Preparation for Pregnancy

I can imagine that you are probably thinking about having a baby at this time (that is why you are reading this article, isn’t it?). As a mother I can tell you right away that pregnancy is a very exciting time in a woman’s life. But it can also be a time filled with questions and concerns. You may ask, “Why it is important to be ready for pregnancy?” and, “What is the big reason for doing this?” Well, read on to find out. Conception occurs about 2 weeks before your period is due. That means that you may be more than 3 weeks pregnant and not even know that you’re pregnant! This is important because your baby is most sensitive to harm in the period from two to eight weeks after conception. This is when your baby’s facial features and organs, such as the heart and kidneys, begin to form. Anything that you eat, drink, smoke or are exposed to can affect your baby. That’s why it’s best to start acting as if you’re pregnant before you are sure that you have conceived, if you have been trying to get pregnant.

Your First Visit to Your Doctor about a Pregnancy?

It is better to see your doctor when you’re just thinking about getting pregnant. You can talk about your diet, bowel habits, lifestyle, weight control and any concerns that you have. Try to visit your doctor in the year before you want to get pregnant. A thorough physical examination performed at this time may reveal unknown factors in your health that might have a significant effect on your ability to fall pregnant or successfully carry a child through to birth. High blood pressure, diabetes, back disease and gynecological problems are examples of some that can be found. A Pap smear test should be performed if you are due for one. A blood test for, and a check of your family history of, Rubella (German measles) infection will be arranged and a vaccination given if necessary. You and your partner (father-to-be) will be asked about your medical history because that is very important for the progress of your pregnancy and your future baby. Some medical problems, including genetic diseases such as Cystic fibrosis and sickle cell anemia, run in the family. These problems aren’t caused by anything you do. Talk with your doctor about your risk factors and whether screening tests are needed. If you are over 35 years of age, a talk with your doctor is highly recommended. You’ll both also have the chance to ask your doctor any questions you may have at this exciting time. Conception, when life begins, is a miraculous process. Today, we know more than we ever have about its wondrous ways, but many aspects still remain a challenging mystery. Once fertilized, the egg has seven days to get down the fallopian tube, enter the cavity of the uterus and burrow into the lining so that it is covered by nutrient-rich blood of its mother. This is probably the most hazardous journey any of us will ever take. Failing to complete the trip leads to certain death. To begin the trip, but be delayed means either death or an ectopic pregnancy. Getting to the uterus too quickly probably also results in failure and death. Even if this developing new person makes it to the stage of implantation into the lining of the uterus, 50% will miscarry in the very early stages.

Shettles’s System to Increase The Odds of Having a Boy or a Girl in Your Favor.

What can you do to improve your chances of having a girl next time, if you already have two sons and you want to have a girl? Is there any way to increase the odds in your favor of having a boy or a girl? There is no simple way in which the sex of a child can be guaranteed, but the following system (known as Shettle’s System) may help. Using this system is free; it absolutely does not cost you any money, only your determination and desire. At best, this system increases the chances of a child of a particular sex from 50% to 75%. It is definitely NOT a guarantee of success, but it is currently the most well-known method for influencing gender without the use of medical procedures. The method is based on the premise that men produce two types of sperm, the X (female) and Y (male). The Y sperms are smaller and more delicate, but faster, than the X sperms (which are bigger, tougher and slower), the system is based on providing an environment which is more likely to help the type of sperm that matches your preference to get to the egg first.

There are 6 basic recommendations to follow:

1) Timing – the most critical aspect of the Shettle’s method is to time when you have intercourse. The closer to ovulation that you have sex, the better your chances of having a boy, because ovulation provides the most optimal time for conceiving, and male sperm are faster. If you have intercourse about 3 days prior to ovulation, you may maximize the chances for the slower but tougher female sperm, which are able to survive until the egg appears.

2) The pH of the woman’s tract is also important. A more alkaline environment is generally favorable to fertility and, therefore, favors the quicker, but more delicate, male sperm. For a girl, a douche of very diluted water and vinegar is done just before intercourse. For a boy, a douche of very diluted water and baking soda just before intercourse is indicated.

3) A woman’s tract is more acidic, the closer to the entrance of the vagina that the measurement is taken. Therefore, intercourse with shallow penetration may favor the conception of a girl, and intercourse with deeper penetration is believed to favor a boy being the result.

4) Orgasms in females produce a hormone which makes their vaginal tract more alkaline and therefore more favorable for boys.

5) A high sperm count favors boys. To increase sperm count, Shettle’s method recommends that you abstain from intercourse for up to three to four days before ovulation. Also, men should wear boxers rather than tight underpants. To reduce the sperm count, men should take a hot bath just before intercourse and couples should have as much intercourse as possible until 3 days before ovulation.

6) Drinking a cup of coffee just prior to intercourse tends to favor a boy.

To sum up all of the above:

To Increase the Chance of Having a Girl:

Use a vaginal douche, consisting of 20 ml white vinegar in 500 ml of water, ten minutes before having sex. Have sex frequently in the seven to ten days before you ovulate. Have no sex from one day before ovulation until ten days after ovulation. Your partner should ejaculate just inside the vagina, and not deeply inside. Your partner should withdraw immediately after ejaculation. It is better for the woman not to have an orgasm.

To Increase the Chance of Having a Boy:

Ten minutes before sex, use a vaginal douche consisting of 5 g of baking soda in 500 mg of water. Have no sex from the end of your period until the day ovulation occurs. Have sex twice daily from the day of ovulation until four days afterward. Your partner should ejaculate deep inside the vagina. Your partner should withdraw immediately after ejaculation. It is better for woman to have an orgasm; ideally just before ejaculation.

Good luck!

Symptoms of Early Pregnancy

These are some of the first signs of impending motherhood. You may experience all, some, or none of these symptoms during the early stages of your pregnancy:

1 )Tender, swollen breasts: If you’re pregnant, your breasts will probably become increasingly tender to the touch, similar to the way they feel before your period. A tingling sensation will be felt in the nipples. Once your body grows accustomed to the hormone surge, the pain will subside.

2) Darkening of your areolas: If the skin around your nipples gets darker and the small lubricating glands become more prominent with small bumps appearing, you may have successfully conceived. But, this may also signal a hormonal imbalance that is unrelated to pregnancy or be a left-over effect from a previous pregnancy. It can even be related to the consumption of oral contraceptive pills.

3) Frequent urination: Once the embryo implants and begins producing the hormone ‘human chorionic gonadotropin’ (HCG), pregnant women start to urinate more frequently. This settles down after the twelfth week. But, later in pregnancy, the increased size of the womb puts more pressure on the bladder and frequent urination occurs again.

4) Dark patches on forehead and cheeks: These patches are caused by hormonal changes that affect the pigment cells in the skin (they are called ‘chloasma’). Such changes may be also be a side-effect of the contraceptive pills. The navel and a line down the center of the woman’s belly may also darken. These pigment changes fade somewhat after the pregnancy but those areas will probably always remain darker than before.

5) Food cravings: Food cravings can, sometimes, be a sign of pregnancy. Don’t rely on them as a sure symptom (it may be all in your head, or even a sign that your body is low on a particular nutrient), but if the cravings are accompanied by some of the other symptoms on this list, the chance is that you are pregnant.

6) Implantation bleeding or cramping: You may experience implantation spotting, a slight staining of a pink or brown color, as well as some cramping about eight days after ovulation. You might also see some spotting around the time you expect your period; this is caused by the egg burrowing into the endometrial lining. 7) Fatigue: High levels of the hormone progesterone can make you feel tired; as if you’ve run a marathon, when all you’ve done is to put in a day at the office. Tiredness is a hallmark of early pregnancy, though probably not a sure symptom on its own.
Morning sickness: Normally, morning sickness won’t hit you until a few weeks after conception. A lucky few escape it altogether. But, you may begin feeling nauseated and queasy as early as a couple of days following conception. This may not just occur in the morning; pregnancy-related nausea can be a problem morning, noon, or night. You may also notice that your sense of taste changes. Some women say they have a metallic taste in their mouth, others that they cannot stand the taste of coffee, tea or a food they usually like.

9) Your basal body temperature stays high: You will notice this only if you’ve been charting your basal body temperature. If your basal body temperature has stayed above the cover line for 18 days in a row, you’re probably pregnant. Basal body temperature is your temperature taken the first thing every the morning before you get up, usually about 6 a.m. It is important to keep taking it at the same time. The temperature can be taken orally, vaginally or rectally – just stay with the same method for the entire cycle. On the picture, you can see the graph of basal temperature taken during one cycle. It shows the effect of an ovulation; the temperature rise in the middle of cycle. If you are pregnant, the temperature rise should last for 18 days in a row.

10) A missed period: This is the surest sign of pregnancy in a woman of childbearing age who usually has regular periods. If you’re usually pretty regular and your period is late, it’s worth trying a home pregnancy test.

11) A positive home pregnancy test: Now, you should make an appointment with your doctor to confirm the good news.

Congratulations!

What every WOMAN needs to know about this precious time we call PREGNANCY, you can visit: http://www.visionones.com/salespages/sp_pregnancy.htm

Linda Jap
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/precious-time-call-pregnancy-133297.html

Okay, so you’re a geek. You’ve finally taken enough time off from your Star Trek marathon and your World Of Warcraft guild doesn’t have any major sieges planned for the moment, so you find yourself with a bit of free time.

Now… is it going to be alone time?

You decide you want to get a little female companionship in your life. But it’s not like those medieval L.A.R.P fairs you go to where you can knock a damsel over the head and drag her back to your tent.

This is the REAL world, and you want to get yourself a real woman. So how do you start?

Step #1: Clean yourself up

Geeks typically aren’t the most fashion conscious types. Most of them are happy wearing their various assortments of t-shirts, jeans, and flip-flops.

But we’re talking about attracting women here, and like it or not, ya gotta try and look your best. Now, you don’t have to look like a full-on club-goer, but we gotta clean ya up a bit.

Get a nice haircut, shave, wear contact lenses if you need to, don some shirts you DIDN’T have in high school (you know, the ones without any band names or superheroes on them), and ditch the jean shorts buddy!

Hey, just because you look like a cast member from Revenge Of The Nerds, doesn’t mean you need to continue to do so. A person’s looks reflect how they feel about themselves. So try to look like you care. Take some time with this.

When you do, and you look like an adult who has pride in his appearance, you’ll notice a marked difference.

Step #2. Look into the current cultural clime

Like it or not, you’re going to have to familiarize yourself with the current goings-on of all things Hollywood. TV shows, celebrity gossip, hot new bands – the works!

Why? Because you’re going to need something you can talk to girls about, and EVERY girl is into pop culture.

A word of warning here – Star Trek, Star Wars, or anything with the word “Star” in it is NOT part of pop culture. At least not the kind women like. Take all that geek knowledge you’ve accumulated and set it aside for now. You’re going to be slumming it for a while.

First off, start watching VH1. A lot. Catch up on the reality shows on that channel. Studies show 89% of available women watch Reality TV, and VH1 is the king of that kind of programming.

Listen to the radio and go on iTunes. This’ll help you check out the latest popular music. If you’re feeling really saucy, turn on MTV.

Brush up on blogs like PerezHilton.com to find out who’s gay, who’s sleeping with who, and who’s having some dude’s baby.

Silly as it sounds, it’ll pay off in droves later.

Step #3. Turn off the gaming console

Being a geek and loving video games pretty much goes hand-in-hand. And video games are awesome, so they’re nothing to be ashamed of.

However, some geeks use video games as a way to replace a non-existent social life. They get their “human contact” fix by chatting with their guild mates in Everquest, or those lame n00bs on Xbox Live, and don’t feel the need to go out and meet real people.

Well, put that X-Box controller down and unplug your PS3. If you wanna meet women, you’re going to have to take some time off from the video games.

As an avid gamer myself, I know how they can rule your life if you let them. Before you know it, it’s three in the morning and you’re trying to kill one more boss and get one more power up so you can increase your gamer score.

However, all this time spent on video games keeps you away from the girls! If you resolve to take a slight break from your gameplay time, you’ll find that you will have much more time to meet and hang out with women.

Now, I’m not telling you to give up video games all together – that’s crazy talk! But make meeting women a priority over the next Zelda game… just for a little while.

Step #4. Get out of the house

Geeks have a really bad habit of staying indoors – sometimes with other geeks, but most of the time by themselves.

Let me be clear – you will NEVER meet women unless you get out in the “real world.” (And no, internet porn does not count as meeting women.)

Take some time after work and go hang out somewhere for an hour. It can be someplace you enjoy, like a bookstore, a coffee shop, a dog park – wherever.

The key part is to go places where there are WOMEN!

Chilling in EB Games for an hour chatting up the clerk doesn’t count. See many girls in there?

How about this: go somewhere where shopping happens, but try a place that women might actually shop in. There are plenty, as they love to do it. That way, you can interact with them.

Another important thing – don’t bring your laptop or iPod with you! Bad, bad, bad. Those are distractions. Sitting in a coffee shop playing World Of Warcraft on your laptop will do you little good. Not having any distractions will force you to focus on the task at hand, which is meeting some chicks!

Step #5. Meet some girls

Now that you’ve made it out of the house, you gotta start talking to some women.

Try and keep these meetings light. Don’t try and get a date off the bat. Just start random chit-chat with girls. If they seem cool, then (and only then) ask for her number.

Try and set up dates to meet with the girl. Get together for coffee or drinks. Do fun stuff that the both of you enjoy doing. Don’t start revealing your geekiness until at least the third date, after she’s built up some comfort around you.

Use the internet to your advantage. Sign up for a few dating sites. This will also help you keep your date calendar full.

But most importantly – HAVE FUN!

Meeting women can be just as fun as any video game you’ve ever played. You just have to know the right way to do it.

And hey, don’t try to hard to change yourself. You are cool the way you are, and in time the women will come around to recognize this.

Do remember, she’ll have to get used to the idea. You are going to have to be subtle, or it’s possible that you’ll scare her off. Ease her into it and she might be fragging you in Quake sometime soon!!

Joseph Matthews

My boyfriend got diagnosed with type 1 diabetes 3 days before our daughter was born, 3 months later I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. I am really worried for our 8 month old baby girl. We are going to watch her carb intake as she gets older but wanted to know what the chances were for her getting it are.

As you know, diabetes does not come from eating too many carbs.
I have a daughter that was dxed when she was 2 yrs old.She is now 20 and doing fine.
I agree with you that not allowing her to eat just McNuggets and cool aid are just healthy habits to get into.
You can’t just sit around and worry every day.The chances are not known.
Enjoy your daughter .

We all know that approaching woman isn’t easy. It can be embarrassing and downright difficult. But, if you know what you are doing and have faith in your own forces you can get the one you like.

Impressing a woman is not an easy task, especially if you don’t have a lot of experience with females. There are many components that go into impressing a woman.

If you want to learn how to impress a girl, then you should do your best to be positive. Keep in mind that smiles and jokes are great bonding mechanisms that you can use to impress a girl.

There is a charm and seductive attraction that some guys have, so they have all the girls they want. This magnet is called charisma, and it is very important if you want to attract the woman of your life. But, if this is a problem for you, you must try some tricks to pick-up the woman you want.

For example, use your dog to pick-up girls. You have a dog? Now its your chance. Take a walk with your dog on the place where you know your special one passes by every day. Any girl likes dogs. Small ones are very cute and the big ones make you look hot.

So, if you are with your dog out and suddenly your girl pass over. Make sure that she sees you. If it happens that your dog had a bad behavior and starts barking at her you might apologize and tell her to not take it personally. So, you can discus with her. Show her that your dog know some tricks and while your dog is sitting and rolling over you’ re getting to know the girl.

Babies. Every woman love babies. Your friend is married and has a baby? Join your friend when he goes out with the baby and show interest by playing with the kid when she passes by you. Next day you can offer to watch out the baby for your friend and take him to a walk to show her you like kids. But make sure she has saw you in the day before with your friend to not think that the baby is yours. If the baby is crying when she passes by you, you might be lucky and she might offer her help to make the baby stop crying. So, you get to talk with her and may ask her for a date.

Use some magic tricks to attract her. You are seeing her every day and you don’t have the courage to talk to her. First of all, relax. One of the biggest turnoffs for women is a guy who’s uptight. Just relax and you’ll be fine. After you start talking with her use some magic tricks to impress her and attract her. You may say that you are good at magick and you are offering to guess her future by reading her hand. She’ll definitely laugh but if she’s ok with this you may tell her that she will have a glorious future.

Don’t forget to make her laugh. Laughter is all you need to attract women easily and quickly. If you are able to make her laugh any time and any places it will be easier to you to get the woman you are looking after for some long time.

Ovi Dogar
http://www.articlesbase.com/dating-articles/tools-for-pickingup-girls-99389.html

I need help coming up with baby names. I am having a little girl. I have one daughter that is 6 months old, her name is Makynli Faith. I want something that is unique that not a lot of people have and thats not too weird. Any suggestions?

I have a total long list of unique girl names, I’m 13 at the moment but I play Sims (can’t spontaneously think of cute names and I don’t want 200 Samantha’s or Lucie’s running around! )
In brackets are ideas for nicknames

So here the are;
Zara Emilijah [Zee]
Sapphire Maxine-Marie [Sapphy]
Poppy Elizabeth [Popsicle]
Terri-Lynn Michelle [Tez]
Samantha Eleanor [Sam]
Ivory Rose [Ive]
Callista Brielle [Cally]
Rebecca Jade [Becky]
Cady Quinn [Cay]
Zoë Lucille [Zo]
Lisi Heléna-Rose [Liss]
Ellasyn Fiona-Charlotte [Ella]
Diana Rosalind [Dee]
Mia Dionne [Me]
Nikki Finola [Nik]
Ellie Louise-Kathlein [Elle]
Alice Kassandra [Ally]
Kloë Taylor [Klo]
Blair Hazel-Juli [Bee]
Holli Victoria-Abigail [Hols]
Jessica Finmore-Daisie [Jess]
Ellasyn Emilijah-Brielle [Ella]
Ellasyn Olivia [Ella]
Ellasyn Calliste [Ella]
Ellasyn Hayden [Ella]
Cheyenne Helen-Jane [Shy]
Aprillé Evelynn-Beryl [Apple]
Seraphinabelle India-Cheryl [Serrah]
Coco Anitah Rae [Cookie]
Coral Nicolah-Sammie [Cora]
Lilly Alexis-Cherie [Lil]
Bailey Weston-Zola [Bay]
Misty Ellis-Scarlett [Mist]
Darcey Payton-Leigh [Darc]
Skylar Camila-Faye [Skye]
Brandy Tamara-Sophia [Bran]
Brittney Kai-Elissa [Britt]
Phoebe Jocelyn [Phi]
Jazmyn Yana [Jazz]
Valerie Kaitlyn [Val]
Echo Marielle [Eck]
Luna Jaidyn [Lu]
Storm Emaleigh [St. O]
Devon Yale-Ophelia [Dev]
Blake Eliza [Lake]
Bentley Anna [Leigh]
Tyler Fleur [Ty]
Morgan Jo-Layla [Mo]
Summer Xena-Fern [Sum]
Bethany Sephora [Beth]
Rihanna Nicole [Ri]
Carrie Sienna [Cazz]
Kiki Locc [Ki]
Polly Faizah [Poll]
Gerri-Anne Kayleigh [Gel]
Selena Oceanna-Rachel [Selly]
Asheligh Jaelynn [Ashie]

“To the unmarried and to the widows I say that it is well for them to remain single as I do.”?
(1 Corinthians 7:8)

The immortal words of St. Paul, who quite possibly had experienced the pain of separation and divorce first hand prior to penning these words, and who certainly dealt with relationship breakdowns in every church he pastored.

I seem to be at that stage of life now where all my friends are getting divorced. I’ve long passed that stage where all my friends are having their 21st’s. And I’ve passed the stage where they are all getting married, and even the one where my friends are all having children. Now I’m up to the ‘all my friends are getting divorced’ stage. I suppose the only one left after this is the ‘all my friends are dying’ stage. Not much to look forward to really.

Of course in terms of divorce I led the way. I managed to stuff up my marriage long before almost any of my peers. It’s nothing to be proud of, but at least it means that no one needs fear that I’m going to judge them. Who me? I don’t think so.

The disturbing thing for me at the moment is that it seems to be all the couples that I’ve most looked up to as couples that are now falling apart as couples!

When it come to some of the couples I know – such as where the guy deliberately gets the girl pregnant because he figures that having a child will give him the motivation to give up is heroin habit – I sort of expect those marriages to last only a couple of years at best. And yet it’s not those couples that are falling apart. It’s the marriages made up of men I admire for their integrity and courage, who are married to women who are loyal, nurturing and understanding. And most of these people are good, solid, church-going Christian folk. It’s not supposed to happen this way!

I was talking to a girl recently whose relationship had only just broken up after some 20 years of marriage. She was not a part of the church and said that she’d never be. For her the final proof of the non-existence of God was the way in which men and women had evolved with an in-built incompatibility. Her analysis was simple but profound. Men have evolved as creatures that need only to eat and mate. Women have evolved as creatures that need to nurture and nestle. Hence, not surprisingly, we find that men can’t handle monogamy and that women can’t live without it. Marriages are thus biologically doomed to failure from the outset, and the statistics on modern marriages would seem to bear her out. How could a loving God have created men and women in such a way that they were genetically geared towards their mutual destruction?

It’s a good question. Every male knows that his biological drives are not geared towards monogamy ? not lifelong monogamy at any rate. Conversely, it is unrealistic to expect women to settle for anything less than monogamy in today’s society. Does this mean that God is cruel, or is there something in the whole marriage concept that we’ve missed?

I wonder if at the heart of the problem is the assumption that we all make? That marriage is supposed to make us happy. Indeed, I suspect that most of us believe that the institution of marriage was brought into being for the very purpose of making us happy.

Weren’t we all brought up to believe that love and marriage go together like horse and carriage, and that the phrase ‘they got married’ should generally be followed by the accompanying phrase ‘and they lived happily ever after’? Perhaps that’s the problem. Perhaps we need to look beyond musicals and fairy tales to find a basis for our adult relationships.

I don’t think any of us seriously imagines that our institution of marriage came about because some individual had a ‘bright idea’ one day about how he could make everybody happy. Marriage is a social institution, and social institutions are developed because they serve a social purpose, not because they bring personal fulfillment to certain individuals within the community. Whether or not you believe God created marriage makes no difference. If He did, God did it for the sake of the community as a whole and not for the sake satisfying every individual’s social, emotional and sexual needs.

It makes sense when you think about it. What is the purpose of marriage? To create a stronger society. Strong marriages create strong families who build a stronger community. Marriages contribute stability. They contribute structure. And most importantly, marriages contribute children.

Read through your Old Testament and you’ll get the feel for what marriage is all about. Marriage is all-important because without marriages there are no children and without children there is no army. This is why baby boys are more valued than are baby girls. This is why gays get such a hard time. This is why childlessness is such a curse, and why polygamy is a far better alternative than singleness. It’s not because the individuals involved prefer it that way. Marriages are there for the sake of the community first and foremost. If an individual finds satisfaction in his or her marriage, then that’s a bonus.

So how come every time someone says ‘I’m not happy in my marriage’ we treat it as if something is horribly wrong? If someone expresses dissatisfaction with other social institutions, such as the government or the taxation system.. we don’t normally get too worked up. Maybe it should be the other way round? Maybe when we hear someone speak of their joy in marriage we should react as if they were speaking of their love of Queen and country.. giving them a sort of quizzical smile that expresses admiration without empathy.

I suppose the truth is somewhere between these extremes. Nobody would deny that the institution of marriage can be of some assistance in helping us to satisfy our individual social, emotional, and sexual needs. The truth is though that no marriage is ever going to satisfy all of those needs and desires. We human beings just weren’t created to have all our needs for companionship, security and intimacy met by one other solitary individual. We need a community.

This brings us to the positive side of the marriage-community equation. Marriages exist for the sake of the community as a whole. That’s the bad news if you thought that your marriage existed for the sake of your individual happiness. On the other hand though, the community exists to meet those needs we all have as individuals. That’s the good news.

Our individual needs for companionship, security and intimacy can be met. They just can’t be met by one solitary person. We have to learn to draw upon the group for our sustenance, and find support and affection from a variety of people within the community. I think that’s a large part of what church is supposed to be about.

So where does this leave us? Is there any hope for the modern marriage? Not so long as people look to marriage as a means to making all their dreams come true. Not so long as individual men and women look to their partners to satisfy all of their social, emotional and sexual needs. Not so long as we demand that our marriages make us happy.

Yet what would happen if we all began to approach marriage in an entirely different way. What if we began to look at our marriages as being the most significant contribution we could make to the broader community?

What if we saw the importance of our roles as parents in terms of the great good that could be achieved in the community if we bring up our children to be strong and capable? What if we stopped assessing our partners and our children in terms of the amount of satisfaction they bring us, and were able to see those relationships as being our gifts to humanity? Perhaps then we’d find ourselves saying things like ‘well, I don’t get on brilliantly with my wife, but I think we’ve managed to achieve some fine things together and that the world is a better place for our union, and perhaps that’s more important than my individual happiness’.

OK. That’s a long way from where we’re currently at in this society, but I have a feeling that it would be a better place to be.

Dave Smith
http://www.articlesbase.com/marriage-articles/love-and-marriage-and-why-the-former-is-not-enough-for-the-latter-96908.html

While it may seem stereotypical, most girls enjoy many of the same styles of games. This is not to say these games are exclusive to females, or that these young women might not enjoy the same pursuits as boys. In general, however, it does seem that scores of girls flock to the same activities time and time again for very specific reasons.

Fantasy

Girls as young as toddlers love to act out fantasy lives and roles. Baby dolls and dress up clothes transform these girls to make-believe mothers and princesses in a split second. These games do not end with the school years. Young girls, and even young women, continue to enjoy creating fantasy characters and lives for recreation. Electronic “pets” and online personas take the place of the earlier dolls, but some versions of dolls continue to live on.

While Barbie might be blasé, girls in their teens still regularly discuss other forms of dolls. Online dress up games found on websites such as TheDollPalace.com offer these young ladies an opportunity to create fantastical creations in whatever style they desire. These games go far beyond a slightly complex coloring book. The dolls take on lives of their own, guided by these same girls who had tea parties with water in the teapot and imaginary cookies.

Multidimensional

Many of the more traditional games have a single dimension. You become a player or character and move through a predetermined number of spaces or levels. Girls might enjoy these games, but they revel in opportunities to move beyond the basics. By incorporating relationships, choices, and strategy in a game, girls are much more involved and gain much more.

For many girls, it is not about winning or even advancing. The storylines and relationships between characters can be enough to keep them coming back for more. In many games appealing to girls, both online and off, characters are developed with stories and personalities of their own. Rarely is a game marketed to young women with faceless entities racking up points in one way or another.

Friendly

Girls like competition, but most prefer it to be friendly. For most females, regardless of age, the relationship is more crucial than the victory. If two girls are engaged in a contest online, they are more likely to praise the other’s creation or efforts than tear anyone down. This is especially true when a young lady exposes herself to opinions by sharing some of her own work or thoughts.

For example, doll websites, such as TheDollPalace.com, offer competitions and contests between girls to create certain styles of dolls or even stories about their creations. Rather than criticize or insult the competing stories, most girls offer praise or positive comments. There are rarely sore losers, either.

While not all girl games remain friendly, the vast majority of girls enjoy games without the rougher elements of more traditional competition. Overall, girls may enjoy the same activities as their male counterparts, but it will usually be for different reasons. Girls play games for fun, of course. To be fun, however, these games must appeal to girls on many different levels.

Ajay R (articlesubmit.net)
http://www.articlesbase.com/hobbies-articles/games-girls-play-91305.html

There are many different areas of planning when it comes to a baby shower. However, the theme is one of the most important because everything about the party is predicated on the theme that you pick. With all the different themes that you can pick, it could be hard to nail down just one.

However, once you have a theme everything will come easier. You can finally pick out the invitations and the decorations for the party.

Here are some ideas on themes for a baby shower:

1. Noah’s Ark: This has been a popular theme recently for babies. This includes many different pictures and toys from the Noah’s Ark themed items. This is an especially cute idea of the parents expecting twins. The guests can bring two of everything, this way both babies will be getting presents.

2. Teddy bears: What baby isn’t going to love a small plush teddy bear? And the good thing is that you can buy teddy bears anywhere and in all sizes. The teddy bears can be center pieces and have balloons tied to him so they won’t fly away. Teddy bears could also be a cute prize. You don’t have to buy the teddy bears either. Invite the guests to bring in their cutest teddy bears as a way to celebrate.

3. Diapers: All babies need diapers. They will probably go through diapers more than any other thing they are going to own, therefore parents can never have enough. The organizer can decorate with diapers such as having a diaper cake. You can get diapers with different colors or different designs. If you want, include on the invitation that every guest bring a package of diapers. This gift will go a long way for the parents.

4. Stars: This theme can be very pretty depending on how you style the area of the party. You can have silvery streamers, hang stars from the ceiling or have glow in the dark stars. Stars can symbolize a lot such as birth and longevity. You can also have the guests wish on stars and write down what they hope for the baby.

5. Storybook character: Storybook characters are great for themes. It is easy to find the picture for the character this might be one of the easier decorating jobs you can have. There are so many different characters to choose from that you can pick a group of characters as well.

Boy-Based Themes

6. Sports: If the parents are into sports, the theme of the party could be baseball, football or any other sport that the family loves. You could have balloons shaped as balls or a cake in the shape of a sports design. Sports are popular among boys, although some girls could get this theme as well.

7. Racecars: Little boys love cars. You can have a racecar theme if the parents are expecting a boy. You can use little cars as a way to decorate the tables. You can also ask for presents that are related to racing.

Girl-Based Themes

8. Princess: If someone is expecting a girl, a princess theme could be appropriate. The entire baby shower could have a fairy tale setting. The centerpieces could be of miniature castles. The prizes given out for gifts could be crowns or tiaras for the guests. The mom-to-be could sit in a throne-like chair. There are many different ways to play with this theme.

9. Fairies: If you are having an outdoor party, you might want to consider a fairy them. This will make the party feel as though it is being held someplace else than just someone’s backyard. Create a fairy wonderland and have decorations that are related to the outdoors. You can use tiny fairy wings or butterflies to decorate the area to keep in theme with the party.

Abhishek Agarwal
http://www.articlesbase.com/babies-articles/9-baby-shower-themes-how-to-throw-the-best-party-740175.html

Baby showers can be stressful events. There are just so much to worry about. You have to worry about guest lists, food, location, themes, etc. That is why some parents find baby showers overwhelming. But baby showers are meant to be happy occasions, so there is no need to worry yourself sick over the event. If there is undue stress, simply hire or find more help. Or you can reduce the scale of your baby shower so that there are less items to handle.

To help make the planning easier, perhaps it is a good idea to organize your baby shower around a theme. When you have a theme, you will never be short of ideas. It is like having a compass that points to true north all the time. All your decisions will become much easier. For example, if you choose a pirate theme, you will know what sort of design to use for the invitation cards, and what type of decorations to put up. That will help speed things up. The whole planning process then becomes a lot more fun. Here are some common themes that you can look at.

Princess theme.

There are many childhood stories about princesses. If your baby is a little girl, you may wish to adopt this theme. This is a very fun theme. You can dress your little baby in a cute little princess-like dress, and put a small little crown on her head. You may then decorate the venue and make it look like a castle. Use pink ribbons, pretty balloons, and elegant looking laces.

The knight theme.

If you have a little boy, you can’t adopt the princess theme. You will then have to consider other themes such as the knight theme. This is another fun theme that children will come to love. You can hand out masks, and children can pretend to be knights as they join in the games. They will be shrieking with joy and laughter and the whole event will be a joyful and successful one.

A cartoon theme.

You little baby may show an affection for a cartoon character. There are many popular cartoon characters these days – Pooh bear, Dino the purple dinosaur, Elmo, etc. Choose the one that your baby likes best. From then on, your invitation cards, decorations, food, etc. can all take after the cartoon character. You can even play cartoon theme music during the baby shower. This will help lighten the mood and both adults and children will enjoy the event even more.

An adult theme.

Children love pretend games. You can send a message in your invitation cards, letting everyone know that all children should come in formal suits and dresses. For once, they can pretend to be adults! Surely, they will look forward to attend the baby shower with their parents.

When a theme is chosen, there is more focus. Planning for the baby shower thus becomes a piece of cake. There is a higher chance that the event will be fun. But that doesn’t mean that the planning process has to be painful. It can be fun too!

Gen Wright
http://www.articlesbase.com/accessories-articles/how-to-choose-a-theme-for-your-baby-shower-685106.html

Bath time with your little one is usually a fun-filled experience for both of you. Having the right accessories can make the experience even more fun. One of the must-haves in infant bath gear is the baby hooded towel. There are plenty of adorable designs available and you are sure to create moments that are picture perfect.

One of my personal favorite baby hooded towel is the classic duck design. This makes a great gift whether you have a boy or a girl and it is such an adorable addition to your rubber ducky and ducky robe. The yellow color is unisex and the baby hooded towel can be handed down from one sibling to the next.

The ducky design is a true favorite for many parents but some parents want to opt for designs that are a little unique. Just about everyone has seen a cute infant in an adorable ducky baby hooded towel at one point or another. Some parents may want to try something a bit different for their little one.

There are plenty of options available in the baby hooded towel designs and you are sure to find one that suits your tastes as well as your little one’s unique personality. While the ducky design will always have appeal, others designs are coming to the forefront as well. The baby hooded towel is versatile and it comes in an array of colors and themes.

I recently purchased a baby hooded towel for my niece. Her mother chose a flower design for her little girl and I have to admit that my ducky design pales in comparison. The pink flower seats around the baby’s head making the infant’s face the center of the flower. Its petals surround the chubby cheeks and the whole thing comes together in a way that is nothing less than adorable.

The flower design is really different and colorful. It is also very girly which has its appeal as well. My sister-in-law has sent me several pictures of her daughter’s after bath time apparel. This baby hooded towel is a new classic in our family. We have a lot of pictures to prove it.

Some parents may want something a little more understated. When it comes to bath time the infants are so cute that they really don’t need much help. The perfect baby hooded towel is really made of good quality material rather than adorable designs. The cute patterns do have a great impact, though.

Ann Marier
http://www.articlesbase.com/advice-articles/baby-hooded-towel-makes-an-ideal-present-for-your-friends-baby-122381.html