Random Maids a'Milking!

[Marduk]

Oh sorry, I should clarify. We're expecting to have a good size crowd for dinner this Friday.

Yes. Right. Sorry for any confusion that may have been caused. Carry on.

[krebscout]

So, were both babies born the same day?

No. I posted after midnight, so I shouldn't have said "yesterday." Ours was born on the 13th, theirs on the 14th, maybe about sixteen hours apart.

Congratulations to the Claudios and the Blades. Babies are awesome. God bless us, every one.

[C is for]

Good timing with the page break there and everything.

Meaning Marduk, not krebscout. Curses, foiled.

[vorpal blade]

I have a picture, but it is too big.

He was rather small...

Just crop it down to the baby size. That should work.

In other news, I'd like to announce that Bob and I are expecting as well.

Thanks for the useful advice, Marduk.

Some advice for you. Beware giving false impressions (Beware the wrath of Bob).

[NerdGirl]

Vorpal, he's so cute! He looks like he's tapping his lip, deep in thought. Congratulations to everyone who's got new babies!

[vorpal blade]

Thank you, NerdGirl. I think he looks like my children did; alert, curious, thoughtful.

[Tao]

I just went to a class on how to help parents learn how to do infant massage. I highly recommend it to any parent.

[C is for]

One thing I love about BYU is all the good-looking fellas. Everywhere I look there's another one! They're not so thick on the ground at the Logan Institute.

[Marduk]

One thing I love about BYU is all the good-looking fellas. Everywhere I look there's another one! They're not so thick on the ground at the Logan Institute.

I second this notion.

[NerdGirl]

I was talking to cleverbot, and it asked me if i was a woman, and i said yes, and it said "why are you not in the kitchen?"

[Dead Cat]

I just tried talking to cleverbot to see if I could get the same answer. I told it I was a woman, then it asked if I was a woman, then if I was a man, then if I was a woman again. Then it said they'd rather talk to a man. Man, that thing is sexist.

[Craig Jessop]

I asked it what it thinks about Mormons.

It said they should get cars and leave the bike image behind.

I also told it I was Barack Obama and asked me if I loved Michelle.

[Whistler]

I just went to a class on how to help parents learn how to do infant massage. I highly recommend it to any parent.

I'm curious - what's the gist of infant massage?

[Dead Cat]

I just went to a class on how to help parents learn how to do infant massage. I highly recommend it to any parent.

I'm curious - what's the gist of infant massage?

I'm guessing it involves infants and massage. Probably with either the infant or the mother getting the massage. Probably infant.

[bobtheenchantedone]

Sorry to interrupt all this talk of infants and massages and sexist bots, but ADVENTURES. I have them.

So I was driving home from market with my flashlight - I have to use a flashlight because the dashboard lights don't work and I like knowing what speed I'm going - when I saw a car following rather closely behind me. Dang tailgators, I thought. But lo and behold, the tailgator was a policeman who soon pulled me over. Turns out that the dash lights are connected to the taillights, so if one isn't on the other isn't either. (Also I had forgotten to turn on the headlights for about a mile. Oops.) So I drove home most of the way with a flashlight on my dash and the hazard lights on so people could see me. Then the dash lights came on and all was happy, at least until I have to drive my dad's car in the dark again.

This was my first time getting pulled over ever. I got only a warning though, so it was okay. Plus I was in the car when Marduk was pulled over last month so I knew what to do and didn't panic and stuff.

The end.

[vorpal blade]

Something happened to me once like that, Bob. I was driving across country with an old car that was new to me. I discovered when it got dark that my dash lights wouldn't work. I couldn't get it fixed, so I bought a flashlight and used it to see how fast I was going. After a while I noticed some flashing red lights in my rear view mirror. I pulled over. I wasn't used to this (being newly married at the time) so I didn't know what I was supposed to do. I decided to jump out of the car and go back and talk to the policeman. That was a big mistake. The policeman was just walking up to my car when he saw me jump out with what looked like a gun in my hand. I had forgotten that I still had the flashlight. The policeman went for his gun in a kind of quick draw action. I thought I was going to die.

Fortunately I just froze in place and tried not to move a muscle. The policeman didn't shoot. Later he told me that I had given him quite a scare. Turns out he had pulled me over to tell me that my tail lights didn't work.

[Marduk]

... I was in the car when Marduk was pulled over last month ...

This is all lies and misinformation. How dare you spread vile rumors about me.

[ahem.]

I'm curious - what's the gist of infant massage?

I was just reading a blog post about this. So, you know... there's a link.

[Tao]

I'm curious - what's the gist of infant massage?

I was just reading a blog post about this. So, you know... there's a link.

It is very much like that, although I was somewhat surprised to see some of the more directly therapeutic strokes included. Granted, perhaps you don't consider working to clear colic or digestive problems on a daily basis, so wouldn't post them in a blog, but it was those that I was as impressed with as any, I think.

Some key elements that make sense, but I hadn't thought of prior was the focus on replicating conditions in the womb; slow, consistent, rhythmic strokes to mirror the peristaltic wave of uterine contractions, not a brisk rubbing nor a caress, but a slow, deep massage with constant contact. Another element was that of asking permission. When working with adults, we get to the point of accepting any treatments as having implied assent, (show up to the doctor's and you are giving consent to get a checkup). Since infants are non-verbal, we often either assume the same (or worse, that they don't have an opinion anyway. Eek; Dr. Spock, eek.) We were taught to have parents offer their hands and aks permission (after audibly warming oil, if used) and check if reactions are positive or negative. If a baby is interested and engaged, you can take that as a positive, if eye contact is avoided or disinterest is evinced, perhaps wait until later.

[Dead Cat]

I am very much in love with Eric Whitacre's "The Stolen Child" and David Childs' "I am Not Yours."