On Friday night, Husband and I ventured out to the beautifully restored Boston Opera House to see the musical, Fiddler on the Roof. The production is billed as actor Chaim Topol’s farewell tour in the role of Tevye, which he has performed about 2,500 times and garnered numerous awards (He was the first Israeli actor ever to be nominated for an Academy Award for his role of Tevye in the original motion picture).

Topol was absolutely amazing and just a joy to watch. Between sitting in probably what is the most beautiful theatre I’ve ever stepped foot in and enjoying three hours of theatrical entertainment, it was a night well spent. Two thumbs way up!

On a side note, Mum was telling me that as a kid growing up in Boston, she used to watch movies at the Boston Opera House because in her days, it was a movie house. Wow, what a place to watch a movie!

Image taken from here.

Time for Baby’s update…

Your baby’s growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since he’s almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he’ll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing “branches” of the respiratory “tree” as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

At 24 weeks, the baby has a chance of survival if it is born. Most babies born before this time cannot live because their lungs and other vital organs are not developed enough. The care that can now be given in neonatal units means that more and more babies born early do survive. But for babies born at around this time there are increased risks of disability.

* How far along?: 24 weeks.
* Total weight gain: I’ve gained almost 2 pounds but still I’m down 13 pounds.
* How big is baby?: A foot long- the length of an ear of corn.
* Maternity clothes?: I just bought 5 pairs of maternity pants and a few tops… so comfy now!
* Sleep?: It’s interrupted and getting more and more uncomfortable.
* Best moment this week?: Getting good news about Baby from the doctor.
* Movement?: Baby is in the breech position which isn’t always so pleasant when Baby kicks.
* Food cravings?: None- Still having food aversions to practically everything.
* Labor Signs: No.
* Belly Button: Innie.
* What I miss: Still, wanting to cook nice meals.
* What I’m looking forward to: Still, not puking anymore and feeling better.
* Weekly wisdom: Listen to everyone, but choose who/what you believe.
* Milestone: I’m six months today!

Info taken from babycenter.

For Halloween, Sister has decided to dress up like Waldo from Where’s Waldo. It’s a rather simple and economical costume to pull off. She has taken certain items from her own wardrobe and then found any missing pieces to complete the look, except for the hat. So, Sister asked me to crochet her a similar Waldo hat and this is what I came up with…

I think it came out pretty well for a handmade creation done rather quickly, if I do say so myself. The red brim can be adjusted to be as wide or narrow as one needs or rolled to better mimic Waldo’s hat. I also have it sitting rather far down on my head but that can be adjusted as well. What do you think… it works for Waldo? And, it will keep Sister warm!

Today is Husband’s birthday. Yes, I know… we have back to back days of celebration between our anniversary and his birthday. It’s just the way it worked out, what can I say. At least he’ll never forget our anniversary, right?

So, happy birthday my love.

…with my best friend.

Happy three year anniversary, Love. xx

Yesterday, we received quite a surprise when Mother Nature decided to snow down on the Boston area… even though it’s only MID-OCTOBER! I personally am not a fan of the cold (I know, why did I ever move back to Boston?) and Husband has never really been in snow before, being the California guy that he is. Husband was only too pleased to run outside and make snowballs to throw at me. He loved it and I probably would have loved it, too, if I wasn’t so damn cold and had on proper winter clothing! Ok, fine, I admit it was rather nice to see snow fall again. After all, it has been many, many years since I’ve seen it. I’m just not sure I wanted to experience it in October. Last time I checked, October = FALL, Snow = WINTER. All things aside, it was actually quite funny and rather sweet to see Husband’s reaction to his first real snowfall. He was like a little kid on Christmas day, all giddy with excitement. We’ll just have to wait and see if he still loves it come January or February when Boston probably has the worst winter on record.

The early snowfall also means Husband and I really have to do some serious winter clothes shopping. We barely have any warm sweaters and we certainly do not have winter jackets, scarves, hats, mittens or boots. We just never needed them after living in California and Sydney for so many years. Needless to say, we’ll be hitting the shops very soon. I also can’t forget to pick up a much needed snow shovel and a car snow brush/ice scraper. I’m sure they will come in handy this winter. What was I thinking moving back to cold and snowy New England?

Photo from here.

I don’t know if any of my loyal readers recall my So Cal apple picking post from last fall? Well, in case you don’t remember, the gist of it was that picking apples in LA fails miserably in comparison to New England apple picking. You can read about it here if you want a refresher.

Needless to say, being back in New England, I was only too eager to hit the apple orchards for some proper apple picking. Sister came up for the weekend from New York City and we met up with some our of cousins for a fun Saturday outing. Husband, Sister and I arrived at the Farm and after a quick hello to the family, we made a beeline for the homemade apple cider donuts to start out our day- the breakfast of champions! After probably two bags split amongst the three of us, we ready to get our picking on.

A short jaunt from a hayride put us amongst the apple orchards and away we went. The apples were prime and plentiful and we moseyed up and down the rows of trees looking for the best apples to pick. Of course we had to sample some along the way… you know, just to make sure the variety was worth the picking. After gathering a rather full bag of apples, we queued up for the hayride back to the main farm. We stopped by the pumpkin patch and the field of flowers where you could pick your own. After a bit of a wander, we were tuckered out from carrying a 20 pound bag of apples, so, naturally, we HAD to share a homemade, hot apple crumble to replenish our energy levels (at least that’s the excuse we used for indulging once again). It was a great day and lovely way to kick off Fall in New England.

Today marks 20 weeks of my pregnancy, the halfway mark! I can’t believe I’m already this far along; time is flying by so fast. I feel like we have so much to do to get ready for the baby that I need more time and at the same time, our baby can’t come soon enough. We can’t wait to meet you, little one!

Want to know what Baby has been up to, well check this out:

Baby’s digestive system is busy creating meconium (a tarry black substance made of swallowed amniotic fluid, digestive secretion and dead cells), which will fill the first diaper after birth. And, speaking of the diaper situation… baby’s genitals are now fully formed!

Baby gulps down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And, these days, those taste buds actually work! Studies show that after birth, babies respond best to tastes they’ve already had via amniotic fluid. Meaning, think about what you’d like your future child to eat as you prepare your own lunch.

I have seen this on a few blogs of other pregnant women so thought I would add it to mine. As many of you know, I like to keep track of things.

• How far along?: 20 weeks.
• Total weight gain: More like total weight loss: 15 pounds.
• How big is baby?: The size of a cantaloupe.
• Maternity clothes?: I bought my first pair of maternity pants a few days ago. I need to do more shopping!
• Sleep?: It’s lacking and uncomfortable at best.
• Best moment this week?: Feeling the baby move and confirmation of the gender.
• Movement?: Yes, I *think* it’s starting.
• Food cravings?: None- more like food aversions to practically everything.
• Labor Signs: No.
• Belly Button: Innie.
• What I miss: Wanting to cook nice meals.
• What I’m looking forward to: Not puking anymore and feeling better.
• Weekly wisdom: Don’t over do it… your back will thank you later.
• Milestone: Making it half way through the pregnancy.

images & info taken from The Bump.

Today is World Alzheimer’s Day- a day when the Alzheimer’s Association and other organizations around the globe unite efforts to raise awareness about the disease and its impact on families, communities and nations.

Dementia is an insidious disease that personally affects my family as my sweet and loving Dad has been diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia (LBD). You can read about it on my LBD blog found here.

Here are some facts to consider:

• According to the 2009 World Alzheimer’s Report, newly released today from Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI), there are 35 million people with Alzheimer’s or another dementia.
• There are 5.3 million Americans with Alzheimer’s.
• There are 10 million Alzheimer caregivers.
• Every 70 seconds, someone in the US develops Alzheimer’s.
• There are 78 million US baby boomers who will be impacted by Alzheimer’s disease.
• The annual societal cost to our nation is $148 billion.
• Worldwide, the economic cost of dementia has been estimated as $315 billion annually.
• The US government only invests a meager $428 million dollars in Alzheimer research as compared to $6 billion for cancer, $4 billion for heart disease and $3 billion HIV/AIDS that has resulted in great advances.

Here are some ways you can help:

• Consider making a donation to the Alzheimer’s Association today. You can donate by clicking here. Your gift will help the Alzheimer’s Association fulfill its mission against Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research, the promotion of brain health and providing care and support services to the estimated 5 million people in America living with Alzheimer’s disease.
• You can also write Congress now and urge them to support the Alzheimer’s Breakthrough Act of 2009. It takes just a minute to help. Click here to take action.
• September and October is also prime time for the Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk. The Memory Walk is the nation’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer care, support and research – and it calls on people of all ages to take action in the fight. Year-round, participants are involved in efforts to help defeat this devastating disease. To find a walk near you, click here and find out more information, sign up, donate or volunteer. Get out there and walk!
• To read more about the report released today, click here.

*Content for this entry taken from the Alzheimer’s Association website.