I've seen early am boot camp at Fitness First in Seven Corners. Also Bally's on L St in DC, I remember seeing ads for Boot Camp when I used to teach there last summer, and it is pretty popular. You don't have to be a member either, you just pay $8 per class. I've never tried it though. You can probably find more on craigslist.

lack of sleep and increase in stress will def. mess with your immune system. Many things you can do: healthy balanced diet, exercise, vitamin supplements, mom & baby yoga to combat stress, herbal teas (green, rosemary, black), acupuncture to tune you back up...and of course sleep! But that will be a challenge in the next few years, so everything else you can do to maintain complete health will help. I used to get sick alot more often before I made cardio and yoga a regular part of my life. And when I do get sick, I don't skip on the gym, I honestly feel the exercise helps circulate the sickness out of me faster when I feel it coming on.

OP here, the dentist did not specify if it was a cavity or abcess, only that it was discolored from impact and that she had ground them down in her sleep....so I'm not sure. I suppose if he said it's safe to wait 6 months until she can have it removed with local, that is what I'll do. Your reassurance is very helpful though...I def. feel better holding off on the full anesthesia...too scary! I was hoping he could do the local last week and remove it, so I could enroll her in pre-k and ballet without the brown stubs, but I can wait just enroll her anyway.

I agree if it is a close friend, flowers or cake is harmless. Maybe bake her some muffins to eliminate the whole monetary issue. If it's just an acquaintance, it feels bribe-ish, in which case a thank you card feels the most appropriate IMO.

Has anyone had experience with laser dentistry? I have heard some horror stories about that too.

DD fell and hit her two front teeth several times over the past year. First it turned grey, now it is a brownish-gray. Dentist said not to worry, just to keep it clean and we would have to accept the discoloration until her adult teeth come. Then my job laid off people and cut some of our benefits, dental being one of them! So I waited awhile to have her teeth checked again, only she grinds them and has practically worn them all the way down. I see a little white blister on her gum, but it goes away with the baby orajel. I took her to the dentist last week, and he says I can either go to a specialist who would have to put her totally under to remove the teeth, or I could wait another 6 months, practice playing dentist with her, so that she could potentially be cooperative enough to only have local anesthesia. He said unless she was in excruciating pain, it was probably safe to wait 6 months. I am really scared to put her under, but I don't want it to get infected either. DH is a holistic practioner, and he has a collection of articles on anesthesia gone wrong on kids. So I want to get some opinions...she is not in excruciating pain and can eat, drink, play normally...so should I wait 6 months and do the local? Or do I argue with DH and go have her put under now?

You could walk or drive to the metro and take the train to DC and still walk to your coffee shop. Kids love riding the metro! A 20 minute ride to the Smithsonian, Chinatown, etc...living in the burbs doesn't mean you're confined to the burbs. I live in Arlington, and luckily walking dist. to the metro so I don't need the car unless I want to go somewhere in VA. In which case there are a zillion restaurants, classes, libraries, parks, coffee shops, biking trails, memorials, public/private pools, gyms, theatres, etc... the list goes on for whatever you're into. You just have to drive, bike or walk longer.

I remember the ballerina's feet when I used to take ballet (never took pointe tho). How long does it take for it to grow back. It has been several weeks and there is no nail yet, but the skin looks much better than before.

If you drop a 10 pound weight on your toenail, and it turns black and falls off, will it grow back normal again eventually?

I've had preggers in my Zumba class up until the 3rd trimester. As long as Dr okays it, and you pay attention to your intensity level and modifying where needed, exercise is great for you and baby.

Is Turbo Jam dance based? If so, is it hip hoppy? Yes I made up that word.

I'm so out of the loop...what does CIO and COI mean?
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For me, I co-slept with DS until he was 3, and he transitioned fine into his own room when I bought him a car-bed. That was easy! My DD, another story. She won't cosleep with me, only my grandmother, she wakes me up occasionally for a drink or a teddy bear, but goes right back to my grandmother. They are all different. I like the reward idea, I'm going to use that for other issues like cleaning up after themselves.
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Funny thing is, now that I don't have to cosleep anymore, I still only get 5-6 hours of sleep... but I'm hardly ever tired.

Bowl America has some reasonable party packages. I limited the kid guest list to 5-7, to keep costs and craziness down. I've been to birthday parties at the golf course, in spring of course. And my colleagues offer kid's Zumba parties. I have also seen martial arts parties at various dojos.

Must vent....I know the new cars are designed to decrease crowding near the train doors...but they don't. It's just as crowded only now there is nothing to hold on to anymore. It's okay if you can make it into the aisle, there are plenty of vertical poles there... or if you're tall enough to reach the top bars. But even with my three inch heels on, I have to hyperextend my arm for 40 minutes to be able to reach the bar with my finger tips. Sometimes, I don't even have a bar to hold onto, since they have taken all the vertical poles out of the open area. I have to fingerpad the walls or ceiling when people cram in and take the handles near the door. And how does putting two small handles near the door avoid crowding near the door? I can only imagine what the people who are shorter than me go through. The little old ladies are all looking around like how am I going to not fall over? The only way us shorties can keep our balance is to be supported on all sides by the tall people, boxing us in like sardines. Everyone on the train is looking around like this is the dumbest design ever!! OK, maybe I can't do anything about it but it felt good to get it out.

i see it happen all the time. I always stand because there are always people who need the seat more than me. My dad just had a stroke last year and is now moving around with a walker. Same thing happened to him on the metro...no one gave up their seat for an old man hobbling around. It really is a shame how self-absorbed and inconsiderate people can be.