Good questions, thanks =) I hope I find time and concentration to reply with a new blog entry... Now, just quickly; If I understand correctly, epigenetic code works bit like a coating layer on top of the main DNA, and that layer carries either inhibiting or activating markers. (I'm not completely sure if there actually are activating markers, or if the same effect comes just by absence of inhibitive markers.) I haven't studied in that detail that I could understand how this actually works on level of RNA and protein synthesis. Maybe I should read more =)

Here's a short post about some empirical studies on parental care and epigenetic effects: http://sites.bu.edu/ombs/2010/11/11/licking-rat-pups-the-genetics-of-nur...
(these studies are focused on single generation only. But I remember reading another set of studies showing that some of the epigenetic code of parents gets passed on to the offspring.)