He's a little on the young side to be skipping a day, even for being exclusively breastfed, but it's not necessarily a problem, especially if he happens to be on the bigger side. He's not necessarily constipated; breastmilk is just very efficient and doesn't always leave much left over. My biggest concern would be that he wasn't nursing frequently enough and/or having trouble with effective milk transfer. My third was a great nurser but had a bit of a bubble palate (where the roof of the mouth is very high, so the nipple goes up, instead of toward the back of the mouth, thus making milk transfer harder); I needed to help him stay anchored a bit more for a few months, until he grew into it. I would have your DD see a board-certified lactation consultant (maybe the pediatrician, but they're not always great at identifying more unusual BF'ing issues) -- look at ilca.org if you need one.

My midwife also recommends testing one and two hours after eating, and she definitely says that different foods can affect people differently, so you really need those frequent tests to see what is a problem for your daughter and what is not. She also recommends lots of good fats and proteins.

Broadcast TV? None. It's just not something we've ever done. (Though I don't freak out if they watch a sports game with my dad or something.) If we got the History or Discovery Channel, I would be okay with them watching the occasional show. "Kid TV videos?" Very little. They've never seen Barney, Dora, Spongebob, etc. Again, just not my thing. Occasional movies, including "kid" ones? Some. They like Cars, How to Train Your Dragon, Tangled, but they have seen very few Disney princess movies. However, they tend to like older musicals, like Mary Poppins and Sound of Music, and they are crazy huge fans of the Lord of the Rings trilogy and Narnia series. On an ordinary day, they get about 20 minutes of screen time (movies or computer games) each, more for DD if she completes a chapter book (she tends to start them and not finish them). I allow a full movie occasionally at my discretion, but it's a treat, not a standard or daily thing.

I've had my nails done once, and it was for my wedding, partly because I wanted acrylic nails on my thumbs, which I tended to bite, because I wanted them to look nice in pictures. I think I've had my hair professionally trimmed twice, and once was because I also wanted them to see what they could do for the wedding. (I ended up not caring for that look, did my hair myself for the wedding, and had the salon just do my nails and makeup.) My hair is straight, fairly thick, and almost to my knees; I trim it myself when it needs it. Never have colored my hair at all, myself or from a salon. Only have ever had a massage when it was part of my chiropractor's protocol, wouldn't probably be comfortable having one otherwise. (Except from DH; that's different.) Have never had a pedicure and have never been to a spa. Guess I'm not very girly. :)

I don't think the store itself matters so much as the price range of items you choose. I think there should be options for everyone. I know I use the inexpensive items from my bridal and baby registries just as often (and sometimes more often) than the bigger/more expensive ones. I don't think registering at multiple places is necessarily impolite either. When I got married, my MIL really wanted me to have multiple options, particularly since lots of people were starting to shop online, but the older women in the church, many of whom attended my shower, were more comfortable with a store they could visit. I personally prefer when people have registries. I'm not a very creative gift-giver, and I appreciate the hints as to their tastes and needs. Also, I figure if something is very obviously missing from the registry, then it's not needed. Maybe they found a great sale on a mixer, or someone handed down a high chair, or whatever. (I also appreciate if they mention wanting to use cloth diapers or breastfeeding preference or whatever too.)

I don't count dance classes, travel, or generic art supplies as HS supplies, because I'd buy those anyway, regardless of schooling choice. Same with entertainment and museum memberships. I do count the cost of evaluations and standardized testing (required in my state), supplemental classes (other than dance), specific project supplies, curricula, stuff like that, though. My HS budget is actually very small by those definitions.

My current bag is technically a diaper bag, the SkipHop bag that Target carries, but it really makes a fabulous tote bag. It's big enough to hold several books/notebooks, and it has lots of pockets, which I love for keys and water bottles. I will be able to use it long after I'm done with diapers and not have it scream "baby." (It's three years old, cost all of about $30, and is still in excellent shape -- and I'm not one who is gentle with my bags at all.)

Abigail would be right up there on my list, both for the Biblical Abigail and for Abigail Adams. I have a Laura -- named for my favorite childhood author (not specifically for the First Lady, though IMO, there are worse role models). I think even with Esther, you could use a lot of names of great Biblical women -- Mary, Sara(h), Deborah, Elizabeth, Hannah, Anna -- because many of them are common enough that people wouldn't necessarily assume you went with a theme, if that makes sense.

Those are lovely!

My first two used sippy cups occasionally, for the car, around the house, etc. Not generally at the table; I've always started them with a regular open cup pretty early at the table. I always took out the no-spill valves, though, because I didn't like the idea of them sucking on the cups. My youngest, though, has never used a sippy cup, always an open cup at the table, and all of them have straw cups for bedtime water, car, etc. They figure out the open cup pretty quickly.

We started Getting Started With Latin recently with my 6 and 9yos -- mostly the 9yo, but the 6yo is picking it up too. So far, we're very pleased!

One of my sons is Andrew; I like Andy okay as a nickname and would be okay with it, if that's what he chose, but I've always called him Andrew, and generally so do most people. I found that if I always said Andrew, people didn't shorten it to Andy. When asked what he prefers, he says Andrew. DH occasionally refers to him as Andy, but since that's not the boy's own preference, he has largely stopped doing that. Otoh, my other son is Benjamin, and he's normally just Ben. I guess because Benjamin is much longer, and Ben is just a shorter form, whereas Andy is not really much shorter than Andrew and is a slightly different form anyway. If I really wanted people to call him Benjamin all the time, I think that would be doable, but *I* don't even do that. :) (Also, Andrew fits DS1's personality, and DS2 really is a Ben -- Benjamin is such a serious name for him.) On our list for this baby are Zachary and Daniel; I like both Zach and Dan/Danny okay but will probably start off with Zachary and Daniel and see if there is a natural morph to the nickname. Katherine and Abigail are my top girl choices, and while I like Kate/Katie just fine, I really love Katherine and will probably start with that and hope it doesn't get shortened. (Otoh, I think Abby is adorable, so Abigail might very well get shortened immediately.) So, no, I don't think nicknames are inevitable, but I think people will take their cues from you. Grandparents always call Andrew Andrew, but they generally call Benjamin Ben, because that's what we do.

Yep, we're weird here too! When asked what he wanted for his sixth birthday dinner (when I'd allow pretty much anything, regardless of how unhealthy I might think it is), my older son immediately said, "brussels sprouts!" Then we had to think of a few other things to round out the meal, but that was his major desire. My oldest is the pickiest of the bunch, and she's actually fairly non-picky, on the scale. I think it's just some luck of the draw and also that DH and I like food with a lot of flavor, so they're used to it. And the younger they are, I think it just hasn't occurred to them *not* to like something. (They do typically like "kid food" too and haven't been known to turn down junk food -- they just generally like most edibles.) I would not be bothered by someone else saying they were weird, at least not for their food desires. However, I would be bothered by the children's concern about their own food likings. Not sure how the best way to address that is, though. I'd probably say something like, "Nope, it's not weird to like fish. Fish is delicious, and healthy too! It's so great that you like so many foods." (If it continued, I might even say something about how other people are missing out on some great flavors. Really play up what a good thing your kids have going.) And if someone else continually called them weird, I'd discuss it with that person; the person is probably envious and probably doesn't realize that it sounds more negative than (hopefully) intended.

Mine drink water between meals as well, milk with many meals. It's fairly rare for them to have milk between meals (though I do often use milk in smoothies for snacks). Juice is a rare treat, and we don't keep soda in the house (and I don't think they've ever actually had kool-aid). I started giving them water as older infants/toddlers, so it's what they're used to having. If your kids are used to sweet drinks, I would start by diluting them with water, gradually adding more water, until there's hardly any sweetness left anyway. Or encourage water plus an orange. You can also add slices of lemon to water for a bit of interest. It can take some time to change the palate. I didn't grow up drinking water, and it took some time to get used to it; if I have a lot of soda or juice for a while, I will find that I have to develop the taste for water again.

We homeschool year-round, and we take breaks as needed, anywhere from a day or so if company is visiting, to a week or so if needed. Learning doesn't really stop anyway, even if it takes different forms; spending time with grandparents, traveling, watching good-quality movies, or even just pursuing their own creative play/art/etc. all have value, IMO, as does "book learning." Since our state requires 180 days, using all twelve months to accomplish the formal work makes everything much more flexible for us. The real world doesn't generally run on a summer-off schedule, and neither does my DH's schedule, so neither does our school schedule. (Now, otoh, my own dad was a public school teacher, and his summer schedule was different, so I think my mom did have a distinct summer schedule for my younger hs'ed siblings, like maybe just a bit of math and reading, and that made sense for them.) My kids have plenty of time to play outside and to visit with their public-schooled friends. But at least one of DD's favorite playmates, who lives across the street, is in daycare anyway during the summer, so she's only available in the evenings/weekends anyway. Plus, it makes more sense to do heavier formal work in the summer and winter, when playing outside isn't happening as much, and then we can spend more time out in the spring and fall.

Desk, like a desk in their room, away from the main flow of the house? No. DD has a desk in her room that matches her other furniture; it's for storing her doll stuff, though, so that toddlers can't get into it, not for schoolwork at this point. Now, otoh, we do have desks in the schoolroom. I have a huge old desk that holds all of our books, workbaskets, and the computer. This, I use daily. I do move around the room, or sit in an armchair for some reading, but often, I just sit at the desk (with the toddler on my lap). The boys don't have a desk; they have a table with a couple of chairs (because often the toddler insists on doing schoolwork too, preferably alongside his big brother). There is also an art table. I try to keep it fairly tidy, but it does sometimes get piled up with art projects. Art projects are generally kept off of the school table though. DD has a desk in the schoolroom, tucked into a little alcove, because she gets distracted easily; it was her suggestion -- she likes to be able to have her back to everyone, but still be near enough to get help as needed.

I do tend to use a lot of free, older materials, and I really like them. I think there is good quality and bad quality stuff out there, both newer and older, so it really just depends. Thus far, we've done very well and have needed to spend very little, thanks to so many free, older items. I also don't mind taking the time to write out my own schedules and lesson plans, but ymmv.

I'd check the list at askpauline.com as well; I like that they have a little blurb that tells you about each evaluator's philosophy, so you can find someone who will mesh well with you. In my case, my intended evaluator is not on that list, so it may not be completely updated, but I know her because she runs our co-op. We talk fairly often about educational philosophies and are pretty similar, and she knows our family (and has spent time with DD, my only evaluatee at the moment), so I think she will be a good fit for us

Our support group is very inexpensive to join the general group, and then you pay for whatever things you do with the group that have fees, whether it's bowling day or co-op. The co-op the past couple of years has only been a few dollars per kid per semester, and the teachers' children are free. The teachers can also be reimbursed for copies or other supplies, but mostly things have been donated or borrowed as needed. I do think the high school biology class is a bit more expensive, though, because of the supplies needed. Other local co-ops charge more like $60 per child but do heavier academic programs; ours is meant to be more of a gentle academic, gentle social sort of thing. We also do fundraisers throughout the year -- boxtops, grocery store rewards, food sales (bake sales, subs, pizzas), running a booth at a local fair, car wash, recycling ink cartridges, a few non-food sales, Script cards. Some local restaurants do fun nights too. It sounds like a lot, but it's actually not been too bad, and there's absolutely no pressure to participate in any of them. Often, if there's a specific thing, like a bus trip, we'll earmark a fundraiser for that thing, and people can choose to participate in that one or not. We've made a lot of money through fundraisers, particularly the kinds where we aren't selling things.

You do need a special hairbrush, either from AG, or a wig brush, and I would recommend getting a set of ponytail holders that is only to be used on the doll's hair, so oils from human hair don't wreck the doll's hair. And a small spray bottle; the hair brushes better when it's damp. We have Kirsten and one of the Just Like You dolls; the JLY doll's hair is more manageable -- Kirsten has a TON of hair. DD keeps her dolls separate from other stuffed friends, and I encourage her to keep them sitting up if the hair isn't braided (particularly Kirsten). I think 7 is a great age for the AG dolls!

I can't imagine you're ever too old to wear what you want, including jeans (exceptions being if someone else is needing to help dress and groom you, of course -- but dress pants or anything else with zippers and buttons might well be too difficult, just like jeans). I've never seen my 80-something grandparents in jeans, but I think that's more of a personality thing; they're rather formal people in general, and I think jeans are just not their style. My MIL (61) wears jeans all the time, and she always looks nice -- classic with a slightly trendy flair, never frumpy. No mom jeans, but not skinny jeans either, just the classic sort of jeans. She definitely doesn't look inappropriate in jeans. Most of the 30- and 40-something moms I know wear jeans as well, except for those who only wear skirts/dresses. I was in that category myself, didn't wear pants/shorts except for pajamas for well over a year, until I got pregnant and didn't want to buy maternity tights for the winter. I am happily enjoying my comfortable maternity jeans (but am looking forward to skirt weather again). :) I look youngish anyway for nearly 34, because I'm short and refuse to have "mom" hair -- it's long and often loose, and I intend to keep it that way for a long time still. My DH wears pretty much nothing but jeans (and often has a ballcap on too), and when he throws a hoodie on, I call it his "frat boy" look (which is funny because he never was a frat boy), and I think it's cute on him, even though he's almost 36. Definitely not too old for jeans!

Congratulations! So glad you are both okay, and we love his name!

I had my first baby in a freestanding birth center (and then my subsequent babies at home), and I loved it, really couldn't have asked for a better experience. It's a lot like having a homebirth in someone else's house and combines the best of both hospital and home, IMO. They had more medical equipment available than at home (though my one set of homebirth midwives did carry oxygen), but they also had an ambulance on speed dial and a protocol to follow should hospital transfer be needed. (In their case, the hospital was across the street.) Typically, with the early release, they do check on you frequently, with calls and phone checks and such. CNMs are trained to look for problems, and they did intermittent fetal monitoring and other checks to be sure the baby and I were doing well. They told me that there was very nearly always some indication of a problem before a problem actually happened, and that even a hospital couldn't prevent all problems. Things do happen sometimes, unfortunately, regardless of where you birth, so you need to choose where you will be the most comfortable. I really encourage you and your DH to talk to the birth center midwives about their emergency protocols; perhaps that will put your minds at ease. Also, wrt the water birth, I would definitely make sure the MWs allow water births and not just water labors, before you make your decision. My MWs at the birth center did not allow water births, and neither did the MWs who attended my first homebirth (who also ran a freestanding birth center).

My first labor was 11.5 hours, my second 7 hours, and my third just under 8 hours. However, my first baby was posterior and took a while longer because of that. Of that 11.5 hours, 1.5 was pushing, whereas with the second, pushing was about 20 minutes, and with the third, it was just a couple of minutes. It also happened much more suddenly with the second and third, whereas the first was more of a gradual build-up to pushing.

I saute some garlic in butter and then add the brussels sprouts, lowering the heat, covering them, and letting them simmer until they're just slightly browned; then I sprinkle them with a bit of sea salt. (If they're large, I cut them in half before cooking them.) My 6yo LOVES these and when asked what he wanted for his birthday dinner a few weeks ago, replied, "Brussels sprouts!" immediately.