I had I won a Flip video camera last December and left it brand new in the box the entire year. After yesterday's super blurry video taken by my cell phone, I decided to get it out of the box. I have a really nice video camera that my mom gave to me, but at the moment I'm not sure where the battery charger is...gotta find that. In the mean time, now I have a really small, simple video camera that I can hold in one hand and has no extra pieces to lose.
Anyway, I wanted to see if I could catch a video of Tzipora getting herself up to a stand, and I did! Enjoy.
Monday, December 26, 2011
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Tzipora Cruising!
Tzipora will be turning one in less than a week, and she *just* figured out how to pull herself to a stand. This is the second time I've seen her do it, and right after she stood up her toy scootched forward, and she just went with it. She'll be walking before I know it. YIKES!
It's Official!!
I have an A for the semester!! I've successfully completed my first semester in nursing school and my 4.0 average is intact. *does a little jig*
In other news, I've taken up knitting as a hobby. I can do it while I read books and watch TV, so it doesn't take up any extra time. It also gives my arms a workout and I'm really proud of the things I've done so far. My first project was a scarf, and it took me over a month to do it because I used needles that were pretty small and yarn that was average sized. Next time I'll use big needles and thick yarn!! My second project was a baby hat, and it also turned out really well. That only took me two days to do. I'm already making my second one! I've opened an Etsy shop called The Knitting Midwife and put my first item in yesterday evening. Let me know what you think, and please add me as your favorite!
In other news, I've taken up knitting as a hobby. I can do it while I read books and watch TV, so it doesn't take up any extra time. It also gives my arms a workout and I'm really proud of the things I've done so far. My first project was a scarf, and it took me over a month to do it because I used needles that were pretty small and yarn that was average sized. Next time I'll use big needles and thick yarn!! My second project was a baby hat, and it also turned out really well. That only took me two days to do. I'm already making my second one! I've opened an Etsy shop called The Knitting Midwife and put my first item in yesterday evening. Let me know what you think, and please add me as your favorite!
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Pictures and Stuff
First, the stuff. Tzipora waved at me for the first time today!! It was super cute. I waved at her and she waved back. I don't think the twins were doing it until well past their first birthday, so she's far ahead of them.
Dovid knows his left from his right. Twice now he's been holding one of my hands and then asked for the other one. For example I try to hold him with my right hand and he goes "no, I want to hold your left hand!" It's super adorable and shocking that he knows this kind of thing already.
My sister and brother-in-law came for a visit this weekend, so of course a ton of pictures were taken. Here are two slideshows of pictures taken by them. The eighth picture in the second slideshow is one of Dovid that looks like it could've been a picture of Shmuel taken as a little boy. In fact, I have a picture of Shmuel that looks almost exactly like it! It's a bit creepy... Enjoy!
Dovid knows his left from his right. Twice now he's been holding one of my hands and then asked for the other one. For example I try to hold him with my right hand and he goes "no, I want to hold your left hand!" It's super adorable and shocking that he knows this kind of thing already.
My sister and brother-in-law came for a visit this weekend, so of course a ton of pictures were taken. Here are two slideshows of pictures taken by them. The eighth picture in the second slideshow is one of Dovid that looks like it could've been a picture of Shmuel taken as a little boy. In fact, I have a picture of Shmuel that looks almost exactly like it! It's a bit creepy... Enjoy!
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Crawling!
Slowly but surely Tzipora is learning to crawl forwards. She's been able to scootch backwards for a while now, but since she could get around pretty well that way she never really tried forward much. Just in the past few weeks she's become super mobile. She learned how to sit up by herself, so now I'll find her sitting in her crib after a nap. (Don't worry, I set the crib at its lowest.) She's also been trying to stand up, but she'll try from a sitting position and get herself into what looks like a "downward-facing dog" yoga pose. But just tonight I saw a real forward crawl - the way you picture babies crawling. The pediatrician was right! She said Tzipora would figure it out within a month to six weeks and she did! Yay!! She's getting to be such a big girl.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Stuff and Whatnot
Do you remember my friend who got pregnant last April? Remember that she was pregnant with twins? Well she had her babies a few weeks ago!!! Her little girl just came home from the hospital today and her little boy will hopefully be coming home over the weekend. We are super excited for her!!!!!!!
Do you remember back last summer when we were supposed to be getting a new live-in? Well she finally recovered, and it turns out that she didn't actually bail on me without saying goodbye, but one of her friends was messing with me since she didn't want her to move to Boston. She's actually here now (along with a second au pair - I'm spoiled), and we are SO EXCITED!!! Both live-ins are fantastic, and the kids adore them.
And now for my awesomeness. I spilled water on my laptop the other day and thought I was completely done-for. So I ordered a new computer using my credit card reward points. But then I called Toshiba with a problem - a few of my letter keys weren't working since the water accident and I needed at least one of them cuz it's in my computer password. He showed me how to do that. Then I realized that maybe I could solve my letter problems by getting a new keyboard. So I ordered one. It arrived today, and I installed the keyboard all by myself!!!! I saved $100 doing that, and it wasn't too difficult, either. And it works! My computer is just as good as it was before the water thingy...and I'm still getting a new one cuz I can't cancel that order. Ahh well, there are worse things than a brand new computer!
Do you remember back last summer when we were supposed to be getting a new live-in? Well she finally recovered, and it turns out that she didn't actually bail on me without saying goodbye, but one of her friends was messing with me since she didn't want her to move to Boston. She's actually here now (along with a second au pair - I'm spoiled), and we are SO EXCITED!!! Both live-ins are fantastic, and the kids adore them.
And now for my awesomeness. I spilled water on my laptop the other day and thought I was completely done-for. So I ordered a new computer using my credit card reward points. But then I called Toshiba with a problem - a few of my letter keys weren't working since the water accident and I needed at least one of them cuz it's in my computer password. He showed me how to do that. Then I realized that maybe I could solve my letter problems by getting a new keyboard. So I ordered one. It arrived today, and I installed the keyboard all by myself!!!! I saved $100 doing that, and it wasn't too difficult, either. And it works! My computer is just as good as it was before the water thingy...and I'm still getting a new one cuz I can't cancel that order. Ahh well, there are worse things than a brand new computer!
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Why Not To Teach Your Children That Mommy Kisses Cure All...
First I want to apologize for being MIA for nearly two months. Life is crazy hectic around here with school, work and being sans babysitter every once in a while. But hopefully our babysitter issues will be a thing of the past starting next week! In any case, here is one reason why not to teach kids that Mommy Kisses cure everything...
Dovid has a diaper rash at the moment, and during his change this evening he was saying that it hurt. And then continued along with "Kiss it! Kiss it! Kiss my bottom!" Shmuel and I nearly died laughing. So there you have it...Mommy Kisses cure everything except diaper rashes.
On another note, I am still on my way to getting an A in my nursing class, even though the class average is about a 77. (You need a 75 to pass the course...anything below is an automatic fail.)
Dovid has a diaper rash at the moment, and during his change this evening he was saying that it hurt. And then continued along with "Kiss it! Kiss it! Kiss my bottom!" Shmuel and I nearly died laughing. So there you have it...Mommy Kisses cure everything except diaper rashes.
On another note, I am still on my way to getting an A in my nursing class, even though the class average is about a 77. (You need a 75 to pass the course...anything below is an automatic fail.)
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Nursing School & Being a Doula
There's so much reading and memorizing that I feel as though nursing school is kicking my butt... However, so far I have passed every skills test on the first try, gotten 100% on my first two lab quizzes (the third one I messed up on, but so did almost everyone...luckily lab quizzes count for very, very little), and I got a 90% on my first exam!!!!! (The mean score on that first test was 80%.) I am really psyched, especially since the professor doesn't like me so much. See, I have to miss lab for the Jewish holidays and they had to make special arrangements for me to make up the lab time on other days. So that kind of turned the whole department against me. Then, when all heck broke loose earlier this week, I had to leave class right after the exam on Monday in order to get home to take care of the kids. She noticed I was gone and made a comment to the whole class today about "people leaving class early and thinking they don't notice". Yeah, I know that was totally directed right at me...but it was either that or my 2 1/2 year old twins are now in charge of the baby...not happening, not safe and illegal! Anyhoo, she can now eat it seeing as I got a fantastic score on the exam. I'm just going to prove her wrong all semester so she realizes that I'm a fantastic student. (I remind myself of my sister and a certain incident with a high school English teacher...ahh the memories!)
Now then, as for all heck breaking loose... Our fantastic day care provider is currently pregnant with twins and unexpectedly went on bed rest Monday morning. I had someone covering her for a few hours in the morning, but she was scheduled to come in to work in the late morning. But then she got admitted to the hospital! Oooooops! Our babysitter for the morning had a class (that she missed), so she couldn't stay too late, which is why I had to rush like mad to get home right after the test. Anyway, we found someone that evening to take over for our pregnant day care woman...who worked for a day and then said she got another job offer and was taking it. So she basically told us at 6pm that she could not work the following morning. OMG!!!!! That is not cool in the ultimate sense. So Shmuel had to stay home from work, pissing off his boss - who basically told him he is REQUIRED to come into work tomorrow or else. So we spent half the day today interviewing new candidates and B"H found someone who fits the bill. She has an agreement with us that we need at least a week's notice if she finds a new job, and we'll give her the same if we find a live-in.
Speaking about pregnant women, I had my first experience as a doula last Friday! My very first client gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, and it was one of the most amazing experiences in my life. If I had any doubts about my choice of careers, they were all put to rest. I actually teared up when the baby was born, and I didn't even cry when my own daughter was put on my chest! It was so beautiful. If you are pregnant and live in Boston or know someone who is pregnant and lives in Boston, send me an email and I'll tell you all about what I can do to help during your birth. :-)
Now then, as for all heck breaking loose... Our fantastic day care provider is currently pregnant with twins and unexpectedly went on bed rest Monday morning. I had someone covering her for a few hours in the morning, but she was scheduled to come in to work in the late morning. But then she got admitted to the hospital! Oooooops! Our babysitter for the morning had a class (that she missed), so she couldn't stay too late, which is why I had to rush like mad to get home right after the test. Anyway, we found someone that evening to take over for our pregnant day care woman...who worked for a day and then said she got another job offer and was taking it. So she basically told us at 6pm that she could not work the following morning. OMG!!!!! That is not cool in the ultimate sense. So Shmuel had to stay home from work, pissing off his boss - who basically told him he is REQUIRED to come into work tomorrow or else. So we spent half the day today interviewing new candidates and B"H found someone who fits the bill. She has an agreement with us that we need at least a week's notice if she finds a new job, and we'll give her the same if we find a live-in.
Speaking about pregnant women, I had my first experience as a doula last Friday! My very first client gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, and it was one of the most amazing experiences in my life. If I had any doubts about my choice of careers, they were all put to rest. I actually teared up when the baby was born, and I didn't even cry when my own daughter was put on my chest! It was so beautiful. If you are pregnant and live in Boston or know someone who is pregnant and lives in Boston, send me an email and I'll tell you all about what I can do to help during your birth. :-)
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Kid Pictures
Whenever my sister and brother-in-law come to visit, they always take tons of amazing pictures of the kids. I feel completely lazy in that I rarely ever take pictures of them, but anyway... Here's the album of select pictures from the visit, for those of you who don't read my brother-in-law's blog.
Before you enjoy these pictures, I just have to say that the second picture in the album took my breath away. Why, you might ask? Because my son is my husband's identical twin, apparently... Seriously, I need to scan and upload some of my hubby's pics from when he was a little boy and you'll do a double take as well.
Before you enjoy these pictures, I just have to say that the second picture in the album took my breath away. Why, you might ask? Because my son is my husband's identical twin, apparently... Seriously, I need to scan and upload some of my hubby's pics from when he was a little boy and you'll do a double take as well.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Twins and Shoes
My kids are the funniest, cutest kids around. The preface to this movie is that Dovid was asking Chana to take off his socks and shoes. She got one shoe off and then left the room. Dovid was just sitting, waiting for her to come back and finish the job. I knew this was going to be a "Kodak Moment," so I taped and was not disappointed. This video was taken on my phone, so it's not the best quality, but I know you'll like it anyway. Enjoy!
Friday, September 2, 2011
Video For Your Enjoyment
I can't believe it's been over 2 weeks since my last post. I've just been so busy doing nothing interesting that my blogs have been totally neglected. In any case, my mom is here for a visit with Ron and she brought with her a video she found stashed away in the house. It's a VHS that begins with a chorus concert from 1995. The conductor was my favorite teacher of all time, and I was super excited to get to see this. I burned it onto a DVD, converted it to mpeg and have uploaded it to YouTube for your viewing pleasure. I'm sure you'll be able to find me since I'm the shortest kid...and I'm standing in the back row!
Saturday, August 13, 2011
T-Mobile...Not The Cell Phone Company
That's my husband's joke, actually. He likes to refer to Tzipora as "T-Mobile" when she's moving around. And she's been doing a lot of that lately! No, she can't really crawl yet, but she scootches in circles on her tummy, and sometimes she'll even scootch backwards a little bit. I remember that Dovid scootched backwards on his tummy before he started going forwards, so I know it's just another step in the right direction. She also has begun to launch herself out of her Bumbo seat. I had her on the floor in her Bumbo earlier today and she had nearly turned herself around trying to reach something that was also on the floor...until she actually tumbled out of the seat onto her stomach. It looked perfectly orchestrated, she didn't hurt herself at all (she literally went right onto her tummy from the seat), and she was only moderately surprised that she found herself on the floor all of a sudden. It was really funny, although now I have to keep a *very* good watch on her in that seat, even when it's on the floor.
During this Bumbo seat mishap, I also noticed that she's getting the idea of object permanence, since she was looking to retrieve something that had fallen behind her.
Tzipora has also been making some Baby-Led Weaning progress. She's definitely eating some solids, as noted by her new poo consistency which always has little bits of whatever she's eaten in them, and she's getting loads better at putting food from the tray into her mouth...even if it means bending her head all the way to the tray and shoveling it in. lol I just need to think of some more good soft foods for her to try, since she still doesn't have any teeth. Some of the ones we've tried are cooked carrots, sweet potato and spaghetti squash. Any ideas for me?
As for the twins, their newest milestone is sitting at the table for meals. They're still in their booster seats, but instead of eating off of their tray they now sit right up at the table and have plates! They did really well on their first try of this, and I am so proud of them. They really are growing up!
During this Bumbo seat mishap, I also noticed that she's getting the idea of object permanence, since she was looking to retrieve something that had fallen behind her.
Tzipora has also been making some Baby-Led Weaning progress. She's definitely eating some solids, as noted by her new poo consistency which always has little bits of whatever she's eaten in them, and she's getting loads better at putting food from the tray into her mouth...even if it means bending her head all the way to the tray and shoveling it in. lol I just need to think of some more good soft foods for her to try, since she still doesn't have any teeth. Some of the ones we've tried are cooked carrots, sweet potato and spaghetti squash. Any ideas for me?
As for the twins, their newest milestone is sitting at the table for meals. They're still in their booster seats, but instead of eating off of their tray they now sit right up at the table and have plates! They did really well on their first try of this, and I am so proud of them. They really are growing up!
Monday, August 8, 2011
Hippo Birdie Two Ewes...
Well, really Hippo Birdie Two Mees, but that's beside the point. Today's my birthday...YIKES! Another year has gone by, and I don't know where the time went. It's been a crazy year with having the baby and being in school, but I've still managed to keep my 4.0 average. :-) We can't celebrate my birthday today because the fast day of Tisha B'Av starts tonight, and for the past 8 days we've been in a type of mourning because of the upcoming fast day. So my present (and cake) will just have to wait. Although my hubby was sweet enough to bake brownies for Shabbos in honor of my upcoming birthday. :-D What a guy! Speaking of such guy, here's a picture of something I consider to be my birthday present...
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Déjà vu
Here are all of the random things that have been going on lately:
First off, I'm really sorry I've been so bad about posting lately, but things got entirely messed up when the person who was supposed to be coming to live with us bailed. What a disaster! So we're still looking for someone to come and live with us...preferably someone who is honest and won't run away without saying goodbye.
As for the déjà vu, I have mastitis. :-( At the moment it doesn't seem to be as bad as when I had it with the twins, but it stinks nonetheless. I'm on antibiotics and will be taking tylenol round-the-clock to keep the chills and aches at bay. My mother-in-law is here this week, so she's a bit help and is teaching the twins to whisper because I'm not feeling well. It's super cute.
I finished my microbiology class on Tuesday evening, so I'm officially done for the summer. I'm almost 100% positive that I've pulled off another A, so I'm one class closer to valedictorian. :-) If I become valedictorian in two years, I will make sure that someone video tapes it so I can show you my speech.
I took my doula training class last week, so now all I need to do is attend births and I can get certified!! So if you live in the Boston area and are pregnant, get in touch with me so we can work together. :-) I have a whole doula bag full of labor supplies, and I'm also in the process of becoming Hypno-Doula certified with Hypnobabies. That means that I will be certified to work with women who are doing childbirth hypnosis of any type.
Tzipora had a visit at the Harvard Developmental Research Lab yesterday where they put on this cool electrode hat to measure the electrical impulses on her scalp while she watched a video screen. The study has to do with numbers and how infants process them. Isn't she a cutie?
So, now that you're all updated on my world, what's going on in yours?
First off, I'm really sorry I've been so bad about posting lately, but things got entirely messed up when the person who was supposed to be coming to live with us bailed. What a disaster! So we're still looking for someone to come and live with us...preferably someone who is honest and won't run away without saying goodbye.
As for the déjà vu, I have mastitis. :-( At the moment it doesn't seem to be as bad as when I had it with the twins, but it stinks nonetheless. I'm on antibiotics and will be taking tylenol round-the-clock to keep the chills and aches at bay. My mother-in-law is here this week, so she's a bit help and is teaching the twins to whisper because I'm not feeling well. It's super cute.
I finished my microbiology class on Tuesday evening, so I'm officially done for the summer. I'm almost 100% positive that I've pulled off another A, so I'm one class closer to valedictorian. :-) If I become valedictorian in two years, I will make sure that someone video tapes it so I can show you my speech.
I took my doula training class last week, so now all I need to do is attend births and I can get certified!! So if you live in the Boston area and are pregnant, get in touch with me so we can work together. :-) I have a whole doula bag full of labor supplies, and I'm also in the process of becoming Hypno-Doula certified with Hypnobabies. That means that I will be certified to work with women who are doing childbirth hypnosis of any type.
Tzipora had a visit at the Harvard Developmental Research Lab yesterday where they put on this cool electrode hat to measure the electrical impulses on her scalp while she watched a video screen. The study has to do with numbers and how infants process them. Isn't she a cutie?
So, now that you're all updated on my world, what's going on in yours?
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Happy Blogoversary to Me!
I almost forgot my own Blogoversary!! Yipe! I can't believe I've been blogging for 3 years...it's just unreal. My whole life has changed so drastically since that first post. I began posting as an infertile woman who didn't know if she'd ever get pregnant period, and now here I am a mother of three - one of whom was actually conceived naturally!! I've seen so many miracles since I began blogging, and I feel so fortunate to have the amazing family I've been blessed with.
Speaking of family...how about a few updates?
Tzipora has started baby-led weaning and is doing great! She's getting the hang of it much quicker than the twins did. She's had carrot and sweet potato...even some asparagus, although I don't know if she's actually swallowed any of that. She can now pick up carrots, bite off a little piece and swallow it. She doesn't do it all the time, but I've seen it happen.
I've been trying to have Tzipora practice sitting more, but she's not so good at it. She more just flops over. She'll sit fine in the Bumbo or if I prop her against the couch, but with no support she just goes "wheeeee!"
Chana and Dovid are cute as ever. They talk in full sentences, sing songs, love having us read books, and can't get enough bubbles. They also enjoy playing with water - provided it's nowhere near a bathtub.
We were supposed to have a new live-in helper come last week, but unfortunately she's sick in the hospital and we aren't sure when (if?) she'll be joining us. I'm super sad about it because she's such a sweetheart, and it pains me that she's been hospitalized for so long. We're all praying that she gets better really soon so she can get out of the hospital and, of course, come live with us.
I have just one more week of summer school and then I get a month break until nursing school starts. I'm really, really excited about it!!
How are things with all of you out there in bloggy-land? I've had a few of my fellow bloggers post BFPs and such relatively recently, so I know there are some of you out there with good news... I'd love to hear more good news in comments!
Speaking of family...how about a few updates?
Tzipora has started baby-led weaning and is doing great! She's getting the hang of it much quicker than the twins did. She's had carrot and sweet potato...even some asparagus, although I don't know if she's actually swallowed any of that. She can now pick up carrots, bite off a little piece and swallow it. She doesn't do it all the time, but I've seen it happen.
I've been trying to have Tzipora practice sitting more, but she's not so good at it. She more just flops over. She'll sit fine in the Bumbo or if I prop her against the couch, but with no support she just goes "wheeeee!"
Chana and Dovid are cute as ever. They talk in full sentences, sing songs, love having us read books, and can't get enough bubbles. They also enjoy playing with water - provided it's nowhere near a bathtub.
We were supposed to have a new live-in helper come last week, but unfortunately she's sick in the hospital and we aren't sure when (if?) she'll be joining us. I'm super sad about it because she's such a sweetheart, and it pains me that she's been hospitalized for so long. We're all praying that she gets better really soon so she can get out of the hospital and, of course, come live with us.
I have just one more week of summer school and then I get a month break until nursing school starts. I'm really, really excited about it!!
How are things with all of you out there in bloggy-land? I've had a few of my fellow bloggers post BFPs and such relatively recently, so I know there are some of you out there with good news... I'd love to hear more good news in comments!
Monday, July 11, 2011
Summer Fun
Summer fun? Riiiight. For me it's school and studying. Except for the project I did for my mom today. She bequeathed to me a business that she owned back when I was in middle school, since she hadn't really done anything with it since my father passed away. The business is called Names Unlimited, and I make personalized pictures. My mother ordered the one below for a new cousin.
My website isn't nearly finished, but you can at least peruse the different pictures by name. For example, this one is the Little Boy with Train. I just thought I'd share with you something crafty that I do. :-)
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Cutest Baby Ever
I finally figured out the reason Tzipora had been activating the pull cord on her bouncy seat with her feet rather than her hands. (You'll see what I mean in the pictures below...it's a ring attached to a lion that plays music when you pull the ring.) Anyway, this is something Dovid had figured out - to use his hands to pull the cord - when he was like 4 months old, and I realized that Tzipora just couldn't reach because the bar had been bent out of shape a bit. I knew that the cords looked really far away, but I hadn't realized that the bar was bent out of shape and could be moved back. So I bent it back, and BOY WAS SHE HAPPY ABOUT IT!! :-) Now she can reach with her hands, which she did immediately. You can see below that I have the cutest baby in the whole world...and I'm not biased one bit. (Click on each picture for a larger version)
Monday, June 20, 2011
Rolling Over
Guess who rolled over from back to front for the first time today... Yup,it's Tzipora! She did it twice...both times when I was out of the room. Hopefully she won't start sleeping on her belly now...
Friday, June 10, 2011
2 Fandango Movie Tickets for $9
Anyone out there planning to see Harry Potter next month? How about going to the movies and still having enough money left over to grab some popcorn?
LivingSocial's deal today is 2 movie tickets for $9!! That's a flipping steal for these days (when many tickets are $15+ for just one person). So go and see a movie, take a friend and have a great time! Just click here and enjoy!
LivingSocial's deal today is 2 movie tickets for $9!! That's a flipping steal for these days (when many tickets are $15+ for just one person). So go and see a movie, take a friend and have a great time! Just click here and enjoy!
Monday, May 30, 2011
Shalom
For those of you who don't know what the Hebrew word shalom means, I'll explain it. Shalom literally means peace, although many people use it as "hello" or "goodbye," since you're basically wishing that person to have peace. Ever heard someone say "peace out" as a goodbye? Well this is the same idea.
In any case, I bring this up because I have been offered the proverbial olive branch by the family. They want shalom. They're not angry with me and hope I won't be angry with them any longer...and I think I can do that. All I wanted was to be appreciated and for my feelings to be recognized, and by this I think they get that. Now hopefully we'll be able to go back to how we were before things got out of control. I really, really hope so, because all this stress isn't good for anyone involved.
And on some completely unrelated topics...
The twins are now sleeping in toddler beds! Tonight we made the decision to take the railings off of their cribs because Chana was starting to try to climb out of her crib and we didn't want an accident. We installed a gate over their doorway so they can't get out, and we toddler-proofed their room as best we could. We plugged in the video monitor that my sister gave us for Chanukkah this past year so we can hear and see them, just in case they wake up before we do. Most likely that won't happen, but you never know. They were a bit cranky when they first realized that the railing was gone, but by the time the lights were out, they were mostly ok and Chana climbed right in.
Tzipora started laughing about a week or so ago, and it's so cute. She doesn't do it often, but if you tickle her chin/neck sometimes she'll give you a giggle. What a sweetie!! But she's still not growing as much as the doctor wants her to, and they're urging me to supplement with formula. I'm trying to only supplement her with the milk I pump and so far I haven't needed to pull out the formula. We'll see how this goes! We have another weigh-in in two weeks. *sigh*
I start school tomorrow. YIKES!!! Wish me luck for Microbiology this summer and a continuation of my straight A's. :-D
I have a special note to Auntie Beh who got injured while attacking the weeds outside Mom's house the other day. We hope that the doctor can de-thorn your "paw" and that you stop injuring yourself. :-) (Sorry, but when Shmuel told me you got a thorn in your hand it gave me a picture in my head of a dog or a bear with a thorn in its paw.)
In any case, I bring this up because I have been offered the proverbial olive branch by the family. They want shalom. They're not angry with me and hope I won't be angry with them any longer...and I think I can do that. All I wanted was to be appreciated and for my feelings to be recognized, and by this I think they get that. Now hopefully we'll be able to go back to how we were before things got out of control. I really, really hope so, because all this stress isn't good for anyone involved.
And on some completely unrelated topics...
The twins are now sleeping in toddler beds! Tonight we made the decision to take the railings off of their cribs because Chana was starting to try to climb out of her crib and we didn't want an accident. We installed a gate over their doorway so they can't get out, and we toddler-proofed their room as best we could. We plugged in the video monitor that my sister gave us for Chanukkah this past year so we can hear and see them, just in case they wake up before we do. Most likely that won't happen, but you never know. They were a bit cranky when they first realized that the railing was gone, but by the time the lights were out, they were mostly ok and Chana climbed right in.
Tzipora started laughing about a week or so ago, and it's so cute. She doesn't do it often, but if you tickle her chin/neck sometimes she'll give you a giggle. What a sweetie!! But she's still not growing as much as the doctor wants her to, and they're urging me to supplement with formula. I'm trying to only supplement her with the milk I pump and so far I haven't needed to pull out the formula. We'll see how this goes! We have another weigh-in in two weeks. *sigh*
I start school tomorrow. YIKES!!! Wish me luck for Microbiology this summer and a continuation of my straight A's. :-D
I have a special note to Auntie Beh who got injured while attacking the weeds outside Mom's house the other day. We hope that the doctor can de-thorn your "paw" and that you stop injuring yourself. :-) (Sorry, but when Shmuel told me you got a thorn in your hand it gave me a picture in my head of a dog or a bear with a thorn in its paw.)
Saturday, May 28, 2011
I'm Angry and Depressed...
I'm Angry and Depressed...
because no one would listen to me, and therefore a huge deal was made out of absolutely nothing.
because lashon hara was spread about me that was a lie.
for being blamed for something that was not my idea, my fault or my intention.
because my motives were completely pure.
because I feel (and others who I've talked to feel) that I did absolutely nothing wrong, even if others have misinterpreted my actions.
because some 60-year-old document is apparently more important than my feelings and all the good I do in my home.
because whatever was written in the document was not my fault in the least. I had no idea what was written there before I saw it, and I thought no one else knew as well.
because I called with the document expecting accolades for finding it, and instead I received a virtual slap in the face.
because I feel I should have received an apology saying that they were wrong for accusing me of publishing the document to a public website, when I did nothing of the sort. The document was ALREADY PUBLIC and I put it on a PRIVATE website.
because I’ve been picked on incessantly since Pesach.
because I don’t appreciate people second guessing my decisions about my own children and trying to run my life.
because they think they know what’s best for me.
because apparently being on the computer after going to school, getting all A's, going shopping for food and nursing the baby makes me lazy.
because they expect me not to talk about my feelings to my friends. I make sure everything is completely anonymous – NEVER lashon hara.
And the moral of the story is...
Please listen when someone is trying to tell you something! Read their emails in full and digest what they have to say. Take their calls and speak without arguing. Listen to what's being said, mull it over and then respond. No yelling, accusing or talking over the other person. And always return their phone calls. If they're calling, they obviously have something important to tell you.
Even if you don't think that what they have to say is important...most likely what they're trying to tell you is very important.
Even if you don't think what they'll tell you will change your mind...you just might be surprised with what they have to say, especially when they know exactly what the situation is and you are coming in as an outsider.
Try not to react (or overreact) to a situation without full knowledge of what's going on.
Always ask why! (Why did I send the document to X's email? Because X's mom said I should when I asked her. Why did I post the document to the website? Because I wanted the cousins to be able to see it. Why did I go looking for it in the first place? Because the cousins asked me to.) The answers might just explain the entire situation and make you go "Oh, ok! Nevermind, then."
Don't make judgments about people you don't know.
And, most importantly, don't ever speak lashon hara about anyone else. Even if if you think you're telling the truth, it still could be a lie. When in doubt, ask a rabbi and have the rabbi speak to the other party as well to get the full picture of the situation. If the rabbi only gets it from one ear, then he'll have a biased opinion and answer.
because no one would listen to me, and therefore a huge deal was made out of absolutely nothing.
because lashon hara was spread about me that was a lie.
for being blamed for something that was not my idea, my fault or my intention.
because my motives were completely pure.
because I feel (and others who I've talked to feel) that I did absolutely nothing wrong, even if others have misinterpreted my actions.
because some 60-year-old document is apparently more important than my feelings and all the good I do in my home.
because whatever was written in the document was not my fault in the least. I had no idea what was written there before I saw it, and I thought no one else knew as well.
because I called with the document expecting accolades for finding it, and instead I received a virtual slap in the face.
because I feel I should have received an apology saying that they were wrong for accusing me of publishing the document to a public website, when I did nothing of the sort. The document was ALREADY PUBLIC and I put it on a PRIVATE website.
because I’ve been picked on incessantly since Pesach.
because I don’t appreciate people second guessing my decisions about my own children and trying to run my life.
because they think they know what’s best for me.
because apparently being on the computer after going to school, getting all A's, going shopping for food and nursing the baby makes me lazy.
because they expect me not to talk about my feelings to my friends. I make sure everything is completely anonymous – NEVER lashon hara.
And the moral of the story is...
Please listen when someone is trying to tell you something! Read their emails in full and digest what they have to say. Take their calls and speak without arguing. Listen to what's being said, mull it over and then respond. No yelling, accusing or talking over the other person. And always return their phone calls. If they're calling, they obviously have something important to tell you.
Even if you don't think that what they have to say is important...most likely what they're trying to tell you is very important.
Even if you don't think what they'll tell you will change your mind...you just might be surprised with what they have to say, especially when they know exactly what the situation is and you are coming in as an outsider.
Try not to react (or overreact) to a situation without full knowledge of what's going on.
Always ask why! (Why did I send the document to X's email? Because X's mom said I should when I asked her. Why did I post the document to the website? Because I wanted the cousins to be able to see it. Why did I go looking for it in the first place? Because the cousins asked me to.) The answers might just explain the entire situation and make you go "Oh, ok! Nevermind, then."
Don't make judgments about people you don't know.
And, most importantly, don't ever speak lashon hara about anyone else. Even if if you think you're telling the truth, it still could be a lie. When in doubt, ask a rabbi and have the rabbi speak to the other party as well to get the full picture of the situation. If the rabbi only gets it from one ear, then he'll have a biased opinion and answer.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Thank You
Thanks to all of the commenters for supporting me. That's why I have this blog, for support. Writing in a private journal is one thing, but a private journal can't give you a hug and tell you that you're right for feeling this way and that others are really being unrealistic and irrational. I've had requests from the previous parties mentioned to stop posting about the family, but I cannot and will not withhold my feelings from supportive parties. Yes, I get great support from my mom and my husband, but I need friend support as well, especially when things get really rough around here. I made a point not to use names or even to disclose what side of the family is causing this. Could be anyone, really! Could be first cousins, second cousins, or third cousins even! But I will not let anyone else tell me what to do or how to run my life. When I was told "get rid of your nanny," I put my foot down and said no. When I was told "get rid of that document," I acquiesced even though it was pointless, just to make them stop badgering me. (Didn't work...still got badgered!) When I'm told "stop posting about the family," I say don't read my blog if you don't want to know how I'm feeling. You don't read and absorb my emails, so why bother reading my blog? The point didn't get across in either way...
Anyways, I appreciate so very much the support from you guys but I would appreciate no name calling of my family in your comments. As angry as I am at them and especially knowing that they do read my blog, I can imagine it would really hurt their feelings to see some of the things you guys have called them. Thanks a million! The comments are like virtual hugs, and I need a lot of them right now.
The plus side is that all of this stress is causing me to lose weight...over 2 lbs in the last few days!
Anyways, I appreciate so very much the support from you guys but I would appreciate no name calling of my family in your comments. As angry as I am at them and especially knowing that they do read my blog, I can imagine it would really hurt their feelings to see some of the things you guys have called them. Thanks a million! The comments are like virtual hugs, and I need a lot of them right now.
The plus side is that all of this stress is causing me to lose weight...over 2 lbs in the last few days!
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
The Hate Spreads...
Imagine my surprise when I get a call from the cousin's father...chewing me out. Complaining that I had found and posted this document. I explained to him that it was private, and he finally got it. Apparently X and X's mom BOTH think that I posted it on a public domain, expressed that to him and GAVE HIM MY FLIPPING PHONE NUMBER to appeal to me! Nevermind the fact that I took the document down last night... I've been sitting here fighting back tears/crying since he called. I have never been so embarrassed in my entire life. And all because X refused to read and understand my emails. So now I'm basically the black sheep of the family, except to the cousins who think I'm G-d himself (herself?). But at least he listened to what I had to say and said he would pass on the message to X and her mom, since they obviously won't listen to me. And by the end of our conversation he understood why I did what I did and how it wasn't as catastrophic as X made it out to be...although apparently I've now "created a maelstrom" in the family, to use his own words. What a disaster. I seriously want to crawl into my room and not come out for a month...
Family Feud - Take Two
Just when I thought things were all back to happy and normal, once again I'm treated like the problem child...
I love to do genealogy, and my family tree is quite large (with a few famous cousins, I might add). I work on a specific website where you can link up with other trees and such. I invited several of my closer family members to the website so they could help me build, one of them being the person who isn't happy with me lately. For simplicity and anonymity sake, let's call her X.
A few days ago I linked up with some cousins on X's side of the family. These cousins and I have been emailing back and forth about a specific person on that side of the family (long since deceased) who they wanted more information on. I didn't readily have the information, but I'm very good at this kind of research and within the hour I had found a pretty incredible document which basically filled in the missing pieces. I was so excited about it that I called up X's mom and told her about it. She then told me I should email it to X. BIG MISTAKE! I also uploaded the document onto my genealogy website, but I did this privately, so that only family members with accounts on this website could see it. Keep in mind that I found this document on a public website within a half hour...
I get an email from the cousins practically kissing my feet. They were thanking me up, down and sideways about how amazing I am and how they're so happy we're connecting the cousins again, etc. etc. I felt all proud of myself that I had helped out the family so much.
Then I get an email from X, basically telling me that the document I found should never have been found, it's offensive and could ruin my life and my children's lives...and therefore I need to immediately remove it from the genealogy website and stop nosing around about this deceased person. I emailed back saying I was sorry I had offended her, but that I was just helping these cousins and that I wasn't nosing around any more. I found what they wanted and that was it. I also informed X that the document I uploaded was completely private and could not be found by anyone without having been invited by me to see it. Her response? Just remove it...and do it cuz the rabbis said so. She either hadn't read my email or had completely ignored what I had written. I removed it not because she asked, because removing it was completely useless if she's worried about people finding it, but just because I didn't want her emailing me complaining about it - and she did thank me for taking it down. I then proceeded to block her on the genealogy website so that maybe now she'll understand the meaning of private. Maybe when she realizes she can't see anyone's information in my family she'll get it... Now she can't edit any of the profiles that I manage, but unfortunately it also means I can't edit any of the profiles that she manages. Luckily I had already done my research on them and probably won't need to edit them.
Anyway, the whole thing was just completely ridiculous. The way she reacted to this document was so out of line. Yes, it had some disturbing information in it, and I can understand how it would have upset her, but so far she's the only person that's reacted at this level. Anyone who says their family doesn't have at least one skeleton in the closet is lying or in denial. And seriously, outside of the family who cares what happened to someone over 50 years ago that's not even a direct ancestor??? The cousins had no problem with it. They accepted it and moved on, saying they were going to say kaddish for him (that's a prayer for the deceased person's soul) and would dedicate a memorial plaque in their synagogue for him as well. They also want to try to find his grave so they can pay their respects directly.
So now I'm back to square one. I cancelled my special phone plan so that I could call X (and so that she could call us for free). She never used it to call before now, so it was really pointless in the first place, but that's beside the point. It's just so sad because this is a person I was willing to do anything to help get pregnant. I was willing to do a special IVF cycle and donate my own embryos to her, but the rabbi said it wasn't allowed. But now I'm wondering why I put in the effort.
If she's acting this way because she's jealous that I have children and she may never have children, I totally get that 100%. It's how I would feel in her situation. I'll tell you a little story to prove that, too. Back before I had the twins one of my good friends got pregnant with her 4th baby. I was so jealous that I was seeing green! I stopped going to her house on Shabbos, didn't call, didn't visit, etc. I just couldn't face her because I was so jealous that she could get pregnant so easily and I couldn't. I was afraid I'd say something or act inappropriately because of that jealousy. And I knew if I did go to see her and saw her big belly, I would go home and cry about it, bemoaning my childlessness. When she had the baby, I brought over dinner for them and met the little cutie. I even held her for a bit. Doing that started to chip away at the jealousy, although I was still pretty green. A few months later is when I got pregnant with the twins and no longer had anything to be jealous of. I was an awful friend to her during her pregnancy by being absent, but hopefully I've made up for it over the past 2 1/2 years.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that I understand if she's jealous but would rather her be completely absent with no communication rather than have animosity thrown at me when I try to be helpful. It's sad, because she always used to tell me how much she loves my kids and how much she misses them, but by alienating me she's risking her relationship with them! It's not like I'm going to fly my family halfway across the world to see her (it's crazy expensive anyway). And if she's reading this, I hope she realizes just how sad this whole mess has made me, but if I get stressed out and insomniac every time she emails me, I don't know what else to do.
(If you've read this whole post, I'm very impressed!)
I love to do genealogy, and my family tree is quite large (with a few famous cousins, I might add). I work on a specific website where you can link up with other trees and such. I invited several of my closer family members to the website so they could help me build, one of them being the person who isn't happy with me lately. For simplicity and anonymity sake, let's call her X.
A few days ago I linked up with some cousins on X's side of the family. These cousins and I have been emailing back and forth about a specific person on that side of the family (long since deceased) who they wanted more information on. I didn't readily have the information, but I'm very good at this kind of research and within the hour I had found a pretty incredible document which basically filled in the missing pieces. I was so excited about it that I called up X's mom and told her about it. She then told me I should email it to X. BIG MISTAKE! I also uploaded the document onto my genealogy website, but I did this privately, so that only family members with accounts on this website could see it. Keep in mind that I found this document on a public website within a half hour...
I get an email from the cousins practically kissing my feet. They were thanking me up, down and sideways about how amazing I am and how they're so happy we're connecting the cousins again, etc. etc. I felt all proud of myself that I had helped out the family so much.
Then I get an email from X, basically telling me that the document I found should never have been found, it's offensive and could ruin my life and my children's lives...and therefore I need to immediately remove it from the genealogy website and stop nosing around about this deceased person. I emailed back saying I was sorry I had offended her, but that I was just helping these cousins and that I wasn't nosing around any more. I found what they wanted and that was it. I also informed X that the document I uploaded was completely private and could not be found by anyone without having been invited by me to see it. Her response? Just remove it...and do it cuz the rabbis said so. She either hadn't read my email or had completely ignored what I had written. I removed it not because she asked, because removing it was completely useless if she's worried about people finding it, but just because I didn't want her emailing me complaining about it - and she did thank me for taking it down. I then proceeded to block her on the genealogy website so that maybe now she'll understand the meaning of private. Maybe when she realizes she can't see anyone's information in my family she'll get it... Now she can't edit any of the profiles that I manage, but unfortunately it also means I can't edit any of the profiles that she manages. Luckily I had already done my research on them and probably won't need to edit them.
Anyway, the whole thing was just completely ridiculous. The way she reacted to this document was so out of line. Yes, it had some disturbing information in it, and I can understand how it would have upset her, but so far she's the only person that's reacted at this level. Anyone who says their family doesn't have at least one skeleton in the closet is lying or in denial. And seriously, outside of the family who cares what happened to someone over 50 years ago that's not even a direct ancestor??? The cousins had no problem with it. They accepted it and moved on, saying they were going to say kaddish for him (that's a prayer for the deceased person's soul) and would dedicate a memorial plaque in their synagogue for him as well. They also want to try to find his grave so they can pay their respects directly.
So now I'm back to square one. I cancelled my special phone plan so that I could call X (and so that she could call us for free). She never used it to call before now, so it was really pointless in the first place, but that's beside the point. It's just so sad because this is a person I was willing to do anything to help get pregnant. I was willing to do a special IVF cycle and donate my own embryos to her, but the rabbi said it wasn't allowed. But now I'm wondering why I put in the effort.
If she's acting this way because she's jealous that I have children and she may never have children, I totally get that 100%. It's how I would feel in her situation. I'll tell you a little story to prove that, too. Back before I had the twins one of my good friends got pregnant with her 4th baby. I was so jealous that I was seeing green! I stopped going to her house on Shabbos, didn't call, didn't visit, etc. I just couldn't face her because I was so jealous that she could get pregnant so easily and I couldn't. I was afraid I'd say something or act inappropriately because of that jealousy. And I knew if I did go to see her and saw her big belly, I would go home and cry about it, bemoaning my childlessness. When she had the baby, I brought over dinner for them and met the little cutie. I even held her for a bit. Doing that started to chip away at the jealousy, although I was still pretty green. A few months later is when I got pregnant with the twins and no longer had anything to be jealous of. I was an awful friend to her during her pregnancy by being absent, but hopefully I've made up for it over the past 2 1/2 years.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that I understand if she's jealous but would rather her be completely absent with no communication rather than have animosity thrown at me when I try to be helpful. It's sad, because she always used to tell me how much she loves my kids and how much she misses them, but by alienating me she's risking her relationship with them! It's not like I'm going to fly my family halfway across the world to see her (it's crazy expensive anyway). And if she's reading this, I hope she realizes just how sad this whole mess has made me, but if I get stressed out and insomniac every time she emails me, I don't know what else to do.
(If you've read this whole post, I'm very impressed!)
Friday, May 20, 2011
Quick Post
I just wanted to post something really quickly before Shabbos. According to one of the family members involved, no one is angry with me. Now, no one has called me since this all went down, but she relayed a message to me that basically said that she hoped I wasn't angry with anyone and that no one on her end was angry with me and it would be a shame for me to be upset. I have no reason not to believe her, but I think I'd feel a bit better if she'd call me like she used to.
In any case, nothing about the day care situation was mentioned, so I'm hoping that they've moved past it. I guess only time will tell. Have a Gut Shabbos!
In any case, nothing about the day care situation was mentioned, so I'm hoping that they've moved past it. I guess only time will tell. Have a Gut Shabbos!
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Early Intervention Update Et Al
First of all, I want to correct whoever commented about *my* parents causing the disturbance. My mother is 100% supportive of me in this particular situation, and if my dad was still with us I'm sure he would be too. Just wanted to clear that up so no one thinks bad of my mom. She's awesome. :-)
Secondly, I still can't get through to the parties involved and I'm beginning to think now that it's actually an underlying problem with *me* - which is causing them to look for things that I'm doing wrong. For example...complaint #1 is I'm lazy and won't take care of my own kids. Lazy, eh? How have I gotten A's in every class I've taken over the last year? Has anyone else in this house gone grocery shopping without me in a year? (Excluding the hubs going a few times for a singular forgotten item, but I don't think he's done the full load in a while.) Who's been taking care of the baby? Am I allowed to have a few minutes on the computer to do something relaxing (like genealogy)? The rest of the time on the computer I'm generally doing reviews (which is better than getting paid because it's not taxable). And I don't consider going to school in order to become a nurse laziness. It just hurt my feelings so badly to have someone think I don't want to spend time with my kids. I'd love to have the time to do that! But I'm not the kind of person who can watch kids all day... Honestly, it's not what's best for them because I'd go stir crazy and there's no way they would make any progress in their development. And it surely wouldn't cover the amount of money I'll need to be saving in order for them to go to private Jewish day school when they're ready. But going to nursing school will (IY"H) be able to provide that once I graduate.
And finally, what you've been waiting for, is their Early Intervention update...which further proves that I know perfectly well what's best for my kids (ie being with Malka all day and not me). :-)
Early intervention tests the kids in several different areas: fine motor, cognition, expressive language, receptive language, social/emotional skills, feeding, toileting, dressing/hygiene, and gross motor. (Feeding, toileting, and dressing/hygiene scores are later combined to form the "self care" category.)
Here is how the twins progressed from last May to this May. Their first evaluation was 5/14/10 (13 mos old), second evaluation was 11/12/10 (19 mos old) and their final evaluation was 5/12/11 (25 mos old). At 13 months they needed to be at least 3 months delayed (so less than or equal to 10 months), at 19 mos they needed to be at least 5 months delayed (so less than or equal to 14 mos), and at 25 mos they needed to be at least 7 months delayed (so less than or equal to 18 mos).
Fine Motor Skills
Dovid - 8 mos -> 15 mos -> 23 mos
Chana - 10 mos -> 17 mos -> 22 mos
Cognition
Dovid - 10 mos -> 15 mos -> 21 mos
Chana - 12 mos -> 17 mos -> 23 mos
Expressive Language
Dovid - 7 mos -> 15 mos -> 27 mos
Chana - 12 mos -> 18 mos -> 29 mos
Receptive Language
Dovid - 10 mos -> 16 mos -> 23 mos
Chana - 10 mos -> 17 mos -> 23 mos
Social/Emotional Skills
Dovid - 8 mos -> 21 mos -> 31 mos
Chana - 10 mos -> 21 mos -> 34 mos
Feeding
Dovid - 10 mos -> 12 mos -> 19 mos
Chana - 11 mos -> 14 mos -> 19 mos
Toileting
Dovid - 11 mos -> 11 mos -> 23 mos
Chana - 11 mos -> 11 mos -> 23 mos
Dressing/Hygiene
Dovid - 11 mos -> 15 mos -> 31 mos
Chana - 12 mos -> 17 mos -> 31 mos
Average Self Care
Dovid - 11 mos -> 13 mos -> 24 mos
Chana - 11 mos -> 14 mos -> 24 mos
Gross Motor
Dovid - 13 mos -> 19 mos -> 27 mos
Chana - 13 mos -> 18 mos -> 30 mos
As you can see, the areas that needed the most work have improved so drastically that it amazes me. In many areas they are now above age level, and many times they gained 7+ months of development in 6 months time. (For a note, we did not start working on self care until after the second evaluation, which is why there was little improvement there between the first two evaluations. Also, the twins did not begin with Malka until August of 2010, so she only had them for 3 out of the first 6 months of Early Intervention.)
My son, who was so desperately far behind in expressive language last year is now at a higher level than his age! He also gained two years of social/emotional development in one year and is now well above his age in that skill. Chana has the social/emotional skills of someone nearly a year older and also developed two years in one. I attribute that social/emotional success to having the chance to be around other kids in day care. But the other skills, expressive language most obviously, came from having excellent child care from someone who obviously knows what she's doing. Thank you, Malka, for teaching my Twinners how to talk! Every time they call me Mommy or beg for "Up! Up! Up!" I think of how they were completely silent until they started with you. (No offense at all to Ziva, who was amazing, too! The twins ask for you by name now!)
Secondly, I still can't get through to the parties involved and I'm beginning to think now that it's actually an underlying problem with *me* - which is causing them to look for things that I'm doing wrong. For example...complaint #1 is I'm lazy and won't take care of my own kids. Lazy, eh? How have I gotten A's in every class I've taken over the last year? Has anyone else in this house gone grocery shopping without me in a year? (Excluding the hubs going a few times for a singular forgotten item, but I don't think he's done the full load in a while.) Who's been taking care of the baby? Am I allowed to have a few minutes on the computer to do something relaxing (like genealogy)? The rest of the time on the computer I'm generally doing reviews (which is better than getting paid because it's not taxable). And I don't consider going to school in order to become a nurse laziness. It just hurt my feelings so badly to have someone think I don't want to spend time with my kids. I'd love to have the time to do that! But I'm not the kind of person who can watch kids all day... Honestly, it's not what's best for them because I'd go stir crazy and there's no way they would make any progress in their development. And it surely wouldn't cover the amount of money I'll need to be saving in order for them to go to private Jewish day school when they're ready. But going to nursing school will (IY"H) be able to provide that once I graduate.
And finally, what you've been waiting for, is their Early Intervention update...which further proves that I know perfectly well what's best for my kids (ie being with Malka all day and not me). :-)
Early intervention tests the kids in several different areas: fine motor, cognition, expressive language, receptive language, social/emotional skills, feeding, toileting, dressing/hygiene, and gross motor. (Feeding, toileting, and dressing/hygiene scores are later combined to form the "self care" category.)
Here is how the twins progressed from last May to this May. Their first evaluation was 5/14/10 (13 mos old), second evaluation was 11/12/10 (19 mos old) and their final evaluation was 5/12/11 (25 mos old). At 13 months they needed to be at least 3 months delayed (so less than or equal to 10 months), at 19 mos they needed to be at least 5 months delayed (so less than or equal to 14 mos), and at 25 mos they needed to be at least 7 months delayed (so less than or equal to 18 mos).
Fine Motor Skills
Dovid - 8 mos -> 15 mos -> 23 mos
Chana - 10 mos -> 17 mos -> 22 mos
Cognition
Dovid - 10 mos -> 15 mos -> 21 mos
Chana - 12 mos -> 17 mos -> 23 mos
Expressive Language
Dovid - 7 mos -> 15 mos -> 27 mos
Chana - 12 mos -> 18 mos -> 29 mos
Receptive Language
Dovid - 10 mos -> 16 mos -> 23 mos
Chana - 10 mos -> 17 mos -> 23 mos
Social/Emotional Skills
Dovid - 8 mos -> 21 mos -> 31 mos
Chana - 10 mos -> 21 mos -> 34 mos
Feeding
Dovid - 10 mos -> 12 mos -> 19 mos
Chana - 11 mos -> 14 mos -> 19 mos
Toileting
Dovid - 11 mos -> 11 mos -> 23 mos
Chana - 11 mos -> 11 mos -> 23 mos
Dressing/Hygiene
Dovid - 11 mos -> 15 mos -> 31 mos
Chana - 12 mos -> 17 mos -> 31 mos
Average Self Care
Dovid - 11 mos -> 13 mos -> 24 mos
Chana - 11 mos -> 14 mos -> 24 mos
Gross Motor
Dovid - 13 mos -> 19 mos -> 27 mos
Chana - 13 mos -> 18 mos -> 30 mos
As you can see, the areas that needed the most work have improved so drastically that it amazes me. In many areas they are now above age level, and many times they gained 7+ months of development in 6 months time. (For a note, we did not start working on self care until after the second evaluation, which is why there was little improvement there between the first two evaluations. Also, the twins did not begin with Malka until August of 2010, so she only had them for 3 out of the first 6 months of Early Intervention.)
My son, who was so desperately far behind in expressive language last year is now at a higher level than his age! He also gained two years of social/emotional development in one year and is now well above his age in that skill. Chana has the social/emotional skills of someone nearly a year older and also developed two years in one. I attribute that social/emotional success to having the chance to be around other kids in day care. But the other skills, expressive language most obviously, came from having excellent child care from someone who obviously knows what she's doing. Thank you, Malka, for teaching my Twinners how to talk! Every time they call me Mommy or beg for "Up! Up! Up!" I think of how they were completely silent until they started with you. (No offense at all to Ziva, who was amazing, too! The twins ask for you by name now!)
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Really Depressed
I'm really depressed about something that's been happening lately, and even though I know the people involved read my blog, I just need the support right now regardless.
First of all, the woman who takes care of the twins on a daily basis is one of my best friends. I love her to pieces because we are so similar, so it's almost as though she's an extension of myself. When something good happens to her, I'm as excited as if it were my own happiness. And when something bad happens, it's as if it happened to me as well. But here's the problem... For some reason some family members got a bad impression of her during a visit to us, and they want me to stop using her as my "day care". At the moment she is doing this "day care" out of my home and also watches 1-2 other kids during the day along with the twins. In Massachusetts there is no problem with this and it's really like having play dates over rather than a true day care. (Actual day care is defined in Massachusetts law as 6 or more children.) These kids' families are also friends of ours, so it's not like she's taking care of strangers. These family members became concerned that we're liable if anything should happen to any of these children (or the "babysitter") since day care is held at our house. This idea is preposterous to me, since we are all friends and would you ever sue a friend because a kid fell down and got hurt at their house? Of course not! Kids are kids and they get hurt. When Dovid hit his chin and needed to go to the hospital, did I blame anyone? Of course not! He's a toddler and he's going to injure himself. And the babysitter is a grown woman. She can take care of herself and would never blame me for her own injuries - unless the ceiling caved in.
Updated to add: I just checked my homeowner's policy, and I'm covered for $300,000 for personal liability (per occurrence) and $1000 of medical payments to others (per person), should something happen in my home. But in Massachusetts, everyone is required to have medical insurance so that $1000 really doesn't matter.
Anyway, I think you have the picture. I'm completely distraught over this because I love my best friend and I love these family members as well. I don't want anyone's feelings to get hurt, and I certainly don't want to put my best friend out of a job for no reason. I think she does a fantastic job with my kids, and in one of my next posts I'll tell you about the twins' early intervention assessment from last week. In an nutshell, they've made so much progress over the last 6 months that they no longer qualify! I attribute almost all of that progress to my friend's amazing teaching skills. Why would I want to give that up and lose a perfectly wonderful friendship to boot? But on the other hand, I don't want to lose this family either. Without their support, I don't know what Shmuel and I would do. I've been crying about this, and my stomach has been in knots for days. It's just too much stress for me, and I don't know how to handle it. Someone please wake me up from this nightmare!
First of all, the woman who takes care of the twins on a daily basis is one of my best friends. I love her to pieces because we are so similar, so it's almost as though she's an extension of myself. When something good happens to her, I'm as excited as if it were my own happiness. And when something bad happens, it's as if it happened to me as well. But here's the problem... For some reason some family members got a bad impression of her during a visit to us, and they want me to stop using her as my "day care". At the moment she is doing this "day care" out of my home and also watches 1-2 other kids during the day along with the twins. In Massachusetts there is no problem with this and it's really like having play dates over rather than a true day care. (Actual day care is defined in Massachusetts law as 6 or more children.) These kids' families are also friends of ours, so it's not like she's taking care of strangers. These family members became concerned that we're liable if anything should happen to any of these children (or the "babysitter") since day care is held at our house. This idea is preposterous to me, since we are all friends and would you ever sue a friend because a kid fell down and got hurt at their house? Of course not! Kids are kids and they get hurt. When Dovid hit his chin and needed to go to the hospital, did I blame anyone? Of course not! He's a toddler and he's going to injure himself. And the babysitter is a grown woman. She can take care of herself and would never blame me for her own injuries - unless the ceiling caved in.
Updated to add: I just checked my homeowner's policy, and I'm covered for $300,000 for personal liability (per occurrence) and $1000 of medical payments to others (per person), should something happen in my home. But in Massachusetts, everyone is required to have medical insurance so that $1000 really doesn't matter.
Anyway, I think you have the picture. I'm completely distraught over this because I love my best friend and I love these family members as well. I don't want anyone's feelings to get hurt, and I certainly don't want to put my best friend out of a job for no reason. I think she does a fantastic job with my kids, and in one of my next posts I'll tell you about the twins' early intervention assessment from last week. In an nutshell, they've made so much progress over the last 6 months that they no longer qualify! I attribute almost all of that progress to my friend's amazing teaching skills. Why would I want to give that up and lose a perfectly wonderful friendship to boot? But on the other hand, I don't want to lose this family either. Without their support, I don't know what Shmuel and I would do. I've been crying about this, and my stomach has been in knots for days. It's just too much stress for me, and I don't know how to handle it. Someone please wake me up from this nightmare!
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Cuteness of the Day
First of all, Tzipora rolled over two more times over Shabbos, so now we know that her first time wasn't a fluke. :-) She's getting much better at tummy time, and doesn't cry as much as she used to.
Now for the super cuteness. Dovid is getting so much better at speaking and even uses full sentences. But who knew that he was bi-lingual!? He sneezed this evening and afterwards said "gesuntheit" without prompting. LOL I always say "gesuntheit" instead of bless you, so it's not like he's never heard the phrase before...I just never realized he had learned it. Yay Dovid!
The twins have their next Early Intervention assessment on Thursday, and I don't know if they're going to qualify for another six months. They've made such amazing progress in everything! I'll make sure to let you know.
Now, for the *real* news. If you've read this far, you get a nice "surprise." Now get your minds out of the pregnancy sphere...I am *not* pregnant...not even a little bit. But I am OFFICIALLY ACCEPTED INTO NURSING SCHOOL!!! Yay! :-D
Now for the super cuteness. Dovid is getting so much better at speaking and even uses full sentences. But who knew that he was bi-lingual!? He sneezed this evening and afterwards said "gesuntheit" without prompting. LOL I always say "gesuntheit" instead of bless you, so it's not like he's never heard the phrase before...I just never realized he had learned it. Yay Dovid!
The twins have their next Early Intervention assessment on Thursday, and I don't know if they're going to qualify for another six months. They've made such amazing progress in everything! I'll make sure to let you know.
Now, for the *real* news. If you've read this far, you get a nice "surprise." Now get your minds out of the pregnancy sphere...I am *not* pregnant...not even a little bit. But I am OFFICIALLY ACCEPTED INTO NURSING SCHOOL!!! Yay! :-D
Monday, May 2, 2011
She Did It!
My little baby rolled over during tummy time on Shabbos! I had put her on her stomach and stood there. Within a few minutes, she had flipped herself over. When I put her back on her stomach, she didn't repeat the feat, but at least now I know she can do it. What a big girl! And she's also getting much better at holding her head up during tummy time.
As for her weight gain, I've been weighing her before and after feeds, and so far she's averaging about 2 oz per feed (excluding the first two feeds of the day which are much larger). Today she took about 21.5 oz total! So that's pretty good. She also seems to be gaining. At the doctor's office on Thursday she was 10lbs 6oz and today she's about 10lbs 9oz. So that's fantastic, and exactly what we were hoping for. I'm planning to start a medication to boost my milk supply and to drink lots of Milk Maid Tea, and hopefully that will make me nice and full so she can get bigger feeds. Yay!
As for her weight gain, I've been weighing her before and after feeds, and so far she's averaging about 2 oz per feed (excluding the first two feeds of the day which are much larger). Today she took about 21.5 oz total! So that's pretty good. She also seems to be gaining. At the doctor's office on Thursday she was 10lbs 6oz and today she's about 10lbs 9oz. So that's fantastic, and exactly what we were hoping for. I'm planning to start a medication to boost my milk supply and to drink lots of Milk Maid Tea, and hopefully that will make me nice and full so she can get bigger feeds. Yay!
Thursday, April 28, 2011
So Busy!!
I'm sorry I haven't posted an update in a while, but Passover just sort of took over my entire month of April, and the semester isn't finished yet for school. I've missed so many classes - when I was sick, Passover, and then yesterday because my car battery died. (Seriously...not the best time for that to happen! But at least all it took was a jump and we were back in business.)
Anyway, half of my husband's immediate family stayed with us over Passover, and everyone had a great time. The twins went wild over "Auntie Beh" and "Uncle Joe" (aka "ABehBeh" and "AJoeJoe"). There was a lot of laughing and even some potty success! I bought the twins some cloth training pants, and hopefully they'll come in the mail soon. I just want to get them out of diapers already! Sure, they're young, but there's two of them and Tzipora. I'm getting sick of diapers. lol
I've discovered that Tzipora really isn't gaining weight - she's still at 10 1/2 lbs. I think maybe it's because she cut out an overnight feed and goes 10+ hours without crying or waking us up. She'd go even longer, but I have my alarm set for 7:45am so I can be on time to class and such. She just lays there and sucks on her fingers, so we have no idea that she's even awake. I'm going to be a lot more strict about waking her up at 5am for a feed and I'm not going to let her sit and nurse for an hour at a time during the day, because for the vast majority of that time she's basically sleep sucking and not getting any milk. I'm going to poke at her so she drinks quickly and I can get in more feeds during the day. Any expert breastfeeders out there with ideas on getting her to eat more and quickly? Cuz even though I might spend 4 hours per day with her on the breast, her weight is completely stagnant...
Anyway, half of my husband's immediate family stayed with us over Passover, and everyone had a great time. The twins went wild over "Auntie Beh" and "Uncle Joe" (aka "ABehBeh" and "AJoeJoe"). There was a lot of laughing and even some potty success! I bought the twins some cloth training pants, and hopefully they'll come in the mail soon. I just want to get them out of diapers already! Sure, they're young, but there's two of them and Tzipora. I'm getting sick of diapers. lol
I've discovered that Tzipora really isn't gaining weight - she's still at 10 1/2 lbs. I think maybe it's because she cut out an overnight feed and goes 10+ hours without crying or waking us up. She'd go even longer, but I have my alarm set for 7:45am so I can be on time to class and such. She just lays there and sucks on her fingers, so we have no idea that she's even awake. I'm going to be a lot more strict about waking her up at 5am for a feed and I'm not going to let her sit and nurse for an hour at a time during the day, because for the vast majority of that time she's basically sleep sucking and not getting any milk. I'm going to poke at her so she drinks quickly and I can get in more feeds during the day. Any expert breastfeeders out there with ideas on getting her to eat more and quickly? Cuz even though I might spend 4 hours per day with her on the breast, her weight is completely stagnant...
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Why I Walk My Dog
Post contributed by Josue Durham
I love walking my dog each and every day, since it is so important that I do. By walking my dog he gets the exercise that he needs, and since he is a golden doodle he needs a lot of exercise by nature. He has a lot of energy and loves to play, and walking him right before dinner is a great way to get him to settle down a lot at the end of the night. Although it is nice to be able to walk him at night, sometimes it is dark when I come home, and this is why I set my home security alarm from securitychoice.com before I leave the house. If you have a dog, especially a large breed dog like a golden doodle then you are going to want to make sure that you walk your dog everyday, so that he or she c! an get the exercise that they need to stay strong and live healthy. There are many different places in most communities that you can walk dogs if you don't live in an area that suits walking your dog. Make your dog the best they can be and make sure that you take care of them.
I love walking my dog each and every day, since it is so important that I do. By walking my dog he gets the exercise that he needs, and since he is a golden doodle he needs a lot of exercise by nature. He has a lot of energy and loves to play, and walking him right before dinner is a great way to get him to settle down a lot at the end of the night. Although it is nice to be able to walk him at night, sometimes it is dark when I come home, and this is why I set my home security alarm from securitychoice.com before I leave the house. If you have a dog, especially a large breed dog like a golden doodle then you are going to want to make sure that you walk your dog everyday, so that he or she c! an get the exercise that they need to stay strong and live healthy. There are many different places in most communities that you can walk dogs if you don't live in an area that suits walking your dog. Make your dog the best they can be and make sure that you take care of them.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
I Need a Vacation!
BlogHer this year is in sunny San Diego! I've never been to California, myself, but I hear it's gorgeous. It's the weekend right before my birthday, too, so what a way to celebrate! I would give anything to go to the BlogHer conference this year, but it's crazy expensive and I would need someone to sponsor me. But I don't think there's any chance Shmuel would let me fly cross-country with the baby by myself for a weekend. :-( *sigh*
Is anyone else out there planning to go to BlogHer? It's too bad I didn't go to last year's conference, which was in New York City. That would've been super easy for me to get to! Maybe they'll decide to hold it in Boston next year... :-) That would be super amazing!!! But I do really need a vacation... We were supposed to go to Israel for Ziva's wedding, but my school vacation didn't coincide with her wedding date. I'd love to get down to Florida to go to Disney World and Universal Studios, but I don't think Shmuel is up for a big trip with all of the kids. That's why it would be SOOO AMAZING if I could go to BlogHer. Shmuel would stay with the twins at home, and I would take the baby for some bloggy fun in San Diego. We might even be able to sneak in a trip to the San Diego Zoo! I love animals. :-)
Any of you guys ever been to (or live on) the west coast?
Is anyone else out there planning to go to BlogHer? It's too bad I didn't go to last year's conference, which was in New York City. That would've been super easy for me to get to! Maybe they'll decide to hold it in Boston next year... :-) That would be super amazing!!! But I do really need a vacation... We were supposed to go to Israel for Ziva's wedding, but my school vacation didn't coincide with her wedding date. I'd love to get down to Florida to go to Disney World and Universal Studios, but I don't think Shmuel is up for a big trip with all of the kids. That's why it would be SOOO AMAZING if I could go to BlogHer. Shmuel would stay with the twins at home, and I would take the baby for some bloggy fun in San Diego. We might even be able to sneak in a trip to the San Diego Zoo! I love animals. :-)
Any of you guys ever been to (or live on) the west coast?
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Bath Time...Need Help!!
The twins *hate* bath time. They know when it's coming, and Dovid will cry himself into throwing up every.single.time. I am completely stumped as to why they hate taking baths! I've tried getting into the bath with them with no water...and Dovid puked all over me. I tried showing them how much fun splashing is...no dice. I need some serious help here, otherwise my kids are going to be the dirtiest ones around. It's totally gross!! Please help me!!!!!
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Random Cuteness
The twins were just being themselves, and I wanted to capture it on video. Dovid decided he wanted to clean, and Chana wanted to go outside. :-) Enjoy!
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Lots of Ramblings
So many things going through my head at once! Here's everything that's going on in no particular order:
- Chana is starting to talk in full sentences, and it is SO cute!
- Tzipora is smiling a lot more often now, and it's adorable.
- She's also sucking on her fingers just the way I used to as a child. Here's picture proof:
- I just started taping the TV shows I watch using my DVD recorder rather than my VHS, and I LOOOVE it! I blip through commercials super fast and I don't need to rewind. I can even choose if I want to watch Days or Biggest Loser first without rewinding/fast forwarding.
- Dovid fell the other day and got a cut on his chin. Poor dude! We took him to the ER and they used glue on it, but the glue came off within 12 hours. Oh well! At least the cut is healing ok on its own.
- One of my best friends just found out that she's expecting after nearly a decade of unsuccessful trying. I've been dancing around with a grin on my face all day since I found out. Please say a little prayer for her that this is a sticky baby (or babies)!!!!!
- Passover is coming. YIKES! Thank G-d for my mother-in-law who is basically cleaning the house for it.
- I'm really looking forward to having my sister-in-law come to visit starting next week. I hope she decides to stay for a really long visit. :-)
- My Atkins dieting has been going ok, but I'm still not really losing weight particularly quickly. I'll lose a pound, then gain back half a pound...rinse and repeat. It's kind of frustrating that I'm giving up all of my yummy carbs and not seeing the scale encourage me to keep going. *sigh*
- As of tomorrow, I will have breastfed Tzipora for as long as I breastfed the twins...and we're still going strong!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
No More Monkeys Jumping on the Bed!
I'm so sorry I've been neglecting my blog. Life around here is nuts, and I can never really find much to say other than "the twins are adorable and talking up a storm." In any case, tonight they were being exceptionally cute right after dinner, so I made a little video. Sorry it cuts off the end of the ABC's, but my camera ran out of memory card space. *ugh* Enjoy! (P.S. This video is especially for Auntie Beh to persuade her to come visit ASAP!)
Friday, March 18, 2011
Two Years
I have been a mom now for exactly two years. The twins' birthday is today, so they are officially two. It's unreal. I can't believe how big they are. They are truly little people with their own individual personalities. They talk up a storm and know so many words that I can't even update their word pages. They love playing with the baby and were truly born to be older siblings. They amaze and crack me up on a daily basis. I can't even believe that I created these miracles. Happy birthday Twinners! Mommy loves you so much!
Monday, March 7, 2011
Baby Smiles
Tzipora smiled at me on Friday!! A real one, too...not one of these fake infant smiles that are just reflexes. It was the cutest thing, but she hasn't really repeated herself. There are a few times I think she's about to smile, but then she decides not to. lol She's also making more noises. No cooing, per se, but she squeaks, and it's super adorable. We have her two month checkup tomorrow, and she'll probably be getting her immunizations. :-( Poor baby!
The twins are as cute as ever. Chana is chatting up a storm on anything that could possibly be imagined as a phone (everything from a slice of orange to a hairbrush). Both twins are now using both their own names and each others names and it is SOOOO adorable. I love it when Dovid points to Chana and says "Chana" and then points to himself and says "Dovid". Then he points to me and says "Mommy", then points to Shmuel and says "Daddy". I am just so proud of them and the amount of language they now know.
I can't believe that the twins are going to be two in just under two weeks. How time has flown!!! They are getting so big...more like children than babies. And both of them were born to be a big brother and big sister. I bought a baby doll that I'm expecting in the mail on Wednesday, and I can't wait to see how they're going to react to having their own "baby" to play with. I'd better get the video camera all charged up now!
The twins are as cute as ever. Chana is chatting up a storm on anything that could possibly be imagined as a phone (everything from a slice of orange to a hairbrush). Both twins are now using both their own names and each others names and it is SOOOO adorable. I love it when Dovid points to Chana and says "Chana" and then points to himself and says "Dovid". Then he points to me and says "Mommy", then points to Shmuel and says "Daddy". I am just so proud of them and the amount of language they now know.
I can't believe that the twins are going to be two in just under two weeks. How time has flown!!! They are getting so big...more like children than babies. And both of them were born to be a big brother and big sister. I bought a baby doll that I'm expecting in the mail on Wednesday, and I can't wait to see how they're going to react to having their own "baby" to play with. I'd better get the video camera all charged up now!
Sunday, February 27, 2011
The Twinners and the ABCs
The twins are getting better and better at singing the ABCs. Sure, they skip letters (A, B, C, G, H, I, J, P, etc.), but it's super adorable anyway. (They can also count to five...and possibly even to ten, but I didn't catch that on camera.) Anyways, here are my somewhat successful attempts at getting them to sing the ABCs. I'm going to have to keep trying, because I know they can say almost the whole last few lines (Now I know my ABCs...), but it didn't make it on camera. This also documents more of Chana talking on not one but TWO phones (at the same time). It's super adorable. Enjoy!
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Chana and her Cell Phone
The twins received a toy phone as a gift recently, and Chana LOVES it. She will take objects that aren't even meant to be a phone and pretend they are - talking into it and such. She does it even more with this since it's actually supposed to be a phone. I wasn't able to edit the video, but it's a short one. The beginning is her talking on the phone, then she's doing the buckles on her booster seat (another favorite pastime.) The "tick tock" type sound is Tzipora's swing, and you can see her swinging in and out of the picture. Enjoy!
Sunday, February 20, 2011
New Skills!
Yesterday Dovid said his name (and Chana's name) for the first time!!! It was so exciting to hear him call himself by name. And then he called Chana by name, too. He was pointing to everyone in the room and saying their name. SO SUPER AWESOME!!! (Sorry Uncle Ron, yours is no longer the only name he says.) :-)
Edited to add: Chana just started singing along with her LeapFrog My Pal Violet. It's adorable!!! She doesn't really know the words so well, but she's trying and it's the cutest thing ever. And she even said her name while singing along.
Tzipora gave me her first "real" smile today. It was a short smile, but a smile nonetheless. And it wasn't gas, either. She was on the changing table and looking up at me. I smiled at her and she smiled back. Yay!!! She's a happy baby!
Edited to add: Chana just started singing along with her LeapFrog My Pal Violet. It's adorable!!! She doesn't really know the words so well, but she's trying and it's the cutest thing ever. And she even said her name while singing along.
Tzipora gave me her first "real" smile today. It was a short smile, but a smile nonetheless. And it wasn't gas, either. She was on the changing table and looking up at me. I smiled at her and she smiled back. Yay!!! She's a happy baby!
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Holding the Baby
The twins each got to hold Tzipora for the first time tonight. Chana was standing by the baby swing (with Tzipora in it) and looked like she really wanted to hold her, so I asked her if she wanted to. Of course she says "yeah!" So I put Chana in our big, black swivel office chair and handed her the baby. We helped her a little bit with the head, of course. After a few minutes, Tzipora started crying because she was hungry, so I took her back from Chana. Well, Chana then threw a FIT! She wanted to keep holding the baby. (This is in great contrast to the first time my sister held me...) Anyway, I left to feed the baby. When I returned with the baby post-feed, Chana took one look at me and climbed right back into the office chair for another go. It was the cutest thing EVER! Luckily, I was ready for this and grabbed the camera. So here are some pics of Chana & Dovid holding Tzipora. (Please excuse Chana's dirty face...she still had lunch leftovers plastered all over)
Here Chana is saying "hi Doora" and waving at her.
Chana is showing Tzipora where her eyes are and saying "eyes"
Chana was upset because Dovid had been pulling on her feet. That's why she doesn't look happy in this one and the next one. It's not because she wasn't enjoying the baby.
Chana looks all pleased with herself. Meanwhile, Dovid is poking out the babies eyes. Oops! (Really, Dovid wanted it to be his turn and was trying to pick her up.)
I just love the look that Dovid has on his face in these pics. Pure love.
Dovid is rubbing her head in this one
And here Dovid is beeping her nose and saying "beep"
And with that, I wish you all a good night!
Here Chana is saying "hi Doora" and waving at her.
Chana is showing Tzipora where her eyes are and saying "eyes"
Chana was upset because Dovid had been pulling on her feet. That's why she doesn't look happy in this one and the next one. It's not because she wasn't enjoying the baby.
Chana looks all pleased with herself. Meanwhile, Dovid is poking out the babies eyes. Oops! (Really, Dovid wanted it to be his turn and was trying to pick her up.)
I just love the look that Dovid has on his face in these pics. Pure love.
Dovid is rubbing her head in this one
And here Dovid is beeping her nose and saying "beep"
And with that, I wish you all a good night!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Quilts
One of my mom's good friends from grade school (yep, they go back that far) lives in my area and has become one of our good friends as well. She designs and sews quilts, and even made one for me when I was born. (I have it here somewhere and must find it...Mom, if you know where it is, I want to put it up on my wall.) Anyhoo, she made quilts for the twins when they were born which hung over their cribs in the nursery...until they got tall enough that they could pull them down. Now that the twins are in their own room upstairs, we wanted to move the quilts to their new room and put them up where there's no fear of someone pulling them down. Our friend (let's call her M for simplicity sake, since I'm not sure if she minds her full name being on my blog) came over last week to put up the quilts and also deliver a brand new one for the baby. She came up with a fantastic idea of hanging the twins' quilts from the slanted ceiling and successfully accomplished the task! It was rough going, but she's quite creative. Here's a picture of the final product:
Here you can see how she hung it on the wall.
And here is a picture of Tzipora's gorgeous new quilt (and how it's hung on her wall)!
In other news, I got my blood test back and I'm not particularly anemic! My hematocrit was 35.4%, and my hemoglobin was 11 g/dl. (Normal hematocrit for women is 36.1 - 44.3% and normal hemoglobin for women is 12-16 g/dl) So I'm juuuust below normal values, so as long as I eat foods high in iron I should be good to go. Yay!
In other news, I got my blood test back and I'm not particularly anemic! My hematocrit was 35.4%, and my hemoglobin was 11 g/dl. (Normal hematocrit for women is 36.1 - 44.3% and normal hemoglobin for women is 12-16 g/dl) So I'm juuuust below normal values, so as long as I eat foods high in iron I should be good to go. Yay!
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Checkups for Everyone
The baby had her 1 month checkup earlier this week, and I had my 6 week checkup today. The baby weighed 8lbs 15oz and measured 20.75" at her checkup. She gained a little over 2 lbs in just under 4 weeks! That's perfect!!! The pediatrician said that she looks great and is developing right on target.
As for me, my favorite midwife was working tonight (you know, the one who delivered the baby). I was SOOOOO happy, because she doesn't work every Thursday evening, so it's the luck of the draw to come in on her night. Anyways, she told me that everything was healed and looking great. I'm in tip-top condition...except for the fact that I might be anemic. She took a CBC, so we'll find out tomorrow if that's the reason I'm super tired and dizzy. I should also start taking my placenta pills, but especially if I'm anemic.
I have my first test of the semester next Monday, and I'm feeling pretty good that I'll do well on it. I got 100% on my first lab quiz last week, and hopefully I'll do that again on tomorrow's quiz. I just have to study really hard for it. It's on the heart, so I need to make sure I keep my atria and ventricles straight...and all of the little valves and such.
And now, for something funny. I was at Costco the other day, and in one of their main displays they were selling bathing suits. I was like "Bathing suits in this weather? What are they thinking?? We're going to have snow on the ground until September!" LOL Silly Costco.
As for me, my favorite midwife was working tonight (you know, the one who delivered the baby). I was SOOOOO happy, because she doesn't work every Thursday evening, so it's the luck of the draw to come in on her night. Anyways, she told me that everything was healed and looking great. I'm in tip-top condition...except for the fact that I might be anemic. She took a CBC, so we'll find out tomorrow if that's the reason I'm super tired and dizzy. I should also start taking my placenta pills, but especially if I'm anemic.
I have my first test of the semester next Monday, and I'm feeling pretty good that I'll do well on it. I got 100% on my first lab quiz last week, and hopefully I'll do that again on tomorrow's quiz. I just have to study really hard for it. It's on the heart, so I need to make sure I keep my atria and ventricles straight...and all of the little valves and such.
And now, for something funny. I was at Costco the other day, and in one of their main displays they were selling bathing suits. I was like "Bathing suits in this weather? What are they thinking?? We're going to have snow on the ground until September!" LOL Silly Costco.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Getting So Old
No, I'm not getting old...my little baby is! Tzipora is already over a month old. Time has just flown by since she was born, and I can hardly believe that she's already 5 weeks old. Here are some finer points about my little one.
- She has slept 6+ hours at night several times already, and she sleeps best when she's swaddled completely.
- She eats every 2-3 hours during the day. (That's from the end of one feeding to the beginning of the next.)
- She doesn't mind taking her baby multivitamin liquid. In fact, I think she might even like the way it tastes!
- She doesn't mind tummy time and even went 15 minutes straight yesterday. (Although I think she was trying to nap during some of that time, but I kept poking her to wake her up.)
- She's awake more during the day (alert, not crying or eating).
- She REALLY likes to eat and is a fantastic nurser.
- She spits up a lot (especially on Daddy). It makes me sad to see all of that delicious, nutritious breast milk go to waste. *sigh*
- Her GI system seems to be slowing down a bit. (She doesn't have a poo in every single diaper, and this is completely normal and expected for her age.)
- She absolutely loves her swing and her vibrating bouncy seat, and she also loves to be held.
- She doesn't mind being ogled by her big sister and brother, provided they don't poke her eyes out or stop her swing from swinging.
- She has definitely gained weight and grown in length. I'm considering figuring out a way to plop her on my postage scale to see exactly how much she weighs.
- She has more chins than a Chinese phone book. hehe
- Her eyes are a dark blue, and I really hope they stay that way.
- Everyone says she looks like me, except she has my mom's nose. Sometimes she'll give me a look that reminds me of Chana as an infant.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Send Some Love
Please go and send some love to WiseGuy at Woman Anyone?. After six years of trying to get pregnant and enduring four unsuccessful IUIs and one unsuccessful IVF, she amazingly became pregnant naturally on a treatment break cycle. She carried her beautiful little girl for 36 weeks and then delivered via C-Section. The baby passed away just two days after being born, but WiseGuy wasn't told until today, nearly a week later. I am heartbroken over her loss...I can't even express the grief I feel for her. :-(
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
$20 Amazon.com Gift Certificate For 50% Off!
If you ever shop on Amazon.com, you need to take advantage of this deal. TODAY ONLY buy a $20 Amazon.com Gift Card for only $10 at livingsocial!
This is a once-in-a-lifetime deal. Pay just $10 and get a $20 gift card to use at Amazon.com, the largest online retailer. Whether you are looking for something usual, like a book, or unusual, like a Borat-style mankini, you'll find it among the millions of products listed on the site. Or, if you're hankering for something that really stands out, put your 50%-off gift card toward the revolutionary and bestselling Amazon Kindle device. Just be sure to act fast, because deals like this only happen once in a blue moon.
Anyone who takes advantage of this deal can have 5 (FIVE) extra entries into the giveaway of their choice on my Twinners blog. Just click here and comment on the post over there.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime deal. Pay just $10 and get a $20 gift card to use at Amazon.com, the largest online retailer. Whether you are looking for something usual, like a book, or unusual, like a Borat-style mankini, you'll find it among the millions of products listed on the site. Or, if you're hankering for something that really stands out, put your 50%-off gift card toward the revolutionary and bestselling Amazon Kindle device. Just be sure to act fast, because deals like this only happen once in a blue moon.
Anyone who takes advantage of this deal can have 5 (FIVE) extra entries into the giveaway of their choice on my Twinners blog. Just click here and comment on the post over there.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Growing Baby!
We had to reschedule Tzipora's weight check appointment from yesterday because of the snow. Actually, I'm relieved we didn't have to go in at 9:30 in the morning (snow or not) because I try to use the morning to sleep as much as I can. Tzipora is actually a FANTASTIC sleeper and I generally feel well rested, but you can never get too much sleep. ;-)
Breastfeeding is going so well. I am in awe of my body, which fought against me so heartily after the birth of the twins and refused to produce enough milk for one baby (let alone two). This time around I don't even have to think about my milk supply because there's always enough for her, no matter what time of day. And it gives me such satisfaction to see milk dribbling out of the corners of her mouth or to hear her gulping down milk. Tzipora is a champion nurser, too, feeding just about every 2 hours during the day and going for nice, long stretches at night. I do wake her during the day to make sure she's not going too much past the 2 hour mark, because I want to make sure her longest stretches are at night. Her night feeds tend to be sporadic, meaning one night she might only do 3 hour stretches but the next she might go for 6 or 7 hours... There have even been some nights where I've woken up to go to the bathroom and she is still fast asleep! Kinda funny when your newborn can go for longer sleep stretches than you can... :-) I even asked my doula whether or not I should wake her if I get up before she does, and my doula said that as long as the baby is back up to her birth weight then I could let her sleep as long as she wants to (but not past 8 hours). The only problem is when she wants to do a cluster feed between 8pm and 1am. Sure, I don't mind it as much as I would a cluster feed between 1am and 6am, but when school starts up and I need to be up and about before 8am, I'm going to be super tired without my sleep between 10pm and 1am. Honestly, though, I have nothing to complain about. I get enough sleep, even if it's usually interrupted once or twice, and now that Tzipora knows that night = sleep, I'm generally getting restful sleep. (There's a HUGE difference between getting 2 hours in a row and getting 3 hours. It has to do with sleep cycles and REM sleep, but getting 1 or 2 hours of sleep and then being woken up is almost as if you hadn't slept at all.)
The proof is in the pudding, though, as they say... She's two weeks old today, and not only is she back up to her birth weight, but she's well above it!! Last week on Tuesday (so 9 days ago) she was 6 lbs exactly, down 7 ounces from birth but up from her lowest weight which was in the 5's. Today she's now 6 lbs 13 oz!! She gained 13 oz in 9 days. Woo hoo!!
Breastfeeding is going so well. I am in awe of my body, which fought against me so heartily after the birth of the twins and refused to produce enough milk for one baby (let alone two). This time around I don't even have to think about my milk supply because there's always enough for her, no matter what time of day. And it gives me such satisfaction to see milk dribbling out of the corners of her mouth or to hear her gulping down milk. Tzipora is a champion nurser, too, feeding just about every 2 hours during the day and going for nice, long stretches at night. I do wake her during the day to make sure she's not going too much past the 2 hour mark, because I want to make sure her longest stretches are at night. Her night feeds tend to be sporadic, meaning one night she might only do 3 hour stretches but the next she might go for 6 or 7 hours... There have even been some nights where I've woken up to go to the bathroom and she is still fast asleep! Kinda funny when your newborn can go for longer sleep stretches than you can... :-) I even asked my doula whether or not I should wake her if I get up before she does, and my doula said that as long as the baby is back up to her birth weight then I could let her sleep as long as she wants to (but not past 8 hours). The only problem is when she wants to do a cluster feed between 8pm and 1am. Sure, I don't mind it as much as I would a cluster feed between 1am and 6am, but when school starts up and I need to be up and about before 8am, I'm going to be super tired without my sleep between 10pm and 1am. Honestly, though, I have nothing to complain about. I get enough sleep, even if it's usually interrupted once or twice, and now that Tzipora knows that night = sleep, I'm generally getting restful sleep. (There's a HUGE difference between getting 2 hours in a row and getting 3 hours. It has to do with sleep cycles and REM sleep, but getting 1 or 2 hours of sleep and then being woken up is almost as if you hadn't slept at all.)
The proof is in the pudding, though, as they say... She's two weeks old today, and not only is she back up to her birth weight, but she's well above it!! Last week on Tuesday (so 9 days ago) she was 6 lbs exactly, down 7 ounces from birth but up from her lowest weight which was in the 5's. Today she's now 6 lbs 13 oz!! She gained 13 oz in 9 days. Woo hoo!!
Friday, January 7, 2011
Updates
Can you believe that my little baby is already a week old? It's incredible how time flies...
My day in the hospital with her was pretty uneventful. She spent most of the time in my room with a few short stays in the nursery for checkups and so I could get a few hours of sleep. We were discharged on Friday afternoon so we could get home in time for Shabbos...which we did by the skin of our teeth! Our amazing friends have been bringing over meals since then, so I haven't had to cook at all. The most I've done in the kitchen in the last week is cutting up a cantaloupe for the twins and pouring myself a bowl of cereal. lol
The first few days at home were tough since my milk didn't come in until Sunday and she was feeding constantly. Her sleep clock was also completely off, so she was having cluster feeds at night for 4-5 hours straight (like 10am to 3am). At that point I would call in Shmuel to hold her for a little while and try to get her to sleep so I could rest a bit. After two nights of that I decided I needed to do something to regulate her sleep clock. So, I stopped swaddling her during the day and made sure she was feeding every 1-2 hours. That way she would be sleepy and not particularly hungry overnight. Well, it worked! The past two nights she's actually had 5 hour stretches of sleep and she goes back to sleep pretty easily (something she was not doing at all).
During the day I'm trying to wear her in my Moby wrap so she's up a bit and not lonely, since she would cry and I wasn't sure if she was hungry or lonely and I would just feed her. But doing that wasn't practical cuz she would suck for like 5 mins or less and then fall back to sleep... So now we have a system!
As for me, my recovery has gone pretty well. I'm still really sore, so it's hard for me to sit at times, but it's better than it was. I'm just taking it one day at a time and little by little it's healing. I'm feeling great, though, just a bit tired. Thank goodness my mom is here to help out - she can help me with the baby during the day and then help Shmuel with the twins after day care. There's just so much to do with three little ones, and even three adults at times doesn't seem to be enough! lol
I hope everyone had a happy new year!!
My day in the hospital with her was pretty uneventful. She spent most of the time in my room with a few short stays in the nursery for checkups and so I could get a few hours of sleep. We were discharged on Friday afternoon so we could get home in time for Shabbos...which we did by the skin of our teeth! Our amazing friends have been bringing over meals since then, so I haven't had to cook at all. The most I've done in the kitchen in the last week is cutting up a cantaloupe for the twins and pouring myself a bowl of cereal. lol
The first few days at home were tough since my milk didn't come in until Sunday and she was feeding constantly. Her sleep clock was also completely off, so she was having cluster feeds at night for 4-5 hours straight (like 10am to 3am). At that point I would call in Shmuel to hold her for a little while and try to get her to sleep so I could rest a bit. After two nights of that I decided I needed to do something to regulate her sleep clock. So, I stopped swaddling her during the day and made sure she was feeding every 1-2 hours. That way she would be sleepy and not particularly hungry overnight. Well, it worked! The past two nights she's actually had 5 hour stretches of sleep and she goes back to sleep pretty easily (something she was not doing at all).
During the day I'm trying to wear her in my Moby wrap so she's up a bit and not lonely, since she would cry and I wasn't sure if she was hungry or lonely and I would just feed her. But doing that wasn't practical cuz she would suck for like 5 mins or less and then fall back to sleep... So now we have a system!
As for me, my recovery has gone pretty well. I'm still really sore, so it's hard for me to sit at times, but it's better than it was. I'm just taking it one day at a time and little by little it's healing. I'm feeling great, though, just a bit tired. Thank goodness my mom is here to help out - she can help me with the baby during the day and then help Shmuel with the twins after day care. There's just so much to do with three little ones, and even three adults at times doesn't seem to be enough! lol
I hope everyone had a happy new year!!
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Baby Pool Winner
I bet you are all wondering who won the baby pool, right? Well...it just goes to show you that mother always knows best, because I won. lol But, in the name of fairness, I'm going to make sure that the lovely lady who came in 2nd place will get a "runner up" prize. :-)
So...big congrats to WiseGuy from Woman Anyone?!! She's expecting her first baby in February, so I'm planning to send her something sweet for the new little one.
Thanks to all who entered!!!!
So...big congrats to WiseGuy from Woman Anyone?!! She's expecting her first baby in February, so I'm planning to send her something sweet for the new little one.
Thanks to all who entered!!!!
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