Ahir vam sortir una estona a caminar al voltant de casa. Ara ja comencen a mirar mes enlla de les notres cares, i miren a tot arreu.
Yesterday we went for a short walk around our neighborhood. They are now starting to look farther than just our faces and they look all over the place.
Avui el Teo i jo hem fet la primera sortida sols al barri de Castro. Hem anat a correus, a la ferreteria i hem comprat pressecs i pomes. El Teo sha portat molt be, encara que nomes ha estat despert nomes a la baixada, uns 5-10 minuts 
Dema mirare de sortir amb el Finian.
Today Teo and I have gone for a walk at the Castro neighborhood. We have gone to the post office, the hardware store and have bought peaches and apples. Teo has been a very good boy, although he has only been awake on the way down, about 5-10 minutes Tomorrow I’ll try to go for a walk with Fin.
Tot i que menjo mes que mai (mes que quan estava embarassada), continuo perdent pes. Ara ja torno a estar al pes original. No es que guanyes tant de pes durant l’embaras, nomes uns 12 quilos (em sembla). Aixo d’alimentar dos nens et xucla molta energia!!!
Even though I am eating more than ever before (even when I was pregnant) I keep on loosing weight. I am back to my original weight. During the pregnancy I didn’t gained that much weight, about 28 pounds (I think). Feeding two babies sucks a lot of energy from you!!!
Ahir vam anar a fer una caminada a Marin, una ruta que no haviem fet mai abans. Com que feia bon temps, vam treure el F i el T dels slings i van poder prendre una mica el sol. Al cami de tornada hi havia caravana, i al mig del Golden Gate Bridge es van posar a plorar histerics de gana. Per sort soc el “menjar ambulant” i els vaig donar al pit tant bon punt vam poder parar. He afegit algunes fotos que vam fer despres a casa.
Yesterday we went for a walk in Marin, a new trail that we haven’t done before. Since the weather was nice we took F & T out of the slings so they could enjoy of the sun as well. Coming back there was a lot of traffic (memorial day) and in the middle of the Golden Gate Bridge they both started crying. Luckly I am the “walking food” and I fed them as soon as we were able to stop. I have added a few pictures we took afterwards at home.
Ahir vam poder dormir 5 hores seguides primer cop des de fa 3 mesos!!! Ueeeee!!! Sembla que els nens estan creixent…a veure que passa aquesta nit…
Last night we were able to sleep 5 hours straight, first time for the last 3 months!!! Ueeee!!! Seems like the babies are growing… let’s see what happens tonight…
Des que vam tenir la noticia que seriem pares de bessons, ens vam inscriure al grup de pares de bessons de San Francisco. Tenen una llista d’email, on pots fer preguntes relacionades amb bessons, o vendre/comprar coses de segona ma…, fan reunions per parlar de temes relacionats amb bessons, trobades de pares amb o sense nens…i tambe tenen una revista cada 2 mesos. I el Teo i el Finian hi surten aquest mes! (mireu la pagina 10)
Since we found out that we were going to be parents of twins, we subscribed to the parents of twins club in San Francisco. They have an email list where you can ask questions related to twins, sell/buy second hand items, they organize meetings to talk about twin related things, outings for parents and/or babies..and they also publish a magazine every 2 months. And Teo and Finian are in this month’s magazine! (see page 10)
Un video maco de veure. Als Estats Units, l’embaras de besson esta considerat d’alt risc i la majoria de parts es fan per cesaria. Jo vaig tenir un part natural amb anestesia. El Finian va ser el primer i va sortir de cap per avall, i el Teo va venir despres, peus avall, ajudat per les mans de la metge. A molts hospitals aixo hauria acabat en cesaria pero una de les raons per les quals vam escollir UCSF va ser per la seva experiencia en aquest tipus de parts(“breech extraction”). Va ser increible.
Nice video to watch. In the United States a twin pregnancy is considered high risk, and the majority of the deliveries end up in C-section. I had a natural delivery with medication. Finian came first, head down and Teo came second feet first, helped by our doctors hands. In most of the hospitals this would have end up with a C-section but one of the reasons why we chose UCSF was for their experience on this kind of deliveries (breech extraction). It was incredible.
El Finian i el Teo avui han fet 4 setmanes (corretgides)!!!. Que vol dir aixo? En realitat fa 11 setmanes que han nascut, pero en quant al seu desenvolupament, tenen 4 setmanes. En teoria, si haguessin nascut el dia que els tocava (27 d’abril), tindrien 4 setmanes, i aixi es com ho mirem quan anem al metge o llegim llibres sobre que els tocaria fer a cada mes. Aqui hi ha una explicacio de com funciona l”edat gestacional” (GA)
Finian and Teo are 4 weeks old (GA)!!! What does that mean? Trully, it’s been 11 weeks since they were born, but developmentally they are 4 weeks old. In theory, if they had been born on their due date (April 27), they would be 4 weeks old, and this is how we look at it when we go to the doctor or look at books about what they are suposed to be doing each month. Here is an explanation of how the Gestational Age (GA) works:
Assessment of growth, feeding skills, and development should be based on a corrected age for preterm infants. Use of the actual date of birth to calculate age will lead to inappropriate assessment and advice.
Basics
* A full term pregnancy is estimated to be 40 weeks from the mother’s last menstrual period.
* The Corrected age (CA) otherwise known as Gestationally Corrected Age (GCA) or sometimes just Gestational Age (GA) is based on the age the child would be if the pregnancy had actually gone to term.
* Chronological age (CH) is a term that is used to indicate the age from the actual day the child was born.
* An accurate EDC (expected date of confinement) corrected age is calculated by using that date as a birth date. For example an infant with an EDC of March 1, who was born on January 1, will have a corrected age of 3 months on June 1.
Calculating Corrected Age (CA) from Chronological Age (CH)
CA = CH – # weeks or months premature
Example:
* Baby J was born at 28 weeks gestation
* He was 12 weeks premature (40 weeks – 28 weeks = 12 weeks = 3 months)
* Today it is 6 months past the day he was actually born (6 months CH)
* CA = 6 months – 3 months
* Baby J is 3 months corrected age
* Finian and Teo were born at 33 weeks gestation
* They were 7 weeks premature (40 weeks – 33 weeks = 7 weeks)
* Today they are 11 weeks past the day he was actually born (11 weeks CH)
* CA = 11 weeks – 7 weeks
* Finian and Teo are 4 weeks corrected age
Avui hem anat a veure el final del Bay to Breakers, i a menjar al parc. A veure si quan el Finian i el Teo son mes grans la podem correr…o caminar. Aqui teniu una mica d’historia de la cursa:
Today we’ve gone to watch the end of Bay to Breakers, and to eat at the park. Maybe when Finian and Teo are older we can run it…or walk it. Here is a little of history of the race:
At 5:13am on April 18, 1906, a devastating earthquake – that would become one of history’s most notorious natural disasters – rocked San Francisco. The subsequent fire and destruction were unimaginable, and many feared the City would be gone forever. But San Franciscans, displaying their typical fortitude and innovation, immediately began rebuilding the city and producing events to lift their morale. One of those events, the Cross City Race – known better today as ING Bay to Breakers – was first run in 1912 as a precursor to the world-class athletic events planned for the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition. There were less than 200 participants that first year and Robert Jackson Vlught was the first person to ever cross the finish line, with a finishing time of 44:10.
It is the longest consecutively running footrace in the world (other races’ courses and lengths have changed over time). During World War II participation sometimes slipped below 50 registrants, but the tradition carried on and the race held the Guinness World Record for the highest participation footrace with nearly 110,000 runners from 1986 to 1994 when it lost it against the Cursa of Barcelona.
In the true spirit of San Francisco the race is a celebration for everyone. Thousands of costumed participants join with families, weekend runners and people just out for a stroll. As they make their way through the heart of San Francisco they are cheered by thousands of spectators and live music along the course. They also have to dodge the “spawning salmon” who each year make their way from the Finish line, through the masses, to the Start.
The route is typically dotted with various local bands performing. At the end of the race is “Footstock”, a gathering where participants and spectators can enjoy musical performances by various musical acts.
http://www.ingbaytobreakers.com
Last Friday we went to Palo Alto (the farthest Fin and Teo have been) to celebrate Zain’s birthdate. They behaved so well, they were sleeping most of the time, and were fed in the car also for the first time. Yey!
Zain, here at home we celebrated your birthday, here are some pictures. Nice outfits, eh??? The pictures of the dinner are little dark, but oh well…
(here are also a few pictures of Zain and Olana from the trip we did in Rwanda)
Abans d’ahir a San Francisco va fer mooolta calor!!! A dins de casa hi feia 34 graus. A casa tothom suava, fins i tot el Teo i el Finian. A la tarda va venir el Chris i ens va portar gelat, nyaaam! Des de la terrassa podiem sentir la musica del carrer de Castro, on celebraven que les Corts de California han aprovat el casament d’homosexuals.
Two days ago in San Francisco was really hot!!! Inside the house was 93 degrees. At home everyone was sweating, even Teo and Finian. Chis came on the afternoon and brought us ice cream, nam!!! From the deck we could hear the music coming from the Castro street, where there was a party to celebrate that the California’s Supreme Court approved same sex marriage.
Ahir vam posar-los de panxa avall per tal que fessin exercicis amb els bracos i el cap. Tummy time!!! El de mes a prop de la camera es el Finian, pero ja ho sabieu, no?
Yesterday we put them on their tummy to do some exercises with their arms and belly. Tummy time!!! The closest to the camera is Finian, but you knew that, right?
Ultimament al Finian i el Teo els costa mes menjar junts, a la vegada. He estat buscant per internet i a llibres de casa diferents maneres de donar-los el pit. Fascinant…
Lately Finian and Teo have a harder time eating together, at the same time. I’ve been looking on the internet and books at home different ways to breastfeed them. Fascinating..
Combination Cradle and Football Hold:
Sit up straight. Hold one baby in the cradle hold. The other baby is in the football hold with his head on his sibling’s (the other twin) abdomen. Putting pillows under your elbows and under the babies makes this easier. This position is the most unnoticeable when you are nursing outside the home. It is also one of the easiest to learn especially if one or both babies has trouble latching on to the breast.
Cross cradle:
Sit up straight. Both babies are in the cradle hold but they are crossed in your lap. One baby’s body is pressed against you, the other baby’s body is pressed against his sibling. Their heads are in the crooks of your arms. A pillow under your elbow helps to support the lower baby.
This position could also be used outside the home without pillows if you hold your hands together to support your babies weight. But it is more tiring without pillows.
Parallel: Sit up Straight.
The babies’ bodies extend in the same direction. One baby is in the cradle hold with his head in the crook of your arm and his body across your lap. The other baby’s body extends off your lap in the same direction as the other twin’s body. Your hand and arm support his head. Put pillows under your elbows and on your lap to make this position more comfortable.
Double football hold:
Sit up Straight. Both babies are in the football hold, lying on firm pillows at your sides. The higher the pillows, the easier this position is on your back. It may also be more comfortable if you prop your feet on a footstool, chair, or low table. This position is especially comfortable if you had a cesarean delivery because the babies’ weight does not rest on your incision.
Ahir el Finian va fer els primers somriures responent a l’Owen que li feia gracietes i vaig tenir la sort d’estar-ho filmant (per mala sort ho vaig filmar en vertical…aix…pero val la pena torcar el cap per veure-ho)
Yesterday Finian did his first responsive smiles to Owen who was doing silly things to him. I was lucky to be video taping at the moment (although I did it vertical…but it is worth it to turn the head to watch
it)
Between 0-3 months, infants make what Dunstan calls sound reflexes. According to Dunstan, we all have reflexes, like sneezes, hiccups, and burps, that all have a recognizable pattern when sound is added to the reflex. There are other reflexes that all babies experience, and when sound is added to these, a distinct, preemptive “cry” will occur before the infant breaks into what Dunstan calls the hysterical cry. Dunstan claims that these preemptive cries can indicate what the infant requires (e.g., food, comfort, sleep, etc.), and they escalate to the hysterical cry if they are not answered. As the infant matures past 3 months in vocalization, the sound reflexes become replaced with more elaborate babbling.
According to Dunstan, the five universal words (or sound reflexes) used by infants are:
Neh-I’m hungry – An infant uses the sound reflex “Neh” to communicate their hunger. The sound is produced when the sucking reflex is triggered, and the tongue is pushed up on the roof of the mouth.
Owh-I’m sleepy – An infant uses the sound reflex “Owh” to communicate that they are tired. The sound is produced much like an audible yawn.
Heh-I’m experiencing discomfort – An infant uses the sound reflex “Heh” to communicate stress, discomfort, or perhaps that they need a fresh diaper. The sound is produced by a response to a skin reflex, such as feeling sweat or itchiness in the bum.
Eairh-I have lower gas – An infant uses the sound reflex “Eairh” to communicate they have flatulence or an upset stomach. The sound is produced when trapped air from a belch that is unable to release and travels to the stomach where the muscles of the intestine tighten to force the air bubble out. Often, this sound will indicate that a bowel movement is in progress, and the infant will bend its knees, bringing the legs toward the torso. This leg movement assists in the ongoing process.
Eh-I need to burp – An infant uses the sound reflex “Eh” to communicate that they need to be burped. The sound is produced when a large bubble of trapped air is caught in the chest, and the reflex is trying to release this out of the mouth.
