The Countdown has begun....

My favorite question is: When are you due?

I love to see people's reactions whether its at the gym, in a super market or anywhere...

Someone always has something to say...

How far along? 38 weeks 2 days -Fundal Height is 37 1/2
Total weight gain/loss: Lost 1 lb - total 21 lbs.
Maternity clothes? My new favorite thing about my pregnancy and clothing is that I am wearing Philip's boxer's and t-shirt's to bed. I LOVE THEM and I think he really likes seeing me in them too.
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: Still going great. I only wake up 1-2 times a night. Saturday night I did have contractions the majority of the night but kept falling asleep timing them. Nothing worth talking about!
Worst moment this week: Unnecesary stress
Best moment this week: Short day Friday, long weekend and spending lots of time with Philip and family!
Movement: Very strong now. He has run out of room however I think he really thinks he is very comfy in there.
Food cravings: Much smaller frequent meals. Milk and Fresh Fruit!
Working out: Nothing has changed! Everyone at the gym is counting down and rooting me on. I am confident now that I will make it all the way to his delivery date and STILL work out just like I did before I got pregnant. I am so proud of myself for accomplishing this personal goal.
Labor Signs: Contractions, but nothing consistent or timeable. I worked out through some heavy contractions this past week. If I had been standing I think they would've stopped me in my tracks.
Weekly Wisdom: Be confident in yourself and don't let anyone drive you down!
Milestones: I declined the 38 week internal at the OB today. She said that is fine and if I go past my due date we will go ahead to do one to see how to proceed. My OB is on call this weekend so i secretly want to have him this weekend.
Looking forward to next week: Maybe a baby!? :) This weekend we have some fun stuff planned. Our temple is getting ready to close for 18 months for renovations and we will be moving the Torah's to our new temporary home. Friday night's Shabbat service will be a very special service as part of this event and the final service in our "old temple". Friday night we are also attending our friend's International Festival Party he is hosting at his home which should be super tasty with food from all over the world! Lots of birthday's this coming weekend.... Courtney, Robert and our neighbor Carola! I love some birthday celebrations!

Burp me

Burp me!

Ive been on a sewing kick ever since I made the softies. Maybe its the nesting/maternal Renee!? I figured while I had my sewing machine out I might as well make something else. Cassie had made me 2 burp cloth's for my baby shower which I loved and I figured I could give a try too! Decorative Burp cloth's are fairly easy so I decided to get a little creative. I bought a 6 pack of Gerber Cloth Diapers and adorned them with material, ribbon and some stitching. I love the way they turned out and will definitely be making more if not for Asher, for other's as gifts. Its so easy, cute and so inexpensive! Im sure he will spit up, barf and what not all over them but at least they are cute and wont show as much dirt, right? Ha! Who am I kidding!

Full Term

I am officially FULL TERM.
Asher...you can come any day and be perfectly perfect in every way.


But dear son... do not rush yourself if you are not ready. We are patient and proud parents and can wait at least 5 more weeks. After that you are no longer welcome in my incubator and will be forced to evacuate. The truth hurts. We don't want to face that truth so we are giving you plenty of time. I think 5 weeks will be just fine... but 3 would be great. Just try not to come until after May 25th, ok? Your loving and ridiculously excited parents...


All I can say is I am due in less than 3 weeks. DUE. As in, baby will be exiting my body sometime in the next few weeks. Scary. Weird. Unbelievable. Wow. We didn't do much of anything this weekend and it was strange. We are go go go people. Always busy. I had too much time to think. Or maybe I haven't had enough up to this point. Either way I am trying to grasp the fact that I am going to be a mom in just a few short days. I feel maternal but have no idea what that really means. I don't think I will know until he is in my arms. I know my life is going to change drastically. I am trying to grasp on to what that really means and at the same time know I will not know what that means for me until I am immersed in it.


Enough rambling. This is supposed to be a belly update.

I dont think my belly has grown much to the eye. Sometimes I feel very pregnant, sometimes not really very pregnant at all and sometimes I wonder how this little guy is really fitting in there.


How far along? 37 weeks 1 day -Fundal Height is 37 (right on!)

Total weight gain/loss: 2 lbs - total 22 lbs. Morning Appointment this week! Asher has gained at least 1 lb in the past week and I can sure tell that he is growing like a weed beause he has run out of room.

Maternity clothes? Same ole... mostly bottoms. I prefer dresses and/or Yoga Pants with tank tops.

Stretch marks? No

Sleep: This week I had quite a sleep experience. I woke up around 1 am to go to the bathroom. When I went to lay back down I felt a large wet puddle in the same area that would be between my legs. I panicked thinking my water might have broken ... or something else happened. I turned the light on, tried to figure out what it was and woke up Philip (who was quite startled). It turned out Bella puked on the bed while I was in the bathroom (which has never happened before). It was all watery which is very unusual too. This memory will definitely keep me laughing for another few weeks! (my mom's water never broke heavy...she just trickled...so I figured I was trickling too!) I slept great over the weekend...but again only 6 hours.

Worst moment this week: Thankfully this week was pretty darn good, other than the puke in the bed!

Best moment this week: Philip's business trip to Atlanta (scheduled originally for this week) was cancelled!!!! I am thrilled he will no longer be going out of town prior to my due date! Asher finally moved off my right hip mid week!

Movement: PRESSURE and loves to punch/kick my left love handle

Food cravings: Cravings are very minimal. I can't eat large meals anymore because my capacity to hold food is much smaller. I am finding myself hungry often but unable to eat much at each sitting.

Working out: The gym was my saving grace this week. On days I was miserable in hip pain I would go to the gym and all of the pain would go away while on the ellipticals. I believe its because of the stride of the machine, but thank heavens for my workouts!

Labor Signs: Same ole Braxton Hicks and a few contractions here or there. I am so glad I dont know where I am at because I am not holding back from doing anything...where as if I knew I might not be as active because of anxiety.

Weekly Wisdom: Live in the moment.

Milestones: I dropped a tiny bit. I think.

Looking forward to next week: Memorial Day weekend, the pool is opening! Having next Monday off from work and spending time with Philip and Bella!

The Mint

This week we attended a special event put on by the Young Adult Division of the Charlotte Jewish Federation at the Mint Museum of Craft and Design. They had a roof top party and then we toured the exhibit From the Melting Pot into the Fire: Contemporary Ceramics in Israel.

From the Melting Pot into the Fire: Contemporary Ceramics in Israel includes some of the most acclaimed ceramic artists working in Israel today. Ranging from the satirical to the sublime, 38 examples of ceramic sculpture address issues of identity within an immigrant society. Themes such as borders and boundaries will resonate with the American audience.This is the only United States showing of this exhibition co-coordinated by Yael Novak. She is in charge of the foreign affairs for the Ceramic Artists Association of Israel.

Here is one of my personal favorites

(Titled: Forms, by Michaela Orstav, hand built porcelain)

This project was supposedly part of the individual's thesis and this art form has never been done before. This is made completely out of porcelain with no other supports. The shape took form in the firings of the porcelain. Each piece is about 3 feet tall!

The exhibit was amazing and we could've stayed in there for hours if my body wasn't pretty tired after a day of work and then being on my feet for 3 hours at the event. Since I have such a love and passion for ceramics I was in total awe of the art that was on display and all of the artists stories. 

Photos from on the roof top and at the Social Before the Exhibit Tour

Bella is ALL CLEAN and ready for Asher to arrive!

and tooo cute for words....

No IV for me!

Less than 30 days to go.... and almost FULL TERM!

Asher is gaining about an ounce a day. He now weighs more than 6 lbs and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. According to our OB we are NOT having a big baby...he will either be normal size or small...which is fine with me. Less to push out! He's shedding most of the downy hair that covered his body, as well as the waxy substance that protected his skin during his nine-month amniotic bath. Next week, he will be considered full-term.

How far along? 36 weeks 2 days - 3 1/2 weeks to go till due date! Fundal Height is 36 (right on!)

Total weight gain/loss: 2 lbs - total 20 lbs. My appointments keep changing from morning to afternoon which makes my weight gain/loss really fluctuate...Oh well...hopefully they will stick to mornings from here on out!

Maternity clothes? My maternity tops don't even fit over my belly these days (Old Navy doesn't make great fitting maternity clothes, yet their regular tops fit!? go figure!).

Stretch marks? No, but I keep hearing you can get them after birth...so I am praying on this one!

Sleep: This has been inconsistent lately. Some nights are great and some are up every hours. I still can't sleep for more than 6-7 hours, but I am getting sleepy earlier.

Worst moment this week: Our Dryer not getting fixed like it was supposed to and piles of laundry!

Best moment this week: TONS of Pregnant Friends/Moms had their babies! Over the course of 8 days I know 5 people who had babies, all healthy even if a little early or on time and NO C-sections!!!!! A sunny weekend, great workouts and spent lots of time with Philip. My parents were also in Fl for a 4 day trip and made it back without me going into labor which is a huge relief. I couldn't imagine doing this without them.

Movement: Asher gets the hiccup's at least once a day if not more. His patterns for movement have changed slightly and he doesn't move as much when I lay down. He mainly moves while I am sitting all day (sitting on him!). We still haven't seen any body parts and the minute we get he camera out to video he gets stage fright and stops moving!

Food cravings: I am not really craving anything these days. Milk is always a staple. I enjoyed sushi with the girls this weekend and a fantastic Mexican TChicken Toastada salad which all hit the spot!

Working out: Same ole workouts, and I actually jogged one day this week, but I have officially decided with 3 1/2 weeks left that is over for now! The gym kept me lose when I could barely walk from him pushing on my leg nerves.

Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks but nothing consistent. I think I have also had contractions but am having trouble timing them and telling them apart.

Weekly Wisdom: Be true to yourself.

Milestones: Baby Asher is head down and ready to go. I think that I have dropped based on some side by side photo comparisons. I passed my GBS (group B strep) test and I dont have to have an IV or Hep-Loc on admission to Labor & Delivery!!!!! Asher is also projected to be a normal or small sized baby... yippe! No big boy for me!

Looking forward to next week: Shabbat Dinner, seeing my sister and Rich (they will be in for a wedding!) and enjoying every moment I have before Asher arrives!

Our little orphan...

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY from our rose garden!

We hosted a Mother's Day Cook Out at our house this year and we truly were able to enjoy the gorgeous weather that we were so very blessed with after thunderstorms forecasted for the entire weekend (and it was SUNNY all weekend!)

Momma Linda always requests Philip's famous chicken and ribs which are truly a LABOR OF LOVE...but he was up for the task for this very special Mother's Day.

Our grill was full and definitely now in need of a MAJOR cleaning and a new tank of gas.

He spent 3 1/2 hours grilling our dinner to perfection...after he spent 3 hours working in the yard. As expected we have enough left overs for probably 2 weeks worth of chicken!

We ate grilled corn on the cob, grilled garlic potatoes, salad, chicken and ribs. We didn't even touch the cranberry jezebel appetizer. Warm Apple Pie, vanilla bean ice cream, strawberries, whip cream and cookies for dessert.

As the night progressed Bella looked dirtier and dirtier. Playing with two other dogs in the yard, you think she would get dirty right? Bella was in need of a bath before Mother's Day, but this new look took it too a whole new level.


After 20 minutes we figured out she was sticking her head behind the grill and it was GREASE that she had all over her face. Our little orphan Bella....she reminded me of the movie Annie with all of the dirt on their face. She knew we were picking on her, laughing at her and she was pitiful.

Needless to say she got a bath (post bath photo below) and she will be getting her final pre-baby haircut this Thursday. Bella get's post haircut princess syndrome (this is a term we have made up). We need to make sure we are able to accommodate her post her haircut so it is definitely time to get her in to be groomed since Asher COULD arrive any day now.

Mother's Day presents (which I'm pretty sure they loved)...

...HOMEMADE with love by both Asher and I:

This was a very special Mother's Day as I am not fully a mother yet....yet an incubator to my motherhood. Or something like that. I received lovely white roses, summer gear for Asher, a few cute toys for Asher, the Paddington Bear book, a gift certificate for a spa manicure and pedicure (which I will definitely be using pre-baby or right after!) and some wonderful cards.

Philip made it an extra special day for me. He handmade me the cutest card I think I have ever received. Anything homemade is preferred so this was extra special.

Look at how he drew me....a tear drop body!

He also granted one VERY PRINCESSY (I confess) request that I had for my delivery.

Let me repeat I confess this is very princessy and totally uncalled for.



I AM THRILLED that I will not be caught on camera in that typical and scratchy/ugly hospital gown.

There is something about it that gives me the creeps. Maybe its the color, the fact that its probably been worn before or that everyone wears it....but I really have dreaded it. I'd rather be naked. I'm sure I will be the furthest from cute when I am delivering (all natural, drug free) but I am going to try my hardest...in this precious delivery gown...


Thank you honey for making me the happiest mother-to-be...for everything you do everyday, not just today! We are so grateful to have both of our mom's in our lives... and a very big part of our lives. Aside from presents, the greatest gift they could ever give us is life and we are so glad that we will be able to give back to them in yet another form of life this year: Their first grandson!

Tempting...

This is what we have been staring at on our kitchen counter for the past several days. Philip teaches Hebrew High School (8th & 9th grade) and also took on the responsibility of overseeing the Student Council. This year they wanted to do a bake sale to raise money for JFS (Jewish Family Services, which funds several organizations in our Jewish Community). They planned for 2 bake sales and both times Philip was really unsure how profitable the sale would be but THEY DID FANTASTIC! They raised over $150 to donate to JFS and are so excited about presenting them with the check.

As a resut of this wonderful Mitzvah (great deed) we are now stuck with all of the unpurchased baked goods. Stuck... hmmm? Or Lucky? Either way its so very tempting and I can't stop looking at the brownies, chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies.

Confession: Last night after I busted my booty in the gym and ate a delicious homemade taco salad dinner, I took two small cookies and put fat free vanila bean ice cream to make a chocolate chip ice cream sandwich. Yum to the tum!

What is a Bris?

This isnt meant to be an "educational blog" BUT... for those that read and do not know... I would love to fill you in about the ceremony/celebration that we are planning 8 days after Asher's birth! I am sure come time for the Bris I wont be one bit "excited" about it, however I understand the meaning behind this ceremony and procedure enough to know that is a very special part of the birth of our son!

The question is: What is a Bris?

The word Bris means covenant; the word Milah, to cut.

A Bris is a religious ceremony within Judaism to welcome infant Jewish boys into a covenant between God and the Children of Israel through ritual circumsion performed by a mohel ("circumciser").

Bris Milah

Judaism views body and soul as holy partners in serving G-d. Therefore, the bris is performed on the most physical part, for all of man is holy before his Creator. Bris Milah joins the forces of body and soul together in serving G-d.

Why on the 8th day?

The kabbalistic writings teach us that seven days represent the physical world of creation. Thus, when a child has lived for eight days, he has transcended the physical to the metaphysical. The covenant joining body and soul, physical and spiritual, can now take place. A bris has no meaning when performed before the eighth day.

The Bris ceremony has two parts: The actual circumcision and the naming.

The actual circumsion will take place in a private room with immediate family prior to the ceremony. This will be performed by a Mohel, who is trained and certified to perform circumsion and in our case is a medical doctor. The service will be performed by our two Rabbi's: Rabbi Judy and Rabbi Micah. Both of them have paid a very large part in our lives as a couple and it is only fitting that they both be a part of this joyous occassion (if in fact they are in town on the 8th day!) It is customary to honor family and friends to participate in holding the baby at various parts of the bris. The highest honor is to be the sandak, who holds the baby during the actual circumcision. The grandfather's will serve as the sandak's each holding Asher at a different part during the ceremony.

It is not required to have a minyan- a group of ten at the bris. The parents can choose to have a private ceremony on the eighth day and have a reception on a later day when they are more rested. We will however have them all at the same time opening the Bris up to the entire community and for anyone that wants to be a part of the ceremony and celebrate with us.

The naming of the child is the most emotional part of many bris ceremonies. Ashkenazic-European Jews have the custom of naming after the deceased. The immortalizing of a close relative or friend is a beautiful tradition, (Renee's grandfathers). Sephardic Jews have the tradition to name after the living (Philip's neice, Aunt, Grandfather and Great Grandmother) . A child may have one or more names, in accordance with the parents' desires.

Asher will most likely wear the very same outfit to his Bris that Philip wore at his. It does in fact look like a dress but its really a gown that has an opening at the bottom for "easy access". This will allow his wound to air and heal after the procedure. After the ceremony we will all join together for some wonderful celebratory meal (Seudat Mitzvah)

We plan to host this celebration at Softa and Papu's Home (Philip's Parents). It will most likely take place outside weather permitting!

********

More exciting news.... we finally have names for the grandparents.

After much discussion we present to you:

Softa and Papu (Grandma in Hebrew and Grandpa in Sephardic Hebrew for Philip's Parents)

Nana and Poppy (Renee's Parents)

WE LOVE THEIR NAMES and can't wait for Asher to meet his grandparents!

ALL FOUR OF THEM!!!!!!

35/35

We made past our 35th week with 35 days left till Asher's arrival (hopefully!).

I still can't believe that in less than 5 weeks we will be parents...and there will be a little guy here in our arms. It won't just be us with Bella. It will be a real family.

I had a lot of time to reflect on this fact over the weekend...more to follow. Philip was in New Orleans and I was panicked almost all weekend that I would go into early labor (even though I knew it wouldn't happen, my mind was playing games on me). I tried to lay low but you know with me that is hard to do.

Philip had a blast in New Orleans for Ben Levine's bachelor party. He got there Friday night and met up with all of the guys at GW Fins. They had a delicious dinner and he ate a huge filet mignon. Afterwards they roamed Bourbon Street late late into the evening doing what guys do at a Bachelor Party. I think this was somewhat of a bachelor party for him too seeing that his life is about to change. staying up till 4 am will no longer be filled with spirits and drinks but instead a screaming, crying baby. Saturday they hit up the New Orleans Jazz Festival and heard Bon Jovi which was quite a highlight of the trip. A little gambling, drinking and male debauchery (yuck!). He seemed to have a great time celebrating with Ben and all of his buddies from high school, college etc. He flew home super early which turned out to be very smart. He was able to spend the 2nd half of Sunday relaxing and catching up on lost sleep before his busy work week. Plus he was home...which to me was a huge relief.

I on the other hand spent the weekend nesting. I can not leave the house now without having it fairly tidy.... as you can imagine why!? I also realized this past weekend while alone how much I really rely on Philip and the cmofort of his prescense. Knowing he is here and by my side is very comforting. He is more than just my partner, he is my other half. I felt very panicked without him. Don't get me wrong... I definitely enjoyed the ME time as I am a person who needs this fairly often, but I was missing him big time.

I worked on many crafts (some for Asher and some for our Mom's for Mother's Day!)

I have a tradition of making baby wreath's for just about anyone I can that is expecting.

Of course I had to make one for Asher but since it was for my own child I only put ribbons it. I like the simplicity of how it came out. Im debating on whether I should add a big bow at the top. This is his bedroom door.

I kept mentioning SOFTIES... here they are....

Sweet Giraffe (which was so hard to make and made me sweat bullets!)

Mad Dog - pretty ugly looking fella!

Plurbit (my personal favorite and will be making many more!)

This weekend marked my 35/35. I am officially in the final stretch. I am DUE NEXT MONTH!

Everything looks great according to our OB. His head is down and he is in the correct position. He is measuring right on and growing perfectly. I will not be having any internal exams unless medically necessary prior to going into labor so you won't hear how many cm dialted or effaced or at what station I am at. I am an anxious person naturally and feel that finding out this information will only create more anxiety for me. When the baby is ready to come he will come :). My OB is 100% on board with this and LOVES that I dont want any internal exams. No need for false hope! We have now moved up to weekly appointments! He is larger than a honeydew and probably 5-6 lbs. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

How far along? 35 weeks 1 day

Total weight gain/loss: 18 lbs total gain as of today. I lost 2 lbs at my last appointment. Don't be alarmed the OB said it was perfectly fine and the baby is very healthy. It is fairly normally for people (especially active ones like me) to lose weight in their final 6 weeks as water weight comes and goes and the time of your appointment (morning or afternoon) can weigh heavily on your weight as well.

Maternity clothes? Mostly only bottoms.

Stretch marks? Holding out! I love my Palmer's!

Sleep: I can't sleep for more than 6-7 hours total a night now. I used to be a 10 hour a night sleeper. Now my body is done. I am getting up more often, typically 3 times a night to use th ebathroom. Two nights I woke at 5 am with a little nausea and what could've been heart burn, but not significant.

Worst moment this week: Missing my Philip.

Best moment this week: I feel human again. I am no longer in pain by 2-3 pm on the weekends and feel like I have more energy. This is the 2nd weekend I have felt this way and I love having that back after several weeks of being a party pooper mid day!

Movement: Asher does not like it when I sit, particularly upright with good posture. He prefer's laying down, leaning back, standing up or working out. His movement is very strong now and very obvious to anyone watching my stomach.

Food cravings: I've been craving homemade meals and grilled food. Lots of fresh fruit and vegetables and milk as always.

Working out: Same ole workouts and getting LOTS of compliment's these days. I think I am officially going to cut out my running this week as the baby is much heavier and its much harder on my right leg (where he has planted himself). LOTS OF CARDIO, stretching and light weights will be my routine till delivery! Everyone thinks my water will break in the gym and that my child will love thrill rides since I am constantly giving him the ride of his life inside my belly!

Labor Signs: some minor Braxton Hicks but nothing substantial.

Weekly Wisdom: Seize The Day....for the days "just us" are numbered and few....

Milestones: The car seat is installed and we have finalized plans for the Bris (will blog about this, this week for those that don't know what it is).

Looking forward to next week: spending time with Philip & Bella.

A tribute to Bella who we are very obsessed with.

As you can see below we give Bella A LOT of LOVE ALL of the TIME....

Bella is thinking, "daddy I need a bath and a haircut before Asher comes!"

I think her Daddy was loving her a little too much here...her eyes are bugging out!

Wide Load

On one of my several trips to Michael's this past week I parked my car, hopped out and went inside on a search for several items for my weekend filled with projects. More felt, clasps, frames, yarn etc. I was fairly quick. Ten minutes? I had to get back to work and was already running behind my original schedule for my lunch hour.

As I bee bopped my way back out to the parking lot I realized I was trapped. I couldnt fit in on either side of the car.

Do I need to post a sign on my windows that reads: Wide load.....Pregnant! Do Not Park Too Close!?

I was stuck... I tried to fit in. I tried sucking in. I tried sashaying sideways. Nothing worked. Both sides of my car were squished in this tiny parking spot by two other large SUV's. I guess I deserve this for just having just purchased an SUV.

So I waited.
Patient. Hot. A little annoyed the clock was ticking by on my lunch hour.
Hungry. I had to pee.
I didnt want to leave because what if this car owner left and another one trapped me in too.
I would've been able to fit into that space if I wasnt 35 weeks pregnant!

Finally the woman came to my rescue. We both laughed. She felt bad.
I came away with a great memory, great story and a lesson learned.

Oh how much I love my wide load :)
off to the OB today to see how wide the load has gotten...