How many times have you taken pictures of your pregnant belly? Once or twice? Every week of gestation? Every month? Or you do it in a very special way?

Today I have the pleasure of letting you know about these beautiful pictures.

The first is ScienceWoman, a post-doctoral researcher who is expecting her first child in January. Oww, that 33-week pregnant belly looks amazing!

And you will also love these pictures of Lara Swimmer when she was on her eighth month. The artistic ones you shouldn’t miss!

And…. this BREATHTAKING shot! Is it real?? Thanks so much for sharing this “Baby in Belly” picture, Cici aka Queen Hootin n Hollerin!

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), every year, about 800,000 Americans look for medical attention for dog bites. Half of these are kids. Among those injured, almost 50%, require treatment in an emergency department and about a dozen die. Children ages 5 to 9 years have the highest rate of dog bite-related injuries. Most of the injuries are to the head or neck region.

Having a dog in the family is a wonderful thing. It can be your companion, your best friend. But, you should beware that it can also be a problem if you’re not careful, especially if you have children in the house. Tell the kids in the first place, if you plan to have a dog, or to introduce them to dogs, about how they should act when they are with a dog.

No matter if the dog is yours or your neighbor’s, or especially a stranger’s, it can bite. That is the point. Remember that dogs can bite if they feel threatened by new circumstances or strangers.

Before you plan to have a dog, below are some things to consider first:
1. Consult with a professional, for example a veterinarian or a responsible breeder, and get information about which suitable breeds for your household.
2. If your children are afraid of dogs, it’s best to delay getting it.
3. Always be cautious that you should never leave your children and infants alone with a dog.
4. Spend some time with a dog before you decide to buy or adopt it.
5. Get professional advice immediately if the dog shows aggressive behavior.

If you still want to know more about dog bites, Chicky Chicky Baby has a very helpful post. There are also some tips on how to prevent dog bites in her blog entry. Thank you for sharing this great information, CCB…
Save your children from dog bites!

Have you ever left your child in a car ALONE? My suggestion is NEVER EVER do that again…

Jerry Wightman has an almost-tragic story of a woman who left her sixteen-month old in a back-seat of the car with car keys.

Between the time of the mother shutting the back door and opening the front door, the little child pushed the “lock” button.

And that was not ‘enough’, since the heat at that time was about 110 deg F!

You can read the whole story in his blog.

But please read these car-keys safety tips first…

1. never let your children hold the car keys
2. never leave them in the car unattended
3. always make sure that you have everything ready before putting your children into the car
4. keep spare keys of your car, and your house as well
5. keep the car keys out of reach and sight of your children
6. if a child gets locked in a car and cannot get out, call 911 immediately

Thank you for sharing the story, Mr. Wightman.

It’s your baby’s meal time! Have you tried this one?

It’s oatmeal porridge with cheese, carrots, and spinach…

This recipe is absolutely very easy to make.

Ingredients:
50 mg cooked oatmeal
125 ml milk/formula
75 g spinach
50 g carrot
100 ml water
40 g grated cheese

How to make:
- Wash carrots and spinach.
- Grate the carrots and boil in water.
- When carrots are half-done, cut the spinach into smaller parts then boil together with carrots.
- Take a bowl then mix cooked-oatmeal with milk/formula and the boiled spinach-carrots.
- Add grated cheese on the top of the porridge.

Umm… yummy and healthy…. Enjoy your meal, baby!

Building or buying a house does not stop in the selection of its design. Providing it with security system is absolutely important. Have you completed your house with it?

This article you’ll see below provides valuable information about home security that you should not miss.

Top Ten House Alarm and Home Security Devices
By Boyd Norwood

A man’s home is his castle, as the saying goes. But homes today don’t normally feature ramparts, drawbridges, moats and six-foot thick stone walls to keep out unwanted visitors. Today, a house alarm, and preferably a managed home security system, is needed to ensure your home’s security. Not only does installing a home security system improve the safety of your family and possessions, but it can also decrease your home insurance costs. The Top Ten House Alarm and Home Security Devices list highlights ten devices and features of home security systems that can make your house a safer place.

The Top Ten

10. Talking Devices help you to understand the status of your home and monitoring as well as program the system. Some security systems feature talking master control panels, key pads or remotes. The talking feature may not result in great conversation, but it will help you understand your system a little better.

9. Some home alarm systems include extras like Key Fobs and Remotes to control the system at a distance. Somewhat similar to a car’s key fob, home security key fobs include buttons to activate and deactivate the house alarm system. Some even include a “panic” button that activates the house alarm and alerts the proper authorities in the event of an emergency. Remote controls are similar and often larger. The features of remotes vary greatly and can include a full key pad, a talking feature and a panic button as well.

8. Yard Signs and House or Window Decals advertise your home’s protection. The Greenwich Study of Residential Security found that homes without alarms were 2.7 to 3.5 times more likely to be burglarized, and that the most effective deterrent was the alarm monitoring company’s yard sign (SIA Research Update, Security Industry Association, October 2001). Some choose to post the signs to deter possible break-ins without actually installing a home alarm system. While this effort will lower the odds of an attempted burglary, a yard sign alone cannot fully protect your home.

7. A Back-Up Power Supply is important in maintaining home security even during a power outage, when the risk of break-ins and looting is increased. Your home alarm should be effective even when your power is not. The easiest to maintain back-up power supplies use standard size batteries. Look for a model that uses rechargeable batteries to lower your maintenance costs. (more…)

Preterm Birth Rate Continues Rise; March Of Dimes Calls For Congress To Pass PREEMIE Act
“The preterm birth rate edged up again, continuing a nearly 25 year trend. Preliminary statistics released today by National Center for Health Statistics showed that the number of babies born before 37 weeks completed gestation was more than 520,000 last year, raising the preterm birth rate to 12.7 percent of all births, the fifth consecutive annual increase.”

Parents Reminded To Monitor Infants’ Fluoride Consumption
“The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced it will permit bottlers to make claims that fluoridated water may reduce the risk of tooth decay. The FDA’s decision means bottlers may now claim what dentists have long known — that optimally fluoridated water helps prevent tooth decay.”