For those who would rather jump right to photos, go to elsternet.com, more will be up later tonight. I've just attached one with this email.
I can't believe I have just spent 2 days with my granddaughter. Just writing it is surreal. She is the most precious little angel, and being with her and Rebecca I am reminded every minute of the powerful forces of family and love.
The baby arrived in Jerusalem on Monday morning, and I arrived Tuesday afternoon. Fortunately my cousins Civia and Larry's live around the corner from the hospital. From the airport I went right there to drop off my bags, and Larry drove me to the hospital where I was able to spend most of the evening with Rebecca and the baby. Holding her for the first time was similar to holding Rebecca for the first time, amazed with the whole concept of creation and how beautiful life is. I walked back to Civia and Larry's and spent the night there so I could go back to the hospital early on Wednesday morning.
Rebecca was being discharged from the hospital that morning, so we had to get the baby and her ready to exit the hospital cocoon. There were a number of things that work differently in the Israeli hospital than I was used to. First of all, midwives deliver the babies unless there is a high risk pregnancy, an emergency situation or the parents pay extra for a private doctor. An Israeli midwife, who is more like a delivery nurse, was provided by the hospital, but Rebecca also had her own private labor coach, who was highly recommended and whom she got to know and really like while taking her birthing classes. Another difference in Israeli hospitals is that the mother does much of what the nurses in America do. After the day she gave birth, she took the baby to the nursery herself each evening to get a general checkup, get washed up and changed into clean clothing. During the night, when the baby was at the nursery, she was woken to go there to feed the baby in the adjacent nursing room (she could have opted out and had them feed overnight.) In addition, she went to the dining room down the hall to get her own meals, eating there or taking it back to her room if she pleased. Like in America, they needed to have a car seat and the id of the baby was checked closely to match the mom's whenever being brought to or taken from the mother, and when exiting the hospital.
Yerachmiel came with the car seat to see the baby (and Rebecca) again and help pack everything up and get them home safely. They didn't get into the first two of the waiting cabs because the drivers were smoking (I'm hoping that doesn't happen in America.) I went back to Civia and Larry's via one stop on the brand new Jerusalem light rail train, which was a novelty. Then Civia and Larry drove me and my luggage to Rebecca's and Yerachmiel's apartment, where I spent the rest of the afternoon and evening helping get them settled, watching the baby while Rebecca had a chance to eat, nap and shower, and enjoying their company. A friend came by with dinner, and others are scheduled for the next couple of nights already. The baby has been very mellow and easy so far, much like Rebecca was. She nurses a lot, and we're working on getting her into a 2-3 hour break between eating. She sleeps a lot also, but has wakeful periods where her eyes are wide open and she seems to be interested in the things around her: people, her book of black and white shapes, her pacifier, her fingers. She enjoys being held but is also fine for short periods in her crib, awake and/or sleeping. When she cries she gets immediate attention of course, but is often comforted by her pacifier. So far no long or drawn out screaming episodes.
I'm staying in the apartment of a family Rebecca and Yerachmiel know. It's just a two minute walk from their place, and Andy will join me here tomorrow, staying for a week. The baby will be named at services on Shabbat when Yerachmiel is called to the Torah, as is traditional for girls. If they had a boy the name would not be revealed until the bris. I get the impression that Rebecca and Yerachmiel aren't worried about spilling the beans on the name before Shabbat, because they really haven't decided on it yet. Most likely she will be named after one or more female relatives whose memory they wish to honor. On Shabbat at the shul they will sponsor a Kiddush nosh for the men, and the women will come to the house for their Kiddush nosh in the late morning. I'm thinking Andy may be the messenger to the house after the name is announced to let us all know. Hopefully Rebecca isn't surprised!
I'll let you all know the outcome of that in a follow up email Saturday night!
Hope all is well with all of you,
Love from Jerusalem,
Bobbie?Savta?Grandma? Beth
(It looks like the baby isn't the only one who doesn't know what
she'll be called yet!)