Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Goats
Koh & Abraham: Today while Daddy napped (we were pretty tough on him last night), Mommy surfed the net and discovered that we are Capricorns. She and Dad don't really subscribe to that stuff, but she got a kick out of learning that the sign for Capricorn is the goat. Daddy is going to love hearing that since the climbing club they belong to, the Mazamas, has a goat as its mascot. Daddy loves to climb mountains and just two days ago wanted to take us up to the top of Mt. St. Helen's with his friends Jeff and Andy. Luckily good sense and Mom intervened as that would have been cold and a long time to be away from the dairy. Hey, all you fans out there, you should start a pool on how old we'll be when Dad takes us on our first climb. How small do crampons come anyway?
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Mistakes mommy and daddy are making
Koh/Abe: We want to tell ya that training two first-time parents is really trying sometimes, it seems like a lot of pressure on us, especially since we're 7 pound newborns. Now we weaalhy weaaly love mom and dad - they are the best by a lot - they do so much so well for us, but there are only just a few things maybe that could do a little better. We don't want to be whiners or complainers, but.....
Koh: ....like when dad closed the garage door on my head - that was the dumb parent grand prize so far in our 3 week lives. He weally got in trouble, too, since mom and gramma were watching. It was kind of a shock on my brain and skull but I was really ok because of the rocks in there I guess. I just hope he's more careful with dat front-loading baby carrier next time he puts me in it.
Koh/Abe: ....then last week Dad sort of scared us when he brought out that garbage can lid during the snowstorm and wanted to take us for a saucer ride. Out the window we could see the neighbor kids playing and wanted to go out, but since we were only 10 days old and our heads still flop around alot, we were glad mom and gramma locked all the doors and wouldn't let us out. Dad loves to take us outside and we love it too, but he makes us cold even though he doesn't mean it. We don't get to walk or run since he puts us in the stroller or the baby frontpacks, and our hands and feet get cold sometimes after an hour in the 30 degree air. The sun feels good too, but we don't have sunglasses so it's reaaaaaaally bright.
Abe: I love my Mom especially 8 times a day when I get to have mommy lattes, but she's not very fast in the diaper changing department, so I get mad and cry very loudly to try to make her hurry up. It seems like FOREVER that she lets me hang out there all naked and wet and stinky. I think she should just let gramma or daddy do it.
Koh: ...and then there was that time at the doctor's office when daddy put on my spiffy warm velcro booties a bit too tight and when the doctor took 'em off my feet were blue and cold.
But don't worry too much... we know you're new.... we love you mom and dad!
Koh: ....like when dad closed the garage door on my head - that was the dumb parent grand prize so far in our 3 week lives. He weally got in trouble, too, since mom and gramma were watching. It was kind of a shock on my brain and skull but I was really ok because of the rocks in there I guess. I just hope he's more careful with dat front-loading baby carrier next time he puts me in it.
Koh/Abe: ....then last week Dad sort of scared us when he brought out that garbage can lid during the snowstorm and wanted to take us for a saucer ride. Out the window we could see the neighbor kids playing and wanted to go out, but since we were only 10 days old and our heads still flop around alot, we were glad mom and gramma locked all the doors and wouldn't let us out. Dad loves to take us outside and we love it too, but he makes us cold even though he doesn't mean it. We don't get to walk or run since he puts us in the stroller or the baby frontpacks, and our hands and feet get cold sometimes after an hour in the 30 degree air. The sun feels good too, but we don't have sunglasses so it's reaaaaaaally bright.
Abe: I love my Mom especially 8 times a day when I get to have mommy lattes, but she's not very fast in the diaper changing department, so I get mad and cry very loudly to try to make her hurry up. It seems like FOREVER that she lets me hang out there all naked and wet and stinky. I think she should just let gramma or daddy do it.
Koh: ...and then there was that time at the doctor's office when daddy put on my spiffy warm velcro booties a bit too tight and when the doctor took 'em off my feet were blue and cold.
But don't worry too much... we know you're new.... we love you mom and dad!
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
First doctor's report
Yesterday the boys made their first road trip - to see the baby doctor for their initial visit. The results of this inspection, poking, prodding were.... PASS. Both had gained lots of weight since hospital release 5 days prior, with Abe passing his birth weight and Koh only an ounce short. Koh had a little throat fungus, for which he was given medicine to take for a week. The doctor was impressed that mom and dad were charting poops, pees and meals, something he had not seen done so well before. We told him we didn't know what we're doing. Doctor said they look great, come back at 8 weeks for another checkup, lube and filter.
Parent's view - 11 day report - Telling them apart
This is first in a series of reports from Mom and Dad's view about the two new troglodytes in our world. Let's call this report....Telling them apart.
Abraham, or Abe for short, opens up as our more outspoken, slightly more husky cut boy. On the expressiveness side, neither makes much noise, their cries limited to moments of diaper change, hunger or when dad's cold hands check 'em out. But when one does cry or complain, we can tell it's Abe from other rooms in our home - this boy has vocal chords ahead of their time - loud and longer lasting than brother Koh's. Abe is dirty blonde with seemingly lighter complexion, more like his mom's. His hair is receding, his eyes are blue. He was born a few ounces heavier than Koh, and after a week has pulled away now almost 5 ounces bigger. The little footballer isn't taller, just a bit stockier than bro Koh. If he continues this trend, he'll be shopping in the "husky cut" jeans section of Sears, just as his dad did.
Koh is our Zen child. This boy displays moments of self-actualization at one week old. Compared to Abe, this boy is calmer, less fussy, able to take a dirty diaper change from rookie parents with no noise or complaint. Not always, just lots more than his brother. We often see Koh at rest swaddled on his back, eyes wide open and just clam as can be, contemplating life, demanding nothing from his caretakers. His head movements even seem slower, more deliberate, like he's practicing Tai Chi.... our Zen boy. He has dark hair and slightly more skin color than Abe. Hair not receding, eyes are dark. Koh's ears are 1/8" taller than Abe's.
They're fraternal twins, yet look alike enough at this stage that we still have to check hair color to ID them much of the time. Their height and weight is too close to differentiate, they sleep lots, eat lots and complain little.
Abraham, or Abe for short, opens up as our more outspoken, slightly more husky cut boy. On the expressiveness side, neither makes much noise, their cries limited to moments of diaper change, hunger or when dad's cold hands check 'em out. But when one does cry or complain, we can tell it's Abe from other rooms in our home - this boy has vocal chords ahead of their time - loud and longer lasting than brother Koh's. Abe is dirty blonde with seemingly lighter complexion, more like his mom's. His hair is receding, his eyes are blue. He was born a few ounces heavier than Koh, and after a week has pulled away now almost 5 ounces bigger. The little footballer isn't taller, just a bit stockier than bro Koh. If he continues this trend, he'll be shopping in the "husky cut" jeans section of Sears, just as his dad did.
Koh is our Zen child. This boy displays moments of self-actualization at one week old. Compared to Abe, this boy is calmer, less fussy, able to take a dirty diaper change from rookie parents with no noise or complaint. Not always, just lots more than his brother. We often see Koh at rest swaddled on his back, eyes wide open and just clam as can be, contemplating life, demanding nothing from his caretakers. His head movements even seem slower, more deliberate, like he's practicing Tai Chi.... our Zen boy. He has dark hair and slightly more skin color than Abe. Hair not receding, eyes are dark. Koh's ears are 1/8" taller than Abe's.
They're fraternal twins, yet look alike enough at this stage that we still have to check hair color to ID them much of the time. Their height and weight is too close to differentiate, they sleep lots, eat lots and complain little.
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Where our names came from
Here's Mom and Dad's story on where in the world they got our names.
Abraham is a favorite of Renee's. Pretty presidential, even biblical don't you think? But really it was about this cool place on the flanks of Mt St Helens in the state of Washington where they had backpacked and mountain biked... the Plains of Abraham. Here's Renee backpacking on it in 2003.
Koh is the Thai language word for island, and a three-zone Thailand tour is where Mom and Dad honeymooned in 2004. Their trip ended with 5 days on Koh Samui, and their experience at this beautiful almost exotic place planted the seed for Koh as a great name.
Abraham is a favorite of Renee's. Pretty presidential, even biblical don't you think? But really it was about this cool place on the flanks of Mt St Helens in the state of Washington where they had backpacked and mountain biked... the Plains of Abraham. Here's Renee backpacking on it in 2003.
Koh is the Thai language word for island, and a three-zone Thailand tour is where Mom and Dad honeymooned in 2004. Their trip ended with 5 days on Koh Samui, and their experience at this beautiful almost exotic place planted the seed for Koh as a great name.
Jefferson is all about Thomas Jefferson, one of Mark's life heros.
And Tarn is another appealing geographic feature... a mountain lake formed by glaciation. We've hiked around and swam in these on our mountain days in the Pacific Northwest. Mark's cousin Laura Jacobs suggested it as a boy's name, and it ended up one of our favorites. Here's a photo of a nice tarn.
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
First Family Portrait
Photo snapped by Grandma Jan in a photo shoot in the hospital bed on the twins day #3 of life.
Sunday, January 07, 2007
World Debut (we were born today)
On a rainy Sunday in Portland, Oregon. 7-Jan-2007 the world gained two more Sekers in the form of twin boys:
Abraham Tarn Seker, born 8:10am, 6 pounds 9 oz, 19.5”, blonde
Koh Jefferson Seker, born 8:11am, 6 pounds, 7 oz, 20”, brunette
Their PR agent authorized a few early-life photos, but be warned that these include operating room images taken in their initial moments of life outside Renee’s tummy. If you like that sort of thing, then you’ll see that these boys are expressive young men….can you believe those spread arm poses in minute 1 of life? They just want to hug the world and they’ll hug you too if you come visit. http://members3.clubphoto.com/mark258190/5198841/
As we write this quick note a day later, the boys and Renee are recovering from the C-section procedure in great form, are healthy and happy and as you see…beautiful, too. The new family of four will return home Thursday to see what the cats think of this development.
Oh boy Oh boy. Happy 2007!
GOOD MORNING VIETNAM! I'm Abraham Tarn Seker (in Portland, OR, on left)
I LOVE YOU GUYS! I'm Koh Jefferson Seker (same place; on right)
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