Not a big fiction reader but time to take a break from other stuff. So, what should I read? Yes, I'm picky. I want to catch up on reading classics, etc., something to help me learn, be better educated and prepared to teach, but part of me wants to just do light, easy reading. A friend suggested getting into the A. McCall Smith books Ladies No. 1 Detective Series.... So, what do you suggest? No romance novels!

:bigear: I'm actually looking for fiction recommendations...but think I may be a non-fiction lover that can learn from what I read (I know you can with some fiction too)....so listenining in.

:grouphug: Waiting stinks! My March baby finally arrived 2weeks, 2days overdue. I had my water broken but really wish I could have gone into labor on my own. The doctors just are so focused on the magical 40 weeks. I had membranes stripped with my 3 boys and they all came within 24 hours. This time that did not work (and NO natural methods did) and had signs of labor for a week after. She was very ready to come on inducing day but I wonder if she would have come on her own within a day or two. Hope you go into labor soon, and on your own. Wait it out as long as doc lets you and as long as you feel moving and have good fluid.

Where are you located?

Has anyone used these books? Veritas press recommends them. https://host.rainbowresource.com/cartdetail.php?id=006980 Seem similar to ETC but more expensive?

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Are there samples of the guides? I couldn't seem to fine one...

Looking for a way to have all my recipes in one spot....on my iPad. Anyone have a favorite website or app? Or should I just use something like Pages?

:grouphug: and :bigear: I have similar ages. This year has been a complete bomb! Looking forward to reading the responses you got.

OK, I will look into Dropbox, whatever that is. :D Go to the Math Mammoth site and download it directly? I already purchased it all. It is on a USB and I think still on my computer. Maybe I need some more hand holding. Don't quite get it yet.

Bringing up an old post here....but can someone tell me exactly how to use MM on an iPad? I am not unfamiliar with an iPad but can't figure out how to get the MM from my USB, to my computer, onto my iPad. Any help? :tongue_smilie:

Ok, thanks for all the input. Sounds like I need to be more patient and encouraging! My ds might being feeling too much pressure from my husband and me about having to learn (now!). I will keep plugging away. Seems like school work would be limited if he can't read well. :confused: Maybe not.

I know age, grade varies....but in looking through the "what are you doing for 2nd grade" post I noticed that most, maybe all??, seem to have 1st graders that are currently reading (well?). My 1st grader is still struggling along with cvc, long vowel with silent e, and that's about it. He can read basic Bob books but not Frog and Toad type books yet. I am not comparing....just wondering if I should keep him at first grade level overall if he doesn't take off soon? He has been really focusing on reading only. We do work on handwriting some but math has been neglected. :tongue_smilie: He has Math Mammoth 1 but would probably not be ready for MM 2 next year. I know grade level, etc., doesn't matter but I hate feeling "behind." Any input?

I'm not sure why you are being so snarky and rude. You obviously missed my point. So be it. For the record, I did not actully have another option being 42 weeks over and the doctors I talked to not willing to wait. The head was engaged and this is why the cord prolapse business was frustrating. The pitocin was only 2ml when most women get about 20 and up! It did kick start my body into what felt like normal labor. I just wanted minimal monitoring after that. For the record, I have had 4 births with no epidural and have NEVER screamed in pain. Ever. My body was doing what it was meant to do. Like I said, I would like to be done discussing this. If I'm attacked it is hard to ignore. I did not attack anyone personally. I just don't appreciate some hospital policy. Thanks to those who blew it out of proportion. Sheesh.

:chillpill: Listen, I am talking about normal circumstances and MY personal situation and what I hear from friends' experiences. Did I ever say there isn't a place for intervention?!! Or that it hasn't saved many, many lives?! In my normal births, I just want to labor naturally and not be forced to be hooked up to stupid monitors that need to be readjusted every time I move. I also didn't say everyone should have home births. Lol. I never will! I am simply venting, postpartum. Thanks to those who listened. The need to defend certain individuals love for hospitals is unnecessary. I know the good they cause and I can list the bad. I'm done discussing this. I strongly believe a woman should have her choice--with the baby's best interest in mind--on how she wants to give birth. Schedule a c-section, go for it; walk in, get drugged and lay there, go for it. Pushy, annoying nurses and hospital policy is not what I desire and will not tolerate it be there a next time. There. Done. No more lecturing me about how your life or your baby's life was saved. I'm not an idiot. :001_smile:

Thanks for all the congrats! I didn't mean to sound like I am not grateful for medical intervention when needed...I know that the number of moms that die in labor is WAY less and that many, many babies (especially preemies) are saved from death too. I do know that I can refuse things...and I tried. I think really the nurse makes or breaks it. She was newer and probably too focused on doing things "right." I should have been more pushy,,,though why should I have to be fighting policy when I am trying to focus on labor. I am glad to hear that not ALL hospitals are that way. Though my experiences in Michigan and California are similar. The nurses are what really changed things. Someone mentioned that I chose to go the unnatural way by being induced. Yes, well, I didn't have a doctor that would let me go past 42 weeks 2 days! The nurses at the hospital could not believe I was "that late." I said, no one comes in at 42 weeks? They were like, NO, maybe 41. :confused: I just have late babies. I know my dates. It's too bad they force them out. From what I hear midwives don't let patients go past 42 weeks now either. My doctor had 30 March babies due. Come April I was the ONLY one not delivered. WHY? Because doctor pushes inducing at 39 weeks! Stupid. Anyways, I was comfortable with being induced and I knew my body was ready. Which indeed it was. I just should have told myself to be more prepared for medical interventions. I got sick of fighting after awhile and my husband tried his best. I eventually just gave in to some things....like antibiotics for group B even though I thought I had tested negative?!! So, I stand by what I say. Giving birth is a natural thing. Yes, so is dying and thankfully with some interventions it can be prevented! I choose hospital births because I am thankful to have the medical there if needed....though my husband reminded me the hospital is only 5 minutes away. Ha! Oh well. My point is I should walk into a hospital and not be touched. Left alone and up to the doctor. The nurse should do what I want her to do....especially this having been my 5th baby and I was not new to it. Balance is key. Choice is key. I feel all the monitoring, etc., causes a downward spiral. Isn't it kind of weird that many who don't educate themselves and do as told by the nurses and doctors end up with c-sections? My 2 sisters-in-law have 2 kids each, all c-sections....because the baby's heart rate was elevated. Huh. Interesting. That said, I do know that c-sections are SOMETIMES needed and thankful for the babies' lives they have saved.:001_smile: BUT, don't read that wrong...not saying you didn't educate yourself if you ended up with a c-section. I went in very educated and could have ended up with one. That wasn't my point. My point was my SILs didn't care either way and both had their 2nd babies scheduled. I could not schedule a major surgery like that for myself if there was a more natural way....but it is choice and preference so I judge not. I knew I shouldn't have vented and didn't mean to open a can of worms. I really wish women would see it as a more natural thing, perfectly designed by God though.

Really?!! They don't? That's good to know. The two hospitals I used here in LA had lots of rules. Michigan wasn't as bad but still had their protocols and annoyances.

I just had my 5th baby. I have chosen to do hospital births for each child. Why? It seems to be my comfort zone. Wish I was brave enough to do home births. My friends do, many of them, and I cheer them on. That said, I need to vent to --someone-- about hospitals and what giving birth has become. I was 42 weeks 2 days and had to be induced by having my water broken. That didn't seem to work so well so I chose to add in a "whiff" of pitocin putting me into nice otherwise natural labor. My vent is in regards to how hospitals have you show up to give birth and want to hook you up to all these THINGS. An IV, those annoying elastic monitors that watch the baby's heart rate, your contractions (like you don't know when you are having one?!!). The BP cuff, and the pulse ox thingy on your finger. Sigh. Really?!! WHY? Because women sue. My water was broken and I was not allowed to go PEE!!! I had to use a bed pan. Seriously? All because hospital policy says I am at risk for cord prolapse. I know the doctor can override some things....but not much. We need to get our rights back. I don't give a crap about hospital policy. I do care about my baby's heart rate....I do. I do care if my BP is high. I do care about the end result--me being alive and my baby healthy and well. But, I desire to reach those results as natural as possible. What is amazing to me is how perfectly God has designed our bodies, from little things like the prostaglandin in semen to soften the cervix, to breastfeeding causing the uterus to contract (ouch) to help it shrink. AMAZING. The natural endorphins you get during transition to get you revved up and into the pushing phase! AMAZING. Let our bodies do what they are meant to do. Walking into a hospital, throwing us on our backs and pushing a drug to numb us to not move while being hooked up to tons of wires and whatnots?! UGH. Like I said, this is a vent. I have had 4 natural (meaning no pain killers) births to BIG babies (my first was induced, pitocin, epidural, etc). Yes, women can give birth to babies bigger than 6 pounds. LOL. I don't care, BTW, if you choose to get an epidural. As long as that is your choice. I want the choice to not get monitored every second, even if I have pit. I hate hospital policy and I think it harms more than helps. OK. I'm done. I feel better. Thank you. :D

I got pregnant when my first dd was 9 months. I continued to nurse her through my entire pregnancy. Milk supply was not an issue. I nursed my other babies when pregnant with another child, too. I guess it depends on whether or not she will have supply issues. I didn't.... if her child is 8 months then is she interested in starting solids around 9 months or so? Or am I missing that? My babies were sitting up well, able to feed table foods to themselves at that age and would still nurse frequently but not only. I never did baby food...just table foods. I don't see why she couldn't successfully continue to nurse while pregnant. If cramping does occur though, this is what would make me stop. Maybe contact a local LLL for advice if that happens and what she could then supplement with if needed. In that case, formula is better (I know....) than risking the baby's health and survival. Hopefully, she can just keep nursing without a problem!

I'm sorry. :(. I just had baby 5 at 42 weeks 2 days because doctor said I needed to be induced. Baby was -2 station when I went in. She broke my water and really nothing happened (not even any water came out). So a friend suggested just a whiff of pitocin. I was given 2ml (I was told most women get 20ml!!!!). The whiff was just enough to get me moving into otherwise normal natural labor. No epidural, quick progress, etc. I had tried every natural method to induce labor (except castor oil, yuk!!) and nothing even gave me contractions! I guess keep trying, check out spinning babies.com. I get how frustrating it can be!! I did not want mine to be so medical but the baby had to come out! I'm convinced she wouldn't have on her own. Ha. Hope all goes well and without needing to be induced.

Oh! I get it. I am still waiting for baby 5 to arrive. I was due March 24!! :glare: Monday had membranes stripped (worked for 3 of my kids within 24 hours) but all I had this time was cramping and bloody show which continues. Sorry, TMI. I am just waiting and waiting. I really don't think she is coming on her own. :tongue_smilie: So, at least you aren't almost 42 weeks. :grouphug: My doctor left town!!! until Sunday, so if I go any time soon I will have some random on-call that I don't know. She had wanted to break my water but I feared that wouldn't work and it would be a huge downward spiral including pitocin and a c-section perhaps. Thanks for listening to me vent, too! ;)

I have a Babyhawk, mei tai. Love it but for longer wearing, walks, etc. I like the pouch for quick comfort, or if baby is sleeping and I need to run into a store, etc. I have read larger women should try a ring sling....just never found one I like (too much material?) and seems a tad more complicated than a pouch sling.

Looking for a new pouch sling. Anyone have a favorite? The one I have a friend made and is a heavy canvas, not good for summer. I am a larger woman :001_smile: so need one that comes in decent sizes.

We loved Tale of Despereaux. The book was way better than the movie, but the movie was liked by my kids, too. I think the author, Kate Dicamillo, also wrote Because of Winn Dixie which is a movie, too. My kids also love the Narnia series and I think there are 3 movies out. Depending on your standards you may find those movies at times too scary or violent though.

Question-- would you say that the SOTW AG is not needed if one were to go with Biblioplan. I already have the AG but am looking to use Biblioplan. I thought I would ask here where you ladies seem to know what would work best. :001_smile: