why is there such a big market for high powered blenders right now? Not because the concept of a blender is new. It's because people love the idea of getting their nasty healthy leafy vegetables hidden in a delicious fruit smoothie. This idea is revolutionary. You're not selling a blender, you're pouring a refreshing 3-minute fitness smoothie down your customer's throat -- literally. Live demos are Blendtec's bread and butter. The best way to tell about the greatness of your product is to show it in action. Your customers will identify your brand with how it changes their lives, not just your product. So make sure your booth staff has the pitch or demo down well enough that your product can sell itself.
Insight Exhibits
1367 South 7th West
Salt Lake City, UT 84104
(801) 978-9000
So here are a few tips to help you imbue your custom trade show displays with the essence of your business.
Be true to yourself. You may have the most versatile vegetable peeler in the world, but fight the urge to try to be all things to all people. Focus your collateral material, your demos, and your talking points on what you do better than anyone. You'll be surprised how many people are willing to change their demand around a well presented product with a clear purpose. In fact, people love learning about novel ways to solve familiar problems, which leads us to our next tip.
Show off something fresh and unique. No one peruses custom trade show displays looking for the coolest thing from last year. Your brand is a living thing and people want to see life and progression. This doesn't mean you have to sit out the trade show just because you haven't invented a new product in awhile. Repackage what you have. Show what else is so unique about it. Make a minor design change. Little Giant Ladders revitalized sales for their ladder systems by adding a couple little wheels to move their ladder more easily. You can reinvent your product in the visitor's mind while maintaining your brands identity.
Sell a lifestyle, not just a product. This can be a challenge for a 10' by 6' trade show booth design. But why is there such a big market for high powered blenders right now? Not because the concept of a blender is new. It's because people love the idea of getting their nasty healthy leafy vegetables hidden in a delicious fruit smoothie. This idea is revolutionary. You're not selling a blender, you're pouring a refreshing 3-minute fitness smoothie down your customer's throat -- literally. Live demos are Blendtec's bread and butter. The best way to tell about the greatness of your product is to show it in action. Your customers will identify your brand with how it changes their lives, not just your product. So make sure your booth staff has the pitch or demo down well enough that your product can sell itself.
Insight Exhibits
1367 South 7th West
Salt Lake City, UT 84104
(801) 978-9000
Women's Health And Dizziness During Pregnancy
To contact us Click HERE
A notable number of women experience dizziness during pregnancy. The scientific explanation for this is that, during that period, the body of a woman's body undergoes a lot of cardiovascular changes. The body is supposed to undergo self-initiating adaptive changes in its cardiovascular and nervous systems to enable normal functioning, especially in maintaining continuous supply of blood to the brain. The consequences of failure of such adaptive mechanisms include fainting and giddiness.
One of the significant changes that occur to women during gestation is an increase in the rate of heart beat. This is accompanied by increment in blood volumes by about 45%. They also undergo dilation of blood vessels, resulting in low blood pressure. A woman experiences the lowest blood pressure levels at around mid-pregnancy. This drop is only restored to normal close to the end of gestation period.
Medical experts have identified a number of ways that can help in handling dizziness. It is critical that a woman lies down if she experiences vertigo. This prevents her from suffering injury by falling. She should also stop doing any activity that may bring harm to her or others, for instance operating machinery or driving.
The basic cause of dizziness and fainting is an inadequate supply of blood to the brain. First aid measures, hence, should aim to restore this supply. One way of achieving this is by resting the victim in a horizontal position, but with the head slightly lower than the rest of the body. Where there is no space to lie, it is advisable that the victim sits, then put her head between her knees. The woman may also lie on her left side, since this increases blood flow to both the heart and the brain.
A woman's actions may increase the risk of her fainting or experiencing lightheadedness. Top on this list is a quick shift in position from either lying or sitting to standing. Blood pools around the feet and in lower legs during resting periods. The body may not be able to restore blood flow to the heart and brain upon springing from the rest position, hence resulting in dizziness. Therefore, it is advisable for pregnant women not to spring from resting positions to standing.
Blood may also pool around the feet when a person stands at the same position for prolonged periods. Expectant women are advisable to walk around after short periods of being stationary. In case this is not possible, exercising legs could also help improve blood circulation. Wearing support stockings has also been proven to improve circulation.
Pregnant woman should take note of their sleeping positions since how they sleep may increase chances of experiencing lightheadedness. A woman should not lie on their stomachs or backs during their second and third trimesters. This is because such positions cause the uterus to exert extra pressure on inferior vena cava, slowing circulation in the lower abdomen. They should lie of their left side instead.
Vasovagal syncope may also result in dizziness during pregnancy. This is a condition resulting from straining during activities such as urination or coughing, dehydration, pain or anxiety. Symptoms associated with this condition are a feeling of warmth, nausea, yawning, sweating and paleness. It is advisable to lie or sit upon experiencing such symptoms.
One of the significant changes that occur to women during gestation is an increase in the rate of heart beat. This is accompanied by increment in blood volumes by about 45%. They also undergo dilation of blood vessels, resulting in low blood pressure. A woman experiences the lowest blood pressure levels at around mid-pregnancy. This drop is only restored to normal close to the end of gestation period.
Medical experts have identified a number of ways that can help in handling dizziness. It is critical that a woman lies down if she experiences vertigo. This prevents her from suffering injury by falling. She should also stop doing any activity that may bring harm to her or others, for instance operating machinery or driving.
The basic cause of dizziness and fainting is an inadequate supply of blood to the brain. First aid measures, hence, should aim to restore this supply. One way of achieving this is by resting the victim in a horizontal position, but with the head slightly lower than the rest of the body. Where there is no space to lie, it is advisable that the victim sits, then put her head between her knees. The woman may also lie on her left side, since this increases blood flow to both the heart and the brain.
A woman's actions may increase the risk of her fainting or experiencing lightheadedness. Top on this list is a quick shift in position from either lying or sitting to standing. Blood pools around the feet and in lower legs during resting periods. The body may not be able to restore blood flow to the heart and brain upon springing from the rest position, hence resulting in dizziness. Therefore, it is advisable for pregnant women not to spring from resting positions to standing.
Blood may also pool around the feet when a person stands at the same position for prolonged periods. Expectant women are advisable to walk around after short periods of being stationary. In case this is not possible, exercising legs could also help improve blood circulation. Wearing support stockings has also been proven to improve circulation.
Pregnant woman should take note of their sleeping positions since how they sleep may increase chances of experiencing lightheadedness. A woman should not lie on their stomachs or backs during their second and third trimesters. This is because such positions cause the uterus to exert extra pressure on inferior vena cava, slowing circulation in the lower abdomen. They should lie of their left side instead.
Vasovagal syncope may also result in dizziness during pregnancy. This is a condition resulting from straining during activities such as urination or coughing, dehydration, pain or anxiety. Symptoms associated with this condition are a feeling of warmth, nausea, yawning, sweating and paleness. It is advisable to lie or sit upon experiencing such symptoms.
10 Ekim 2012 Çarşamba
Women's Health And Dizziness During Pregnancy
To contact us Click HERE
A notable number of women experience dizziness during pregnancy. The scientific explanation for this is that, during that period, the body of a woman's body undergoes a lot of cardiovascular changes. The body is supposed to undergo self-initiating adaptive changes in its cardiovascular and nervous systems to enable normal functioning, especially in maintaining continuous supply of blood to the brain. The consequences of failure of such adaptive mechanisms include fainting and giddiness.
One of the significant changes that occur to women during gestation is an increase in the rate of heart beat. This is accompanied by increment in blood volumes by about 45%. They also undergo dilation of blood vessels, resulting in low blood pressure. A woman experiences the lowest blood pressure levels at around mid-pregnancy. This drop is only restored to normal close to the end of gestation period.
Medical experts have identified a number of ways that can help in handling dizziness. It is critical that a woman lies down if she experiences vertigo. This prevents her from suffering injury by falling. She should also stop doing any activity that may bring harm to her or others, for instance operating machinery or driving.
The basic cause of dizziness and fainting is an inadequate supply of blood to the brain. First aid measures, hence, should aim to restore this supply. One way of achieving this is by resting the victim in a horizontal position, but with the head slightly lower than the rest of the body. Where there is no space to lie, it is advisable that the victim sits, then put her head between her knees. The woman may also lie on her left side, since this increases blood flow to both the heart and the brain.
A woman's actions may increase the risk of her fainting or experiencing lightheadedness. Top on this list is a quick shift in position from either lying or sitting to standing. Blood pools around the feet and in lower legs during resting periods. The body may not be able to restore blood flow to the heart and brain upon springing from the rest position, hence resulting in dizziness. Therefore, it is advisable for pregnant women not to spring from resting positions to standing.
Blood may also pool around the feet when a person stands at the same position for prolonged periods. Expectant women are advisable to walk around after short periods of being stationary. In case this is not possible, exercising legs could also help improve blood circulation. Wearing support stockings has also been proven to improve circulation.
Pregnant woman should take note of their sleeping positions since how they sleep may increase chances of experiencing lightheadedness. A woman should not lie on their stomachs or backs during their second and third trimesters. This is because such positions cause the uterus to exert extra pressure on inferior vena cava, slowing circulation in the lower abdomen. They should lie of their left side instead.
Vasovagal syncope may also result in dizziness during pregnancy. This is a condition resulting from straining during activities such as urination or coughing, dehydration, pain or anxiety. Symptoms associated with this condition are a feeling of warmth, nausea, yawning, sweating and paleness. It is advisable to lie or sit upon experiencing such symptoms.
One of the significant changes that occur to women during gestation is an increase in the rate of heart beat. This is accompanied by increment in blood volumes by about 45%. They also undergo dilation of blood vessels, resulting in low blood pressure. A woman experiences the lowest blood pressure levels at around mid-pregnancy. This drop is only restored to normal close to the end of gestation period.
Medical experts have identified a number of ways that can help in handling dizziness. It is critical that a woman lies down if she experiences vertigo. This prevents her from suffering injury by falling. She should also stop doing any activity that may bring harm to her or others, for instance operating machinery or driving.
The basic cause of dizziness and fainting is an inadequate supply of blood to the brain. First aid measures, hence, should aim to restore this supply. One way of achieving this is by resting the victim in a horizontal position, but with the head slightly lower than the rest of the body. Where there is no space to lie, it is advisable that the victim sits, then put her head between her knees. The woman may also lie on her left side, since this increases blood flow to both the heart and the brain.
A woman's actions may increase the risk of her fainting or experiencing lightheadedness. Top on this list is a quick shift in position from either lying or sitting to standing. Blood pools around the feet and in lower legs during resting periods. The body may not be able to restore blood flow to the heart and brain upon springing from the rest position, hence resulting in dizziness. Therefore, it is advisable for pregnant women not to spring from resting positions to standing.
Blood may also pool around the feet when a person stands at the same position for prolonged periods. Expectant women are advisable to walk around after short periods of being stationary. In case this is not possible, exercising legs could also help improve blood circulation. Wearing support stockings has also been proven to improve circulation.
Pregnant woman should take note of their sleeping positions since how they sleep may increase chances of experiencing lightheadedness. A woman should not lie on their stomachs or backs during their second and third trimesters. This is because such positions cause the uterus to exert extra pressure on inferior vena cava, slowing circulation in the lower abdomen. They should lie of their left side instead.
Vasovagal syncope may also result in dizziness during pregnancy. This is a condition resulting from straining during activities such as urination or coughing, dehydration, pain or anxiety. Symptoms associated with this condition are a feeling of warmth, nausea, yawning, sweating and paleness. It is advisable to lie or sit upon experiencing such symptoms.
Peter's Baptism
To contact us Click HERE
This past weekend, we celebrated as the Church welcomed Peter Francis into the fold! The ceremony was held after Mass with our family, Grandma Pam, and the Godparents with their children.
Peter was NOT happy. He had his mind set on nursing and wanted nothing to do with this whole Baptism thing. He cried and cried!
There were, of course, many more photos. Grandma took some fabulous pictures of Peter in his baptismal gown...and I forgot to get them off of her camera before she left for home...ugh! The gown is an heirloom which Todd wore at his baptism and all of our children have been baptized in it as well. They each have their own bonnet as a keepsake of their first sacramental celebration.
I hope that your Lent is going well and you are preparing to enter into Holy Week. We haven't kept all of our resolutions and have had to let many things slip. We had some fabulous plans laid out. Of course, those were all made pre-Peter. So, for now, I am offering up many sleepless nights...such is life with a newborn. We all do what we can, right?
God Bless!
Heather :-)
Peter was NOT happy. He had his mind set on nursing and wanted nothing to do with this whole Baptism thing. He cried and cried!
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| Father Larry holding newly baptized Peter Francis. |
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| Peter with his Godparents. |
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| Our first family photo with Peter! |
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| Peter's lovely Godmother made these adorable cookies. Esther could not wait to get her hands on them! |
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| Here is a better look at the cookies after I took the wrapping off. |
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| Going, going, gone! They were as delicious as they were cute! If you're in need of cookies for a special occasion, consider contacting Grace. She really does excellent work! |
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| And as if cookies weren't enough to celebrate, we had a scrumptious cake from the local grocery store....yum! |
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| Peter is happy to wear his new sweater from his Godmother. |
I hope that your Lent is going well and you are preparing to enter into Holy Week. We haven't kept all of our resolutions and have had to let many things slip. We had some fabulous plans laid out. Of course, those were all made pre-Peter. So, for now, I am offering up many sleepless nights...such is life with a newborn. We all do what we can, right?
God Bless!
Heather :-)
I Can't Wait!
To contact us Click HERE
It's less than a month away! The Minnesota Catholic Home Education Conference and Curriculum Fair is coming up on June 1-2. This is an event that I look forward to all year long. Todd and I secured childcare for the oldest 6 children (no easy task!) and will bring little Peter along for the ride.
I am particularly excited to attend the high school and beyond workshop during the day on Friday. With Madeline entering 7th grade in the fall, the reality of high school, transcripts, PSEO, and a whole bunch of other stuff is starting to stress me out. Todd has graciously agreed to be there with me so that we can hear the same information as we tend to process things differently.
The keynote speaker is Marcel LeJeune. I've heard him on Relevant Radio a couple of times and think that he'll do an awesome job. They always do a great job bringing in quality speakers. The past two years featured Andrew Pudewa and Ray Guarendi. They were absolutely amazing and hilarious which is a winning combination if you ask me!
Now I need to sit down and get my "lists" together. It is so nice to have all the vendors in one location where I can actually talk to them and pick their brains with questions I have about curriculum and different learning styles of my children. The hardest part for me is keeping to my list of things that I need and holding back on the impulse buys...there are so many fun things that I would like to add to our school!
The best part is seeing all of the other families who are doing what we do. No matter how secure I feel in our decision to home school, there are days when I feel alone and isolated. Home schooling is definitely more mainstream than it was 20 years ago, but it is not the "normal" thing to do. In my neighborhood of over 300 homes, there is only one other family I know of who teaches their children at home. It's hard to put into words the feeling I get being surrounded by hundreds of people who are walking the same road as we are.
How about you? Do you have a home school conference in your area that you attend? If you live in Minnesota, do you plan on attending this year? I'd love to see you there!
God Bless!
Heather :-)
It's less than a month away! The Minnesota Catholic Home Education Conference and Curriculum Fair is coming up on June 1-2. This is an event that I look forward to all year long. Todd and I secured childcare for the oldest 6 children (no easy task!) and will bring little Peter along for the ride.
I am particularly excited to attend the high school and beyond workshop during the day on Friday. With Madeline entering 7th grade in the fall, the reality of high school, transcripts, PSEO, and a whole bunch of other stuff is starting to stress me out. Todd has graciously agreed to be there with me so that we can hear the same information as we tend to process things differently.
The keynote speaker is Marcel LeJeune. I've heard him on Relevant Radio a couple of times and think that he'll do an awesome job. They always do a great job bringing in quality speakers. The past two years featured Andrew Pudewa and Ray Guarendi. They were absolutely amazing and hilarious which is a winning combination if you ask me!
Now I need to sit down and get my "lists" together. It is so nice to have all the vendors in one location where I can actually talk to them and pick their brains with questions I have about curriculum and different learning styles of my children. The hardest part for me is keeping to my list of things that I need and holding back on the impulse buys...there are so many fun things that I would like to add to our school!
The best part is seeing all of the other families who are doing what we do. No matter how secure I feel in our decision to home school, there are days when I feel alone and isolated. Home schooling is definitely more mainstream than it was 20 years ago, but it is not the "normal" thing to do. In my neighborhood of over 300 homes, there is only one other family I know of who teaches their children at home. It's hard to put into words the feeling I get being surrounded by hundreds of people who are walking the same road as we are.
How about you? Do you have a home school conference in your area that you attend? If you live in Minnesota, do you plan on attending this year? I'd love to see you there!
God Bless!
Heather :-)
Sickness, Baby Love, and New 'Dos
To contact us Click HERE
The past few weeks have flown by in a blur of sickness. We've had ear infections, sinus infections, walking pneumonia, bronchitis, high fevers, body aches, coughing, sneezing, and just all around misery. It came to a head last Sunday when the fevers sky-rocketed in three of the children. We took all last week off from school and just focused on getting better. Of course, there were two dance rehearsals and recitals late in the week that couldn't be missed...but other than that we laid low. So, many doctor visits and a few prescriptions later, we're back at it this week! It feels good to be back in our routine.
Little Peter is 3 months old already! He is cooing and smiling up a storm. He is beginning to sleep better at night and will usually have 5-6 hours of sleep before waking to nurse. He has outgrown his first set of clothes and has moved into size 2 diapers....I wish babies didn't grow so fast! Needless to say, we are all smitten with our littlest man!
After their dance recitals, Madeline and Lillian both decided to cut off their hair and donate it to Locks of Love. My girls are so laid back about their hair. We pulled it back into a low ponytail and braided it. Then I got out the scissors and chopped it off. They are both quite happy with their new 'dos and I think they both look adorable. Perhaps I am a bit biased!
I'm hoping to get back into routine here and do a better job of posting more regularly. I spend a lot of time sitting and nursing the baby, so I have many thoughts going through my head. Now if I can just get some time to type them out...I'm sure you can't wait!
God Bless!
Heather :-)
Little Peter is 3 months old already! He is cooing and smiling up a storm. He is beginning to sleep better at night and will usually have 5-6 hours of sleep before waking to nurse. He has outgrown his first set of clothes and has moved into size 2 diapers....I wish babies didn't grow so fast! Needless to say, we are all smitten with our littlest man!
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| I couldn't get him to take his eyes off of the ceiling fan! |
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| Lillian before.... |
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| and after! |
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| Madeline before... |
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| and after! |
I'm hoping to get back into routine here and do a better job of posting more regularly. I spend a lot of time sitting and nursing the baby, so I have many thoughts going through my head. Now if I can just get some time to type them out...I'm sure you can't wait!
God Bless!
Heather :-)
To Bring You Up To Speed...
To contact us Click HERE
Whew! Each day seems to fly by more quickly than the last. I can't say that we're busy doing anything spectacular, just the day to day "stuff" of family life.
Showings/Selling the House
We have a few interested parties and have had many showings. Of course, they all want to view the house over the dinner hour which is highly disruptive to our family. We spent an afternoon/evening last week viewing homes in the area that we would like to move to. Nothing is set in stone. I'm so glad that I'm not a realtor!
Haley's Foot
Haley has been having increasing discomfort and pain in her left foot. She is a tough kid and has actually been in tears a few times the past week which was a huge red flag to me. We went to see a foot doctor and he diagnosed her with Plantar Fasciitis. She's wearing some temporary supports and tennis shoes in the house. Ice, ibuprofen, and stretches have also helped. We're due to go back in two weeks to discuss future treatment options.
School and Field Trips
We're plugging away and fitting in school whenever and wherever we can. Last week we went to the aquarium at the Mall of America. The big girls had just finished up their study of sea creatures and it was amazing to listen to them recall various facts as we walked through the displays. It truly is a joy to be home with the children...most of the time! :-)
There were a few nice days last week where I just sent the kids outside to play. They rode bike and scooters, bounced on the trampoline, swung, and dug in the sandbox for hours. I do love the flexibility of homeschooling. As it turns out, those might have been the last "glory days" of fall as the temperatures have dropped and the windy, bitter days of autumn seem to have settled in here in Minnesota.
We have our home school co-op that meets twice a month and the children are really enjoying it. They like the interaction with the other children. I must admit, that I like it too. It can get a bit lonely in the day to day work of schooling the children and keeping house. Surrounding myself with other home school mamas lifts my spirits.
Crafting/Sewing
The first three weekends in November we have craft shows. We had a very successful crafting season last year, so we have had to replenish everything. Todd and I have been plugging away in the evenings. The list is slowing getting completed.
Madeline and Haley are going to have their own booth at a local craft show. They're crocheting and knitting like mad to have a good selection. I hope that they do well and are encouraged to continue. You've gotta love the entrepreneurial spirit in kids!
Praying
There are so many intentions on my prayer list right now. Please say a prayer for these dear family and friends who are struggling with various life issues.
- Ginny's recent diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.
- Rod's irregular heart beats.
- Nick's recent heart transplant and recovery.
- Jim's unexplained weight loss and stomach issues.
- Tammy's brother diagnosed with West Nile Virus.
- Theresa getting treatment for early detected skin cancer.
Peter's Milestones
Peter is sitting on his own! He is so proud of himself! His siblings marvel at each new milestone he reaches. He has started finger foods and drinking water from a sippy cup. I don't like how quickly my baby is growing up!
Birthday Celebrations
We're getting ready to celebrate two birthdays this week. The excitement level has reached record levels in the house. I'm hoping to post pictures of the festivities!
The house is quiet...I must get some rest myself before someone is awake and in need of my services.
God Bless!
Heather :-)
Showings/Selling the House
We have a few interested parties and have had many showings. Of course, they all want to view the house over the dinner hour which is highly disruptive to our family. We spent an afternoon/evening last week viewing homes in the area that we would like to move to. Nothing is set in stone. I'm so glad that I'm not a realtor!
Haley's Foot
Haley has been having increasing discomfort and pain in her left foot. She is a tough kid and has actually been in tears a few times the past week which was a huge red flag to me. We went to see a foot doctor and he diagnosed her with Plantar Fasciitis. She's wearing some temporary supports and tennis shoes in the house. Ice, ibuprofen, and stretches have also helped. We're due to go back in two weeks to discuss future treatment options.
School and Field Trips
We're plugging away and fitting in school whenever and wherever we can. Last week we went to the aquarium at the Mall of America. The big girls had just finished up their study of sea creatures and it was amazing to listen to them recall various facts as we walked through the displays. It truly is a joy to be home with the children...most of the time! :-)
There were a few nice days last week where I just sent the kids outside to play. They rode bike and scooters, bounced on the trampoline, swung, and dug in the sandbox for hours. I do love the flexibility of homeschooling. As it turns out, those might have been the last "glory days" of fall as the temperatures have dropped and the windy, bitter days of autumn seem to have settled in here in Minnesota.
We have our home school co-op that meets twice a month and the children are really enjoying it. They like the interaction with the other children. I must admit, that I like it too. It can get a bit lonely in the day to day work of schooling the children and keeping house. Surrounding myself with other home school mamas lifts my spirits.
Crafting/Sewing
The first three weekends in November we have craft shows. We had a very successful crafting season last year, so we have had to replenish everything. Todd and I have been plugging away in the evenings. The list is slowing getting completed.
Madeline and Haley are going to have their own booth at a local craft show. They're crocheting and knitting like mad to have a good selection. I hope that they do well and are encouraged to continue. You've gotta love the entrepreneurial spirit in kids!
Praying
There are so many intentions on my prayer list right now. Please say a prayer for these dear family and friends who are struggling with various life issues.
- Ginny's recent diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.
- Rod's irregular heart beats.
- Nick's recent heart transplant and recovery.
- Jim's unexplained weight loss and stomach issues.
- Tammy's brother diagnosed with West Nile Virus.
- Theresa getting treatment for early detected skin cancer.
Peter's Milestones
Peter is sitting on his own! He is so proud of himself! His siblings marvel at each new milestone he reaches. He has started finger foods and drinking water from a sippy cup. I don't like how quickly my baby is growing up!
Birthday Celebrations
We're getting ready to celebrate two birthdays this week. The excitement level has reached record levels in the house. I'm hoping to post pictures of the festivities!
The house is quiet...I must get some rest myself before someone is awake and in need of my services.
God Bless!
Heather :-)
9 Ekim 2012 Salı
The Music of Seven Sorrows
To contact us Click HERE
Today, I'm going to tell you about the band called Seven Sorrows.
This is the bio I pulled off of reverbnation.com Incidentally, this is where you can download some of their songs for free.
"Seven Sorrows is a Catholic band unashamed toproclaim the truth of the One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic Church. We are proudto be conservative, bound to the Holy Father, faithful to the Magisterium,consecrated to the Immaculate and Sorrowful Heart of Mary, and we are notafraid to speak against that which goes against Catholic beliefs, such asabortion, contraception, pornography, premarital sex, immodest dress,drunkenness, etc."
They are considered a Catholic metal band, but I think they createsomething beyond any easy genre classification. Check out their website.
I'll pick just two songs to review for you.
"Forgotten Virtue part 1" combines raw metalwith what I'll describe as a sort of alternative/indie sound. Guttural and melodious vocals combineto present poetic lyrics on the theme of dignity and modest dress. Here is ataste of the lyrics:
Claim to want respect
Then you must change your ways
Your clothes are revealing and all they show is shame
Check out "Forgotten Virtue part 1" on youtube.
"Saints and Sinners" is my favorite of theirsongs. It portrays Jesus' raw, pure, love. For some reason it reminds me of howpassionate for my babies I felt right after giving birth. You know, when you're sweaty and exhausted, but exhilarated, and you just want to hold, gaze at, and protect your babies? Oh man, you feel the same way when your babies grow up and become runaway teens. (Trust me on this.) Then, I'm reminded of howmuch more God loves than we humans ever could and I'm blown away. Anyway, that's how I feel about that song.
A sample of the lyrics:
You may trip
You may stumble
You may fall
But I don't want to watch you burn
I will suffer for you
Go to youtube to experience this "Saints and Sinners" for yourself.
Here's a more eloquent review of "SevenSorrows" at CatholicMetal. I'm no music reviewer (as you've probably gathered), but I know what I likeand I enjoy sharing it.
Oh, I nearly forgot, you can also listen to Seven Sorrowson the catholic etc. music player.
Today, I'm going to tell you about the band called Seven Sorrows.
This is the bio I pulled off of reverbnation.com Incidentally, this is where you can download some of their songs for free.
"Seven Sorrows is a Catholic band unashamed toproclaim the truth of the One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic Church. We are proudto be conservative, bound to the Holy Father, faithful to the Magisterium,consecrated to the Immaculate and Sorrowful Heart of Mary, and we are notafraid to speak against that which goes against Catholic beliefs, such asabortion, contraception, pornography, premarital sex, immodest dress,drunkenness, etc."
They are considered a Catholic metal band, but I think they createsomething beyond any easy genre classification. Check out their website.
 |
| I love their logo. You can see it at their site, right here. |
I'll pick just two songs to review for you.
"Forgotten Virtue part 1" combines raw metalwith what I'll describe as a sort of alternative/indie sound. Guttural and melodious vocals combineto present poetic lyrics on the theme of dignity and modest dress. Here is ataste of the lyrics:
Claim to want respect
Then you must change your ways
Your clothes are revealing and all they show is shame
Check out "Forgotten Virtue part 1" on youtube.
"Saints and Sinners" is my favorite of theirsongs. It portrays Jesus' raw, pure, love. For some reason it reminds me of howpassionate for my babies I felt right after giving birth. You know, when you're sweaty and exhausted, but exhilarated, and you just want to hold, gaze at, and protect your babies? Oh man, you feel the same way when your babies grow up and become runaway teens. (Trust me on this.) Then, I'm reminded of howmuch more God loves than we humans ever could and I'm blown away. Anyway, that's how I feel about that song.
A sample of the lyrics:
You may trip
You may stumble
You may fall
But I don't want to watch you burn
I will suffer for you
Go to youtube to experience this "Saints and Sinners" for yourself.
Here's a more eloquent review of "SevenSorrows" at CatholicMetal. I'm no music reviewer (as you've probably gathered), but I know what I likeand I enjoy sharing it.
Oh, I nearly forgot, you can also listen to Seven Sorrowson the catholic etc. music player.
C.S. Lewis, Kids' Book Clubs, and Christ
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I run a children's homeschooling book club and haverecently had the honor or leading the discussion of C.S. Lewis's The Magician's Nephew. Some members ofour club are not Christian, so I felt I must keep away from Christian themesand symbolism. Easier said than done.
The more I struggled to see past the Christian themes,the more they stood out for me. You have the struggle of good vs. evil, a manseeking power for power's sake who can't recognize God when he's standing infront of him, a Genesis creation story, temptation in the garden, a forbiddenapple, and the promise of a savior. I'll tell you how I skirted these topics ina moment.
I know neo-pagans, new agers, atheists, and even anti-Christianatheists who love the Narnia books. Why would they be drawn to them when thebooks so obviously deal with Christian themes? Sure, they are good stories. Butthey're only great stories if you seethe deeper meaning that is hidden (or at times, not so well hidden) within them.A child unaware of the Christian elements might enjoy them, but a grownup who'snot only non-Christian, but anti-Christian?
I have a theory. Thoughsociety tells us to love self, in ourhearts, we want to love God and imitate Him by loving our fellow human beingsin a selfless manner. We are made to love and know God. This is why Narnia ispopular. It's why we admire self-sacrificing heroes in books and films. It'swhy we grow disgusted at villains using power to step on others as they striveto rule the world. It may be why mynon-Christian friends and family celebrate Christmas. I'd thought it was acultural tradition thing; now I'm not so sure.
Still, the loving selfthing pops up in a couple of ways in our society. One has a bad reputation--theover consumption of goods, such as expensive cars, jewelry, and other luxuryitems. The one that is gaining in popularity (at least in my sphere) is themore new-agey idea that you are your own god or goddess. An atheist relative ofmine posted on Facebook, "Be your own savior."
Of course we should love and respect ourselves. Godcreated each of us as unique human beings. We have an inherent dignity as hischildren. But when self-centeredness gets in the way of loving God and others,there's a problem.
But back to the topic. What did we discuss at book club? Good and evil (because everybody understandthat dichotomy), the similarities between Uncle Andrew and the witch and whatmakes them villains, the nature of the Cabby (aka King Frank), the children, thehorse, and we also touched on Aslan. We discussed the similarities between theWood Between the World and the attic tunnel (both being in-between places, notreally places where things happen), and the similarities of Charn and how thecharacters feel about London. Both were described as hard, cold places.
So, I thank the Lord for the works of C.S. Lewis. Theirpopularity fills me with hope for our society.
BTW IMDb says the film The Magician's Nephew is in production and might not be out until 2014.
If you enjoyed this post, you might like the post I wrote on self-sacrificing mothers in books and film.
I run a children's homeschooling book club and haverecently had the honor or leading the discussion of C.S. Lewis's The Magician's Nephew. Some members ofour club are not Christian, so I felt I must keep away from Christian themesand symbolism. Easier said than done.
The more I struggled to see past the Christian themes,the more they stood out for me. You have the struggle of good vs. evil, a manseeking power for power's sake who can't recognize God when he's standing infront of him, a Genesis creation story, temptation in the garden, a forbiddenapple, and the promise of a savior. I'll tell you how I skirted these topics ina moment.
I know neo-pagans, new agers, atheists, and even anti-Christianatheists who love the Narnia books. Why would they be drawn to them when thebooks so obviously deal with Christian themes? Sure, they are good stories. Butthey're only great stories if you seethe deeper meaning that is hidden (or at times, not so well hidden) within them.A child unaware of the Christian elements might enjoy them, but a grownup who'snot only non-Christian, but anti-Christian?
I have a theory. Thoughsociety tells us to love self, in ourhearts, we want to love God and imitate Him by loving our fellow human beingsin a selfless manner. We are made to love and know God. This is why Narnia ispopular. It's why we admire self-sacrificing heroes in books and films. It'swhy we grow disgusted at villains using power to step on others as they striveto rule the world. It may be why mynon-Christian friends and family celebrate Christmas. I'd thought it was acultural tradition thing; now I'm not so sure.
Still, the loving selfthing pops up in a couple of ways in our society. One has a bad reputation--theover consumption of goods, such as expensive cars, jewelry, and other luxuryitems. The one that is gaining in popularity (at least in my sphere) is themore new-agey idea that you are your own god or goddess. An atheist relative ofmine posted on Facebook, "Be your own savior."
Of course we should love and respect ourselves. Godcreated each of us as unique human beings. We have an inherent dignity as hischildren. But when self-centeredness gets in the way of loving God and others,there's a problem.
But back to the topic. What did we discuss at book club? Good and evil (because everybody understandthat dichotomy), the similarities between Uncle Andrew and the witch and whatmakes them villains, the nature of the Cabby (aka King Frank), the children, thehorse, and we also touched on Aslan. We discussed the similarities between theWood Between the World and the attic tunnel (both being in-between places, notreally places where things happen), and the similarities of Charn and how thecharacters feel about London. Both were described as hard, cold places.
So, I thank the Lord for the works of C.S. Lewis. Theirpopularity fills me with hope for our society.
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| Plaque on the Unicorn Inn |
"Coyote Fires" by Karina Fabian: donate to a good cause while enjoying a fantasy story
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Enjoy some fantasy and help victims of the Colorado fires. Author Karina Fabian is putting up a story called "Coyote Fires" chapter by chapter. Here's the link to the site. On the side bar you'll find a donation button. All of the money goes to the Colorado Springs chapter of the American Red Cross.
Why not go over and donate. It's simple and painless. In fact, it's fun because you get to read a fantasy story! :) You get to feel good about helping people while sitting back, sipping a cup of tea, and reading.
Why not go over and donate. It's simple and painless. In fact, it's fun because you get to read a fantasy story! :) You get to feel good about helping people while sitting back, sipping a cup of tea, and reading.
Sacramental Wine During Prohibition
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Did you ever wonder where priests got wine for Mass during prohibition?
Prohibition in the United States was in place from 1920to 1933. Basically, prohibition made the manufacture, sale, importor export of intoxicating liquors illegal. Wikipedia has a page thatgives more details.
What did the Catholic Church do about Communion wineduring prohibition? What happened to the wineries that had been flourishing inCalifornia? Both of these stories are intertwined. Sadly, during prohibition, many wineries went out ofbusiness. However, the lucky ones who got contracts with the Catholic Church to makesacramental wines survived or even flourished. You see, alcoholic beverages formedicinal and sacramental use were exempt from the ban.
That's the story in a nutshell. To learn more go to thisarticle in the American Catholic and this one at the Straight Dope.
_17_share_in_a_Catholic_mass_at_Mission_San_Antonio_De_Padua.jpg){kind=spacer} |
| Mission San Antonio in California |
Prohibition in the United States was in place from 1920to 1933. Basically, prohibition made the manufacture, sale, importor export of intoxicating liquors illegal. Wikipedia has a page thatgives more details.
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| Dumping illegal booze during prohibition |
What did the Catholic Church do about Communion wineduring prohibition? What happened to the wineries that had been flourishing inCalifornia? Both of these stories are intertwined. Sadly, during prohibition, many wineries went out ofbusiness. However, the lucky ones who got contracts with the Catholic Church to makesacramental wines survived or even flourished. You see, alcoholic beverages formedicinal and sacramental use were exempt from the ban.
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| Wine press |
That's the story in a nutshell. To learn more go to thisarticle in the American Catholic and this one at the Straight Dope.
Rainbow Lily a Beautiful Symbol
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What does a rainbow symbolize? When I was growing up,it symbolized God's promise to never flood the world again. Remember Genesis?The world was so full of sin, God wanted to wash away everyone. He spared Noah andhis family and taught him how to build a huge ark, so they'd be safe until thefloods went down, and also so that little children would one day have toy boatswith pairs of animals to play with.
Where was I? Oh yes, the rainbow. It symbolizes apromise. I've no idea why it became a symbol of homosexual pride. Anyway,Nissa Annakindt (writer, blogger, expert on Korean soap operas) has created a newsymbol. It celebrates people with same sex attraction (aka, gay people) whocommit to living a chaste, pure, celibate life. It's a beautiful rainbow lily!Rainbow for the same sex attraction thing and a God's promise thing and a lilyfor purity. Brilliant!
Check out Nissa's blog The Lina Lamont Fan Club. She blogs about Doctor Who, the Catholic Church, same sex attraction, writing, and werewolves, among other things.
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| Noah's Ark |
Where was I? Oh yes, the rainbow. It symbolizes apromise. I've no idea why it became a symbol of homosexual pride. Anyway,Nissa Annakindt (writer, blogger, expert on Korean soap operas) has created a newsymbol. It celebrates people with same sex attraction (aka, gay people) whocommit to living a chaste, pure, celibate life. It's a beautiful rainbow lily!Rainbow for the same sex attraction thing and a God's promise thing and a lilyfor purity. Brilliant!
Check out Nissa's blog The Lina Lamont Fan Club. She blogs about Doctor Who, the Catholic Church, same sex attraction, writing, and werewolves, among other things.
8 Ekim 2012 Pazartesi
Women's Health And Dizziness During Pregnancy
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A notable number of women experience dizziness during pregnancy. The scientific explanation for this is that, during that period, the body of a woman's body undergoes a lot of cardiovascular changes. The body is supposed to undergo self-initiating adaptive changes in its cardiovascular and nervous systems to enable normal functioning, especially in maintaining continuous supply of blood to the brain. The consequences of failure of such adaptive mechanisms include fainting and giddiness.
One of the significant changes that occur to women during gestation is an increase in the rate of heart beat. This is accompanied by increment in blood volumes by about 45%. They also undergo dilation of blood vessels, resulting in low blood pressure. A woman experiences the lowest blood pressure levels at around mid-pregnancy. This drop is only restored to normal close to the end of gestation period.
Medical experts have identified a number of ways that can help in handling dizziness. It is critical that a woman lies down if she experiences vertigo. This prevents her from suffering injury by falling. She should also stop doing any activity that may bring harm to her or others, for instance operating machinery or driving.
The basic cause of dizziness and fainting is an inadequate supply of blood to the brain. First aid measures, hence, should aim to restore this supply. One way of achieving this is by resting the victim in a horizontal position, but with the head slightly lower than the rest of the body. Where there is no space to lie, it is advisable that the victim sits, then put her head between her knees. The woman may also lie on her left side, since this increases blood flow to both the heart and the brain.
A woman's actions may increase the risk of her fainting or experiencing lightheadedness. Top on this list is a quick shift in position from either lying or sitting to standing. Blood pools around the feet and in lower legs during resting periods. The body may not be able to restore blood flow to the heart and brain upon springing from the rest position, hence resulting in dizziness. Therefore, it is advisable for pregnant women not to spring from resting positions to standing.
Blood may also pool around the feet when a person stands at the same position for prolonged periods. Expectant women are advisable to walk around after short periods of being stationary. In case this is not possible, exercising legs could also help improve blood circulation. Wearing support stockings has also been proven to improve circulation.
Pregnant woman should take note of their sleeping positions since how they sleep may increase chances of experiencing lightheadedness. A woman should not lie on their stomachs or backs during their second and third trimesters. This is because such positions cause the uterus to exert extra pressure on inferior vena cava, slowing circulation in the lower abdomen. They should lie of their left side instead.
Vasovagal syncope may also result in dizziness during pregnancy. This is a condition resulting from straining during activities such as urination or coughing, dehydration, pain or anxiety. Symptoms associated with this condition are a feeling of warmth, nausea, yawning, sweating and paleness. It is advisable to lie or sit upon experiencing such symptoms.
One of the significant changes that occur to women during gestation is an increase in the rate of heart beat. This is accompanied by increment in blood volumes by about 45%. They also undergo dilation of blood vessels, resulting in low blood pressure. A woman experiences the lowest blood pressure levels at around mid-pregnancy. This drop is only restored to normal close to the end of gestation period.
Medical experts have identified a number of ways that can help in handling dizziness. It is critical that a woman lies down if she experiences vertigo. This prevents her from suffering injury by falling. She should also stop doing any activity that may bring harm to her or others, for instance operating machinery or driving.
The basic cause of dizziness and fainting is an inadequate supply of blood to the brain. First aid measures, hence, should aim to restore this supply. One way of achieving this is by resting the victim in a horizontal position, but with the head slightly lower than the rest of the body. Where there is no space to lie, it is advisable that the victim sits, then put her head between her knees. The woman may also lie on her left side, since this increases blood flow to both the heart and the brain.
A woman's actions may increase the risk of her fainting or experiencing lightheadedness. Top on this list is a quick shift in position from either lying or sitting to standing. Blood pools around the feet and in lower legs during resting periods. The body may not be able to restore blood flow to the heart and brain upon springing from the rest position, hence resulting in dizziness. Therefore, it is advisable for pregnant women not to spring from resting positions to standing.
Blood may also pool around the feet when a person stands at the same position for prolonged periods. Expectant women are advisable to walk around after short periods of being stationary. In case this is not possible, exercising legs could also help improve blood circulation. Wearing support stockings has also been proven to improve circulation.
Pregnant woman should take note of their sleeping positions since how they sleep may increase chances of experiencing lightheadedness. A woman should not lie on their stomachs or backs during their second and third trimesters. This is because such positions cause the uterus to exert extra pressure on inferior vena cava, slowing circulation in the lower abdomen. They should lie of their left side instead.
Vasovagal syncope may also result in dizziness during pregnancy. This is a condition resulting from straining during activities such as urination or coughing, dehydration, pain or anxiety. Symptoms associated with this condition are a feeling of warmth, nausea, yawning, sweating and paleness. It is advisable to lie or sit upon experiencing such symptoms.
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