Patience and presence

I'm feeling big and I know that it's coming to an end. I'm trying to be patient, and enjoy the last days of our family as it is at this point in time. I know that this birth will be a wonderful and much anticipated event for all of us, but at the same time, there is a bitter-sweet feeling since things will obviously never again be the same.

I'm really trying to not rush through the last days of this pregnancy, to be present, and to enjoy special time with Maya and Haim (separately and together). Extra time in the bed nursing with Maya (who insists that my milk tastes the same as always, even though I can see it's now colostrum), a couple of fun craft projects, and lots of cuddling and watching TV on the couch. Also date nights with Haim...which I know will probably be in short supply for the next year or 2. Of course we will do these things after the baby is born...but understandably it will be different too.
This truly is a wonderful time for us.

It's easy to say YES!

Every day's we look for ways to say yes to Maya's requests....big and small. Sometimes those requests are simple..."I want salami with mayo".....and sometimes they are a bit more complex...."I want it to be my birthday NOW!" In the last day or two, we have had the following requests, and managed to meet all of the "needs"

1. Maya (totally into birthdays....mostly the cake and singing) wanted it to be her birthday....we explained that a birthday was only one day a year, but that we could have a pretend birthday with candles, cake and singing...she was thrilled. I then realized that the following day (today) was her "Birthday minus 1 month"....so we celebrated that all day. Lots of singing, lunch with grandpa, cupcakes and a cookie (her choices). She had a lot of fun explaining to us that her birthday was actually in "vember" (November)...but also had lots of fun celebrating all day.
   
2. We were heading home from dinner with my grandma lat night and drove by a park with kids playing...Maya expressed an interest in going, and I told her YES, when we pass by from some errands and dropping off grandma we can go...as we kept driving, and were about 2 blocks away, I realized that in 15 or 20 minutes there might not be kids there, and that we were not all needed on the errands...I had Haim turn around to drop us off, and Maya got to play in the park for 40 minutes while we waited for Haim to return. Heading into the park Maya said "this is so good"....so simple and accurate!
3. At Maya's "Birthday minus a month" lunch, we were at a beautiful bakery counter to choose a cake or sweet...first she chose a black and white cookie....and then a box of 4, beautifully decorated mini-cupcakes. Why not...it was her choice. At the table, she chose the first cupcake, ate the frosting off of the top, and handed the cake part back to me (i ate it, it was delicious!). She happily shared one with her grandpa, knowing that we would get more if she still wanted them after the box was empty. Next, she chose a second and requested that the frosting be removed, which I did, and then happily ate about 1/2 of the cake and handed it back. She left the remaining cupcake "for later" and asked for the cookie. She split it into several pieces, had a nibble of each, and asked that it be put back in the bag. Knowing that she could have it seemed to be enough...it took me about a year in Spain (and 30 lbs) to figure out that I could order a pastry without eating it all, and that I actually liked looking at them more than eating them, and she knows this already.
4. Driving to grandpas to wait for Haim to pick us up, we passed by a park that offers pony rides. Can we visit the ponies please, was answered by a turn into the park. The big smile on Maya's face was worth the 20 minute delay in getting back to the couch to rest (at 39 weeks pregnant, exhaustion is frequent)

Why not say yes whenever possible...even if that yes is followed by an explanation of when the yes will occur, if it cannot be immediate. Our daughter knows that we will do whatever is within our power to meet her needs and desires, it doesn't mean that a "yes, later..." isn't sometimes met with a meltdown (she's not even 3 yet)...bit I do think with each day we are building an intrinsic bond and trust that is invaluable.

Broody Bunch

One of my hens and I are having a race to see who is going to have a baby first. Right after the Yom Kippur holiday, she went broody and began to sit on some eggs that had accumulated in her nest for a day or 3...I then decided that it would be fun to let her hatch...unfortunately, not owning a rooster, I had to figure out how to get fertilized eggs. After making some local inquiries and a day of looking on the internet, I found a farm in Archer, FL that sells and ships fertilized eggs...a mix of Rhode Island Reds, Amerucana, Golden Comets and Dark Cornish. While waiting for the eggs, I realized that each morning, the hen would move over so that the others could lay their morning egg (my breakfast) on her nest...
Knowing that once there were fertilized eggs under her we would need to keep them separate, I figured maybe I could leave her in the coop, but put her in a "1-chicken" sized basket. I bought a new basket, filled it with pine, and at night transferred her and her eggs into the basket. In the morning I happily observed her in the basket with the eggs, and one of the other hens laying in the second nest box...Victory! I came out an hour later to collect the egg and found that my determined girl had carefully rolled all of the eggs out of the fairly high-lipped basket and over to where the lone egg was laid....she was once again happily sitting on all of the eggs! I really do admire the determination of this mother hen!
I moved her and all of her eggs back into the basket and looked forward to seeing what would happen the next day....The following morning she stayed in her basket, but managed to make room for the second hen to lay her egg there as well. (this is really a 1-chicken basket).
Well, today our fertilized eggs arrived and Haim eagerly swapped them for the unfertilized eggs beneath the hen, who is still happily sitting, unaware that her situation has improved greatly! We will have to figure out how to isolate her tonight so that the eggs do not mix if the other hens lay in the morning.
Now begins the count-down....for both her and me. We know she's got 20-21 days to go, and I really hope I have a baby in my arms before she does!

Feeling Blessed

It's easy to forget how blessed you are in the hum drum of day-to-day activities.

Today, while doing household chores, I've been constantly reminded. Maya and Haim are on a nature field trip in the everglades for the day, and I've had a quiet day of kitchen cleaning, laundry, bread making, and resting. Yes, I did have to clean the kitchen, but i'm very lucky to have a beautiful kitchen to clean after it has been "torn apart" while preparing delicious and healthy food for my family.

I've done a load of laundry, but with the luxury of a washer and dryer in my garage...and the laundry that I have done is all of the beautiful baby clothing that I used with Maya and will soon be reusing for the baby that will bless us in a very short time after (g-d willing) an easy labor. How lucky to have had the ability to buy such lovely things the first time around, and to have the opportunity to use them again!

It is so nice to experience the peace and silence of the house, and to know that it will soon again be filled with the noise and chaos of those I love.

Baking, Birthdays, and Such

I've discovered a new baking book....I'm in LOVE! Dorie Greenspan's "Baking: From My Home to Yours" This is a comprehensive, easy to follow, baking book for all of the home-style goodies I like to make for the family. I haven't tried a recipe I didn't like yet!

Also, Monday I turned 30...though the main event of the day was Yom Kippur, we had a birthday break-fast celebration at the end of the evening. Just a couple of friends over, with lots of noisy kids running around....and Haim did a very "interesting" Hawiian Luau version of happy birthday on Maya's lap-harp.

Otherwise, slowly creeping towards the end of pregnancy....only a couple of weeks to go now! And our garden is growing nicely...though I do think Haim has gotten a bit overzealous with the corn.

Lastly, I finished the curtains and pillowcases for Maya's playroom. I'm really happy with how it looks, though once haim hangs the curtains I'll really have an idea of how it looks...and I've started on a new and very simple project....napkins. Ours are getting a bit ratty, as we only use cloth and have had them for 5 years...too many wine stains ect...so I found a great homespun fabric that should hide lots of abuse....and then I found a lovely tutorial online at the purl bee and I seem to be golden...though I've not completed one yet. But I have discovered some new tools (rotary cutter, self healing pad, line ruler, bias tape maker) in the process, that I think may revolutionize my minimal sewing skills.

All in all, it's been a lovely September!

Rosh Hashanna

(yes, I made the Challas....Haim, however, did all of the yummy salads)

Planting

Grandma's feeling better...and we've got a bit more time to fool around the house again. For a week I was going down to N Miami (not the end of the world, but 18 miles round trip none the less) every day, and then my aunt Lynn was in town managing grandma a bit more, but I was still going down to visit daily. Now Lynn is gone, grandma is feeling good, and I've had a bit more time to devote to both feeling like a pregnant whale (and frequently laying "beached" on the couch) and doing household stuff like getting our garden started, restocking the freezer, unpacking and organizing remaining boxes from the move, and just keeping things clean, tidy and orderly....with the daily house explosion that comes from having a toddler!
I started some seedlings Sunday a week ago, and we planted a decent portion of them in some prepared beds. Spaghetti squash, corn, peas, cukes, watermelon and tomatoes...still have peppers, broccoli, fennel, herbs and flowers to plant, maybe next week. Also, will direct seed some onions and carrots. We'll see how it all turns out. I loved planting with Maya, she "tucked in" and kissed each plant as she helped me set them in the ground. Very cute!