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http://www.claudinejaboro.com/blog.html
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Friday, February 15, 2013
Friday, February 1, 2013
The BIG Move-outski
Yes that was a very bad play on the movie title The Big Lebowski and no I am not ashamed.
I feel no shame as of today I am a free blogger! I am no longer connected to the Blogger ties that bind.
I, Claudine Jaboro, now have my own domain! Yes! I took the leap and plunged into the vast and glorious world of the inter-web or webber-net...whatever!
So you may now find me and my new bright and shiny blog more aptly named "My World" (because that my friends is exactly what Fiction, Family and Science is...my world!) at claudinejaboro.com.
Look at me!!! I'm a dot com!!!...And an idiot yes I know.
But seriously you must at least take a moment to celebrate the little things, right?
Ok the party's over. The glasses are dry.
Now head on over to my new site and check out my newest blog post! Pretty please! :)
Oh and check out the site too if you have some time. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
I feel no shame as of today I am a free blogger! I am no longer connected to the Blogger ties that bind.
I, Claudine Jaboro, now have my own domain! Yes! I took the leap and plunged into the vast and glorious world of the inter-web or webber-net...whatever!
So you may now find me and my new bright and shiny blog more aptly named "My World" (because that my friends is exactly what Fiction, Family and Science is...my world!) at claudinejaboro.com.
Look at me!!! I'm a dot com!!!...And an idiot yes I know.
But seriously you must at least take a moment to celebrate the little things, right?
Ok the party's over. The glasses are dry.
Now head on over to my new site and check out my newest blog post! Pretty please! :)
Oh and check out the site too if you have some time. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Monday, November 12, 2012
Hello to all my loyal followers. This is just a quick post to let you know that I am back. I will be posting to my blog again starting... well right now!
I have been busy being a mommy, wife, writer, editor, etc... I have put my blog on the back burner to focus on my book. As always life has gotten in the way and I'm still working on the book. I am using NaNoWriMo to do some major editing. Although I want to keep the creative juices flowing and I'm going to use my blog as my outlet.
So I'm back! Back to writing. Back to blogging. Back to life!
I'm going to try some new ideas for the blog so don't be too surprised if you see any changes!
See you next post. :)
I have been busy being a mommy, wife, writer, editor, etc... I have put my blog on the back burner to focus on my book. As always life has gotten in the way and I'm still working on the book. I am using NaNoWriMo to do some major editing. Although I want to keep the creative juices flowing and I'm going to use my blog as my outlet.
So I'm back! Back to writing. Back to blogging. Back to life!
I'm going to try some new ideas for the blog so don't be too surprised if you see any changes!
See you next post. :)
Monday, June 25, 2012
Back in Black
OK so I had to reference AC/DC especially with all the screaming from the new baby! Brian Johnson has got nothing on her vocals! :D
So I'm a little giddy. I actually got some sleep last night and I'm hoping it's the beginning of a wonderful new trend with my newest little sweet pea. My older daughter has opted to sleep in lately which I am not complaining about. If there is one thing (besides my family) that I cherish in life it is my sleep.
For those of you who have been patiently waiting, I had a baby girl on May 12! She was 6 pounds 11 ounces of cute and 21 inches long. Everything went great! I can't praise the hospital nursing staff enough. They were absolutely wonderful and made sure to attend to all of my needs. I know it's their job but when you're in the hospital (for any reason and let's face it, it's usually miserable) the nursing staff are your best friends.
My oldest daughter has acclimated to the situation of big sister pretty well. At the first doctor's appointment she was giving the doctor the stink eye as he examined the baby. My husband and I were laughing that she was already protective of her little sister.
The baby is doing great! She's excellent at her job. She keeps us up until all hours of the night and exercises her lungs often just in case we may have forgotten about her. She's growing so fast already (see pic below) and she is not stingy about sharing her smiles with us.
So here we are. Our little family has grown by one tiny soul. And we are so blessed to have her. :)
I apologize for this blog post being so short but I am trying to get back into the swing of things... slowly.
A quick update on the queries... I got my latest rejection on the day of my daughter's birth. I can't say that it got me down due to the circumstances but I made sure to feel upset for just a second the next day. ;)
So of the 11 queries so far that makes 6 rejections. As for the others well apparently agents just aren't interested in Emily Post's book of etiquette when it comes to responding to email.
I am seriously considering self-publishing at this point while still sending out queries. If anyone has any comments or thoughts on the matter please feel free to leave a comment below. I've done some research but if you know of any books, blogs or websites on self-publishing that you would recommend I would appreciate it.
Thanks.
Talk to you again soon!
Find and connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Like me on my Facebook FanPage!
So I'm a little giddy. I actually got some sleep last night and I'm hoping it's the beginning of a wonderful new trend with my newest little sweet pea. My older daughter has opted to sleep in lately which I am not complaining about. If there is one thing (besides my family) that I cherish in life it is my sleep.
For those of you who have been patiently waiting, I had a baby girl on May 12! She was 6 pounds 11 ounces of cute and 21 inches long. Everything went great! I can't praise the hospital nursing staff enough. They were absolutely wonderful and made sure to attend to all of my needs. I know it's their job but when you're in the hospital (for any reason and let's face it, it's usually miserable) the nursing staff are your best friends.
My oldest daughter has acclimated to the situation of big sister pretty well. At the first doctor's appointment she was giving the doctor the stink eye as he examined the baby. My husband and I were laughing that she was already protective of her little sister.
The baby is doing great! She's excellent at her job. She keeps us up until all hours of the night and exercises her lungs often just in case we may have forgotten about her. She's growing so fast already (see pic below) and she is not stingy about sharing her smiles with us.
So here we are. Our little family has grown by one tiny soul. And we are so blessed to have her. :)
I apologize for this blog post being so short but I am trying to get back into the swing of things... slowly.
A quick update on the queries... I got my latest rejection on the day of my daughter's birth. I can't say that it got me down due to the circumstances but I made sure to feel upset for just a second the next day. ;)
So of the 11 queries so far that makes 6 rejections. As for the others well apparently agents just aren't interested in Emily Post's book of etiquette when it comes to responding to email.
I am seriously considering self-publishing at this point while still sending out queries. If anyone has any comments or thoughts on the matter please feel free to leave a comment below. I've done some research but if you know of any books, blogs or websites on self-publishing that you would recommend I would appreciate it.
Thanks.
Talk to you again soon!
Find and connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Like me on my Facebook FanPage!
Friday, May 11, 2012
Friday, May 4, 2012
Running out of time
I feel like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz as she watches the red sand spill through the gigantic hour glass. Dorothy of course was in fear for her life if she didn't give up the ruby slippers. I, on the other hand, am lying in wait for the first contraction to start the whole process of labor and (finally) bring this child into the world.
In the meantime, I am driving myself and everyone else crazy (not purposefully of course) with my nesting stage. Everywhere I look I seem to find dust, something I never do. I mean I like things tidy but I am not a cleaning fanatic by any means. But now I'm washing clothes that I just put in the hamper (some of them don't even make it to the hamper) because I'm losing my mind! Unfortunately I cannot DO everything that I see that needs to be done and that is where I have to ask (or rather nag) my husband to help me. My sister has been a huge help as she is the cleaning fanatic in the family (and God bless her for it!).
I woke up quite a few times last night in pain and thought for sure today would be "D" day. I was wrong however so now I just get to wait some more! :P I am finding it more and more difficult to do everyday things. I can't stand up for too long so complicated meals are not an option.
My daughter has been teething for the past week and so the nights for me have been long as I try to comfort her through the pain. I recently tried teething tablets which seem to help but there are some doctors who don't agree with using them so I'm not sure yet if I'll continue. Thankfully she only complains of the pain at night which may be irritating to me but it's better than her complaining all day and being cranky. She has a great disposition so I would hate to see her in pain during the day as well.
Great news! My blog has been nominated for the Liebster Award by ! This award is for bloggers who have fewer than 200 subscribers, and one of the responsibilities for award recipients is to nominate five more bloggers, for each nomination received. I will post my nominees in my next blog.
Still no news on queries. I am waiting patiently as some of the agents have response times of 6 and 8 weeks. We will see soon enough.
As for the My Name is Not Bob April Platform Challenge... it is over! Yay! And although I wasn't able to complete every task it was a total win-win situation. I learned so much about social media platforms and made some wonderful and valuable friendships in the process. Since it's a continual learning process I will be posting anything new that I am working on in regards to platform building... including my web page... under construction at the moment but definitely in the works.
And now for the science portion of my blog... We are looking at a "plasma flashlight" that can destroy bacteria on the skin in seconds.
This type of portable device, created by a team of Australian and Chinese researchers, would be of use in hospitals, ambulances and on the battle field. It allows for penetration through layers of bacteria called biofilms that can be impenetrable at times. Biofilms are thick layers of bacteria, like what is normally found as plaque on our teeth, but these layers can also form in wounds halting the healing process.
The design is essentially a handheld plasma jet. The device was tested on one of the most antibiotic- and heat-resistant bacteria. The bacteria was grown in an incubator until it was approximately 25 micrometers thick (that's about 1/4th the thickness of a human hair) and 17 layers deep. Normally biofilms at this thickness are highly resistant and the high temperatures needed to kill them would burn our skin. The temperature of the plasma jet however is between 68-73 degrees F (20-23 degrees C), which is right around room temperature. Resistors on the device keep it from overheating so it is safe for use. After 5 minutes of flashing the biofilm from a 5 millimeter distance the very bottom layers of the biofilm had been penetrated. For smaller colonies or individual bacterium it could take less than a second.
The researchers are not quite sure how the antibacterial effect works using this device. They hypothesize that the plasma jet combined with the surrounding air could possibly create an environment much like our own immune system. The cost per unit will be around $100.
For more information:
link to the abstract in the Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics http://iopscience.iop.org/0022-3727/45/16/165205
link to article in ScienceNow
Well that is all for now... I'll catch you next time on Fiction, Family and Science (maybe with an added member to the family!!).
Find and connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Like me on my Facebook FanPage!
In the meantime, I am driving myself and everyone else crazy (not purposefully of course) with my nesting stage. Everywhere I look I seem to find dust, something I never do. I mean I like things tidy but I am not a cleaning fanatic by any means. But now I'm washing clothes that I just put in the hamper (some of them don't even make it to the hamper) because I'm losing my mind! Unfortunately I cannot DO everything that I see that needs to be done and that is where I have to ask (or rather nag) my husband to help me. My sister has been a huge help as she is the cleaning fanatic in the family (and God bless her for it!).
I woke up quite a few times last night in pain and thought for sure today would be "D" day. I was wrong however so now I just get to wait some more! :P I am finding it more and more difficult to do everyday things. I can't stand up for too long so complicated meals are not an option.
My daughter has been teething for the past week and so the nights for me have been long as I try to comfort her through the pain. I recently tried teething tablets which seem to help but there are some doctors who don't agree with using them so I'm not sure yet if I'll continue. Thankfully she only complains of the pain at night which may be irritating to me but it's better than her complaining all day and being cranky. She has a great disposition so I would hate to see her in pain during the day as well.
Great news! My blog has been nominated for the Liebster Award by ! This award is for bloggers who have fewer than 200 subscribers, and one of the responsibilities for award recipients is to nominate five more bloggers, for each nomination received. I will post my nominees in my next blog.
Still no news on queries. I am waiting patiently as some of the agents have response times of 6 and 8 weeks. We will see soon enough.
As for the My Name is Not Bob April Platform Challenge... it is over! Yay! And although I wasn't able to complete every task it was a total win-win situation. I learned so much about social media platforms and made some wonderful and valuable friendships in the process. Since it's a continual learning process I will be posting anything new that I am working on in regards to platform building... including my web page... under construction at the moment but definitely in the works.
And now for the science portion of my blog... We are looking at a "plasma flashlight" that can destroy bacteria on the skin in seconds.
This type of portable device, created by a team of Australian and Chinese researchers, would be of use in hospitals, ambulances and on the battle field. It allows for penetration through layers of bacteria called biofilms that can be impenetrable at times. Biofilms are thick layers of bacteria, like what is normally found as plaque on our teeth, but these layers can also form in wounds halting the healing process.
The design is essentially a handheld plasma jet. The device was tested on one of the most antibiotic- and heat-resistant bacteria. The bacteria was grown in an incubator until it was approximately 25 micrometers thick (that's about 1/4th the thickness of a human hair) and 17 layers deep. Normally biofilms at this thickness are highly resistant and the high temperatures needed to kill them would burn our skin. The temperature of the plasma jet however is between 68-73 degrees F (20-23 degrees C), which is right around room temperature. Resistors on the device keep it from overheating so it is safe for use. After 5 minutes of flashing the biofilm from a 5 millimeter distance the very bottom layers of the biofilm had been penetrated. For smaller colonies or individual bacterium it could take less than a second.
The researchers are not quite sure how the antibacterial effect works using this device. They hypothesize that the plasma jet combined with the surrounding air could possibly create an environment much like our own immune system. The cost per unit will be around $100.
For more information:
link to the abstract in the Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics http://iopscience.iop.org/0022-3727/45/16/165205
link to article in ScienceNow
Well that is all for now... I'll catch you next time on Fiction, Family and Science (maybe with an added member to the family!!).
Find and connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Like me on my Facebook FanPage!
Friday, April 27, 2012
Brain Freeze... literally
No query responses this week either. I love when they tell you "don't call or email if you haven't heard from us" and yet they don't send even an automated response that they have even received your email query in the first place! Ugh! It can be so frustrating! OK that was my rant for the day... I'm over it and calm again. Ahhhh.
38 weeks and ready to pop! Everything just feels like a chore now... washing clothes, going up and down the stairs, even bending over to pick something up off of the floor (or put socks on) requires some forethought. I can't stand too long because it gets painful and I can't sit too long for the same reason. Is this my body?! I know. I know. I'm ranting again! OK that's over.
I went in for my weekly appointment and all is well. The baby has moved out of position (head down) but that's normal my daughter did the same thing and then she moved back into position before I delivered.
With my daughter I delivered drug free. No epidural. No induction. It was just me, the baby, my husband, sister, mom, nurses and doc. We did pretty well even though I know my mom and doctor didn't think I could do it. I have to tell you it is one of the most empowering feelings I have ever felt. One of my nurses told me that she had been in obstetrics for 20 years and she could count on one hand the mothers she cared for who went drug free. It was funny because towards the end when it got really painful all the nurses were like a cheering section saying things like "You can do it!" and "You're almost there!" I know they probably say those things all of the time but I think they really wanted me to stick to my plan. My doctor (who is wonderful by the way) was skeptical (but supportive) probably because he had heard so many women say they didn't want drugs and then they caved at the last minute. But I know when it was all over he was really happy with how things went. With this pregnancy he has been a lot more supportive since he knows I mean business! LOL!
My husband always knew I could do it. He was there through the last 3 years of my graduate work and he attended my Ph.D. dissertation defense. And although all of that seems irrelevant to having a baby... he saw me go through the wringer at that time and accomplish one of the most difficult things I had ever set out to do. So he knew I had it in me. It just took the good old "pressure cooker" to bring it out!
All and all I'm happy with my decision (since I lived through it) and I plan to have a drug free birth with this baby too. It helps having already been through it but it doesn't make the whole idea any less scary.
My daughter had her 1 year check-up with the doctor this week and all is well with her! Her doctor was very happy with her growth and progress. She walked from me to my husband for the doctor which shocked both my husband and I. Usually she won't leave me for anyone but it was like she knew she had to perform and she did what she had to do. It was very sweet and I know my husband felt good knowing that she left me for him... finally!
And here's a bit of science we all can relate to... Brain Freeze (and yes, it seems that is the technical term for it).
Brain freeze as we all know occurs when we are eating or drinking something very cold or frozen like a Slurpee or ice cream. Suddenly you stop drinking or eating and you rub your head feeling the pulsating pain and cursing yourself for allowing it to happen.
Researchers were able to map the what happens using brain imaging instruments. It turns out that the pain is caused by the anterior cerebral artery one of the two main arteries that supply blood to the brain. Because the brain must always be working it is highly regulated by the body including its temperature. Eating or drinking something very cold can cause the temperature to drop. This triggers a rush of warm blood into the brain to bring the temperature back to normal. Hence the sudden and painful "Brain Freeze". It goes away after a minute or so but you have to appreciate the quick response of the body and the protection of one of your most vital organs.
I know what your thinking... why exactly would anyone spend grant money on this type of research?
To answer your question... The reason this is such an important discovery is that it allows scientists to examine what occurs in the brain during these short and easily induced episodes. This research can then be applied to more important and painful problems like migraine headaches. Migraines usually occur without warning and can be crippling.
Well that's all for this week! I hope we all learned something! :)
Find and connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Like me on my Facebook FanPage!
38 weeks and ready to pop! Everything just feels like a chore now... washing clothes, going up and down the stairs, even bending over to pick something up off of the floor (or put socks on) requires some forethought. I can't stand too long because it gets painful and I can't sit too long for the same reason. Is this my body?! I know. I know. I'm ranting again! OK that's over.
I went in for my weekly appointment and all is well. The baby has moved out of position (head down) but that's normal my daughter did the same thing and then she moved back into position before I delivered.
With my daughter I delivered drug free. No epidural. No induction. It was just me, the baby, my husband, sister, mom, nurses and doc. We did pretty well even though I know my mom and doctor didn't think I could do it. I have to tell you it is one of the most empowering feelings I have ever felt. One of my nurses told me that she had been in obstetrics for 20 years and she could count on one hand the mothers she cared for who went drug free. It was funny because towards the end when it got really painful all the nurses were like a cheering section saying things like "You can do it!" and "You're almost there!" I know they probably say those things all of the time but I think they really wanted me to stick to my plan. My doctor (who is wonderful by the way) was skeptical (but supportive) probably because he had heard so many women say they didn't want drugs and then they caved at the last minute. But I know when it was all over he was really happy with how things went. With this pregnancy he has been a lot more supportive since he knows I mean business! LOL!
My husband always knew I could do it. He was there through the last 3 years of my graduate work and he attended my Ph.D. dissertation defense. And although all of that seems irrelevant to having a baby... he saw me go through the wringer at that time and accomplish one of the most difficult things I had ever set out to do. So he knew I had it in me. It just took the good old "pressure cooker" to bring it out!
All and all I'm happy with my decision (since I lived through it) and I plan to have a drug free birth with this baby too. It helps having already been through it but it doesn't make the whole idea any less scary.
My daughter had her 1 year check-up with the doctor this week and all is well with her! Her doctor was very happy with her growth and progress. She walked from me to my husband for the doctor which shocked both my husband and I. Usually she won't leave me for anyone but it was like she knew she had to perform and she did what she had to do. It was very sweet and I know my husband felt good knowing that she left me for him... finally!
And here's a bit of science we all can relate to... Brain Freeze (and yes, it seems that is the technical term for it).
Brain freeze as we all know occurs when we are eating or drinking something very cold or frozen like a Slurpee or ice cream. Suddenly you stop drinking or eating and you rub your head feeling the pulsating pain and cursing yourself for allowing it to happen.
Researchers were able to map the what happens using brain imaging instruments. It turns out that the pain is caused by the anterior cerebral artery one of the two main arteries that supply blood to the brain. Because the brain must always be working it is highly regulated by the body including its temperature. Eating or drinking something very cold can cause the temperature to drop. This triggers a rush of warm blood into the brain to bring the temperature back to normal. Hence the sudden and painful "Brain Freeze". It goes away after a minute or so but you have to appreciate the quick response of the body and the protection of one of your most vital organs.
I know what your thinking... why exactly would anyone spend grant money on this type of research?
To answer your question... The reason this is such an important discovery is that it allows scientists to examine what occurs in the brain during these short and easily induced episodes. This research can then be applied to more important and painful problems like migraine headaches. Migraines usually occur without warning and can be crippling.
Well that's all for this week! I hope we all learned something! :)
Find and connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Like me on my Facebook FanPage!
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