day 3

It's day 3 of my new WW plan and I am doing pretty well so far. I have kept within my points allotment all 3 days but have not been that great at getting in 6 glasses of water, 2 cups of milk , 5 fruits or vegitables and a multivitamin...i do feel my stomach less bloated and gross but i know there hasn't been any weight loss quite yet (which is okay but it would be a nice bonus)
i have actually been able to get in a little exercise too (so if you see a lot less of me on facebook-it's because i've decided to take out my runners and be more active while baby is napping rather than browse that ridiculous sight!!!)

Weight Watchers

Almost 2 years ago i decided to join Weight Watchers. I had gained a lot of weight in a very short time and was really down on myself. WW did the trick. I dropped the 20+ pounds I had gained and felt better about myself. Today I decided I'd had enough of all the extra (baby?) weight and decided to go back on the program. Now I won't be attending meetings as they are rather pricey, and I already have all the material from last time. I will just try to stay committed to eating healthy, watch my portion sizes and try to exercise more often...
Since today is day one, i am doing great!! We;ll see how it goes over the next while- i have given myself a time line and small goals along the way- wish me luck!!!

Ode to birthdays

on the night of my 34th b-day...
i am having a very romantic date with blogger
baby is screaming cause he probably made a logger
I am not feeling that great
because i definitely overate (thanks to Passover for that)
hubby is watching the telee
but really all is swelly...
what happened to the days when birthdays were for fun???
oh yeah- we had a kid and now all that is done!!!

happy birthday to me :)
I will enjoy the pretty anklet hubby gave me, and take myself to the mall to get myself something special as I haven't bought much for myself in...let's see When was Elie born????

chag sameach

My favourite holiday of the Jewish year is here. Passover is always my favourite time of year. Spring is in the air, we have an excuse not to eat bread, family gets together for a wonderful meal (or two) and of course my birthday is around this time of year as well...
This year I am hosting the 2nd sedar (feast) For tonight's menu we have
Chicken soup (made by my MIL)
Matzah balls (made by my dad)
Orange and fennel salad (made by my mom)
Sweet and sour meatballs (by moi)
Chicken with peppers (by moi)
Garlic mashed potatoes (by moi)
Potato kugel
Carrot Tzimmis
Apple kugel
Lemon chiffon
fruit salad

5 question meme

1. Are you religious and/or spiritual? How does that affect your daily life?I am not religious but I am a traditionalist. I enjoy the customs and traditions of the Jewish religion and try to follow the basic concept of Judaism-which is often lost when one tries to "do it all". I believe in a higher being and that one gets what one deserves in life so it is important to be the best person you can be (although sometimes that is a little hard) My beliefs only affect my life in the sense that I think about the consequences of the decisions I make on a daily basis.
2. If you could choose anywhere in the world, where would you like to live? Why? Israel. If there was no conflict and life was peaceful I would love to live there. I have been there twice and can honestly say that I felt so at home and at peace with myself when I was there. Life felt more relaxed and less hectic. Everyone just enjoyed being.
3. What do you hate about being a mom? Lack of a full nights sleep. I am totally exhausted and don't think i'll ever feel fully rested again. Also not having 100% of hubby's attention anymore-although i love seeing with our son-they interact so sweetly together.
4. Name three people you would miss if they went out of your life (family not included). And why you would miss them. WOW. This is a toughy...my obvious answer would be my brother but we can't say family...okay- Jill, we laugh together in a way i can't laugh with anyone else. She just gets me!
Deb- she is one of my new mom friends but it feels like i have known her my whole life and we have so much in common. She is such an amazing person and i am really happy to have her in my life now- who else would test my experimental curry and help me scrapbook all in one evening?!?!
I just can't think of anyone else right now- might update later.
5. What is your favorite material possession?
I'm going to have to say my engagement ring as well. I love wearing it and I love looking at it. If I ever forget to wear it I feel naked! Is it weird to say that i'm actually proud of my engagement ring????

On Films

Since joining the ranks of parenthood hubby and I have watched more movies than i can count or remember the titles of...
Here are a few of them

Some Good Movies................................. Some Bad Movies
1. Half Nelson...................................................... 1. Art School Confidential
2. Babel ................................................................2. Larry the Cable Guy* not my thing- Gav liked it
3. Little Miss Sunshine.......................................3. Brick
4. Missing in America ........................................4. I love your work
5. Water............................................................... 5. The DaVinci Code
6. The Devil Wears Prada (sort of good/bad) 6. Failure to Launch
7. Running with Scissors.................................... 7. The Family Stone
8. RV

Movies I have seen with the little guy
Good.........................................Not so good
1. Happy Feet.....................................The Illusionist
2. Because I said so............................The Prestige
3. 007 Casino Royale.........................The Departed
4. You me and Dupree.......................The Breakup
5. Dreamgirls.......................................The Guardian
6. The Holiday
7. Step Up
8. Stranger than Fiction

Stolen from Jill. Just to show how "well read" i am (insert eye rolling here)
1. The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown)
2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)
3. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee) READ IT
4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
5. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien)
6. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien)
7. The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien)
8. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery) READ IT
9. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)
10. A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry) READ IT
11. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling) READ IT
12. Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)
13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling) READ IT 14. A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving) READ IT
15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden) READ IT
16. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Rowling) READ IT
17. Fall on Your Knees(Ann-Marie MacDonald) READ IT (WELL 1/2 OF IT)
18. The Stand (Stephen King)
19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Rowling) READ IT
20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte)
21. The Hobbit (Tolkien) READ IT
22. The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger)
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)
24. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold) READ IT
25. Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
26. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams) TRIED TO READ IT
27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)
28. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis)
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
30. Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom) READ IT
31. Dune (Frank Herbert)
32. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks)
33. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
34. 1984 (Orwell)
35. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley)
36. The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett) READ IT
37. The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay) READ IT
38. I Know This Much is True (Wally Lamb) READ IT
39. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant) READ IT
40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel)
42. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini) READ IT
43. Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella) READ IT
44. The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom) READ IT
45. The Bible
46. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy)
47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
48. Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt) READ IT
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
50. She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb) READ IT
51. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver) READ IT
52. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens)
53. Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
54. Great Expectations (Dickens)
55. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald) READ IT
56. The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)
57. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling) READ IT
58. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough) READ IT
59. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood) READ IT
60. The Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrew Niffenegger)
61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)
63. War and Peace (Tolsoy)
64. Interview With The Vampire (Anne Rice)
65. Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)
66. One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
67. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (Ann Brashares)
68. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
69. Les Miserables (Hugo)
70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
71. Bridget Jones’ Diary (Fielding)
72. Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez)
73. Shogun (James Clavell)
74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje) READ IT
75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
76. Tigana (Guy Gavriel Kay)
77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
78. The World According To Garp (John Irving) READ IT
79. The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)
80. Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White)
81. Not Wanted On The Voyage (Timothy Findley)
82. Of Mice And Men (Steinbeck)
83. Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier)
84. Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
85. Emma (Jane Austen)
86. Watership Down (Richard Adams)
87. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
88. The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
89. Blindness (Jose Saramago)
90. Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer) READ IT
91. In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje)
92. Lord of the Flies (Golding)READ IT
93. The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck)
94. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum)
96. The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton)
97. White Oleander (Janet Fitch)
98. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield) READ IT
100. Ulysses (James Joyce)

On Breastfeeding

Before my son was born I was sure I wanted to breastfeed. I was convinced about the positive aspects of nursing and was not going to pollute my son's body with nasty formula. Then the birth happened. My first attempt at nursing him was not a success. He just wouldn't latch and I wasn't producing any milk yet. I was very upset, angry and frustrated. The nurses at the hospital were not very helpful. One nurse instructed me to do this, the other said do that and yet another said "now this is the right way to do it". A good friend, and hardcore breastfeeding advocate came to the hospital and made many attempts at assisting me to get it right. We tried tube feeding, taping a tube to my nipple and putting Elie on my breast this way, NOTHING, we tried feeding him with a syringe and still nothing. Another friend, who is a registered nurse, tried to help me over the phone. It was very hard, and very very painful. I was becoming discouraged and the hospital was very quick to hand me bottles of formula, which they informed me i needed to give my little boy as he would become dehydrated and lose too much weight. Reluctantly I succumbed to their nudges. After 3 days at the hospital they discharged us and sent us away with a box of formula, bottles, a few nipples and absolutely no knowledge on how to properly breastfeed. I was devastated. My husband being the great man that he is, found as much information as he could find on breastfeeding clinics and lactation consultants, then called them all until he found someone to come over to our house ASAP. Since I had had a c-section it was impossible for me to go to one of the free clinics and it also appeared that there was a long wait to see anyone there...we paid the fairly high price for the most wonderful LC to come and help me. She did a fantastic job and I have referred her to several new moms as I am now a keen advocate of breastfeeding too. It was worth every cent to have her come to our assistance. During the process of learning what techniques worked for me and my baby and talking with Timea the LC, I was told that formula should only be given to moms by prescription. I thought that was a little harsh and fanatical but now after almost 9 months of breastfeeding I believe this is true.
Of course there are days when I feel like a dairy cow and wish that I could stop breastfeeding but I know that I am giving my son the absolute best start in life and there is no way powder manufactured in a factory can be as healthy and nutritious as milk produced by my body made for my baby.
What started out as a terrible nightmare has become one of the most positive experiences for me as a mother. In the beginning I thought my nipples would come right off they were in so much pain but using the breathing techniques I learned at prenatal class helped me though it. I was sure I was going to have a nervous breakdown due to being so torn on what to do about feeding my son. I wanted to breastfeed him so badly but it wasn't coming naturally and it seemed like the hospital had some sort of conspiracy with the formula companies so that new moms would feel like formula is easier than feeding the natural way. Through persistence, and lots of help from friends and a great LC I was able to grant myself the wish to breastfeed. I just wish more new moms out there did the same as me.
Remember Breast really is Best!!!

good stuff about me, not so good stuff about me..

Inspired by Jill's posting I thought I'd try to think of 10 things in total (not so sure I could come up with 10 of each today-feeling really crappy)

5 good things about me

1. I make friends easily
2. I am a good money manager- i can save better than many people i know
3. I am a good cook and like to cook for others
4. I have an amazing memory- if you tell me something once I will usually remember it-so be careful!!!
5. my husband and my baby are the most important things in the world to me- iwould walk to the ends of the earth for either of them

5 not so good things about me

1. I am a little lazy
2. my house is never as clean as I think it should be
3. I can be a little cheap- i like to save money and worry that money will run out so i don't spend it easily
4. I am too sensitive and take things way too personally at times
5. I am a terrible sick person- if i'm not feeling well you'll all know about it!!

food meme

1. What's your #1 comfort food? any type of soup. My new favourite is sweet potatoe and carrot soup
2. If you were on a deserted island, what one food would you want to have with you? carrots- i can eat them day in a day out and they are soo filling and yummy raw!
3. What is/are your signature dishes? (What dishes are you 'known' for?) well i make amazing zuccini muffins, excellent tillapia and this nice couscous dish with dried cranberries
4. It's Friday night, you don't know what to cook. You opt for...stir fry with sweet and sour sauce
5. What's your biggest weakness when it comes to food? carbs- i love bread and crackers
6. What food can you absolutely not eat? caviar- i have tried but just don't like it
7. You need a drink. You grab a-diet coke or a coffee
8. What's the most decadent dish you've had? seafood lasagna with bechemal sauce-DELISH!!
9. What's your favorite type of food? Korean or a close second is sushi
10. Favorite dish? Soon tubo chigae (tofu stew-very spicy and yummy
11. If your partner could take you to any restaurant you wanted, which one would it be? Tavern on the green in NYC...just because it's so famous
12. Are you a soup or salad person? definitely love making and eating soup, but do like nice crispy salad too
13. Buffet, take-out or sit-down restaurant? depends on my mood but usually sit-down as I always overeat at buffets-but i do like the fact that you can taste a little of everything
14. What's the most impressive dinner you've ever made? let's start with dessert- chocolate covered strawberries, sole with yogurt dill sauce, carrot califlower soup and moroccan couscous
15. Do you consider yourself a good cook? pretty good but i have to be in the mood to cook
16. Do you know what vichyssoise is? of course- soo yummy in the summer when it's really hot and you don't want hot soup
17. Who's your favorite TV cook? i don't have one
18. Can you name at least three TV cooking personalities? Rachael Ray (her annoying big mouth makes me cringe) Emeril ( i know he's passe but BAM I still like him) and Bobby Flay
19. Homemade or homemade from a box? Homemade no doubt
20. Name 3 or more other foodies you are going to tag. Danielle, Karen and anyone else who wants to do this silly meme :)

Dontoearth

In Sunday's Toronto Star there was an article on the life of Don Crowdis. He is 92 years of age and writes a blog on the stories of his life. I find it fascinating. I cannot imagine being married to the same person for 70 years (which he has!!!) if hubby and I are ever married for that long i'll be 102 and he'll be 106!! Unfortunate to think about but realistically probably won't happen...
Check out his blog here.

i hate winter

Here i am at 4:50 in the morning wide awake. My poor little boy has been up every night for the last 3 weeks with either teething pains, coughing or a blocked nose. I have done everything i can and it just doesn't seem like enough. He has been nursed to the point that I am so sore, his nose has been baby-vacced, and he has been given Tempra, Camillia, and Anbesol...and against my husbands' advice i have rocked my crying baby to sleep. BUT GUESS WHAT??? It worked! Thank goodness.

NOW I have to deal with my own cold and sore throat. I thought I was coughing yesterday due to a reaction to something i smelled but NOPE, i have a full blown cold now too. I think i'll go sleep in front of the TV on the sofa as not to disturb hubby who is now peacefully sleeping thanks to my rocking baby to sleep!

MILF

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For all the moms out there...loved this one

A man came home from work and found his three Children outside, still In their pajamas, playing in the mud, with empty Food boxes and wrappers Strewn all around the front yard. The door of his wife's car was open, as was The front door to the house And there was no sign of the dog. Proceeding Into the entry, he found An even bigger mess. A lamp had been knocked Over, and the throw rug was Wadded against one wall. In the front room the TV was loudly blaring a Cartoon channel, and the family room was strewn with toys And various items of clothing. In the kitchen, dishes filled the sink, Breakfast food was spilled on the Counter, the fridge door was open wide, dog Food was spilled on the floor, a broken glass lay under the table, and a Small pile of sand was spread By the back door. He quickly headed up the stairs, stepping over Toys and more piles of Clothes,looking for his wife. He was worried She might be ill, or that Something serious had happened. He was met with a small trickle of water as it made its way out the bathroom door. As he peered inside he found wet towels, Scummy soap and more toys Strewn over the floor. Miles of toilet paper lay in a Heap and toothpaste had been Smeared over the mirror and walls. As he rushed to the bedroom, he found his wife Still curled up in the bed In her pajamas, reading a novel. She looked up At him, smiled, and asked how his day went. He looked at her bewildered and asked, "What Happened here today?" She again smiled and answered, "You know every Day when you come home From work and you ask me what in the world I do all Day?" "Yes," was his incredulous reply. She answered, "Well, today I didn't do it." Priceless...

why blog????

Blogging is supposed to be fun. It is supposed to be stress free, it is supposed to allow me to write and express my thoughts and opinions without harsh critisicm or judgement.
Lately I have not felt that blogging is any of these things. After some ridicule on a post I did regarding personality and underwear choice was bashed by someone She wrote the following on a board accesable by all the mothers in my online group "HI, I’m new to the group and have some concerns. I looked at the website and looked at some links of members and found a very disturbing posting.
“When I meet someone new I always kind of wonder (not in a perverted way) what kind of undies they like to wear. I try to figure out based on their personality and persona if they are cotton brief wearers, thong or tanga enthusiasts…sometimes I even get a peak at their undies when they bend over to pick something up -which are most often sticking out from the top of their lower than their underwear pants “ "I have two little girls and do not think a mommy should use a baby group as a place to fulfill her weird fetish. I find it strange a mommy would even post such a thought knowing her website is linked to this site. I think I would be very uncomfortable now around this mom wondering if she is looking at me or even my girls. Maybe this mom needs some help? I just think as a mother I should make other moms aware of the thoughts this mother has. It was under gaviesgal or something like that (a blog) I’m just very carefull having two young daughters with a world full of crazy people (male & female)"
I tried to blow these ridiculous comments off but I cannot stop thinking about how this mother misread my innocent, attempt at a funny post as something dirty and deviant. There was absolutely nothing there intended to make anyone uncomfortable or believe that I could possibly do harm to another woman or a child. This comment has been weighing on my mind since I initially read it a couple of days ago. I have never met the woman who wrote this in person and really do not care to meet her EVER.
There have been other posts in the past that were misconstrued as well. I won't get into all the details now but I just want to make the point that sometimes email and the written word is not taken in the context it is written. People may read between the lines-and incorrectly at that, or the writer does not express what they are trying to say with enough poise and eloquence that they are misunderstood. I suppose this is why we spend years taking English classes analysing writings of all sorts!
Before you respond to my query please note that most of my "mommy friends" came to my defence and did in fact stand up for me, stating that this comment was ludicrous and absolutely unfounded but it has still be on my mind and I would love other views on what this one mother read into my post (which i deleted because I was so upset by these accustions)
Thanks everyone!!

Water

I watched the emotionally charged film WATER this evening. Set in 1938 Colonial India, against Mahatma Gandhi's rise to power, the story begins when eight-year-old Chuyia is widowed and sent to a home where Hindu widows must live in penitence. Chuyia’s feisty presence affects the lives of the other residents, including a young widow, who falls for a Gandhian idealist.
This film has left me wondering about the state of the world.Also of how blessed I am to have been born in Canada in a time when women have so many rights and freedoms unlike those in less advance societies of another time.

i have a sicky on my hands

Elie has had a runny nose for almost 2 weeks now. Gavin and I didn't think it was anything more than a cold, as so many of the kids in Elie's playgroups have been under-the-weather as well. A couple of nights ago we noticed Elie was coughing and wheezing a bit so I took the little guy to the doctor today. Boy am I thankful I did! The poor little guy has a virul infection and something similar to bronchitis. He is now on ventilin and we must administer it to him 2-3 times a day until the wheezing stops. I'm so grateful he is going to be okay but as it always goes when I leave the doctors office, I have a terrible cough now too-and a runny nose!!!

my new hair and EYEBROWS :)

i finally took the time- and really 3 hours is a long time- to have my hair done :)
I sat in that chair while Ricky the new stylist at the Ultimate Cut, coloured, washed, dried, highlighted, washed again, cut and finally blowdried my hair to perfection...it was a long process but oh so worth it!! I felt like a human again and low and behold NO MORE ROOTS!!! This woman really knows what she is doing and in my search for a great hair stylist/colorist I have finally found someone I would go back to more than once!!!
Congratulate me!!!
Yesterday I actually took the 5 minutes I needed to have my unruly eyebrows waxed...they had gotten completely out of control- again I would recommend Maryam at The Cut Above in the Promenade. She did a fantastic job, with very little pain, little time and complete honesty- i told her i wanted my brows shaped a little more and she didn't try to do the impossible but told me outright that i would need to continue coming back to her for a few times before I can get the shape i want. Since getting pregnant and having Elie my hair and my eyebrows have completely changed texture so it would be best to continue with the same women each time rather than trying someone new every time I go for pampering!!
anyway here are a couple of pics- the first one is of my new hair and old brows, the second one is my hair AND brows (not the best pics but better than the self portraits i had attempted ) :)))

baby loves apples :)

adventures in body waxing...

well not as exciting as the title sounds...I decided to try and wax my own eyebrows as I know both Jill and Christine have done this task before. I bought the Andreas face and bikni wax a while ago and did try it once but was not successful so i put it away until the other day. I figured that Elie was sleeping and i didn't feel like cleaning the house so i pulled out the box of wax strips. The instructions say to warm the wax strips between your hands by rubbing- i used a hairdryer as i did note that last time the wax was not warm enough. I thought this might work...well here are pictures of my before and after...tell me what you think.
i have not had much luck with my attempts to wax my own eyebrows...I think i'll make a trip to the salon tomorrow to have them done proffesionally- i know the bushy look is in again but this is just too much :0
I can't see any difference AT ALL!!!