The thing is though that my trees don't look stressed, well, other than the color change. lol They are COVERED in buds for next year. Almost to the point of looking like they're suffering a bud disease, like a child would covered in chicken pox. Plus, depending on their size when planted, they've grown anywhere from 1 foot to 3 1/2 feet their first 5 months in the ground this year so I believe they all have decent root growth growing on. Unless that isn't a reliable indicator of root growth. However, I concede to you Whaas, because one, you know a lot more than I do, and two,because trees were not made to be supplemental watered by people, but by Mother Nature herself, and just as breastfeeding is best for a baby, so is rain for trees. I totally get that. Oh and all the trees I received are from zone 7 if I remember correctly. (Forest Farm) Which is 1 zone warmer than I am. I guess I was just hoping this wasn't drought related, but evidently it is. :( Uuugh.

As the mother of a 7 yo with a severe peanut allergy I thought you could use the latest info from Food Allergy Network. On a personal side, I did not bf, I did eat peanut products during pregnancy, no one on both sides of family have peanut allergy, although ragweed, mold allergies are on both sides. The study of causes of allergies is just beginning - no one has all the answers. John Yunginger, M.D. - FAN Newsletter Oct/Nov 2001 Medical studies have focused on three areas, including the mother's diet prior to and after the infant's birth; infant breast feeding; and the delayed introduction of allergenic foods into the infants diet. Elimination of allergenic foods such as cows milk and egg from the mother's diet during the last three months of pregnancy does not seem to reduce the infant's chances of developing food allergies after birth. Pediatricians and allergists usually support breast feeding of infants, particularly those born into families whose members have food allergies, eczema, asthma or hay fever. However, small amounts of potentially allergenic foods consumed by a lactating mother may appear in her breast milk and could, theoretically, sensitize her infant. Large scale studies in which mothers avoided eating egg, cows milk, fish, soy and peanut during lactation showed that development of food allergy in their infants could be reduced appreciably, but not prevented entirely. The elimination diets are difficult to follow and have the potential to compromise the mothers nutrition. If such diets are used, the assistance of a registered dietitian should be requested. Early infant exposure to sensitizing foods such as cows milk, egg and soy may be associated with development of eczema. Many allergists suggest delaying introduction of these foods into the diet until the infant is at least six months old. More highly allergenic foods such as peanut, tree nut and fish should be withheld even longer. No one (including an allergist) can predict with certainty whether your child will or will not develop food allergies. Here is a link that might be useful: Food Allergy Network

Babies who nurse don't get as many bubbles as those who don't (HEck I forgot I was even suppose to burp babies with my first for the first week..oops) So if you get a burp, great, if you don't..don't sweat it..it's not like formula where you get those bubbles in it!!! Sleeping babies can burp up a bubble if there is one, so if one won't come up, he doesn't seem gassy, etc, he probably isn't. Sounds like he's sleeping well, he isn't getting bubbles, so just doesn't need to burp as much as other babies who swollow a lot of air. My kids always fell asleep while nursing...it's hard work getting that milk out of that nipple, not like the bottle that's easy. Let him sleep. No he will not always need food every time he goes to bed, just now that he's little..as all babies do. Maybe at a year or so he'll start to go to bed without his night time feeding, you'll know...right now ENJOY YOUR BONDING TIME. Don't sweat anything. If he's falling asleep easily...personally, let him. If you feel you MUST keep him awake (why you feel you must I don't know unless you read that somewhere) less clothing so he's uncomfortable, play with his feet so he's uncomfortable will help (why would you want to make him uncomfortable?) A sleeping baby is a content baby. A content baby is a happy baby. A nursing content baby is wonderful!! Vickey-MN

Spark people was a huge help to me in learning how to get the weight off. I have hypothyroidism so it is doubly hard. I'm not using them now, but I do keep a food diary. That is the most consistent thing you are going to here from people who have lost weight: they keep a food diary. Just knowing you have to write it down when you swallow it is a huge help. and you need to be willing to write it down immediately too, not at the end of the day. Too many things get forgotten that way. I have a food diary that goes back to last July. I print it out every month. I don't even expect it will ever get read by anyone. Here is a sample: 3-17-09: [165.1] 9am: 2 oranges. 10:30am 6 oz. baked ckn, 4 oz baked sweet potato, 6 oz steamed cabbage. Like others, I'm became a complete sugar/empty carb/ white flour addict when I quit smoking. I just changed addictions. So that is an all-or-nothing thing with me, and I had to go with 'nothing'. I don't have it in the house. I also don't use any sugar substitutes because they are worse than sugar (most of them) and ALL of them set up the same chain reaction in your body that sugar does. What is surprising is that you really can get used to having a life of no sweetener except what is naturally found in fruits & veggies. I second the comment about how your cloths fit. Muscle is heavier than fat and is a boon to good metabolism, so you have the hardest part under control. I WISH I could exercise like that. Half is won't, half is can't. Between worn out knees and weak wrists, and general age & wear, there is a lot of exercising I just can't do. Even more that I won't lol. Go to sparkpeople.com. It's free and is the greatest place on the web for all kinds of support and education. Another good site is radiantrecovery.com (I think. Google it if not) where they can help you detox from sugar. Don't give up, you've got more than half the battle licked, being as active as you are. j