Hamantaschen Playdate!

On the 14th day of the Hebrew month of Adar we celebrate Purim. It is the festival that commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people from Haman's plot to annihilate them as recorded in the Biblical Book of Esther. According to the story Haman casts lots to determine the day upon which to exterminate the Jews. Purim is celebrated the day following the victory of the Jews over their enemies and begins at sundown on the previous day. Purim is characterized by public recitation of the Book of Esther, gifts of food and drink, giving to charity, a celebratory meal, drinking wine, wearing of masks and costumes, making hamantaschen (Triangular cookies in the shape of Haman's hat filled with sweet goodness of either jelly or chocolate) and public celebration. It is tradition that anytime you hear Haman's name read that you try to drown it out with noise maker's.

As you can imagine this is quite fun for children!

This weekend we celebrate Purim. We will attend a special Tot Purim Service, participate in the parade, eat a Purim festive meal and attend the annual Purim Carnival at the Jewish Community Center which attracts hundreds of young kids from around the community. Asher will be dressing up as King Ahasuerus...fitting huh!? Photos to follow as I made his costume!

Asher's friend Jacob came over this week to play and make Hamantaschen with the nanny. As you can see Jacob did most of the actual "making" of the Hamantaschen with guidance and help of the nanny. Asher loves to observe Jacob and Jacob is so sweet with Asher.

Preparing the cookies with the filling

Cookies ready for the oven!

Tasting the yumminess after working so hard!

The boys had a great time and we love that the nanny is so willing to do anything with them!

She is going to make Asher's King crown for the Purim carnival on Friday!

Have I mentioned we love Amanda!?

Playin'

The quality of this video is embarassing...
but its from my cell phone and you know how that goes.
Still work sharing!

Somehow a video of Asher singing and standing turned into my child pooping standing up (which he loves to do) and burping.
Oh the life of having a boy!

Enjoy!

Prayers for the Hirsch's

On Friday February 19th, 2010

Mr. Jacob Sanford Hirsch

arrived 10 weeks early...

Courtney and Josh are two of our very best friend's (we have known them for over 15 years!) and they are the proud parents of this tiny 2 lb 13 ounce, 16.25" precious baby boy. Courtney suffered from severe preeclampsia and had some additional complications which forced her to deliver 10 weeks early. We have been praying for both Courtney and Jacob's health and ask that you do the same. As we all know 10 weeks is very early, but Jacob hasn't skipped a beat since he came out!

Mi-sheberakh avoteinu v’imoteinu, Avraham v’Sarah, Yitzhak v’Rivkah, Ya’akov, Rachel v’Leah hu y’varekh et Courtney and Jacob v’yavi aleihem refuat hanefesh u’refuat haguf yachad im kol cholei amo Yisrael. Barukh atah Hashem, rofeh ha’cholim.

Mi Sheberach May the One who blessed our ancestors, Sarah and Abraham, Rebecca and Isaac, Leah, Rachel and Jacob bless Courtney and Jacob Hirsch along with all of the ill among us. Grant insight to those who bring healing, courage and faith to those who are sick, love and strength to us and to all who love them. God, let your spirit rest upon all who are ill and comfort them. May they and we soon know a time of complete healing, a healing of the body and a healing of the spirit and let us say: Amen.

Ani L'Dodi V'Dodi Li

Ani L'Dodi V'Dodi Li

"I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine"

These are the words inscribed inside Philip's wedding band.

We cherish these words in our life, marriage and as a family...

each and everyday, not just on Valentine's Day!

Of course we took this day as an opportunity to remind ourselves to love each other all day of every day! Philip took it as an opportunity to write me a poem that was inspired by a course he is taking through the Adult Education Division at our Temple titled, "Sex in the Texts" Now before you turn your head this poem has nothing to do with sex...

It's Valentine's Day in 2010
so its time to celebrate our love yet again
I didn't get a card that is mushy and sweet
I wrote you a poem for a Valentine treat

Our love is vast and infinitely deep
I try to explain it but my worlds are too weak
Lucky for us Judaism has a rendition
if 10 things which measure love's definition

B'Gzelem Elohim
In the image of God
Which I know you have
from your sexy bod

Trust and honesty
are relationship staples
I trust you with my world
and know you're capable

Without our health
our love would surely die
You watch over me like a hawk
With your lovingly careful eye

Justice is required
For our to grow
I respect you as an equal
Which I know you know

Mishpacha or Family
We have in plenty
I wonder how much we have
To share with so many

Modesty we have
But we mustn't be shy
God created us in God's image
of course, that's why

Are we Faithful?
yes we are
Our passion is pure
Far above par

Simcha is Joy
Our love must excel
Our home is a happy one
If you couldnt tell

What is the Foundation
of every good couple
Love of course
In marriage it takes double

Finally there is holiness
2 souls joining
The creation of Asher
Miracles of living

So we've fulfilled our duty
We've passed all the tests
We're a holy Jewish couple
We're running with the best

I hope this sufficed
instead of a simple card
The story of our holy love
Told by an amateur bard

I love you.

I am so blessed to have a husband that is so loving and flowing with his words. To top off a wonderful day we enjoyed a homemade dinner that we cooked together: Ribeye Steaks, Lobster Tails, Diced Potatoes and Green Beans. It was quite a delicious treat. We finished off the night with the movie Inglorious Basterds (not much of a Valentine movie!)

And of course what is a post without some photos from

Valentine's Day with our #1 Valentine!

"You know I am not a fan of tummy time mom..."

Asher loves his NC State football. He especially loves to put it in his mouth and lick it....that is until he remembers he tastes like rubber... YUCK!

Much love to all each and every day!

Asher's Work Out

Every Friday Asher gets a work out with his Physical Therapist
She tests his strength, challenges his balance and loosens him up. He seems to love it and really adores his therapist Tammy. Amanda implements all of the exercises throughout the week which has allowed us to see a huge change in a short period of time in Asher's developmental progress. Here is a snipet of therapy before the camera died....

Asher in Action with his Physical Therapist Tammy

The Crazy Eights

8 months old...

Asher has been making amazing strides since the new nanny started!

What is going on with him now?

= He receives PT every Friday which helps increase the length and strength of tummy time, rolling from back to belly and reducing his stifness through his neck and shoulders.
= He rolled from back to belly several times
= Rolling to his side
= Self feeding solid foods and TONS of puffs (still struggling with being spoon fed and mushy food)
= No teeth...but lots of teething
= Starting to push with his legs on his belly to initiate a crawl
= Reaching and grabbing for things
= Leaning to the side and putting weight on his arms
= Puts everything in his mouth
= Getting fussy when he doesnt get his way, must be first child syndrome!
= Shaking his head no
= Drinking out of a straw or cup (on occassion)

Asher is 100% Schreibman. This is a classic Schreibman facial expression.

He has learned to pose for the camera. He stares at the lens when I go to take a photo with this funny look in his eyes. I often wonder what he is thinking.

Asher is obsessed with cellphones. He wants to hold them, stare at them and put them in his mouth. Disgusting...we are in the process of giving him an old disinfected one...I am sure he will stil want ours. That is the way it works, right?

He has INCREDIBLE legs. Can you see that dimple in his left knee? He has dimples on his knuckles and feet too. His thighs are so chunky they make his huge hands look tiny. His feet are so fat on the top the PT calls them Flinstone Feet. He prefers to be sockless and pantless at all times. They restrict his ever growing waist line ha! His leg rolls are never ending. Look at that right leg!? Yummmmmy

Superman is 8 months old and as happy as could be about it!

This video captures a few of Asher's newst things: making the "Thhhhh or ssssss" sound (probably because I always kiss him and say "kisssssss"), screeching, talking and groaning,picking up and reaching for toys, Lifting his chin to acknowledge you, crazy hicups, smiling etc. Enjoy...he is the light of our life.

Asher is also lifting his arm up to get picked up, putting his feet in his mouth, screeching and talking non stop and making the funniest facial expressions to get a reaction out of us.

What a blessing this child is in our lives!

Kid Friendly Super Bowl!

This weekend we attended a kid friendly super bowl party at our friends Kim & Payam's house. There were 15+ kids and 15+ parents. It made for a packed house, lots of chaos, noise and fun! We made it all the way to half time which was way past Asher's normal bed time.

Kim and Payam just finished building their "theatre" which doubles as their show room since they own their own audio visual/ technology business. Here is info on their company: Simply Smart Technology (http://www.simplysmarttechnology.com/). Payam had black out shades on the windows, drapes, seating for everyone and a projection screen filling an entire wall in their theatre. It was quite a sweet set up. The men spent most of the time in there and of course Asher had to hang out with daddy in the "man room".

"who dat daddy?"

Asher loved playing with all of the toys and watching all of the kids play around him. He is mesmerized by other kids and has even started interacting, touching and playing with them.

I couldnt resist including this horrendous photo. I look possessed!

Thankfully we got another one that was decent!

One family made these adorable mice in the team colors!

Asher playing with Kim and Payam's daughter Soraya. Soraya used to wear a cranial band just like Asher so she was very drawn to him the whole night. She was even caressing his face!

This is Asher's buddy Jacob. We told Jacob to put his arm around Asher and this is how he interpreted it. We were hysterical laughing. My child weighs as much as Jacob does and Jacob is 2. Asher's head looks like its double the size of Jacob's. Oh the joys of a large baby!

And of course always time for some cuteness!

We had a great time and Asher didnt fuss the entire time we were there, even past his bed time! He didnt want any of the kids to think he was a woosy :) Needless to say he took well over a 2 hour nap the next day to compensate for his exhausting evening of playtime.

Sky High Encounter

I survived...barely.
18 hours of work in one day.
Charlotte to Cincinnati to Pittsburgh to Atlanta to Charlotte.
Departed at 4:30 am and returned at 11 pm.
It was the first day where I did not get to nurse Asher at least once in a 24 hour period.
I pumped in airport and client bathrooms, on the go, stressed for time.
Yuck. Stressful. So not a fan.
I was that girl pulling 20+ ounces of milk out of my purse for inspection at airport security.
I have to say I was pretty proud of myself.
"Where is the baby ma'am?" The security agent asked me.
"At home..." Trying to hold back a tear.

I couldn't wait to get home to my boys the minute I walked out the door that morning.
Once I arrived in Pittsburgh the endorphins died down and my body started shutting down. I was tired, hungry and a migraine was slowly creeping its way into my head. I left the office with my client to walk to a "nearby" restuarant. 4 blocks later in the freezing cold, we entered a restaurant which smelled like it has been freshly painted. Bad news. The migraine got worse...When I arrived back onsite to finish my afternoon of meetings I did everything I could to not throw up on my client in the meetings. The client was located in downtown Pittsburgh. The building arrangement required you to ride up and down different elevators to get to different offices all in the same company. The pressure of the elevator from riding up to the 33rd floor back down, walk to another elevator and up to the 5th floor, back down, walk to another elevator and ride back up to the 31st floor was KILLING my migraine. I finally asked the receptionist for some tylenol because I couldnt take it. It took the edge off and allowed me to function for another hour before I left for the airport to make the journey back home.

On my first flight home I was so stressed about making my 30 minute connection to my second flight. It was the last flight out for the night so I was taking a huge risk. My head was still pounding and my back was throbbing in pain.

I was sitting next to a grey haired older man who was reading and writing in the bible almost the entire hour flight. About 20 minutes before we landed he turned to me and asked me if I needed someone to pray for me. I am sure he could see I looked stressed. I initially declined but then thought...the more praying for me the merrier, YES! We ended up engaged in conversation the remainder of the flight. I am 100% convinced that this man was placed by g-d to sit next to me on this flight. After an extremely long stressful day he was exactly what I needed.

Henry is a minister. Henry is a physician at a psychiatric hospital. Henry is an angel.
Henry knew I was Jewish before I even opened my mouth. Amazing?! Henry loves Israel and the Jewish people. Henry and I talked for the rest of the flight until the minute we stepped of the plane. Henry and I exchanged contact information before we deboarded the plan. He and his daughter wrote and produced a play about Esther that he really wanted to share with me. I received the following email the day after I returned home. It brought about the biggest smile to my face. G-d is so very good.

Dear Renee,
I enjoyed talking with you on the airplane from Pittsburgh to Atlanta yesterday. As I mentioned, I am sending a DVD copy of The Book of Esther, a musical play I wrote, based on the Biblical Book of Esther. I am also enclosing a CD of the songs, as the DVD is a live recording, and the quality of the music, though good, is not as good as the CD made in a recording studio. I hope you and your family enjoy the play. I know Asher is a little young now, but maybe he will enjoy it later. If you like it and want to show it to others, you have my permission, as the owner, to show it to groups and even at the synagogue if you desire. If you want to preview some of the music, go to www.thebookofesther.net. My daughter, Amber directed it, but she does not appear in the play. If you want to see her, check out her website at www.ambergaineymeade.com. By the way, Amber’s best friend is Maia Rosenfeld. Her stage name is Maia Madison. They were classmates at Northwestern University. Maia helped us in the production. She had some great suggestions. We used her eyes in the program, and on the scroll on the website. Maia is also a photographer, and took Amber’s headshots on Amber’s web page.
It was a delight to meet you. Your Synagogue, Temple Beth-El, sounds like a vibrant, exciting place. Say hello to your husband, Philip, for me. God bless you and your family.
Henry

Although my trip took a toll on me emotionally, physically and mentally...
This Sky High Encounter made it all worth it.

Boo Boo

Today Asher got his first real Boo Boo.

Can you see where?

At first we werent quite sure what happened...we saw blood in his mouth and it was running to the corners of his lips. He was crying in a panic and kept trying to lick his lips. You could tell he was clearly very upset. After he stopped trying to make himself hyperventilate we realized he busted his top lip and it was quickly swelling up.

He was such a trooper! I am sure there will be MANY MANY more busted lips for this mischevous little boy!

Ch Ch Ch Changes....

Over the course of the past month we have been working on some minor home improvements that included purging junk from almost every room in our house and getting more organized.

The man cave is slowly turning into a playroom now that Asher is becoming more and more mobile. Our previous arrangement cut the room in half and was one of the only rooms in the house that wasn't painted. Stark White walls, yuck. Sterile. We had also inherited the bookshelves in the back from Philip's childhood room and they were too small for that wall. So we purged them and moved them to other locations in the house to free up the back wall.

Old Set Up

New Arrangement (we need to bolt the bookcases to the wall)

One early 6 am morning while breast feeding Asher I had a light bulb moment. Use paint we already had and measure out even sqaures to paint in different colors on our back wall to give the room some color (can you picture this? probably not). I had seen it on hgtv rate my space or some design show. It had been FIVE YEARS since we painted anything and this was going to be a Minimal Cost project. Philip was less than thrilled since our last painting project he got stuck with finishing it because I was so upset that the painted bled past our taped lines....and so I begin, with his assistance. We had planned on using regular painter's tape and applying a glaze around the edges to prevent bleeding...but we decided to skip that extra step and buy Frog Tape. Frog Tape is AMAZING. We had heard about it from friends but blew them off since we would "never paint". Riiight! According to Philip Frog Tape is the same cost as regular tape and it creates an automatic barrier. Totally worth the money we paid for it.

We went through our 25+ paint cans and picked 5 colors we thought would complement each other well. Red from our dining room in our townhouse, a red we planned to mix, two greens from Asher's nursery, Grey from the downstairs and black chalkboard paint. We plotted the squares...but ended up moving many of them once we got the paint on the walls. We wanted them to be random.

Somewhere in the middle of our Saturday Snowed in Painting extravaganza I freaked out and decided it was going to be impossible to mix a red we liked after several attempts. Philip headed off to Home Depot and came back with this color: NC State red by Glidden. It looked awful.

Trip #2 to Home Depot and I returned with a darker Gray and a red better suited to my taste.

We are very pleased with the way the design came out. Our "almost free project" turned out to be a little more expensive than we anticipated but still totally worth the $50 we paid to get the colors right! Hopefully we will all enjoy Asher's new playroom!

Now we just need some green accent pillows!