spikegifted.net - The Boys!!

We are thrilled to announce the arrival of the two new members of our family: Master Cheeky (Xavier Thomas, 嘉熙) and Master Chill (Théodore Louis, 嘉寶)! They were delivered by the fantastic team of doctors, midwifes and nurses at Kingston Hospital, in the afternoon of April 2*, 2010, Good Friday, seven weeks premature. My sincere thanks to all the professionals at the hospitals for looking after the Ruler_of_spike and the two Masters.

* For all those who know, that is already a particular significant day in our family.

Day 1: The boys were delivered via emergency Caesarean section. Xavier is on the left, Théodore on the right. Both the Ruler_of_spike and I are jubilant and excited by their arrival.

Day 2: Each in his own incubator in the neonatal intensive care unit. Although they needed CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure), they were allowed time off to breath normally.

Day 3: Xavier was now off the CPAP, but Théodore still needed the help.

Day 4: The nurses kindly arranged to place the boys in the same incubator so that I could take these lovely photos of the boys together for the first time since birth. What was really amazing was how calm they were when placed in the same cot.

Day 5: What really amazing was the range of movements the boys were capable of at this young age. Swelling around Théodore's eyes have come down significantly and we saw his little eyes for the first time.

Day 6: The nurses were gradually taking Théodore off the CPAP. Both boys have now built up their tolerance to milk and were completely off their glucose drips.

Day 7: This was a big moment: The boys were no longer required to stay in the incubators! The bodies were doing a job keeping their heat and regulating their temperatures.

Day 8: Finally, the Ruler_of_spike was let out of the hospital. So for the first time since giving birth, mother and babies reunited. The boys were doing just fine. Théodore was very close to getting off the CPAP machine completely.

Day 11: Having been transferred out of the hospital they were born in soon after birth, there was finally enough space to accept them back on Day 10. They were kept in isolation incubators for MRSA screening for the first 48 hours after transfer, but they were allowed out from time to time. Notice both Xavier and Théodore how had their feed tubes through their noses, Théodore was now off the CPAP also.

Day 16: The boys were making good progress. They were free from all monitors and drips, except for the feed tubes. There were transferred from the 'blue' nursery to the 'green' nursery. Also, as they no longer needed incubators, they were allowed to share the same cot. The nurses in the nursery very helpfully made some name signs.

Day 21: Another major mile stone was reached on Day 19 - both boys have their feed tubes removed. First was Xavier who lost his on Day 17, then three days later Théodore followed his brother's lead. With both of them not need the feed tubes any more, their departure from the neonatal unit was imminent.

Day 23: This was a very important day in their short lives and also our lives - Xavier and Théodore were coming home. We have been readying ourselves for this day for many months before their arrival and for over three weeks since their birth. Our excitement was indescribable.

Day 26: The boys were back home and were settling in. The whole new environment outside the hospitals has plenty of things to keep them curious and occupied.

1 month: We got the boys a mobile to ease them to sleep. It proved to be a big hit for Théodore, but Xavier was not so sure about this strange device. Meanwhile, the boys were keep at a very intensive feeding schedule to boost their body weights.

6 weeks: For the first time, the boys went out for a walk on a beautiful May afternoon. Both of them pretty much slept through this first outing.

2 months: This was the first time anyone has taken a photo of all of us in the family. As the boys became more aware of their surroundings, they also became aware of each other. A bond was developing between the two.

10 weeks: The boys were developing and putting on weight. Their little personalities were also developing and they were now two very charming but different babies.

3 months: Not only had they grown out of their first set of clothes (which were for 'early babies'), they now regularly showed off with a full range of expressions.

4 months: The boys spent their fourth month in France and they loved it! They were now really aware of the presence of each other. As they explore the world around them, they were also interacting with each other, playing together and generally getting to know each other and their surroundings.

5 months: Coming to the end of their first month in France, the boys were coming long in leaps and bounds. They have gradually grown out of their 'baby movements' which were basically just reflexes and have started to do things that interest them. We also notice that they were both in the early stages of teething.

6 months: There had been so many developments in the past month. The boys were each over 7kg! They were getting stronger by the day. Their kicking actions were not to trifle with. Their hand grips were solid. And they loved to play - they were just full of energy and they often had to be calmed down before resting. They continued to be bothered by their teething, but those little bits of discomfort hadn't made them stop enjoying themselves. They were two happy babies!

7 months: We had two happy little boys in our house. While the weather was still relatively warm, the Ruler_of_spike used to take them out every day for some nice little walks around our neighborhood. One of the favorite stops was the swings. The place was comparatively quiet with few cars nearby and the boys could get the first taste of the playground. At home, they were developing their taste for solid food. After a tentative start, they both took eating solids on their strides. Before we knew it, they were demanding their food at meal time. The boys continued to develop their coordination, man-handling their toys and their parents. They even fought over their toys. Awesome!!

8 months: The boys were just getting bigger by the day! Their hand-eye coordination was getting better by the day. Both boys were sitting up and exploring their surroundings. They were now well into their solids and they love their food.

9 months: Back in April, we could not have imagined how the boys would have developed, given that they were seven weeks premature. Now, at their first Christmas, they were slowly growing up to become two happy little boys. They loved playing together and a bond has grown between them.

10 months: The boys were really playing together. They loved climbing over each other, messing with each other's toys and generally becoming very active. In terms of movements, Théodore was more advanced. However, Xavier was ahead in other areas like noise making and hand-eye coordination. As they were now spending so much time on their hands and knees and doing a lot of roaming around, Théodore particularly, they had a lot of little bumps and bruises.

11 months: There was no stopping the boys! There were hardly ever a calm moment with them around. Their main objective was to explore the world around them. They would put their hands on anything that they could get their hands on, and they would go to all the impossible places in the house where they could squeeze themselves into. The only moments of calm during the day were the meal times. They loved their food. As Théodore was more mobile, he would go off to explore on his own, leaving Xavier behind. We figured that he was actually quite content to be left alone from time to time.

12 months: We could scarcely believe it! The boys were one year old! The past year has been hard work but it has also been a lot of fun. They were baptized on their first birthday and we had a small party to celebrate their birthday and their baptism. Then the boys and the Ruler_of_spike spent the whole month in France. They had a great time.

13 months: The boys loved playing outside, no matter it was in London or in Brittany. Their increasing mobility also allowed them to enjoy their surroundings much more.

14 months: This month, one of my cousins came to visit us in London and he spent a day with us and took a lot of photos of the boys and us as a family. As such, I have decided to feature some of these photos.

15 months: The boys were getting more mobile. They were not walking just yet, but they spent a great deal of time standing around. When they were not, they were 'zooming' around on their hands and knees. They loved playing in our local children center - interacting with other kids and playing with toys which we did not have at home. However, back at home, they were getting more inventive... they were giving us master classes of the 'unintended usages of everyday items'!

16 months: The boys were getting very close to walking. They have each taken their tentative steps and while they seemed to have enjoyed themselves, they were more surprised than anything else. By the middle of July, they were back in France with the Ruler_of_spike. The larger space and more friendly garden were definitely a bonus as they could roam freely. While Théodore's hair was just getting longer and longer, Xavier's hair seemed to have gotten a life of its own...

17 months: After spending a month in France, the boys were on the move. They were walking! Don't let the pictures fool you, they were fully mobile, just that our camera was a little limited and we could not get good photos of the boys on the move. Now that they were walking, their world has just gotten bigger! There were so much to explore and they discovered so many things that they could do, they were just non-stop. They just could not stop smiling!

18 months: The whole family was back in the London and the boys used their newly developed skills of walking and running to explore their surroundings. Also, they have developed a real liking of fruits. The Ruler_of_spike made sure that the boys had plenty of fruits and vegetables in their diet. Of course, as with all kids, the boys liked putting their feet into adult shoes, and they found my shoes particularly accommodating.

19 months: This month, another one of my cousins came to visit us in London and she spent a couple of days with us. Just like an earlier visit by another cousin (when the boys were 14 months old), she took a lot of photos of the boys and us as a family. So I am featuring some of her photos.