2007-09-20: A Girl! A Boy!
by Emily
Congratulations to Ron and Celia on the birth of their twins!
2007-09-20 18:25:45 Seth Ben-Ezra
Hooray!
2007-09-20 18:26:00 Gregor
Wow! Great news, best wishes to mother, father and the twins.
2007-09-20 19:00:01 Vincent
The twins' names are Annika and Erik, and Ron says they're both "weighty and healthy, with high 'scores' for all their physiological signals." Hooray!
2007-09-21 03:19:46 Ron Edwards
Cecilia's doing well too, and they all come home on Saturday morning.
I am not keen on C-sections, and I lean toward home births, but the facts were against us: Cecilia is in her late 30s, they are twins for a first birth, and Annika's placenta turned out to have a dangerous lobe thing. They tear during labor, which means the mom and that child can bleed out in seconds.
So ... it was a scheduled C-section after all at 37.5 weeks, which went extremely well. The kids were so robust that they could be held by us and cuddled right away; for all intents and purposes they were pretty much full-term. They stay with Cecilia in her room and aren't spirited off to a nursery or anything like that.
Details of the birthing moments ...
Erik even started yelling before he was removed!! "Spoke From the Womb"
He was 6 pounds 10 oz
Annika let out a shriek you wouldn't believe and pumped her arms and legs for all she was worth. "Little Fighter"
She was 5 pounds 1 oz
They're nursing and doing all sorts of little baby movements. Erik can even hold his head up. So far, they seem pretty calm about everything, but I imagine that might change. Their eyes are the same weird blue that I and my brothers have: greyish blue with a light, almost white ring around the pupil.
After my father died, I met with many family members on his side that I hadn't seen for years. It was shocking to be surrounded by people with those eyes. I don't see it very often.
Cecilia's doing very well, walkin' around and otherwise being healthy. I will probably have to sit on her to keep her from over-doing things as she heals, after she comes home.
I sit with them a lot. Erik makes a little "thinking face" which Cecilia thinks is hilarious, because she says it's the same face I make when I'm musing over espionage history or evolutionary theory, and don't want to be bugged. Annika makes a little eyebrows-raised "I'm content" expression. Sentiment aside, though, their main expressions concern being fed, with lots of gaping and tongues-sticking out and smacky lips.
Many thanks to all for your good wishes.
Best, Ron
2007-09-21 13:54:49 Paul Czege
Congratulations to Annika and Erik. That's a powerful birth story to be proud of.
Paul
2007-09-21 14:12:43 Joshua A.C. Newman
Welcome, guys! It's complicated but beautiful out here!
2007-09-21 15:52:54 Meguey
Hurray for all! May the world treat you gently.
2007-09-22 21:58:45 Julia
Congratulations!
2007-09-24 10:32:10 Christoph
Best wishes!