Raspberry Leaf Tea and Vitamin D

I'm tired. It's my own fault though. When I woke up at 5:15 a.m. for my usual bathroom run, I decided to log onto the computer to see how the elections in the States were going. And, of course, with all the speculation about Ohio going to or not going to Obama, it kept me awake and reading the news until 6:00 a.m. I ended up in a very restless sleep, dreaming about ants and the baby. 

Well, now we're both sick. Except, Pidgeon has the first stage of the cold and I'm at the stage where it's a cold mixed in with a secondary infection. I dragged myself to the Medical Center yesterday to see our Dr., who told me that I now have an upper respiratory infection on top of the cold. Yuck! She prescribed amoxycillan but then we discussed whether or not I should even start taking it. I have an appointment today with Dr. Yanai, so I'm going to ask her what she thinks I should do. Either way, I do not want either myself or Pidgeon to be sick when the baby decides to make its debut into this wonderful world!

I've been trying to follow my Dad's cold advice. I've kept my toothbrush next to my side of the bed, so it wouldn't infect Pidgeon's (lot of good that did, ey?), I've been drinking lots and lots of liquids. I've even had a glass of orange juice a day, and have been eating Vitamin C enriched fruits like oranges and mangos. I've been drinking the raspberry leaf tea with some honey, as opposed to sugar, to help sooth the itchy and achy throat and today, I opened up the trissim and the curtains and let the sun just flood the apartment. My Dad's answer to all illness is to sit in and soak up the Vitamin D from the sun.

Well, I'm kinda hot, so I'm not sitting directly in the sun's rays, but the brightness is really nice and I'm hoping I'm getting the benefits of the sunlight even if I'm sitting away from the mirpeset.

Pidgeon is home today and, instead of doing the work he should be doing on his project, he's running errands. First, he went to the garage to assess the damage that the Egged bus #417 did to our car on Saturday night. It's going to cost 1500 shekel for them to fix everything, and now our insurance agency needs to deal with the Egged insurance agency. Regardless, I'm going to take pictures of the damages when Pidgeon gets back home, so we have proof (with the green paint and all) that the bus hit us.

After he got the assessment, Pidgeon went to Bug to buy a birthday present for his younger brother. He's a tech guy, so we decided to get him an 8 GB disk on key. We figured it was a practical gift for him, so he doesn't always have to tot his computer around when he needs files and stuff. I think it's a good gift and I know I, personally, would like another disk on key. Both of mine are full to capacity these days.

One he finishes with Bug, he's going to be off to SuperSol to do some Shabbos food shopping. I'd like to bake Challah for Shabbos tomorrow, and also get a head start on the rest of my weekend cooking. I'm going simple though, because the thought of being in the kitchen for hours just doesn't appeal to me. Besides, I have a ton of work to do for both school and work, and so I just don't have the luxury to fuss. The chicken soup for Friday night is B"H already made and in the freezer, which is one thing off my list. Now, all I have to do is figure out the rest.

So, I've been having contractions lately, and they've varied in terms of intensity and frequency so I've basically just been ignoring them. Last night, I decided since I've been having some contractions, that it was time to pack the hospital bag. We're taking Pidgeon's rolling suitcase, so I had him unpack it and I moved it onto the chair in our Mamad. I was able to put in his shower shoes, my shower shoes, my slippers, a pair of swim trucks for him, two towels, a hot water bottle, a spray bottle, a fan, a sweatshirt, 2 pairs of sweat socks, disposable underwear, feminine hygiene products, 2 toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, eye drops, moisturizer, lip balm, mouthwash, almond oil, an outfit for the baby, a onesie for the baby, a hat for the baby, hand sanitizer, batteries and the camera, a pair of glasses, hairbands, 2 shmatas with bobby pins to cover my hair after delivery and deoderant. What I didn't pack yet is the binder with all my medical information, my cellphone and charger, my iPod and charger, a swaddling blanket, my pillow, the food (that's in a separate bag), a hair brush, an outfit for me to wear from hospital to hotel and my tehillim. It took me 2 hours to pack and, I was so preoccupied, that I forgot about my shot. Fortunately, Pidgeon remembered and I wasn't too late with the injection. 

Next up, I have to pack my bag for Hotel Baby. That bag will mostly have PJ's and toiletries and some of the stuff that I packed in my hospital bag. I also want to pack some stuff for Pidgeon too, so he doesn't have to worry about going back and forth to the apartment to get things he might need during our stay.

I wonder what I'm missing though. I have this nagging feeling that I'm just not ready yet, but I don't quite know what I still need to get done. I have lists and lists and lists all over the apartment, and yet, I feel like I'm just not checking anything off. In fact, I think I just keep adding to the list. 

The next big thing is to find a cleaning person STAT. I just have no energy to really clean anymore, and I'm so exhausted these days that all I want to do is curl up in bed and take lots of long naps.

In fact, I think that's just what I'm going to go do.

Yom Tov from Baka!

Engaged and out of Breech

Looking back on yesterday's blog entry, I can honestly admit that I was in a funk all morning. I was just so down for the better part of the day, and even the usual "suck it up" speech I got from my Mom didn't really pull me out of it. I ended up cleaning the apartment all freaking day long. Literally, it took me 6+ hours to sponga the floors, clean the bathrooms, tidy all the rooms, do two loads of laundry and leave stuff outside the door for Pidgeon to toss in the garbage. All the while, I tried to cheer myself up so that Pidgeon wouldn't come home to a sullen wife. I was definitely much better by the time he walked through the door, although I wasn't Stepford so he knew something was wrong.

I asked him what he thought of the apartment, and he walked around the place and said what a great job Miriam did. At that point, I was beeched like a whale on the couch, looking and feeling like garbage, and smiling because he thought I'd done a great job. I then told him that I saved us 160 shekel and that I'm the new Miriam. He wasn't happy that I spongaed the floors and cleaned all day, but I think he was happy to see the apartment in nice shape. I know I'm happy when I'm in a clean environment.

So, loads of GREAT things happened last night that completely made up for such a lousy morning!

First - and most importantly - my favorite Cousin Neil is engaged!!! It couldn't have happened to a nicer guy. I've been waiting for this day about as long as he has, and just knowing how happy he is makes me so thrilled for him and his fiance. I just hope I get to meet her soon! But, depending on when they're getting married, I might not even get to meet her before she becomes Mrs. Cousin Neil! If they get married before the baby is 3 months old, I won't be able to fly in for the wedding. They don't recommend that babies fly before they're 3 months so we'll just have to wait and see. As much as I would LOVE to dance at Cousin Neil's wedding, I'd much rather he get married when it's good for him than wait until I can fly into the States. I don't want him to be single any minute longer than he has to be - he's waited long enough to be with his soulmate. Of course, the selfish part of me will be very sad if I have to miss it. I only have 5 first cousins and, I'm closest to Cousin Neil, so it would be great if I can be there for it. That being said, I do get to B"H share a lifetime with them so I'm trying to look on the bright side.

And, if Cousin Neil getting engaged last night wasn't enough to pull me out of my funk and onto this high, the news that our baby is out of breech position just sent me soaring! Well, and into a panic too. We waited to see Dr. Yanai for a while and - as always - it was well worth it. When we got into the room, I told her about the hospital visit and showed her the information. Then, I mentioned that the baby was still in breech last week when they did the ultrasound, but that I felt different. I told her that I feel like something has dropped and there is this tremendous pressure on my bladder. It's getting harder to walk too since it feels like I've got something very heavy stuck between my legs. So, she told me to hop up on the table and we'll see where the baby's at. And, when she announced that the baby turned and is no longer in breech and is "head down" Pidgeon and I whooped so loud that we swear the people in the waiting room heard us. We were just so elated that I didn't have to go into the hospital for them to attempt to turn the baby. Of course, that's when I realized HOW the baby is going to be getting out of me. So, I turned to Dr. Yanai and said "wait, I need to actually deliver this baby now?" She was surprised and asked me if I wanted a C-section. I said, not really, I just didn't think about the alternative. 

The baby is also right now 6 pounds and with 4 weeks left to go - could grow about 1-2 more pounds! That's a BIG baby pushing its way through my delicate area. I was so small, I was only 5-11 when my Mom had me. I was kinda hoping this baby would be on the leaner side so that it won't hurt as much. But, what the heck do I know? I've never done this before - but now I'm going to find out!

The Dr. then did my test for GSB (step test) and sealed the tube and handed it to me to bring today to Maccabi. We were just so happy with the news, we practically skipped out of the room. Plus, my blood pressure was looking really great, so all three of us were thrilled. We made an appointment for 10 days from yesterday and then went to celebrate. 

I spent the night on the phone, Skyping with my sister in Cleveland (my  4 year old niece got her ears pierced!) and IMing with my brother in Miami Beach. I could barely contain my excitement and it was hard getting to sleep, but with another 6:45 a.m. wake up call I knew I had to get some shut eye.

My body woke me up this morning about 4 minutes before Pidgeon's alarm went off. He dropped me off at the Maccabi in town and then continued on his way to work. It was almost 8:00 a.m. and I was thinking I would be in and out of there in no time. Unfortunately, when I got upstairs to the blood clinic, they told me that they don't draw blood for my type of tests until 9:30 a.m. I literally had to sit there for an hour and a half with nothing to do. I hadn't anticipated that long of a wait so I didn't have a book or magazine to keep me company. Instead, I watched the people and watched the clock and waited. At 9:25 a.m., I walked into the area and immediately got processed. 7 huge vials of blood later, I went in search of the nurses station for my flu vaccine. They recommend pregnant women get a flu shot and, since I really don't want to get the flu this year NOR do I want the baby to get the flu, I thought it was a good idea. I waited for another 30 minutes before they could administer the shot, and then I was on my way.

I had the cab driver drop me off at the Supermarket near the apartment and picked up some food for tonight's class. I got a big bag of potato chips and some sandwich cookies, and a couple of other odds and ends for the house, and then hauled my three shopping bags back home. It was not easy and not because the bags were particularly heavy but because each step cause the baby to press down on my bladder even more! I was very happy when I got home, collapsed onto the couch and just relaxed.

Well, I'm off to finish my work for the morning. With another Dr.'s appointment slated before our 8:00 p.m. class, I really need to be as efficient as possible!

Yom Tov from Baka!

 

Attention Online Shoppers

I am feeling pretty accomplished right now, and it's only 8:45 a.m.! Believe me, it's a much better feeling than I had late last night, when I was overwhelmed and had no idea how I was going to get everything done in such a short time frame. 

Since we woke up at 6:45 a.m. this morning, I've helped get Pidgeon out the door to work, put in my fruit and vegetable order for Yom Tov at Gil's on Derech Beit Lechem, confirmed my online Supermarket order and paid, put in a call to my Dr. at the Medical Center, ordered Pidgeon some stuff off of Amazon and shipped it to my Grandmother in the States, responded to a work e-mail that required a lot of detail and responded to some personal e-mails that were just languishing in my inbox. 

Now I'm ready for my nap :)

Pidgeon spent the better part of last night working on his final project, which will also be on display at the Malha Mall in Jerusalem throughout Succot. I'm very excited about that, the project is extremely impressive and Pidgeon is very talented (I am NOT biased!) We were hoping to go tonight for the opening of the project, but with company coming to us for Yom Tov lunch, a Succah I still need to decorate, a TON of cooking to do, cleaning the apartment, and another load of laundry that needs to get done on top of Dr. appointments Pidgeon and I both have today and tomorrow, it just didn't seem possible. Initially, I needed tonight to go to the Supermarket to buy all the ingredients I need to cook for Chag. We're only two couples, but since it's Yom Tov, I want to do something special.

On the menu for Tuesday lunch is as follows:

First Course

Grilled steak salad with warm shallot dressing

Main Course

Lemon and Garlic chicken (not sure how I'm making this yet but will find a recipe somewhere)

cauliflower kugel

carrot kugel muffins

sweet and sour meatballs with brown rice

sauteed string beans and onions

Dessert

Brownie tart

kiwi and grapes

Pidgeon thinks I'm going overboard, but my philosophy is that if I'm going to cook I'd like to do it once. Make plenty. Have enough leftovers to eat during the week. With the way the holiday falls this year, I feel like I'm constantly in the kitchen cooking! It's getting to be a bit much for me, so I'd rather go overboard now and have plenty to eat during Chol Hamoed.

So, Pidgeon suggested I do online shopping, but I had a very bad experience with the City Direct folks and decided not to use them anymore. I think they need some more experience - and to grow more -before I'm ready to try them again. Last time we ordered, they sent us the wrong things, forgot to send us other things, and then never returned our calls when we tried to touch base about the mix ups. At the end of the month, though, they had no problem charging my credit card for the full amount. I ended up eating the cost and paying the bill - eventhough I still have a huge bottle of Sucrazit I'll never use sitting in my cabinet - and just decided to move on.

Someone on Janglo sent me the online site for SuperSol in Jerusalem, and since I am so pressed for time during the next two days, we decided to try it. Unfortunately, the site is 100% in Hebrew and can only be viewed with Internet Explorer. My Hebrew is not so great and my Mac doesn't have Internet Explorer, so I had to wait for Pidgeon to come home. Fortunately, I was all prepared with my list so it didn't take that long to pull together. Unfortunately, the prices were pretty steep and my chicken and meat order was about 1/3 of the entire bill. And, I didn't even order that much of each! But, since I can't easily walk to the Supermarket and card home all my shopping, and Pidgeon is working a 9 hour day today, this was a good option. They have already called twice to confirm delivery time, so I'm hoping there will be no snafus and everything will work out great.

Weekend Update

We had a very enjoyable Shabbos. We went to Pidgeon's parents for dinner Friday night since his brother and family is in for the Chag from London. We were 14 adults and 7 children. It was a madhouse, but it was really a lot of fun. Now, Pidgeon's sister-in-law's parents and brother, sister-in-law and niece were also at the meal. They are really nice people but speak only Hebrew or French, so my conversations with them are very limited. The niece is about 1 1/2 old and she's already walking around, crawling and speaking halting words here and there. Pidgeon's nephew is about the same age and doing the same thing, although he's not walking as well as his cousin.

My mother-in-law's apartment has 2 sets of stone steps. 6 steps upstairs, 7 stairs downstairs.

Stone. Steps.

And, with all the adults eating at the table, and all the children running around and playing, the two children under the age of 2 were unsupervised on the steps. And, would you believe that I was lucky enough to get seated in the chair that has direct line of sight to the steps? 

Well, I watched as the niece walked up the steps and, as she's really unsteady on her feet, teeter precariously numerous times. Now, I am a VERY nervous person to begin with. I know, recipe for disaster for my own child who will have to learn that getting hurt is part of life, blah, blah, blah.

However, I am a BIG fan of putting a gate in front of steps until I know my child is steady enough on their feet to be able to walk up and down without taking a dangerous tumble.

Did I mention that these are STONE STEPS????!!

Well, I gasped a few times as I watch her almost fall, and Pidgeon's sister and brother looked at me like I was crazy. Pidgeon's brother, who is Dad to 4 + 1 on the way, told me that I need to relax. That it's not healthy for me to be so jumpy. Pidgeon's sister, whose heart was racing with my gasping, glared at me like I was some lunatic who was overreacting. 

And, the parents of this little girl, just continued to sip their wine and enjoy their meal.

So, I turned to Pidgeon and said, I'm just not going to look anymore. Because, if the parents don't care, then why should I?

I went back to my meal, went back to my conversations, but couldn't pull my eyes away from the scene.

Five minutes later, the little girl tumbled down the entire flight of stone steps. Of course, I gasped and screamed that she was falling, and this time her Mother got up off her chair and ran to help her. At that point, she was already on the floor, screaming and crying her head off, a red, nasty bump starting to form over her eye.

Her Father, however, kept saying over and over in Hebrew: Zeh Klum. Lo Karah Klum (translation - it's nothing, nothing happened). 

The kid was hysterical for a bit and the bump over her eye will definitely be there for a few days,  but she avoided the steps for the rest of the evening. 

I felt terrible for this kid, and for her parents for being so lax about her safety. I understand teaching children the right way to navigate steps, but don't we have a responsibility to do it in the right manner? Someone should have been at the bottom of the steps to make sure, if she fell, that she would be caught. 

Am I just being over cautious? Will I mess up our kids because I don't want them tumble down stone steps? I mean, she is LUCKY she didn't crack her head open on my mother-in-law's stone floor.

Well, at least my mother-in-law agreed with me at the end of the evening. So did Pidgeon. I'm just going to have to figure out that middle ground where I allow my children to discover life on their own without doing anything too dangerous.

Anyway, I'm off to get something to eat. My body is still trying to regulate after Yom Kippur and I get starving at random hours of the day and I also experience lack of appetite during other times. Weird.

Yom Tov from Baka!