Birth Announcement

For those of you who don't know, I'm a do-it-yourselfer.  As such, I created my own birth announcements (design, picture, printing, etc...).  I figured I'd post a copy on my blog because photographs mailed as postcards can get a little beat up, and this way you can see what it is supposed to look like.  :)

Announcing Eva Boshernitzan!

She's here!

I have to say that we have been remarkably lucky throughout the short life of our little girl.  My pregnancy was probably as easy as they come, and my labor was just as simple.  We scheduled an induction for 7am on November 23rd, started it at 9am, and I held her in my arms for the first time at 4:20pm!  I have to say, epidurals are AMAZING!

The past 9 days have been fraught with lack of sleep, lots of breastfeeding traumas, and worry - but looking at our little baby makes it all worthwhile.  My family came in to help take care of the baby, clean, and celebrate my birthday, and the Boshernitzans have stopped by many times to bring groceries and check on the newest member of the tribe.  The Lustgartens and the Feinsteins also brought food to make our transition to parenthood easier.

Most importantly, we were able to have a large family style Thanksgiving at which I didn't have to cook or clean a thing!  Still working on uploading those photos...

Then, it was my 29th birthday, and I think it might have been the best one yet!

Thank you to everyone who has supported us throughout this process.  Your love and well wishes have made everything so much easier!  We can't wait to share Eva's many triumphs with you.  :)

Speaking of which, the doctor even commented that she is unusually strong - already lifting her head, making eye contact, and reaching for objects.  Of course, she could probably sit there like a bump on a log and we'd still think she's perfect, but we know she'll be amazing in everything she does.  Afterall, she has great genes!

Last Bump!

I was planning on taking my last baby bump picture right before we left for the hospital, but Yaniv pointed out (rather insightfully) that I may not feel like taking a picture at that point.  I mean, labor...  Seriously.

This represents what I *hope* to be my last baby bump picture for this pregnancy: 40 weeks, 2 days.  I can't say I look a lot larger than 3 weeks ago, but I certainly FEEL a lot larger!

Like I said before, induction is scheduled for Tuesday, so no more than 3 days left!  Want to know how that makes me feel??

News! Sort of...

I've been doing my best to keep busy.  I made dark chocolate oatmeal peanut butter no-bake cookies this week, but have no pictures to show of them as I scarfed them down rather quickly.  Apparently being full term means I will eat anything with sugar.  Tonight I made chocolate chip pecan cookies with whole wheat flour.  They are quite tasty, although I messed up the recipe as usual: melted the butter, couldn't "whip" anything, and refused to use a mixer because it's too much cleanup.  But like I said, they taste pretty good...

I also forced Yaniv to complete an art project with me last week: our own rendition of my rocking chair from when I was a baby.  Guess who did which:

My Aunt Beth sent me the sweetest gift - a handmade quilt!  I can't tell you how much I appreciate handmade items because they show SO much love.  I can't wait to use it with our little girl.

Finally, the news: if I don't pop before Tuesday, we've got a date set for induction.  Originally he scheduled me for Wednesday, but I hear about people getting bumped from labor & delivery a lot, and Thursday is Thanksgiving, so I wanted to be sure I had TWO days before the holiday.  So... we'll have our little lady by the 23rd!  Can't wait to send pictures!  Keep checking your email for updates!

No News Is...

They say that no news is good news.  Except that in my case no news means my giant belly is becoming increasingly uncomfortable.  Times 10.  Everyday.

Yaniv is being a trooper and taking care of me much like he did during the first trimester - cooking dinner, bringing me water so I don't dehydrate, etc...

I wish I had more to update about.  Really I do, but I think until the baby comes no news will have to remain good news.

37 Weeks is Full Term!

We've made wonderful progress the past few weeks.  We finally finished our baby education classes, we might have a name for the baby, and we've reached full term.  That means if I go into labor, there's no stopping it.  I have no real expectation of going into labor soon, but I wouldn't mind if the baby came a week early.

As you can see, I've grown significantly in the last 3 weeks.  My grandmother recently said, "It is so hard  waiting and carrying a baby these last few days..  I guess God makes us women so miserable so we are thankful when labor starts."  Wise woman.

Last Outings

Saturday evening Yaniv and I went to dinner at Ruggles Grill (YUM) with friends for what may have been the last time in a long while.  I mean... 3.5 weeks left...  Anyways, I wanted to share pictures because - wow - we all look really good!  What beautiful married couples!

The next day we met Emily and Oren at the Kosher Chili Cookoff.  I didn't get heartburn, but chili on a 90 degree day is a tad painful.  My favorite part was when one of the guys at the Chabadnik chili stand tried to get Yaniv to tie tefillin right there at their tent.

I'm hoping we'll get a few more outings in before the baby arrives, but if not our weekend was wonderful enough to suffice.  

October Nesting: My Husband is Awesome!

I've basically completed my nesting tasks, but Yaniv is in full swing with his.  In fact, the past 2 weeks have basically been Yaniv taking on huge projects and knocking them out in a day, proving how awesome he is.

First Project: Leveling the Sidewalk
We called a company to see how much it would cost to level 1 slab of our sidewalk, and they quoted $400.  Yaniv figured out how to do it on his own for less that $20!

Second Project: Landscaping the Backyard and Fixing the Pool Leak

Yes, we hate our pool.  It was leaking, once again, so Yaniv dug a 4' X 4' X 4' hole under the flagstone of our pool to find where the water was coming from.  Eventually we fixed the leak, and when we filled the hole in we realized we had to re-sod.  Then Yaniv had the great idea to add asperagus ferns, and I decided to move my bench (which is NOT safe to sit on) to the dead spot in the garden.  Yaniv also added decorative stones beside our back entry gate and potted a few plants.  Now our backyard looks amazing!

Third Project: Tree Circles!

We have been discussing adding landscaping circles around our pine trees almost since we moved into the house, but we never really got around to it.  In two days, Yaniv moved 3,500 pounds of retaining wall bricks, 1,000 pounds of dirt, and 20 bags of mulch to complete our now beautiful front yard landscaping!

Fourth Project: I Love You

And he's artistic.  He painted a Japanese inspired picture and made me a love note with apple slices.  

In Memoriam

As many of you know, we have been struggling for months over what to do about our lovable, beautiful, kind indoor/outdoor cats.  Between dead mice, rats, lizards, and birds and the fact that our friendly cats would likely snuggle/suffocate a baby in the crib, we decided it would be wisest to find Abraham and Simon new homes.

We miss them terribly, but their new owners seem like very nice people, so we are hopeful they will have happy, full, long lives.

"It's Gonna Be Massive"

Today we updated the baby bump picture, so Yaniv and I looked at the past pictures in succession.  After realizing that the most noticeable growth seems to have happened in the last 3 weeks, he commented that, "it's gonna be massive!"  And he's right.

If you're happening to think how tired I look in this picture - a little less of a glow - that's because I'm starting the uncomfortable time.  My friend Erin warned me about the "cankle trimester" during which I should swell up like a balloon.  Although I have avoided that fate thus far, I am finally feeling the strain of 30 pounds hanging off my midsection and getting uncomfortably kicked all night.  Meaning: I am tired, but mostly really happy and excited!

The Nursery is Done!

Yes, I realize I have 6.5 weeks left until my due date, but most people don't have the time to be as insanely prepared as I am.  After my last baby shower, I took the time to finish filling out my baby registry.  Fortunately, there was little left and it only took a short afternoon (although I'm sure Yaniv didn't consider it short).

And now we have a fully functional baby's room!  Crib, glider, dresser, changing station, etc...  We're also using the room for storage of all things baby (swing, bouncy seat, stroller) until we decide what to do with our cats, but I did my best to hide those artifacts from view in the pictures.

I think overall the room is functional and friendly.  It may not be perfect, but it's close enough for our needs!  Until she's 2 she won't care what her room looks like, anyway.

Now that everything is ready in the house, we can look forward to the classes at the hospital.  Starting tonight!  

Wade Baby Shower

I'm in super nesting mode right now.  Yaniv and I drew up a calendar with everything we want to get done around the house before the baby arrives with everything from vacuuming more regularly to detailing both cars (which we did today!).  It feels good to know we're trying to be productive and organized, but sometimes I wonder how long we'll last at this pace...

Mom hosted a lovely ladies baby shower for me on Saturday.  She did a wonderful job planning an easy going party, and set it up all beautifully with the help of Tom, Ryan, Anne, and Katherine.  It is great having such a helpful family and close friends!

Lots of ladies came, with a mix of my friends from Houston and Mom's friends from Mont B.  I've never had a shower before this baby (we skipped bridal showers), so it's a very new experience.  Not since childhood birthday parties have I ever received so many gifts at one time!  It makes a person feel incredibly spoiled, but deeply appreciative.  We played games, munched on healthy goodies, and (obviously) opened gifts.  Thank you SO much to everyone who came!  

Kandice, one of my mom's friends, made an amazing pile of all the wonderful gifts we were given.

Mom even had a delicious red velvet cake decorated to match the decal in the nursery, and they spelled my name correctly!!

 After it was all over, the remaining guests took a few moments to torture my college-aged brother by gathering in his room to take a picture!  I hope you like it, Matt!

31 Weeks = 7 Months = Are we there yet??

I've officially been pregnant long enough that the weight of my belly makes it hard to get out of bed.  Which, at night, happens to be a lot - as in 12:40am and 4:00am every night, on the dot, without fail, plus a few other times.

It's also officially made me swollen enough that I'm too scared to wear my wedding ring.  I mean, what happens when I go into labor and I realize my finger is so plump I can't take off my bling, and then I have an emergency C-section, and then I come out of everything okay but my ring is suddenly missing because someone yoinked it off my finger while I was out?  Yes, that is how my brain works now.  So meet my new ring, Francine.

It seems I can name objects quite easily, but babies, not so much.

And finally, the part we all actually care about: the bump!  It is growing and growing and growing... setting a good pace for itself.  I can't wait to have a real waistline again, but until then I think the only person who thinks my bump just makes me look like a fat person is Ryan's friend, Katherine.  And yes, it crushed my soul when she said that.

Boshernitzan Baby Shower

First of all, last week was wonderful because Yaniv's big brother, Zvi, came in for the holidays and the baby shower.  It had been almost 9 months since we last saw him, so it was great to spend time with him all week - thanks for flying in, bro!  I wish I had more foresight and kept my camera out the whole week, instead of just at the baby shower...

Yaniv's parents were kind enough to host a baby shower for us September 11th at their home.  After saying many times we'd have a "light" meal because the shower was at 2pm, Natalia surprised everyone by having a beautiful and bountiful smörgåsbord of salads, salmon, and cake spread across two gigantic tables seating 20!  

After stuffing our faces with salada bef, artichoke and corn salad, eggplant salad, caviar, lochs, feta salad, salmon, and quinoa (seriously, there was that much delicious food!), we played a quick game of baby pictionary and guess Kristi's belly size (39.5" at the widest!).  

Then we opened gifts, all of which were so beautifully wrapped and wonderfully chosen!  I have to mention that I have NEVER seen such large gift bags, and if anyone needs a large, baby themed gift bag, PLEASE let me know...  Although I'm hoping to use them soon (Janelle, Emily, Fabienne...).  

Finally, the day ended with cake and tea.  Delicious strawberry filled cake... Yum!  

East Nursery Wall: Done

I've more or less put the finishing touches on the east wall of the nursery, and I must say that we've managed to keep with the nature theme rather splendidly.  I know it's not a perfect designer showcase, but it's whimsical, durable, and inviting - exactly what a baby should have.

We just added the white butterflies and purple butterfly tap light, which has a 15 minute time out and is perfect as a night-light.  I was worried the room wouldn't be girly enough, but I think the addition of +/-20 butterflies helped.  I've never been a huge fan of butterflies, but these are really cool 3-dimensional ones that snap onto the wall, so if they fall they can't hurt the baby.

The rug is still in contention, but until Yaniv sells it...

A close up of the crib shows off my c'est la vie pillow I made from an old tee shirt and Inga, our baby girl's first doll courtesy of my cousin Ben and his wife Angie.  I know pillows and such can't stay in the crib once the baby moves in, but that won't be for a few months as we plan on co-sleeping, so for now it just feels complete.

Next up: the west wall, the rug, the closet, the bathroom, the kitchen baby drawer...

Road Trip Recap

Six and a half months pregnant, 8 hours in a car, and lots of potty breaks later, we are home safely.

We started out by dropping my middle brother, Matt, off at his very first year of college at Rose Hulman in Terre Haute, IN.  While he set up his dorm and otherwise wasn't too concerned about being on his own for the first time, the rest of us waited around held back tears at the thought of him growing up so quickly.

Yaniv and I spent a few hours with my paternal grandparents in Terre Haute, enjoying the countryside air on their front porch.

Then we headed to Aunt Charlotte's lake house for Hayward family fun time, a surprise baby shower, smores by the fire, and picnicking on the lake.  I know my family is crazy, but there is such love and joy when we have everyone together that it couldn't make me any happier.  BTW: The picture below is not representative of the 4 generations, 6 daughters, 12 grandchildren, and 12 (including ours) great-grandchildren Pat and Ruth Harward somehow managed to produce without going completely insane.

We were able to spend Monday with my Grandparent Haywards at their home in Lafayette, where Yaniv showed off his ping pong skills against my mom and 85-year-old grandfather while I finally had a chance to rest.

In St. Louis, we stayed with our friend from college, Kelli, and her beau, Ravi.  She suggested we visit a sculpture garden and the zoo, both of which were spectacularly amazing.  Kelli and Ravi made us homemade Indian food from SCRATCH that wowed me.  We also went to a place called The Fountain that had the most amazing ice cream desserts I've ever tasted!

On our way to the big event, the Lancaster wedding, we stopped by Meramac Caverns and my old home town of Bartlesville, OK.  All I can say is that they haven't changed much...

Then the wedding was upon us!  Tulsa, OK; Harwelden Mansion.  Beautiful, fun, elegant, and simple.  What a fabulous way to wrap up a trip.

And once we arrived home, we were greeted by Yaniv's brother Zvi in town for the holidays, and we put the final touches on the east side of the nursery.  More on that later, as this is already too long to read, right?