I have heard some people mention that they allow their children to write in the R&S math textbooks, rather than doing the work on a separate paper. For what grades does this work? We did it last year for 3rd grade and it worked VERY well for my son. I am wondering if we can do it for 4th grade math also? It looks like we will run into some multiplication and word problems where there isn't enough room in the book. What has your experience been?

Two weeks ago I posted about my fussy breastfeeding baby. I was considering switching to formula. I wanted to thank everyone for their support and good advice. I am still breastfeeding and Grace is a lot less fussy. The only change I have made is to cut out dairy almost completely. I think that has helped. Anyway, just wanted to say thanks! :)

Can you recommend a good low carb cookbook? Preferably a cookbook using regular foods that I can find at the grocery store. And if it has pictures that would be even better. :) TIA!

What a sweet dh! My hubby only goes to the library for me if the books have been put on hold and he just needs to pick them up at the counter.

The group in my town does not allow homeschoolers to join if they are using a cyber school. I haven't been active with this group for several years, so I don't recall their reason for making this rule.

Wonderful idea! I was brainstorming something similar, but it didn't occur to me to use the folders for the cover. Very nice. My kids will enjoy it. :)

I did the 2 mile Walk Away the Pounds video this morning. Not too exciting, but it feels good to be exercising again. :)

:lol::lol::lol: Thanks for the laugh.

Hi, CactusPair, We used Similac Sensitive R.S. I don't know a thing about formula either. The doctor had a bunch of samples of that kind, so that is what we used. And Gracey gave it rave reviews. ;) Good luck!

Thanks for all the feedback!! I will check out the Sears book about elimination diets. And maybe I'll call LLL. Our case was definitely a case of "breastmilk jaundice" rather than "breastfeeding jaundice". Grace's jaundice did start around day 5 as is typical, but at a month was still there. She wasn't sleepy or nursing poorly. And like you said, her bilirubin wasn't dangerously high. Just still somewhat elevated.

Thanks for sharing your experience.:001_smile: I am kind of emotional about this whole thing because this baby is our last. Weaning would be tough because it would finalize that somehow. Yet when I think about starting back to school shortly and how thin I'm gonna be stretched, I wonder if using formula and having a peaceful, easy baby would be better. All of my kids need me. And when I am sleepy I am not a very good homeschooling mom.

I had read a lot online about breastmilk jaundice before going to the doctor. I just couldn't drop the fear that maybe there was something more serious wrong. Ya know? So I actually WANTED to do the short stint with formula. My doctor didn't push me into it, although she did give it as an option. I wasn't unhappy to use formula for a short time... I was just bummed by how well it went. Does that make sense? I don't think a foremilk-hindmilk imbalance is the trouble either. Her stools are bright yellow/orange and kind of seedy. They've never been green. I suppose I could try nursing her on own side per feeding just to see if that helps.

My usual approach to newborns is to have them start the night in their crib. Then when they wake during the night, they come to sleep with me and nurse. I might move them to the playpen by my bed at some point during the night. With my other babies this worked great and I felt like I got a decent night's sleep. With Grace I have to be careful to burp her well after each feeding. So I can't fall asleep while she is nursing. If I let her snack away while I sleep, she ends up very fussy, with lots of gas.

I have lots of breastmilk in the freezer now, so I'll definitely give that a try. Thanks! :)

I am wondering if there is something in my diet that is a problem. Lots of you suggested that. But as someone said, if milk was the problem then Grace should have had trouble with the formula also. :confused: The Similac she was taking was milk-based, so I don't think dairy is the trouble. I will try cutting out caffeine for a few days and see if that helps. I haven't had chocolate in 3-4 weeks. In fact, my diet has been quite boring and predictable lately. Breakfast: plain oatmeal with cinnamon, walnuts and a splash of milk coffee with milk Lunch: salad with all kind of veggies, plus meat/cheese and salad dressing maybe fruit (sometimes instead of the salad I'll have an omelet with lots of veggies and a smidge of cheese) Snack: fruit Dinner: meat (pork, chicken, salmon) with a couple veggies maybe fruit Snack: plain yogurt raspberries So for the breastfeeding experts out there, what do you think? What would you change? I think I'm getting enough calories. When I counted them up once it looked like at least 1800 calories. I don't have trouble with the amount of breastmilk that I produce. While Grace was on formula, I was pumping 6-8 ounces at each feeding. And Grace is gaining weight well. She is up over 3 pounds in one month.

Wow! I am overwhelmed by all your kind, helpful replies. You are such an encouragement to me! I am still frustrated by how well Grace seemed to like the formula... but not as frustrated as I was this AM after a bad night's sleep. Right now Dh and I are tempted to give her a bottle of formula each evening before bed and see if it helps her sleep better. I don't know. I am not ready to give up breastfeeding, but I have had a glimpse of the "other side" and can see that it wouldn't be as bad as I always imagined. :blush: I'm going to read over all your posts and respond to some of your specific suggestions. I really appreciate the time you've taken to try to help me through this. Thanks.

Maybe baby formula isn't so bad... After breastfeeding five babies, I have finally had my first experience with formula. My daughter has been jaundiced for five weeks. So on Thursday my doctor and I decided that I should stop breastfeeding for 48 hours to find out if she had breast milk jaundice (or if there was a more serious problem going on). I was prepared for this to be a difficult 2 days for Grace, but to my surprise she did great. She didn't have any problem drinking from the bottle. She didn't even act bewildered when I first stuck it in her mouth. (I was a bit offended. :confused1:) She slept 7 hours straight Thursday night and 9 hours straight Friday night. This is by far the best she has ever done at night. It felt so good to get a good night's sleep. And then the most surprising thing was how content and happy she was. She was so peaceful. No fussing at all. With breastfeeding, she is hard to burp and often twists around as though her tummy hurts or she has gas. With the formula, she was very content. I am kind of depressed right now. I started nursing her again yesterday evening. And she was up 3 times during the night! And she is having trouble getting back to sleep after each feeding. She keeps waking from her sleep with bouts of crying. She'll draw her legs up and get all tense, as though her tummy hurts. So what do I do? I love breastfeeding!! I can't imagine not nursing my sweet baby. But she obviously felt a lot better on the formula. With breastfeeding everyone tells you that you are doing what is best for your baby... but now I'm not so sure. Ugh!! I am very frustrated right now.

What an interesting thread! My dh is a biology professor. In his free time he is starting an online business selling microscope and other sciency stuff.

We were both attending the college Bible study at church. For our first date, he took me out to dinner at a chinese restaurant before Bible study. Not too exciting, huh? Most of our dates were just going out to dinner and talking. Some of my favorite memories are the dates where my brother tagged along and we went to Pizza Hut together.

:grouphug::grouphug: Hugs to you. I am so sorry for your loss.

Thanks so much for sharing your story. I bet that surgery was very serious when you had it. Yikes! Even now, it sounds scary to me, although I know it is quite common. We are seeing a pediatric cardiologist. I don't know how "good" he is, but he is at a large Children's Hospital with a good reputation. He took plenty of time to talk to me and was very kind and reassuring. I will be seeing him again soon and will make sure to ask all my questions then. Thanks again for taking the time to respond. :)

Thanks, Rebecca. That was what I thought. Now my daughter is breastfeeding better. Like your daughter, she is gaining well. In fact she's getting downright chubby. She is just a month old and has gained over 3 lbs. So at least that isn't a concern.

Thanks for sharing your experiences. It does help to hear your stories. Especially knowing that the holes frequently close on their own. I will try not to worry too much. (Dh and I are both hypochondriacs to some extent. We have been noticing how rapid Grace's respiration is. We have been wondering if it was a problem. We talked to a friend at church who is a nurse. She said not to worry. Then I find out that Grace has a hole in her heart and that the rapid respiration is a symptom of that! So we aren't crazy!! Now I wonder if her difficulty with breastfeeding at the beginning may also be related to this problem.)

I found out yesterday that my one month old baby has a hole in her heart (ventricular septal defect). Do you have any experience with this? She will be watched closely by the cardiologist and hope the hole closes on its own. If not she may need surgery. The hole is 5mm. If your child has had this condition, do you know how big the hole was? Did it close on its own? What symptoms did you see in your child? If your child had surgery, how old were they when they had it done and how tramatic was that experience? I should have asked more questions of the doctor yesterday, but didn't.

Welcome!