Thankfulness Friday - Baker's Yeast

Saccharomyces cerevisiae under the microscope (40X).  They are stuck together after being treated with toxic drug (nocodazole).

 

I've been working with baker's yeast for almost 10 years now.  I use them in the lab to study genetics.  They are amazing single cell organisms that share many similarities with human cells.  This week was suppose to be vacation for me.  For a couple of weeks prior to Christmas, my experiments have not been working properly.  One quick email to Brad and a couple more email exchanges with former co-workers, I went into work to retry the experiment yesterday.  I think things finally worked!

Happy New Year, Readers!  May you find 2012 be filled with great many successes!

Merry Christmas!

May your New Year be wonder-filled!

Thankfulness Friday - Bunny!

Bunny followed me to work one day and took pictures of himself with my laptop.

Bunny was adopted from a gift shop in Louisville, KY.  I found him among his brothers and sisters at the Brown Hotel while I was wandering through its gift shop while waiting for the airport shuttle.  I was in Louisville for a G-quadruplex meeting back in 2009.  (More about G-quadruplexes later)  So, Bunny likes to read comic books, play video games, watch TV, and entertain.  He is a sensational singer-song writer.  He sounds very much like John... sometimes it's hard to tell them apart.  He travels with us and came with us to Europe and Taiwan.  He loved Taiwan with the celebrations of the year of the rabbit, in his honor, of course.  Since Baby Bunny's arrival, he's kind of been neglected although he has made friends with other stuffed Americans in the house, especially those living in the nursery.

Giggles

Baby Bunny had a giggle fest with Grandma (外婆, Waipo) yesterday!  I'm sorry I missed it.  I tried to make her giggle last night.  She was all smiles and happy, but no giggles.

We're still working on her sitting independently.  She'll get there soon.  She usually shows off to her PT.  So, I hope to have good reports this week.

Thankfulness Friday - Chubby Cheeks

Bun Bun smiling at Grandma (奶奶, NaiNai)

Thankfulness Friday - PT

Hi, Daddy!

This week, I am thankful for physical therapy and Rachel, our physical therapist.  Since late September, Bun Bun has been getting weekly PT sessions to help meet some milestones.  We would help her with bringing her hands together, lifting her head up with tummy times, gaining head control, rolling over, and sitting.  She's been making great progress.  With a little support, she is able to sit and roll over.  Methinks we will be baby proofing the house as a Christmas break project.  She may be crawling soon!

Thankfulness Friday - Growth Spurts

Same outfits for some perspective

Skinny girl in her preemie cloths (Summer)

Snuggle Bunny with chubby cheeks (November 28, 2011), that's her new Dolly

Even though Thanksgiving is behind us, I want to continue the Thankfulness Friday series through the rest of this year and the next.  For this week, I'm thankful for growth spurts.  Baby Bunny must be going through one right now.  She's been doing a lot of eating and sleeping.  She still looks small, especially when someone else is holding her.  But, in my arms, she feel heavier.  Looking back at pictures of her from the summer, she appeared so tiny.  She has grown so much recently that she will soon outgrow her 3mo clothes.  I am forced to go shopping for some winter 3-6mo outfits.  Normally, I don't mind going shopping for baby cloths.  Now that it's the Christmas shopping season, I much rather avoid all the madness.  Nonetheless, I am thankful that Bun Bun has a good appetite helping her to grow.