I'm still here. Having frequent but irregular contractions. I can't imagine this pregnancy lasting much longer, my body feels like it has just about had it. Still, I try to do all I can. I still work every day, do the occasional shopping trip, and whatever cooking and cleaning I can (which isn't much but then again, I've never been great at cleaning).
We checked back in with the baby supply store yesterday, hopefully our order will be ready in a week so I need to hold off at least that long. That'll give us time to finish up the nursery and maybe get this place a little more organized. I can't believe though that within the next month I will have my babies. It's incredible to me that I get to keep them, that at some point their real mother is not going to walk in the room and ask for them back. I love thinking about times when someone else will be holding them and they'll lean, crying, towards me, wanted ME to take them, finding the most comfort in ME.
I'm a little confused about how the process of naming a baby is conducted, perhaps someone can give me some advice. I know for boys there's obviously the Brit Milah, and for girls usually a Simchat Bat, and the name is officially announced at these events. But seeing as they take place up to eight days after the birth, and more if there are God forbid complications, what do you do about naming the child beforehand? Do you just call them "the baby"? Do you use their name? If you don't use the name till the official naming, how does this work for twins? Will our kids spend the first week of their life still being referred to as A and B?
6 comments:
For a girl, she is usually named at the first opportunity her daddy can get an Aliyah... so basically girls get named at Shacharit on Mondays and Thursdays and at Shacharit and Mincha on Shabbat.
The Simchat Bat can happen whenever you want. Many times it takes place when the baby and mom are more ready to meet their public. It is often a Seudat Mitzvah and there is a Dvar Torah or two and the parents talk about how and why they chose the name(s) they did for their daughter.
For a Brit (if necessary), make sure Shawn is practicing from a Siddur printed in Israel for use in Israel because aside from the Brachot, EVERYTHING ELSE that is said is different from what he'd be reading in his Artscroll siddur. We learned this the hard way at Nati's Brit.
Oh, P.S. yes, generally they are not called by their name until they are officially named... but a girl doesn't need a clean bill of health for a Brit and is usually named at the soonest Kriyat haTorah.
Thanks. The technical stuff I knew, I'm just trying to figure out what we call the babies till their namings. I guess it's something most people don't think about, since they can just say "the baby." How does it work in the hospital, though? Do they not require names? What about the birth certificates, when do we get those taken care of?
When Nati was born he automatically got a TZ number. I think I read somewhere that they don't do that anymore. Birth certificate info can be filled out at the hospital, most people, if they're having a boy, submit it after the brit. It is recommended to wait until the baby can keep his/her eyes open for more than a second before attempting to get passport photos. I think Nati was a month old.
Once you get the Israeli birth certificate, you can get the American Report a Birth Abroad certificate, passport and social security number. Because Shawn is not an American citizen, there are hoops you're going to have to jump through that Zach and I didn't. Also, you need to make an appointment to get that all done and appointments can only be made online. Since you live in Jerusalem you can 'only' do it at the Consulate in Jerusalem. I believe there are no appointments until April or May (if you're lucky). http://jerusalem.usconsulate.gov/birth_abroad.html
I recommend talking to the Balofskys regarding Canadian citizenship stuff.
So, basically, we wait with the birth certificates till after the babies have been officially named?
Thanks for the photo tip.
I've already figured out most of the citizenship stuff for both countries (actually not a problem that Shawn's not American or that I'm not Canadian, our kids merit citizenship based on our individual rights. Unfortunately our bigger problem is that the Rabbanut messed up our marriage certificate and that needs to be straitened out in time...long story).
Last I checked appointments were available in March, but by now you're right, they're probably only available in April or May. No biggie, there's no rush. And it's fine with me I can only do it in Jerusalem, it's not like I want to schlep twin infants out of the city anyways!
actually not a problem that Shawn's not American or that I'm not Canadian, our kids merit citizenship based on our individual rights
Oh I know it's not a problem. It's just that when only one parent is an American citizen, the amount of proof the parent has to bring of his/her own citizenship is a lot more involved than when both parents are Americans.
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