Food is Love

I grew up in a household where food = love. You know the type, when you were 6 and you broke your wrist and the Dr. had to twist it back in - without anesthesia - to set it and you screamed your head off and almost fainted in pain, your Dad took you straight to Baskin and Robbins for a double scoop treat. Or, when you scored really high on the GRE, you parents decided to take the whole family out to a big celebratory dinner at your favorite kosher restaurant. And, you ordered everything you ever wanted from the menu. What about when you were feeling down about the crappy dates you'd be out on lately, and your Mom looked the other way when you reached for a box of chocolate donuts and then handed you a pint of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream to instantly make you feel better. Or that first Shabbos back home from the awful Zionistic sleep over summer camp and your Mom cooked you your absolute favorite Shabbos foods and then Grandma popped over with her famous potato kugel that she only makes on special occasions.

Yeah, that's the home I grew up in. Well, as I got older and my waistline expanded, I realized that maybe I didn't have the best relationship with food. So, I decided to try to get control and ask for hugs instead of bags of Hershey hugs when I needed emotional comfort. Its been working well, thankfully, and I'm doing my best not to perpetuate what I learned at home into our new home. That being said, I'm not always successful. We joke about how food=love, especially when Pidgeon comes home from a long day and I immediately ask him what I can give him for dinner. I give him a hug first, so he recognizes the difference, and then I make him a fantastic meal. But, on Friday, I realized that Pidgeon needed more of a pick me up than my wimpy little arms could provide. And so, I decided to bake him a surprise batch of vegan brownies.

But wait, you might be asking, since when are you vegan? We're not. I could never be a vegan or a vegetarian. I love meat. But, we are on a big time budget and when I rummaged through the fridge looking for the 2 eggs needed for my brownie recipe, I discovered a lone egg and no applesauce to substitute. So, I hit the internet and found a recipe for vegan brownies that called for maple syrup instead of eggs. I decided, since we had a huge bottle of maple syrup that I wasn't planning on using any time soon (no pancakes for this preggo), to try out the recipe. I shooed Pidgeon out of the kitchen and told him I was making him a surprise for Shabbos kiddush. He was curious and excited and happily went to his room to do some work. By the time the brownies were baking, the fabulous scent drew Pidgeon out of his room and into the kitchen. He was thrilled and the brownies were delicious! I warned him that this was a pick-me-up that I won't constantly resort to, but I knew that he would really enjoy his treat. He really did.

Sometimes, folks, a brownie is exactly what the Dr. ordered for some much needed mood elevation.

Shabbos was very quiet and relaxing. We ate Friday night dinner at Pidgeon's parents home and for the first time, I had to give myself the shot away from our apartment (well, except when we were at my parents, but that doesn't count). It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, especially since everyone was lingering over dessert and we were able to slip downstairs to his bedroom quite easily. We walked home around Midnight and the streets were much more crowded that usual, which really means that the summer is here, and it was nice to get home and not have to do a shot before going to bed. With the AC humming softly, we both fell into a nice sleep.

Shabbos day we were home by ourselves, which is exactly how I like it sometimes. I still don't understand how we manage to have 2 1/2 hour lunches, but it was a lot of fun. I had to read Abraham Cahan's Yekl for class this week and, since I'm a huge Cahan fan, I really enjoyed the story. After a quick nap, we decided to escape the artificial air and sit on the back porch.

It was so nostalgic for me. In Queens, on a long Shabbos afternoon, I would wake up from my nap and join my Mom on the front porch to read, gossip, watch the people going up the block to the two shul's in our vicinity, and just relax. We wouldn't go inside until dusk and the bugs started to bite, or if our stomachs growled for some Shalosh Seudot. Pidgeon didn't grow up sitting on the front porch Shabbos afternoon, he was usually fast asleep with the latest SciFi thrilled next to his pillow, although his parents do have a beautiful garden that they entertain in.  I think he enjoyed the hour and a half we spent outdoors, if for no other reason than there was a fantastic breeze and the fabulous scent of fresh flowers growing in the air. When Shabbos was over, I was a little sad since it had been so enjoyable, but was looking forward to the start of a new week.

We also decided, as our Saturday night activity, not to see Sex and the City but the head over to the Mamilla mall which is right outside the Old City walls. We hadn't been there yet, but the buzz is strong and positive, and we thought it would be a fun evening. Little did we know that the rest of Jerusalem thought the same way! It took 30 minutes to just drive down the block and into the parking lot. I was shocked by the lines of cars, in both directions, that seemed to stretch for miles. We also had an alternative reason for going to the Mall; I had a 300 shekel gift card to Mac that I wanted to redeem and figured now was as good a time as any to get me some fun stuff. 

We parked and quickly made our way to the shopping center. We hadn't realized that the Mall was basically an outdoor one, and on such a beautiful evening, it was perfect! We passed restaurants that had long waits and were bursting at the seams! We saw a Rolodin, Aroma, Cafe Cafe and a Cafe Rimon. For some reason, the line at Cafe Cafe was the longest. We noted upscale retailers like Tommy Hillfiger, Bebe, and H Stern and of course the requisite Michal Negrin store. The shopping was a tourists dream! Imagine, you could go to the kotel, walk back through the Old City, and stop at the Mamilla mall to get anything you would have gotten in the center of Town. Pretty soon, Ben Yehuda might become obsolete! 

Well, we went to Mac and it turned out that my card expired in February. I was a little upset, as that gave me only 4 months from my birthday to redeem the card and I was told I had a year. The woman was very helpful and got on the phone with HQ to see what they could do. We decided to check out the other shops while she was on the phone and we stopped into the Body Shop so I could buy myself some nice bubble bath. I hope it does what I'm looking for, because sometimes you just want to spend a few hours soaking in a hot tub, with a glass of apple juice, some scented candles and your Nora Jones CD. Afterwards, the hunger bug struck and we hopped into Aroma for some take out sandwiches. We were fighting the clock as I had to be home for the 11:00 a.m. shot and it was getting precariously close to the time we needed to leave. We stopped back at Mac and the woman told us that I could redeem the card but could spend no less than 300 shekel. I ended up getting a palette of 4 eyeshadows, a pencil sharpener and 2 sponges for 316. Fortunately, the extra 16 shekel didn't break the bank. We then quickly stopped into the Steimatzky, which was GORGEOUS, and didn't find the book Pidgeon is desperately looking for. Anyone who knows where we can buy a Brandon Sanderson novel in Israel, please let me know! It would make Pidgeon so happy to have!

We made it home with 2 minutes to spare and then, after the shot, enjoyed a lovely midnight snack with some CSI: Miami.

Today, Pidgeon is off helping his Uncle move offices and I'm home working on one of my thesis stories. I hope to get the bulk of it down today so I can have at least something else written that I can edit into shape. 

If you're in America, here's hoping you're spending the day at The Salute to Israel Day Parade. Show your pride and wear blue and white! We here in Baka appreciate it!

Yom Tov!

Stretch Marks and Cheesecake

I've been thinking a lot about cheesecakes these days. With Shavuot just around the corner, there is a lot of cheesecake baking I want to do! Pidgeon and I are on different diets these days, and so I think I'll be baking him a 5% fat cheesecake and an apple pie for myself. I also decided that, since we're going out for Shavuot dinner, I'd like to host Shavuot lunch in the apartment. We're still thinking about the invite list, but chances are we'll  keep it pretty mellow. The menu will be dairy and I'll probably fry up some tuna croquettes and make some sort of fun pasta dish. I like entertaining, and since we can't afford to entertain all the time, this could be fun for both of us!

These past few days have been pretty uneventful. Some days I have a ton of energy and so I tackle cleaning up the apartment with tremendous gusto. Other days, I can barely push myself out of bed. My sleeping has been really difficult too, I'm still not getting a full night's sleep and this morning we were awoken by the screams of tiny children who were starting their Yom Yerushalayim celebrations a few days early. I told Pidgeon that I was "feeling violent towards the community center in our neighborhood" since they started playing Zionistic music on the microphone at 8:15 a.m. And, since I didn't really get to sleep before 3:30 a.m., that was a bit too early for me. But then I heard the kids laughing and clapping and having fun and it made me all weepy thinking that P"G our baby could be a part of that one day. 

Pregnancy hormones people, it's a powerful thing. 

I've been stressed beyond stressed these past few days too. Money issues is a terrible problem to have, and I honestly don't know how people living in Israel make ends meet. Food prices are just ridiculously expensive, coupled with gas costs (thank g-d we only have one car!), cable, electric, water and the misc. expense that crops up unexpectedly and you have to be making at least 6,000 shekel a month to just make it. And that's before I factor in baby costs like furniture, strollers, diapers, food, clothing, etc. So, I've been nervous about money with the baby coming. Since Pidgeon and I are still both students - me, at least until I hand in my thesis in October and Pidgeon until March 2009 when he presents his final project - we're starting to feel the pinch.

Our parents have been very, very helpful but still, we're both in our 30's and asking for handouts are extremely difficult (we do have egos). I also am used to being financially independent, as I got a job when I was 20, moved out of the house before my 21st birthday, and have been paying most of my bills myself for a decade already (my parents always "helped" but it was here and there, for a new pair of shoes or some makeup, not rent or food bills). Pidgeon is in the same boat. We're just two people who decided, in our early 30's, to make career changes. Now, I still plan to do PR, but I'm getting my Masters in Creative Writing so I have other options. Do I think that, in Israel, I'll be able to get a teaching job in Creative Writing? Absolutely not. I've been seeding the market and checking out the competition and a writer/marketing expert/blogger/PR exec in this Country is a dime a dozen! Talk about oversaturating the market!  I definitely have to figure out what else I can do so that I can become attractive to prospective employers when I'm ready to get a job in this Country. 

Again, I don't know how Israeli's live in this Country. I'm not even talking about lavish lifestyles, just every day bill payment. Anyone out there want to enlighten me? I'd love a seasoned Olah/Oleh's opinion on the topic! How can people afford to raise children here?

So, we went to Shaarei Tzedek this week to tour the maternity ward. It was very overwhelming for me and I did freak out a bit at one point when I saw a woman in the delivery area looking like she was in some serious pain. The nurses though were extremely nice when we asked to see into the nursery area. I was happy to see increased security, and even happier to know that Mother's can go into the nursery whenever they want to take the baby to their rooms. We decided to register at the hospital for the birth, and the registration process was really easy. The woman at admissions was extremely kind, and when she told us that the government was going to give us money for the baby, we were both so surprised. I never knew the Country gives you monetary compensation for having children. I wonder how much we'll be getting? Either way, it's money that will help us keep our baby P"G in clean diapers! 

Well, I'm off to work on one of my thesis stories. I'm writing my Cousin Neil story, and it's looking like it should be a good one! 

Yom Tov from Baka!

Sushi and Alcohol

I'm started to have cravings. Actually, to be more precise, I've always had cravings but now happens to be the first time I can't indulge my cravings. You see, all I want these days is a well chilled Extra Dirty Ketel One martini. With lots of dirty and at least 4 giant olives. Unfortunately, pregnancy means no alcohol what so ever. Even worse, I've yet to find a bartender in Israel who knows what I'm talking about when I ask for a dirty martini. It's all really sad, which is why my freezer is stocked with 3 bottles of Ketel One and I have some nice vermouth in our liquor cabinet. Never been opened. I'm waiting until the baby comes, when I will P"G make myself the drink I've been craving to toast our little one. Now I just need to do some research on breastfeeding and alcohol.

Meanwhile, I'd love to chase my extra dirty Ketel One martini with a sushi boat from Sushi Bar Rechavia. That would just be the perfect accompaniment to my alcohol. I miss sushi so much! We used to eat it at least once a week in our house, which really hurt our pocket but was so tasty and worthwhile. We had the same order each week. We started with the seaweed salad and then split a boat between us. I always ordered an extra spicy tuna sandwich and sometimes I would get some extra sashimi for Pidgeon since he prefers sashimi to rolls. We polished this off, between us, every week. I'm from the school that you need to eat as much sushi to fill yourself up, as opposed to trying to be dainty and just stick to 2 rolls that we all know does little to satiate the stomach. Shavuot will be very hard for me, as Pidgeon's family (in acknowledgment of their Japanese heritage) always has sushi for dinner. Last year, it was incredible! I stuffed myself silly on all sorts of yummy sushi! Sadly, this year I'm going to have to stick to the cooked fish and spinach/sesame salad (Pidgeon's Aunt's recipe for this is delicious!) and try not to shoot daggers of jealousy at the family indulging in the evening's make-your-own-sushi Shavuot ritual. If Pidgeon can bring me some sushi to the delivery room, I'm all for it! First, we have to figure out where we're going to deliver :)

This week has not been a good week for my tushy. The above photo is not an exaggeration. I had that size needle jabbed into my upper tushy yesterday, and was icing for 2 hours just so I could sit on it. But I digress. 

Friday was a wonderful day! My friend came in from Tel Aviv and we went to see the Orphaned Art of the Holocaust exhibit at the Israel Museum. It was truly incredible. There were two pieces in particular that really, really stood out for me. This one Egon Schiele painting of the ghetto, and the Money painting called Snow at Sunset, which were both really fantastic. It was an extremely well done exhibit and left us both wondering how no one in the Rothchild family has claimed four paintings of their ancestors? The paintings were stunning, naturally, but seemed very out of place as orphaned art. 

After the exhibit, we went to Caffit on Emek for some lunch. As usual, the service was horrendous,  but while we ate a friend of ours walked by the window and invited us for dinner. Since I hadn't even started cooking, I decided to buzz the Pidgeon and we accepted. The meal was really, really interesting. We hadn't been to an all singles meal in quite a while, and the conversation at least on our side of the table was intelligent and stimulating. I was very pleased where we were sitting, especially once I caught some snatches of conversation from the other side. Pidgeon had a good time and we excused ourselves early so we could come home for my shot. That's the hardest part of this daily stomach shot, I need to do is roughly around the same time each day. Since I picked 11:00 p.m. as my shot time, dinner on Friday nights out of the apartment is getting increasingly difficult. We might have to stop accepting invitations for Friday night from now on. We got home only 10 minutes late and, since I had done a ton of walking on Friday, passed our fairly easily. 

I woke on Saturday with pain shooting up from my left foot. It's not new pain, unfortunately, and I was cursing the decision to wear new shoes for the walk on Friday night. My left foot is very sensitive and I get inflammation of the joint at the ball of my foot. It makes it hard to walk on it and, the only cure for the problem is to stay off the foot until the inflammation has time to go away. 

Well, we had a hike ahead of us to get to Pidgeon's parents for lunch, and so I strapped on my New Balances and said a little prayer that the problem shouldn't become exacerbated. The walk was hard, it was hot and up "death hill". They live in Talbiah and, since Pidgeon was davening at Chovevei's 9:30 a.m. minyan, I knew that we had no choice but to trek up Chovevei street. Which, when coming from the Inbal hotel, is "death hill". It's really, really steep. I was wheezing halfways through the bottom half, and there was plenty ahead of me. Finally, we managed to make it to shul, and I took Pidgeon's house keys and went the rest of the way to his folks house. I managed to pour myself some more water before collapsing on one of the beds. I didn't get to sleep, but was able to relax and cool down. I don't know how much longer we're going to be able to do that walk. Although, I do think if I end up going overdue, that I'm going to make Pidgeon walk with me up that hill. It should certainly put me into labor!

We decided to walk home after lunch since I really wanted my bed, and my foot was sore but not too bad so we took it slow. We ended up getting lost in Baka - don't ask - and took a roundabout route home. The good thing is that we discovered a very nice, clean, beautiful park with lots of activities for kids. The bad thing is that it added 10 more minutes to an already long walk. 

Fortunately, I had plenty of time to nap before Shabbos ended, and it was fitful but restful. I spent the night waking up every hour going to the bathroom though, I guess from all the fruit and water I'd been consuming, and so I woke up yesterday at 7:00 a.m. really, really tired. 

Which brings me to the situation at hand. Yesterday, I was feeling really lousy. I was nauseated and tired and my foot was throbbing something awful. Plus, I had the worst headache that didn't go away no matter how much I ate. For some reason, I decided to whip up a bath of Riches Whip from my freezer to go with a strawberry slices snack. About 30 minutes later, the puking began. It was terribly painful. And it was stopping! I went into the kitchen and discovered that the Riches Whip expired in March! That's when I started to panic. Fortunately, this happened towards the end of the day, and Pidgeon came home from work in time to help me out. We called the Medical Center to talk to the Dr. on call and he told us to immediate come in to see him. I ran to puke again while Pidgeon got things ready. My headache was worse and I just couldn't believe what I had done to myself.

We waited a short time before the Dr. saw us and he took my blood pressure, which was B"H normal, but I had a very elevated heart rate. He didn't like the way I looked but didn't want to give me an IV if he didn't have to. He decided, instead, to shoot me with a drug that would take away the nausea so I could rehydrate myself. He left to get the shot and then came back, with the shot concealed. He told me the needle was too big to go anywhere but in my ass. Oy!

I turned around, closed my eyes and clenched Pidgeon's hand. The Dr. said he would count to three and then jab. Unfortunately, he only counted to 1 before jabbing and boy did it hurt! I yelled Jesus C#$^T! and then it was over. Since I take Clexane though, I bleed more than normal people, so he had to put pressure on it to make it stop. That was about as pleasant as the shot itself. He asked us to stay for 20 minutes so he could make sure I didn't have a bad reaction and I took my time sipping a glass of water. 

Pidgeon brought me home and I was a wreck! My parents were calling to see what was going on and so I had to fill them in, while Pidgeon attacked the kitchen to make himself some dinner and cook me some rice. Fortunately, I was able to keep a few spoonfuls down. Within no time, I had to give myself another shot, and I just almost couldn't do it. I'm getting real sick of needles people, and two in one night is just too much for me. But, with Pidgeon's help and support, I was able to do the 11:00 p.m. shot and crawl into bed. Sleep, B"H, was much easier last night. Being dehydrated, while it's very dangerous, at least afforded me a full night's sleep without getting up to use the bathroom.

And so, on this Memorial Day in the US (which I celebrate here in Israel too), I am spending it trying to hydrate and relax. Tomorrow is school and, at this point, I don't think I'm going to make it. Here's hoping that today is a much, much better day than yesterday!

Yom Tov from Baka!

 

Three chairs and my big ol' butt

I went back to school on Tuesday and was really looking forward to flexing my literary muscles once again. The schelp to school, however, did not really help and for the first time in a while I realized just how hard it is to do the trip. The part getting to Bar Ilan is really not so hard, I get dropped off by Pidgeon a few blocks away from the Tachanah and the walk to the bus is almost downhill for me. The ride itself tends to be relaxing, especially if I get a window seat and can zone out until our stop. Once I get off the bus, however, that's when the real hard work begins. The new bus stop for the 400 from Jerusalem is at the base of this huge ramp which takes walkers over the highway, down a flight of steps, and a few meters away from the Geha gate. This ramp is torture! It is extremely steep, very long and really hard for me to get up. I was huffing and puffing by the time I got to the top and had to hold onto the railing on the steps down to make sure I didn't fall. Once through the gates, I have about a 10 minutes walk to my "classroom" (I use quotes because I'm in one of those dilapidated caravans that literally has holes in the floor and the ceiling is caving in). Even though I missed the 8:20 a.m. bus, the 8:40 a.m. got me in 10 minutes before class. I was able to hit the john, buy two waters and get to class before it started. Class itself was really interesting, we read some more Frederick Douglass autobiography and geared up for the shift to Abraham Cahan's Yekl next week. As the 90 minute class drew to a close, I realized that I needed to go to the bathroom again. And this time, it was extremely urgent. I silent wished that Professor Kramer would wrap it up, but then someone asked a question that he needed to answer in two parts, and there was no way that my bladder would hold.

I turned to my friend and said that I was going to sneak out of the room. I was hoping to be a stealth as possible. I put my notebook into my knapsack and planned to grab my bag and two water bottles as soon as I stood up. I was all ready to make my little escape when I stood, and the entire row of chairs came with me. I hadn't realized that I was stuck inside my chair. I blame it more on the heat and sweating than on my ass actually being too large for the chair. But, I was in one of those rows of chairs that's connected by a bar below, and since no one was sitting next to me, all the chairs lifted with me. And then, gravity took hold, and with the loud CRASH all three chairs fell back to the ground. My water bottles went flying, and rolled across the room. I was mortified. Professor Kramer told me that it was a smooth move and I was in such pain and was so ashamed that, looking down at the ground, I gathered my stuff up as best as I could and apologized a million times before running for the closest bathroom.

I learned many a lessons in that little moment. 

#1) Time to start doing some exercise so that I don't end up with a large butt than belly.

#2) Pregnant women should never, ever, hold it in. It's just not smart

#3) Always sit in a row of seats with someone else. This way, their weight should keep the chairs on the ground the next time I need to stand up

Well, I shelped myself home and was so exhausted from all the walking that I ended up passing out on the couch in the afternoon. I was feeling really lousy from the heat and exercise that we went to bed pretty early.

Yesterday, I spent majority of the day doing some homework for school and just relaxing. I try not to leave the house during the heat of the day, but we did take a really nice long walk at night. We also ended up at Tarantino's on Emek Refaim for dinner. It was pretty good, I got the entrecote salad and some fries. I was so full from dinner, for the first time in weeks, I didn't need a snack before going to bed! Unfortunately, that meant a 5:00 a.m. wake up from starving, rumbling stomach.

I should have just grabbed a cracker and gone back to bed, but I'm really trying not to snack so early in the morning. I decided to log onto the computer and IM with my friends still awake in the States. Most were really shocked by the outcome of this year's American Idol, and since Pidgeon and I have been watching the show, I couldn't help but find out the winner. I then woke Pidgeon up and asked him if he wanted to know who won, but he was adamant that he didn't want to know. I let him go back to sleep since he has to work today, and instead read some articles about the "shocking" finale.

By 7:00 a.m., the hunger pains were just too much for me to deal with and so I grabbed a nectarine and some mini rice cakes. It was perfect! Within minutes of finishing my snacks, I was passed out. I don't even remember Pidgeon leaving for work, that's how fast asleep I was! I managed to grab some shut eye until 11:30 a.m. and, with a renewed energy, was able to tackle the mess that is this apartment. I can't stand clutter, it really gets me anxious. I like a nice, clean, apartment. And, since our cleaning lady only comes every two weeks, I needed to make some order out of this chaos. I managed to wash all the dishes in both sinks, ball the watermellon into two large containers, straighten up the living room, clean up our bedroom and put up the wash before feeling a bit fatigued. Regardless though, I'm insisting that we go for a walk tonight. I need to make sure that next week, when I sit into the chair at school, I don't wedge myself in so much so that I can't get out of it!

Well, I'm off to fold the laundry. Yom Tov from Baka!

Electrocution No More!

I've been bad about blogging lately, but that's because I've just been absolutely exhausted. Shabbos was really nice and relaxing. We woke up early and decided to go to Shir Chadash, which is in a school on Yehuda HaLevi street. We really like the Rabbi, but the Kehillah is not necessarily our speed. Hmm, this whole shul search is frustrating. We've been to so many different shul's and have yet to find the one that's perfect for us. We, did, however find one that we both like which is really close to our apartment. I think we're going to have to give up the shul search for now and just try to make a go of it with the Kehillah in our neighborhood. Besides, my walking is already starting to get a bit limited, so it's nice to know that there is something 2 blocks away that we like.

Meanwhile, the biggest news in my life is that, after 1 year and 9 months living in this Country, I finally have a solution to my Mac problem. Before I moved here in August 2006, I asked the Mac people whether or not my computer would have a voltage issue. They insisted it wouldn't and I bought 2 packages of the international travel plugs so I could plug the computer into the outlets here in Israel. So, I moved here, and even with the new plugs, my computer would shock me. Literally, I had sores up and down the insides of my arms from repeated shocking. I tried to ignore it by always wearing shoes while working on the computer, but after a while it really started to bother me. Then I met Pidgeon, and he would share my computer and would really had the shocking. Once I got pregnant, Pidgeon said that it could go on no longer. We tracked down the phone number for the Mac people here in Israel and Pidgeon finally got them on the phone to discuss the problem. They told him that there's an extremely easy solution! All we needed was a special three-pronged plug. 80 shekel later, I am now the happy owner of this fantastic plug which works with both my MacBook Pro AND my Powerbook G4! It's soo nice to sit at my computer without getting little shocks running throughout my body. And, on the plus side, the sores on my arms are finally healing. This has taught me to never let something really important go, and to try to find the necessary solutions ASAP!

I spent the day in and out of bed yesterday, I was just so exhausted. I would get up, go to the kitchen and wash the meat dishes, then crawl back into bed. An hour later, I would crawl out of bed and wash the dairy dishes and then get back into bed. I did this for various other household tasks throughout the day, and tried to also do some school work reading. I am really proud that I'm getting ahead of my school work and have finished 3 books I needed to read for my two courses. I have about 6 more to go, but I'm hoping it really won't take that long if I'm diligent!

Today, I managed to go back to sleep after Pidgeon left for work. He started a new job yesterday and B"AH he is really liking it. I slept in and woke up feeling really energetic, so much so that I was able to clean the room, fold the laundry, shower, get dressed and make myself a decent breakfast. I was even feeling good enough to clean the toilet and sweep the living room floor. That's pretty impressive given my really low energy levels lately. We have an ultrasound appointment this afternoon that I'm really nervous about. This is the ultrasound where they check for disabilities in the baby. Apparently, they're able to tell with a picture of the baby's neck and then a blood test. Phew, another blood test is not necessarily something I'm thrilled about! My bruise from last week's blood work is actually still healing in the inside of my arm! Well, I'm hoping that the women at the Agrippas HQ of Maccabi are better at finding the vein and drawing some blood. 

It's a beautiful and hot day today! The sky is practically cloudless and with all the windows open in the apartment, we have a very comfortable breeze going. It's nice, especially since I'm sitting at home waiting for Pidgeon to pick me up for the appointment. Well, since I have some energy left, I'm off to put away my Shabbos dishes. 

Yom Tov from Baka!!

Let Them Eat Muffins!

Well, I honestly don't know where the energy came from, but I manage to bake some whole wheat muffins today. And, surprisingly, they were really good! I went with Shoshana's list and used whole wheat pastry flour, demerera sugar instead of white sugar and the rest of the ingredients were all approved on the list. The outcome was pretty delicious, and not as dense as I would have expected. That being said, I did use a cup of applesauce, so that probably helped with the consistency!

I was a complete insomniac last night, it was pretty awful. I was on the phone with folks in the States until 3:30 a.m. and then I just booted up the computer and served the net until I fell asleep for an hour at 7:30 a.m. I'm hoping tonight will be a bit better in the sleep department. 

We were up early this morning because our new beds arrived! Hallelujah! For some reason, before we got married, we decided to borrow Pidgeon's brother's beds as they left the Country on Shlichut. Well, no one told me that the mattresses were more than 12 years old and the box spring was close to 30 years old! Needless to say, the beds were a bit rough on my back. At first, I didn't complain and was thankful for the loan, but as time went on I realized that I just couldn't continue sleeping on them. So, we decided to go looking for the magical beds whose boxspring doubles as a storage unit. They finally came this morning around 9ish and I immediately went to work filling the storage with all of our sheets, blankets, towels and tablecloths. It took us about 2 hours worth of work to just get everything in and then make the beds, but I'm confident that it will be all worth it after a good nights sleep. Plus, it was getting hard for me to push myself up out of bed for my multiple late night nature calls. I'm hoping it will be easier to just "hop" down. 

After my hours of baking and bed making, I did another massive load of laundry and somehow manage to get some reading done for school. I'm looking forward to the start of my last semester next week. I'll be even happier once my program is finished, my exam taken, my papers in and my thesis defended. I'm really hoping to get my Masters done before the baby. That being said, writing isn't going very well, so I have to buckle down and get to work if I want to achieve my goal.

Well, it's close to 1:00 a.m. already and I'm wiped. Here's hoping for a wonderful night's sleep in our new beds!

Layla Tov from Jerusalem!

Meeting a Legend

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting a Legend. Mrs. Shoshana Shteif herself, the woman whose reputation has infiltrated into every single sect and religious group in Jerusalem and beyond! I had first heard of her a few months into dating Pidgeon, when his Aunt told us how this woman saved her skin. Her homeopathic techniques, I later found out, were also what cured Pidgeon's best friend's horrible acne condition. A few months went on, and I heard that Pidgeon's cousin from London flew in to see Mrs. Shteif in order to help with her terrible skin itchiness.  Personally, I never thought I would ever meet this woman. But, that was before I got pregnant.

When Pidgeon and I got back from the States, the morning (or all day long) sickness was really getting too much to handle. I looked awful, and last Friday night it all came to a head. We were at his parents for dinner and I just broke down, I couldn't handle feeling so lousy anymore! I needed some relief from the constant nausea, the terrible taste in my mouth and the exhaustion. Pidgeon's Mom offered to take me to see Shoshana Shteif and I jumped at the chance. At this point, I'm willing to try anything.

Pidgeon's Mom called me yesterday morning and told me to make sure I dressed Tzniut for the appointment. I made sure to have my knees and elbows covered, and took an extra long shmata just in case. She picked me up at 10:00 a.m. for our 10:30 a.m. appointment and we drove towards the Belz neighborhood of Jerusalem. Literally, the office is 2 blocks away from the Blez Beis Medrash which was built to model the Beis Hamikdash. The up close view was pretty incredible.

I had been warned that the place is usually a complete zoo and that our wait might be long, so I brought along a book. MIL had her own and so I was ready to settle in and wait. Fortunately, there was no one in the waiting room and I was ushered back into one of the "exam" rooms. Mrs. Shteif's assistant then hooked me up to this machine and handed me a metal pipe to hold in one hand, while she used a rod like contraption to test my energies with the other hand. We switched hands and then she hooked me up to the machine a number of different ways. I went along, even though I had no clue what was going on. At first, I honestly thought she was just still testing me. Later, my MIL told me that it was actually detoxifying and purifying "cycles" that were going on. The weirdest thing included my bare feet on 2 slabs of metal that were hooked into the machine, which was hooked into a pad that rested on my stomach, which was hooked into this pipe shaped porcelin object that I held up against my cheek. I did this to both sides of my face for 10 minutes. Again, I had no idea what was going on, but so many people swear by her that I just went along with it.

Finally, after 2 hours of being hooked up to the machine with various contraptions and for different cycles of time, Mrs. Shteif came in to see me. She did a brief "exam" of my mouth, eyes and skin. She immediately told me that I am very "sensitive" from my skin to what I eat. I agreed that it was true. Then, she asked me who in my family has diabetes. Well, as far as I know the other person in my family who was borderline diabetic was my Zaydie. I told her this, and she said that while I do no have diabetes, I am genetically inclined to it. (side note, but Lord did my folks pass on the Lions share of genetic issues to me! I'm hoping we aren't doing the same to our baby!)

Then, Mrs. Shteif spent 30 minutes testing me for food allergies. Here's how it worked. I held that metal pipe again in one hand, and she used the rod to test my energy levels with the other hand while placing small vials of different food into the machine. I had no idea how it worked people, but I can tell you that with certain foods the machine really, really beeped. Only, it wasn't a beep but sounded more like the whir of a dying motor sound. I didn't know what was going on, but that dying whirring sound was pretty frequent.

Finally, after going through three huge boxes of vials, Mrs. Shteif told me that I have "quite a list". She then wrote down all the foods I can no longer eat, now that I'm pregnant. They include:

Charif (spicy), all kinds

Tomatoes and ketchup

Kiwi

Wine (which, I knew I was allergic to going into the meeting)

Yellow cheese

Oranges, clementines and orange juice (although lemon and pomello are ok)

Green pepper

Eggplant

Peanuts, bamba and peanut butter

Honey

White flour and anything made with white flour (although whole wheat flour is ok)

Eggs - although something made with cooked eggs like a kugel is okay

Milk and all milk products - although, I can have goats milk if I boil it first, cool it down and then boil it again. Soy milk is ok

Milk chocolate (which I knew I was allergic to going into the meeting) - although dark chocolate is okay

Fried foods

White sugar and everything made with white sugar - although, demerara sugar is okay

Then, she handed me a survival list for women who are nauseous and throwing up in the first trimester. Most of what was on it was pretty self explanatory, but somethings really were interesting. In particular, that you shouldn't combine eating and drinking and actually should wait an entire hour between the two. I thanked her for everything, made a follow up appointment for Friday, and then went home. 

This woman has now left with absolutely nothing I can eat. Let me explain that the only things I've been eating each day are eggs, yellow cheese sandwiches and peanut butter on rice crackers. I now could basically eat absolutely no protein. It was really, really frustrating. I also managed to somehow get myself good and dehydrated yesterday because each time I was hungry, I ate which meant I had to wait an hour until I could drink. It was rough. By the time we went out for dinner with Pidgeon's family, I was exhausted and starving.

Fortunately, we went to the epitome of protein places at El Gaucho. I could hardly find anything on the menu I could stomach, and the pasta was out because it was made with white flour and cooked in a tomato sauce. So, I decided to try a steak and see what happened. The salad arrived and I devoured my plate! Finally, my extremely well done steak came and I tucked in tentatively at first. After a few bites and no nausea, I managed to clean my plate. It was pretty amazing, especially since I haven't been able to eat meat in quite some time. We got home and I had some watermellon before we went to sleep.

This morning, I woke up really, really hungry and thirsty and a bit nauseous. According to the paper, I should eat right away if I feel nauseous. Unfortunately, there wasn't much in the house I could eat. I opted to drink instead and had a bottle of water. A few hours later, I made myself a sandwich on whole wheat bread and cut up some approved vegetables. Sadly, I have a vegetable bin full of tomatoes that I can no longer eat, and a huge chunk of cheddar cheese. It was expensive to buy, so I think I might just package up all the foods I can no longer eat and give them to Pidgeon's family. At least that way I'm not being wasteful.

Today has been a very productive day, even though I haven't left the house. I managed to finish all the laundry and tidy up the house before tomorrow's bed delivery. I'm really, really excited about the new beds and hope they are everything I was hoping they'd be! If anything else, I need the firm new mattress to help with my back which has already started to ache. Tonight, we're going to the supermarket so we can stock up on food. It took me an hour to write my shopping list as everything I wanted to make had some sort of offensive ingredient in it. Sigh. I really hope eating this way will help, although my biggest concern is that I basically eliminated all calcium options and I don't think that's really healthy. Hopefully, once I feel better, I'll be able to slowly add it back into my diet.

Well, I'm off to finish up my errands and get ready for out outing tonight. President Bush is coming to town tomorrow to completely mess up this City for the next 3 days. It should be really, really annoying. More to come!

Yom Tov from Baka!