Curious: anybody raising bilingual (or multilingual) babies? Advice?

At some point in the future, God-willing, Husband and I hope to raise bilingual children.  If anyone reading this has experience, what challenges did you face and how did you overcome them?  Any advice?  Obviously this is still very far in the future, but I got to thinking about it after returning from my aunt and uncle's early Shavuot party a few minutes ago.  My aunt is bilingual but her children really only speak English.  It happened unintentionally -- their oldest is autistic and a second language became problematic -- but I think the three children missed out.  Husband and I want our children to read, write, and speak both languages equally well.

So if you've been there and done that, any tips are appreciated.

Thanks!

No earth-shattering news...except my previous :o) should be perhaps :o) :o)...turn the Evil Eye, hamsa hamsa hamsa, tfu tfu tfu.

Firstly, I have learned more about what happens if a couple is lucky and Operation Baby succeeds.  There is a six-week ultrasound to confirm pregnancy.  That's when they count gestational sacs and know how many babies.  Assuming that goes okay, the insurance companies then get a letter confirming pregnancy from the doctor and send you information about depositing the deductible.  That amount depends on how many babies and on the surrogate's age.  The surrogate also starts getting funds from the escrow account.  That's the responsibility of the escrow agent, so you needn't worry.  Your next date to mark is an eight-week ultrasound.  They do a heartbeat scan then and if all is well, then you graduate to an obstetrician.  If you aren't doing CVS or amniocentesis, the next appointment is at twelve weeks and the pregnancy is treated like a typical singleton or twin pregnancy.

So for the mundane news:  Friday I visited the first-grade where my best friend teaches.  I spoke about becoming a doctor and about hospitals, and I taught them to use a stethoscope and also to find their pulses.  Then we learned what happened if we ran really fast for sixty seconds.  Our pulses sure picked up!  I was impressed that the kids were able to identify the increase in heart rate.  They are a very bright group and good readers, too.  They all gave me hugs and it was such a nice feeling.  Afterward I did some errands and then came home and made the Best Challah Ever.  (Excuse the bragging, but I have two things I do well, and that's challah and matzah-ball soup, so I gotta cling to what I've got.  Light, fluffy, and delicious if I do say so myself.  I then let my sister cut seventeen inches (fifty centimeters) off my hair and it now falls to just below my chin.  It's so short!  I don't remember the last time my hair was this short, or if ever.  The new 'do is getting rave reviews from everyone but me; I'm just not sure I like my hair this short.  But it's light and bouncy, and it grows, to quote my sister, "freakishly fast."  It's gotten hot and humid in my hometown, too, so a short cut is fitting.

Yesterday was a Party Day.  My first first-cousin had an open house to mark her high-school graduation.  It was over-the-top but a lot of fun.  From there I went to a friends bridal shower.  That, too, was a blast.  I saw my two best friends from undergrad, one of whom is twelve weeks pregnant with baby number two -- and baby number one is not even a year old!  The bride is a PGY-1 in surgery  and her intended is in the Army.  She looked radiant in her pink dress and wedding hairdo.  She's Romanian, and the Romanian community in her area is like extended family, so it was a wonderful, warm party with everyone speaking different languages and lots of food and fancy desserts made by friends and family but looking as if a chef had done the work.  Needless to say, I was VERY well fed.  (And yes, I did eat.)  Then Husband and I finished off the evening with "Dr. Who" and Ramzor (רמזור), a hilarious Israeli television show that just started it's new season.  I think they just keep improving.  We couldn't stop laughing for an hour straight.

Today we relax and study.  Everything is green and blossoming and it's beautiful outside!  Husband and I took a nice long walk and enjoyed the sun.  With sunscreen, of course.  Then we had a delicious lunch of spaghetti and meatballs and now I am trying to convince myself to read Harrisons.  Or at least JGIM.  Wish me luck!

In which our heroine says cooks, says goodbye to her best friends, and celebrates her new degree

Here's to a beautiful, sunshine-y day!  It's been raining most every day since we returned home, so as I sit in the family room now I have our house's double-doors thrown wide open to let in as much light as possible.

It's been a fun but emotional few days.  We sent our best friends from medical school stayed with us for two days and we had a wonderful time hanging out, eating or trying to find someplace that sells frozen yogurt, and cooking.  I taught her how to make my matzah-ball soup of bicontinental fame (the secret is that the longer you cook it, the better it tastes, and baby carrots just don't cut it) and my challah -- really a good friend from Israel's recipe.  She taught me how to make what we call "the Rachel Ray thing," a scruptious pasta dish that involves roasting grape tomatoes and garlic cloves in lots of olive oil and salt, tossing the tomatoes with angel-hair pasta, and using some pasta water to make a paste out of the garlic, which you then also toss in with the pasta.  Then you add mozzarella.  Mmmmm.....I meant to add fresh basil but it was too late.  That's for next time.  We even got manicures and pedicures.  Not something I would ordinarily do -- in fact have never done of my own volition - but I will say it is fun to look at pretty nails and not my typical amateur filing job with no polish because I haven't the patience to let it dry.  Meanwhile, the husband half of our best friends was supervising their movers and running errands.  I like this division of labor.  (We did feed him the fruits of our culinary labor, so I guess we're not too terrible.  And she did help with the cleaning of the apartment.)

Sadly, we then sent the two of them off the Washington, DC where they will be doing their respective residencies.  I know they're only a phone call away, and we will visit each other, but we won't be able to meet up spontaneously at least once a week, and we'll be busy interns.  I miss them already.  At least I do have another good friend who will be doing her residency at the same hospital as I will.  I have a feeling we'll need to support each other.

Yesterday my parents threw me a beautiful open house in honor of graduation.  I originally intended to have something simple at my house, but it ended up being a fairly large party at my parents' house.  No complaints, though. We almost ran into trouble since we called the restaurant at the last minute to arrange to pick up food, but fortunately our second choice came through and the weather held out just long enough.  I tried to visit with everyone but it was hard; I hope I didn't leave anyone out and nobody felt neglected.  It's challenging to make everyone feel welcome!  I am really grateful to everyone for sharing in this simcha (happy occasion) with my family and me.

Today's agenda consists of a walk, thank-you notes, and turning bananas into banana bread.  Tomorrow is going to be great!  We are invited to a barbecue and then...I get to meet Faith Fitzgerald!!!!!!  She is the internal medicine equivalent of a rock star, and a colleague of my parents is bringing her in and inviting my parents and me to dinner.  And...said colleague is apparently a gourmet cook.  I met Dr. Fitzgerald at Internal Medicine 2009, when she did a Professors in Action case about bromium (I think.) But then I was one of many audience members.  Now I will actually get to bask in her brilliance.  The unfortunate corollary is that she will realize that medical schools are producing incompetent interns-to-be, but oh well.  I'm still super-excited.

And now everyone is super bored of reading this update, I'm sure.  So have a wonderful day and that's it!

...and that's Dr. Mim to you!

As I suspect it's highly unlikely one can get buzzed on half a glass of champagne even at my weight and being a near teetotaler, I think this buzz is primarily due to...graduating medical school!  I still can't believe it -- me, an MD.  A doctor.  With all the privilege and responsibilities of the profession.  I used my new initials on an email today for the first time and it was so COOL to see them in black and white.  (Okay, actually in second grade I once signed MD after my name because my mommy did it, so wasn't that just what you did?)

The ceremony was lovely -- in a beatifully-restored 1920s movie theater now used for the performing arts and also the same venue used for my mother's medical school graduation - and the reception was very sweet, and then our dear friends came over to visit and enjoy my unfortunately less-than-successful cake.  Oh, well.  The company was the fun part, and we baptized my new Arabic coffee set.

Now it's bedtime after a wee bit too much sugar.  If I can sleep.

Mim, MD signing off!

Hello all!

Tomorrow I become an MD....sort of.  Technically medical doctor degrees cannot be conferred until June, but tomorrow is our medical school's official ceremony.  I can't believe it!  The days may go by slowly, but the weeks and the months just fly.  It's exciting and terrifying at once -- am I really prepared for what's next?  But I am undeniably thrilled to walk across that stage tomorrow.  And the champagne reception to follow?  Definitely a plus.

As for Operation Baby, I've learned a little more about what happens if you're lucky enough for the implantation to succeed:

Day -3: egg harvest, followed by fertilization (+/- intracytoplasmic sperm injection)

Day -2: find out how many eggs are fertilized, how many meet criteria for implantation/freezing

Day 0: implantation!  Gestational age by LMP is 2 2/7 weeks

Day 7-ish: pregnancy test

Day 11: beta-hCG level 1

Day 13: beta-hCG level 2: (should be double level 1)

4 weeks gestational age: heartbeat!

6 weeks gestational age: first ultrasound; count the number of gestational sacs

***also the age at which surrogate's maternity insurance takes effect; have to deposit the premium

12 weeks gestational age: 1st trimester complete!  Need to start the parentage application process

14 weeks gestational age: must have will in place naming legal guardian

Sometimes counting can be fun :o)

:o)

:o)

There's No Place Like Home

Two flights and a short drive home from the airport (thank you, Daddy!), we found our kitten waiting at the door.  It's always sad to leave Israel, but it is SO nice to be home!  I really missed my family after two weeks.  We said hello to my sister and brought her some chocolate, then we went by my aunt to eat lunch with my grandmother (second mother, really), aunt, uncle, and their three little ones.  I got the best welcome: four-year-old S____ ran out the door to greet me, her face painted like a butterfly from last night's ice cream social.  I guess it's comforting to know that whatever happens, I will always have moments like that.  We went inside and had a delicious meal of spaghetti bolognese, courtesy of my chef aunt (or at least she should be a chef).  A big hot meal after a long flight is so satisfying -- especially when it's topped off with a chocolate babka.  Yum!

After that it was home to nap, followed by unpacking, followed by a nice hot shower and a cup of tea.

That's about it.  We haven't any news yet, but hopefully soon.  Have a wonderful weekend!