Friday, October 05, 2007

Another Milestone

Nicky has more or less figured out how to work the VCR/DVD combo deck we have. He figured out how to push the tape back in a while ago. But now he knows how to turn on the t.v. put the tape in and put a DVD in. And how to switch from tape to DVD and back again.

Important life skills for sure.

Thursday, October 04, 2007

Stability

Tonight Nicky got to standing from kneeling. He's getting so steady on his feet surely he'll be walking soon. He can stand unsupported for minutes at a time (a goal from when he was 18 months old). And walk holding onto one hand. His teacher had him walking holding onto a straw.

Wednesday, October 03, 2007

Laundry Tip - Not

All summer we've (well mostly I) been having trouble with smelly, mouldy towels. Didn't want to use bleach because these were the kids' towels and they were brightly colored, also bleach seems to leave my towels a bit stiff feeling. After a bit of surfing, ask Dr. Google, I found a suggestion to use white vinegar in the rinse water to get rid of the stink. It works mostly.

But,

Don't accidently add it to the bleach dispenser instead of the fabric softener dispenser.

It adds the vinegar in with the soap, not the rinse water.

Resulting in lots and lots and lots and lots of suds. So much they were coming out the soap dispenser.

Also, don't then add the vinegar to the fabric softener dispenser in addition to vinegar you've already put in.

Three or maybe four cycles later my towels are really clean.

Tuesday, October 02, 2007

Carrying a little piece of them

Earlier, I read this article about fetal microchimerism perhaps helping to protect women from breast cancer. During pregnancy a small number of fetal cells cross into a woman's bloodstream and take up residence in the mother's body. This is known as fetal michrochimerism. These cells persist for years after pregnancy probably for the rest of the mother's life. Somehow, this idea delights me. I find it comforting that I will always carry small bits of all my children. Just a geek, I guess.

Oh, and maternal cells cross into the fetus, so our children carry little bits of us too.

Monday, October 01, 2007

Down Syndrome Awareness Month


Did you know that October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month?
It is. In honor of it I signed my family up for the Atlanta Buddy Walk.

Oh, and what's with the button? Trish over at Unringing the Bell has issued a challenge to bloggers to blog every day in October in honor of Down Syndrome Awareness. I'll try. We'll see if I make it.