Kai smiles

In addition to fits of inconsolable angst, Kai has now learned to smile. We like this latter super-power much better, and encourage it whenever we can. Here he is with Party-Richard on the roof deck.

The Sleepy Kai Movie

Nipple Confusion

This term usually applies when babies get the bottle too soon and too much before getting a hang of breastfeeding. However, Nadia has been known to "bark up the wrong tree" on occasion - like here with Diana's cousin AnaMaria, visiting from Colombia.

Punk Rock Girl

Nadia still getting the hang of American sign language customs... No, we didnt teach her this. By the way, she is inside a belly-cast of Diana done 3 days before birth. Pretty snug.

Who Needs a Frenulum Anyway

I'm pleased to report Kai's latest superpower - breastfeeding. After minor surgical augmentation (a quick snip of the lingual frenulum), his breastfeeding prowess has noticeably improved (according to Diana). We say "yay" and let the ounces pile on. By the way, in case you were wondering, snipping this thin fold of tissue as an adult is moderately popular with the body modification crowd and will allow you to look like Gene Simmons from the rock band KISS.

A Yawner of a Movie

Just for the record, their first movie was Roman Holiday with Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck, which we saw on the hospital television (and which was not a yawner).

Hospital Photos

A few photos from Beverly Hospital - where the solstice twins made their grand entrance. Kai was more vocal from the start, Nadia content to eat and eat, surely, steadily, quietly, slowly catching up to her big brother's weight. We remind Kai time and again, he's better off eating than fussing - but he has his own ideas for sure.

We stayed in the hospital 5 days, recovering from the Big Move. The best part was all the help and advice we got from the nurses and lactation consultants. But after 5 days, we were definitely ready to put the night-time blood pressure checks behind us and to come home.

Name Origins

...a bit about the names...

Kai (pronounced kye) has lots of meanings in cultures throughout the world. We chose it primarily as a Hawaiian and Japanese word meaning "the ocean." Kai is also a variant of the Hebrew "Chai" which means "living" or "life," just as papa's name "Vitaly" is derived from the Latin root "vita" for "life." Kai is also of Welsh, Scandinavian and Greek origin, meaning "keeper of the keys". Finally, Kai is also a Hmong male name and in Chinese means "triumphant," while in Burmese means "strong" or "unbreakable."

Nadia is the diminutive of the Russian name Надежда (Nadezhda) which means "hope". It is also an anagram of Diana.

Israel was papa's maternal grandfather's name, while Paulina was papa's paternal grandmother's name.

The Solstice Twins have arrived

Welcome to the Solstice Twins blog (web log). As the wonder-twins acquire their supernatural (and natural) powers, they will be revealed here. For now, just welcome Kai Israel and Nadia Paulina....