It’s a boy! Last month Mabel, a 4-year-old pygmy hippopotamus at the San Diego Zoo gave birth to her first calf. This is the first successful pygmy hippo birth at the zoo in more than 30 years.
The male pygmy hippo calf was born just before 9 a.m. on Apr. 9, and weighed 12.4 pounds.
The zoo announced the birth on May 15 in recognition of Endangered Species Day. The zoo said, the calf, which has not been named, is meeting and surpassing milestones, including the ability to go underwater.
There are fewer than 2,500 pygmy hippos living in rivers and streams in the forest of West Africa, and their species are threatened by logging, farming and human settlement in their habitat according the the announcement on the zoo’s website.
Soccer stars Alex Morgan and Servando Carrasco welcomed their first child. Morgan announced the birth of her daughter, Charlie Elena Carrasco, via social media. Charlie was born on May 7 at 11:30 a.m., weighing 8 pounds, 5 ounces.
“She made us wait longer than expected, but I should have known she would do it her way and her way only. My super moon baby,” Morgan wrote on Instagram.
The litany of challenges facing teens in today’s modern culture mocks the floodwaters of generations past. Public is the new private for adolescents. Hard to fathom swimming in such shark infested waters when already weighed down by insecurities, body changes, and conflicting self-awareness. As a veteran teen raiser, I’m amazed by the tenacity exhibited by the Millennial population considering the ill-effects of growing up in a projector screen society.
Making matters worse is the fact teens are crazy. Not an insult, but a scientific statement. The frontal lobe of a human brain, the thing in our head capable of discerning, “If I do this, then that will happen”, doesn’t reach full development until the late twenties. Quite a ca ca meme scheme drummed up by our Creator. What was he thinking allowing a parent’s worst nightmare to coincide with a parent’s worst nightmare, i.e. teenager AND non-working brain?
Pff.
As a mom who at one point housed three cards short of a full deck under her roof at the same time, I found little solace in the irony. Until I did. Rapid cycling emotions and bewildering fads aside, teenagers have more of a grip on the world than adults give them credit for.
After being a teen, raising a teen offers an enlightening juxtaposition of reason. As a parent, you have the benefit of wisdom and experience; bi-products of evolved forward-thinking. The knowledge both snares you with exasperation when your teen does something stupid, and strokes you with benevolence when considering your jaded past. But because you can better see Yellowstone beyond the pine in your face, when your kid cries, “Uh, I never thought of that”, it’s easy to fume, “How on earth could you not see this coming?”
Choosing to accept the third world make-up of our teen’s brain gives them some leeway to screw up. And screw-up they will. On repeat. Just like we did. Multiple times over.
Today’s teens face temptations, communication mediums, and generational juggernauts leap years ahead of the challenges present in the seventies and eighties. The narcissistic pretense of instant everything, evil of streaming porn, and ever-widening availability of addictive substances on neighborhood street corners creates a vacuum of disasters waiting to happen. And this is only the short list of crouching lions looking to pounce on a teen’s well-being.
Becoming wise to the nuances of the current teen streetscape helped me recognize my parent pride and ignorance. My husband and I chose to build a bridge between our personal teen experience and our kids harrowing reality. Because teens can sniff out a hypocrite a magnificent mile away, we were transparent about our mistakes, poor choices, and misguided pursuits. Walking across the plank towards independence “together” built rock-solid trust between us.
Teens also endure a perpetual balancing act on the high wire of change. Hormonal, emotional, physical, spiritual, relational, communal, psychological metamorphosis all coalesce on the road from dependence to independence. The upheaval creates an even greater need for teens to love and be loved. A longing which, at a genuine level, requires depth and certitude, honesty and freedom—all things grossly contorted in the era of technology.
The 24/7 world of texting, snapping, posting, and tweeting about everybody’s business shallows even the best-intentioned waters. The incessant cyber gibber and constant contact waters down and glosses over authentic relationship. The result is a cesspool of insecurity reflecting the illusion of meaningful connection.
Observing my teens navigate these waters weighed on my heart. I grew to appreciate the vital importance of the following truths:
Today’s adolescents need caring adults to model authentic communication; a give and take of listening and sharing based on trust and appreciation. The teenage brain functions in the now. Therefore, it is imperative to express our gratitude, acceptance, understanding, and compassion today even if we are still fuming over their failures, mishaps, and antics tomorrow. We need to meet our teen right where they are, not where we hope they will be or wish they were already. Teenagers desire to be known for who they are, what they stand for, and what they believe whether we agree or not. Even though their journey of self-awareness is still ongoing, accepting them at each step along the way breeds hope.
Parenting through teendom transformed me into the woman I am today. The footprint I leave on the world will include, in large part, the influence of my beautiful kids in their most difficult years. The mini battles around expectations, drawn-out wars over rules, peer drama, emotional storms, adversity et al, and haphazard mania refined my spirit. And the blessing of raising them is a purified soul.
The reality is, raising teens made be a better human. For years leading up to this stage, I worried and vexed and grayed while assuming the formidable stage would be a disaster. I thought for sure I’d fail as a mom and screw up my miracles for good. Until I didn’t. Thank you, the mystique of prayers, Goose over ice, and God’s grace.
Enjoy your teens. Learn from them. Love them hard. Pray for them harder.
If you’re a migraine sufferer and take over-the-counter meds, GlaxoSmithKline’s recent announcement may apply to you. The company has temporarily stopped production of Excedrin Extra Strength and Excedrin Migraine products.
Why has GlaxoSmithKline halted production of the popular pills? Inconsistencies in how the manufacturer transferred and weighed ingredients were found in both products. While GlaxoSmithKline doesn’t believe the migraine medications pose a safety risk right now, the current halt in production is a precaution as the company resolves the inconsistency issues.
HEADS UP: "Through routine quality control and assurance measures, we discovered inconsistencies in how we transfer and weigh ingredients for Excedrin Extra Strength Caplets and Geltabs, and Excedrin Migraine Caplets and Geltabs." https://t.co/NhS9p9Aw5p
In an emailed statement to Red Tricycle, a representative from GSK said, “Patient safety and product quality are our utmost priorities at GSK. Through routine quality control and assurance measures, we discovered inconsistencies in how we transfer and weigh ingredients for Excedrin Extra Strength Caplets and Geltabs and Excedrin Migraine Caplets and Geltabs. Based on the available data, GSK believes that the product does not pose a safety risk to consumers. However, as a precautionary measure, GSK Consumer Healthcare has voluntarily implemented a temporary discontinuation of production and distribution.”
As a result of the product discontinuation stores have pulled both migraine medications from their shelves. If you’re not sure what to do about your migraines, the GSK statement continued, “This is a short term issue for which we expect production to begin again shortly. In the meantime, other Excedrin products are available along with other pain-relieving drugs, but dosages may differ. Consumers should consult their pharmacist for the most suitable alternative product.”
Consumers should also contact their physician or other medical professional before choosing a new migraine medication or treatment.
The Today Show family just got a new addition as co-anchor Dylan Dreyer gave birth to her second baby.
Dreyer’s husband Brian Fichera shared the news welcoming their new baby boy on Instagram. Oliver George was born Jan. 2 weighing seven pounds two ounces and measuring 19 inches. The sweet post featured mom and dad sharing a kiss with their newest arrival snuggled between them.
The couple already shares a three-year-old son, Calvin. It was a long road for the new family of four as Dreyer was candid about the challenges they faced getting pregnant a second time, including a miscarriage.
“I just want to kiss him every second,” Dreyer said as she called into the Today Show to discuss the exciting news, “Everything just clicked. … Everything about it just feels right.”
Visitors to Seattle’s famous Space Needle can now get a look at a mini version thanks to the new LEGO Space Needle.
Standing at 14 feet tall and weighing 150 pounds the LEGO Space Needle now has a permanent home in the Space Needle’s gift shop called Spacebase. The model, which took 55,000 bricks to build, is meticulously crafted in the image of the real Space Needle as it appeared for the 1962 World’s Fair.
The model is composed almost entirely of white, orange, gold and black LEGO parts, all colors that were included in the original Space Needle. The LEGO creation was first erected at BrickCon 2012 by Wayne Hussey, model creator and BrickCon Director, along with fellow builders Carlyle Livingston II and Tom Gafert.
Hussey set to work rebuilding the model for display at Seattle’s Space Needle in early November and it’s now complete and ready to view. This latest creation includes some famous minifigure faces, like Batman, Santa and Mrs. Claus, as well as some Space Needle window washers, all peering down from the observation deck.
It can be stressful and disappointing when your pregnancy doesn’t go exactly as you plan. When Kelsey Brewer was placed on bed rest her husband decided to fill in for her maternity shoot and the photos are epic.
The photographer, Kiana Smither of K.M. Smither Photography, who also happens to be Kelsey’s sister, agreed to help Jared––and the results are incredible.
The photos helped the couple commemorate the special occasion, but more importantly, they helped cheer up Kelsey. “My husband has been a total rock through this whole process and even managed to get with my sister to take these AMAZING PHOTOS! That I will literally cherish for the rest of my life!!” she shared in a Facebook post. “Thank you so much Kiana Whitney Smither for capturing these images of my amazing husband! I can’t wait to watch you work your magic once our sweet boy is here!
The photos, which Kiana shared to Facebook have gone viral, racking up thousands of likes and shares. “We did not expect these photos to go viral at all,” Kiana told HuffPost. “Everyone loves them! The laughter that Jared has brought to all of these people is incredible.”
As HuffPost reports, the couple’s son, Kash Cooper, arrived Saturday at 11:05 a.m. weighing 4 pounds and 5 ounces. There are sure to be some amazing family photos in their future.
When it comes to car seats, you always want what is safest and most comfortable for your little ones. Britax has long been a trusted brand for parents and now investing in a seat will get you more bang for your buck thanks to the first ever Britax all-in-one car seat.
The new Britax One4Life is the first all-in-one car seat with the ClickTight Installation designed to be used for 10 years. Yes, really! Imagine never needing more than one car seat from the time your babies are born up to 120 pounds. That’s exactly the kind of money-saving awesomeness this new car seat provides.
“After years of research, development and testing, we’re excited to bring the Britax-exclusive safety features like ClickTight and SafeCell to the all-in-one car seat category,” said Kinsey Johnson, Britax Product Manager. “The new One4Life provides a truly customizable seat, based on the needs of each family, offering great value and peace of mind for parents of growing children.”
Designed to keep young riders safe at all ages, the Britax One4Life transitions easily between several modes, from a rear-facing seat for infants and extended rear-facing toddlers (for children weighing 5-50 lbs.), to a forward-facing 5-point harness seat (22-65 lbs.) and finally to to a high-back belt-positioning booster seat (40-120lbs.).
The seat will be available in stores this fall and will feature five fabric selections, including naturally flame-retardant SafeWash. In early 2020 it will also be available in three additional performance fabrics (Cool Flow Teal, Cool N Dry, Spark). The Britax One4Life will be priced starting at $364.99.
Nick Jr.’s preschool fave is about to make it’s big return! The network recently tweeted a preview of the first episode of Blue’s Clues & You!—and it includes both Steve and Joe.
The highly-anticipated children’s show reboot debuts Nov. 11 at 9 a.m. ET. Even though the first episode is still months away, the preview clip will give your kiddo a sneak peek into the series.
You're going to need to sit in your Thinking Chair for this news: Steve and Joe will be in the first episode of Blue's Clues & You! Check out this clip as they return to help Josh play his very first Blue's Clues 🐶💙🖍️ pic.twitter.com/qcGgDDv9c0
Along with new host, Josh (played by Joshua Dela Cruz), Blue’s Clues & You! will feature new CG animation for Blue and Magenta, an updated Handy Dandy Notebook (with smartphone technology), a new Handy Dandy Guitar and two brand-new characters—Mr. Salt and Mrs. Pepper’s twins Sage and Ginger.
So what do fans of the show think of the sneak peek and the inclusion of Steve and Joe? Adult Blues-enthusiasts weighed in with one Twitter user commenting, “I can’t believe it! You actually did it! You got Steve and Joe to come back one last time! I’m so happy! I can tell that this reboot is gonna be amazing!”
Another commenter tweeted, “Steve and Joe have made many childhoods in the original Blue’s Clues series and I know for a fact Josh will do the same for the newer generation of young children in this nostalgic revival.”
Your kiddo can watch Blue’s Clues & You!, starting Nov. 11, on Nick Jr., NickJr.com, the Nick Jr. App and Nick Jr. On Demand.
On Jun. 17 the couple expanded their family with a addition of a baby girl, which Lochte shared with his followers on Instagram. The sweet photo of the proud dad holding his new baby, while big brother smiles over them was captioned, “Miracle #2 witnessed. She is perfect in every way!”
Their daughter, who joins the couple’s son, two-year-old Caiden Zane, is named Liv Rae Lochte. She was born at 10:20 a.m. weighing 7 lbs., 8 oz. and measuring 20 inches long.
