Introducing....Bruria Yunger!!!

Today we named our little girl Bruria...after the Bruria in the Gemara, the wife of R' Meir Ba'al Haness. May she be zoche to grow up to be a great woman, like her namesake.

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Now you are probably wondering...how in the WORLD did we ever dream up such a name? I'll admit that it IS quite original...here's how Bruria got her name:

When we were expecting Yisrael, we were discussing names- we knew that if it was a boy, we'd name him Yisrael, after Bentzi's grandfather, but we needed a girl name. We thought it would be so nice to name a daughter after an אישה חשובה but the אמהות were taken by Bentzi's mothers and sisters....anyway, Bentzi mentioned the name Bruria but I vetoed it right away. In the end we never agreed on anything, which was fine because Yisrael was a boy!

Then, this time around, we didn't have a boy name or a girl name. We talked about names a few times, but finally I said, "Lets at least wait until the baby is born so that we know what it is! That way we at least narrow down the possiblities!" So we did.

Once Bruria was born, I was sitting in the hospital, and I started thinking of what we should name her. Every time I tried to think of a name, "Bruria" kept popping into my head. I kept trying to push it out of my mind, but no other name that I thought of felt "right". Later on, when Bentzi came to visit, I asked him if he had thougth at all about names yet. "Actually, there's a certain name I keep thinking of, but you're not going to like it!" I've heard that when parents name a child, they are given רוח הקודש....

Mazal Tov! Its a girl!

At 6:50 this morning, our little girl made her entrance into the world. Born 11 days late, she weighed in at 3.985 kilo (almost 9 pounds!) She's got dimples in both cheeks- the midwife noticed that right away! May we all have much nachas from her!

Here she is, sucking her thumb, only a few hours after she was born!

Happy Purim!

We had a really nice Purim- Yisrael loved it because everywhere he went, he kept getting nosh (which kid doesn't like Purim?!) We ran around to give out Mishloach Manos, and then had our Seuda in Sanhedria Murchevet, by a friend of Bentzi's from Yeshiva. It was very nice and lebedik- real Purim spirit!

(This picture is actually from a few days ago, Bentzi wanted me to make him a silly hat to wear on Purim so I sewed strips of red felt onto a Yarmulka, as a sort of wig. But I must admit that it looked much cuter on Yisrael than it did on Bentzi!)

All bundled up

Doesn't he look cozy?

Yisrael's Pidyon Haben- now he's all ours!

Today was Yisrael's פדיון הבן- and it was absolutely beautiful. I've never been to one before- but as everyone told me, it is a beautiful simcha. Whereas by the bris, the parents are very tired (the baby's screams don't help either) by the time the פדיון הבן comes, you're a bit more well rested, and able to enjoy the Simcha much more.

The כהן, R' Rabinovich, was really special. He gave Yisrael a beautiful bracha- may he be"h fulfill it!

It was wonderful to be joined by Bubbie and Zaidy Minkus for such a special simcha- we're very happy that their trip worked out and that they were able to be here for it. Many thanks to Uncle Yankee and Aunt Chani who hosted it in their house, and for all their help preparing the food!

May we continue to share simchos!

Here's Yisrael, all decked out on the silver tray, as we get ready to bring him to the כהן

The actual פדיון הבן ceremony

Proud parents

Yisrael with his Mommy and Bubbie

Yisrael's first Chanuka

He's not even a month old yet, and he's already doing the מצוה of הדלקת נרות (well, sort of...)

Isn't he cute?

Thanks to Maddy, Savta's friend, who bought us this wonderful rocker for Yisrael- he loves it!