I'm so sorry, Nance. :grouphug: You've been through so much... This was my experience also. I've had 2 D&C's. Physically, they were the right thing for me. Recovery was quick. The biggest thing for me, emotionally, was having peace that the baby had passed. My doctors were very sensitive to my needs concerning confirmation and timing. Nothing can take away the grief and heartache, though.

:grouphug: It has always taken me 6 months or more to lose my baby weight (40-70 lbs). I lose a lot the first couple of weeks and then 1 lb/week until it's gone. I've noticed that it has been a lot harder this time around. I still have 10lbs to lose from baby #4 :001_huh:. Yep...he's 18 months now. For me, it has been due to vacation eating and age. Then again, I've nursed each one for 18 months, so I really had to watch my calorie intake. I feel for you on the wedding. We've gone on swimsuit vacations within months after 3 of my boys were born and I'd like to burn some of the pictures. :glare:

By a whole number: 3rd Two fractions: 5th I do think our ps doesn't do it until 4th and 6th (or later), respectively. They don't introduce multiplication until 3rd. why? Too early or too late.

I have all boys that are all so different. Sometimes I'm amazed that they are all related. I love each of them unconditionally and love different aspects of their personalities. I can't even imagine having a favorite. I doubt I'd admit it even if I did because that just seems cruel. Certain stages can be tough. My 8 & 6 yos do seem easier than my 4yo and 18 mother right now, but isn't that why God makes little ones so darn cute? I do agree that some days my wonderful aging lab is my favorite living creature in the house. I doubt our new puppy will ever have that distinction, but out new leopard gecko is off to a good start. Easy choice :lol:

:iagree: This is the progression I've been doing with ds8. We didn't start until Kindy (5yo) and he's had a fun 3 yrs of math. We just work through Singapore PM (WB, TB, CWP) and Miquon at his own pace and generously supplement with lots of other programs (Horizons, LOF, Zaccaro, Penrose the Mathematical Cat, etc.) Ds8 was past Beast Academy when it came out so it wasn't an option. I'll probably be one of the few posters on this board to have my dc finish Singapore PM 6 before heading to AOPS.

:bigear: I also have those issues (30E). I used to wear two sports bras but that atill didn't give me the support I needed. Once I started training for my first half marathon, I decided to invest some money. Unfortunately, I haven't found anything that works at a low price point. My favorite for running is the Moving Comfort Fiona which I can find on sale for $40 occasionally. This one doesn't allow the bOOks to move at all and is super comfortable on even my longest runs. My favorite for lifting/Crossfitting is the Lululemon TaTa Tamer II which is pricey. I got two with a birthday gift certificate. I like it because of the criscrossed back and less compression. They were a total splurge because of the certificate. The Fiona works just fine for lifting too.

I have my dc write out the equations. I've tutored too many college algebra students who struggled because they didn't know how to write out their work. I figure my dc can start learning with easy word problems so that it becomes automatic. Now that ds8 is doing 3-4 step word problems, I has come in handy and he can finally see why we do it.

I understand what you're going through. We moved every two years or less for the first 10 yrs of our marriage. Some places were easier to make friends than others. Often it had to do with how well we fit in to the culture and the location of our house. Church is a big way we make friends. We serve at our church, attend study groups, and a small group. It would be tough with only one car, but most of the service opportunities take place on Sunday when we are there anyway and small group was together as a family. Living near the church is helpful. In our last city, we lived 45 minutes away and it was tough to make weekday events even with my own car. Now we live across the street and can walk. We also made friends quickly in our neighborhood just by being outside to ride bikes or talk with neighbors while their dc are out. That is seasonal as no one hangs outside here in the summer. Our neighborhood has a community pool which is a great place to meet friends. We have a lot of friends through sports, but it is harder. We are usually more focused on our dc than socializing. Most of our sports friends are also neighborhood friends.

I use SL and FLL/WWE. They work great together. I don't use any SL LA, though, beyond the readers.

You'll have to check your local laws. Here, I was excused because I'm the primary caregiver of children under 10.

Here's what's funny about this...I am now the farthest out from pg than I've been since March of 2003. My baby is 18 mos. When I wasn't pg, I was always nursing. I remember having people over when I was pg with #4 and being horrified that they went upstairs! It was a federal disaster zone up there. It had taken all of my willpower (which equals motivation plus energy) to clean the downstairs. It was a constant battle to get up and do anything, let alone housework. Fast forward to now and I'm amazed at the difference. I don't have a model home (I'm domestically challenged), but it is so much easier to keep the house in check. I have so much more energy and patience. Who knew all of this existed in me? So, I say put your feet up and grow a baby. My first trimesters were the worst as far as energy goes. It was only for a season (or two :D). Just don't offer to host any big events at your house.

Enjoy your vacation! We drive from TX to NY every summer and the 28 hrs sitting about drives me crazy. I never thought I'd miss running so much. Ah...I love Body Pump. I hope to fit it back into my schedule again after the half marathon. Yoga too. My yoga class falls during soccer practice for ds6 :( How do all of you get enough protein? I'm really trying this week and falling short. Will have to have 2 double scoop protein shakes everyday? Right now, I have been drinking a single scoop right after my workout. Any tips?

My ds8 is similar...75%ile for height...20%ile for weight at 50lbs. I've been very successful with Crazy 8. They have skinny style jeans with elastic waist bands and adjustable waists. They have a whole wall of denim! As for the metal allergy. I have that. You are not crazy...the reaction can be pretty bad and gets worse with prolonged contact for me. I react to EVERYTHING that has nickel in it. The only jewelry I can wear is sterling silver and platinum. Most jean buttons do not bother me. When I have a pair that does, I put medical tape over the button where it would contacts my skin. It stays in place for several washes, even. I find that it is easier to do that than replace the jeans.

Crossfit was great for me on Tuesday. All strength and coordination. Ran 3-miles this morning. Crossfit again tomorrow. I'm going to write down everything I'm eating for the next couple of days. I was just reminded of how important getting enough protein is each day, so my goal is to increase my intake. Drinking a yummy protein-berry smoothie now :)

Autocorrect does cause all kinds of errors. I leave it on because it does correct some of the errors caused by typing on a flat screen and it adds a little comic relief to my day. :D

We do this. Intensive Practice has been really great for ds6. I think that SM isn't complete without CWP. Miquon is just great! Oh, I don't use MM, but add LOF and Horizons 1 instead.

Just wrote this about Noeo Science in the other thread. http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showpost.php?p=4320811&postcount=17 That pretty much sums it up for me

We used Noeo Chem I last year and are using Bio I this year. My boys love it. They really like all of the experiments last year. I was worried that this year would be boring since the Bio program isn't as experiment heavy, but it hasn't been. They have been enjoying the Small Square books (to the point at they will be getting several more for Christmas) and the Audubon bird coloring book is a hit for my coloring-phobic boys. I like that it is easy for ds6 to understand, but that ds8 can dive as deep as he wants. We will often add library books or research online to find out more info if needed. We will be finishing Bio early as they beg me to do it more often then scheduled, so we'll start Physics I later this year. I may supplement with Physics II if I feel ds8 needs more challenging material. My favorite aspect about Noeo science is that it gets done!

I wonder if it is largely genetic and having to do with the elasticity of the skin. I gained and lost between 35 and 70 lbs with each of my full-term pgs. I have quite a bit of loose skin on my stomach after losing the weight over 8-12 months. My sister has the same thing even though she's only gained 40 (which was prescribed by her OB since she is very thin normally). We also have a lot of stretch marks. My mother, in contrast, has neither stretch marks nor loose skin.

I picked out my own passages for WWE1 with my oldest based on our read alouds. I used a variety of sources and switched it up between our various subjects (science, history, or literature). It took quite a bit of time and it was hard to find the right types of passages each week. In the end, I decided to buy the workbook for WWE 2 and am using the WWE 1 workbook with ds6 this year (abandoning my own inferior selections). SWB's selections are good and many of the books are in our reading line-up already. Ds8 is has read some of the other books that have come up in his free time because the excerpts piqued his interest. That and the saved time have been a big bonuses to using the workbooks.

I'm resting today since thunderstorms caused me to bundle my runs over the weekend. My Saturday run was great for me! I PR'd my first 5K over a 4 mile run. It was unexpected to say the least. Yesterday's run was a slow recovery 3-miler. Crossfit tomorrow. That's still pretty great. I'm working my way up to 1 unassisted pull-up.

We did Core B for 2nd grade and LOVED it!

Yep, I got summoned a few years ago (before ds8 was even in Kindy, I think) and was excused because of my dc. It is very difficult, if not impossible, to find temporary full-time childcare during the week for many of us. I will be happy to participate once my dc are okay to stay alone.

My oldest is only in 3rd grade, and he is showing some signs of independence. However, he can be a tad on the lazy side when left to his own devices. I'm often reminding him to write out his work or include units during math. He knows these things, but they take up his precious time. He just isn't mature enough to care more about school than playtime. If I gave him control of his schedule, he'd get around to school around midnight. I'm hoping that he'll become more self-motivated and independent with each passing year, but I always plan on teaching him material. That's fun for me and we enjoy being together. I like reading aloud to him and don't plan to stop just because he can read it himself (though he does often read ahead). I wonder if my perspective will change when my youngest is in 3rd grade...

We're only on week 5 so I can't answer the long term questions. I do like it as a supplement to WWE1. It is very different. I don't see us using it long term, but for now, it provides my 1st grader with an independent way to explicitly learn some writing fundamentals. It is easy and quick so it isn't too much alongside WWE.