I had the large Medela electric pump as well as the manual hand-held single Medela pump. Each has good points, and each has its purpose. Like Amy mentioned, I used the electric when getting established, usually during the second and third month. The rest of the time I primarily used the hand-held model. It served its purpose, it was very portable, I could adjust the amount of suction immediately, and I could use it quietly while others in the room (dh and baby) were sleeping. Honestly, since I stayed at home with the baby I really didn't need more than the hand-held one. The electric was a holdover from my career mom days with the first baby.

I wouldn't consider taking money out of my retirement account. We're avid campers and love our travel trailer and suggest looking for other ways to get your camper. Since you camp in tents, you know the lifestyle and know that you will use it. Otherwise, I'd suggest renting one. If it were my situation, I'd say reducing your contribution to your retirement fund for a short while and use that to pay for it. You don't have the penalty, but you just don't contribute as much either. Just be sure to redouble your efforts once you pay for the camper. If it's a hefty account, you shouldn't notice the small "bump" over the long run. Also, interest charges on a camper loan are (or maybe were if the laws have changed) tax deductible as a second home mortage. It's something to consider as well. I'm not advocating going into a large debt for the sake of a camper, but if it's something you can work out instead of pulling from your retirement, I'd go that way first. Enjoy your camper and maybe we'll meet up in a state park somewhere, someday!

He's so adorable! It seems like he is posing for you. Best wishes on the upcoming event!!!

I have my youngest gluten-free/casein-free so I have one additional requirement. However, some recipe sites I use have to be tweaked to make them dairy-free so they will likely work well for you. Here's a blog I like that has family-friendly gluten free recipes. Here's another blog with more. This site has some good gf/cf recipes. For books, I like the Kid Friendly ADHD and Autism Cookbook. Also, you can modify most of your favorite recipes using a basic all-purpose gluten-free flour mix (hand-made or store bought). And you can search on some of your favorite recipe sites using gluten-free as your keyword. I get lots of recipes that way. Good luck!

If you are interested in a larger range of lenses for your D40, here's a list of compatible lenses at Nikonians. Also, here's a list of compatible lenses by Sigma. Don't be afraid to buy a non-Nikkor brand lens. Some of my favorite lenses are made by other companies. Keep in mind that Nikon is releasing new lenses for this camera (and it's following generations). There will be quite a few hit the market this spring, from my understanding. I have read, but can't remember where, that a 50mm fixed will be in the offering for 2008. I'm sorry that you are bummed about it, but many Nikon users are clamoring for more compatible lenses and it seems Nikon and others are listening. Keep practicing and save up for them!! And finally, don't worry about using flash. There are many ways flash can be used to look more natural. I can give you some ideas if you'd like. I'd suggest looking at the SB400 or 600 flash units. I have the SB800 and love it for natural-looking flash shots.

You may have better luck with a faster memory card. Check the speed of your memory card and if it's a slower one, invest in a faster card. They write faster which frees up the memory in your camera faster. Another idea is to reduce the image size. This can be influenced by different things, such as what you plan to use the pictures for and the size you choose to print. If you're only planning a 5x7 or smaller, you can get away with shooting the equivalent of a 3-4 megapixel image. For a nice looking 8x10 you can shoot a 4-5 megapixel image. You will not be able to crop a lot out of the picture, but if you set up the shot, you probably won't need to. Fresh, fully charged batteries make a big difference. And Sports mode (the little running/kicking man) works well as already mentioned. I hope these ideas help. Good luck!

Forgive me if this is completely off the mark, but the original post seems "off" for lack of a better word. The op claims on her profile to be a lawyer, but doesn't call the police in this situation, lets her dh place himself in such a compromising position, and finally doesn't acknowledge the mistake in judgement and call the police after the fact? She claims another current job in the profile, and finally claims a paper route in this post. :confused: My suspicious nature is getting the best of me, but this story doesn't sit right with me. The breakdown points are way too many...

I recently attended the party for three- and five-year-old brothers. They really do have everything imaginable, so I went outside the box. The older one was into superheros and the younger one enjoyed Sesame Street. I bought the 5yo Batman jammies, slippers, and a bottle of Batman bubble bath. I did the same with the 3yo, just chose Elmo. They both loved them and the mom was thankful for the fun bathtimes for a few weeks. And thankful I didn't add to her frequently stepped on, plastic, China-made toy collection (her words)!

NO, NO, NO. You can't have him...yet! Let him finish up what he's doing for us in Louisiana and then I'm all for sharing. :p In the meantime, we really need him here! I really like him a lot and think he will go places in the national scene one day. It's nice to know others outside of LA are noticing too.

We loved it and highly recommend taking your kids at least once! We stayed at Fort Wilderness Resort in our RV. If you have one or access to one, Fort Wilderness was awesome. If you can swing it, the cabins are very nice too, and sleep more than the typical resort room. They also have kitchens, letting you cook a little to save on the cost of food. FW is a very short boat ride to the Magic Kingdom, and a slightly longer, but not out of line, bus ride to the other parks. We were able to come back to rest and eat lunch on most days, only eating lunch in the parks twice. We also planned dinner out twice, and had our own food the rest of the time. There is so much to do in FW in the evening that we ate a quick dinner and enjoyed some of the entertainment in the campground (campfires, marshmallow roasts, sing-alongs, movies, wagon rides, etc.). We also planned our park visits to take advantage of the Magical Hours (available only to resort guests). There were no lines during these times and we could do the attractions multiple times at once. The Unofficial Guide, mentioned previously, was a huge help with planning as was Mousesavers and Allears.net. Enjoy your trip!