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| Si just minutes after she is born. |
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| Mother and baby sharing a nap. |
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| Si right before I left the Hospital to come write this post. |
There may be some more pictures later, but that is it for now.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Other Arrogant Fathers
Arrogant fathers speak about how beautiful the mother is, and how their daughter is the most beautiful baby girl ever born. I would never do such a thing. Instead, I'll post the pictures and let you guys come to that conclusion on your own.
There may be some more pictures later, but that is it for now.
There may be some more pictures later, but that is it for now.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Our child has arrived
Si came into our world at 3:59 on April 27, weighing 3.26 kilos! It might be a couple of days before we get a chance to post pictures here on the blog, but we'll try our best.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
41 weeks
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| It looks like I am about to fall over, but that's because I was moving. |
No baby
No labor
No "real" contractions
If I don't respond on the web in the next few days its probably not because I am at the hospital (you'll know if I am), its probably because I am avoiding having to answer, "No, not yet."
Last night during a sleepless moment I found one woman's description of what it feels like to wait after the due date. She's right about "magical thinking." :)
Friday, April 16, 2010
Dr checkup day
We had to wait a long time, but today's visit to the Dr. went well. The CTG, non-stress test, monitors, or whatever you want to call it, showed she is still doing fine and I can say that her fetal movements are still wonderful and just as frequent. It was a good day.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
40 weeks and counting
Week 40. We've past the due date, which isn't unusual for first births. I don't remember where I first read it, but 70% of first births happen after the due date. Another thing we'll probably have with a first birth (which many of you already know) is a long labor. Most likely I'll go into labor on one day and not give birth until the next day. Whenever you're ready little girl!
Women covering the head, shoulders, knees and...toes?
With Jews, Muslims and Christians all in one crazy city, when we first came here I used to wonder, "should I be wearing a head covering?" But there is no law (as there might be in a Muslim city/country) saying what I have to wear, and what I do wear may actually speak volumes on what I believe.
For the woman wearing a hijab, obviously Muslim. I am no expert, but a nice head covering but showing the neck (and wearing sleeves past her elbows and a skirt), is probably a kind of orthodox Jew. Another orthodox covering is a wig. I have become pretty good at recognizing these wigs by the similar hair cut (neck to just touching shoulder length, slightly layered at the face, probably no bangs, and usually a dark brown color - this is the style right now). These orthodox women shave their heads and the wigs are their head coverings (and are probably wearing long sleeves, dark skirts, and maybe stockings to cover their ankles). For Jewish women, covering their head is something they do when they get married.
A kippah for Jewish women seems to be a whole different story. I've only seen one woman wear a kippah. She's an unmarried student here at the university (from the States), and I think she is either Reformed Jewish or Conservative Jewish (keep in mind that the words "Reformed" and "Conservative" have very different meanings in Judaism). Here in Israel she gets asked often if she's a boy. I've also heard that some feminist Jews encourage female Jews to wear kippahs.
But what about me? When I cover my head its with a hat to keep out the sun (which usually identifies me as a tourist!), otherwise an uncovered woman here will probably be seen as a secular Jew, an unmarried religious Jew if dressing very modestly, or a Christian. It also depends on where I am at the moment. In the West Bank its pretty easy to see who is a Christian woman as the hijab is very popular for Muslims right now.
I do try make sure I am respectful and modestly dressed according to specific areas of the city. In the old city, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Western Wall (Kotel), and the Temple Mount all have dress requirements and I can satisfy them all by covering my shoulders and wearing a skirt that covers the knees. Although I tend to cover the elbows and wear a skirt that goes down to the ankles if I am visiting these sites. In East Jerusalem and Arab neighborhoods I make sure I cover my shoulders, and if I ever go to Mea Shearim (I haven't been inside this neighborhood except on a bus), I'll be wearing long sleeves, a long skirt, and covering my collar bone because of their specific dress code.
By the way, different religious folks may have requirements for the feet, but I've yet to hear of anyone being offended of my showing off of the toes.
For the woman wearing a hijab, obviously Muslim. I am no expert, but a nice head covering but showing the neck (and wearing sleeves past her elbows and a skirt), is probably a kind of orthodox Jew. Another orthodox covering is a wig. I have become pretty good at recognizing these wigs by the similar hair cut (neck to just touching shoulder length, slightly layered at the face, probably no bangs, and usually a dark brown color - this is the style right now). These orthodox women shave their heads and the wigs are their head coverings (and are probably wearing long sleeves, dark skirts, and maybe stockings to cover their ankles). For Jewish women, covering their head is something they do when they get married.
A kippah for Jewish women seems to be a whole different story. I've only seen one woman wear a kippah. She's an unmarried student here at the university (from the States), and I think she is either Reformed Jewish or Conservative Jewish (keep in mind that the words "Reformed" and "Conservative" have very different meanings in Judaism). Here in Israel she gets asked often if she's a boy. I've also heard that some feminist Jews encourage female Jews to wear kippahs.
But what about me? When I cover my head its with a hat to keep out the sun (which usually identifies me as a tourist!), otherwise an uncovered woman here will probably be seen as a secular Jew, an unmarried religious Jew if dressing very modestly, or a Christian. It also depends on where I am at the moment. In the West Bank its pretty easy to see who is a Christian woman as the hijab is very popular for Muslims right now.
I do try make sure I am respectful and modestly dressed according to specific areas of the city. In the old city, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Western Wall (Kotel), and the Temple Mount all have dress requirements and I can satisfy them all by covering my shoulders and wearing a skirt that covers the knees. Although I tend to cover the elbows and wear a skirt that goes down to the ankles if I am visiting these sites. In East Jerusalem and Arab neighborhoods I make sure I cover my shoulders, and if I ever go to Mea Shearim (I haven't been inside this neighborhood except on a bus), I'll be wearing long sleeves, a long skirt, and covering my collar bone because of their specific dress code.
By the way, different religious folks may have requirements for the feet, but I've yet to hear of anyone being offended of my showing off of the toes.
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| Nails and pedi by sister-in-law Crystal |
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Good Friday and Easter
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| Good Friday's walk started 6am at St. George's Cathedral |
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| Via Delarosa - station one |
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| Station five - we were joined by the Scottish and Lutheran churches |
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| Station seven and very crowded |
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| It wasn't very devotional, but I was taking pictures while they were praying |
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| Chick tract, in Russian I think |
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| Our walk ended at the Church of the Redeemer (Lutheran) |
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| Easter Sunday at St. George's |
Palm Sunday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday were memorable to me because Shawn didn't have classes and we were able to go to the special services and spend more time together on those days. For Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday the services at St. George's were combined services with the Arabic and English congregations. It was amazing to hear the Nicene creed read in Arabic as well as English.
Pesach
Note: I am going to be dropping a few Hebrew and Jewish terms in this post, but I'll try to make sure there is an explanatory link with each unfamiliar (highlighted) term.
Our lovely Passover break has ended. We've really enjoyed Shawn having the time off from school. On Monday the 29th, Pesach (Passover) preparations were in full swing in Jerusalem with a burning smell outside. I thought that it smelled like garbage burning and sure enough, I read later that its customary to burn any remaining Chametz (leaven) before Pasach starts in the evening. The Jewish grocery store had blocked off all cereal, oats, pasta, bread, and anything with grains or made with corn syrup. Apparently, soda needs to be changed for Pesach and its not just High Fructose Corn Syrup that's the problem (see this post with many interesting comments). The Ashkenazi (Jews from Western and Central Europe) have different standards when it comes to what actually is Chametz, compared to other Jews (like the Sephardi who don't have a problem with corn during Pesach). Our host for the Seder dinner on Monday night said Chametz is anything that when wet begins to ferment, and while technically Matza could do that as well, its the only bread-like food they are supposed to eat for the whole Pesach. For some Ashkenazi, dry beans and rice are not supposed to be eaten either. As you can imagine, preparation for Pesach includes a thorough spring cleaning, especially in the kitchen, and many, like our host family, have a whole separate set of dishes and cooking pots and pans just for Pesach.
Usually when someone is invited to an Israeli's home for a dinner (like a Shabbat dinner), guests bring a small gift for the host (flowers, candy, wine). But because of the complications and differences with Chametz, our host asked us not to bring any gifts to the dinner in case we mistakenly brought Chametz. I was a little nervous about the evening at first, but it was a fun experience. Our evening with the host family started at about 7pm with joining them at their Synagogue just down the street from their home. The service was entirely in Hebrew and included many songs and prayers and reciting of the Hallel (Psalm 113-118). Our host family was Orthodox so the men and women sat separately in the Synagogue (however, they were not Ultra-Orthodox or Charedi so their dress was modern). The host mother found a Siddur (Jewish prayer book) in English for me so I could follow along with the service, but I was lost the most of the time! Shawn did much better of course. After the service, which lasted about an hour, we came back to their home for the Seder.
When we signed up through the university to have a Seder dinner with a Jewish family, we didn't know we would be so lucky to have a Midrash (Jewish teachings/allegory on the bible) teacher and Professor for a host! He is currently taking a year off from teaching at the university to write a book. I had told our host ahead of time that we were unfamiliar with Synagogues and Seders, so he was prepared for us and explained the whole night wonderfully. From the lighting of the candles at the beginning of evening (this is done by the mother every Shabbat and holiday) to the four cups of wine and order of the meal. While his teenage and college age children were fairly bored with his lectures ("oh, Abba" the youngest would say if he went too long), Shawn and I were thrilled to hear all about it. Everyone grabbed a Haggadah (Seder book) and followed along with our host with the order of the meal - hand washing, symbolic foods as appetizers, Matza, blessings, soup, main dish, prayers, and songs. (Be sure to read the Wikipedia article on the Passover Seder if you're interested in more detail. We've been borrowing the "Penguin Dictionary of Judaism" and it also has really helpful entries on Passover Seder, and Chametz.) The night ended at about 1:15am and we called a taxi to take us home. Apparently, its normal for Seder dinners to run well into the early morning. Fascinating night!
The first and last day of Pesach were days of rest (very much like two extra Shabbats) so the whole week was pretty quiet on the French Hill. We were wondering, what do the burger joints, pizza places, and bagel shops do for Pesach with all the restrictions? Well, at least on the French Hill, they take a vacation. And why not, right? The staff probably want to be with their family for holiday anyway, and its one of the highest holy days of the Jewish calendar so many folks take the whole week to visit family like we might do as Christians with Christmas time.
Next up - - Good Friday and Easter
Our lovely Passover break has ended. We've really enjoyed Shawn having the time off from school. On Monday the 29th, Pesach (Passover) preparations were in full swing in Jerusalem with a burning smell outside. I thought that it smelled like garbage burning and sure enough, I read later that its customary to burn any remaining Chametz (leaven) before Pasach starts in the evening. The Jewish grocery store had blocked off all cereal, oats, pasta, bread, and anything with grains or made with corn syrup. Apparently, soda needs to be changed for Pesach and its not just High Fructose Corn Syrup that's the problem (see this post with many interesting comments). The Ashkenazi (Jews from Western and Central Europe) have different standards when it comes to what actually is Chametz, compared to other Jews (like the Sephardi who don't have a problem with corn during Pesach). Our host for the Seder dinner on Monday night said Chametz is anything that when wet begins to ferment, and while technically Matza could do that as well, its the only bread-like food they are supposed to eat for the whole Pesach. For some Ashkenazi, dry beans and rice are not supposed to be eaten either. As you can imagine, preparation for Pesach includes a thorough spring cleaning, especially in the kitchen, and many, like our host family, have a whole separate set of dishes and cooking pots and pans just for Pesach.
Usually when someone is invited to an Israeli's home for a dinner (like a Shabbat dinner), guests bring a small gift for the host (flowers, candy, wine). But because of the complications and differences with Chametz, our host asked us not to bring any gifts to the dinner in case we mistakenly brought Chametz. I was a little nervous about the evening at first, but it was a fun experience. Our evening with the host family started at about 7pm with joining them at their Synagogue just down the street from their home. The service was entirely in Hebrew and included many songs and prayers and reciting of the Hallel (Psalm 113-118). Our host family was Orthodox so the men and women sat separately in the Synagogue (however, they were not Ultra-Orthodox or Charedi so their dress was modern). The host mother found a Siddur (Jewish prayer book) in English for me so I could follow along with the service, but I was lost the most of the time! Shawn did much better of course. After the service, which lasted about an hour, we came back to their home for the Seder.
When we signed up through the university to have a Seder dinner with a Jewish family, we didn't know we would be so lucky to have a Midrash (Jewish teachings/allegory on the bible) teacher and Professor for a host! He is currently taking a year off from teaching at the university to write a book. I had told our host ahead of time that we were unfamiliar with Synagogues and Seders, so he was prepared for us and explained the whole night wonderfully. From the lighting of the candles at the beginning of evening (this is done by the mother every Shabbat and holiday) to the four cups of wine and order of the meal. While his teenage and college age children were fairly bored with his lectures ("oh, Abba" the youngest would say if he went too long), Shawn and I were thrilled to hear all about it. Everyone grabbed a Haggadah (Seder book) and followed along with our host with the order of the meal - hand washing, symbolic foods as appetizers, Matza, blessings, soup, main dish, prayers, and songs. (Be sure to read the Wikipedia article on the Passover Seder if you're interested in more detail. We've been borrowing the "Penguin Dictionary of Judaism" and it also has really helpful entries on Passover Seder, and Chametz.) The night ended at about 1:15am and we called a taxi to take us home. Apparently, its normal for Seder dinners to run well into the early morning. Fascinating night!
The first and last day of Pesach were days of rest (very much like two extra Shabbats) so the whole week was pretty quiet on the French Hill. We were wondering, what do the burger joints, pizza places, and bagel shops do for Pesach with all the restrictions? Well, at least on the French Hill, they take a vacation. And why not, right? The staff probably want to be with their family for holiday anyway, and its one of the highest holy days of the Jewish calendar so many folks take the whole week to visit family like we might do as Christians with Christmas time.
Next up - - Good Friday and Easter
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
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