Mazal Tov to Mommy and Daddy's friends Lynn and Reuven on the bris of baby Hillel Aharon! Iy"H Mango will have lots of friends his/her age to play with.

Mommy has been trying to get her friend Julie to tell her whether she thinks Mango will be a boy or a girl (Julie is usually right with her guesses based on belly position). She and Mommy's friend Jenn both say GIRL because the belly is wide and low and "not basketball-y."

Today was the bris of Tzvi Yosef Bloom. Mommy and Daddy saw lots of friends that they hadn't seen in a long time (especially Mommy, because it is too hot and far for her to walk to kiddush). She found out that Ayala Friedman is due a few weeks after her. Ayala thinks Mommy is having a girl.

Many of Mommy and Daddy's friends are having boys this summer. Mommy thinks the trend might mean something. Daddy thinks that's the most ridiculous thing Mommy has ever said, so Mommy asked Shoshana, the childbirth teacher, if she believes in trends. She said absolutely - all the births she has attended this summer have been girls! So we shall see...

When asked in an email whether she thought Mango was a boy or a girl (she claims to be able to tell based on belly position), Great-Grandmom said "Based on my vast experience and 50/50 success I would say GIRL. We will all be happy BOY or GIRL!Grandma with love to you, Gil, and Baby"

Today we had a surprise 60th birthday party for Saba Itzik in Herzliya. It was the first time that many relatives (Aunt Tahli, Uncle Tomer, and the kids, the Bodenheimers, Great-Aunt Yehudit, and the Noylinger family) saw Mommy since she started showing. Everyone was happy to see her. Cousin Michal guessed that Mango will be a girl.

Today Mommy and Daddy had thier first childbirth class. They learned lots of things and practiced exercises for labor. They also watched a video of a real birth - Daddy cried when he saw what it was like for the daddy on the video.

Baby kicked and kicked the whole time - I guess Mango knew we were preparing for him/her!

Today Daddy lay his head on Mommy's belly and got a surprise - a kick in the head!

Tonight Mommy and Daddy watched a movie in their hotel room in Melbourne. Daddy kept his hand on Mommy's belly and felt Mango kicking a lot!

Today was Shavuot and apparently Mango loves to learn Torah. Last night Mommy and Daddy went to a Kollel Torah MiTzion class about unity among Jews, and suddenly Mommy looked at her belly and saw it bouncing! She poined it out to Daddy and he saw the belly bouncing too!

Today at shul, the belly bounced during the Haftarah reading too. Daddy had Peticha - but he wants a Sabra, not an Aussie baby!