Little Genius

The day we returned from America, Daddy bought me a swing because I so liked the ones I tried on my visit. The swing plays music, and once in awhile the music would change and Mommy & Daddy wondered if I had pressed a button. Today the music changed almost constantly - every few seconds - and there was no doubt about it. I am a genius! OK, I'm not doing it on purpose, but that doesn't stop Mommy & Daddy from being proud.

Where Lolly goes, a beichaleh can't be far behind

At our Mommy and Me group today, everyone was amazed at how excited I was to look at a book. It kept me captivated. Grandma said they wouldn't have been surprised if they knew Mommy better, since Mommy so loves to read. My other favorite thing to do is to be outside. I don't even look at the mobile or other toys on her stroller because I am fascinated with the sky, the trees, the people, and everything I can see when we go for walks. It's just like Great-Grandma used to always say about Mommy - "What's Netanya doing, reading a beichaleh? She should at least bring it outside!" Great-Grandma Renee would have been proud!

Today I weighed 4.53 kilo and measured 57 cm long.

Meeting my Chicago family

Mommy and I flew to Chicago today. Saba and Yaya met us at the airport and were so excited to finally meet me! When we got home they took a long nap and Mommy was woken when Aunts Maya and Karen and soon-to-be Uncle Mendy came in. They took lots of pictures of the sleeping princess before they even got to meet me! Then there was an open house and people stopped by all afternoon and evening. The Aunties didn't want to say goodbye, but we have to go to our next stop. Tomorrow I am going back to Bubbie's for Shabbat. Plus Grandma is meeting us in NJ to spend some extra time with Mommy & me. Yay!

A Very Merry Unbirthday to Mommy

Grandma and Zeyde made an "unbirthday" party for Mommy. Great Aunt Ruthie, Nachama, the Lehmanns, the Hochbaums and Mommy's friend Miriam came for a mint chocolate chip Carvel ice cream cake. (I slept through the whole thing.)

Here I am getting a bath with Mommy & Grandma after the party:

I can fly!

Today I went on my first airplane ride, to America! I was so well-behaved. Iwas awake for the first 2 hours of the flight (since my "normal" bedtime is around 3 am) and slept the whole rest of the way, waking up only to eat. I even went a whole 5-hour stretch - a record!
Great-Aunt Sue and cousins Eli and Denny met us at the airport, even though it was 5:00 am. They drove us from Newark to Cherry Hill, where I met my Bubbie and Saba Raba.

I can roll! (For now)

Today Mommy put me down for some "tummy time" and I rolled over to my back twice! So Mommy took out the video camera to catch it again, and I did it 2 more times! Wow, I am so advanced! Zayde says I am an athlete and they should get me a coach!

After today I didn't roll over again until I was 5 months old.

Today I weighed 3.87 kilo.

Noticing my surroundings

Today I discovered one of my hanging toys - the giraffe that hangs on my playmat. I bopped it over and over again, and it was so cute that Mommy had to get it on video!

Today we drove all the way to Aunt Tahli & Uncle Tomer's house in Kfar Saba. They gave me an activity pool to play in!

Day of Firsts

Today I had my first play date AND my first trip to the park. I mostly slept through it. Mommy, Coby & I met Lynn, Adina and Hillel at the park.

I also had my first bottle today. Daddy gave it to me, and he was so excited to be able to feed his baby! The bottle was pumped breast milk - not formula.

Last night Aunt Karen and Uncle Mendy got engaged! To celebrate, Mommy, Daddy, Eliana, Aunt Tahli, Uncle Tomer, Yuvali and Yoavi went to Aunt Yehudit's house for a Chinese take-out party. Mazal Tov!

Shana Tova

My very first Rosh Hashana! Mommy & I went to shul the second day to hear the shofar (the first day was Shabbat so there was no shofar blowing). I just woke up one time to eat, and slept the rest of the time. The lady sitting next to Mommy commented that I am a noisy eater. (I smack my lips and slurp alot!)

We had the first dinner at the Secemskis (as usual) and the second dinner at the Bodenheimers (as usual). Uncle Bodi says I am the wigglyest baby he has ever seen - and he has seen alot of babies!

Here are some pictures of me in my Rosh Hashana dress:

My first trip to Tipat Halav

Today I went for my first well baby visit at Tipat Halav (a drop of milk). I weighed 2.92 kilo.

The Joy of Having a Girl

Today was the Simchat Bat in honoe of Eliana Miriam. It was held at Beit Knesset Nitzanim and catered by Holy Bagels. There were bagels, cream cheese, tuna, egg salad, veggie, muffins, croissants, peanut butter squares, omelettes, pancakes, and hot and cold drinks.

Honored guests included Grandma and Zayde, former Knesset speaker Ruby Rivlin, MK Zevulun Orlev, Bodi, Rachel, Dikla, Gilad and Yaarit Bodenheimer, Moishu and Hadas, Miki Kalner, Rachel and Yehuda Noylinger, Shira and Lee Wolfe, Doron and Sarah Speilman, Malca, Jerome and Tamar Katz plus Malca's sister, brother-in-law and mother, Yael and Benny Baratz, Sharon and Dovi Schamroth, Tamar and Josh Runyan, Josh Skarf, Zev Stub, Simcha Landa, Ted Rose, David Horovitz and his wife, Calev Ben-David, Sheera Frenkel, Hillary Kreiger, Miriam and Aharon Shaviv, Ruthie Bloom, Steve Leibowitz, Linda Lipshitz, Linda Amar, Yedida Lubin, Ariela and Moshe Cornfeld, Rachel and Ezra Wanetik, Reuven and Lynn Secemski, Shmuel and Talya Bloom, Sam and Melissa Ser...

The Mango has a Name!

Today I finally received my name: Eliana Miriam. Eliana because Hashem answered Mommy and Daddy's prayers by giving them a healthy baby girl after they waited for so long. Miriam after Daddy's Savta who passed away on Taanit Esther this year.

The naming was at Beit Knesset Ramban. Guests included: Grandma Helene, Miriam and Jack Maslin, Rachel and Yosef Bodenheimer, Gilad and Yaarit Bodenheimer, Sigi and Sefi Berry, Ariela and Moshe Cornfeld, Zev Stub, Simcha Landa, Ted Rose, Ezra Wanetik, Tom Weiss, Lynn and Reuven Secemski, Sam and Melissa Ser...

This was the first Shabbat that the new Beit Knesset was open after its extensive reonvations. There was a giant kiddush in honor of the chanukat habayit (which coincided with the date that the Ramban opened the first shul in Yerushalayim) and in honor of me, Eliana Miriam Hoffman.

Home Sweet Home

I came home from the hospital today! Grandma was there to help, and Ariela met us at the house to help. She brought flowers and presents - and new shoes for Mommy, since hers got ruined when her water broke. Ezra helped carry things up the stairs too. Mommy went inside to greet Coby and give him lots of attention so he wouldn't be jealous. Then Daddy brought me inside to introduce me to my dog (whatever that is), Coby. Coby gave me a sniff and then walked away. He had absolutely no interest in me. That's ok, I didn't notice him either.

Getting dressed to go home

Leaving the hospital

Arriving home with Daddy, Mommy & Grandma

Ariela, Mommy & Me

In front of our apartment

Greeting the furry brown guy

Me & Doda Rella

Daddy & Me

Precious Little Princess

Welcome to the World, Baby Mango

Baby Mango was born at 3:47 pm Israel time on Tuesday, August 29, 2006. She weighed in at 6 pounds, 4.7 ounces. They don't measure length here but Mommy brought a measuring tape and a nurse helped Daddy measure the baby. She was 19 inches long.

Irregular contractions started on Monday - sometimes every 15-30 minutes, sometimes every few hours. We went to Nadav and Rivky's wedding in Tel Aviv on Monday night and joked that we might have to go to the hospital in Tel Aviv in the middle of the wedding! (Mommy had 5 or 6 contractions in the car on the 1.5 hour drive.) Mommy tried to dance a lot at the wedding to dance the baby out. :) But when she would sit down again and rest the contractions would slow down.Overnight Mommy woke up with a contraction every 1-2 hours. Around 9:30 am, after having 3 contractions 15 minutes apart, she decided to get up and call Miriam Maslin, the doula. Miriam said she had an appt from 11 to 1 and should she cancel it? Mommy said no, it won't be that fast. Daddy asked if he could go to minyan and his morning shiur, and Mommy said yes. She spent the morning finishing packing up her hospital bag, but the contractions got closer together and harder to deal with. Daddy had a lunch meeting and as soon as it was over (around 2:00) Mommy called him and Miriam and told them both to come right away. The contractions were 3 minutes apart but sitll rather short, but Mommy was crying through each one. Miriam had told Mommy to have something sweet and pay attention to the baby's movements, but she wasn't feeling anything, so Miriam decided we should go to the hospital to get checked out, even though she didn't think we really needed to leave yet in terms of the labor progressing. This was a few minutes before 3:00. In the cab the contractions got worse and Mommy started to feel the urge to push. By the time we got to the hospital Mommy was screaming like a banshee through every contraction. She felt bad for the other women in the maternity ward, and for the little girl in the elevator with her!! When we got to the ward Miriam went to find a midwife, who hooked Mommy up to the monitor and saw that the heartbeat was good. Then they took her into a room to check her. As soon as she took her underwear off, her water broke all over her shoes and the shoes of the midwife! It was full of meconium so they told the pediatrician to be ready to be there when the baby was born. They checked her and she was 10 cm dilated so they rushed her into the nearest room to deliver. Less than 10 minutes later, I was born!

When I came out, Mommy was so relieved that the pushing was over. They took me to clean me up, and only after a few minutes did she think to ask whether I was a boy or a girl! When they told her she had a baby girl, she asked, "Really?!" She cried because she was so happy that her wish came true.

The first thing I did when I got into Mommy's arms was pee and poop on her. I guess I felt comfortable with her right away. Then I slept quietly in her arms. (they didn't even take me to weigh me or anything for a couple of hours). When Mommy was being stitched I stayed with my Daddy, who sang to me. I seemed to wimper every time Mommy cired from the stitches, even though she was all the way across the room behind a curtain! I nursed nicely before going to be checked by the doctors. Daddy stayed with mein the nursery and then brought me back to Mommy.

When I was born, Mommy and Daddy called Grandma and Zayde, Saba and Yaya, and Bubbie and Saba Raba. Then Mommy sent text messages to Steff and Ariella. Later they called or texted everyone else they knew! Mommy was on the internet soon after she gave birth, sending out the birth story and pictures of me.

My blood sugar was monitored after every feeding because Mommy had gestational diabetes. Because myblood sugar was a little bit low, the nurses gave her a bottle (boy was Daddy mad when he came into the nursery and caught them giving me a bottle). After that Mommy woke up a few times during the night to try to feed me, but I was too sleepy to eat. Mommy gave me a bottle around 5 am and then I finally nursed around 10:30.

After sleeping (or trying to sleep) in the hall for 18 hours, Mommy finally got a room.

Baby Mango remains small for his/her age. Mommy is over 38 weeks pregnant, but Mango is measuring 36 weeks old - except for his/her long, 37-week legs!

Mango now weighs an estimated 6.556 pounds.

Mommy had what looked like 3 contractions during her 20 minutes on the monitor (nonstress test) today. She didn't feel anything, though. The nurse-midwife said it indicated "strong uterine activity," which could be contractions or could be a result of dehydration or the heat wave.

Today Mommy and Daddy had their last childbirth class with Shoshana.

Daddy FINALLY felt Mango hiccupping today! It doesn't happen that often, but last time Mommy told Daddy to feel it, Daddy didn't sit still long enough to notice.

What's in a name?

Last night Mommy dreamed that she and Daddy were late for Mango's bris, so Grandma Helene and Saba Stuart named him for them! They named him Benjamin.

When Mommy woke up and told Daddy the dream, he said he had dreamed that Coby had a human baby and Mommy had a puppy. He has had similar dreams before.
Daddy said that he has also dreamed that Mango was named by someone other than Mommy and Daddy. He said that once he dreamed that a rabbi named the baby Dudu - because Mango is due in Elul (Ani L'Dudu v'Dudu Li)!

Tonight Mommy and Daddy walked Coby together and talked about boy names (they have already decided on a girl name).

Last night Mommy dreamed that she had the baby and then went home for Shabbat - but they kept the baby in the hospital! And before she left, she forgot to ask if the baby was a boy or a girl! So the whole Shabbat she didn't know and couldn't wait for Shabbat to be over so she could go back to the hospital and see her baby and find out!

Silly Mommy.

At Mommy's ultrasound today the tech was so surprised with the results that she made Mommy get back on the table and measure again! Mango is very little for his/her age and has only gained about 3 ounces in the last 10 days. S/he is measuring between 35 and 36 weeks, even though Mommy will be 37 weeks on Wednesday. Mango weighs about 5.9136 lbs (+/- 10%). The level of amniotic fluid has gone down too (from 180 ml to 165), which is good and indicates no problem from the diabetes, B"H.
Mommy is supposed to drink more water so Baby will move more.

Mango is now measuring on schedule - 35 weeks. Mango weighs app 5.687 pounds and the fluid level is 173. S/he remains head-down and is still not showing her/his face.

Mommy is finding it difficult to paint! When she bends over her work, Mango puts pressure against her diaphragm and lungs. And when Monny's painting arm is leaning on her stomach (and it's hard not to, since what Daddy's refers to fondly as "The Belly" is always in the way), she'd better hope a big kick doesn't send the paintbrush flying!

Mango is measuring 1 week small (32 weeks and Mommy is 33 weeks pregnant). S/he weighs about 4.268 pounds. Yay, Mango!

Today Aunt Maya felt Mango move in Mommy's tummy.

Today Mommy found out she has Gestational Diabetes. This means she has to stick to a special diet for the rest of her pregnancy, prick her finger 7 times/day to check her blood sugar, and get ultrasounds and nonstress tests twie/week to make sure Baby is not getting too big or too stressed.

Starting this week, Mommy and Daddy can feel Mango's body parts poking out of Mommy's stomach (usually on the right side). They can't tell what the body parts are, but sometimes they feel pointy like an elbow or round like a tushy.

When Mommy went to work at Camp Ramah today, two of her co-workers told her that she got bigger over the weekend! And Mommy was wearing black today - black is supposed to be slimming!

At the Post tonight Sheera the Knesset reporter said to Mommy "Wow, you're REALLY pregnant!" She confessed that she has known about the pregnancy for a very long time because she overheard Daddy talking to Mommy on the phone in the Knesset office when he thought he was alone. But she thought Mommy was only 2 months pregnant (or so) when she left for America so she was very surprised to see a 7-month belly when Mommy came home!

Today Mommy told cousin Yoav (who will be 2 on Shabbat) that there is a baby in her belly. Yoavi came over to look under Mommy's shirt and said "Ball. Ball." I guess Mommy's belly looks more like a ball than a baby right now. But soon Yoavi (and Yuvali) will be so excited to meet Mango!

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!

Tonight Mommy felt lots of kicking and told Daddy to try to feel it. Every time Mango kicked, Mommy asked, "did you feel that?" "what about that?" "you MUST have felt that!" But Daddy didn't feel it. Finally there was a kick and Daddy said "was that a kick? I felt something!"

Mommy and Daddy arrived safely in Sydney, Australia today and went straight to the home of Daddy's cousins, Harry and Brenda Braun. Mommy has a cough that won't go away, so she has been drinking alot of tea. Every time she takes a sip, Mango kicks!

Today Mommy had a shortened Mother's Day with Grandma Helene before leaving for the next leg of her journey. She flew to Phoenix and met up with her friend Julie. (Julie's mom thinks Baby will be a girl because she does not look like a basketball!) Mommy had a fun few hours with Julie, who brought a doppler so Mommy could check Baby's heartbeat - 157!

On the phone, Alison said she and Elana also think Baby will be a girl. Alison asked Marty if he thought Baby would be a girl or a boy and Marty said yes. :) Then she asked Elana if the baby would be a girl or a boy, and Elana said a boy. Mommy said that Elana probably just repeated the last option that Alison gave her. Sure enough, Alison then asked Elana if Baby would be a boy or a girl and Elana said a girl!

Baby kicked the whole way to Phoenix and again on the plane from Phoenix to LA! Does s/he like flying?? Then Mommy met Daddy in LA, where they will stay tonight and see Uncle Izzy tomorrow before continuing to Australia tomrorow night.

Great-Aunt Ruthie insisted that Mommy get a check-up during her long trip abroad. Today Mommy went to a nice doctor named Dr. Leach at Grandma Helene's OBGYN office. When the doctor heard Mango's due date, he said "if the baby comes a little late, you could have him on my brithday." Mommy said "oh, I thought you were going to say Rosh Hashana." The doctor said, "yeah, I can't tell you how many birthdays I spent in shul!" Mommy told him that at least his birthday isn't on Pesach like Daddy's, who grew up having matza cake every year!

When the doctor listened to Mango's heartbeat, he said "good wow-wows" (because the heartbeat sounds like "wow-wow-wow-wow-wow-wow-wow).

Mommy was glad to get a good report before she leaves for Australia next week.

Annie and Ruthie Lehmann and Grandma Helene felt Mango kicking tonight! Annie said she thinks Mango will be a boy. Ruthie said she thinks Mango will be a gboy or a bgirl. :)

Then Mommy and Grandma went home and heard Mango's heartbeat on the doppler that Mommy's friend Kathy gave her.

Mommy thinks her belly looks much bigger today. (It's probably from all the pizza that Annie fed her!) Good thing Zeide is coming home from California tomorrow so he can take some pictures.

Tonight Mommy and Grandma went to Sarah's Deli Night with the Hochbaums and Ruthie Lehmann. She saw Brian and Kimmie Schon (and their two cute kids), who were very happy to see Mommy and her belly. On the way out she saw Suzi Benaderet, whose jaws dropped at the site of the belly! Mommy explained to Elana Hochbaum that she has a baby in her belly, but she's not sure Elana understood.

Today Mommy got her first comment from a random stranger about the pregnancy! While shopping in Strawberry Hills, the cashier, Danielle, asked when the baby is due and if it is a girl. Mommy said she was waiting to be surprised, but asked why the lady thought it was a girl. The lady said she thinks it's girl season - all the pregnant customers she's had have been having girls, whereas last year they all had baby boys. She told Mommy to make sure to give that baby girl lots of chocolate milk and goodies - and then she patted Mommy's belly!

Of course, then Mommy got a message that her friend Julie dreamed she had a baby boy....

When unpacking the groceries, Grandma saw that Danielle had packed the pickles and the ice cream together in the same bag. Haha!

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And here's the good news (drum roll, please): A letter from the dr's office in NJ came to Grandma's house in Michigan with news that the ultrasound results were great!

- Baby is currently breech (nothing to worry about at this early stage).
- Heart rate 149 BPM.
- Baby's measurements were one week smaller than gestational age (no worries because Mommy was a small baby too).
- Heart, lateral ventricles, stomach, bladder, and cord insertion site all appear "unremarkable." (Daddy asked "WHAT about my baby is unremarkable?" Mommy reassured him that this was a good thing!)
- A three-vessel umbilical cord is noted.- Due to fetal positioning, the spine and kidneys are not well evaluated (that must be what the tech was looking for for so long).- The placenta is located posteriorly and shows no previa.
- A normal amount of amniotic fluid is seen.

Baruch Hashem! Mommy and Grandma gave tzeddaka after they read the letter.

Today Mommy flew to Michigan to spend a week at Grandma and Zeide's house. When she walked out of the airport she was surprised to see Grandma standing by the car with a video camera. Suddenly, David Lehmann popped around the corner to surprise her! But boy was he in for a surprise when Mommy pointed to her tummy! David helped Mommy carry her luggage to the car and then they drove to his house to deliver the news to his family.

Grandma stood in front of Mommy at the Lehmanns' door, and David stood ready with the video camera. When Annie opened the door, Grandma moved aside and Annie did a double-take! She screamed and hugged Mommy and cried. Then Ruthie came downstairs and was shocked and screamed and jumped up and down too! All four ladies had a big jumping, dancing group hug, while Davidi got it on film for Zeidi, who had missed his flight from California.

Next, Grandma and Mommy went to visit Malca Katz, who hasn't been feeling well. Grandma again stood in front of Mommy at the door and made sure Malca left the screen door closed. When Grandma stepped aside, Malca jumped up and down and said she was feeling better already!

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Then it was on to the shul dinner. The first person we saw was Alison. She was sitting at the registration table, and as soon as she saw Mommy walk in she shouted, "I knew it, I knew it!" She had had a dream that Mommy was pregnant a few months ago! Then Tansy Kraft (who was sitting next to Alison at registration) cupped her hand to her ear and asked Mommy to turn around so she could see if people were excited for the reason she thought they were excited!

Rabbi Silberberg said this was "fabulous, fabulous, just fabulous news." Rabbi Wineberg said he "wished he could give Grandma a 'proper' Mazal Tov." Rochel Wineberg didn't even notice and had to come over to us later and say "I can't believe you didn't tell me and I had to hear it from Avromi!" She said she looked at my face - she doesn't look at people's bellies because she wouldn't want people looking at her belly!

Mommy sat between Grandma and Alison at dinner. When Marty Hochbaum sat down next to his wife, Grandma pointed at Mommy's belly and asked excitedly, "did you see, did you see?" Marty (thinking Grandma was referring to Mommy), smiled and said, "I saw." Grandma said "you're going to be an aunt and uncle," and Marty asked, shocked, "WHAT?!" Apparently the buffet table had blocked his view of Mommy's belly during the smorgasboard!

Dr. Lupovitch was very happy and so was Betty Koloff and her father Mr. Kroll. Amira and Becky Skoczylas were very excited, and Andy Stawis was in tears. Alan Stawis gave Mommy advice (baby aspirin and support stockings) for her flight to Australia. Suzy Kellman and Sheryl Stollman promised to try not to tell their mom until Mommy could tell her in person. Everyone was happy to see Mommy eating "for two."

It was a long and exciting night. At the end, Grandma wanted to help Yael Gross clean up, but Yael told her to take Mommy home and put her to bed!

Big kicks today! Mommy thought for sure that Daddy would be able to feel them. He was very patient and sat with his hand on Mommy’s tummy for a long time, but he could not feel anything. We will try again soon.

Today we had the big ultrasound at South Jersey Radiology Clinic Women's Center. The doctor in Israel said we could wiat till we get home at 27 weeks, but if G-d forbid there's a problem it would be too late to correct anything. So we decided to do it in America, even though we (meaning Grandma) will have to pay out of pocket.

The receptionist gave us lots of trouble for being foreigners. And silly Mommy forgot to drink 32 oz of water in an hour before the appointment, but it didn't really matter.

At first they didn't let Daddy come in. He was annoyed because he scheduled his whole speaking tour around this ultrasound! They took lots and lots of measurements - and Mommy's back was very sore because she walked all over NYC with her friends yesterday. The measurements took a long time and Mommy was nervous when they called in a second tech to find something the first tech couldn't find.

Finally Daddy was allowed to come in! He brought Aunt Sue, too. We saw Baby playing, and it looked like s/he was talking or maybe drinking some amniotic fluid. We also saw a 3D ultrasound, which Daddy said made Baby look like a volcano. Aunt Sue asked the tech to tell her Baby's gender but the tech wouldn't tell! Mommy reminisced about finding out cousin Eli's gender at Aunt Sue's ultrasound about 15 years ago!

Daddy had to leave straight from the appointment to give a speech in New York City, at cousin Mindy's college. He missed his bus so Aunt Sue drove him. She's great!

We hope to get good news soon about all the measurements and that everything with Baby Mango looks perfect!

Starting this week Mommy has to get up every 1-2 hours to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Lucky she loves you so much, Mango, or she would be pretty annoyed!

Start spreading the news...

Yesterday Mommy had an ultrasound and was able to see Baby's brain, heart, and spine. She emailed the new pictures to Uncle Izzy and cousins Nachama, Aliza, Hillel, and Naomi. She sent them all her phone number and waited to see who called first.

After many hours, nobody called! Finally Naomi signed online and Mommy told her to check her email. She left and came back an hour later. Some time after that, she finally checked her email and was so surprised and excited! She and Mommy talked online for a little while, and then she sent text messages to both Aliza and Uncle Izzy, telling them to check their email. Mommy stayed up waiting for Aliza to get home from work and call her, but finally it got to be almost 2:30 am and Mommy got too tired and went to bed.

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In the morning while Mommy was walking Coby, she called Uncle Izzy to tell him the news. He had been dog-sitting for his boss and hadn't checked his email so he was very surprised! Later when he checked his email and saw the ultrasound, he sent Mommy this note:

your baby looks fat

good luck with that!

just kidding

Mazel Tov to both of you. It made me smile real big when i actually saw this.

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Today is election day so everyone (except Daddy) is off of work. As soon as Mommy and Daddy voted, they drove to Aunt Tahli and Uncle Tomer's house in Kfar Sava.

Mommy took cousin Yuval to play outside, and told her that she and Uncle Gil are having a baby. Yuvali looked at Mommy's belly (which is still pretty flat) and said "Lo nachon!" Mommy explained that her belly will grow and grow as Baby grows and grows. Yuvali asked if it was a boy or a girl, and Mommy said she didn't know. Yuvali said if it's a girl we have to name her Shachar! (That's Yuvali's neighbor's baby's name.)

Then Mommy offered to let Yuvali tell the news to her parents. She saw her Abba first, so she whispered in his ear that she had a secret and he couldn't tell anybody. Then she whispered "L'Netanya yesh tinok oh tinoket." Her Ima walked in at this point and asked if she heard what she thought she heard. Yuvali whispered the secret in her ear as well.

As soon as the word got out, Mommy got a phone call from her cousin Aliza in America. Aliza was so excited and wanted to hear all about the pregnancy, but Mommy tried not to stay on the phone too long because she wanted to spend time with Tahl and Tomer.

After that we looked at ultrasound pictures together, and Uncle Tomer took out the ultrasound pictures of Yuvali to show her how she looks so much like our baby. Yuvali wasn't too interested - she just wanted to play.

Later we called Aunt Maya and Aunt Karen. Yuval had said she would tell them the news, but when it came down to it she was shy. Yuvali's Ima said we would get her a special present if she did it, so Yuval told them "To Netanya have a baby." Everyone was very excited and wanted to know all the details. Aunt Karen and Aunt Maya made fun of Daddy and said he would be too playful to be a daddy, but Mommy reassured him that he would be great!

Mommy started feeling weak from all the excitement (and from hunger) so after we told everyone the news, we went home.

Later, Mommy called Aunt Ruthie to tell her the news. She asked when Aunt Ruthie thought she might come visit next. Aunt Ruthie didn't know what Mommy was getting at, so Mommy continued that she thought Rosh Hashana time would be good....because that's when the baby is due! Aunt Ruthie was so surprised that she said it was a good thing she was sitting down when she heard the news, or she would have fallen over! Then she asked if Grandma Helene knew yet. OF COURSE Grandma Helene knew already!!!

A couple named Shlomo and Nili posted on Janglo this week, saying that Nili is very pregnant and can't walk very far, and they need a place for Shabbat meals. Mommy invited them for Friday night dinner, and her friends Dovy and Naama from Detroit are also coming. When Dovy and Naama arrive, Mommy discovers that they are expecting a baby in May! She and Daddy decide to share the news with their guests, and everyone has fun talking about pregnancy and babies.

Daddy is so silly - when he cuts the challah, he cuts a very thin piece for himself, a very thick piece for Mommy, a very thin piece for Dovy, a very thick piece for Naama, a very thin piece for Shlomo, a very thick piece for Nili!

Mommy and Naama discover that they both go to the same doctor, Dr. Foss - very helpful since Naama has the doctor's cell phone number! She also offers Mommy a box of maternity clothes that don't fit her!

Daddy told his friends about Mango! Last night he met Zev at the Kotel and told him the news. Then he had dinner at Zev's mom's house and told the rest of the family. (Mommy couldn't be in Israel for Pesach because she went to Bubbie’s and Saba-Raba's in NJ.)

After Yom Tov, Daddy went to dinner with Zev, Ted, and Simcha/Shawn, and shared our happy news with them.

This week Mommy starts to feel Mango moving regularly. Especially late at night when Mommy is lying still and trying to go to sleep! Mango must be a night owl, just like Mommy!

Bubbie Spilled the Beans

Oops! Today Bubbie accidentally spilled the beans! Mommy sent her pictures from Purim, in which her belly is starting to show. Bubbie showed the pictures to Great-Uncle Rich, Great-Aunt Sue, and cousins, and said "look - she's showing!"

Oh well, Mommy won't get to surprise them with the news....but she's glad Bubbie is getting such nachat.

My baby has a first name, it's M-A-N-G-O

Uncle Izzy arrived today from California. Mommy told him that according to her weekly email updates, Baby just grew from the size of a pickle to the size of a mango. Uncle Izzy decided that from now on Baby's name will be Mango.

Is that a pillow in your shirt or are you just glad to see me?

Zayde and Grandma Helene arrived last night in Cherry Hill to spend the beginning of Pesach with the rest of the family. They were happy to see Mommy but didn't think she looked particularly pregnant yet.

This afternoon when Mommy got back from visiting Bubbie in the hospital, Zayde asked, "did you put a pillow in your shirt?" Grandma said that yesterday Mommy looked a little overweight but today she looks pregnant. And Bubbie feels Mommy's belly every day before she leaves the hospital, and said that today it felt bigger. Baby must be having a growth spurt.

Apparently Mommy's belly popped out today and she started to show!

Last Thursday (18 weeks)

Today (18 weeks, 5 days)

Mommy flew to America today to be with her Grandmom Helen (my Bubbie), who was in intensive care in the hospital for her bronchiectisis and respiratory problems. Daddy was very sad that he wouldn't see her for a month, but knews she was doing a big mitzva of Bikur Cholim and G-d willing she (and I) would bring refuah to Grandmom.

Mommy called her friend Sharon today to tell her the good news. Sharon said she knew Mommy hadn't returned her calls for one of two reasons: either Mommy was sad that Sharon was pregnant and she wasn't, or Mommy was pregnant and couldn't tell Sharon the news yet - she sure was glad it was the second reason! Sharon was so happy for Mommy and Daddy.

Mommy called her best friend Ariela to invite her to do Pesach shopping together tonight. She was planning on telling Ariela the news in person when they got together in a few hours. But Mommy sounded so happy on the phone that Ariela knew something was up, and guessed before Mommy even had a chance! She and Mommy spent the next few minutes shrieking and crying on the phone. When Ariela came over Mommy showed her the ultrasound pictures. At the store, Ariela wouldn't let Mommy push the cart or carry any packages. What a good friend!

A Fishy Feeling...

Mommy thinks she might have felt Baby move last night! Sometimes when Mommy is laying in bed (espcially after she has had a cup of hot cocoa), her stomach churns like maybe it's indigestion....but she doesn't think that's what it is. Sometimes it feels like little ripples. Tonight it felt like a goldfish suddenly flopped around in her belly!

Tonight Mommy went to visit her friend Steff in Rishon L'Tzion. Steff is 23 weeks pregnant and Mommy is 9 weeks pregnant, so the babies will be 14 weeks apart!

Mommy hasn't told anyone she is pregnant - she even stopped going to her dietician so she wouldn't have to explain why she's been eating nothing but crackers! But she had to tell Steff tonight because there was no way they could spend 3 hours together chatting without it coming up!

Mommy and Steff had so much fun talking about pregnancy, babies, birth, parenting, and baby gear! It was also nice to have someone to confide in! (Daddy is wonderful, but he doesn't know what it's like to be pregnant!)

Happy Birthday, Bubbie!

Today Mommy went through the same thing with Saba-Raba and with Bubbie that she did with Zayde and Grandma yesterday.

Saba-Raba was so excited he could barely speak! He started to read the poem (modified here and there for Bubbie) but got choked up and couldn't finish!

Bubbie has been in the hospital for awhile for her breathing problems, so Saba-Raba brought the ultrasound picture and the flowers to her in the hospital. He was so flustered that he forgot to bring the card! Bubbie was thrilled with the news. Both said they have been talking about this every day for years.

Happy Birthday Grandma & Bubbie!

Tomorrow is Grandma Helene's 50th birthday and Great-Grandmom Helen's 70th birthday. They are getting a BIG surprise for their presents!

Mommy emailed Baby's ultrasound picture to Zayde (she got the ultrasound done yesterday, especially for the birthdays) and called him on the phone. Zayde was so surprised and happy! He helped Mommy make a birthday card, printed it out, and bought flowers (irises). Then he went home from work early to deliver them to Grandma before her flight to celebrate her birthday with Great-Aunt Ruthie and Nachama in Tampa.

When Grandma opened the card, she was so surprised she had to sit down! She couldn't even see straight, so Zayde had to dial the phone. Grandma said it was the best present ever!

Here is the poem that Mommy wrote in the birthday card:

My little hands can't write yet,
My little mouth can't speak.
I can't yet hug you, Grandma,
Or kiss you on the cheek.

But still I want to wish you
A happy day today -
Though we'll have to wait awhile
Till you can come and play.

I cannot wait to meet you
I know I'll love you so.
But until September
I need more time to grow.

So I'll wait here in Mommy's belly
Floating in the water.
But I'll be thinking of you, Grandma.

Love,
Your Grandson or Granddaughter

HCG up to 131361! Unbelievable!

HCG count was up to 9618! Hurray!

At Mommy's friend Rachel's house across the hall, Mommy, Rachel, and Ezra were chatting for a long time. There was no furniture because Rachel and Ezra were almost done moving downstairs. Mommy got so faint she had to quickly run home and sit down on the couch!

Mommy's progesterone was 182 today and her HCG was 701 - things are looking good....