Sparkling Adventures in Child Neglect - "Gayby" is Born!

[ViolaSebastian]

is the baby a redhead?

Ben (one of the fathers) mentioned on his public facebook that little Daniel has reddish-brown hair. So it's to be determined, it sounds like.

[NellieBell]

I am so glad that the two articles were posted about the effects on the fetus of negative and stressful emotions of the mother. I have suspected for a very long time that my mother's undiagnosed and willful non treatment of her depression affected me, along with the pack a day smoking and copious coffee drinking. I was told that she didn't want anymore kids after my older brother and that I was an unhappy accident. Then six months into her pregnancy with me - her father whom she adored - died from a massive heart attack. She mourned for years. On the day I was born I turned from normal head down to breech, which she delivered naturally. The cord was wrapped around my neck, I was born blue and it took them some time to get me to breathe. It was mass chaos in the delivery room as I understand it.

I don't know how much (if any) of her extreme moods affected me but I intend to look into it. Thank you so much for mentioning it.

[16strong]

And the Godwin award goes to Annasopinion! Congratulations on bringing the discussion to its lowest point!

Oh, you literally made me choke on my dinner. :lol: Brava! :clap:

[Mama Mia]

{L_MESSAGE_HIDDEN}:

she has another post up on tsu. this is what she says:

"i'm continually surprised at how the vulnerability that i've offered in my online writings polarise readers and lead people to make assumptions that are completely false. i wrote honestly about how i felt with pnd after elijah's birth. The duration of my depression plus the fact that i self-diagnosed and successfully combated it has been largely ignored by those who wish to simply label me as mentally unstable. i believe that my success in handling this short bout of pnd plus my proven strong mental state following the death of elijah and incarceration of david have demonstrated that i am capable of consciously processing the dark times and re-emerging in an attitude of hope. in a personal update, i haven't yet descended into the cliched baby blues. i wonder if the twice-daily placenta pills really have staved off the stereotypical weepy days or if it's still coming. we'll see.

What bugs me about this post is what bugs me about the entire situation. She seems just completely oblivious that she can't possibly know how this will impact all four of her daughters. Who happen to be four individual people. With their own beliefs, thoughts and emotions. And that as their MOTHER, it was just a huge, unnecessary risk that one or more of them would be completely devastated by the surrogacy and loss of another baby brother. Maybe they will all be just fine with it, I really, truly, hope that's the case. But there is no way she could know that for sure when making that decision. Just like she can't know if any of the girls are suffering now because of it. Because she isn't them. parents who don't get that drive me nuts.

[Blahblah]

She is a narcissist. The world revolves around her. Her perceptions of others are only in the context of how they relate to her. Explains everything.

[August]

Mama mia, she's not their MOTHER, she's Lauren, a travelling companion. Remember? The title/name mother is not a priveledge and bond, it's chains and obligation. She doesn't want all of that. She's just fulfilling a legal requirement.

[Miggy]

A link came up on my Facebook today to Lauren's blog about shopping for car seats and groceries in Denmark.

Lauren thinks shopping trolleys with coin locks are some weird Danish thing. Not at all like Australia where we have paid people to collect the trolleys and bring them back inside. I read this to my whole family who found it hysterical. Apparently our town, which we thought was in rural Australia, is actually Danish. In fact, apparently all of the Central West of NSW is Danish.

*I don't care what Lauren thinks but I do care what those little girls learn.

[NotALoserLikeYou]

I was just looking at her instagram but I had to stop because I started getting bitter about how she gets to travel the world and I don't.

[VGL]

A link came up on my Facebook today to Lauren's blog about shopping for car seats and groceries in Denmark.

Lauren thinks shopping trolleys with coin locks are some weird Danish thing. Not at all like Australia where we have paid people to collect the trolleys and bring them back inside. I read this to my whole family who found it hysterical. Apparently our town, which we thought was in rural Australia, is actually Danish. In fact, apparently all of the Central West of NSW is Danish.

*I don't care what Lauren thinks but I do care what those little girls learn.

Here in my part of Suburban Canada, our discount grocery stores are Danish aparently.

[August]

Fucking sparkles dickhead took her kids in the hire car to buy seats. And she doesn't have the older two in boosters at home, and the younger two are in boosters (ages 9,8,6,4, right). Should be booster, booster, booster/harness depending on maturity and harness.

A link came up on my Facebook today to Lauren's blog about shopping for car seats and groceries in Denmark.

Lauren thinks shopping trolleys with coin locks are some weird Danish thing. Not at all like Australia where we have paid people to collect the trolleys and bring them back inside. I read this to my whole family who found it hysterical. Apparently our town, which we thought was in rural Australia, is actually Danish. In fact, apparently all of the Central West of NSW is Danish.

*I don't care what Lauren thinks but I do care what those little girls learn.

I read that as her being surpised that you had to go outside to get them rather than get them inside the store. I'm surprised at that, too. You'd think they'd have enough snow in Denmark that they'd need to be inside. I'm not sure which I take for granted, actually, inside or outside, maybe I've lived enough places that I'm eternally unsettled and look everywhere? But, I always forget at TJs and have to go back outside to get one, and always hate the cold handles if I don't have gloves on. So maybe I expect them to be inside. These are the little quirks which amuse me about moving and travelling.

[Lissa1481]

There are several new posts up. Looks like she will back date a bunch soon.

[August]

OK, my head just fully fully exploded. Pic of the kids skaing for the first time ever, leaning on frames, obv very very unsteady. She's got a helmet on the younger kid, the older one (equally unsteady) is helmetless. I know, I know, saw blades on moving high forklift tray. But still, how did the rink people hand over skates and frame and NOT helmet???

[Belugaloo]

OK, my head just fully fully exploded. Pic of the kids skaing for the first time ever, leaning on frames, obv very very unsteady. She's got a helmet on the younger kid, the older one (equally unsteady) is helmetless. I know, I know, saw blades on moving high forklift tray. But still, how did the rink people hand over skates and frame and NOT helmet???

Hm.. Maybe it is just me but I went ice skating all the time when I was little and I never wore a helmet.

[browncoatslytherin]

{L_MESSAGE_HIDDEN}:

new post on tsu is talking about getting ready to leave iceland. she said, "we've been packing in the outings as we quickly run out of time in iceland." not sure what they're running out of time for...visas, maybe? i've only ever visited canada, so i have no clue how international travel works. she also said "i haven't yet booked out on-flight out of the country to the uk - i'm waiting for the final step of paperwork to be processed for baby dv before i do so." so, from this, it looks like she really is handing him over for good. so far. hopefully it involves signing over all rights to him so she can't change her mind and come back for him.

[Mango]

Hm.. Maybe it is just me but I went ice skating all the time when I was little and I never wore a helmet.

Same here. I usually see plenty to snark on with Lauren, but I don't think this is really a terribly reasonable thing to snark? I know some kids' parents choose to do this, but I know a lot more who don't. I have friends who teach skating and it's pretty darn unusual in their class photos, too.

[August]

Hm.. Maybe it is just me but I went ice skating all the time when I was little and I never wore a helmet.

And you rode your bike without one, and you bounced around the asbestos lined car unrestrained while your parents smoked their lungs out, as did I. But now we know better, and we particularly know better about small frequent head injuries. Watch your kids skating. The fall all. the. time, they bump their heads all. the. time. Evidence says it's waaaaay more important to wear a helmet skating than biking or sledding. Those small bumps can be really really serious.

Some recommendations, from before we knew about the effect of undiagnosed concussions and frequent small bumps

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16882806

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15231918

[Trynn]

I've been to a lot of skating rinks, and the kids never had helmets. I don't think it's that uncommon.

[Coco]

The Rainbow Festival they went to in Sept. just looks so smelly. :? i guess if they're used to it, they're not bothered, but wow.

and this photo of Lauren:

She is so beautiful. I wonder if she'd be so happy living this way if she wasn't naturally beautiful and, i'm sure, getting a lot of attention in the sea of unwashed (and- just have to say it- unattractive) other rainbow people.

[ladyaudley]

And you rode your bike without one, and you bounced around the asbestos lined car unrestrained while your parents smoked their lungs out, as did I.

I rode my bike with a helmet, I always wore a seatbelt, always wore sunscreen and my parents' idea of a snack was a slice of bread. I still never ever wore a helmet when iceskating (or skiing, for that matter). I'm 26. More and more kids (and adults!) now wear helmets for skiing and that makes sense (just look at what happened to Schuhmacher and he *was* wearing one!), but for ice skating without one I really can't snark on her.

[tigerchild]

Around here (in a very tony safety conscious area) you're required to wear a helmet for inline skating (Actually full protective gear!), but not regular roller skating and most people don't. Helmets for skiing seem to be the norm now for kids and a good number of adults. You'll get ticketed if you ride without one on your bike. But I've never seen anyone wear them ice skating unless it was at a hockey game.

Before I'm accused of riding unsecured in the back of a pickup truck with a topper on it (true), boating without a lifejacket (regularly), or laying down in the back of the station wagon with a jury rigged mini tv in front of my face attached to the cigarette lighter (also true, not sure how my uncle pulled that one off) when I was young--I don't think the helmets for ice skating are as ubiquitous as one might think. I bet things might be different here vs. like MN or something though.

I would think most places that can possibly get away with it don't provide helmets with skate rentals because of the cost of storage and/or lice mainetance it involves. Just if your liability requires it. When the insurance companies require it (I'm pretty sure that's what the in line skating thing is, not out of the goodness of their hearts) then it'll be done.

[2xx1xy1JD]

And you rode your bike without one, and you bounced around the asbestos lined car unrestrained while your parents smoked their lungs out, as did I. But now we know better, and we particularly know better about small frequent head injuries. Watch your kids skating. The fall all. the. time, they bump their heads all. the. time. Evidence says it's waaaaay more important to wear a helmet skating than biking or sledding. Those small bumps can be really really serious.

Some recommendations, from before we knew about the effect of undiagnosed concussions and frequent small bumps

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16882806

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15231918

I never used a helmet for skating or cycling as a kid, but they are standard now. When you know better, you do better.

ETA: Standard for basic instructional skating in Ontario, Canada.

For hockey, the current standard isn't just a helmet, but one with a face mask.

City of Toronto makes helmets mandatory for their Learn to Skate programs. http://www1.toronto.ca/parks/prd/skating/reg/learn/

They are also mandatory for recreational skating for those under age 6. http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/conte ... d60f89RCRD

[Maggie Mae]

I've never seen anyone ice skate with a helmet. (Other than hockey, of course) I rarely see kids climb with helmets unless it's outside. On the flip side, I very rarely see anyone on a bike without a helmet.

[nelliebelle1197]

And you rode your bike without one, and you bounced around the asbestos lined car unrestrained while your parents smoked their lungs out, as did I. But now we know better, and we particularly know better about small frequent head injuries. Watch your kids skating. The fall all. the. time, they bump their heads all. the. time. Evidence says it's waaaaay more important to wear a helmet skating than biking or sledding. Those small bumps can be really really serious.

Some recommendations, from before we knew about the effect of undiagnosed concussions and frequent small bumps

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16882806

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15231918

You know, if this was anyone other than Lauren, I might not 1000000% agree with you. But since her dreds play a larger role in her life than her children and the likelihood she would pay attention to a bleeding child on the ice is nil as the blood and gaping hole would be so AUTHENTIC, I refuse to give her a pass on this one.

[Mama Mia]

You know, if this was anyone other than Lauren, I might not 1000000% agree with you. But since her dreds play a larger role in her life than her children and the likelihood she would pay attention to a bleeding child on the ice is nil as the blood and gaping hole would be so AUTHENTIC, I refuse to give her a pass on this one.

From the photo and comments, I don't think Lauren was the one on the ice. Which makes sense -- she just gave birth, what - a week, two weeks ago -- doesn't sound like the most comfortable activity to me that soon after delivery.

In the comments one of the Dad's was talking about how much fun he had taking the girls skating for the afternoon.

I googled images of the one ice skating rink within 100 miles of me -- and couldn't find one person , including little kids, wearing a helmet. Maybe it's more common in areas where ice skating is common? Especially if there's natural, outside ice? So parks or communities would start encouraging it or regulating it?

[Trynn]

And in about 30 or so years from now, we'll be puttin the kids in bubble wrap to skate in. Hope they weren't hoping to practice the double toe loop.