Having a baby is one of God’s best blessings. However, it is not a surprise for us that raising a child is not as easy as we want it to be. A newborn child requires a lot of preparation, patience, understanding, care and love. Any parent wants everything to be perfect for their little ones which certainly pushes them to plan great ideas ahead, from conception to the point of bringing out the baby into the world. Therefore, the care, safety and security for the little one needs to be considered.

For new parents, they are the ones who are very excited to shop for baby supplies of their incoming babies. Nursery products are perhaps top on the list. One particular nursery item that is badly needed would be baby’s crib and crib accessories. Literally, there is a wide variety of selection for cribs and crib accessories to choose from. Good thing to know that there is an implementation of safety standards when it comes to guaranteeing the quality of baby cribs available in the market today.

According to some expert, babies tend to lie within their backs - which is a safest sleeping position. This is where sleeping pads come in. Sleeping pads are one of the best baby crib accessories which support babies when they toss and turn while sleeping. There are some choices of sleeping pads that features soft rolls on either side to the baby lying on his or her back. Some even have elevated wedges on one end to help parents to ease the process of raising the their infant’s head while asleep. By doing this, the susceptibility to acid reflux or having a flat head syndrome is being prevented. Also, most of these sleeping pads are compact and portable which parents can easily carry during family trips and traveling.

The Wedge is another thing that a crib accessory must include. This is considered as one of the great baby crib set that can elevate the baby’s head to provide easier breathing and proper digestion. Wedges should fit the crib’s mattress and needs to be placed under fitted crib sheet to avoid any possibility of suffocation. By the use of wedge, the baby can enjoy a more relax, calm and longer night sleep.

Once the babies are getting bigger and strong enough to crawl and stand on their own, it gives fear to the parents that they might climb out of their cribs. But no worries at all, one way to safeguard your baby for possible nasty falls is by providing a crib tent. A crib tent, another baby crib accessory, is typically placed over the top of the crib which secures babies whenever they crawl or stand on their own inside crib even without their parents. You can find crib tents that are made up of clear mesh cloth that enables the child to still see the surroundings.

The variety of baby cribs and crib accessories are widely available including custom-made choices. These choices can be made personalized, very ideal gifts for christening. Apart from these accessories, lots of baby items can still be done personalize, ranging from clothings, layettes, toys, feeding bottles, bibs and other baby furniture.

Jnet is an author for a variety of lifestyle issues and topics. If you’re looking for new baby gifts, visit the website Prettybabygifts.com and browse their collection. Shop for crib bedding sets online!

Did you know that a lot of parents actually keep an online journal tracking the different milestones of their babies? On the first year of life, your baby responds to a warm and loving environment. She learns to smile at people she trusts and imitate sounds. Babies learn faster when they feel reassured and loved. Holding your baby when she cries and responding to her needs are essential in creating a strong healthy bond.

Here are several guidelines to help you keep track of your baby’s milestones during the first year of life. Remember that these are just guidelines, not rules, if your baby is not yet showing some of them, don’t fret because this doesn’t mean an unhealthy baby.

By the end of the first month, babies:

- Move their head from side to side. At times, babies can lift their heads but they can’t sustain this for long periods.

- Bring arm to face. They also have strong reflex movements especially when their cheeks are touched, and can grasp objects placed on their hands.

- They also like to study faces and can focus on items which are 8 to 12 inches away.

On the second month, babies:

- Track movement and bright colored objects with their eyes.

- Start to make “ooh” and “ahh” sounds instead of just crying and fussing

- Smile during interaction with people they trust.

During the third month of life, babies:

- Stiffen legs as if trying to stand

- Grasp and shake toys such as rattles. They also tend to reach for shiny and dangling objects.

- Kick energetically when awake. They also attempt to move when laid on their tummy.

- Imitate sounds they hear.

- They start recognizing people and develop trust with known people and fear strangers

On the fourth month, babies:

- Roll over from tummy to back and will start learning to roll over from back to tummy.

- Start putting things in their mouth

- Respond to sound and recognize food sources

- Have distinctive cries for pain, fear, discomfort, etc.

By the end of the fifth month, babies:

- Use toys and other tools to get items they want. They will also start to pay attention to smaller objects and will see you even when you’re across the room.

- Begin teething. They also try to hold their self up when in sitting position

During the sixth month, babies:

- Make simple sounds like “mama” and “dada”

- Can eat solid foods, hold own bottle and drink from a cup

- Make responses showing that language is understood

On the seventh month, babies:

- Play simple games such as peek-a-boo

- Self feed finger foods

- Can read emotions from the tone of your voice

By the end of the eight month, babies;

- Roll around the play area, sit unsupported, get into the crawl position, at times may attempt to crawl.

- Have own language and babbles on their own

- React differently to different people, have favorite person/people

- React to people saying their name

On the ninth month, babies:

-Can change positions with support, from lying down to sitting up to crawling.

-Can recognize self

During the tenth month, babies:

- Stand with support, try to stand while holding on to furniture

- Get upset when toys or other objects are taken away

By the end of the eleventh month, babies:

- Wave bye-bye, clap hands in excitement, greet people

- Say mama and papa and simplified names of members of the family

- Understand “no” and simple instructions

- Recognize family members in pictures and by their names

Now that your child is a year old, you and your baby are already sharing a special bond. You already know what your child’s like and dislikes, and you probably won’t remember your life without her. Now your child is able to:

- Crawl or walk with little or no support

- Dance to music and shake their head “no”

- Explore, open and shut cabinet doors, climb on toys and furniture

- Share belongings to others and form attachment with items.

Mark Crockrum -Article marketer http://www.baby-assistance.info

Colic is a term used to describe uncontrollable crying of a healthy baby. If your baby is 5 months old and cries for hours at a time then chances are she is colicky. Colic is not a disease and it won’t cause your baby long term harm but it is a tough thing to go through for both yourself and the baby.

Colic usually shows up around the 2nd or 3rd week of life. Babies often cry when they need change of nappies or when they are hungry but when they cry inconsolably at about the same time during the day – most often during the evening or late afternoon, then you can be sure that colic is the culprit. Babies who are colicky usually have enlarged bellies and they usually extend or pull up their legs and passes gas when they cry. Also, some babies tend to get red in the face and their feet are usually very cold. In general, most babies which have colic appear uncomfortable and in pain.

Thankfully, colic tends to go away on your baby’s 3rd or 4th month. By the 5th month, your baby should be over it. Yes, that’s a long way to go and taking care of a colicky baby can be stressful, which is why you will need to take regular breaks to keep yourself in the best condition. You can have your partner take over while you go for a walk to let loose. Some mothers even cry just to relieve the tension.

It is believed that breastfed babies can become colicky because of their mother’s diet. Dairy products, especially milk, cheese and yogurt are just some of the main causes of colic. Other suspects are spicy food, nuts, strawberries, vegetables like cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower, garlic, coffee and alcohol. To see which of these foods are causing colic, try to avoid them all for a few days and then reintroduce one food at a time with an interval of at least two days for reintroductions. If your baby starts being fussy again after you eat a certain food, then you’ve discovered the culprit. You will need to abstain from this food until your baby outgrows her sensitivity.

Some people also believe that colic can be caused by wrong formula milk. This doesn’t usually happen but it is still best to see a doctor and try switching formula or your doctor might suggest a milk-free and lactose-free milk supplement. For bottle-fed babies, you should try to reduce the amount of air that your baby swallows. Curved bottles or bottles with collapsible and disposable liners will probably work best for you. Also, make sure to burp your baby after feeding. Some babies tend to stop crying when they’re wrapped snugly in a blanket or when they hear rhythmic sounds like the vacuum, and dryer. If you want to help your baby sleep, bring her to the part of your home which has the least stimulation. Noise, bright lights and a lot of people can aggravate the situation so try to avoid these.

Mark Crockrum -Article Marketer http://www.baby-assistance.info

When babies can’t sleep, the whole family is miserable. The other kids in the family are tired because they too can’t sleep with all the racket the baby is making and the parents are exhausted from being awake the whole night with the baby. Babies who have sleeping problems cannot fall asleep easily and are usually awake in the middle of the night. Sleep patterns in babies also take some time to develop so it can be pretty difficult to say whether your child’s sleeping habits are abnormal. Newborns need to have atleast 16 hours of sleep in a day, but this can be one to two hours at a time, depending on the baby. Most babies do not develop normal sleeping patterns until the 4th or 6th month.

A baby’s sleeping problem develops when parents react too quickly when the child cries. Most new parents do not know that when left alone for a while, babies may stop crying and fall asleep by herself. When parents react immediately to the first cry, babies get used to being comforted and will soon expect to get attention immediately.

To prevent your babies from developing sleeping problems, parents need to make sure that they are well rested so they can cope with their baby’s situation. A technique used in our family is that my husband and I alternate getting up for the baby so that at least one of us is well rested.

Here are some other tips that parents can do to help babies fall asleep easier and stay sleeping longer.

1. Avoid too much stimulation at night. Try not to play with your baby before going to sleep.

2. Try not to let baby to sleep too long in the morning. Some parents try to wake their babies at 3pm so the baby can fall asleep at night.

3. Put your baby to bed immediately as soon as she is tired. This way, she can learn to relax.

4. Rocking your baby to sleep creates a habit. Soon your baby will need to be held and comforted back to sleep when she wakes in the middle of the night.

5. Avoid putting your baby to sleep with a pacifier. A pacifier is used to soothe the baby but she should not sleep with it.

6. Do not put the baby to sleep in your bed. Several studies have shown higher incidence of crib death in babies sleeping with their parents, this can also create sleeping problems.

It is best to encourage your baby to sleep on her own, especially when she reaches her third month. When your baby is already drowsy, lay her down on a designated sleeping area. Try to put her down when she’s awake while feeling cozy and loved and she will begin to associate this with falling asleep and she will soon get the hang of sleeping on her own.

Some parents believe that their babies should be allowed to “cry it out”, allowing babies to cry themselves to sleep. Studies suggest, however, that this shouldn’t be used with children below six months of age.

Mark Crockrum -Article Marketer http://www.baby-assistance.info

When I was younger, I used to get really irritated when my sisters used to start crying. It seemed as if they have nothing better to do but cry themselves to sleep. Nowadays, however, a smile creeps on my lips every time I hear my daughter cry. It has become music to my ears. Fact is, up to this point that I’m writing this article; I’m still wondering how this has happened. I, who have always sworn never to give birth, now have a beautiful daughter. I, who have always been a happy go lucky gal, am now content just playing with my baby.

I was on my second trimester when I started feeling fears. I was afraid because I didn’t know how to give a baby a bath. I was afraid that I might not be able to make my baby stop crying. I was afraid that my baby might die because I couldn’t take care of her properly. My husband kept telling me, everything will be alright once the baby’s born, but I didn’t believe him at the time, I continued to fret and cry at night.

Now that my daughter is here, I found out that taking care of her is so much easier than I imagined, thanks to the help of my mother and friends who had babies before me. Just like most mothers, I’ve found out that a baby’s cries are simply their way of communication. Since they are unable to provide anything for themselves, they rely on us to provide them with the food, warmth and comfort that they need. For new parents, it can be difficult to work out what your baby is trying to tell you – whether they are feeling cold, thirsty, uncomfortable or whether they just want to cuddle. As your baby gets older, he or she will learn other ways of communicating such as eye contact, make noise or even smiling which will greatly reduce their crying. To reassure yourself, here is a list why babies cry and what you can do to soothe them.

1. Your baby is hungry.

People say that this is the main reason why babies cry. Babies’ stomachs hold very little and would need to feed very often. Offer your milk and let him or her keep feeding until she wants to. If your baby doesn’t stop crying, then he or she might be expressing her next need.

2. Your baby needs to feel comfortable.

Babies cry when they need a diaper change or if their clothes are too tight. Babies also need to feel warm. To check if you baby is too hot or too cold, try feeling her stomach. It is also advisable to keep your baby’s room at 18 degrees Celcius or 64 degrees Farenheit.

3. Your baby needs to be held.

Babies need cuddling and reassurance. Older children may be soothed by seeing or hearing you but babies need physical contact to feel comfortable. If you already fed your baby, or changed their diapers and he or she keeps crying, chances are, she needs to be touched.

4. Your baby needs to rest.

Some babies find it hard to sleep especially when they are getting too much attention. Some babies just want to stop the noise so she can rest for the day.

Mark Crockrum -Article Marketer http://www.baby-assistance.info

Having a baby doesn’t mean an end to your adventures. Unfortunately, with a baby in tow, much of your travel is spent soothing and entertaining your baby. No more staring out to space while dreaming of your perfect vacation. Though traveling with a baby has a lot of disadvantages, it has a lot of advantages as well. Cuddling a baby on your lap, you will realize that the world is a much friendlier. The cardinal rule when traveling with your baby is this: create a home away from home so you can make the experience something that the whole family can enjoy.

When you’re traveling with a baby, bed-and breakfasts, beach scenes and big cities are perfect destinations. You can also go bike touring, car camping and even desert adventures! Family camps and resorts nature camps and ski resorts are great destinations for your family vacation. You might need to avoid activities, which involve rafting, theme parks, foreign travel and long stays with friends. These can be too exhausting for your baby and could cause her to have sleeping problems.

A three month old is a perfect candidate for traveling because unlike toddlers, they can’t run around and get into trouble. A baby needs a lot of things so make sure to organize your trip and pack checklists for your baby. It is best to prepare a first aid kit for minor medical problems. You might also want to bring prescription medications just to be sure. Some pediatricians suggest that parents fill out an emergency sheet, which contains contact names and numbers, including your child’s health information and medication she takes.

It is always advisable to bring a hat for your baby to shield her from the sun in case of warm weather or keep the head bundled in times of cold weather. You should also bring sun screen if you are planning to go to the beach. SPF15 with UVA and UVB protection should be enough for the little one. Apply this in small amounts on the face and the back of the hand for babies below 6 months. For older kids you should apply liberally in areas exposed to the sun.

Babies should always be sitting in the backseat. Make sure that the car seats are properly installed and that the seatbelts are correctly threaded. You should also get shade screens to protect your baby’s eyes and to prevent the car from getting too hot and uncomfortable.

When traveling by plane, your baby might experience ear pain from air pressure during landing and takeoff. To prevent this, have her suck on a pacifier or a sippy cup. If your baby is sleeping, leave her as it is and she might get through the takeoff and landing without any trouble.

If you’re crossing time zones, try not to over schedule your first day so your baby can have enough to rest and adjust to the changes you’re exposing her to. If you’re breastfeeding, you should make sure to have a water bottle with you to keep you from getting dehydrated.

Mark Crockrum -Article Marketer http://www.baby-assistance.info

What to Watch Out For

These days you never know what can happen to your kids when you are away at work or on a business trip. So it pays to be better informed and alert to some suspicious changes in the home or the behavior of a child. Thus, it is not enough that your CCTV camera just captures the daily rituals of sleeping, eating, and playing. You should be on guard for child abuse or neglect.

Caregivers are wiser now with home surveillance recording their every move. They simply stay away from the reach of an inquisitive CCTV camera, so that leaves you guessing about the nanny and if the children are all right.

In most cases, parents place their hidden cameras in the most obvious places, the bedroom and living room. Adding a CCTV camera in the basement, closets, and the garage provides you more home surveillance to aid in monitoring activities in all parts of the house. You never know what might happen in dark nooks and crannies when you are away from home.

Signs to Watch Out For

Do not be smug because you have hidden cameras in the child’s bedroom or playroom; you should have a CCTV camera in the garage, kitchen, basement, front door, and all exits. If possible, a spy camera directed at the family TV should be mounted accurately to monitor what the nanny or relative is watching with the kids.

Some of the warning signs of child abuse may go on unnoticed if you are not aware of the signs. At the very first sign, rush back home and do a thorough investigation and save the child from further physical and verbal abuse or neglect.

* Is the nanny or caregiver always out of camera range except for the regular rituals?

* Are the kids sloppily dressed or dirty?

* Is the child is uncomfortable when the caregiver is near him or her?

* Are the kids unusually silent when in the company of the caregiver even if you are not around?

* Are the kids foraging the fridge when the nanny or caregiver is asleep?

* Are they hysterical about undressing before others?

Optimizing CCTV Cameras for Your Child’s Protection

Your CCTV camera has evolved since last invented. These are similar to the exposed surveillance cameras used in banks and malls. Once set up and hooked to your CCTV. The camera starts capturing video images that are instantly seen on your PC or TV screen or your hand-held CCTV.

To get the best results from your CCTV camera, choose both wired and wireless models. The wireless types of CCTV cameras can be placed in the most unlikely places but be sure that these can pan, tilt, and zoom, and have night vision for dark areas in the house.

Think like the bad guy who is CCTV camera shy when you install your hidden camera. The camera’s view should not be obstructed by furniture, appliance, and other household items and always check that things are arranged the way you want it to have a good view of everything on the computer or TV screen.

Knowing what you need from your CCTV camera, CCTV security, and closed circuit television systems can help you make the right choices. Get the needed information from Video-Surveillance-Guide.com now.

Here is odd news for you: A Florida father whacked his teenage daughter’s boyfriend after he found said boyfriend standing naked on his daughter’s bed. The amazing thing is that the boyfriend was trespassing for more than a year before the awkward, and subsequently costly, discovery. How costly? The father was booked for aggravated battery and posted bail for $10,000!

You definitely do not want invasions on your home’s privacy and your children’s chastity like that. With this purpose in mind, you should monitor your teenage children’s activities through a high-tech CCTV home security system and low-tech parental love. Here is how.

Monitor the House

You need to monitor the house and its premises with even the most basic of CCTV home security systems. If you dismantled your old CCTV home security cameras used to monitor the nanny when the kids were younger, then it is time to re-install them. Why the need when there is no nanny to spy on?

Well, you are not always in the house. The CCTV home security cameras can help you monitor your teenaged daughter and her friends while you are out of the house on vacation, on a short business trip or at work. If you see anything on the CCTV home security monitor that needs your immediate concern, you can readily call up the house. Otherwise, you can discuss the issues when you get home.

However, in all instances do not bring up the presence of the hidden security cameras lest you have a full-blown teenage rebellion in your hands, with invasion of their privacy as the staging ground for battle. That being said, stay out of their private areas but it is a good idea to have cameras installed where boyfriends can climb up to their rooms.

Talk and Listen

As difficult as it can be to understand the teenage psyche of the new generation, you have to talk and listen to your teenagers. You have to keep your communication channels as open as possible, hopefully bridging the gap between your protective parental concerns and their surge for independence.

The emphasis is on a two-way communication that lays out what you think is good for him and what he thinks is better for him and coming up with viable compromises. Sounds difficult, doesn’t it? Actually, it is but with dedication, it is possible.

Go Easy on the Unsupervised Time

Sure, you should allow your teenagers to perform unsupervised activities to develop their sense of independence and their self-confidence. However, you have to set firm but gentle parental limits that set rules and enforce consequences for violations.

You can even encourage them to join supervised and chaperoned activities like organized clubs where you can be assured that responsible adult supervision is provided for.

Know Their Friends

Often, it is better to have your teenagers’ friends in your house doing what teenagers do for good, clean fun than have them somewhere else that raises not just your suspicions but your hackles as well. What is annoying pop music blaring from the radio, magazines scattered everywhere and the loud laughter of teenagers having fun compared with rock concerts peppered with sex, drugs and rock n’ roll?

The most important thing you can do to monitor your teenagers sans CCTV home security cameras is to win their trust, provide them with guidance and shower them with love. Everything else should be easy.

For more information how CCTV cameras and closed circuit TV are used in a CCTV home security system, visit Video-Surveillance-Guide.com today!

Your kids have many entertainment options available to them – cable television, Internet sites, portable games and outdoor activities. However, the most important recreational activity is still reading books simply because reading builds self-confidence and learning skills that will prove valuable in later life.

Along this thought, you have to ensure that your kids’ bookcases are stocked with the right books. You can follow these top tips.

Buy Into Their Interests

You should buy books for your kids’ bookcases that cater to their specific interests, no matter how silly it might seem to their older siblings. You have to remember that each child is unique and it is up to you to nurture their sense of uniqueness in the most positive way possible.

However, you also have to buy books that will encourage them to go beyond their world. Your purpose in encouraging them to read is to expose them to the outside world without needlessly exposing them to harm. Let your kids explore their imagination, soar to the heavens and dive to the deepest depths in the comfort of their own bedroom, with books as their magic carpet ride!

Progress as They Progress

Your choice of books to stock in your kids’ bookcases should change as they grow older. If possible, once your kids evince boredom in a certain book or read it with their eyes closed, replace it immediately. With favorite books, you might need to place them there indefinitely but replace other books as necessary.

Pictures Perfect

You should opt for books that contain pictures and words in the same page. You can readily teach children word-picture associations as well as nurture their imaginations through make-up stories based on the pictures.

As your children grow older, you often have to purchase books with lesser pictures albeit with richer vocabulary. Usually, books will contain age-appropriate labels to guide parents so you can start from there.

Reading Time

Once you have stocked up your kids’ bookcases, the hard part is encouraging your children to read books in lieu of television and video games. You can practice these tips:

- Be a wide reader yourself. Your kids will follow your example when they see you enjoying good books.

- Read to your children regularly. It might not be on a nightly basis but you have to make sure that you schedule regular reading time, which the whole family should engage in.

- Share experiences in readings, even with the littlest of kids. You have to respect their views and engage in discussions to further encourage them to read more.

If you arrange furniture according to your aesthetic needs, you have to adjust when it comes to kids’ bookcases. You should position their bookcases where they can readily reach for a book, settle down comfortably and read without the distractions of television and video games. You will not be spending much money on acquiring kids’ bookcases with their own seats and recliners anyway!

Ultimately, your efforts to encourage your children to love books and to love reading will benefit them in the future. Imagine the places they can go to, the people they can meet, the experiences they can have, the opinions they can form, and the knowledge they can acquire just by reading!

For your kids

The purpose of a baby shower is to celebrate the arrival of a new baby, and to welcome the little one into the world. Today, expectant mothers often decide to know the gender of the baby before they give birth, and it is known ahead of the baby shower. However, in some cases, parents choose to wait until the due date to know the sex of the baby and be surprised the day that the infant arrives.

In American society, when the gender of the baby is known, parents often begin brainstorming ideas and deciding on some names that they believe will be perfect for the baby. In many cases, parents already know what they want to name the baby even before the child is born, which allows friends and family members the opportunity to personalize baby gifts for baby showers or to welcome everyone home from the hospital. (For a great selection of personalized gifts, go here: http://www.simplyuniquebabygifts.com/personalized-baby-gifts.html)

This is not the case, however, for various different cultures. There are a variety of different cultures that view the baby-naming process from a completely different perspective. Each cultural group generally has some sort of a baby-naming ceremony or traditional process. From the Jewish to the Japanese, each culture views the act of giving a name to a baby from a very interesting and distinct angle.

In Japan, the baby naming ceremony is typically held seven days after the baby’s birth. The name is written in Kanji, which are Chinese characters that are usually used in the modern Japanese Iogographic writing system. On this seventh day, the Japanese give their children a first name and a last name, but no middle name, which is a common custom in American society. Girls are usually given names that are associated with purity and morality, and boys are often associated with their position in the family. Lists are often consulted with top 100 baby boy names and top 100 baby girl names. The idea is to either choose one that is very popular or the rare baby names from the list.

Greek baby names are chosen in a totally different fashion. Greek families also often name their babies on the seventh day after their birth, and sometimes on the tenth day. Traditionally, first-born males are named after their paternal grandfather, and first-born females are named after their paternal grandmother. The Greek Orthodox Church also strongly influences the baby-naming process, and many infants are given the names of saints. Because of this saint name acquisition, children acquire their saint’s “name day”.Therefore, many Greek Orthodox people celebrate their lives on two occasions: their actual birth date and their saint’s name day.

For many Italian and Hispanic cultures, baby names are also often influenced by religion. In these areas, the Roman Catholic religion is the most prevalent; therefore, biblical names like Maria (in Hispanic culture), and Paulo (in Italian culture) are common. Many parents are not only looking for unique spanish baby girl names and baby boy names. They are looking to the bibles for biblical baby names.

In Jewish culture, baby girls have what is called the Zeved Habat ceremony, while baby boys have the Berit Milah ceremony. The Zevet Habat is a small ceremony held at a home or in a synagogue. During the ceremony, which is led by a Rabbi, the mother recites a word, the name-giving prayer is said, and she then gives thanks to everyone.

There are countless different ways of naming a baby, and there is no right or wrong method to giving your child the perfect name. It is interesting to see, however, the traditions and customs of baby naming across the globe - how they are similar and yet, very unique, according to customs and traditions.

Edie Mindell is the Creative Content Writer for SimplyUniqueBabyGifts.com. If you are looking for a unique newborn baby idea, baby’s first Christmas, gifts for toddlers, baby room decor and much more, visit their online catalog at Simply Unique Baby Gifts and enjoy free shipping (lower 48 states).