~ 恐龍家 ~ : 7月 2008

2008年7月30日星期三

探訪知悠媽

今晚, 約咗d bk媽媽去探知知悠悠同佢地媽媽... 當然, 仲有薑醋鴨蛋啦!

出嚟迎接我地嘅知知~

未滿月嘅悠悠~

豬腳~

今個visit嘅其中一個主角: 醋鹹鴨蛋~ 好好味架! 唔會好似雞蛋咁實變鐵蛋!

仲有, 預祝知悠媽同小倩老師生日快樂!

(嗚謝: 小倩 --- d 相又係偷架!)

2008年7月28日星期一

謝謝~

恐龍仔叻叻呀! 好乖豬呀!

發生咗咩事? 係咁嘅..

話說, 今朝如常行晨運, 恐龍仔攞住兩個tennis balls, 又唔肯自己行, 企喺度唔郁! 又唔肯放手俾個ball Mimi, 等Mimi拖手仔..

跟住, 見到個大佢幾個月嘅哥哥, 恐龍仔主動俾咗一個波波哥哥呀! 之後接返, 仲識講謝謝呀!!!!

爸B同Mimi異口同聲咁讚佢乖豬!

Bedtime Routine@night

恐龍仔: 奶奶!!!!

恐龍媽俾奶奶恐龍BB~

恐龍仔: 謝謝!

然後一手搶走樽奶! 向後瞓低飲奶!!! (俾佢嚇c + 笑c!)

當恐龍仔飲緊奶奶~ 恐龍媽諗起, 當有人問恐龍仔叫咩名, 佢會答: BB呀!

於是...

恐龍媽: BB, 你個名叫國笙呀~ 國~笙~ ~~~ BB, 你叫咩名呀?

恐龍仔: 自執~ (註解: giraffe)

恐龍媽: 係國笙呀! 你係國笙BB呀! ~~~ BB, 你叫咩名呀?

恐龍仔: 自執~

恐龍媽: BB~ 係國笙呀! ~ 國~笙~

恐龍仔: 國些~

恐龍爸: 啱喇! ~~~ BB, 你叫咩名呀?

恐龍仔: 自執~

重復約10次~~~ 一路飲緊奶架!

真係有問有答架!!!

2008年7月27日星期日

初遇~ 怕丑草 (含羞草)

今朝~ 如常帶恐龍仔落樓晨運, Babi懶豬豬, 無跟埋嚟呀!

恐龍仔唔多願行, 呢隻嘢响商場就自己行嚟行去, 落平台就唔多願郁! 成日抱住Mimi隻腳!

於是, 我地就玩咗d危險動作, 如超人仔, 氹氹轉(人肉板), Swing, 跳舞~ 玩到Mimi成身汗, BB就哈哈笑~ 難為佢阿媽.. 真係係晨運喇! 轉到頭都暈呀!

仲有就係做哂SAM Sir 教嗰d練前庭嘅動作~~~

好喇~ 因為晏咗d落樓, 唔玩太耐喇 (不過都有大半個鐘), 夠鐘哂奶奶喇~

於是, 放恐龍仔上返佢部戰車 (一路推住唔俾佢坐), 行多一個圈就上樓啦..

~ 第一次 - 蝴蝶close up ~

就响呢個時候, 見到隻唔願飛嘅蝴蝶, 恐龍仔响架戰車上面俾Mimi推嚟推去, 追住隻蝴蝶, 十足十坐住車遊動物園咁~

~ 第一次 - 怕丑草之接觸 ~

蝴蝶最後停咗喺水池邊, Mimi發現, 原來有一棵怕丑草呀! 直覺踢佢一吓, 原來係堅架!!!! (Babi發現流嘢無數次!)

Mimi第一時間抱恐龍仔落地, 叫佢摸摸啦~ 呢隻嘢摸完~ 莫名其妙,都係一個傻樣! 不過, Mimi都好用心解釋草草會打開同合埋,至於点解會咁~~ 當然, Mimi唔記得哂啦!

後記

寫到呢度, 發覺, 原來BB未駛返學, 爸媽未駛幫佢地補習溫書, 已經要"充實"自己, 準備回答各百科全書型題目, 諗起自己唔記得哂學堂上學過嘅知識, 只係得依稀嘅印象... 睇嚟~ Mimi呢個BSc Biology (Majoring in Zoology) 要溫吓書喇!

2008年7月26日星期六

做咗一日湊仔婆

自從工人報到, 恐龍仔搬返屋企, 我甚少湊足一日仔, 好多時, 會去咗婆婆度避難~

工人今日放假~

一早, 七点~ 我食咗早歺 (blueberries, banana, corn flakes + home-made yogurt) 就叫醒恐龍爸落樓行晨運.. 行咗一粒鐘左右, 就返屋企食奶奶~ 以為平時行半粒鐘, 咁今日應該會幾攰吓~ 点知, 恐龍仔食飽奶奶唔肯瞓!

10am, 不如洗白白, 然後再瞓啦~ sorry, 都係唔肯瞓~

好~又改plan, 極速準備恐龍仔嘅午歺 (organic turkey pumpkin baby food + oatmeal), 就出街諗住11am應該有位飲茶啦~ 但係.. 過咗半粒鐘發現唔多對路, 走人去咗味千~~ 一間無baby seat嘅歺廳!

恐龍仔好合作~ 响我碟冷面到之前已經完成佢嘅午歺.. 跟住, 當然係極速返屋企瞓覺啦!

又係唔願瞓! 無理由架! 醒咗有六個鐘, 要覺覺囉, 2pm仲要上playgroup呀! 最後, 响恐龍爸反對之下.. 我抱住恐龍仔, 呢次唔夠5分鐘就瞓着咗!!! 跟住, 一家三口响大床瞓哂~~~

突然, 恐龍爸手提响~ 一睇時間 2:10pm喇! 遲到喇! 攞水攞key就抱起恐龍仔落樓! 係呀~ 有人未瞓夠架~ 不過又無喊喎! 上堂無乜特別, 係唔多投入, 發吓皮4... 但係, 表現都好過某d同學仔喎!

係媽媽衰, 不過鬼叫有d BB上午唔願瞓呀!

落堂返上樓再瞓過啦?! 可惜, 一落堂就想玩, 笑哂咁! 無著鞋仔落樓, 就咁赤腳响會所行嚟行去呀!

3点幾唔瞓~ 又做d乜好?

hmm... 不如去圖書館? 恐龍爸睇住Austin Power話好~ 咁又係時間諗吓恐龍仔嘅dinner.. 就Salmon+鵝肝+菜+ 糙白米飯仔啦~ 出得門口都4:30pm

呢日~ 係恐龍仔第一次去圖書館, 除咗佢有時講嘢大聲咗d, 同埋唔多專心 (太多書响附近, too attractive!) 基本上, 佢應該幾鍾意, 我地最後臨走見到本card book, 仲要係講Dinosaur架!

食飯, 佢都OK肯食, 仲食咗d 雞同蒸魚, 一路食一路睇書, 無扭計! 好乖!

食食吓, 恐龍爸突然話今日辛苦哂喇~ 有d意外!

食飽飯, 路過扭蛋~

好新奇喎~ shake shake!

返到屋企, 真係好想沖涼, 不過, 當然要服待完少爺仔先啦.. 都算乖, 飲唔哂d奶奶, 不過就20分鐘左右瞓着~~~

終於完成辛勞嘅一日, 可以沖涼喇!

BunnyWalk

係Dinowalk? 定Bunnywalk? 應該唔係Catwalk~

呢日~ 臨出門口, 恐龍仔捉住叔叔送嘅bunny走嚟走去~

小朋友~你攞住支筆喎~

好開心咁喎~

好喇~ 行完走廊喇!

2008年7月25日星期五

八達通積分

大家有無用過八達通裡面d積分呀? 我今日都係第一次~

lunch, 無無聊聊, 去咗好少去嘅麥記, 記咗個火腿扒cheese burger, 加新出嘅巨蜂提子新地樂 (超甜!)

其實, 我好少飲凍嘢, 少到去歺廳.. 如果waiter送上冰水一杯, 我會叫佢換熱水架~ 去麥記唔飲氣水, 次次叫熱朱又好鬼悶, 仲有, 我又唔食得薯條 <--- high salt!

見到個trainee手腳咁慢, 突然間想考吓佢: 係咪可以用積分俾錢架?

Trainee小朋友當然唔知啦, 佢個trainer話可以, 不過都搞咗一輪~ 終於都第一次用咗d積分買嘢喇!

我都知有d大鄉里架喇~

食飽~ well, 其實唔飽架~ 去咗百佳買嘢, blueberry特價$16.x 兩盒呀! 平!

2008年7月24日星期四

恐龍自由。行

呢日, 爸B放假, 帶咗恐龍仔去接Mimi放工..

唔講d唔開心嘅嘢 (e.g. 俾Mimi d同事强吻) 我地一家人出咗沙田食pizza~ 就係呢間喇~

未開歺~ 不如玩吓先.. 仲有飲水水

食飽飽, Babi 放生咗隻恐龍, 俾佢落地行~~~ 好FREE呀!

恐龍仔自己走嚟走去, 好happy, Babi同Mimi就不停咁影相!

跟住, 去咗Charles Brown屋企探佢~

佢間屋好大咁喎~

小心d呀~ 好奇怪, Charles屋企個地板係斜架!

臨走, 我地仲去咗坐大脾!

其實唔只咁多相架, 我地總共影咗100張, Babi執過d相, Mimi delete 咗都有30張!

2008年7月23日星期三

Cord blood choice: Private vs. public

(By JoNel Aleccia updated 8:53 a.m. ET July 21, 2008)

Voshte Gustafson was just three months pregnant when she got the first brochure in the mail urging her to spend $2,000 to collect her newborn’s umbilical cord blood as a hedge against future illness.

Now that the 31-year-old Seattle woman is rapidly approaching delivery, the barrage of glossy flyers has ballooned, warning repeatedly that she may have just one chance to save her baby’s life — before it even begins.

“A lot of the companies prey on the fact that your kid is important to you,” said the dad-to-be, Kiley Gustafson, 30, who estimates the couple have received 25 private cord blood banking pamphlets in the past several months. “I understand enough about it to know what they wanted to do.”

Like all the other parents of the more than 4.3 million babies born in the U.S. last year, the Gustafsons will have to decide what to do with their child’s cord blood, a rich source of stem cells, the building blocks of blood that can potentially be used to treat certain cancers and other diseases.

The vast majority of those parents — about 97 percent — will do nothing, and the umbilical cord and the cells it contains will be discarded as medical waste.

The tiny fraction that remain, however, will be caught in the sharp debate between private cord blood firms vying to cash in on an estimated $1 billion industry and public registries trying to boost diverse donations to fuel research and save lives in the community at large.

Critics claim that private cord blood banks exploit expectant parents’ worries using emotion-laden advertising and spurious statistics to scare them into buying expensive biological insurance they’ll likely never need and may not be able to use.

In some cities, a mom-to-be can’t get out of an upscale maternity store like A Pea in the Pod without dodging a pitch — and a brochure — touting private banking.

The problem is, the advertising often oversells the potential for cord blood use, said Dr. Brandon Triplett, medical director of the St. Louis Cord Blood Bank, who performs 15 to 20 transplants a year. Although cord blood stem cells are easier to match and more convenient to use than bone marrow cells, the uses remain limited. Worldwide, only about 2,000 cord blood transplants are performed annually, though the number appears to be growing.

“There are very few conditions that we can fix with cord blood,” said Triplett. “The vast majority of the time, to fix blood diseases or cancer, you don’t want to be giving the defective blood back.”

Cord blood firms disagree, saying they simply offer parents an extra option for an uncertain future.

“We think it’s valuable that a family make an informed decision,” said Jim Corbett, president of ViaCord of Cambridge, Mass., one of the nation’s leading private bankers. “I think we are very careful in educating our parents.”

Besides, they add, options for public banking are scarce and even when parents do donate, at least half the contributions are thrown away because they’re too small to meet minimum cell counts. With private banking, parents can pay to save any amount.

Uncertain odds
At issue is who really should preserve their own child’s cord blood for future medical needs, and who would be better off contributing to the public supply.

Private firms such as ViaCord tell parents the chance of a baby ever needing his own or a sibling’s stem cells, including cord blood, is as low as 1 in 220.

But the math behind that statistic is widely debated, said Dr. Dennis Confer, chief medical officer for the National Marrow Donor Program in Minneapolis, which maintains a public registry of donated cord blood units. The ViaCord number spreads the odds over 70 years instead of the minimum 20 years typically regarded as the standard for public cord blood storage. And it fails to note that most of the transplants would be likely to occur between ages 40 and 70, as the diseases that benefit from them increase.

“The likelihood that it will be used now or in the future is extremely low, probably 1 in 1,000,” said Confer, who adds that that’s probably a generous estimate.

Overall, the chance that a publicly stored unit of cord blood will ever be used is about 650 times higher than the odds that a privately banked unit will ever be needed, Confer added.

Public banking is free to donors . It's available to anyone who needs it for conditions ranging from cancer and leukemia to conditions such as severe aplastic anemia, sickle cell disease and other genetic disorders.

Pediatricians urge public donation
The American Academy of Pediatrics last year urged parents to privately bank their babies’ blood only if they had an older child with cancer or a genetic disease that could benefit from a sibling’s donation. Otherwise, parents should donate to public banks, the panel said.

That argument made sense to Marc McManus, 34, a mechanical engineer from St. Louis. He and his wife, Jody, 31, a regional sales manager, agreed it would be far more likely that someone else would need the cord blood donated after their daughter Morgan’s birth last month.

“There was no scenario under which it justified using the private banks,” McManus said. “It was important to know that we tried to give something back when we could and not let it go to waste.”

For many other willing parents, public donation isn't so easy to come by. Across the country, fewer than 200 hospitals handle public donation, mostly because they’re too far from storage centers or lack equipment and resources.

At the federal level, there’s not enough funding to collect public donations or enough space to store them, said Robert Baitty, director of the National Cord Blood Inventory.

“There are many more women who want to donate than there are resources available,” he said.

On the surface, both private firms and public advocates say that when so much cord blood goes unused, there shouldn’t be a struggle for supply.

In reality, though, “private banking takes a donation away if the people had a public option,” said Fran Verter, a scientist and consumer advocate who started the Parents Guide to Cord Blood Foundation and maintains a detailed Web site of information.

Nationwide, at least 21 states have adopted legislation recommending or requiring doctors and health officials to inform. expectant parents about all cord blood collection options.

So far, private banking seems to be winning public sentiment.