Moving Again!

I am pretty sure I had a post titled "moving again" last year at about the exactly the same time. I also think I was exactly the same amount of pregnant. Funny how our move always happens around the third trimester, and that is no fun for mommy!

Either way, I wanted to let everyone know that we are doing quite well and looking forward to our move. We have fabric swatches picked out, painting estimates coming in, and movers arriving within the next few days. We can't wait to set up everything in our new home (rented, but still) and start settling in for a few years. After so much moving (my entire life, really) I am feeling really blessed to be in the same spot for awhile.

Hubby forwarded me another great kids discount deal-of-the-day site and I thought I would pass it along to my other mommy friends:

http://Kids.woot.com/

I also like:

http://www.zulily.com/

If you sign up for zulily, say I referred you :)

I am sure we will have a good belly shot for you all soon, and oh what a belly it is... I certainly feel ten weeks ahead of where I was last time, which is consistent with a second timer.

Steve is looking through his many law firm offers and trying to decide which firm is the right fit for him. It is a big decision as some firms are more "family-oriented" than others. It is really important for us to be able to spend time together at night. We often don't go out or do anything, especially during the week. We just sit and play with little Dalia (and her growing number of toys).

Speaking of toys, Dalia is quite obsessed with her Thomas and Hank trains. She loves to read books, play with anything that resembles a small person or animal, and use her magnadoodle. Play-Doh and crayons are also high up on her list.

She is still not too aware of what baby in the belly means, and we anticipate mixed feelings in October when her little sibling (we didn't find out if it is a boy or girl!!!!) arrives healthily and happily. We can't wait to have our birth experience again using the same amazing doula. The addition of Hillary Keiser, CNM, from Gentle Birth Care is also very exciting for us. We know that the birth experience we want is a valuable goal and that for us at least, changed the entire experience of caring for a newborn. It will be even better this time around, we are sure.

So that is my update. Thanks for reading and stay tuned for photos of our new place coming together through the rest of summer!

Moving... AGAIN!

As many of you know, Steve was offered a Supreme Court Clerkship this year with Justice Kennedy. With an offer as amazing as that (really, like no one gets that), we both knew we had to uproot and move to the Washington, DC area. Needless to say, the transition was difficult for me, especially as a new mommy who had just bonded with so many other women who had recently become mommies themselves.

All through this year we thought about where we might move to next. With the average townhouse in our area costing over $500,000, and the general "culture" of the city being pretty, well, not present, it was clear pretty fast that we didn't really belong in the DC area. There is the other places we have lived (Boston and Philadelphia) and of course, one of our favorite places, Chicago. Boston was hardly a competitor--for more reasons than I can count--and Philadelphia firms aren't as ready to fork over a signing bonus. And this isn't the easy way out. We have both spent our lives studying, researching, and working our way through this year by year--each step leading to the next step, everything and every job for a reason... everything in our lives leads up to this point, and it isn't luck, it is hard work and serious planning.

It hasn't taken too much time for us to realize that Chicago is the best choice for so many reasons. And with Steve's academic career really taking off these days (did I mention is newest article is going to be published in University of Chicago's Law Review? As in, one of the top five academic placements in legal academia?) we can't imagine a better place to be. So we are thrilled with our decision.

Now is the time where we search for homes. And there are two lovely, lovely beauties that we have our eyes on. Both are in Evanston, IL, an amazing town (home to Northwestern University) and part of Chicago's "north shore". Both are walking distance to the lake, walking distance to whole foods and yummy eateries, and of course, lots of coffee shops. The decision is difficult as one is on a tree-lined street with gas street lamps and unique homes all well-kept and maintained. The other is more "city-like", though with a beautiful fenced in back yard. It is .1 miles to the metra and within walking distance to everything, including streets of beautiful homes, with much less charm than our other choice (a 100 year old dutch colonial revival).

Either way, stay tuned as we reveal which place we select for the next two to three year stretch of our lives. We aren't settling yet and planting roots--that will come when Steve takes on his academic job, which I know he can't WAIT to do :) Congrats, honey, I am so proud of you!

So that is that. That is what is up with us :) And update on the pregnancy may be next...

And You Just Can't Hide This

So what do you do when you aren't telling people you are pregnant (hmmm did we wait until like 23 weeks to announce on facebook the first time LOL) but your belly begs the question:

"oh my, when are you due?!"

You realize that your belly does the announcing for you!

Sad Times

So this weekend we buried my Grandpa. Lets just say it wasn't the best few days, but I think a lot of our family is happy that his suffering has come to an end. This kind of stuff is never fun and it isn't easy.

I will be back soon with a happier topic.

Dalia's 1 Year Photos-Sneak Peek!

We were fortunate to work with Crystal Hardin of Lily B Photography for Dalia's 1 year photos (side note: you should totally book her asap).

Dalia loved playing outside in the leaves.

Example follows:

I can't believe she is ours! Don't you just want to squeeze her!?

Crystal was amazing to work with! And she was a fabulous person, too! It was so nice to be outside in the beautiful, crisp weather with our little soon-to-be toddler (jaw hitting the floor yet??). I know I know, we can't believe it either. She is so big already. She has an amazing personality. She is the love of our lives.

*Keep in mind that these are copyrighted images. Do not print them or alter them in any way, including removing the watermark.

MOVIN'

Dalia doesn't seem to mind at all.

Yet another reason why the Ergo is dad's best friend. Just 5 minutes before this photo was taken, Dalia was screaming uncontrollably. Daddy put her in this and she was "a ok" for another hour while he packed and got lots of stuff done!

One of the best baby purchases (buy it by clicking on the left link, my favorite baby store here in Chicago) made by far.

Totally worth every single dollar.

The Simple Things

Nothing beats waking up to a little munchkie whose main objective is to kiss you as much as possible. This simple display of affection is the highlight of my month!

Dalia's newfound skill, kissing, is completely adorable and heart melting. I am a mess today--totally teary eyed.

Sleep and kisses in the same week?

IHOP

What else does a mommy need to say?

(please notice the chanukah princess bib, totally out of season, but totally rockin')

And how about this one?

And we can't forget that Dalia is basically refusing her sippy (for drinking purposes, but for teething? yes, please) and opting for adult drinking glasses:

Lest I forget to mention that Dalia is a grabbing, touching, exploring, and extremely curious little munchkin' and has recently changed our ability to do anything! She is ACTIVE!

Shabbat Shalom

Shabbat is a very special part of our Jewish family's weekly events. We usually light the shabbat candles, say some blessings, and eat challah. This past week we made sure to go through the iPod and pick out several holiday songs to sing around the table. The added music made our holiday extra special. While this is not in line with orthodox practice, we have adapted shabbat in a way that works for our family--in a way that is meaningful for us. Dalia loves shabbat and we love celebrating it with her. We hope that our traditions make an indelible impact on her childhood memories.

Two Peas in a Pod

TWO

Peas

in

a

Pod

If there is one simple thing about Dalia and her favorite cousin Chase, it is that they are two peas in a pod. They clearly have a young-person connection that is simply adorable! During our seven day stay at Grammi's, Dalia got to see her cousin three times (which means that I got to see my favorite sister three times)! We had a blast.

Oh and daddy missed Dalia and mommy so much that he managed to take a little time off of work to spend a few days with the family. Talk about a wonderful early Mother's Day present!

Goodies from our Visit

What better thing can happen to a girl than to spend a whole week with her family in her home town? It was a fantastic time! We laughed, ate good food, created memories, and spent mother's day with all the "Van Doel" ladies. I thought it would be nice to post some of my favorite photos from the week's events:

Playing with Daddy

Sitting with Great Grampy

Getting ready for the sunshine with Grammi

At our Mother's Day brunch

At Grammi's table

"What, Daddy?"

Dalia practices sitting
Dalia's little man, Chase

Dalia getting her diaper changed, I know, she loves it :)

With the 'Rents

Our little family is enjoying some much needed family time with my 'rents in good old Avon, Indiana. We will have lots of fun stories and updates once we get home!

Happy Mother's Day to all the mommies out there!

New Baby!

NOT mine, obviously!

My cousin and his wife welcomed their second baby girl, Kiera Layne, into the world yesterday! We talked briefly and I congratulated R and M on a successful natural childbirth. There is nothing like a woman being in full control of her body, dominating the seemingly uncontrollable.

Natural childbirth is beautiful. Natural childbirth is natural! Can you tell I am a huge believer in natural childbirth?

They were obviously very busy bonding with the new baby so our phone conversation was cut short. I can't wait to see the newborn baby! My eyes are already welling up!

Congrats!

The Happy Sleeper

So it finally happened. Dalia slept as much through the night as a momma like me can imagine. And poor daddy missed it! There were a few very small bumps through the night, but she was solidly asleep by 11 pm and woke up for the day at 9 am. I feel rejuvinated and recharged! Perhaps it was just "time" or maybe there is something special in the Indiana air, but Dalia has been sweet as can be the last two days!

Today was full of enjoyment. After Dalia took her morning nap, I got to spend the day walking around Plainfield's Metropolis with my two favorite gals (mom the nucleus and little munchkin), pushing my little red UppaBaby buggy from store to store. And unlike most days, today was not only for window shopping!

We scored some great deals (including a skirt for $4.74 at Old Navy), and I even got to pick up Super Baby Food, a highly-recommended book on, well, basically home made baby food (I will be posting a book review in the coming days). The best thing? My mom treated me to a little early Mother's Day rondevous. I love coming home for a visit-you can't beat that!

We got an unexpected, but very welcomed visit from my sister and her own munchkin. So Dalia got to spend some time with her favorite little buddy, her cousin, C. Kiddos bond in that little person kind of way, you know? They crack smiles back and forth, make cute sounds, and connect on some level that I really can't get to. It is neat to see Dalia interact with other young people. She is curious and shy, and yet she exudes a smiley confidence. Her personality is already shining through, and it makes me happy and sad. Happy that she is growing into a beautiful little girl and a bit sad because she gets bigger with each passing day.

Happy Sunday

The sun is just starting to set and all of our windows are open, I love fresh air! I hear the birds chirping away-happy as can be that spring is finally in full force. Nothing beats a seventy degree Sunday evening. Don't you agree? To top it off, a friend from a long time ago gave birth to a beautiful baby boy-an amazing and natural home birth. Congratulations, K!

The day was packed with adventure (I am being sarcastic). With our washer and dryer in constant use this week, there was a mountain of clothing begging for my attention. The kitchen requested my presence as well, and to top it off, I also tended to the floors and my closet. Needless to say, I am exhausted. H did quite a bit of work this weekend, too.

Our little munchkin is asleep and H and I are about to seriously chow down on some delicious, healthy lasagna. You didn't think lasagna could be healthy? Well I am a pro at making everything a little bit healthier :)

Speaking of making food, H and I made some decisions about how we are going to proceed with the world of solid foods. I have to do a bit more research and processing, but it did not involve the purchase of a fancy baby food maker, despite my original plans to get one. More on that later this week.

Have a beautiful Sunday!

Sitting in Sunshine

What better thing can a girl do on a beautiful

sunny day than sit in the backyard with a bucket o' toys and two of her favorite people in the entire world...

The sheer bliss of the summer heat made everyone cheerful and smiley:

And to top it off, our little munckin' sat peacefully, all on her own, mind you, in the midst of buzzing bees, rustling leaves, and her #1 fan, daddy.

Don't believe us? Here's the proof:

Lucky momma had her camera handy!

She never misses a shot!

Say cheese!

Here is another nice shot of two peas in a pod :)

The bumbo is where Dalia practices sitting.

She absolutely loves her fish toy from Auntie Helene

It WAS totally worth trekking all of this to the backyard, well almost.