Friday, September 24, 2010

Baby's First Year - What to Expect

As a new Mom, you are probably wondering about many things: how will he react to his new surroundings? when will she sleep for more than 2 hours? what can I expect in the following year? an so many other questions.....

Each baby is different. Your baby's rate of growth, appearance, and personality, will all be unique to him or her. As you embark on this journey with your new baby, take time to enjoy their presence in your life.

Here are some of the milestones to watch for in the first year of your baby's development:

Newborn stage

You have just brought your baby home from the hospital to his or her newly decorated nursery, and we are sure you are very excited. In these early days, your baby may have a pointy head from the delivery process, or jaundice - yellow eyes and skin tone. These things are perfectly normal, and should go away in a few days. It is important to cuddle and love your child as much as possible now, as this is when mother/child bonding begins. Breast-feeding is very important to your child's health both now and in later years. Newborn babies often sleep 10-12 hours per day, but will wake every 4 hours or so for feeding.

From 1 - 3 Months

Babies will begin moving more, discovering their hands, and making little sounds. They will smile now, and follow the sound of your voice as you move through their room. Babies love seeing their faces in a mirror now, and the addition of a brightly colored, baby-safe mobile in their cribs will provide them with great entertainment and stimulation. Babies can now lift their heads, move them from side-to-side, and focus on objects that are 8-12 away.

From 3-6 months

This is one of the most exciting times in your baby's growth; many changes appear in this period. At the end of the third month, your baby will be opening and closing his little hands, holding his head up with control, reaching more and more for objects, and imitating sounds. In the fourth month, he can usually sit up with some help and is probably sleeping six hours at a stretch. It will become clearer that he or she recognizes familiar faces, and will coo and show how happy he is to see you when you enter the nursery! In the fifth and sixth months, your baby will be rolling over, making two syllable sounds and drinking from a cup. You will also be introducing solid baby foods at this time. Now is the time to baby proof the house, as your baby may be crawling during this period as well.

From 6-9 months

During this high growth period, many babies say their first words. Even if they don't yet start talking, most begin enthusiastically babbling to themselves and develop a much wider range of facial expressions at this age. He or she will have developed specific cries for specific needs now, and will react differently to different family members. Babies in the seventh and eighth months will start to feed themselves basic finger foods, and will enjoy throwing food or dropping it on the floor to see what happens! A cuddly blanket or bear may become a favorite item now, and your baby may be stressed when separated from it. Baby will now sit unsupported too.

From 9-10 months

During this month, baby will reach for toys, try to grab the spoon during feedings, and in general, become quite a bit more active. He or she will be waving goodbye to the delight of the grandparents, will be able to pick up things using opposable thumbs, and will also start to look for things that have been dropped, like favorite toys. She will also be able to move from crawling to a sitting position, and will be quite mobile!

From 11-12 months

Baby is much more curious now, and responds well to new sounds, colors and shapes. Story time is much appreciated, and he or she will enjoy cuddling on your lab while being read to. Babies now understand and can mimic simple gestures, and can say simple words. Before turning one,your baby should enjoy stacking objects, and filling and emptying containers. Short play sessions with other children are a good idea now, and can teach baby a great deal about sharing and other social skills.

Babies are a wonderful reminder of how precious life is!

Enjoy your child's first year of life - it will go by quickly.




Adriana Copaceanu is a busy mom of 2. Visit her Busy Moms Online if you are looking for ways to maximize your precious time. And if you are a new mom, you'll find everything you need to know at her Baby's First Year website.

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Thursday, September 23, 2010

Personalized Addison Version 1.0 Baby Infant Toddler Kids Shirt - Baby Name Shower Collection

Personalized Addison Version 1.0 Baby Infant Toddler Kids Shirt - Baby Name Shower Collection Personalized Addison Version 1.0 Baby Infant Toddler Kids Shirt - Baby Name Shower Collection







Brand: Snarky Babies





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Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Babies Can Make Moral Judgment - Study

As what we were told in the past that babies are little angels who are innocent about their surroundings, a new study proved that they can socially discern bad from good at an early age.

Researchers from Yale University studied babies' behavior toward strangers saying infants have the ability to evaluate people that they don't know based on the latter's actions. A group of babies were tested, around six to 10 months old, and observed their behavior as they see strangers or third party people helping, doing nothing or hindering another person. Kiley Hamlin said babies are more likely to approach a person who helps another rather those who hinders someone.

Hamlin and his colleagues used a climber made of wood and attached large eyes on it as the climber strives to get into the hill. As it attempts to get up to the hill, a helper and a hinderer will come out and would either push the climber up or down the hill. The study showed that most of the 28 babies tested, majority of them were most likely approach the helper instead of the hinderer. This indicated that at an early age babies can make distinct impressions based on what they see.

Researchers said this study can be better translated to babies' unbiased notion of what is good from bad as in making social judgment. Based on what they see, they can already identify social actions that may be morally upright in the case of helping and hate what the hinderers are doing.

Since babies have no preconceived idea of good and bad, researchers said this study only tells us that they have the basic foundation of what is to be moral when they were born and can be enhanced as they grow older.




Maynard Joseph Delfin finished AB Journalism (cum laude) at the University of Santo Tomas. He has worked as book editor, deskman, copy editor and research and publications officer in leading publishing and research companies in the Philippines. Read more of his blogs at http://maynard_delfin.instablogs.com

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Monday, September 20, 2010

Green Sprouts Organic Terry Circus Animal Teether-Cornflower Tiger

Green Sprouts Organic Terry Circus Animal Teether-Cornflower Tiger Green Sprouts Organic Terry Circus Animal Teether-Cornflower Tiger
Description
This plush animal with cool teething ring is great for playing and for soothing tender gums. Organic cotton terry with EVA teething ring. Detachable teether can be chilled in the refrigerator for a soothing effect. BPA, PVC, phthalate and nitrosamine free.


Best Customer Review


- When I washed the tiger, the filling got a little lumpy. It is a natural filling (cotton) which is probably why it does that, but I was just surprised, being used to typical synthetic filings. The teether part was not particularly interesting to my baby because there is no texture on it, but he did like chewing on the stuffed animal part of it. Looked liked a tiger to me and very cute.





Brand: GREEN SPROUTS





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Saturday, September 18, 2010

Best Toys For 18 Month Old Kids

If you've been thinking about the best toys for 18 month old kids remember children are absolute sponges when it comes to learning. When you think about all of the major milestones they learn in their first two years of life it really is amazing. Toys are an integral part of that learning process and foster development in your child. The right toys at the right time will bring a lot of joy.

18 month old children are really at a very unique age. They are still babies in many senses of the word but they are also beginning to exhibit some very independent behavior. By this age there are certain things you can use as a base to see that a child is developing normally, or identify when they may not be and seek professional advice.

What they can and can't do with simple toys and objects is a great indicator for parents and care givers. We may not have a handbook on parenting but there are a solid set of measures used to see your 18 month old has normal development.

Types of Development

Children develop in a few ways as they grow. Here are the major areas:

* Social Skills- how they might act socially and interact with people around them. This can be family, friends, other children, child care providers, and strangers. How they understand and respond to the emotions of others is another important social skill.

* Gross Motor Skills- Take in the major muscle groups that are used to walk, run, sit, stand etc. All of these things they will learn by the age of 18 months. There's also keeping balance, climbing and moving from one position to another.

* Fine Motor Skills - These include the smaller movement and many hand-eye coordination activities. Using the hands to eat, writing, drawing, get dressed, catch a ball etc.

* Cognitive Skills - This encompasses the brain activities of thinking, memory, problem solving, and reasoning (if you leave the room you are still there and will be back, for example). You could say that all developmental skills rely on the cognitive.

* Language Skills - This area includes not only speech but the body language and gestures in communication with others. It is clear that babies understand a lot more than they can speak to us about and they have many ways of letting us know there needs without speech.

What Should An 18 Month Old Be Capable Of?

Remember that all children can learn differently and thrive in some areas. But there are some ways to ascertain what is known as a normal development for an 18 month old. Once you can understand each of the developmental skill categories and where the average 18 month old should be, then you begin to see clearly which toys are going to be the best for them to learn with.

Toys designed to fulfill their learning needs will keep them satisfied, and advancing normally in their learning journey. The following is a guide and not by any means an exhaustive list, nor meant as professional advice. The list will help you to buy the right toy for this age group.

Motor Skills -Both Gross and Fine

* Enjoys pushing, pulling and dumping things

* Runs with rigid movements and can keep eyes on the ground

* Can turn book pages

* Can stack two blocks on top of each other

* Can remove hats, socks, mittens etc

* Scribbles with crayons and thick pencils

* Walks unaided with good balance

Cognitive Skills

* Identifies an object in a book

* Can laugh at actions they see as funny (using a box as a hat for example)

* Knows something out of sight is still there and looks for it

* Can fit objects the correct shape together (square lid onto a square box)

* Does problem solving which involves trial and error

* Can understand and follow simple directions with one step

Social and Language Skills

* Can seem a little selfish

* Will compete with other children for the toys

* Like to play alone on the floor with toys

* May still be anxious when separating from parents

* Actively looks for attention

* Can use eight to ten words that are said clearly

* Points to objects and uses one word descriptions

* Can play pretend games with adult

* Draw your attention to an object or to an action

* Can place words like Bye, Hi, Please and remembers to use them when prompted

* Can communicate frustration and make a protest

* Will ask for mum or dad in a specific manner

* Can recognize themselves in a mirror or in photographs

Best Toys for the 18 Month Old Child

So now a good picture of educational and developmental toys becomes apparent. With not too much trouble there are many choices available in toys and they don't have to cost the earth. Just be sure they are sturdy and safe as they are likely to take some banging and crashing together quite often.

Here are a few that come to mind:

* Large blocks

* Toys with wheels that can be pushed and pulled

* Simple hide and seek games

* Shape puzzles and games

* Dolls and soft toys

* Sturdy and colorful books

* Low climbing toys

* Crayons ( but protect your walls)

* Simple dress ups

* Basic role play (kitchen sets, tea party, shops)

* Simple puzzle and problem solving games and activities

Being 18 months old puts your child right into the middle of the toddler toys in the 1-3 years age group. Look for toys by Playskool and Little Tikes.




Yogee.com.au is a leading Australian online toy store. Visit yogee.com.au for a wide selection of Kids Toys at discounted prices. To save money on your next purchase, please visit Kids Toys.

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Friday, September 17, 2010

Baby Sleeping Bag Hey Diddle 0-6 Months 1.0 TOG

Baby Sleeping Bag Hey Diddle 0-6 Months 1.0 TOG Baby Sleeping Bag Hey Diddle 0-6 Months 1.0 TOG
Description
This lovely new design features a cow jumping over the moon, like the well known nursery rhyme.






Brand: Dream





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Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Baby's Naptime

Getting a good naptime routine established is very important. Babies need a lot of sleep, and if they're not getting enough of it, they get tired and irritable very easily. Unfortunately, the more tired and irritable they get, the harder it can be to settle them for a nap.

When a baby is still young, regular sleep patterns are closely linked to regular eating patterns, so it's good to look at what is considered "average" for the early stages of a baby's life. Remember, not all babies will adhere to these averages, and if your baby is vastly different, it may be worth discussing with your health professional.

Newborn - your newborn baby will be asleep for anywhere from 16 to 20 hours in a day. This includes naps taken between feeds. It's good to try and keep baby awake for a little while after a feed, so baby doesn't get into the habit of needing a feed to drop off to sleep. Once baby has been awake a little while, it's naptime, before baby gets overstimulated and wide awake.

2 Months Old - now baby is a little older, it's good to try and give him the opportunity to self-soothe during nap and bedtimes. It's quite normal for your baby to cry a little when first put into their crib or cot, but that's okay. Allow the crying to continue for a short while, say 10 minutes (unless you can hear baby is getting hysterical or distressed), then go and check on him. Resist the temptation to pick baby up, but pat his bottom, stroke his head and speak soothingly, or lightly rub his back until he is calm again.

3-6 Months Old - this is the age at which the amount of sleep required during the day starts to diminish. Baby will often drop one naptime without any prompting from you. Usually this is the late afternoon or third nap of the day. Sometimes baby will be a little grumpy to begin with, and may still want a short nap, but try to keep him awake and happy. This will help baby to go to bed at a reasonable time and sleep through the night.

Over 16 months - by now most infants have dropped their morning nap as well, and are perhaps having a longer afternoon nap to compensate. Most babies now sleep 10-12 hours a night, and their afternoon naptime lasts for 2-3 hours.

If you find baby isn't napping very well in the early months of life, you might need to cut back on awake time by 15 minutes increments. If baby is getting overstimulated and highly awake, then he will fight sleep and naptime becomes a struggle. Be alert for "tired" cues, like rubbing the eyes, and immediately act on them.

It's also important to give baby a chance to settle down to sleep by himself. Some people believe that their baby will be harmed if he cries, but most babies fuss or cry a little when first put to bed. It's important to give baby the opportunity to work out for himself how to relax and go to sleep. Many babies will start thumb sucking or use a dummy; others find a mobile hanging above the cot fascinating enough to stop crying and go to sleep. It's vital that baby learns this skill of self-soothing, or else you and baby will be having interrupted nights for what will seem like forever to the sleep deprived parent. Self-soothing is a skill, and like most skills, it is learned through practice.

Naturally if your baby is getting very distressed or worked up, you need to enter the room and help baby relax again. But try to avoid picking baby up or in any way disturbing the sleep environment. Leave baby in the bed and pat, stroke, or talk to baby until he settles down.

You need to be alert to baby's cues when setting naptime, but it's also good to have a routine. So you determine when naptime needs to start, and stick to the same time as often as you can. Babies generally relate well to routines, and will settle quickly.

When baby is older, too, he may wake up crying long before naptime is finished. This could be because of a dirty diaper, being uncomfortable either in position or temperature, or something disturbed him. Fix the problem and encourage baby to go back to sleep. Babies that have had enough sleep usually wake up happy, talking, and generally in a good mood.

Establishing good naptime routines is essential, both for you as a parent, and for your baby. Use a combination of cues from your baby and established routines, to make sure both you and baby get sufficient sleep.




The author's book about babies is available at Baby's First Year [http://www.baby.learnheaps.com] Discover more great articles about parenting at Info About Baby You can also sign up for a FREE Baby Tips newsletter at Baby Tips Newsletter.

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Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Mud Pie Baby Eieio Mary Jane Style Decorated Cotton Socks, Cow, 0 - 12 Months, Set of 2

Mud Pie Baby Eieio Mary Jane Style Decorated Cotton Socks, Cow, 0 - 12 Months, Set of 2 Mud Pie Baby Eieio Mary Jane Style Decorated Cotton Socks, Cow, 0 - 12 Months, Set of 2
Description
Complete her EIEIO look with these adorable cow-themed socks. These adorable socks feature black and white "moo-cow" pattern and one pair has oversized black ruffles and the other pair has black and white grosgrain bows. So cute! Fits 0-6 month.






Brand: Mud Pie





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Saturday, September 11, 2010

What Baby Mattress is the Best?

Dear new parents, having waited for your long-expected baby, most likely you have been spending lots of hours imagining the future nursery reproducing it hundred times in your mind, placing in different styles of nursery furniture and plunging into baby products of every description in order to choose the best baby items for you little one.

Every loving parent, as such wants to make the baby's life safe and comfortable from the very first days of his or her arrival. This natural course of things, this can be a perplexing time and you may well miss an important part.

One should note that the most important furniture item is the baby's crib and that this needs to be addressed carefully, because new babies spend almost the biggest part of their first year's life in their cribs. So, please think about it for a while and you will understand that not only is the crib important Thus the choice of a mattress must also rank highly when examining what is on offer.

First months babies spend almost all their time sleeping or just lying being awake in their cots. All this time they are laying on the mattresses you have chosen. And the quality of the mattresses influences deeply their back and neck development. Many experts have come to the conclusion that the mattress is the most important decision in the nursery, thus we have to approach the question of "which one" with maximum attention, because the support given to the baby from the mattress must be of the highest level to ensure a comfy well -supported sleep. Moreover it has been suggested that a firm snugly fitted mattress reduces the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

A spring mattress or foam one?

Usually buying a baby crib for a new baby you are counting on him or her to sleep in it for 4-5 years, from an economic point of view it is better to purchase a spring mattress of high quality, because such mattresses will see out even the life of the cot bed, whereas a foam mattress will only really last 2 years and have to be replaced.

Ergo as you can see buying a cheaper mattress (a foam one) you have to pay more as you pay twice! If you have to replace the old mattress in your child's cot or baby crib which is of a non-standard size it is more efficient to get a foam one. However, if buying a spring baby mattress doesn't kill your budget this kind of mattress would always be preferable.

Spring mattresses are produced in the same way as full sized adult mattresses and offering more support as the metal coils spring move as weight is applied that gives the best night sleep as well as afternoon nap. Such mattresses will not cause any "troubled slumber" as this is very important for any child.

Exotic ones

You can also choose unusual mattresses which are available nowadays in the market place. There are other options including bamboo with its natural anti bacterial qualities. Bamboo has excellent wicking properties, more than 3 times that of cotton, which gives you a drier, cooler sleep. The material is naturally antimicrobial, hypo-allergenic and odour resistant. Bamboo is favoured as a sustainable textile that is eco-friendly. Also there are fibre mattresses which consist of coconut husk as a natural supportive core.




Just Cots are here solely to offer you the very best crib mattress selections for your little ones. You can be sure that our mattresses offer your baby all the support he or she needs and moreover at the very best prices.

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Garb NCAA Penn State Nittany Lions Charlie Infant Polo Onesie (18 month, Navy)

Garb NCAA Penn State Nittany Lions Charlie Infant Polo Onesie (18 month, Navy) Garb NCAA Penn State Nittany Lions Charlie Infant Polo Onesie (18 month, Navy)
Description
Team Color Cotton Pique Onsie Polo with Team Embroidery Left Chest






Brand: Garb





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Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Top 26 Tips to Help When Your Tot is Teething

There are no hard and fast rules about what remedies will work for your child, particularly when you are looking for drug-free alternatives to relieve the miseries of teething. The following 26 tips from Little Sunflowers have been compiled from our own experiences and those of our customers, together with guidance from all around the internet. Some may work for you and some may not - but they're all worth a go! Keep trying different things until you find something which works for your child.

1. Cuddles are the most important thing you can give your teething child to comfort and reassure them - tender loving care goes a long way when your little one's teeth are hurting.

2. Cold foods, such as yogurt or fruit puree can help to numb the pain.

3. A cold drink can soothe the whole mouth so pop a bottle of boiled water, breast or formula milk into the fridge and offer it to your baby when it's cold (though not too cold as you don't want a tummy chill).

4. A weak chamomile infusion, or weak chamomile tea, is useful as a gentle sedative. Offer it to your baby from a bottle.

5. Plenty of water or heavily diluted juice should be given to your baby to replenish fluids when they are dribbling a lot.

6. A wet flannel which has been rung out and chilled can bring relief to a baby who is keen to chew on something - the rough texture really seems to help.

7. 2 drops of chamomile in 15ml of aloe vera gel can be used to massage the child's jaw and neck area.

8. Lightly massage your baby's gums with a clean finger the part that is sore will often feel hot to the touch and you will probably be able to feel the tooth coming through under the surface.

9. Dilute 1 drop of clove oil in 2 tablespoons of safflower oil and gently massage the affected area 2-3 times a day.

10. Rub your baby's gums with a small gauze pad - not only will this bring relief, but it will get your child used to the sensation of what it's like to have his or her

teeth cleaned.

11. Try a baby teething gel massaged across the gums for babies older than four months (recent articles expressing concern about using gels for this purpose referred to adult gels rather than those designed for babies.) Ensure you check the dosage and expiry date.

12. Crush a little ice and put it in a thin cotton cloth, then rub gently on the gums. Ensure ice doesn't come into direct contact with the gum, and ensure you keep the wrapped ice moving (children who hold frozen items against their gums for too long can actually get frostbite).

13. Chill some pieces of fruit or vegetables, wrap them in muslin and give them to your baby to chew under supervision.

14. Sterilised teething rings can provide temporary relief for the baby and actually help the teeth to cut through. Try one that's been chilled in the fridge for greater relief (or even gel-filled rings which can work well when they've been cooled in the fridge).

15. Chill a metal spoon in the fridge and allow your child to chew on it under supervision.

16. Allow your child to bite on the knuckle of your forefinger held sideways - it'll bring them comfort an hurt a lot less than you think!

17. Homeopathic Teething Granules contain soothing chamomilla, a traditional homeopathic remedy for teething pain in an easy-to-use form. They are available in your High Street Chemist - always read the label.

18. Consult a Homeopath, who will who will be able to recommend a number of remedies to relieve the symptoms associated with teething.

19. An amber teething necklace can be worn against the skin to calm and relax a teething child - these necklaces have been worn for generations across Europe in countries like Germany and Switzerland, though it is quite a new concept in the UK.

20. Make teething biscuits by mixing 1 cup of flour with 1 cup of baby cereal and 1 cup of juice. Roll out, cut into shapes, then bake at 350 degrees F for 20-30 minutes. Allow your baby to chew on them (when you are there, in case a small piece breaks off). These biscuits freeze well.

21. Chill carrot sticks, cucumber sticks or bread slices in the fridge and allow your baby to chew on them (only when you are there, in case a small piece breaks off). Avoid anything too hard as they could bruise the gums and make things more painful.

22. Distract your baby with something to play with or a change of scenery to divert their attention from the pain. There are a number of teething toys on the market with a dual purpose: your baby can chew on them and they are a distraction from their teeth. Examples include organic teething toys and rattles incorporating a ring and/or knots which can be rubbed against the gums. Sophie the Giraffe has been around for generations - she is made from natural Alpine rubber and non toxic paints and is designed for baby to chew as well as play with.

23. Keep a soft bib around your baby's neck and change it often to soak up dribble, thereby keeping the skin dry and so avoiding a rash.

24. Apply a simple barrier cream to sore chins to keep the skin smooth and ease any chapped skin.

25. Consult a cranial osteopath. Cranial osteopathy is a subtle type of osteopathic treatment using gentle techniques to release strain and tension in the body. It is particularly effective for young babies suffering with teething and colic.

26. Medicine (analgesic) designed especially for babies, such as Calpol or Nurofen, can be given to babies who are three months old or more to help relieve the pain and bring down a raised temperature. Always read the label, and check with your doctor and/or health visitor if a raised temperature persists. Follow your doctor's instructions and never give aspirin to a baby.




These tips are part of the Little Sunflowers Guide to Teething, which you can download free from the Little Sunflowers blog at http://littlesunflowers.blogspot.com/2010/01/help-my-baby-is-teething-what-should-i.html

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Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Boon ModWare - Toddler Utensils - Orange/White

Boon ModWare - Toddler Utensils - Orange/White Boon ModWare - Toddler Utensils - Orange/White
Description
ModWare is perfect for toddlers who are ready to graduate from Benders, Toddler's First Utensils from Boon, but who are not quite ready for adult tableware. The ergonomic design has no sharp edges and the handles are designed with a soft, comfortable grip.

  • Age: 9+ months
  • Fork and spoon set
  • Ergonomic design with no sharp edges
  • Soft, comfort-grip handles
  • Dishwasher-safe



Best Customer Review


- I was looking for a set that my 20 month old would enjoy using. She loved using the spoon but really hates the fork... I don't know if there is a single functional toddler fork out there but this one for sure is pretty useless if your child is trying to use it the way a fork was intended to be used. I got these with the Boon Catch Bowl - Toddler Bowl with Spill Catcher in Pink/White and the Silikids Universal Standard Small Siliskin, Lime to get my toddler fully independent. All has worked tremendously well for me so far.





Brand: Boon





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