Brother and Sister

Here is Leon waking up his sister Sylvie from her nap!

Leon Davis Hasson

There is a new person in our house. Not just someone new but a new someone. It has taken over EVERYTHING in our lives. From the small; creating a new file in ‘my pictures’ by the name of LEON DAVIS, to the medium; new stuff all over the house – a Boppy, Moses basket, nipple ointment, to the big; a new amazing teamwork dynamic with Joey.

Big Sister

I can’t believe how much I love Sylvie. Granted, a Sylvan Learning Center commercial can bring me to tears but I have been so overwhelmed with emotion for my first born girl - I am really surprised. I gaze at the black and while photo strips of her on the fridge and start crying, those photos have been there for two years. I help her change in to her pajamas and teary-eyed, tell her how much I love her. I see a new look on her face as she discovers that feelings are complicated. The first few days in the hospital were really hard – I missed her terribly. As she was getting shuffled between grandparents and friends, I started to feel like her world had turned and I wanted her home with us. Once we did get home, I couldn’t really be with her because I was barely able to walk and was feeding all the time. Now that I have recovered, I can tickle her and read to her and tell her how much she means to me. I am SO thrilled that she is the only girl in the family. She will always be my favorite girl.


The Bris

Of course the day before thanksgiving is busy for everyone. Not the best day to have a Bris but then again, one week before, we knew it was coming. However, meeting with the Rabbi the night before, he thought that the baby looked a little yellow. We went directly to the doctor and waited for an hour because we had to get squished in at the end of a busy day. The idea of calling off the bris was feeling pretty good for me, not so much for my mom and Joey’s mom who had done all of the planning and cooking. The doctor thought he looked fine so we called off the calling off.
We showed up at the same time as guests and seeing my Aunt and Uncle who had driven two hours to get there at 9AM brought me to tears. I did manage to say hi to some people and give hugs but I felt really strange leaving the baby in the car seat on the table like a new piece of sculpture for all to admire. I took the baby upstairs as the Rabbi started to chant and spent a few minutes deep breathing. It worked, and I was not crying as I carried Leon down the stairs, past family and friends and into the arms of his grandparents. They passed him around and handed him off to the Rabbi. I grabbed my Grandmother’s (Leon’s Great grandmother) hand and squeezed it tight for the next 20 minutes which seemed like three days and 15 hours.
Joey was so strong. He looked like a real dad with a son, all dressed up in a suit and talit and smiling from ear to ear. He kneeled down and helped the rabbi and his father hold the baby. He was right there when the rabbi did the same thing that was done to him, his father and all of the men in his family for the last 5000 years. An amazing moment in time on the continuum of our families.
It was great to see the pride and joy in the faces of my father and Joey’s father. Holding the baby during the Bris, Eddie was a critical part of the procedure getting a close up view of what happens. My father held the baby during the naming prayers and beamed the whole time. At the end of the ceremony, we all gathered around the baby arm in arm as the Rabbi wished the best wishes on our family and this new little boy. Then we all ate, including Leon who was a little distressed at that point. He has survived nicely and I look forward to never having to do that again. Big thanks to my mother and Marguerite who are classy and can throw a really nice Bris!

Baby time

Nursing is hard work. It feels constant and it slows life WAY down. At the same time it is such a unique phase of life that I can’t help savoring it even though my breasts are angry and screaming in pain some of the time.
The rest of baby time is amazing. Sitting around with a little person on your shoulder breathing in your ear, watching the total lack of bodily control as he swipes himself in the face, seeing him in the arms of his big sister – all of it is love, love, love. I am constantly worried about him catching a cold so I make everyone wash their hands and we are running out of anti-bacterial soap. At three in the morning I am sitting in bed nursing and staring off into space wondering about where he will go to college or whether or not we will have to buy him a gameboy. I want to go outside but I don’t because it is cold and raining and why would I take a warm little pocket person into that kind of environment?

Family

Today I wrote a thank you card to a friend and signed all of our names – Love, Molly, Joey, Sylvie and Leon. “We have a big family now”, I said to Joey. I feel complete and warm and like we take up more room on the planet. I am also apprehensive about the future and what the world will be like for my kids.

My dad kissed me on Thanksgiving and then he came back in for three more kisses. This is how my dad has treated me my whole life and I am so glad for it. After 35 years of thinking he was just a really affectionate person I now I know EXACTLY why he does that. I can’t even look at my kids without wanting more and more kisses – and more and more and more and more and more….

Minnie Mac

There is this song on Tot Shabbat that Sylvie LOVES. It starts out slowly ...minne mac, minnie mac, minnie minnie minnie mac...and has some hand-jive movements that go with it. It gets faster and faster until she is in a full on dance frenzy! I was able to get some shots of her 'dancing': mainly twisting her head as fast as possble while jumping. This is a big part of her current personality - dancing and singing as much as possible. In the car and in her bed and during dinner and just walking around. I know there is a new baby in the house but I have a whole new love for my Sylvie and this is so HER right now. You wish you were two again.

Anticipation

This should make everyone feel great about their body! I am always amazed at what a woman's body has to do to grow an alien but there is evidence out there that it works ;)

With only one week left we are eagerly anticipating the arrival of our second child. Sylvie has been read to, sang to and schooled in big sisterdom by everyone from Dora to her friend Clio. We feel like she is going to be really happy to meet this baby who has disabled her mother and re-introduced the baby car seat to the car (currently Ernie is hitching a free ride in the seat)

Not to worry, we are currently warehousing a stack of new toys to ease the transition.

Love Molly

CHEESE

CHEESE!











Need I say more?

Just in Time

Here is a photo, taken by our good friend Cambria, of Sylvie and Mommy with the belly. We are very excited to welcome a new family member next week and can't wait to see what and who they are!!!!

I just talked to a mother, who has a child in Sylvie's class, who said that her 2-year old daughter did not talk to her for two weeks after she brought home her son a few months ago. YIKES. I wonder how Sylvie will react and I hope that we have prepared her as much as we can. She has seen her friends become big sisters so I hope that will help.

She is not the first little girl to get a sibling so I know she will do great. She seems pretty flexible in general.

Mew

Cookie Monster

Sylvie's Granmother made this sweater for her and the first thing I thought was "Cookie Monster!" so I made a hat and some googly eyes and this was her 2nd Halloween Outfit. IT was a big hit and everyone recognized it right away! Plus it was "NiYaM WaYM" which, in Sylvie speak is "Nice and Warm"

And This one

2 years old

Here is Sylvie's official
"IAMTWOANDGORGEOUS"
photo.

Two!

Sylvie's party was really cute. Kim and Tim brought a slew of pink and green baloons, Joey and I decorated the back with pink crepe paper streamers and shots of Sylvie's two year old photo shoot.







Noni made an ADORABLE cake with marshmallow bunnies and Sylvie spelled out in m&ms. Everyone LOVED the cake!















Sylvie loved her new trike and the new Doll that she promptly placed in the trunk of the new trike ;)
(see doll peeking out of trunk at left)













Overall it was a very good day! I can't beleive that our girl is two.

Lawrence Welk

Last night was a very special mommy moment for me.

Most every night that I put Sylvie to bed I sing two songs to her. One is the goodnight song from Donnie and Marie:


May Tomorrow
Be a perfect day
May you find love and laughter along the way
May God keep you
In his tender care
'Til he brings us together again
GOOD NIGHT EVERYBODY!

It has been etched in my brain since I was 7 and was a favorite at many a slumber party. Sylvie likes this one but the second one is her favorite....

The second one is the goodnight theme from Lawrence Welk:

Good night
Sleep tight
and pleasant dreams, to you
Here's a wish
and a prayer
Let every dream come true
AND NOW 'til we meet again
Adios, Au Revoir, Avederzein
GOOD NIGHT!

Last night Sylvie totally sang this one with me for the first time. It was so sweet with her little two year-old head on my shoulder and her little voice in my ear. She really started in on the AND NOW part and she totally said Adios (maybe because of Dora). It was a tender moment.

Obviously, I was raised around a TV and I know I watched alot of Lawrence Welk at my grandmother's house. The results are that I can sing along with most any standard and I totally know how to fake a smile while swaying back and forth ala sweeney sisters. Now Sylvie will share in a small part of that with me. Mew

Gimme a Smile 

Sylvie on the lake 

Summer Fun at Hayden Lake, Idaho 

Aquarium Hell

We went to the aquarium today. Typically June is awful in Seattle but a downpour just after the first day of summer still gets you where it hurts. So, even though all of the summer clothes are at the top of the pile, you dig down deep, pull out the raincoat, pack up all the bags with everything but the kitchen sink, and push yourself out of the house. We did it with four kids though, and that is not easy even on a nice day.

These days, being in the car = snack time. When did that happen? Why does getting buckled into the 5-point harness trigger the pavlovian need for goldfish? and water, of course. Also, my two-year old is a total repeater "watey?, watey? watey? water?". Are all two-year olds this way?

All I remember from the aquarium was receiving the knowing smiles from other parents as they passed by our scene. Sylvie laying on the floor in utter desperation screaming at the top of her lungs to carry her snack-trap. I wanted to say something like "we are having a two-year old moment" or "it's just one of those days" but, and this was the highlight of my day, I realized that I didn't even have to. Most of the parents had older kids, so they already knew exactly what I was going through. I got alot of kind looks. There weren't alot of other two-year olds there, duly noted.

The worst part was having a kicking, screaming, going limp, temper tantrum child in my arms while pregnant. There really is no comfortable way to deal with that, as if there ever is. Oh yeah, on the ramp up to see the otters, my adorable daughter was screaming "I want booty" over and over as if she was in the middle of a marathon and her body could not survive without the popped corn cheddar air that is Pirate Booty (or baby crack as it has been called).

I literally ran by the toddler watershed play area. No way was I going to risk having to leave that place eventually, y'know what I mean?

It will be a long time before we go back, not because I don't love to see the otters rubbing each other on their backs, or the peaceful tropical fish stripped from their paradise home waters, but because it doesn't look that good as a big, watery, blur.

Poor Ani

OK - I need to blog out the Star Wars Episode Three. I loved it in general and walking out of the theater into the daylight was such a "reality bites" moment that it almost ruined the experience. I loved it so much I can hardly wait to see it again!

DO NOT READ FURTHER IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN IT!

The Good

• Obi Wan flipping out of his crashing ship simultaneously wielding the light saber - HE ROCKS!
• Anakin reuniting with Padme after saving the Chancellor - "Excuse Me" !!!Kissing!!!
• Yoda spinning in the air and killing stooges with the wave of his paws
• The score - brilliant
• The beheading of Dooku
• the droid general wielding 4 light sabers literally TEARING IT UP!
• The sudden appearance of the familiar empire fighter ships
• The horrifying state of Anakin after Obi Wan's asskicking
• Anakin's landing of the titanic-ish burning breaking ship
• Anakin's growth from annoying teen into a half naked husband with a developed chest - even the men sitting behind me moaned at the sight of this :0
• Anakin's abandonment of the double rat tail hairdo
• Crazy elevator maneuvers
• Padme's hair at her funeral
• Most Favorite: How much do I LOVE R2D2?!!!!!

The Bad

• the total average pillows in Anakin and Padme's pad - beige with blue piping - come on!
• Don't stand on the porch brushing your hair and say 'love is blind'
• Don't say "obi wan said you are really stressed out"
• The turn around from - "I can't believe what I have just done" to "Your wish is my command evil master" was sorda quick - I think he should have had put up more of a fight!
• Don't kill younglings - ouch
• Giving birth to two full term babies while looking like you are 4 months pregnant
• The lava flow fighting scene - wouldn't it be too hot to fight ON TOP of lava - too much of a PUSH
• Padme going from a strong, intelligent queen and senator to a hairbrushing helpless pregnant wife - that was a long hard fall!
• Order 66: how quickly those clones will turn!
• The sudden appearance of the nazi-ish empire generals in uniform managing the building of the death star
• Anakin's greasy hair
• Why was the droid general coughing - 1st time any star wars character had health problems - no?

In general I wonder about how little boys will interpret this: Anakin's ultimate weakness was his love and caring for the women in his life. Of course his pride was his downfall as well but his love was really what allowed him to be manipulated by Darth Sidius. What message does this send to the 12-year-ols who were wearing capes and saber fighting while waiting in line for the 7 o'clock showing (at 5:40)?

I totally believe that there is room for another one. I want to see the creation of the rebellion. I want scenes of Leia growing up on Alderon. I want to see the transition of Darth Vedar from mourning Padme to Standing at the window managing the death star. I want to see Luke nailing the rats back in beggars canyon on tattoine! I would love to see some history on Han - he must have some midichlorians in his back pocket! Who could play a young Han? That would be a hard casting challenge. PLEASE we need an episode 3.5!

Comments? I don't want to visit a star wars chat room though I am tempted I would be overwhelmed by the nuttsies!

Blog it out - Sleeping

I recently got an email from a friend about putting her child to sleep earlier and it released a flood of memories about my own sleeping problems as a child. I need to blog it out....

I hated going to bed so much when I was a kid and really didn't need very much sleep. I have a birth mark on my butt and, until I was 15, thought it was from being spanked from getting out of bed so much. I also had a drowsy doll that used to say "I want another drink of water!" and used it on my dad all night long. I would sit in bed and stare at the canopy and never remembered falling asleep. I didn't learn to close my eyes to fall asleep until I was a teenager. Strange huh!? My mom used to try relaxation techniques on me - it is all coming back now. Anyway, I swear it gave me the imagination and creativity that I still used today. Still, I think I should have been allowed to stay up. Every kid is different.

My parents tried alot of techniques on us and one was the star/reward system. We got to set some of our own rules as long as we were willing to follow them. My parents even gave us the opportunity to decide on a bedtime. The catch was that my brother and I had to agree on a time. Well, this was a big problem. My brother wanted to go to bed at 7. DORK because he was born a realist and was extremely practical. I remember yelling - THIS IS OUR OPPORTUNITY TO STAY UP UNTIL 11. My brother probably knew that this would be my reaction so he started out low with some room for negotiation. I was doubly pissed because I felt that, being the oldest, I should automatically get to stay up later. I think we decided on 8 which was really sad for me. My brother often got his way because he had more resources - he was a hoarder and could coerce me with his stash of NOW and LATERS.

Another sleeping nightmare was day-care. My parents had to tell the daycare not to let me take a nap because it made bedtime even worse. The daycare people hated me for it and made me read in the sleeping room, in the DARK! I was so bored that I used to pinch the sleeping kids to wake them up - AWFUL!

Luckily, Sylvie loves to go to bed and sleeps for 12 hours on most days. I think she got this from her dad. PHEW!

crocheted flowers closeup 

girly sweater 

Girly

Here is my most recent sweater and probably my most favorite. I took a Rowan pattern with trees and snow and added crocheted flowers and grass. I am still working with leftovers from the log-cabin heirloom below. This sweater is for the next baby girl to bjorn. I can't wait to see it on. mew

Frieda

This portrait of Frieda was taken with my new toy Holga. The holga is a plastic $19.00 camera that takes medium format film. After learning how to carefully load the film, I figured out that it can take really nice portraits with interesting light-leakage in the corners and great depth of field. This is the best shot so far. It looks like Frieda wants you to throw her that ball but she usually grabs it before you can pick it up. In Sylvie's case, she takes too long to throw so the ball usually gets taken from her hand by Ms. Friedsers.

Here is my portrait of Ms. Frieda Sterling 

French Bob Haircut 

Cheerio Bliss 

why digital cameras don't work with kids 

messinism 

Matzah Roca and Markers (pronounced MAMAKS) 

THE HEIRLOOM

For her second child, Linda has requested that I make her an "HEIRLOOM" type of blanket. She says that her daughter loves her 'mowly blanket' so she must have another for her second child. Well, I took a crochet class, became obsessed with the ease and speed of granny squares and went way overboard with color work and created the log cabin below. Then I decided that it might not be heirloomy enough. No was it as gender neutral (the colors are navys, blues, green, cream and a touch of lavender)

So, I made the yellow one above (which looks more yellow than it actually is) and now I can't decide which one is more heirloom. How do you define "heirloom"?

Please help me decide which one is more heirloom by leaving a comment!

THANKS!

Total Crochet Heirloom 

Log Cabin Heirloom 

first pants free ca-ca 

Another First

Usually when we are putting Sylvie's pjs on at night, she likes to be nudey for a while and even does a 'nudey dance'. Last night, I was sitting on the floor while she did her dance, around the house, and waiting for her to come back. I got distracted with cleaning, or playing, or just spacing out, when Joey said, "did you know that Sylvie went down stairs?". I guess her danced lasted a while. She had to be led back to her room to get changed and when she came in she says "ca-ca" but that has come to mean anything that she finds on the floor that needs to be thrown away, or the actual garbage can, or someone else's dirty diaper, etc. So, I put her diaper and pjs on and that was it.

This morning, while I was taking a shower. Joey came in and announced that Sylvie had POOPED ON THE FLOOR behind the dining room table and that she had just admitted to him that it was her "ca-ca". OHMIGAWD. Not only was it there all night, it was totally unnoticed.

When I told my friend Katie, she was laughing but encouraged me that this was a big step toward poddy training and exclaimed that we should be thrilled. I guess a little neglect goes a long way toward development. Not the first time I was taught this lesson! Here is the spot behind the dining room table (Sans 'ca-ca')

Supersize

First trimester and I can't stop myself from the occasional drive thru. It's only once a week but it is so f'n good. Today's lunch: #8 filet o' fish meal with fries and the 'orange drink'. I love the orange drink because, when I was a kid, we were members of the IFA (interracial family association - love is a rainbow;) and McDonald's donated 'orange drink' for every get together we ever had. So, every month we got to drink as much as we wanted from the big orange cooler setting me off on my life-long love of orange everything. The best part of orange drink is that it is hardly carbonated.

Anyway, it is hard to cook anything when you are nauseous most of the time, but what am I going to do with the scrunched-up McDonalds bag? My husband refuses to eat fast food after seeing super-size me. How obvious can you get!?

Other things that only happen when you have a 20 month old:

1. The only water in the car is a sippy cup and when you are thirsty that will have to do. Who cares what the fox in the audi a6 thinks. YES, I need handles and a spout to drink, OK!

2. Cell phone is covered in mange/strawberry flavored slobber after absent mindedly leaving purse on table instead of hanging it up and out of reach.

3. All lipsticks are missing their covers and have little teeth gouges in them. See #2 for explanation.

4. Loose change is now called "uh-oh" see #2 again.

third times a charm