One More Day

We're going to the pumpkin patch tomorrow! I can't wait. I've been excited all week. We're going to the same one that we went to last year. When I look back at these pictures, I'm amazed at how my little baby has turned into a little girl. Look for new pumpkin pictures next week!

Batty

I can't believe it's October already. Where does the time go? In honor of all thing fall, I'd like to share some really cool pictures with you. They are of developing fruit bat embryos. Here's a link to the paper they were originally published in. The numbers along the left side of the picture represent developmental stages (12 being an early stage, 24 being a later stage). Check out how their little hands develop into wings. Developmental biology is cool.

Negative Reinforcement

The other day, I painted Harper's toenails pink. She says that they're blue. We're working on that...

Everything

This stupid video chokes me up every time I watch it. I hate it when things predictably choke me up - hence the title stupid video. I actually secretly love this video. I think it gets to me because it makes me think of all of the horrible stuff Harper may encounter in her life. Thank goodness she has a Father who loves her even more than I do. Please watch this video. I know it's over 5 mins long, but it is totally worth it.

When The Science Hits The Fan - Vampire Lamp

I read this story the other day and thought it was very interesting. I was always under the impression that the way to get people to care about something is to show them how it impacts their wallet. But, I think this guy may be on to something. Basically, a British designer named Mike Thompson has developed a lamp that runs on blood. It's a single-use device that requires the addition of blood to initiate a chemical reaction in order to light up. Taken from Thompson's website :

The average American consumes 3383kwh of energy per year. That’s equivalent to leaving the light on in 4 rooms for a whole year. The simple flick of a switch allows us to power appliances and gadgets 24/7 without a thought to where it comes from and the cost to the environment.

For the lamp to work one breaks the top off, dissolves the tablet, and uses their own blood to power a simple light. By creating a lamp that can only be used once, the user must consider when light is needed the most, forcing them to rethink how wasteful they are with energy, and how precious it is.

I realize that this is a little extreme but, the thought process is interesting. How do you think we can get people to be more conscious of personal energy consumption? How do you and your family conserve energy?

Shot In The Arm

Nothing terribly exciting to report today. I got my flu shot yesterday. My arm hurts a little. But, it's a small price to pay for peace of mind. I really don't want Harper to get the flu, so we are all getting our shots. Last year was the first year that I got one. The year before, I didn't get the shot because I was pregnant and didn't want to expose Harper to the vaccine (yes, they do recommend that pregnant women get the shot, but I thought I knew better). I ended up coming down with a horrible case of the flu which caused me to go into labor and have Harper. She was fine and I was fine, but I could have done without all of the puking. So...the moral of that story is that I am getting the flu shot from now on. It makes sense for me. I work in a hospital setting and I have a little kiddo. What about you? Are you getting the flu shot? How about the H1N1 shot. I haven't made my mind up about that one, but I'm leaning toward getting it.

On a completely unrelated note. Here's a picture that I took at work. It's a cross section of a blood vessel. The blue dots are the nuclei of the cells that make up the vessel. The bright red staining is marking a protein that makes up the muscle of the vessel. I like my job.

Pink Toes

It was an interesting night at our house last night. To spare those of you with weak stomachs, I'll keep it brief. Harper pooped in the tub again. Then she peed on the floor. Fun stuff. Oh well. It happens. However, last night wasn't all bad. In fact, we had a lot of fun. We painted our toenails.

If you ask her what color they are, she'll tell you they're blue. She says everything is blue. We're working on that...We also watched one of Harper's favorite TV shows - Dancing With The Stars. She literally dances along as she watches it. It's pretty cute.