This is saving the baby's cord blood and banking it in a private bank (to the tune of about $4K), so think more stem-cells not transfusion-type blood.

oh, I see. Um, what do you do with it? Is it for the baby if there's a problem ([insert diety of choice] forbid?) Is it for research?

Is it for the baby if there's a problem

Yes. Or a sibling. But whether or not they're collecting correctly, storing correctly, etc., is questionable. It's very speculative, but guilt and fear are powerful motivators.

If we don't do cord blood, we can donate the placenta to NIH for research (which I'm cool with, but from the look on some other people's faces last night at child birth class, some people certainly aren't).

Sigh.

My heart keeps aching anytime I see more "news" on Natasha Richardson and then it makes the funeral scene from "Love, Actually" (Liam Neeson's character eulogozing his wife) float through my brain and then my heart starts aching again.

I am strange and unusual.

The most inventive use of bacon I encountered at Baconfest (the year AFTER I missed the chocolate covered bacon) was maple ice cream, with crumbled bacon and quarter-size pancackes mixed into it. Teh YUM! I was positive the woman who made it could have sold that to Ben & Jerry's (especially appropriate because Baconfest is in Vermont).

Yes. Or a sibling. But whether or not they're collecting correctly, storing correctly, etc., is questionable. It's very speculative, but guilt and fear are powerful motivators.

I thought blood could only be stored for a certain amount of time?

The hell? Elsie and her aunt were invited to a party at the house of the woman who lives across the street from the aunt. And this ensued:

"Aunt Wealthy, you can't want me to go there!" cried Elsie, as the child passed out of hearing. "Why, the woman is not a lady, and I am sure papa would be very unwilling to have me make an associate of her. He is very particular about such matters."

"She is not educated or very refined, it is true, my child; and I must acknowledge is a little silly, too; but she is a clever, kind-hearted woman, a member of the same church with myself, and a near neighbor whom I should feel sorry to hurt; and I am sure she would be much hurt if you should stay away, and deeply gratified by your attendance at her little party."

So apparently, in deciding on suitable companions, "lady" trumps "Christian."

I was sad to hear about Natasha Richardson - she was a talented, smart woman, and had a family who still need her.

My heart goes out to them. I know what it feels like - One second, they're there, next second you're in the hospital saying WTF?

Re Natasha Richardson, I wonder if she had been hurt more initially after the fall, if she might have gotten help sooner and things could have been caught in time to do something.

Re Natasha Richardson, I wonder if she had been hurt more initially after the fall, if she might have gotten help sooner and things could have been caught in time to do something.

I actually wonder if it was the fall.