And She Was...

I seem to be developing an allergy to some food...I just have no idea what it is. But several times recently, I've had too tight skin, serious itching, hot all over, and hives. I popped a Zyrtec (I normally take one at bedtime to help control asthma) and it relieve the symptoms-I'd have taken a Benadryl but I don't want to fall asleep. I need to figure out what it is because the symptoms are really uncomfortable.

We went to Teigan's christening or baptism-I still have no idea which it was. It was quite lovely-they had Teigan's uncle (who has joined us for Jewish holidays here before) do the baptising and lead the service, which I thought was a very nice touch. It's so ingrained in my head that prayerbooks open on the left, and are read from right to left that when I was flipping though the hymnal to hold it up for Cayne that I'm looking for #738 at the front end of the book because I have the book backwards. Oops.

Cayne wore Naomi through the service-the baby was baptised before everyone sat down in the pews, and so as we were standing around watching this, he'd had her in the mei tai and was rocking back and forth with her...she fell asleep, and slept through a good part of the service. It was kind of amusing though...Teigan, Naomi and a third baby whose parents we hang out with were all at the service, and when the babies got fussy, it was the three Dads-Cayne, Nick and Adam sitting in the back in the crying area with the babies. The Dad brigade (all three of them have worked together for years.) Adam's wife was commenting that when we moved down here three years ago, no one had little babies...there were two toddlers, and now all of a sudden, there are three...her son Logan, who is nine months old, Naomi at four and a half months old, and Teigan who is about six or eight weeks younger than Naomi. I suppose it's one of those things that goes in waves.

I had an interesting conversation with Teigan's grandfather (her father's father.) I hadn't seen him since I was about 38 weeks pregnant, and I've had some very interesting conversations with him before (though I'm sure we don't see eye to eye on a lot of things, he's an interesting man to talk to, even if sometimes, that means that I nod and smile politely.) And he was quite pleased that I'm staying home with Naomi, despite the fact that that choice may be looked down upon by some of my contemporaries, and that I was "doing the work that G-d intended" which was a rather different way of looking at it for me, for sure. I don't particularly think of this as divine work, just what's best for our family right now. It's nice to hear it being appreciated-I know it's not the choice a lot of the mothers in my peer group around here are making. I'm glad we can make it work for us.

I did have an interesting conversation about cloth diapers too; a friend of Teigan's mother who I've met a few times before noticed that Naomi had on cloth diapers. She writes for a green living magazine, but has no children and is supposed to write about raising a green family on a budget and was full of questions about cloth diapers. I told her to come over one day and I'd go through everything with her.

I'm worn out. It's been a busy weekend and I didn't sleep well last night. I think I'm just going to hang out on the couch for a bit, and watch the Olympic closing ceremonies, and get some sleep. Now that the rain has ended, Naomi and I have things to do.

I hope that all who are celebrating something at this time of year enjoy their celebrations and that your 2008 is filled with good and joyful things.

Passover is rapidly approaching.

Obligatory link to the PDF of the leather seder

Beyond that...I'm used to Passover. I've probably complained about it here before. My obeservances have ranged from non-existant to very, very strict. I don't know where this year will find me. It's nice to live in a place where they know to paper the shelves before putting out Passover products, and where I don't have to go to nine different stores to find what I'm looking for for Passover food.

It will be interesting this year, how to work things out with Cayne. My parents have generally had different levels of observance, but at least there's been some. I don't know what choices Cayne will make (and I'm not sure what I feel like doing this year.) Cayne's birthday happens to fall during Passover this year, and I've offered to prepare whatever treat he requests, (probably his Mom's Peanut Butter Pie) but will probably not partake. Or, he can elect to wait til after Passover, and I'll share with him. Since I do most of the cooking, the food will follow whatever level of observance I choose, but what he does out of the house is up to him. We'll see how things work and adjust accordingly, I'm sure.

For those of you into Coke with real sugar, not corn syrup, this is the time of year to stock up.

I'm just glad to have Cayne home.

CNN.com is reporting that Reuters and Italian media outlets are reporting that the Pope has died. They're unconfirmed reports, and official word hasn't come yet.

ETA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta is on CNN and saying that the reports are saying that the electrocardiogram has gone flat, and explaining the meaning of that.

ETA 2: 1:46 PM ET. 8:46 Rome time, CNN is now reporting that there are conflicting reports among the Italian media about the Pope's condition. They're also saying that at least one of the Italian agencies is reporting that the EEG, measuring brain activity has gone flat, not the EKG as reported before.

CNN is reporting that the roads into and out of the Vatican are closed in expectation of Pilgrims and well wishers for the Pope.

They're also reporting "cardiocirculatory collapse."

I wonder if the Pope's desire to stay in his own residence is a sign of his making peace with the end of his life, and a way of avoiding some of the more invasive, life-prolonging treatments that might be used.

Whatever happens, I wish him a peaceful passage into whatever comes next.

( amusing but disrepectful thought )

Cayne and I drafted the following text for our Ketubah (Jewish Marriage Contract) today, and I'm posting it here, asking for feedback from any and all of you, Jewish or not, married or not. Please take a look and provide opinions...I'm leaving comments unscreened, so if you prefer not to have your comments visible, let me know and either I'll screen it, or send an e-mail to me.

Thanks for your help.

( First Draft of Ketubah Text )

PS...Cayne declared that this post required the "Wedding Hell" icon that cyan_blue made me.