One more random suggestion--she doesn't eat a lot of orange, artificially colored foods, does she? I know a family whose children wet their beds when they consumed orange foods. AZO, an OTC UTI drug used to numb the urinary tract, is actually just a type of orangish yellow dye.

You are so sweet to apologize, but it's all good! I actually thought you were pretty restrained in your response. :) I'm sorry for any offense I caused. It is a bit of a hot-button issue for me, obviously. Sometimes it's hard to know when to say something and when to stay out of it. I understand you wanting to help your future SIL while still giving him and your daughter space to make their own decisions as a family. I have many years before I have to deal with that and I know it won't be easy! ;) ETA: And thanks for letting me know about my message box. I'll make more space!

:smilielol5: :smilielol5: :smilielol5: Have you tried Lindsey Stirling? Even my formerly Amish mother-in-law likes her. And here's a fun dubstep parody: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RBpdOLOSyY

It was actually the Beastie Boys. Loved that scene! :laugh:

:iagree: The epidural didn't make me feel out of it at all. I was totally aware of what was going on, just much more comfortable.

Some pain meds make me very nauseous, but I didn't have that problem with the epidural. Possibly they gave me something for nausea at the same time, as a preventative. You could definitely ask for that, if you want. But if an epidural is not for you, I understand. :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

I used to have a very real fear of needles. I had an epidural and honestly, it just felt like pressure. I'd recommend it to anyone. I went through over 24 hours of unmedicated labor before I started the meds, and I wish I'd just gone in and had it done right away. There's not a blessed thing wrong with being medicated if you need it. As others have said, your peace of mind and comfort are important. I love pain control meds and am unashamed. :) :) :)

Black people have been murdered by law enforcement officers, and not all of those murders have been dealt with justly. The fact that murders are also committed by black civilians, in larger numbers, doesn't negate the horrible injustice that is occurring or lessen my concern about it. However, words are powerful, and I want to be truthful and accurate in what I write. I will change my post to read "very little" instead of "nothing." (And there is no snark intended, JoJosMom. I appreciate your input.) Edited for clarity. I should never post first thing in the morning. :)

Oh, Teresa, I am so sorry. Deepest sympathy to you and your family. I have prayed and will pray for all of you. :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

Pam, I think you are most likely correct. Based on the other essays I've read on Watson's website, I would say he seems to be a thoughtful man who is very much concerned with doing right and speaking rightly. My reaction towards his respectful disagreement with Kaepernick may have been too hasty, especially regarding the particular point you've addressed here. I will edit that portion of my post.

Thanks for sharing another perspective, MSNative. I know nothing about football, so I looked up this player's website and definitely liked some of what he had to say on other issues (like, for example, his commentary on whether or not the U.S. is a Christian country). Just a few thoughts: As a Christian, my beliefs about nationalism, militarism, oaths, and allegiance all come into play in my own decision not to salute the flag and not to say the pledge. That's probably another topic for another day. However, I'd say we probably all have a line at which we would no longer be willing to stand during the National Anthem and/or salute the flag. The question is how bad things need to be before we feel we can no longer participate, either as a matter of conscience or as a matter of protest. Colin Kaepernick has reached that line, and Ben Watson hasn't yet. Watson sees this country as imperfect. I see it as worse than that, not only because of racism but because of the number of deaths for which this country is responsible, both here and around the world. That doesn't mean I'm not intensely grateful to live here. I am. But we all have our line. Secondly, I am not black, but I can't see that blacks ought to just be thankful they are no longer met by protestors outside of schools. People are being murdered, and very little is being done about it. Thirdly, unlike Watson, I don't believe in always supporting "members of our armed forces who follow orders regardless of their personal sentiments." If following orders means killing unjustly, no, I can't and I don't support that. I do like his acknowledgement that this land is a "mixed bag of good and evil" and admire his resolution to "continue the fight against all injustice and preserve the greatest attributes of the country, including Colin Kaepernick's right to kneel."

A few more updates: Kaepernick is now #1 in jersey sales on NFL.com, and he will be donating all of the proceeds of his jersey sales. He and his girlfriend donated $60,000 worth of backpacks to students in Harlem and South Bronx. Kaepernick addressed rumors that he has converted to Islam and said in the same interview, "I wish people would as outraged about the murders that are happening in the street as they are the protest.’’ I'm still finding it difficult to understand why anyone is upset about a football player's simple, personal, non-violent protest. I agree with him that all that energy would be better spent elsewhere.

Encouraging (to me) update: Kaepernick's jersey is now the third best-selling jersey on NFL.com. :)

Never too early! I love costumes! My daughter wants to be the animal-loving fairy Fawn this year. I'm not crafty AT ALL, so I piece together costumes from store- and Etsy-bought pieces. Her costume should be pretty easy this time--brown shirt, brown leggings, orange tunic, green "pine needle" belt, and fairy wings. I can just braid her hair--no wig required. I told her I'd attempt to dye some white canvas shoes orange, and my mom is making the orange tunic. Our dog is going to wear little fairy wings, too. :)

Can we talk about home brewing, too? Here's a super easy way to make homemade hard cider: www.mrmoneymustache.com/2014/04/22/brew-your-own-cider/ Great for lazy people like me. :)

Opinions about director Mel Gibson aside, I can't wait to see this movie: Hacksaw Ridge Trailer

I almost never get headaches, except when I am anemic. Anemia also makes me more tired and cloudy-headed than usual. Maybe try supplementing with iron for a couple days? Hope you feel better soon!

Could you be anemic?

Just wanted to say good for you guys for saving the baby. :thumbup1: The site to which Arctic Mama linked is a good one: www.rmca.org.

Just wanted to note that he didn't wear them during a game. He wore them during training camp: http://www.latimes.com/sports/nfl/la-sp-colin-kaepernick-socks-20160901-snap-htmlstory.html

Yes, I know you especially wanted to hear from mothers with children in the Air Force, but I (perhaps wrongly?) assumed other perspectives were welcome as well. I so often appreciate your posts here and the wisdom you have to share. I felt that I should share some alternative sources of information in this thread, given the gravity of the choice before your family member. If that information is unneeded by you, perhaps it will benefit someone else. Best to you and your family.

I wonder if you have a Veterans for Peace chapter in your area? Part of the work they do involves shedding light on what they view as unethical recruiting tactics. I'm sure one of their members would be happy to talk to your future SIL, if he'd like an alternate perspective. They recommend the short video , for a start (note that this looks to be geared to high schoolers, but there are some worthwhile perspectives shared). I personally think anyone considering joining the military should watch The Ground Truth documentary. It consists almost entirely of interviews with veterans. I found it to be very enlightening. I don't know your family member's spiritual beliefs. If he's a Christian, he needs to seriously consider if he can reconcile Jesus' instruction to "love your enemies" with the military's expectations for him. Being asked to kill people or be otherwise involved with their deaths is an incredibly serious thing, with profound and lasting mental, emotional, and spiritual consequences. ETA: If the U.S. government only asked soldiers to participate in noble causes, I might be able to better understand supporting someone's participation. Please ask yourself if you trust the government to ensure that your future son-in-law will be involved only in just and righteous military actions.

I :001_wub: tacos. The perfect food for vegans, omnivores, and picky children alike. They must have a soft shell, however. I've been perusing fun t-shirts lately, and this one came to mind. :laugh:

Same here! I was curious about her age when I first started listening to NPR, so I googled her and found the information about her voice disorder. Her voice doesn't really bother me and she is skilled at what she does, but I'm finding myself less interested in the topics she chooses to discuss and I don't care for the call in segments. I hadn't heard about her planned retirement, but wish her the best.

Yes, it's the only talk radio preset on my car radio. I love NPR, overall. I would be considered radically conservative on at least one issue and very liberal on others, and I find NPR to relatively even-handed if slightly left-leaning in their coverage. I like that their stories tend to be more in-depth, and their topics are often very interesting. I think I've learned a lot by listening. I'm not very interested in politics, though, so I've been listening less lately. A previous poster mentioned talk radio being a sensory trigger for them. I feel the same way about some of the more grating conservative radio, but I find NPR to be quite soothing (except for The Diane Rehm Show and Prairie Home Companion, the latter of which I just don't understand the appeal of, at all.)