My favorite mom books

Babywise by Gary Ezzo:
Although I do not follow them to a T, the schedules and possible solutions for sleep troubles have been so helpful to me. Teaching a child to self sooth to sleep is such a valuable skill, especially when you have lots of little ones and you can't spend the whole day rocking your baby. I have referenced this book more times than I can count with each child.

Babywise II by Gary Ezzo:
I have not refreshed myself on this one with Drew yet since we still have a few month until it is relevent, but I know there are many per-discipline ideas that were very helpful to me. I especially loved the idea of Blanket Time and it was very helpful with Isaac.

Childwise by Gary Ezzo:
I love this book and is is always inspiring to me to reread sections of it. Although I find it lacks in actual specific and tangible consequences in some areas and it presupposes that certain techniques eliminate all future problems, the founding of moral character utilizing the Socratic method makes it a very inspiring book. I think sometimes we busy moms get caught up in the Don't do that's, the Stop it's, and the Leave your brother alone's that we forget that teaching them why we don't do that or should stop it is what actually teaches them not to do it again and again and again. The author says it all comes down to the Golden Rule, but even more specifically I think it all comes down to two verses in the Bible:

Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self seeking, and it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. (1 Corinthians 13 something)

Children obey your parents in all things for this is well pleasing to the Lord.

Sorry I don't know the exact references and am too lazy to look them up on Google right now. But you get the point, nearly every child's offense boils down to one or both of these verses. So my kids (obviously, not Drew) have these memorized and I try to have them tell me which of these verses (and which parts) they did not follow when they are in trouble. It takes a lot of time. It is not easy, but it is so worth it.

Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron:
I got this book with Genna because Hannah had such a hard time moving away from baby food and eating food with the family. It takes time to prepare these foods and I do not do 100% natural stuff like the author does. But there is a lot to be taken from this book. I did the cereals from scratch with Genna, but not with Isaac. I still haven't decided about how much I will make from scratch for Drew.

Signing Smart with Babies and Toddlers by Michelle Anthony:
Love, love, love this method of introducing sign language to your baby. I read several book son baby sign language before finding this one and it is so much more practical. This book tells you how to get your baby to look at you when you are signing and speaking. It tells you when the best times are to sign with your baby and even gives different ways to sign when your hands are somewhat full and when your child is looking at the book you are reading to him.

Your Baby's Health:
This book has calmed my fear time after time and kept me from wanting to run to the ER when I could wait until the next day to see a doctor. It has practical guides that tell you how soon you should see a doctor when your baby has a certain list of symptoms.

La Leche League's The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding:
This book doesn't need any explanation. If you breastfeed at all, it is a must read.

If you are considering homeschooling and thinking you can't do it, I recommend A Mother's Rule of Life by Holly Pierlot. This book gave me the courage to try homeschooling and got me excited about it when it wasn't what I had always pictured us doing. The Well Trained Mind: A Guide to a Classical Education by Susan Wise Bauer is also a wonderful read.

Books I just ordered for my birthday and am looking forward to reading:

Shepherding a Child's Heart by Ted Tripp

Large Family Logistics by Kim Brennemen

After Miscarriage: A Catholic Woman's Companion to Healing and Hope by Karen Edmisten