I seem to be spending more time bending down to pick up my hula-hoop than I do spinning it around my hips. SR seems to be getting a better hang of things than I and I'm starting to get discouraged and frustrated.

Found a couple VERY helpful beginner hooping basics videos on Youtube and I figured out what we were doing wrong.

You're supposed to rock your hips either side to side or front to back, NOT circle your hips, which is what we'd been doing.

I tried it out and definitely saw better results... I mean we're talking keeping it going for 10 seconds rather than having it drop immediately or after a couple seconds.

Slowly but surely... I figure in a couple weeks I can actually get through a song or two...

Today's stint at hooping was slightly more successful. SR kept telling me to slow down... will need to find some videos about it.

SR was more successful than I.

Inspired by mandella0021's amazing success and love of hooping (that would be hula-hooping as a form of exercise), I finally got around to buying my first hoop. I also bought one for SR.

Now from all that I've read, and speaking with the instructor who sold me my hoop, the recommendation is the larger size hoops for beginners.

And now I have to ask WHY????? I can't keep the hoop going! I give it a twirl, start moving my hips and down it goes.

I've decided to blog about it in an effort to not get discouraged and stop doing it.

And here I was, expecting to be able to troll Youtube for music videos and hooping videos to hoop to. Instead I need to build up my expertise to be able to keep the hoop going after I let go.

There's a tradition in Judaism to not cut a child's hair until s/he turns 3; the history behind it is we liken our children to trees and just like we don't take fruits from a tree until it's 3 years in the ground, we let our children's hair grow uncut for the first three years. On girls it's a non-event. But for boys, it's a huge thing.

Before:


After:

I can't believe it, but TC is about 31 weeks along....

Originally posted by leathers at Shame on you, Livejournal

I realize it's been AGES since I posted photos of the kids...



Photobucket is giving me resizing issues... so ( More here )

I created a hashtag on twitter... #grandfetus :)

So last week TC, her husband S and I were supposed to go to her first OB appointment. I schlepped into Jerusalem and we went to the appointment.

TC and S went in to talk to the doctor and I waited outside. I knew they'd call me when the exciting part happened - the ultrasound.

First of all, the nurse interrupted the 15 minute consult TWICE to have the doctor take care of other patient issues. I have no idea if he also answered any phone calls.

Then TC and S come out with a look of disappointment. This OB doesn't do ultrasounds (not clear if he even has a machine in his office) and he gave her a referral to get one done.

Now you have to realize something about Israel... the OB/GYNs are ultrasound CRAZY! ALL of them have a machine in their office and are more that happy to use it at every visit.

He didn't even try to dopplar for a heartbeat, which I can somewhat understand. TC was only 12 weeks along and maybe he didn't want to terrify her if he couldn't pick up the baby's heartbeat.

But I mean really, what OB doesn't do an ultrasound on the first visit, especially for a first-time mom and grandmother waiting??

So she had an appointment for a week from today and then I'll hopefully get to see my grandfetus. She'll be 14 weeks so there'll be plenty to see!

That reminds me, she needs to get the paperwork for the Level II ultrasound.

She didn't have a good connection with the OB so we're going to find her a new one. Someone who doesn't allow interruptions and has an ultrasound machine.

Need to update things... I DID find sea bands in Israel. They were 60NIS. They have done nothing for TC or Y, poor girls.

Since TC is now starting her second trimester (give or take), we're telling people. Here's the video of my parents getting the news: