I know D'Nealian has books (amazon). I don't know if they are like ZB, etc.

I saw where you live in North Carolinas. If I recall my herpatology (isn't that the correct word?) South Carolina is home to the most species of copperhead, so you're in that area. I live where copperheads abound here in the south. So, they're a common sight. They like wooded areas/vines/etc. Of course you know that the mamas give birth to live babies by the dozens. As for entering your house, this isn’t too common although who knows where they seek to hibernate. Guess I'd only be concerned if you're house was somehow very permeable (which I doubt). In all my years, I’ve never known anyone personally who had a snake in their home (now my friend who lives in Indonesia has…J). Make sure it’s not a brown rat snake -- they can look similarly as babes I think. This is a brown rat snake: Now you KNOW that if you bury a snake then its siblings and "family members" will know its scent and be drawn to the area within HOURS of the scent and you'll have created a snake mecca. So, whatever you do DO NOT CHOP IT UP AND BURY IT! (I'm just joking with you in that above paragraph, by the way). Back to seriousness, copperheads are not aggressive like water moccasins (who'll come at you). They only bite (with their relatively less toxic bite) if stepped on and when they feel extremely threatened. They freeze when scared. You've likely just found a lone traveler who's looking for a good winter hideout. As for snake hunters, I've heard that schnauzers and jack russell terriers will watch for snakes. However, I wouldn't get a dog FOR THIS REASON as he'd get little "experience" using this skill in his lifespan. Take heart....think of how many 1000s of folks trapse through the woods DAILY and how few people you know who've ever been bit by a snake PERIOD, much less by a copperhead specifically. So, the ODDs are WAY in your favor. I'd just give my house and around it a good check to make sure you don't have a nest of newborns that you can readily find and then rest easy. Or...you could start breeding KING SNAKES and have them guard your home for ya;). My dad has a resident King Snake that comes to lay out on their sidewalk at least once a week and they've named him "Sir Hiss." But...they know to leave him be as he'll eat the "bad guys" readily enough.

Yes I would enjoy having another child regardless. You're right. Thanks to you all for your encouragement. Once again, I'm being ruled by fear. For those of you who wish, here's a little background as to why I typed this thread in the first place. We don't know many people here. We moved here three years ago and since I don't know many moms in the area I really don't get to watch this dynamic in action much (by dynamic I'm referring to how siblings 5+ years apart in age get along). Thus, I feared that IF the relationship of my son and his (Lord willing) future sibling were one of mostly bickering/arguing that it would heighten my already-enormous sense of guilt and shame I feel for depriving my son of a playmate. I have been SOOOOO upset (with increasing poignancy) as each month went by with no pregnancy as I just see him so lonely. It just hasn't been AT ALL what I'd dreamed of --- I dreamed of kids near in age froliking about and playing alongside one another and my child's playmate is me. My son is SOOOOOOO social. He absolutely LOVES to be with other kids. We'll go to a park and if he sees even one kid off in the distance (the park is WAY off the road so there's a football field walk to get to it), he'll say, "Mama, Mama --- there's a friend for me." He'll say this not knowing the kid from Adam, simply because it's a little person like him. And he'll (now I'm crying) say stuff like, "Mama, I want a brother or sister or someone hear MY size." (And, he doesn't say this because he overhears us as we really, to my knowledge, have never made him aware of our trying to add to our family). And, after he says this I think that even if we conceive THIS month that he'll be 8 before the kid will even be able to interact much with him. So, I feel like the PLAY era will be over and that it's lost and unredeemable (for him). We've had NO luck making any friends -- we just joined a church and there's only 4 kids in his class and all are in a daycare/preschool so they aren't even AVAILABLE for play dates. I just feel cursed in a sense that of all the things I take him to that we can't meet any little kid his age that we can pal around with. And, he's normal (i know some of you may read this and wonder if he's a brat), but ---- he's not. He's the sweetest little fella (and I'm objective). He doesn't hit/bite/none of this. He even shares easily (a miracle given that he has no siblings). He'll go up to a child that he doesn't know and introduce himself like a little gentleman and ask them their names, etc. All this to say that we've batted ZERO in finding a playmate. So ALLLLLLL day I'm the playmate. And, I do my BEST to be a Planet Hero (again) and talk like Yoda, etc. --- but it's just been so miserable for me to see this void. And, I do blame myself, my body for failing US. That if I had exercised more or juiced more or given up sugar years earlier then it wouldn't have been MY fault. I pray all the time that Satan wouldn't rob me of my joy of enjoying our time in THIS moment, where we are, but I confess it's a near daily battle for me. I'll be around family (on holidays) and it's SO difficult to see all the siblings together and my "lonely only" who craves comraderie SOOO much. He'll be so elated to play with cousins as they fill a void that apparently only another little 20 - 40 lb-er. can. I guess I typed this post because I've suffered in my own (relatively small .... I'm not in Haiti afterall) way and I continually beat myself up over this issue. I fear that if we have a child and if the inevitable outcome will be two kids that bicker/argue and have nothing in common --- that seeing THIS will be yet ANOTHER reminder of the effects this inferitility/lonely/playmate-less ERA has had on us. And, I just dread not being able to put this behind me. And, then I think that if the Lord gives us another child and I'm able to remain fertile thereafter, then what do I do then? Should I have a near-in-age playmate for my second child so that the same loneliness won't happen to him/her? And, if I do this (have a 3rd), then what does that do to my first but alienate him more as two and three will have so much more in common? I pray ALL the time that God will give us another child and that he and the new one will be close and I frequently ask God to restore the years "that the locust have eaten" (He knows what i mean). Also, it makes me doubt homeschooling. If I had had even one more child near in age to my son, then I wouldn't worry so much about the socialization issue, -- but now, I feel that maybe it's best for him to go to school to be around other kids his age. So far we plan to homeschool, but I just fret over this too. I'm just soo tired of worrying about it all and what all this (Lord willing) season of infertility has costs us -- esp my son. Please pray for this for us: 1. That God will be pleased to open our womb and give us a safe and healthy pregnancy for myself and the baby 2. That God will pick out the perfect little person for our family and that my son and he/she will get along splendidly and that they'd grow up to be close to one another 3. That I'll be able to once and for all GIVE this burden and all it's "aftermath" to Him and QUIT dwelling on it and letting it rob me of my joy. 4. That God would send my son a little friend soon Thanks so much, Mary

I had been anovulatory (not producing an egg) for over 2 years and up until 4 months ago when my doctors figured out I had a thyroid issue and gave me meds which have (by fixing the thyroid) secondarily helped the ovulation. They're fairly sure this is the reason for my not ovulating prior to this "intervention". (FWIW, I'm 31 years old) and otherwise healthy). So...here's my issue: Since I've been trying to get pregnant for about 2.5 years now and my son is 4 years old now (he turned 4 in July), should I just give up given that there will now be a 5 year age gap!? I wonder if the two would even relate at all given such a big gap. My younger sister and I were 27 months apart, so I have no experience with such a "gap" and can't imagine how it might look/work. I didn't want an only child, but now I wonder -- given a 5 YEAR gap --- if he'll be an "only" in effect anyway. What kind of a relationship can a 8 year old have with a 3 year old, as an example? Any thoughts? Any one have kids with this gap?