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.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.