Remember the blog project I did last year with three other women? Well, Froggie decided to resurrect it with me and we each got to invite another friend to join us. She invited a mutual friend (someone I met through her) and I invited a friend whose blog I really enjoy reading. So now it's Froggie, Mom of Many, Moma Rock and Merrylandgirl. Hope you enjoy the topics that we'll be exploring!
This week, Mom of Many picked the topic: If I gave you 250,000 what would you do with it?
Before reading ahead, first see what everyone else had to say on this topic:
Froggie
Mom of Many
Moma Rock
Had this been real money, I would put it towards college for my children. However, this is hypothetical money, so I'm going to have some fun with it! Therefore, it would be our vacation fund.
I haven't been on a real vacation in years. I don't count visits to family out of town as vacations. I'm talking about touristy travel spots. When my oldest kid was a baby, my husband and I went to Las Vegas. That was over five years ago! I wouldn't even mind taking the kids as long as they had stuff to do.
The first priority would be to go back to Israel. I'd want to show my kids all the places featured in the Torah. I'd also want to go back to the Dead Sea. Safed was really cool too. Most importantly, I'd want to take them to the Western Wall. That's where I placed the prayer that was answered, making their existence possible.
Next, I'd take my kids to Disney World. It's something I really want to do with them. I haven't been there since 1988 and I know so much has changed since then.
I'd also want to go on another cruise. Cruises are so much fun and it's a great way to visit new islands. I know there would be lots of activities for the kids so that I could get in some relaxation time, and perhaps even a massage. Along with that, I'd want to go to an all-inclusive resort. We went to Sandals in St. Lucia for our honeymoon and I still think about that place a lot. (especially whenever I hear "Hey Ya" by Outkast.) This might be a kid-free excursion though. (It's my hypothetical money and I am putting trips for the kids first. I deserve this much, at least.)
Another item on my bucket list is to tour Europe. Spots on that tour would be London, Amsterdam, Italy, Paris (if just to see the Eiffel Tower) and Greece.
Finally, I'd go back to Vegas. I'm so enthralled with that city. I know my late paternal grandfather would also want me to go there many more times in my life. He may even want his namesake (a.k.a. my daughter) to check it out.
I probably went over my limit, but I'm sure I used a good bargain travel service and drove whenever possible to save on flight costs. Hypothetical as this was, I really do want to go on a nice vacation with my family (and hopefully get a date or two with my husband out of the deal, as well).
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Legen...wait for it...dary
Remember the blog project I did last year with three other women? Well, Froggie decided to resurrect it with me and we each got to invite another friend to join us. She invited a mutual friend (someone I met through her) and I invited a friend whose blog I really enjoy reading. So now it's Froggie, Mom of Many, Moma Rock and Merrylandgirl. Hope you enjoy the topics that we'll be exploring!
This week, I picked the topic: What experience for you has been the most legendary? (Or, what would be legendary if you got the opportunity to experience it?)
(I got this idea from Barney always saying "legendary" on "How I Met Your Mother" and also was inspired by my friend's crazy birthing experience last week.)
Before reading ahead, first see what everyone else had to say on this topic:
Froggie
Mom of Many
Moma Rock
I have talked about some legendary experiences in past blogs, such as waiting in line for "Rent" tickets all day long and meeting celebrities, such as Joey McIntyre. However, the experience I wanted to talk about today is something that is still going strong and has lasted almost a year already. I'm talking about Chick Lit Central, my group and blog for all things chick lit related.
I first started the group in the summer of 2009, but nothing really came of it at the time and I ignored it after a while. Last spring, I decided to start it up again after talking to a few friends about chick lit novels, partaking in status short story contests on Rowan Coleman's Facebook page and entering contests to win books (I won a few within a short period of time). I decided to invite more people to the Facebook group and started a blog to accompany what would be talked about in this group. I originally was just going to do book reviews and talk about authors I liked. Then I decided to open it up to interviews and giveaways. I was inspired by Sarah Pekkanen, who personally e-mailed me to offer her first book, "The Opposite of Me" for review. (I loved it, by the way.) She also hosted a giveaway on my Facebook group. Soon, I was contacting authors and asking to do interviews and giveaways. My first interview was with Allie Larkin, who was also a debut author with an excellent novel called "Stay." We did a giveaway, as well. There was only a small turnout for the giveaway, but the winner was happy when they were picked. I then did one with Allison Winn Scotch to promote her third novel, "The One that I Want." That also received only a small turnout, but it was still a lot of fun to put together.
Around this time, I received feedback from a publicist who thought I was too much in everyone's face. Her advice actually was helpful and allowed me to handle things with my group a different way. I earned more respect from authors as a result. I also started to get more of a following with my group and blog. In the meantime, I was continuing to post interviews and giveaways, as well as book reviews. I was also starting to receive a lot of complimentary book copies for reviews. It was pure Heaven for me...the latest books at my fingertips without having to go to a bookstore. What more could a bookaholic ask for?!?
In July, I went to a Borders in Virginia to hear Jennifer Weiner speak. When we got to have our books signed, I told her who I was and the recognition was immediate! She was even easier to talk to, as a result. A few weeks prior to that, I got to meet Sarah Pekkanen in person and we did a video interview for the blog.
Around this time, I also asked my friend Melissa P. to become partners for the group and blog. She started to help with interviews and we had a great time discussing what was in store for Chick Lit Central. We also vented to each other when that was needed.
Throughout the rest of the year, we continued to host interviews and giveaways. We had at least one a week. Sometimes even more! I also became friends with a few other book bloggers and connected them with authors and publishers if I felt it would be helpful for their blogs. I even got to know some authors really well and formed a friendship with them. I've had publishers contact me to promote new books, as well. At the end of 2010, I was able to do a huge giveaway to celebrate reaching 1000 members on Facebook. Thanks to the authors I knew already, there were tons of books up for grabs. It was really exciting to host such a huge giveaway. Finally, my reviews are being taken into consideration more and authors seem to appreciate them more than they would a random review. Some have even re-posted them on their Facebook pages.
We're only a few months into 2011 and I've been constantly busy with Chick Lit Central related stuff. It's almost like a second job, except I get paid in books (I even listed it as one on LinkedIn). After I had my baby in February, I had comments on my Facebook page from a bunch of the authors I knew. I think this whole experience reached legendary status when my sister called me to ask me if the Kristin Hannah commented on one of my daughter's pictures. The other thing that told me that my blog had "arrived" was when Melissa P. and I got invited to contribute a blog post to International Chick Lit Month. As of today, we have 1,113 members on Facebook, 1,072 followers on Twitter and 367 followers on our blog.
There is more in store for Chick Lit Central this spring and summer, as I have more author interviews and giveaways lined up. I also have some fun ideas for how to celebrate my blogaversary next month. All in all, this group and blog has been legendary for me. I hope it will last for a long time, but I know that no matter how long it does last, I will be talking about it for years to come. I also hope that I'll be able to pass along my love for chick lit to my daughter someday.
This week, I picked the topic: What experience for you has been the most legendary? (Or, what would be legendary if you got the opportunity to experience it?)
(I got this idea from Barney always saying "legendary" on "How I Met Your Mother" and also was inspired by my friend's crazy birthing experience last week.)
Before reading ahead, first see what everyone else had to say on this topic:
Froggie
Mom of Many
Moma Rock
I have talked about some legendary experiences in past blogs, such as waiting in line for "Rent" tickets all day long and meeting celebrities, such as Joey McIntyre. However, the experience I wanted to talk about today is something that is still going strong and has lasted almost a year already. I'm talking about Chick Lit Central, my group and blog for all things chick lit related.
I first started the group in the summer of 2009, but nothing really came of it at the time and I ignored it after a while. Last spring, I decided to start it up again after talking to a few friends about chick lit novels, partaking in status short story contests on Rowan Coleman's Facebook page and entering contests to win books (I won a few within a short period of time). I decided to invite more people to the Facebook group and started a blog to accompany what would be talked about in this group. I originally was just going to do book reviews and talk about authors I liked. Then I decided to open it up to interviews and giveaways. I was inspired by Sarah Pekkanen, who personally e-mailed me to offer her first book, "The Opposite of Me" for review. (I loved it, by the way.) She also hosted a giveaway on my Facebook group. Soon, I was contacting authors and asking to do interviews and giveaways. My first interview was with Allie Larkin, who was also a debut author with an excellent novel called "Stay." We did a giveaway, as well. There was only a small turnout for the giveaway, but the winner was happy when they were picked. I then did one with Allison Winn Scotch to promote her third novel, "The One that I Want." That also received only a small turnout, but it was still a lot of fun to put together.
Around this time, I received feedback from a publicist who thought I was too much in everyone's face. Her advice actually was helpful and allowed me to handle things with my group a different way. I earned more respect from authors as a result. I also started to get more of a following with my group and blog. In the meantime, I was continuing to post interviews and giveaways, as well as book reviews. I was also starting to receive a lot of complimentary book copies for reviews. It was pure Heaven for me...the latest books at my fingertips without having to go to a bookstore. What more could a bookaholic ask for?!?
In July, I went to a Borders in Virginia to hear Jennifer Weiner speak. When we got to have our books signed, I told her who I was and the recognition was immediate! She was even easier to talk to, as a result. A few weeks prior to that, I got to meet Sarah Pekkanen in person and we did a video interview for the blog.
Around this time, I also asked my friend Melissa P. to become partners for the group and blog. She started to help with interviews and we had a great time discussing what was in store for Chick Lit Central. We also vented to each other when that was needed.
Throughout the rest of the year, we continued to host interviews and giveaways. We had at least one a week. Sometimes even more! I also became friends with a few other book bloggers and connected them with authors and publishers if I felt it would be helpful for their blogs. I even got to know some authors really well and formed a friendship with them. I've had publishers contact me to promote new books, as well. At the end of 2010, I was able to do a huge giveaway to celebrate reaching 1000 members on Facebook. Thanks to the authors I knew already, there were tons of books up for grabs. It was really exciting to host such a huge giveaway. Finally, my reviews are being taken into consideration more and authors seem to appreciate them more than they would a random review. Some have even re-posted them on their Facebook pages.
We're only a few months into 2011 and I've been constantly busy with Chick Lit Central related stuff. It's almost like a second job, except I get paid in books (I even listed it as one on LinkedIn). After I had my baby in February, I had comments on my Facebook page from a bunch of the authors I knew. I think this whole experience reached legendary status when my sister called me to ask me if the Kristin Hannah commented on one of my daughter's pictures. The other thing that told me that my blog had "arrived" was when Melissa P. and I got invited to contribute a blog post to International Chick Lit Month. As of today, we have 1,113 members on Facebook, 1,072 followers on Twitter and 367 followers on our blog.
There is more in store for Chick Lit Central this spring and summer, as I have more author interviews and giveaways lined up. I also have some fun ideas for how to celebrate my blogaversary next month. All in all, this group and blog has been legendary for me. I hope it will last for a long time, but I know that no matter how long it does last, I will be talking about it for years to come. I also hope that I'll be able to pass along my love for chick lit to my daughter someday.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Stairs and Stares
Remember the blog project I did last year with three other women? Well, Froggie decided to resurrect it with me and we each got to invite another friend to join us. She invited a mutual friend (someone I met through her) and I invited a friend whose blog I really enjoy reading. So now it's Froggie, Mom of Many, Moma Rock and Merrylandgirl. Hope you enjoy the topics that we'll be exploring!
This week, Moma Rock picked the topic: The most embarrassing moment I've ever had
(Oddly enough, I was just watching an episode of "How I Met Your Mother" where everyone shared their most embarrassing moment.)
Before reading ahead, first see what everyone else had to say on this topic:
Froggie
Mom of Many
Moma Rock
When I was a freshman in high school, I was cast in the winter play. Ironically (and you'll see why soon), it was "Up the Down Staircase." I had a lot of fun being part of this production, even though I had a pretty minor role. I did have speaking lines and quite a few appearances on stage throughout the show. What made my experience the most memorable was my crush object at the time. His name was Scott and he was a senior. He had a rebellious look to him, which I found attractive. He was also really nice, which added to the crush factor.
Fast forward to the dress rehearsal. Toward the end of the first act, I was to exit off the stairs at the side of the stage. I somehow managed to trip and fall right into a brick wall by the exit doors, banging up my nose as a result. I had a killer headache and a nosebleed from that. As I was knocking on the dressing room door to be let in (they had privacy issues and kept it locked), I saw Scott going into his dressing room. He stopped and stared at me for a moment first. I was mortified! Then we were hanging out in the little theater (a room where classes and smaller plays took place). Scott decided to tell me that he saw me bleed. (He did say it that way too..."I saw you bleed.") Then another girl asked me if I was crying (which I was about to do) when he told her that I was brave and wouldn't cry. That definitely stopped me. The other funny thing that happened was that the director was giving everyone notes and gave me one that said "You fell." (Really?!? I thought that was in the script! :P)
At the end of the school year, Scott wrote a really nice message in my yearbook. Then I didn't see him again until 1993, when we were both at our sisters' junior high graduation. He looked more clean cut, but was still cute. Later, we moved to a house that was right behind his, but he wasn't living there at the time. I don't know what ever became of him and doubt I'll ever find out. I just appreciate that he didn't make fun of me for almost breaking my nose. Definitely worthy of my first high school crush. :)
This week, Moma Rock picked the topic: The most embarrassing moment I've ever had
(Oddly enough, I was just watching an episode of "How I Met Your Mother" where everyone shared their most embarrassing moment.)
Before reading ahead, first see what everyone else had to say on this topic:
Froggie
Mom of Many
Moma Rock
When I was a freshman in high school, I was cast in the winter play. Ironically (and you'll see why soon), it was "Up the Down Staircase." I had a lot of fun being part of this production, even though I had a pretty minor role. I did have speaking lines and quite a few appearances on stage throughout the show. What made my experience the most memorable was my crush object at the time. His name was Scott and he was a senior. He had a rebellious look to him, which I found attractive. He was also really nice, which added to the crush factor.
Fast forward to the dress rehearsal. Toward the end of the first act, I was to exit off the stairs at the side of the stage. I somehow managed to trip and fall right into a brick wall by the exit doors, banging up my nose as a result. I had a killer headache and a nosebleed from that. As I was knocking on the dressing room door to be let in (they had privacy issues and kept it locked), I saw Scott going into his dressing room. He stopped and stared at me for a moment first. I was mortified! Then we were hanging out in the little theater (a room where classes and smaller plays took place). Scott decided to tell me that he saw me bleed. (He did say it that way too..."I saw you bleed.") Then another girl asked me if I was crying (which I was about to do) when he told her that I was brave and wouldn't cry. That definitely stopped me. The other funny thing that happened was that the director was giving everyone notes and gave me one that said "You fell." (Really?!? I thought that was in the script! :P)
At the end of the school year, Scott wrote a really nice message in my yearbook. Then I didn't see him again until 1993, when we were both at our sisters' junior high graduation. He looked more clean cut, but was still cute. Later, we moved to a house that was right behind his, but he wasn't living there at the time. I don't know what ever became of him and doubt I'll ever find out. I just appreciate that he didn't make fun of me for almost breaking my nose. Definitely worthy of my first high school crush. :)
Monday, March 14, 2011
7th Heaven
I'm not talking about the TV show, even though I used to watch it (which sounds strange coming from a Jewish person, but so be it).
Today is my seven year anniversary with my husband. I have to say that life is like the song "Don't Blink." I feel like seven years has just flown by and now we have three kids to show for it!
We started watching "How I Met Your Mother" recently and a lot of it rings true for us. Like the unique things that attract us to one another and the whole olive theory seems to work too. (I don't like them and he does.)
In relation to that, my husband and I love laughing together and joking around. (Our older son picks on us for laughing and not letting him in on the "grown up" joke.) In honor of our anniversary, I'd like to share seven TV shows, movies and things in general that make us laugh.
TV Shows:
1. Arrested Development
2. Modern Family
3. Curb Your Enthusiasm
4. The Office
5. Futurama
6. Mad TV (not on anymore)
7. Family Guy (the older episodes)
Movies:
1. Happy Gilmore
2. Grandma's Boy
3. UHF
4. The Hebrew Hammer
5. Clerks 2
6. Office Space
7. Airplane
Things in General:
1. The robotic store manager at Babies 'R' Us (when we registered for gifts in 2005).
2. The idea of clapping for anyone who accidentally gets down on one knee at a restaurant on Valentine's Day.
3. The funny things our kids say and do.
4. The "adult baby" on CNN.
5. The nursing demo poster at the hospital that looks like the mom is choking the baby.
6. Replacing "Jesus" with "Hashem" in songs that warrant doing so.
7. My late paternal grandpa's dice-rolling hand maneuver.
I feel so blessed to be married to my husband for so long and that neither of us have a seven-year itch. :) I love that we connect well with our senses of humor and that we never fail to make one another laugh. I'm excited to find more things to laugh and joke about with him. To start our eighth year of marriage together, I'm sure we'll find a lot to laugh about from "How I Met Your Mother."
Today is my seven year anniversary with my husband. I have to say that life is like the song "Don't Blink." I feel like seven years has just flown by and now we have three kids to show for it!
We started watching "How I Met Your Mother" recently and a lot of it rings true for us. Like the unique things that attract us to one another and the whole olive theory seems to work too. (I don't like them and he does.)
In relation to that, my husband and I love laughing together and joking around. (Our older son picks on us for laughing and not letting him in on the "grown up" joke.) In honor of our anniversary, I'd like to share seven TV shows, movies and things in general that make us laugh.
TV Shows:
1. Arrested Development
2. Modern Family
3. Curb Your Enthusiasm
4. The Office
5. Futurama
6. Mad TV (not on anymore)
7. Family Guy (the older episodes)
Movies:
1. Happy Gilmore
2. Grandma's Boy
3. UHF
4. The Hebrew Hammer
5. Clerks 2
6. Office Space
7. Airplane
Things in General:
1. The robotic store manager at Babies 'R' Us (when we registered for gifts in 2005).
2. The idea of clapping for anyone who accidentally gets down on one knee at a restaurant on Valentine's Day.
3. The funny things our kids say and do.
4. The "adult baby" on CNN.
5. The nursing demo poster at the hospital that looks like the mom is choking the baby.
6. Replacing "Jesus" with "Hashem" in songs that warrant doing so.
7. My late paternal grandpa's dice-rolling hand maneuver.
I feel so blessed to be married to my husband for so long and that neither of us have a seven-year itch. :) I love that we connect well with our senses of humor and that we never fail to make one another laugh. I'm excited to find more things to laugh and joke about with him. To start our eighth year of marriage together, I'm sure we'll find a lot to laugh about from "How I Met Your Mother."
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Showing off
I received another blog-worthy daily challenge this week: List 5 traits, skills, or talents you're happy you have.
This one was harder for me to write about. I consider myself to be modest about my own skills and capabilities, so I want to be able to share this list without feeling egotistical. I also challenged my BFF to write a post on this topic. Here's her post.
And here's my list....
1. Writing. I think I'm a fairly good writer, both on a personal and a fictional level. I've received good feedback for "Fiction Friday" posts in the past. That was definitely encouraging. I also have received positive comments about my personal posts. (And not just from my mom. :) ) When I was in high school, I wrote a short play that got published in a literary magazine, entered into a contest and directed by two different people in my directing class. It was exciting to see my work put on stage and I also enjoyed receiving positive feedback on it. It didn't win in the contest, but I was pleased that the creative writing teacher entered it in the contest at all. She also entered another story I wrote into a contest. I think it received an honorable mention. Nowadays, I think it would be cool to write a fictional novel, but I seem to lack the motivation.
2. Cooking. I'm nowhere near as gourmet as my husband and tend to use safe and easy recipes. However, people are always pleased with what I produce. My stepfather-in-law seems to be a fan of my cooking, which is a huge compliment because he seems to have a gourmet palate and likes the finer things. He compares my cooking to places that I can't imagine aspiring to (like Zadie's Bakery in NJ).
3. Bringing People Together. My friend jokes about "Six Degrees of Melissa" because I tend to connect a lot of friends to one another. Sometimes it's my high school and college friends. Other times, my Internet and community friends. I tend to mix everyone together. I love that Facebook opens up this ability even more! If I think two people would get along well, I don't hesitate to introduce them.
4. Pop Culture Trivia. Another friend calls me the "Melissa Movie Database." I seem to know which actors were in certain movies. I also have what seems like useless knowledge of sitcoms, movies, Broadway shows, etc. Sometimes this trivia comes in handy and can be used to my advantage when making bets. :)
5. Confidence. I like myself. It took some time to get to this place, as I didn't have much confidence as a kid. It came later, like when I did forensics in high school. My confidence wavered a bit when we moved from Chicago to New Jersey, but I got it back over time and it has come back full force now that we live in Maryland. It's what gave me the push I needed to start Chick Lit Central and what helps me keep it going strong. I hope to instill the same level of confidence in my kids, especially my oldest child.
This one was harder for me to write about. I consider myself to be modest about my own skills and capabilities, so I want to be able to share this list without feeling egotistical. I also challenged my BFF to write a post on this topic. Here's her post.
And here's my list....
1. Writing. I think I'm a fairly good writer, both on a personal and a fictional level. I've received good feedback for "Fiction Friday" posts in the past. That was definitely encouraging. I also have received positive comments about my personal posts. (And not just from my mom. :) ) When I was in high school, I wrote a short play that got published in a literary magazine, entered into a contest and directed by two different people in my directing class. It was exciting to see my work put on stage and I also enjoyed receiving positive feedback on it. It didn't win in the contest, but I was pleased that the creative writing teacher entered it in the contest at all. She also entered another story I wrote into a contest. I think it received an honorable mention. Nowadays, I think it would be cool to write a fictional novel, but I seem to lack the motivation.
2. Cooking. I'm nowhere near as gourmet as my husband and tend to use safe and easy recipes. However, people are always pleased with what I produce. My stepfather-in-law seems to be a fan of my cooking, which is a huge compliment because he seems to have a gourmet palate and likes the finer things. He compares my cooking to places that I can't imagine aspiring to (like Zadie's Bakery in NJ).
3. Bringing People Together. My friend jokes about "Six Degrees of Melissa" because I tend to connect a lot of friends to one another. Sometimes it's my high school and college friends. Other times, my Internet and community friends. I tend to mix everyone together. I love that Facebook opens up this ability even more! If I think two people would get along well, I don't hesitate to introduce them.
4. Pop Culture Trivia. Another friend calls me the "Melissa Movie Database." I seem to know which actors were in certain movies. I also have what seems like useless knowledge of sitcoms, movies, Broadway shows, etc. Sometimes this trivia comes in handy and can be used to my advantage when making bets. :)
5. Confidence. I like myself. It took some time to get to this place, as I didn't have much confidence as a kid. It came later, like when I did forensics in high school. My confidence wavered a bit when we moved from Chicago to New Jersey, but I got it back over time and it has come back full force now that we live in Maryland. It's what gave me the push I needed to start Chick Lit Central and what helps me keep it going strong. I hope to instill the same level of confidence in my kids, especially my oldest child.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
An "active" life
I was recently presented with another daily challenge from Facebook. This time, it was about writing down five activities that make me happy.
I've decided not to talk about the obvious stuff, since that will always be a source of happiness in my life. And if you don't know what the obvious things are, then you don't really know me.
1. Reading. That could be stated as an obvious, but it's always been a huge source of joy in my life. I'm content whenever I have a book in my hands, especially if it's an entertaining one. I wrote this post for Chick Lit Central last summer, to elaborate on my love for reading.
2. Shopping. My name may not be Becky Bloomwood, but get me into my favorite thrift store and my shopping capabilities rival hers. I don't shop at fancy department stores or boutiques, but instead love a good bargain and finding things I never thought I'd be able to get my hands on. This post from last year does not even begin to cover my love for all things Unique and Value Village related. Aside from that, I'm a junkie for Target and Wal-Mart.
3. Baking. I am not talking about getting high, thank you very much. I love to bake cookies, cakes, brownies, and most importantly...challah! Something about the smell of the food as it is baking and the feel of pride from having a successful product to eat afterward is pure nirvana for me. I also love making frozen treats, such as ice cream pies and what is known as "Barbie's Malibu Dream Cake."
4. Singing. Just call me Rachel Berry! I love to sing. My voice needs more of a workout these days, but I'll still sing along with whatever CD is playing in my car. (Today it was the "Little Shop of Horrors" soundtrack.) I sing while doing chores around the house, as well. It's such a fun stress relief for me. I miss going to Karaoke bars and hope to get to one sometime in the near future.
5. Going to movie theaters. Despite the fact that movies cost an arm and a leg to see in the theaters these days, I still like the experience from the initial smells of popcorn to the previews and then to the actual movie. The feel of seeing it on a big screen with a huge sound system will always rival seeing it on DVD in the comfort of my home. It's a rare treat to go to a movie theater these days (and not just because of the cost involved). I cherish it even more as a result. I'll even go to see movies by myself, just to enjoy the theater experience. The last time I did that was in 2008 for "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2." The moment I got into the theater, I had a huge smile on my face. It was such a natural high!
Since I was told to list only five activities, I'll stop here. I could think of plenty more though!
My BFF (Froggie, whom you may remember from our blog project last year) also wrote a post about five activities that make her happy. Check it out! If you do a post like this for yourself, I'd be interested in seeing it, as well.
I've decided not to talk about the obvious stuff, since that will always be a source of happiness in my life. And if you don't know what the obvious things are, then you don't really know me.
1. Reading. That could be stated as an obvious, but it's always been a huge source of joy in my life. I'm content whenever I have a book in my hands, especially if it's an entertaining one. I wrote this post for Chick Lit Central last summer, to elaborate on my love for reading.
2. Shopping. My name may not be Becky Bloomwood, but get me into my favorite thrift store and my shopping capabilities rival hers. I don't shop at fancy department stores or boutiques, but instead love a good bargain and finding things I never thought I'd be able to get my hands on. This post from last year does not even begin to cover my love for all things Unique and Value Village related. Aside from that, I'm a junkie for Target and Wal-Mart.
3. Baking. I am not talking about getting high, thank you very much. I love to bake cookies, cakes, brownies, and most importantly...challah! Something about the smell of the food as it is baking and the feel of pride from having a successful product to eat afterward is pure nirvana for me. I also love making frozen treats, such as ice cream pies and what is known as "Barbie's Malibu Dream Cake."
4. Singing. Just call me Rachel Berry! I love to sing. My voice needs more of a workout these days, but I'll still sing along with whatever CD is playing in my car. (Today it was the "Little Shop of Horrors" soundtrack.) I sing while doing chores around the house, as well. It's such a fun stress relief for me. I miss going to Karaoke bars and hope to get to one sometime in the near future.
5. Going to movie theaters. Despite the fact that movies cost an arm and a leg to see in the theaters these days, I still like the experience from the initial smells of popcorn to the previews and then to the actual movie. The feel of seeing it on a big screen with a huge sound system will always rival seeing it on DVD in the comfort of my home. It's a rare treat to go to a movie theater these days (and not just because of the cost involved). I cherish it even more as a result. I'll even go to see movies by myself, just to enjoy the theater experience. The last time I did that was in 2008 for "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2." The moment I got into the theater, I had a huge smile on my face. It was such a natural high!
Since I was told to list only five activities, I'll stop here. I could think of plenty more though!
My BFF (Froggie, whom you may remember from our blog project last year) also wrote a post about five activities that make her happy. Check it out! If you do a post like this for yourself, I'd be interested in seeing it, as well.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Happy Birth Day
Monday, February 28, 2011 was an amazing day for me. That was the day I gave birth to my daughter. I was watching "A Baby Story" on TLC this week (and crying at each birth, of course) and thought I should share my baby story too. I posted my older son's birth story last year as a time warp post. I don't think I ever shared my younger son's birth story other than to talk about how surprised and thrilled I was that he was a boy. I want this baby's birth story on record though. I promise to not get too detailed or gory.
I went to the hospital Sunday afternoon to get pre-induced. This was the first time I had to do that for an induction. The other two times, I was just put on Pitocin and that was it. This time, they used Cervadil to ripen the cervix first. I thought that meant possibly avoiding an IV if I went into labor just from the Cervadil. However, I still needed one because they use it for fluids and other medicines, as needed. I hate IVs, so I was not too thrilled. The nurse who did it was gentle and quick, so that was good, at least. Then another nurse was asking me a zillion health background questions. She had a thick middle eastern accent and I had no idea what she was saying because she was quiet and talked quickly, as well. My husband had to interpret everything. Then she leaned over my bed like she was trying to tell me a secret and instead asked me if I was happy with my life. I told her I was and she went back to her questions. After a while, she came back to whisper another question. She wanted to know if I was being abused physically or emotionally. She smiled as she was asking this, like it was awkward for her to ask. It was awkward, since she asked while my husband was right behind her! He then went off to get something and I explained to her that he is the most amazing husband in the world and she has nothing to worry about. I'm guessing these questions are standard, but it was stupid to ask while he was in the room.
Later, I was allowed to eat a meal before they started the Cervadil. Then I could only have ice chips for about two hours. I also had to stay in bed for those two hours. Good thing the Oscars kept me entertained. Finally, I was allowed to have something light and had a popsicle before going to bed. At around 1:15, I started feeling contractions. They weren't showing on the monitor yet for some reason, so I felt like the night nurse (who was pretty much like a Barbie doll) didn't believe me. They started getting worse over time and I asked for some pain medication. That made me dizzy and I felt like I was walking on a train. She gave me the medication before letting me get up to go to the bathroom. Kind of stupid, since I had trouble walking after that. The other annoying thing was describing my pain level. I don't know how to explain my pain in terms of numbers, since it's so arbitrary. My version of a 2 may be another person's version of a 6. I was originally scheduled to move to labor and delivery by 7:30, but they moved it to 5:30 when they saw that the contractions were really happening and it was affecting the baby's heart rate.
They were still pretty bad when I got to L&D, so I didn't need Pitocin after all. I was able to get an epidural sometime after 6:00. This also was after answering more health related questions. The anesthesiologist was female and had two kids of her own, so she was understanding of how it feels for women to get epidurals and was very patient. Once the epidural kicked in, the doctor broke my water. I went from a 4 to a 10 in no time and was ready to push by 8:30. The doctor was taking his dear sweet time scrubbing up and getting ready for me to deliver. I thought that was annoying. The delivery nurse was very nice though. I just was annoyed that I had to hold up one of my legs while also pushing. There were two nurses in the room. You think I wouldn't have to hold my leg at all. The baby came out in very few pushes and they handed her to me right away and told me it was a girl. I was exhilarated and thrilled from the surprise and the fact that I finally had a girl. (Even if I had a boy, I'd be happy, but probably less surprised since I was building myself up to expect a boy this time.)
After they took the baby from me to clean and examine her, the doctor finished up his post delivery work. (See, I'm sparing you the gory details!) He was not gentle at all and then told me I shouldn't feel anything because I had an epidural. That was infuriating! I felt everything! This doctor should not be delivering babies though. He had horrible bedside manner. I'm just thankful that I was warned about him so that I wouldn't be expecting Patch Adams. :P He rolled his eyes at my husband for not wanting to cut the cord (for taharat hamishpachot reasons, he has never cut the cord). Then he was just gruff in general. Even when he was done, he just said "Congrats Mom. Congrats Dad." It wasn't sincere at all! He also yelled at my husband for holding the baby standing up. Like he's never held a baby before! I'm so glad the delivery nurse was nice because that took the edge off the crude bedside manner of the doctor. The baby was also crying a lot after she came out and wasn't soothed until she had a bottle. So that added to my stress. Toss in the yucky post birth feeling and mothers screaming their heads off in the adjacent rooms and it was not a pleasant morning. My husband jokes that I could be a Scientologist from how quiet I was during delivery. I guess it's easier than I thought to not scream during delivery. I'm also glad this was my third time around, so the other women didn't scare me off from giving birth.
A few hours later after breakfast, lots of happy phone calls, and resting while watching "Pleasantville," I got to go up to the maternity ward. After that, it was pretty relaxing and restful. The first maternity nurse I had was decent. She didn't have much of a personality but she wasn't mean either. Then another nurse took over and she was really nice. She came by to talk to us for a while. A friend of ours also visited in the evening and brought pizza from Ben Yehuda's. :) Then I got to rest and watch "90210."
The overnight nurse was okay. There was an annoying issue involving my OB putting in a prescription for my thyroid pills without consulting my endocrinologist. I had my own pills with me and the nurse was giving me a headache about letting me take them vs. what was ordered. I had instructions from my endocrinologist to take a certain level after giving birth and what the OB prescribed was too high. They finally took care of that issue in the morning, but I was still annoyed that I had to deal with all the scrutiny. The baby slept in the nursery overnight and I tried to sleep, but was woken up at 6:00 to check vitals. Then I couldn't get back to sleep.
My husband came by to spend the morning and afternoon with me. We watched "You Again" and hung out with the baby. Then he went home, picked up the boys and got me dinner from Max's. (Yummy fried chicken.) The boys were happy to meet their sister and had fun helping me while I changed her diaper. My younger son was mad that we didn't let him feed her and he only wanted to hold her because my older son got to do it. After they left, the baby and I watched "Where the Heart is." (I had to introduce the new "chick" in my life to my favorite feel-good chick flick.) There was a point where we ran out of formula and she was screaming her head off. The nurse took forever to bring a new set of bottles and then brought the wrong kind. So frustrating. Then I was about to go to sleep later on and they brought her in from the nursery saying she was inconsolable. So I got her back to sleep and then it took me a while to fall asleep after that.
The baby had a screening ABR at the hospital to check her hearing. She failed and has to go for another ABR in April. While we're worried about whether or not she'll be able to hear, we at least feel more prepared if she has hearing loss. We have great resources at our fingertips, we know how a CI works and we feel she has the best role model right in our house. All things considered, it's manageable.
Things have been manageable at home so far. Nights are rough, but when aren't they with a new baby around. She'll get into a routine soon enough. The boys love her and we're completely over the moon with her. She'll be named at shul tomorrow and then I can't wait to share the name with everyone after Shabbat. I'm especially excited to share it with my boys though. :) We're really glad we get to use the girl name we picked, as we knew we wanted that name from the very beginning.
As Fannie Flagg once said in the title of one of her novels...."Welcome to the world, baby girl!"
I went to the hospital Sunday afternoon to get pre-induced. This was the first time I had to do that for an induction. The other two times, I was just put on Pitocin and that was it. This time, they used Cervadil to ripen the cervix first. I thought that meant possibly avoiding an IV if I went into labor just from the Cervadil. However, I still needed one because they use it for fluids and other medicines, as needed. I hate IVs, so I was not too thrilled. The nurse who did it was gentle and quick, so that was good, at least. Then another nurse was asking me a zillion health background questions. She had a thick middle eastern accent and I had no idea what she was saying because she was quiet and talked quickly, as well. My husband had to interpret everything. Then she leaned over my bed like she was trying to tell me a secret and instead asked me if I was happy with my life. I told her I was and she went back to her questions. After a while, she came back to whisper another question. She wanted to know if I was being abused physically or emotionally. She smiled as she was asking this, like it was awkward for her to ask. It was awkward, since she asked while my husband was right behind her! He then went off to get something and I explained to her that he is the most amazing husband in the world and she has nothing to worry about. I'm guessing these questions are standard, but it was stupid to ask while he was in the room.
Later, I was allowed to eat a meal before they started the Cervadil. Then I could only have ice chips for about two hours. I also had to stay in bed for those two hours. Good thing the Oscars kept me entertained. Finally, I was allowed to have something light and had a popsicle before going to bed. At around 1:15, I started feeling contractions. They weren't showing on the monitor yet for some reason, so I felt like the night nurse (who was pretty much like a Barbie doll) didn't believe me. They started getting worse over time and I asked for some pain medication. That made me dizzy and I felt like I was walking on a train. She gave me the medication before letting me get up to go to the bathroom. Kind of stupid, since I had trouble walking after that. The other annoying thing was describing my pain level. I don't know how to explain my pain in terms of numbers, since it's so arbitrary. My version of a 2 may be another person's version of a 6. I was originally scheduled to move to labor and delivery by 7:30, but they moved it to 5:30 when they saw that the contractions were really happening and it was affecting the baby's heart rate.
They were still pretty bad when I got to L&D, so I didn't need Pitocin after all. I was able to get an epidural sometime after 6:00. This also was after answering more health related questions. The anesthesiologist was female and had two kids of her own, so she was understanding of how it feels for women to get epidurals and was very patient. Once the epidural kicked in, the doctor broke my water. I went from a 4 to a 10 in no time and was ready to push by 8:30. The doctor was taking his dear sweet time scrubbing up and getting ready for me to deliver. I thought that was annoying. The delivery nurse was very nice though. I just was annoyed that I had to hold up one of my legs while also pushing. There were two nurses in the room. You think I wouldn't have to hold my leg at all. The baby came out in very few pushes and they handed her to me right away and told me it was a girl. I was exhilarated and thrilled from the surprise and the fact that I finally had a girl. (Even if I had a boy, I'd be happy, but probably less surprised since I was building myself up to expect a boy this time.)
After they took the baby from me to clean and examine her, the doctor finished up his post delivery work. (See, I'm sparing you the gory details!) He was not gentle at all and then told me I shouldn't feel anything because I had an epidural. That was infuriating! I felt everything! This doctor should not be delivering babies though. He had horrible bedside manner. I'm just thankful that I was warned about him so that I wouldn't be expecting Patch Adams. :P He rolled his eyes at my husband for not wanting to cut the cord (for taharat hamishpachot reasons, he has never cut the cord). Then he was just gruff in general. Even when he was done, he just said "Congrats Mom. Congrats Dad." It wasn't sincere at all! He also yelled at my husband for holding the baby standing up. Like he's never held a baby before! I'm so glad the delivery nurse was nice because that took the edge off the crude bedside manner of the doctor. The baby was also crying a lot after she came out and wasn't soothed until she had a bottle. So that added to my stress. Toss in the yucky post birth feeling and mothers screaming their heads off in the adjacent rooms and it was not a pleasant morning. My husband jokes that I could be a Scientologist from how quiet I was during delivery. I guess it's easier than I thought to not scream during delivery. I'm also glad this was my third time around, so the other women didn't scare me off from giving birth.
A few hours later after breakfast, lots of happy phone calls, and resting while watching "Pleasantville," I got to go up to the maternity ward. After that, it was pretty relaxing and restful. The first maternity nurse I had was decent. She didn't have much of a personality but she wasn't mean either. Then another nurse took over and she was really nice. She came by to talk to us for a while. A friend of ours also visited in the evening and brought pizza from Ben Yehuda's. :) Then I got to rest and watch "90210."
The overnight nurse was okay. There was an annoying issue involving my OB putting in a prescription for my thyroid pills without consulting my endocrinologist. I had my own pills with me and the nurse was giving me a headache about letting me take them vs. what was ordered. I had instructions from my endocrinologist to take a certain level after giving birth and what the OB prescribed was too high. They finally took care of that issue in the morning, but I was still annoyed that I had to deal with all the scrutiny. The baby slept in the nursery overnight and I tried to sleep, but was woken up at 6:00 to check vitals. Then I couldn't get back to sleep.
My husband came by to spend the morning and afternoon with me. We watched "You Again" and hung out with the baby. Then he went home, picked up the boys and got me dinner from Max's. (Yummy fried chicken.) The boys were happy to meet their sister and had fun helping me while I changed her diaper. My younger son was mad that we didn't let him feed her and he only wanted to hold her because my older son got to do it. After they left, the baby and I watched "Where the Heart is." (I had to introduce the new "chick" in my life to my favorite feel-good chick flick.) There was a point where we ran out of formula and she was screaming her head off. The nurse took forever to bring a new set of bottles and then brought the wrong kind. So frustrating. Then I was about to go to sleep later on and they brought her in from the nursery saying she was inconsolable. So I got her back to sleep and then it took me a while to fall asleep after that.
The baby had a screening ABR at the hospital to check her hearing. She failed and has to go for another ABR in April. While we're worried about whether or not she'll be able to hear, we at least feel more prepared if she has hearing loss. We have great resources at our fingertips, we know how a CI works and we feel she has the best role model right in our house. All things considered, it's manageable.
Things have been manageable at home so far. Nights are rough, but when aren't they with a new baby around. She'll get into a routine soon enough. The boys love her and we're completely over the moon with her. She'll be named at shul tomorrow and then I can't wait to share the name with everyone after Shabbat. I'm especially excited to share it with my boys though. :) We're really glad we get to use the girl name we picked, as we knew we wanted that name from the very beginning.
As Fannie Flagg once said in the title of one of her novels...."Welcome to the world, baby girl!"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
