I’m a Mom

Hullo there! I have emerged once again. This time I am coming back from a baby hiatus. I have so much to tell that I don’t know if one post is enough to cover everything. I’m hoping I can start writing entries once a week. But don’t expect too much focus on politics because lately I don’t feel like I can tune in to that stuff. Most of it is depressing and ridiculous anyway.

So…where to start. Okay let’s talk about the labor. I will try not to overshare or go into gory details, but some of this info might be useful for other women. I was hoping for a short labor that would be a powerful experience. Well it was a powerful experience–almost like going to the other side and back so to speak. I certainly felt completely different after the ordeal and like I had been through a life altering event.

Nu? Where is the Baby?

So my due date was on June 12, but I am still sitting here by myself. I’ve started getting those emails and comments from people along the lines of, ‘nu? why are you still around.’ Rest assured it is pretty normal to go past the due date by a week.

Besides I don’t think I will be by myself for long. My body has given indications and my doctor highly suspects that things will be underway very soon–how soon, I am not so sure, but that is the mystery of nature.

The fun and anxiety in waiting for a baby is that you don’t know when it is going to happen. You just let nature decide what that will be–and usually it is spot on. It makes you realize how miraculous this entire process is. Why labor actually starts is still a mystery to science, but it does for most of the time, otherwise we couldn’t have lasted this long on the planet.

In other news, I was following Netanyahu’s speech at my university on Sunday. To me his rhetoric wasn’t surprising, and nor was the response from the Arabs or rightwing MKs. He’s managed to piss off both groups, although knowing his positions, I don’t know how could not have.

The fact that Netanyahu has been insisting that Arabs recognize the Jewish nature of the state of Israel hearkens back to my blog entry about the 20% Arab minority here. Perhaps it is a stupid thing to ask because Netanyahu realizes Palestinians will never concede it, but I don’t know. In acknowledging that Israel is a Jewish state, Palestinians claim to endanger the situation of the 20% minority and the possibility of refugees returning to Israel. Which makes me wonder, will Palestinians ever recognize the current facts on the ground even when a two-state solution is reached or will they continue to root for a secular democracy–which is essentially a binational state?

Lastly, here is an article from the Wash Post that demystifies the Israeli arguments about the settlments. Everyone should read it! http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/12/AR2009061203498.html

I may not get to write for a while depending on whether I go to the hospital today. I’ll keep you posted.

The Chutzpah of Shas and Other Observations

Here’s one major reason why I don’t like Israeli coalition politics or why I really don’t like this coalition in particular: The Interior Minister and Chairman of Shas has told the Yesha Council of settlements that it will exploit its influence and resources to continue expanding settlements in the West Bank.

“Haaretz has learned that Yishai has instructed officials at the Interior Ministry to come up with ways to help the settlers, by allowing continued construction within the major West Bank settlement blocs where building has stopped as a result of American pressure.”

Now Shas is one of the smaller parties to which Israel had to grant concessions like the Interior Ministry post in order for them to join. Now they are using their position to conduct a chutzpadik policy not to mention the fact that they find it perfectly all right to use my taxpayer money to fund the so-called “natural growth”  of these areas.

The Israeli government’s negative reaction to Obama’s pressure on stopping settlement growth also points to the chutzpah and cluelessness demonstrated by my fellow Israelis. The major complaint that gets me is that they claim they had an agreement with President Bush. And how could Obama not honor these promises? Um, well I hate to break it to you people, but when a new president comes in, he can enact a new policy so old promises really don’t chalk up to anything. Doesn’t everybody know this?

Still Here

Haven’t given birth yet. Not worried. The days are flying by quickly and I’ve been keeping busy. Today was very unexciting–I did some yoga, made lentil soup, wrote letters and ate a Belgian waffle with ice cream (that last one was more of an indulgent than a task on my list). Tonight and tomorrow I need to put together a baby announcement list–that is as long as I haven’t given birth yet.

I heard some of Obama’s speech and was impressed as well as cautiously optimistic. More on that later.