Busy times

Whew. I have been so busy lately. I can't believe I haven't blogged for more than two months!
Let's see, I have these 3 under 5 to attend. They're absolutely amazing, but they're still 3 under 5.
I took this project upon my self, to be our preschool's photographer this year. It takes SO MUCH of my time - editing each photo from scratch. some nights I find my self interacting with my dear computer after midnight. These kids, their sweet honest expressions. I edit each photo and find my self smiling so wide. I love it! I really hope the parents love the photos as well!

Maya turned 3.5 a couple of weeks ago, so we celebrated. It was a good excuse for a chocolate cake ;)
I love this girl. I was a little worried about her. For a while, when she'd come home from preschool and to my question of whom did she play with, she'd answer no one. It saddened me. Somehow I navigated the conversation in a specific way, instructing her how to answer. To tell me no one wanted to play with her. Though she was never unhappy about it.
I started watching the dynamics in the class and realized she's happy. Some kids were just mean, and I was glad to see her so mature way of judgment. She is kind, and sweet, and compassionate, my Maya! I think you could tell by looking at her photo :)


Erezi has turned three months two days ago! Wow!
He is unbelievable! Been sleeping the whole night through since he was a month and a half old! Knock on a million woods!!! I love love love the way he looks at me - I just smile at him and what do you know? He's right there with his adorable smile smiling at me! Precious! Priceless!


I have Shabbat dinner in the oven and some more photo editing to do before I take a break for candle lighting, blessings, a yummy homemade dinner. We'll sing Shabbat songs, have a pleasant conversation, laugh and enjoy each other while laundry piles are getting bigger and the mess is getting messier!

Good times and Shabbat Shalom :)

Just had to tell the world: I'm SO in love with my precious baby, Erez!
My dad is arriving tomorrow from Israel. I'm so thrilled, I can't wait! It'll be so exciting to see him holding his first grandson. We're talking about a man who's had 3 daughters and 4 granddaughters so far ;)
And off to the shower I go. Finally!

Erez David Waite

Welcome to the world sweet baby!

Erez David Waite was born last Tuesday August 19th of 2008 at 2:45pm.
21in and weighed in 8lbs 7oz.

Erez is an amazing baby! We all can't get enough of him and SO in love!! :)

Will write more when I'm not falling asleep while walking... Have a fab week!!!

D.day

I am 40 weeks pregnant tomorrow. And after two whole months of contractions, this little fighter guy is still in me!
I am tired. Physically. Mentally. Tired of being diabetic and injections. My back is so sore. My belly is so heavy, literally hanging between my legs. And so done with having to pee every 5 minutes!


I'm so grateful for having the best husband in the world! He makes it all so easy on me, he's my partner in everything. I'm so grateful for having my mother here with me, who helps so much in the house and with the girls!
She has 4 granddaughters by now and this one will be her first grandson! She also has 3 daughters, so it's very hard to think about having a boy being born in this family!


Tomorrow is induction day. I'm getting nervous thinking about it. I'm also really tired, and the girls are being very challenging too. They know big things are happening and they keep pushing the limits and testing me non stop...


I have to:

Get through today's nap that's not really working, swim lesson for both girls without loosing my cool, as has been happening since this morning, unfortunately.

Pack and get everything done and ready for the hospital.

Go to sleep early tonight, since tomorrow morning we'll be up at about 4:30!

And... Not loosing my cool, since I just did a minute ago again...!



I have to mention as well how grateful I am for having such amazing friends who keep being interested in me and how I feel. Keep calling me, and offering help! Thank you!

38 weeks and counting

I feel so lucky tonight. Lucky for having my two amazing daughters. Having the most amazing man. My mother. Who came all the way from Israel to help!
My mother, who has almost no experience in photography (meaning barely taking pictures in her not so short life), came here with a brand new camera my dad bought her for the trip. My mother took these 2 beautiful photos that I absolutely love!




I am 38 weeks pregnant now and am so happy this little pushky stayed in me until now :)
But to be honest, I am ready to get this over with and am so excited to start this new life that's waiting right around the corner!
I can't wait to meet my baby boy!

35 weeks 3 days

Another NST this morning. 4 contractions during 30 minutes. 50% effaced and just a tip of a finger dilated. Keeping my legs crossed tight for a little longer!




I go to the hospital twice a week for non stress tests. I've come to realize that I get to, dare I say, feel somewhat a positive feeling about this. Maybe even enjoy that little bit of time to myself. Reading trashy magazines, staring at the numbers changing on the monitor, drinking iced water, feeling the little one moving so much and bonding with him...



Hopefully I'll get to do a few more of these non stress tests! My mother is coming all the way from Israel on Sunday, we're all so excited here! When she's here, I'll feel so much better about leaving to the hospital once in labor, everything will be so much less stressful.
Listen to your mama sweet little baby, STAY IN for just a little longer! I love you!

Just wanted to wish a Happy 4th of July!
And a safe and fun long weekend!

My sweet big girl maternal Lia. A couple of days ago, we drove back home, Lia turned
to Maya and asked: Did you have fun, Maya? Did you have a good day?

She's such a little mommy. So kind and caring. Can't wait to see her with her baby brother.

Slow down

This past few days, this pregnancy has been quite the ride for me... Not only is my body becoming more and more insulin resistant, and therefor I have to inject more insulin, but I've been forced to slow down dramatically.


Last Monday I was scheduled for my first NST (non stress test), which I'm ordered to do biweekly, since I'm insulin dependent. I got to the hospital at 6pm. Was left in a labor and delivery room on the same bed I'll be pushing my baby out eventually. Hopefully not before July is over. Not to mention that was a reality check and a little freak out, realizing this is what's really happening here... An hour later, the nurse walks into the room, telling me I can not leave the hospital since I'm contracting...!!!

Shock!


I was contracting every 3-10 minutes! And didn't even know it!!! They gave a shot to stop the contractions. Didn't help. I was contracting every 4 minutes. Then got another shot. It started helping.
So, after 5 hours of being horizontal in an L&D bed, with belts around me, this cute fast heartbeat sound in the background, a lot of junk TV shows I never get to watch on a regular basis, 2 shots, one pill and high blood sugar levels I was finally released home (in a wheel chair) at 11pm!
It felt so good to be in my car again and breathe some fresh air. I was with my sweet dad on the phone, who called to get an update (all the way from Israel, how helpless must he feel...), on the way to see my sweetest babies at home and... giggling to my self remembering how I was afraid I might get stuck in traffic on the way back home, that was supposed to be at 7ish...

I've been forced to let go... Let go of cleaning, cooking, running errands, being upset... Been forced to stop being a control freak...

Had another NST today and saw my Dr. and been told I've been a good girl :) I have to. I'm only 32 weeks by now - got to cook this bun a little longer in my oven.

Maddie

My dear dear friend, Sarah had her baby Maddie a little over a week ago. I am so proud of her for going through labor and delivery with no drugs! Absolutely can't see my self doing that!
Also so proud of her for breastfeeding (which is our religion ;). And of course for being such an incredible mommy for 3 kids under 5!!!
When I learned Sarah was at the hospital and just had her newest baby, all I could think about was, I can't wait to see the whole family in this new beautiful light :) Oh, and of course, take photos!

So here she is, beautiful peaceful baby Maddie at 2 days of age - Welcome to this world!


Very proud and sweet big brother Georgie can't stop touching her and showing his wonderful love!

This photo is my most favorite one of Maddie so far. I look at her and just want to eat her up...! Oh yeah, as her mommy says: she weighed in a delicate 10lbs 8oz!!! Look at these cheeks!


On a different note, our latest addition is our baby tomatoes that are almost ready to be picked and eaten, yummm. Love the summer in California!

Summer's here!

Ah... Summer's here and even though I'm 30 weeks pregnant by now the heat brings me a lot of happiness. I guess I like it Israel hot ;)
I've been craving banana bread for a while now, so the other day I've decided it's time, and the girls helped me. To bake and eat it.




We've been spending a lot outdoors. Our yard is so ugly, but man, aren't we lucky to have it! It's just fine for blowing bubbles and running around!
And then there's our friends' back yard with the hot tub and the wonderful view of mt. diablo. Thank you Sarah for having us over - it was so much fun!



30 weeks pregnant and still growing. Pumpkin moves a lot, especially when i enjoy music. But it seems regardless what I feel or what's going on he just likes to move and kick a lot, which makes him so much like his sisters and I love that. Speaking of pregnancy, I think it's doing something to Mikey... He's obsessively listening to Mariah Carey... Oh, my husband by the way is a rocker/jazz lover and all sorts of things but Mariah Carey seems wrong... I love him so much!



In the beginning of this week we celebrated Shavuot. It's my favorite holiday. It often occurs on my birthday, traditional foods are a lot of dairy and fruit and, of course wine goes great with that. We've been making and eating a lot blintzes for the past few days (desert, crepes filled with sweet cheese filling - yummm). The other day we went to celebrate with our friends, it was so good, the company and the food.



I made a little comeback a couple of days ago, when I found my self standing in the kitchen and cooking! Since the beginning of this pregnancy, cooking and handling certain foods just wasn't appealing to me to say the least and then sore back just kept me away from standing. For some reason I'm a little over both. The other evening I made this chicken dish. I stir fried small pieces of boneless skinless chicken thighs with onion, tomato, cilantro. Added salt and pepper and after browning the whole thing a little I took the dish out. Then added some nice red wine to the pan, reduced it a little and poured it over the dish. Came out awesome, the girls ate it so nicely!



The gymnaticsmania in our house! The girls started taking gymnastics class about 2 months ago and they LOVE it! Lia seems to can't stop experimenting the limits of her own body... To the point I get real scared, but really can't (or think I shouldn't) stop her.
We're starting swim class this coming Monday, I hope they get excited about that at least as half as they are about gymnastics, then I'll be all set, but I have a feeling I'm heading some challenges ;)

My 33RD

This is my beautiful sister, Amit who gave me a niece for my 33rd birthday!
She went into labor on 5/30 and in the very early hours of 5/31 (Israel time) she did it and my new niece, Hadar was born!
The next day 6/1 was my 33rd birthday :)

Big sister Noam meeting her baby sister at the hospital.

We celebrated and had dinner at our favorite Italian restaurant Pasta Pomodoro in downtown Pleasant Hill. Now that I'm thinking about this dinner, I'm almost drooling here... Wish we were eating there tonight too... Yum!

I feel so lucky to share this life with the man of my dreams, Mikey. And my two precious amazing daughters, oh and this little guy who gives me so much joy each time he reminds me he's in me with his movements and cute kicks!

Friends

Last Friday our friends from L.A. came for a visit in San Fran. We had them over for Shabat dinner (Friday night), and we also celebrated Lag Ba'omer, which is a Jewish holiday in which you make fire, sit around it, eat, sing and have lotsa fun! And we did!

I'm so happy and grateful to have such great friends, who are considered as family.

Metreon, SF

Fisherman's wharf, SF

Lia and Idan - Best fwends!

This guy's name is striper. We saw him sitting on his weird owner's lap around fisherman's wharf and the girls were in love... My favorite quote of the day came from Lia asking the weird guy who had striper: "... and he's not a toy even..??"

Then, of course we had to do the finale at the Marin Headlands. The money shot as Mikey calls it :)
That was a wonderful weekend!
We miss you guys already!

Maya is 3!

My baby Maya, turned three today! It may sound strange, but she is looking bigger, acting bigger, more understanding and even more amazing than ever today.

Three years ago, we were living in MA. I woke up in the morning on 5.5.05, and started feeling contractions at 7:30am. At about 10am we were already at the hospital, and by 4:20ishpm Maya Ofri Waite was born :)

This is our "before" photo.

Holding my baby Maya for the first time.

A family of four. Mikey and I with our 15 month old baby and our few hour old baby.

Maya Ofri Waite.

Mmmmmwah!

Sisters. 3 years ago.

And today. Sisters.

Today we went to our Dr. Maria for Maya's 3 year physical. Some way of celebrating ;)
This is her REAL pig, Basil.

And this is the real reason it really was a celebration (even though a shot was included in the visit, and I must say Maya was so brave - didn't make a sound!) - Roxy the cute dog. Maya has been obsessed with dogs for a while now. It was the hardest thing to actually leave the Dr.'s office...

Maya is so sweet and gentle and cuddly. She is loving and sensitive and musical and goofy.
Maya is one of my two most beautiful precious most amazing daughters I have and love oh so much! Life is good! Happy birthday my baby-big girl Maya papaya!