LOL right? He said it was like 1 in 30 men. I think he'll still do it, but I think finding someone good is the solution to put his mind at ease. The internetz is full of crazy info.
I think if he knew anyone he'd talk to them, unfortunately he's the first of his guy friends to have kids. The rest are just starting their families. His best friend actually just told us they are expecting. I gave his wife my books, lol.
Kat - ooh, I wonder if he does know something!! I can't wait to hear the news!!
As for my dad . . . my parents are more open than most about their sex lives (at least they share way more than makes some people comfortable) so while I don't know that he'd be that specific, either he or my mom would have said something over the years about it.
Is it a permament thing, the pain? or does it get better with time? that would be interesting to know.
Appointment this afternoon, looking forward to it - if for no other reason than to see if the doc has a clue about whether she'll be here soon or cook a bit. According to them, I'm not due for another week, which means less pressure about doing something. One good thing about being a VBAC is that it means they won't try pitocin on me, for which I'm very grateful. (unless the circumstances were pretty dire. I've had a friend with a VBAC at the practice that had to be induced for pre-E that was induced with very low dose pit, but that had extenuating circumstances)
MW: meant to say - I think the PP Doula thing would be great! it's great to have an idea of what to do once the boys are grown a bit. And I think the way you are raising your boys will help them choose a more AP sort of wife.
I had a professor in college who also agreed that the natural age of reading was around 7-8. She wasn't an unschooler or homeschooler, but thought studies showed prior to that, it was just as beneficial to do learning orally rather than written.
I know I was taught my ABC's and all that, but I don't know that I was really taught to read; mom said I just came home from preschool and knew how. I don't really remember a time when letters didn't make sense. That to say, I think kids pick it up when they are good and ready, and some are ready sooner than others.
Because, well, why not?
here's a picture for today: 40 weeks! sorry I'm not smiling ;)
Annie, I keep telling myself that! I can't be pregnant forever, after all!
There is no need to smile! We know how you feel! Still, happy Due Date. Remember, you WANT to make it to your due date! You did it! Congrats!! Anything can happen. This early on my due date, I didn't think baby was coming either, and then POP, water broke. Keep the faith! No matter what, soon, she will be in your arms.
I thought I was getting a cold but now I think it's allergies. I'm so sneezy and drippy! GAH!
We slept great last night. I'm still sleeping on the couch with him, I think it's almost more comfortable than the bed. Either way, he only woke at 230 and 530 to eat and then we slept til 830. No fussing, no awake periods. No puke!! Just up, boob, asleep. I could get used to that.
Today the plan is just to do lots of laundry. I have to do the spitup/burp cloth laundry seperate from everything else b/c it makes things smell sour. Even with vinegar in the rinse. I bought some organic/vegan lavender dryer sheets to try with our clothes (not the baby's) but I've been too chicken to use them. I don't typically like dryer sheets or the film they leave on the clothes.
you look nice even without the smile.
he never did it or any other letters again like that. periodically, he would pull out some workbooks i bought and do a little bit of letter tracing or completing words but not a lot and not regularly. at the beginning of the summer i encouraged him to be his grandfather's pen pal. that was more to foster a relationship with someone he never sees than to get him to write. he wrote a couple of letters and then got bored with it. then a month or so ago he showed me a paper that he had written a couple of sentences on. i think it was for a video game. he had done it all on his own. he made a sign for something. i was like, "wow! i didn't know you could do that."
Even in some schools kids are taught to read by word reckognition vs. phonics. To this day, my sister (whose degree is in early childhood ed, of all things) will not read the whole word; she looks at the first few letters and guesses. To me, reading is being able to look at words and know what they are (maybe not the meaning, if it is an unfamiliar word). It really bugged my mom that my sister was taught word recognition vs. phonics, as obviously, it doesn't seem to work that well.
I don't know that I could be as laid back as to completely unschool, but we do plan to homeschool. There are lots of great learning opportunities here at the museums and zoo for homeschoolers. For me, that is one of the many benefits of homeschooling - you can spend as much, or as little, time on some topics as you like. No pressure to have it done in a certain block of time. Funny thing is, I know more people in the crunchy community (if that makes sense) that homeschool rather than through church. It's become far more about educating and exposing kids to things we want them to be - control of the process I think - than really sheltering them from anything, which is what it used be (or used to be perceived as)
Not smiling in picture because I was in a hurry! It is the bathroom at work, and I try to snap it before anyone comes in, as the mirror is right by the door. We haven't got a full length mirror at home.
I've been feeling very crampy off and on the last couple days . . . but trying not to focus on it overmuch.
I do think it's b/c of the dairy. I know it takes a good 2 weeks to get out of your system so I'm hoping by really being strict about it, things will only get better.
MW - Generally he's down by 930. Chris puts Nora in bed by 9, and then I sit and nurse him down. Sometimes (like last night) he doesn't fall asleep for real til probably a little after 10. He was just nursing and nursing. I fell asleep on the couch with him, I didn't bother putting him in the swing. I was really tired. So he slept prob from 10-230 for the first stretch. That's not bad!
I'm the voice of dissent planning on sending my kids to public school, at least for elementary school. 
Carrie, I'm the opposite - elementary is the age I most want them home! - high school for me is as much about the experience (good and bad) as it is about the education, so if our kids want to attend high school, I'll be ok with that. I figure by then, if we've not laid down a good foundation, then it's our own fault. Kids are too impressionable in elementary school. But then, you never know what we may end up needing to do! might change our minds by then, we have a few years yet.
Glad everyone is getting good sleep!
Gabe fell out of bed again last night and went back to sleep on the floor. I peeked in on him (on the monitor) before I left for work and he was still there. Guess he was comfy!
Carrie, I'm the opposite - elementary is the age I most want them home! - high school for me is as much about the experience (good and bad) as it is about the education, so if our kids want to attend high school, I'll be ok with that.
Oh I just meant it might be a private school rather than public. I def want my highschool age kids to experience high school b/c you're right, there is a lot of growing and experience that comes with it. I get your point though about homeschooling for elementary. Hmm, food for thought.
That's hilarious that Gabe fell back asleep on the floor! Kids!! Ha!
It might depend too, on the schools where you are. The ones here, while mostly "good" schools - they are good by SC standards, but we rank pretty low on a national standard. There is a public Montessori elementary school in the area, but I don't think we are in the right district for Gabe to go - I might consider that one if we did. A lot of the private schools are parochial of some sort, and while I dont' mind at all Gabe learning about God and religion, I really think that belongs at home, unless they can come up with an unbiased way to present it, which most schools aren't. One of the joys of parenting - all these monumental decisions!
Baby girl is squirming way down low today. it feels like she has got a fist in my pelvic bone. - I am trying really hard to be positive and cheerful about it, but I am also really, really, ready for her to be born!
That's a good point. I wonder if there are any non-religious private schools around me, I don't even know. Chris went to a Catholic all boys school and isn't Catholic anymore, lol, if that says anything. We are agnostic. He thinks he's atheist but I know him well enough to know that he isn't. He's agnostic, even though he won't really admit it. Ha!
Baby girl has GOT to come out sooner than later. I hope you can find peace until she does -- that was the hardest part for me at the end. I was just so damn uncomfortable. Hang in there!!
yeah, I know she has to come out! and I do really want her to come out soon, but want her to choose her birthday. it's a tough line to walk.
I'm definitely christian - but non-denominational - DH is more spiritual than christian, per se. I think we may end up in a unitarian sort of church. The thing is, I want our kids to learn about religion, and what other people believe and why, and not just why the other religions are "wrong" - which is nearly impossible to find anywhere. I don't know how, but I ended up very open minded about religious sort of stuff, and my sister is very much the opposite (she is very um. dogmatic I'd say). it's another thing on the list of what we don't talk about! (like nursing in public, for example)
I don't remember being this uncomfortable with Gabe at the end, I really don't think he ever was low enough to make me this uncomfortable. So I'm trying to take it as a good sign!
has your Nora cooked up anything unusual lately? I got a kick out of hearing some of her ideas of yummy!
has your Nora cooked up anything unusual lately? I got a kick out of hearing some of her ideas of yummy!
This morning she wanted toast with butter and sour cream. I drew the line there, lol, I made her toast with butter and that was THAT. Gross!
I'm so not in the mood to do much today. Just been hanging out with the kids and I threw in one load of wash. I really need to get my shit together and start cleaning this house, but I really don't feel like it!
It is neat, isn't it, what kids pick up naturally?
haven't found that yet with DS -academically speaking - but as far as physically so - I mean, he's not even 2 and he tries to do somersaults, I have no idea where or why he would have picked that up. makes me wonder about the Gymboree/MyGym/Little Gym places and how necessary they are (or not). We did take him to a couple free classes when he was much younger (he wasn't walking yet), but they seemed silly and pointless.
Carrie, sour cream on toast? maybe if it were more like a dip (there are plenty of sour cream based dips), but just plain sour cream . . . ugh. Now cream cheese, I could see.
I haven't seen my chiro in a couple weeks. . . . I'll definitely start going again next year though (when my insurance will pay again!) I really hope it helps the SPD.
That is the one really good thing about living with MIL - she is a very tidy person - always cleaning, well before I could get to it, did I want to! It's not that I am not a tidy person, it's just generally there are so many other things I'd rather do than clean!
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