• Complete Poker Rules
  • A community of online and live poker players discussing poker strategy and poker hand analysis.
• Twitter Poker Tour
  • The TPT is a weekly online poker “home game”. The tour alternates between PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker and is open for all players!

Additional Reading

• The Love Scale is out of Balance
• And Then She Smiled
• Decision 2008: Daycare Providers
• How to Sing to your Child (and Not Sound Like an Idiot)
• Pregnancy - week by week

• Recalls to Repair Nerf Blasters
• 25% of Teen Girls Got HPV Vaccine
• As Economy Worsens, so Does Stress
• Music Reduces Pregnancy Stress

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• Weekly Link Roundup: 9/26/2008
• Weekly Link Roundup: 8/29/2008
• Weekly Link Roundup: 8/8/2008
• Now it Feels Real!
• She’s Expecting, Now What?

We did run into some issues out-of-the-box for this product, mainly the motor that runs the swing motion was annoyingly loud and not really, umm, soothing at all. We made a call to Graco and they informed us that they were phasing in a new motor system and some of the products in the stores had the noisy motor.

They shipped out a new motor to us and it runs fairly smoothly now. It is a little louder than I had expected in general, but after reviewing several competing models in store, they are all loud, seems to come with the territory.

The motor aside, this “soothing center” is a great product. It has 6 levels of swing motion, a vibrating function in the included seat and a great selection of music on an above average built-in speaker system. The bonus feature of the music system is an auxiliary input and tray to hold an ipod.

Another bonus feature is that the included seat is removable and your Graco SnugRide Infant Car Seat will snap right into the Soothing Center. This is great for transferring your baby from the backseat to the Soothing Center without waking!

Additional Reading

• The Love Scale is out of Balance
• And Then She Smiled
• Decision 2008: Daycare Providers
• How to Sing to your Child (and Not Sound Like an Idiot)
• Pregnancy - week by week

This weeks Link Roundup for September 26th, 2008 contains info about recalls, cholesterol, overworking and junk food. Enjoy!

• Recall Buzz: Several child product recalls
• Kids & Cholesterol: Call for Early Action 
• Overworking Affects Spouses Differently 
• Moms Eat Junk Food, Kids Get Fat 

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• Weekly Link Roundup: 10/10/2008
• Weekly Link Roundup: 8/29/2008
• Weekly Link Roundup: 8/8/2008
• Working yourself to Death?
• “Home Work” from the Road

We live in Boston and there is a provider just south of us that we are very comfortable with. The issue with this option is that we only have one car and we both work in Boston, MA (well I work close by in Cambridge). So I would commute out of the city just to come back in for work. If we want to split the drop-off and pick-up, we will need two cars. We could drop her off, leave the car at the train station and commute via train to work. And reverse that to pick her up (thus splitting the responsibility). Downside there is we can’t get to her in a hurry if we need to, nor can we pop in to say “Hi!”.

Another option is to use a great provider in Downtown Boston that is on the way to work if I rearrange my commute slightly.  More importantly my wife could walk up (or cab it) during the day to say “Hi!” or in the case that little girl is throwing a nutty and needs her momma. Issue with this option is that it is (about) $800/month more expensive than option 1.

We are comfortable with both providers in terms of comfort level. So it boils down to:

• Convenience of drop-off/pick-up.
• Closeness to get there in emergency or for a mid-day pick-me-up (baby smiles are good for you).
• Cost. 

Additional Reading

• The Love Scale is out of Balance
• And Then She Smiled
• Decision 2008: Daycare Providers
• How to Sing to your Child (and Not Sound Like an Idiot)
• Pregnancy - week by week

• Recall Buzz: Tracking Recalls so you don’t have to
• Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: New Clue
• Beware the Know It Alls: How to Handle Unsolicited Baby Advice
• Kids’ Diving Injuries Top 6,500 Yearly
  

Related Articles

• Weekly Link Roundup: 8/8/2008
• Weekly Link Roundup: 8/1/2008
• Weekly Link Roundup: 7/25/2008
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• Weekly Link Roundup: 9/26/2008

As we approached 2 or 3 weeks, she was a lot more alert and awake. It was during that time that we noticed a little smile every now and again. It was just a little crack of a smile, but our pediatrician and parents alike played the part of Major Buzzkill and told us it was “likely just gas”.

We move forward a couple of weeks and the smile became more noticeable (and less gas powered). It was the funniest, cutest and one of the most rewarding moments as new parents. But the smiling sessions were brief  and on her terms, we could not induce them.

Well, times have certainly changed. We are at the 12-week mark now and I don’t think a waking hour goes by where she doesn’t crack at least one smile. And the smiling bouts are usually coupled with belly laughs and squealing; It’s pretty amazing.

Photo Credit: ntr23

Related Articles

• Weekly Link Roundup: 8/22/2008

• Baby’s Smile a Natural High for Mom
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• Sleep Apnea May Be Deadly
• Kids With Dogs May Become Snorers

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• And Then She Smiled
• Weekly Link Roundup: 8/8/2008

• Watermelon: A Natural Viagra?
• Marinate Meat for Healthy Grilling?
• Healthy Fast Food for Kids a Tall Order?
• How to keep youth at a healthy weight
• Top 10 How To Videos

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• Need Help Planning Meals?

I was inspired to write this short post after reading a great article at Building Camelot by Tyler titled “How Becoming A Father Will Make You A Better Man”.

I was reminded of a conversation I had with my mother-in-law in the weeks after our daughter was born. She asked if I have a better appreciation for my own parents now that I am a Dad. I agreed with her completely but it made me think of the balance of love between parent and child.

The part that had me inspired to write was this:

You Will Learn What True Love Is

I’m convinced that anyone without children doesn’t have an idea of what true love really is…not that there isn’t a desire to know or that you’re capable of knowing true love, but it’s hard to imagine what it’s like to see your own heart, living and growing outside of your body every day. When you see your children grow up and learn even the smallest of things, it melts your heart. And just when you think you can’t love them anymore, they come running up to you with a little card or painting they made for you and you can actually feel your heart growing inside your chest. It’s an amazing feeling and one that you can’t appreciate until you become a father.

True love is at the core of being a good father and a better man. It drives you to make better decisions for yourself and for your family. True love becomes the foundation for building your own modern day Camelot. The true love you have for your children will create a passion for improving your career, friendships, relationships and your overall well being. It’s amazing the effect of true love will do to even the toughest of hearts.

I think the “Love Scale” is tipped dramatically towards the love the parent has for his or her child. It’s not that the child (whether the child is a newborn or middle-aged) is unwilling to love the parent absolutely; I just think the child is incapable of doing so.

It wasn’t until we had our first child that I realized how much you could love another human being. Don’t get me wrong, the love is certainly not a one-way street from parent to child; I think the child loves the parent as much as they know how. They just can’t fully understand the love their parents have for them until it is time to love their own child.

Would you agree or disagree? Let us know what you think!

Photo Credit: neurmadic aesthetic

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