Happy New Year 5771

Shana Tova U'Metukah to everyone! We have been very busy in the last few weeks. Doda Elisheva and Dod Danny were here for a great visit before they went off to another adventure at the Burning Man Festival. Danny taught Avi all about "Hakuna Matata" and how to "be optimistic," and Ellie got a new name, "Ella-sheva." Next, Aunt Daya came back, and she will be with us for a few more months as she is going back to work at the Gates Foundation here in Seattle! Ella is growing into her personality, and she loves to smile and show off her dimples. She also loves to go througha record number of diapers every day, and sleep for very short periods of time at unpredictable intervals. In the meantime, Avi is becoming a little man, and has decided that his new friend Sophie is in fact his "girlfriend." We are thrilled that he is starting off with a nice Jewish girl!

Ella flirts with the camera.
Avi flies a helicopter at the Museum of Flight with Aunt Daya
Ella Flirts with her Uncle Danny
Doda Elisheva helps Avi cool off on a hot summer day
Avi and his new girlfriend Sophie

August 2010

The last few weeks have been exhausting and exciting. Nana left last week, and Abba and Ema have been very busy and TIRED during Seattle's annual heat wave. Ella is starting to show us her personality: stubborn but sweet, strong and serious. She doesn't stand for "tummy time" and has flips over from her tummy to her back as soon as we put her face down on her play mat. Avi is a great big brother and he loves to kiss his baby sister whenever he sees her and bring her toys and tell her stories. Unfortunately, he also wants to be babied himself these days, and asks us to swaddle him and cuddle in the middle of night, after over a year of sleeping through the night without a problem. C'est la vie!


Avi shows Pop-Pop Richmond Beach

One month old!

Avi and his Baby Sister

5 weeks old

Doing Pushups on Abba's chest, 6 weeks old

July 2010

Life with two kids is a little crazier than I could have envisioned, and I have neglected the blog. Here are some key photos from Ella's first month, including visits from Nana, Pop-Pop, Savta, Saba, and Aunt Daya. Enjoy!!


Family photo opp at the Simchat Bat for Ella Eve

Saba gives Ella her name at the Simchat Bat

With Nana and Pop-Pop

Savta's Birthday in Seattle

3 weeks old, with Saba and Savta

2 Weeks old, snuggling with Ema

One week old, with Aunt Daya

Welcome Home Ella Eve Wylen!

Our big news is that on July 3, 2010, our baby girl, Ella Eve Wylen was born! She made a bit of a surprise entry into the world, as she wasn't due for 3 more weeks, but at Ema's 37 week appointment we found out that my amniotic fluid level was dangerously low, and I was admitted to the hospital immediately. After a sleepless night of monitoring the baby and being pumped with fluids, nothing much had changed, and so Ella was born a few hours later, at 11:40 a.m. She weighed 6 lb, 3 oz and was 19 inches long at birth, and had a full head of light brown hair and dark blue eyes. She looks like a teeny tiny version of Avi as a newborn, but Ema thinks she looks more like Abba. So far Ella is doing well at home, and we are grateful that Nana Cheryl was able to come out to Seattle right away to help take care of all of us, and that Aunt Daya was able to come for a visit as well. Saba and Savta will be here in just a few days, too!

Baby Wylen at 33 Weeks

Maternity Photos by Meryl Schenker, June 6, 2010

Aunt Goldie visits the Rainy City

When Aunt Daya left for her big adventure in Europe, we made sure Avi wouldn't be too sad by bringing Aunt Goldie here for 2 weeks, starting later the same day! Although we had generally terrible weather, cold and rainy most days, we had a great time hanging out with our most recent college grad in the family, going to the zoo, downtown, Chinatown, swimming and music lessons, playgrounds, and running lots of day-to-day errands that were much easier for Ema with an aunt to help out! Somehow we'll have to make it through the last 4 weeks of this pregnancy without any live-in family members!

Memorial Day Weekend 2010

We had a busy Memorial Day weekend in Lake Chelan with Grandpa Arthur and Grandma Terri and Puka the Dog. While it rained all weekend in Seattle, we enjoyed bright sun and long days at the lake, by the pool (though it was still too cold to swim in the pool, Avi, Abba and Aunt Daya enjoyed the hot tub), golfing, riding go carts, and doing a little naked gardening and outdoor pishing on the potty with Puka.